I Became the Master of the Villain

After dealing with Countess Morris, Anna and I returned to the boutique.
Unlike a few days ago, the boutique was now bustling with customers.

The shopgirls were hurrying back and forth carrying dresses, while the customers stood in front of mirrors holding up garments, thoroughly focused.
Anna went off to attend to the guests, and since I was already here, I decided to browse the store myself.
One noble lady wearing the black dress was scrutinizing her reflection in the mirror, murmuring worriedly.

“Doesn’t this look too plain?”
“It might feel that way since the dress itself has minimal decoration. But if you pair it with some accessories, it gives off a very sophisticated look. Like this, for example…”
The clerk matched the dress with an ornate necklace. The necklace added a strong accent, completely changing the impression.

The customer’s face brightened, seemingly satisfied with the transformation.
“Oh, that’s actually quite nice.”
Ladies of the upper class are used to dressing extravagantly. To them, a simple black dress might seem downright impoverished at first glance.

That’s why we’d encouraged the use of high-end necklaces, jewelry, and other accessories.
Thankfully, that strategy seemed to be working.
Seeing the clerks handling customers exactly as I had instructed ahead of time gave me a sense of pride.

I took a slow walk around the boutique to see if there were any issues I hadn’t anticipated.
That’s when I suddenly spotted a familiar face.
A woman standing in line at the counter caught my eye from behind—something about her figure felt familiar.

Coincidentally, she noticed me too.
“Olivia?”
Our eyes met. I couldn’t pretend not to see her now.

With no choice, I said her name.
“Rachel.”
Rachel and I had once been friends, but now we were worse than strangers.
She had been a terrible friend, full of jealousy and vanity. Honestly, I was glad we’d ended up as strangers.

Click, clack—Rachel strutted toward me, the sound of her heels sharp on the floor. She looked at me with a sour face and said,
“What brings you here? Don’t tell me you’re here to buy a dress?”
I shrugged.

“Not really. I had some business to take care of.”
Rachel looked me up and down and said,
“Is that so? Good. None of these clothes would suit you anyway. You’d never be able to pull off such bold designs.”

As expected, Rachel was oozing sarcasm.
Given how things ended between us last time, it made sense why she was so eager to pick a fight.
No doubt, she was still bitter about what happened and looking for a chance to get back at me.

But she picked the wrong person.
I casually brushed off her provocation.
“So, did you find something you liked?”

“Oh, of course. You know the dress Celine Claudel wore? It looked absolutely perfect on me. Though with your figure, pulling it off would be impossible.”
She sneered. I didn’t bother arguing, so her expression grew smug with victory.
Honestly, it was like she’d fall ill if she didn’t tear someone down to feel better about herself.

I let her enjoy that little taste of victory before opening my mouth.
“I’m glad you liked the dress. If you want, I’ll give you a special discount.”
“How ridiculous. You talk like this store belongs to you or something.”

“It does.”
Rachel’s eyebrow twitched at that. Her expression twisted like she’d just found a hair in her food.
“You’re saying this store is yours?”

“You didn’t know? I’m the one who funded this boutique.”
“…”
Rachel’s face crumpled immediately.

She stared at the shopping bag holding the dress she’d just been bragging about like it was infested with bugs. Then she stormed over to the counter and slammed the bag down.
“I want a refund.”
“Yes, ma’am. One moment, please.”

The clerk opened the bag and pulled out the dress. After inspecting it, the clerk spoke up hesitantly.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but we can’t offer a refund for damaged goods.”
Rachel’s eyebrows shot up fiercely. Her sharp voice rang through the boutique.

“Are you kidding me? Who do you think you’re fooling, pretending this isn’t just an excuse to avoid refunding me?”
Despite Rachel’s scathing tone, the clerk stood firm and pointed to the dress’s waistline.
“If you’ll look here, ma’am, the stitching has come undone.”

“What? Are you saying that’s my fault?”
Rachel glared at the clerk, as if ready to shoot lasers from her eyes. The clerk looked a little shaken, but bravely stood her ground.
“Our staff did suggest you try one size larger, ma’am. But you insisted it was fine and tried it on anyway. You even said it had to be the same size Celine Claudel wears.”

And with that, I understood why Rachel had been so stubborn.
Her vanity had driven her to wear the exact same size as the famous actress Celine Claudel, # Nоvеlight # no matter what.
Meanwhile, the other customers waiting in line stretched their necks, curious about the commotion.

“What’s going on?”
“Apparently, the dress tore because she forced on the wrong size.”
“Oh my… What a scene.”

As the whispers spread, Rachel’s face turned volcanic red.
“Why would you wear something that doesn’t even fit?” I said with exaggerated sympathy.
Whether it was rage or humiliation, her lips visibly trembled.

“Technically, you should compensate for the damage, but I’ll let it go just this once. Just don’t try this again at other boutiques. It’s a real nuisance.”
That was like pouring oil on a fire.
Rachel, already trembling from humiliation, finally snapped. She shouted like a banshee.

“Who asked you to let it go? I’ll just pay for it, fine!”
I had no idea why she was getting mad when I wasn’t even charging her.
I shrugged.

“Then pay for it.”
Only minutes ago, she’d been full of herself. Now she looked like she was about to cry.
I’d heard her family’s trading company had suffered massive losses after their ship returning from the Eastern Continent ran into a kraken and sank.

Anyone with a brain would try to cut expenses until the company recovered, but Rachel? She wasn't that kind of girl.
Afraid of falling behind in fashion trends, she probably forced herself to buy the dress.
Judging by how she now seemed to regret her own words, she clearly didn’t expect to actually have to pay.

Normally, she would’ve paid without hesitation, but now she kept stalling.
But prideful as ever, she finally handed over the money, tears in her eyes.
“There. Happy?”

She snapped, as if desperate to escape this place as fast as possible.
I smiled sweetly and said,
“Thanks. You helped boost our boutique’s sales.”

“…”
Rachel’s expression was priceless.
As she fled with her tail between her legs, I waved at her with gusto.

“Rachel! Come again soon!”
***
My original reason for coming was to congratulate Anna.

Though a lot had happened in between.
Anyway, I gave Anna a quick congratulations.
I’d have liked to chat longer, but with so many customers, there was no time.

We promised to meet later for a proper toast, and I left the boutique.
After being in such a crowded space, the air outside felt even fresher.
I considered getting into my carriage, but it felt like a waste to go straight home.

The weather was just too nice for that. A walk was in order.
Besides, I’d been thinking I needed more exercise lately.
Fueled by motivation, I set off walking.

“My lady, perhaps that’s enough walking for today.”
Sir Philip, temporarily acting as my escort knight while Sir Hans was away, offered a cautious suggestion.
At his words, I glanced at the clock tower in the central plaza.

I’d only meant to walk for 30 minutes, but it looked like I’d far exceeded that.
My throat was a little dry too…
Just then, I spotted a café not far off.

“Let’s stop there for a drink.”
“Yes, my lady!”
Sir Philip’s face lit up immediately.

The rich aroma of roasted coffee beans lingered in the air, pleasing to the nose.
Drawn by the smell, I stepped into the café—when someone called out to me.
“Lady Ashford?”

That voice sounded familiar.
I turned to see who it belonged to.
“Your Highness?”

The man sipping coffee at the outdoor café table was none other than Second Prince Alexis.
Suddenly, I remembered the first time we met.
‘Come to think of it, he was drinking coffee then too.’

I walked up to Alexis.
“Do you come here often?”
“I come for coffee here about three times a week.”

So, a regular.
The coffee must be good, or maybe the place itself was just popular. Either way, the café was full both inside and out.
All the good seats were taken.

I had no choice but to gesture to the seat across from him and ask,
“Mind if I sit here?”
“Not at all.”

Alexis readily agreed.
Once I sat, the waiter brought over a menu.
I opened it.

But just by looking, I couldn’t tell what the signature drink was.
While I was flipping through, Alexis spoke.
“Do you enjoy coffee?”

“Yes, I do.”
He recommended the café’s most popular item. Since it was coming from a regular, I figured it was trustworthy and nodded.
“Sure. I’ll go with your recommendation.”

A short while later, the waiter brought out the coffee and cake we’d ordered.
I scooped up a bite of soft tiramisu cake with my fork.
“How is it?”

A pleasant sweetness spread in my mouth.
“It suits my tastes.”
He smiled, clearly pleased his recommendation had hit the mark.

His face, which usually looked cold when expressionless, seemed completely different when he smiled.
“You must really like this café’s coffee?”
“Well, that too… but mostly, it’s more comfortable out here than in the palace.”

That made sense. The palace was probably crawling with people loyal to the Crown Prince.
It wasn’t surprising he didn’t feel at ease, even after returning for the first time in ten years.
Everyone needs at least one place they can truly relax.

“That must’ve been tough.”
I said it instinctively, moved by a pang of sympathy.
But after the words came out, I suddenly felt awkward.

Was I being nosy, talking like I understood?
But judging by Alexis’s expression, he didn’t seem to think so.
His golden eyes shimmered like the evening glow.

He chuckled softly and said,
“Lady Olivia. Are you worried about me right now?”