I Will No Longer Live As Your Villainess

“Thank you for your concern, Marquis Spencer.”

Only after checking Laurencia’s complexion once more did Taishar remove his hands. Then he meticulously inspected the sofa where she would sit.

“Lady Laurencia, please sit here. I’ve already placed some soft cushions for you. If they’re uncomfortable, let me know, and I’ll replace them with other cushions or pillows. Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Marquis Spencer.”

Adrian watched Taishar with an unfamiliar expression, and Charlotte was no different.

Typically, Taishar, with his well-groomed black hair, crimson eyes, a well-trained physique, and towering height, exuded an imposing aura that could make the average person cower. But now, he looked like a mother bird tending to a fledgling trying to leave the nest.

“But… is it alright for me to sit first in front of the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince? I apologize, Your Highness. And to you, Princess Charlotte. I am still lacking in proper etiquette, so I ask for your understanding.”

“You may sit, Lady Laurencia,” Charlotte replied with a warm smile.

Sitting on the sofa, Laurencia felt her heart pounding with nervousness. No matter how many times she had seen glimpses of the future, experiencing it firsthand was completely different.

“For the time being, we plan to protect Lady Laurencia here in the palace,” Charlotte began. “However, once the honor duel between Sir Rory Rols and Prince Luance concludes, you must return to the Count’s estate.”

“Yes,” Laurencia replied, nodding to Charlotte’s calm yet firm statement.

“If Lady Anne is punished and sent to a convent, then returning to the Count’s estate would be appropriate. Furthermore, it would improve the palace’s image for having protected someone in your situation,” Laurencia added.

“That’s correct, Lady Laurencia.”

Charlotte found herself intrigued by Laurencia’s composed acceptance of her circumstances. Typically, victims of severe abuse would act timid or uneasy in such formal settings, yet Laurencia appeared as if she had been anticipating this moment.

“I have no intention of sending Lady Laurencia back to the Count’s estate, Princess Charlotte,” Taishar interjected firmly. The thought of sending the young sapling back to such a harsh place was unthinkable to him. He intended to bring her to the Spencer Marquisate in the Poloid Empire.

“Marquis Taishar, have you perhaps fallen in love with Lady Laurencia at first sight? I’ve never seen you so attentive to a woman before, so I had to ask,” Charlotte teased, her tone light.

Taishar recalled his father’s words:

“You’ll know without anyone telling you. Sometimes, you might fall in love at first sight.”

No, it wasn’t love at first sight. He simply wanted to protect the young sapling he saw in her. It was a natural instinct, one that had become apparent even though he had only recently become aware of his identity as a “serpent.” And as a serpent, following this instinct felt natural.

“It’s not a matter of love at first sight. I simply want to ensure Lady Laurencia’s well-being.”

“Be careful not to swallow the young fruit whole before it ripens. After all, we are serpents.”

Taishar’s father’s words echoed in his mind, making his heartbeat erratic. The mere thought of Laurencia being forced to return to the Count’s estate filled him with unease. He realized he would soon have to reveal the truth about the Spencer family’s crimson eyes and the connection to Ella’s child to Charlotte and Adrian.

“Lady Laurencia will not be returning to the Count of Paul Heredian’s estate,” Taishar declared.

“Even if I choose to return?” Laurencia asked cautiously.

“Even then, I will not allow it,” Taishar replied, his gaze fixed on her with a mix of determination and sadness. Laurencia averted her eyes, feeling uneasy under his intense stare. She couldn’t understand why he looked at her so sorrowfully.

One thing, however, was clear—there was a connection between her and Ella’s child. Perhaps that was why Taishar was determined to keep her close. That must be the reason for his kindness.

She had long since learned that unconditional kindness existed only in a mother’s love. Suspicion shadowed her perception of everyone and everything.

Her priority now was saving the people before her and preventing the impending war. To achieve this, Laurencia knew she had to take control of the situation.

“Princess Charlotte.”

“Yes, Lady Laurencia?”

“The reason you called me here is because of Prince Luance, isn’t it? If you have questions, feel free to ask.”

Both Adrian and Charlotte were taken aback by Laurencia’s directness. They had planned to tread carefully, either probing for answers or gently guiding the conversation to get what they wanted. But Laurencia had seized control of the discussion by addressing their unspoken intent head-on.

“Why would you think that, Lady Laurencia? It’s possible we called you here out of pity after hearing the rumors.”

“This meeting was arranged because I wanted it,” Laurencia replied firmly.

“Because you wanted it? You speak as if you were the one who started those rumors,” Charlotte observed, her tone laced with curiosity.

“Yes, I was the one who spread the rumors. Thanks to them, Prince Luance and Lady Illina garnered much public favor. But at the same time, those rumors have also tied them down,” Laurencia admitted.

“I’d like to tie them down myself,” Adrian remarked playfully, raising an eyebrow. The brilliant mind of Duke Graycan seemed to have found its match in the young woman before him.

“So, what is it that you want, Lady Laurencia?” Adrian asked.

Laurencia’s lips curved into a faint smile. Was he asking because he already knew the answer?

“What I want might sound too preposterous, Your Highness,” Laurencia replied.

“Preposterous? But you created this meeting through those rumors. Surely, that means you have a purpose,” Adrian countered.

Yet, Taishar’s question seemed to pierce through her thoughts, as if he could see exactly what she was thinking. By bringing up the exact question she had been waiting for, Laurencia gained the upper hand in the conversation.

“Why do you think so, Lady Laurencia? Perhaps we just heard the rumors and wanted to help because we felt sorry for you?”

“This meeting exists because I wanted it,” Laurencia replied with a steady voice.

“So, you created this meeting, and now you’re suggesting you’re the one who created the rumors?” Charlotte asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Yes, I did create those rumors. Thanks to them, Prince Luance and Illina gained a lot of favor from the people. But, on the other hand, they also became tied down by them.”

“I’d like to grab hold of that ‘tie’ myself,” Adrian remarked, lifting an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected the talented individual from Duke Graycan’s family to be standing right in front of him.

“So, what is it that you truly want, Lady Laurencia?” Adrian asked, clearly intrigued.

Laurencia smiled faintly. Was he really asking because he already knew what she wanted?

“I believe what I want might sound unreasonable, Your Highness.”

“‘Unreasonable’… But you did create the rumors to make this meeting happen. Doesn’t that mean you want something?”

Adrian asked sharply, his gaze keen. Yet Laurencia had no intention of revealing the truth. If she told them that she, an illegitimate child from the Count’s family, had created this opportunity to save their lives, would they believe her? No matter how exceptional they were, they’d likely think she was “mad” or “strange.” So, she kept the truth to herself.

“Yes, I did create this meeting because I want something,” Laurencia said, her voice calm and resolute.

What she needed was to ensure that the future she had seen—where Charlotte and Adrian could die—would not come to pass. To do so, she had borne Luance’s cruelty, endured the pain of the past, and created the present situation. Despite the physical suffering she’d rather never face again, she considered it a necessary sacrifice.

“But why do you think what you want is unreasonable, Lady Laurencia?” Charlotte asked, intrigued.

“I call it unreasonable because it seems like an impossible wish,” Laurencia responded.

“Now you’ve got me curious. What exactly do you want, Lady Laurencia?” Charlotte asked, her curiosity piqued.

Laurencia paused before answering, the weight of her next words heavy in the air.

“I want to find the grave of my mother, who passed away seven years ago.”

Both Adrian and Charlotte were taken aback by her unexpected response. They had expected her to ask for revenge on the Count of Paul Heredian or perhaps the head of the Count’s family, considering the abuse she had suffered as an illegitimate child. But her wish was to find her mother’s grave.

“No one tells me where my mother is buried. Even when I ask, no one answers. I don’t know… That’s why I say it’s unreasonable,” Laurencia admitted, her voice tinged with sorrow.

Laurencia remembered the day before her mother’s death when she was eleven. Her mother had removed the amethyst necklace from her own neck and placed it around Laurencia’s neck, holding her tightly like never before.

“Love sometimes plants madness in the heart. What I want to tell you, Roa…”

“Don’t cry.”

“It’s okay to love madly. Just don’t love foolishly.”

The whispered words, once incomprehensible, made perfect sense to Laurencia now. The meaning of her mother’s cryptic words became clear.

“Accepting the fate of madness, that’s also something you can decide to turn in your favor, Roa. My rainbow.”

Unconsciously, Laurencia wiped away the tears that had begun to flow.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry if I made you recall painful memories,” Taishar said, looking at Adrian and Charlotte before taking a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiping the tears from Laurencia’s cheek.

“It’s okay, Marquis Spencer.”

“No, it’s not okay,” Taishar replied quietly, his heart sinking as he thought about Laurencia’s pain. As soon as her mother’s name was mentioned, the young sapling’s branches had broken once again, and it felt like a deep ache in his chest.

The hours of care spent nurturing the tree felt meaningless as the branch snapped so quickly. Taishar felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

“Marquis Spencer, I’ll do it. Please, give me the handkerchief,” Laurencia said, reaching out to take it from him.

“No. I want to do it,” Taishar replied. “The time…?”

“Time?”

“It’s snack time,” he said softly.

Despite Laurencia’s insistence that she was fine, Taishar continued to take care of her. He brought a warm cocoa, chocolates, and a cake filled with sweet marshmallows and placed them on the table in front of her.

“Lady Laurencia, please, eat,” he urged.

“Thank you. But… am I the only one eating?” Laurencia asked, glancing nervously at Charlotte and Adrian.

“Lady Laurencia, Adrian and I have already had our snacks. Please, don’t feel burdened,” Charlotte reassured her.

The rich chocolate scent tantalized Laurencia’s senses. Taishar had gone out of his way to prepare this for her, so she felt she should eat.

“Try the cocoa first, Lady Laurencia,” Taishar suggested kindly.

“Thank you for your care, Marquis Spencer.”

“I will continue to take care of you. Let me cut the cake for you. If you find the marshmallows and chocolate too sweet, you can leave them out.”

With his thoughtful explanation, Laurencia took a sip of the cocoa. She appreciated his kindness, but it felt a little overwhelming.

After finishing the snack, Laurencia spoke up again, unable to keep her thoughts to herself.

“There is one thing I want right now.”

“Please, tell me, Lady Laurencia.”

“There’s a letter that Sir Rory Rols has. I would like you to bring it to me.”

“A letter?” Adrian asked, surprised.

“The letter I want is…” Laurencia’s gaze met Charlotte’s, and she hesitated for a moment before continuing.