TRVBC 04

Chapter : 04
The Circumstances of the Villainess (3)

Chocolate-covered marshmallows!

That was the plan—eating as many forbidden sweets as possible, strictly banned in our household.

Members of my family had, for generations, been buried in work, and perhaps because they overused brains fueled almost entirely by sugar, most of them died from diabetic complications.

Because of that medical history, the Goldwarde family strictly controlled sugar intake—we were only allowed to eat tiny crumbs of sweets, like an ant’s eyelash.

But in a place like this, it’s hard for them to monitor me so closely!

I piled my plate high with marshmallows drenched in chocolate and took a seat in a secluded corner of the garden.

Ah, my little beauties.

The white, soft marshmallows glistened under thick layers of dark chocolate, as if tempting me.

If I don’t eat them all, today will be a loss. So I’ll finish them all! I am a Goldwarde who knows no loss!

With a determined expression, I popped a marshmallow into my mouth. The chocolate cracked pleasantly inside, and sweetness filled my entire mouth.

Ahh, happiness.

A smile slipped out on its own. My hand sped up toward the plate.

I was happily munching away when—

Rustle.

Someone stopped in front of me.

It was a child with long black hair. A pretty child.

“Who are you?”

Their eyes shimmered like ocean waves—deeply striking. Their skin was pale, as if it had never seen sunlight, and their limbs were long and slender.

After swallowing my marshmallow, I asked back in a prim tone.

“And who are you?”

“I-I am…”

Perhaps not expecting me to respond like that, the child fidgeted nervously, their long fingers twitching. After a moment of hesitation, they lowered their round head slightly.

“Sorry if I offended you. You were so pretty I thought you were a flower fairy.”

“Hehe.”

My lips curled upward.

It’s not because of the compliment—it’s because of all the sugar I just ate.

I rationalized my good mood as I gestured with my finger. The child hesitated, then quietly sat down beside me.

They’re taller than I thought.

From afar, I had only thought their frame looked long and thin, but sitting next to them, they were much taller than me.

Ever since I possessed this body, I’ve never seen hair this black.

Their jet-black hair spread over their shoulders and back like a cloak. Perhaps sensing my gaze, the child slowly turned toward me.

Wow… so pretty!

I had met many beauties in this world, but never a child this beautiful.

Only after staring absentmindedly did I snap back to reality.

Wasted time!

Now was not the time for this. This was marshmallow-eating time.

I quickly stuffed another marshmallow into my mouth. Two, then three. Gobble gobble.

The child, watching me quietly, tilted their head.

“Are you really a fairy?”

“What kind of fairy hides in a garden eating chocolate marshmallows?”

“Fairies hide when they eat them. They’re supposed to only eat honey, so if they eat chocolate, they have to hide.”

“That actually sounds kind of convincing.”

For a random child who suddenly appeared talking about fairies, their logic was surprisingly sound.

I met their eyes and rounded my lips.

“Ah, say ‘ah’.”

“Ah?”

Their peach-colored lips opened slightly. I quickly popped a marshmallow into their mouth.

“Hup!”

Their pale face turned bright red in an instant. I laughed softly.

“Now you’re an accomplice.”

So let’s stop talking nonsense and enjoy our marshmallows together.

Wait—but if I share, the marshmallows will decrease… is this a gain or a loss?

While I was puzzling over that, the plate quickly emptied.

Ahh, I should’ve brought more.

Though I had already eaten a considerable amount, I still felt regretful. As I sucked the chocolate off my fingers, the child muttered with a flushed face.

“At first I thought chocolate and marshmallows was a strange combination, but it’s delicious.”

I nodded enthusiastically.

“You should try chocolate with bananas or strawberries too. Definitely try it.”

And then come to my house with them. If you bring them as a guest, I won’t be able to forbid them.

Satisfied with my own brilliant plan, I nodded.

The child narrowed their eyes.

“Why do you talk like that?”

“My way of speaking?”

“Like an adult?”

What nonsense.

I straightened my chest proudly.

“Whether you’re an adult or a child doesn’t matter. Anyone who does their job properly is an adult.”

“No matter what you say, you still seem like a child.”

“And you’re a child too.”

“Only children get upset when called children.”

“Only children call others children.”

“Then we’re both children.”

“No we’re not.”

Before we knew it, the childish argument escalated.

After a while of bickering, the child suddenly smiled.

“You’re interesting. Want to be friends?”

“Friends?”

What nonsense.

I wasn’t having fun at all. I didn’t need a friend like you…

“And next time, let’s eat chocolate bananas and strawberries together. Now I’m curious about the taste.”

……

Well, never mind. More friends are better.

I lifted my chin elegantly.

“Hmph, fine. I’ll be generous to a cheeky kid like you.”

It’s not like I was defeated by chocolate. I wasn’t that addicted to sugar.

“So, what’s your name?”

“I am of House Dryan…”

“Lady!”

A voice cut through the conversation.

“Waaah, Lady! Lady!”

“Ben!”

It was my younger brother, Benjamin.

After losing our mother, Benjamin often became emotionally unstable. And I was the only one who could calm him.

I ran toward him and waved at the child.

“I’ll write you a letter later! You must reply!”

I don’t remember what they answered.

But even after returning home, I still remembered the taste of the marshmallows we shared.

So, in the end, I picked up a sheet of paper first.

Come to think of it, I never got their name. They said House Dryan, right?

There was a girl of Benjamin’s age in House Dryan. Her name was Nanari. When I first heard it, I even laughed at how strange it sounded.

That must have been her.

It would be nice to have a chocolate party together later. That was fun.

Late at night, I yawned deeply and picked up my pen.

After writing the first line, I sighed.

I had originally intended to never get involved with House Dryan.

But now that I’ve met them, they seem so normal I don’t even see a reason to avoid them.

As long as it wasn’t Cal Dryan—the man destined to destroy the empire—maybe it was fine?

Recalling the original story, I groaned softly.

Then I laughed.

I’m ridiculous. Even if I meet Cal Dryan, so what?

His rampage happens because the only person who can calm his burning pain is Georgiana. I, who cannot help him, wouldn’t even catch his attention even if I danced in front of him.

Still… to live with constant burning pain in the body…

As I wrote the letter, I couldn’t help but lower my eyes at the thought of Cal Dryan’s condition.

I, too, had died in a fire. So I knew how painful burning felt. At that time, my only thought had been: I just want to die quickly. I just want to be free.

And he experiences that over and over again.

The only one who can relieve his pain is Georgiana, with her immense holy power.

Holy power is extremely important in this world. A saint’s descendant can even receive noble titles.

The Goldwarde family also has a saint among its ancestors. However, neither I nor Benjamin inherited any holy power.

That is also why Georgiana later becomes a daughter of House Goldwarde.

The scene where Cal Dryan is finally freed from pain after meeting Georgiana is one I loved and read repeatedly.

To think that moment might become reality made me slightly excited—but at the same time, it hurt to think he would suffer until then.

He must be in so much pain. And Georgiana’s true appearance is still years away.

Until then… will he continue suffering?

How pitiful.

A character destined to suffer, simply to highlight the heroine’s specialness.

Even knowing that, there’s nothing I can do.

I sighed.

Then I closed my eyes and silently prayed.

Please… may his suffering not be as deep as described in the novel.

With that feeling, I sent my first letter.