HCV 27

Chapter 27

‘What the hell is this lunatic saying?’

Luckily—or unluckily—there wasn’t anyone else around.

“Frill! Why haven’t you been answering your messages?”

Even Lorena came running up, heels clicking.

“You didn’t reply once. I’m really hurt! I told you, avoiding people the moment things get a little uncomfortable—that’s your bad habit!”

“Hey. You’re not gonna answer? You think staying silent will fix everything? You’re the one who cheated first, and now you’re talking about alimony? Huh?”

“Frill, hurry and answer him. Felix is angry.”

Both of them started scolding and pressing me at the same time—just like back at the academy, when they’d nitpick every little thing I did.

My heart started beating a bit faster.

There were a hundred things I wanted to say, but my mouth wouldn’t move.

Then, a chirpy voice rang in my head.

[Benefactor, benefactor! Don’t deal with mad dogs yourself! Peepee will help you!]

My body still felt stiff, but unlike before, I didn’t feel pathetic anymore.

Thanks to Peepee’s fiery pep talk, I now knew this was a normal reaction—and that I was the victim here.

Just having someone I could rely on felt like such a relief.

‘Yeah. Please help.’

[Activating “You Can Be a Villainess Too ver.2”! Please set the villainy level!]

‘We’re outside, so… medium!’

I exhaled deeply, the tension draining from my body.

My shoulders straightened, my whole body loosening.

I looked Felix squarely in the eyes.

“Hey, Frisia. Answer me. Huh? Cat got your tongue?”

“Shut up.”

“…What?”

Felix flinched.

“You should know when to stop spouting crap if you want to stay cute.”

“What, what did you just say?”

“You’re asking if I cheated first? Ha. I can’t tell if you’ve got no brain or no conscience. Maybe neither, huh?”

“W–What the hell are you talking about?!”

Felix shouted.

I stared him down without blinking.

“Don’t remember? On graduation day, when you proposed to Lorena in front of everyone? You kindly went around advertising your infidelity to the whole world.”

“My feelings for Lorena only started less than two months before that!” Felix blurted out as if he’d been waiting for the cue.

“But someone like you couldn’t possibly have started sleeping with the Duke right after we broke up! You must’ve been doing dirty things behind my back long before—”

“That’s what you want to believe, isn’t it? If you say I cheated first, you two get to look clean.”

Felix’s eyes widened, as if I’d hit a nerve.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I really have nothing going on with the Duke. Unlike certain beasts who can’t see past their own lust, I still know what loyalty and self-control are.”

“W–What? Beast? You—!”

“And you.”

I cut him off and glared with open disgust.

“Every time we meet, you try to touch me. Do it one more time and I’ll cut off your hand.”

“Frill! Are you insane? Felix would never try to touch you! You’re being delusional!”

Lorena butted in, looking scandalized.

My lips curled into a mocking smile.

“Why would he do that? Because he needs to steal my magic to function like a proper human.”

“H–How do you… know that…?”

Felix’s eyes went wide as if struck.

I gave a short, cold laugh.

“You didn’t think I knew? You thought you could keep sucking me dry forever without anyone noticing? Like a parasite?”

The insult he used to call me finally thrown back at him—his face turned red with shock and rage.

Lorena stepped forward, speaking for the speechless Felix.

“Frisia! How can you say something so shameless? You’ve been leeching off Felix all this time! And how could he steal your magic anyway? You’re an empty shell with no magic to begin with!”

Empty shell.
So that’s what they’d really thought of me all along.

Well, it wasn’t exactly a surprise anymore.

“Having trouble with logical thinking, Lorena? You’ve got the order backwards.”

“What?!”

“He stole my magic—that’s why I ended up an empty shell.”

“What kind of nonsense is that! Lorena, don’t listen to her!”

Felix shouted, his face blotchy like a boiled crab.

“Hey! That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! Got any proof? Huh? Proof?”

“Why bother finding proof? It’ll be obvious soon enough.”

I gave him a bright smile.

“I’m curious—how long can a parasite like you keep playing ‘great swordmaster’ once your host is gone?”

“Y–You crazy—!”

Felix lunged, grabbing me by the collar.

The commotion drew the attention of nearby shopkeepers, who started peeking outside.

Feeling their eyes on him, Felix froze, his hand stiff with panic.

I gave a sharp, derisive laugh and brushed his hand away—with my sleeve, of course, not my skin.

“Anyway, I’ll be going. Let’s just pretend we don’t know each other from now on.”

“W–Wait, Fr–Frill!”

Lorena grabbed my arm.

What now? Still not done arguing?

Or… could she possibly be about to apologize?

I doubted it—but just maybe…

Instead, what came out of her mouth was something I never expected.

“S–So… you’re really not involved with Duke Kreutz at all?”

…That’s what you’re asking? Now?

“Why do you want to know?”

Lorena smiled awkwardly.

“Well, I just… worry you might be getting used. I mean, come on—someone like the Duke wouldn’t have any special feelings for you, right?”

‘Someone like you.’
That’s what she really meant.

My brain froze in disbelief, but my shoulders lifted on their own.

“Who knows.”

A sly smile spread across my face—one that would definitely look infuriating.

“I can’t give you a clear answer.”

Lorena’s pretty face twisted with rage.

‘Nice one, Peepee!’

To think Peepee could compute exactly what would make Lorena twitch the hardest—perfect!

Now, if I just walked away here, it’d be flawless.

That’s what I thought—until—

Clatter, clatter!

A lavish carriage glided into the street and stopped right in front of us.

“W–What the…?”

Felix stumbled back, startled by its sheer grandeur.

‘Yeah, seriously—what’s going on?’

Why was it parked right in front of us?

Then the carriage door opened, and a man in an ornate uniform stepped out.

He glanced at me from head to toe, then asked politely,

“Are you Lady Frisia Violet?”

“Uh… yes. Why?”

The man bowed deeply.

“Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence.”

…What?

Who… invited who?

I stood frozen, wondering if I was dreaming, when Peepee’s panicked voice stammered in my head.

[B–Benefactor! What kind of reaction should I output?!]

Even Peepee was malfunctioning!

Then Lorena stepped forward with her usual sweet, practiced smile.

“Um, Sir Knight, there must be some mistake. Are you sure you’re looking for Frisia? This here is Felix Rohaim, who graduated top of the academy, and I’m Lorena Belmont—voted this year’s Academy’s Finest Flower.”

Her words screamed: There’s no way the Empress would summon her instead of us.

The knight gave her a blank look, then nodded.

“Yes. I am here for Lady Frisia Violet.”

Lorena blinked, clearly thrown off.

“Oh my… did Frisia commit some sort of crime?”

“Pardon? No.”

The knight frowned slightly, irritated by her interruptions, then turned back to me and spoke formally once more.

“Her Majesty the Empress herself invites Lady Frisia Violet to the Inner Palace. Will you accept, Lady Frisia?”

Felix and Lorena’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets—
as if someone had just smacked the backs of their heads with pure disbelief.