Chapter 13

The Villainess’s Happiness Theory

What the hell…

I cursed inwardly.

What is that? Some kind of torture device?

My face drained of color as I stared at the white mannequin that was dressed only from the chest to the waist. What it was wearing could only be described as a corset—a true instrument of torment. I had seen one in real life only once before.

In my previous life, a friend had begged me to lace her up in one before a date with her boyfriend because she thought she looked too fat. Just once.

I’d told her to go on a diet instead of crushing her ribs, but she had insisted it was too late. Watching her squeeze into that thing had made me short of breath.

But this corset… it looked twice as thick and twice as solid as hers.

If someone wore that, their waist would literally fold in half. Breathing wouldn’t be a natural act anymore—it’d be something you do just to stay alive.

Of course, breathing is for staying alive, but this was different. It was horrifying. Just imagining wearing it made my chest tighten painfully, and I shook my head in disbelief.

While I was locked in a silent staring contest with the corset, Lena came in carrying a dress.

The moment I saw it, my jaw dropped.

How should I even describe this dress? Saying “it looked expensive” didn’t even begin to cover it—it was extravagance itself.

How much… money was stitched into that fabric?

Just from seeing the carriage earlier, I could tell Fiora was rich to the point of obscenity—but this? This was another level.

In my previous life, I’d heard people say celebrities’ red-carpet dresses could sell for the price of a car.

No—this one could probably buy an entire mansion.

If I wore that, it would glitter so brightly that walking at night would be safer than in daylight. Then again, maybe not—since all those jewels might attract danger instead.

As I was admiring the gown with such useless thoughts, another idea popped into my head.

I want to see the kids’ dresses too!

My eyes sparkled as I turned to Lena.

“Can I see the children’s dresses as well?”

She hesitated before answering.

“The young master and young lady’s outfits have not yet been delivered, my lady.”

My eyes widened.

What? The ball is in three days, and their clothes still aren’t ready? That means… no one’s even prepared them yet!

What kind of nonsense is that? Of course the children should have new clothes too!

After a moment of thinking, I made up my mind. There was no helping it—I’d have to buy them myself.

“Lena, help me prepare to go out. Lona, call for Children.”

The two maids exchanged uncertain glances—they clearly knew what I was about to do—but they were disciplined enough not to object.

When they left, I opened the jewelry box I had brought separately. Fiora’s belongings included a collection of jewels and quite a lot of gold coins. I didn’t know the exact value of this world’s currency, but it was obviously a substantial amount.

Judging by the word “Daimon” engraved on the coins, they weren’t from the Crescent Empire but from the Daimon Empire.

“Good day, Your Highness.”

I turned around to see Children looking at me.

He was wearing a formal uniform embossed with the Child family crest—apparently this outing was an official one conducted under the family’s name.

I smiled warmly at him.

“Hi.”

Over time, I’d gotten quite close to him. Before the events of the original story, he was just a normal seventeen-year-old boy who liked sweets and pranks.

It was strange—almost sad—to think that I might be the reason he’d later fall into darkness.

A few days ago, he’d told me to call him by a nickname, so I now called him Chil.

“Want one of these, Chil?”

I handed him a chocolate I’d received from the children earlier. His face lit up as he accepted it.

“Thank you.”

I smiled, pleased by his manners, and headed downstairs.

Chil escorted me through the garden, where a carriage emblazoned with the Child family’s insignia was waiting.

Alright, time to go. Oh, right—

I pulled out a Daimon gold coin and asked, “Can I use this here?”

He examined it and nodded.

“Daimon gold has the same value as Crescent gold. It’ll be accepted almost everywhere.”

Relieved, I smiled. Good—no need to bother with currency exchange.

“How much is one gold worth?”

“Hmm… to put it simply, a loaf of bread costs about one ron.”

Ron, huh? So that’s what they call money here.

He continued, “One gold equals a hundred silver, and one silver equals ten ron.”

So ron was the smallest unit.

I jingled the pouch—it had at least a hundred coins inside. More than enough.

“Then let’s go.”

I climbed into the carriage with Chil. A few moments later, the horses neighed and we started moving.

Clatter, clatter.

The ride was bumpy—probably because we were still traveling through the forest. I leaned back, thinking about what to buy, while Chil, sitting beside the coachman, called out,

“Why the sudden trip to town?”

“I need to buy the children’s dresses.”

As I answered, I turned to the window. It had been so long since I’d gone out—I wanted to enjoy the scenery.

The Child family’s forest was exactly as the novel had described: breathtakingly beautiful. A wide lake sparkled like glass, surrounded by trees and blooming spring flowers.

So pretty.

Even though I’d read about it, seeing it in person was another experience entirely. The ducal forest wasn’t just vast—it was famous for its mysterious legends, even before the estate had been built.

Apparently, the first Duke Child had been fascinated by those rumors and chose to build his castle here.

He was also a skilled magician who loved to play pranks, often hiding strange things around the woods.

In the comments section of the original novel, one of the top-voted ones had joked, “At this point, even the author doesn’t know all the forest’s secrets,” which showed how central it was to the story. I never paid much attention to the details, though—I’d only seen that comment because it was always pinned to the top.

After leaving the forest, the sound of people gradually reached us.

When I peeked out the window, I gasped.

It was like stepping into a painting—or an old European village from centuries ago.

After stepping off the carriage, I realized the air here was astonishingly clean—not just the scenery, but the air.

I inhaled deeply, smiling in delight.

Even though this was a town and not a forest, there wasn’t a trace of pollution. My head felt clear, refreshed.

Chil extended his hand toward me.

“Shall I escort you, my lady?”

The cobblestone streets, the medieval atmosphere, the people sneaking glances at me like I was some celebrity… and my own knight offering his hand—

For a moment, I actually felt like a heroine from a movie.

Too bad I was the villainess.

Still, who cares? This was pretty nice.

I took Chil’s hand and smiled.

“No need. The best part of sightseeing is getting lost, after all.”

He chuckled softly.

That’s right—half the fun of travel is wandering and asking for directions. I started strolling slowly, wanting to take in every corner of this charming little town.

At the town square stood a fountain beneath a clock tower. When the bell chimed, a flock of white birds soared into the sky.

It was so beautiful I cheered inwardly.

Yes, this is it! This is what stories are made of! Absolutely romantic!

For once, I forgot I was supposed to be the villainess. I just wanted to savor the moment.

Until that voice rang out—

“You little thief!!!”

I turned around sharply.

A ragged boy was being grabbed by the collar by a man wearing an apron. The boy was sobbing, clutching two loaves of bread in his thin, scratched hands.

The man raised his arm high, about to strike him.

Yes, stealing was wrong—but if he hit that frail child, he could easily kill him.

Without thinking, I stepped forward.

“What’s going on here?”

The man lowered his hand and turned toward me. The moment he saw my fine clothes, his face went pale.

“O-oh, my lady. It’s nothing, really.”

He dropped the boy roughly to the ground. The child crawled weakly toward me, trying to get away. He looked so pitiful it hurt to watch.

I clenched my fists and looked back at the man.

“Does this happen often?”

He sighed and nodded. I could tell he wasn’t a bad person—just someone struggling in a harsh world.

“This isn’t something a noble lady needs to concern herself with.”

Just then, the boy grabbed a handful of my skirt. The man flinched in shock as the child looked up at me.

“P… please… help me…”

His voice was so faint it broke my heart.

I knelt down and lifted him into my arms. He smelled unwashed, but I didn’t care in the slightest.

Then I turned to the man.

“I’d like to buy some bread, if that’s alright.”

I ordered five cream buns, two baguettes, and two loaves of bread for the children—plus ten more assorted pieces.

Then I pressed two gold coins into the man’s hand.

It was far more than the bread was worth—an unspoken request to overlook the boy’s theft.

I placed the children’s bread into one paper bag, and the rest into another.

Then I handed the second bag to the boy.

“Here. Take it.”

He accepted it with trembling hands, disbelief written all over his face. He grabbed a bun and devoured it instantly, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Thank you…”

I smiled softly, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the cream off his face.

“Then, as thanks,” I said, smiling, “could you tell me where the dress shop is?”

The boy nodded eagerly and pointed down the street.

“Turn right at that corner—it’s the second building.”

I laughed quietly and patted his head.

“Thank you.”