I Will No Longer Live As Your Villainess

Laurencia smiled calmly, her expression exuding composure.

But beneath her tranquil facade, she was suppressing a rising fury. It wasn’t anger born from Julie’s violence or the insults mocking her as a bastard. No, this rage stemmed from the future shown by her amethyst necklace.

Today, the maids had been unusually kind to her. It felt odd, unfamiliar even, though she didn’t outright reject their gestures of goodwill.

“The roses blooming in the garden are so fresh today. Let’s sprinkle some petals into your bath. Enjoy a relaxing soak.”
“Your skin will look so much more radiant afterward, Miss Laurencia.”

“You should leave the kitten in your room. Cats dislike water, after all.”
“But Leo actually likes water…”
“He’s still a baby. Staying in water too long might harm his health. It’s best to leave him here.”

Although Leo was unusually fond of water for a cat, Laurencia was persuaded to leave him behind. Leo cast the maids a sharp, wary glance before slipping from her arms and leaping onto the bed, settling in as if to say, “I’ll be here when you get back.”

The bathroom the maids led her to housed a boat-shaped tub filled with warm water and scattered with vivid red rose petals. When the maids offered to help her bathe, Laurencia declined.

She was too embarrassed to reveal her body to others. Once they left, she undressed and stepped carefully into the tub.

Laurencia glanced at her reflection in the water. Her pale face was gaunt, her cheeks hollow, making her already frail figure appear even thinner.

Her delicate bones were starkly visible, emphasizing her emaciation. Her long, crimson hair fell down to her waist, its vivid hue stark against her white skin, resembling fresh blood. She looked like a monster drenched in gore.

There were no curves to suggest feminine beauty. Her small stature and flat physique made her look childlike at best. No one would believe she was 19.

What saddened her even more was that, ten years into the future, she looked no different. The side effects of the potion Luance had given her, no doubt. Furious, she bit her lip so hard it drew blood.

With a heavy sigh, Laurencia rested her head against the edge of the tub.

Just then, the amethyst necklace around her neck began to glow. Startled, she clutched it tightly and gazed at it.

The amethyst revealed a vision of Julie and the maids forcefully feeding Leo the porridge. The kitten choked and convulsed, coughing up blood. Laurencia, returning from her bath too late, found Leo dying and collapsed in tears, devastated.

As the light from the necklace faded, Laurencia shot to her feet, water splashing over the edge of the tub.

When she stepped outside, she was greeted by the startled faces of the maids.

The realization that their kindness had been a ploy to kill Leo made her stomach churn with disgust. She regretted ever feeling gratitude for their false goodwill.

“Let us massage your shoulders, Miss Laurencia.”
“Don’t you dare lay a finger on me.”

Returning to her room, Laurencia heard Leo hissing fiercely. While she had wallowed in despair in the tub, Leo had been fighting to protect his life. She let out a bitter laugh.

The maids trailing behind her paled visibly, their faces a mix of fear and confusion. Laurencia didn’t bother to call them back as they retreated.

When she met Julie’s gaze, she saw the fear in her eyes. Though she had punished Julie lightly compared to what Leo had suffered, the head maid was trembling, utterly terrified.

“Julie, Head Maid. Why aren’t you speaking? Is it because I was once a bastard and don’t deserve an answer?”

“No, Miss Laurencia. I’ll answer immediately.”

Laurencia’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

“Good. Speak, Julie.”

Meanwhile, Illina paced her room nervously, snapping at Julie for failing to retrieve the poisoned porridge or eliminate the kitten.

“How could you leave that bowl of porridge in the monster’s room?!”

“I’m sorry, Lady Illina.”

Julie’s jittery expression was unusual, and Illina couldn’t help but notice. Normally, Julie would offer solutions or act decisively. Today, she simply apologized, over and over.

“Stop apologizing and explain yourself, Julie! What happened in that room?!”

Julie bit the inside of her cheek, her gaze lowered. What she had witnessed in Laurencia wasn’t the “monster” Anne and Illina joked about—it was something far more horrifying.

“Would it be faster to train the Head Maid?”

The memory of Laurencia’s chilling voice made Julie’s skin crawl. That wasn’t the Laurencia she had known.

“Or would it be faster to replace her?”

The soft, mocking tone of Laurencia’s voice echoed in her mind, making her tremble anew.

“Speak, Julie! What are you thinking about?!” Illina shouted.

“I’m thinking…” Julie began hesitantly, her lips twitching into a forced smile.

“I’m thinking it might be faster to replace the Head Maid, Lady Illina.”

Illina froze, stunned by the unexpected response.

Julie thought back to Laurencia licking her lips and eyeing the porridge like a predator savoring its prey. The memory sent another shiver through her.

She had no choice but to leave her position. Staying meant facing the monster Laurencia had become.

“Julie? What’s wrong with you? You’re not acting like yourself.”

“I’m sorry,” Julie whispered.

“What happened in that room?”

Julie hesitated, her voice trembling as she finally replied, “I’ve decided to resign as the Head Maid of the Pol Heredian household.”

Julie’s trembling frame and weak smile spoke volumes. She wasn’t just quitting—she was fleeing for her life.

“Forgive me, Lady Illina,” Julie murmured.

The monster teetering at the edge of the cliff had chosen to pull her back instead of pushing her over. She was alive—for now. But the only thought that filled her mind was the need to escape.

Laurencia, once mocked as a monster, had become a real one. There was no other explanation for the power she wielded.

Luance’s greatest desire was to see Crown Prince Adrian dead. He had spent countless hours plotting ways to achieve it. But now that Laurencia had awakened her power to see the future, Adrian’s death was imminent.

Once Adrian was gone, Luance, the only other prince, would inevitably become the sole heir to the Ischter Empire.

A grin spread across his face.

But just as things were falling into place, Adrian extended an invitation for Luance to visit his quarters. Luance despised Adrian and had no intention of going, but his brother’s persistent request left him no choice.

“You’re getting married?” Luance asked incredulously. “Since when did we have a noblewoman named Charlotte in our empire?”

“She isn’t from our empire,” Adrian replied calmly.

At 26 years old, Adrian’s delayed marriage had been a growing concern for the Emperor. But Adrian had shown no interest in marriage, instead dedicating his time to wielding his sword and hunting beasts beyond the palace walls.

“Congratulations on your engagement. I thought you had no interest in marriage,” Luance said, masking his disdain with a forced smile.

“I forgot to mention her full name. My fiancée is Charlotte Ucha Liusaid, the princess of the Poloid Empire.”

“The princess of the Poloid Empire?”

“That’s right. Princess Charlotte and I are betrothed. Surely, you’ve heard of her, Luance.”

Luance’s carefully maintained facade began to crack. Though he habitually forced a faint smile, his eyes betrayed nothing but cold emptiness.

“Not long ago, I sent a marriage proposal to Princess Charlotte myself,” he said, his voice strained.

“I know,” Adrian replied without missing a beat.

“And yet you proceeded with the engagement despite my proposal?”

Had Laurencia not awakened her future-seeing powers, Luance’s original plan had been to marry Charlotte, seize control of the Polloid Empire, and wage war against the Ischter Empire. But that plan was no longer necessary—Laurencia’s powers had changed everything.

“Of course. There’s no reason to refuse,” Adrian replied bluntly.

Even so, losing to Adrian reignited Luance’s deep-seated inferiority complex.

“Why not me? Why did she choose you?” Luance demanded, his tone low but growing in intensity.

Adrian’s steady voice had the infuriating quality of testing Luance’s already fraying patience.

“Because she chose me, not you,” Adrian said simply.

“What do you mean by that? This foolish younger brother of yours fails to understand.”

“Do you recall the recent incident with the beasts crossing our borders?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“I joined the subjugation force and crossed into the Polloid Empire. That’s where I met Marquis Spencer. After dealing with the beasts together, I accompanied him to the Polloid capital. That’s when I met Princess Charlotte.”

“Marquis Spencer…”

The name struck a chord with Luance. Laurencia’s vision had revealed Spencer as the one who would kill Adrian with an arrow.

“Yes, the Devil of the Borderlands. At just 20 years old, Marquis Tayshar Spencer was appointed a strategist of the Polloid Empire and led a massive campaign to subjugate the beasts near their borders. He’s considered a hero in their empire.”

Adrian glanced at Luance, smirking as he noticed his brother’s growing irritation. Adrian had rarely seen Luance break his perpetual mask of polite detachment, but Charlotte’s name was enough to provoke a reaction.

“I know you sent a marriage proposal to Princess Charlotte,” Adrian said, his smirk widening.

“Even knowing that, you plan to marry her?” Luance’s voice was sharp.

“I told you already. She chose me,” Adrian replied matter-of-factly.

Luance bit the inside of his cheek, his frustration mounting.

“But Princess Charlotte is the next queen of the Poloid Empire, is she not?”

Adrian chuckled. “The Poloid capital is only a day’s journey from here. Is it really so important to draw lines of division? Honestly, if Princess Charlotte decided to govern the Ischter Empire in my stead, I wouldn’t mind. I’d support her from behind the scenes, take care of the children if we have any, practice swordsmanship with Spencer, and hunt beasts occasionally. It sounds like a pretty good life to me.”

Adrian’s carefree tone and nonchalant attitude infuriated Luance further.

Luance’s hands clenched at his sides, his anger bubbling beneath his calm facade. How could Adrian treat something so significant with such flippancy?