The Villainess Is Too Difficult

“She’s late.”

Theodore, who had been quietly waiting in the reception room, muttered unconsciously. Quite some time had passed since he informed Ariel of the Crown Prince’s visit, but his sister still hadn’t appeared.

‘In the past, she would have rushed here without a second thought.’

He was well aware of Ariel’s infatuation with Reinhardt. How could he not know? It was about his only sister. Moreover, with her being so obvious about it, it was impossible not to notice.

Could it be that those feelings remained even after losing her memories? If so, it would be somewhat understandable. Ariel’s feelings for Reinhardt had been that sincere.

But looking at the current Ariel, it was hard to believe. ‘That’ Ariel preparing diligently for the man she loves? It might be faster to have a conversation with Father.

[Yes! Ah, ahem. It’s nothing.]

The image of her clenching her fists and bouncing in place,

[What? A lady shouldn’t sit like this? Isn’t it fine since I’m wearing pants?]

The sight of her plopping down on the floor and naturally speaking, then arguing when rebuked,

[This is really fucking impossible…]

The muttering he overheard while passing by…

Numerous eccentric behaviors of Ariel he had witnessed flashed through his mind. Hmm, isn’t it too much to expect? That Ariel, for the man she likes?

‘That can’t be.’

Rather than Ariel, it’s more likely that Muriel is making a fuss. After all, Muriel is Ariel’s personal maid and has the duty to make her a lady who wouldn’t be embarrassing anywhere. It’s clear that Muriel is delaying things by dressing up Ariel.

But even so, isn’t this too late? Theodore couldn’t understand.

“This much is fine. It’s partly my fault for not giving prior notice.”

On the other hand, Reinhardt tilted his teacup as if it was no big deal. It’s unavoidable that preparation takes time when someone visits suddenly without any word. Moreover, she was learning swordsmanship from Theodore until just recently.

“More than that, how does she seem to you?”

“What do you mean?”

“The Walpurgis young lady, does she seem different to you too?”

“Yes.”

Theodore answered immediately. Ariel had changed. This was a fact he could state with certainty.

“It’s like seeing her childhood self again. Although sometimes she shows boyish behavior…”

“Boyish behavior…”

Ariel has never left the duchy since she was born. Naturally, everyone around her has treated her as a young lady, and she had no connections with men at all.

“How interesting. They said she lost her memories, but it’s like she’s become a completely different person.”

“She’s precarious in many ways.”

As Reinhardt showed interest, Theodore cut in sharply. Ariel had certainly changed. But at the same time, she had become too defenseless. She had voluntarily removed the defenses she had maintained while showing a sharp attitude all this time.

She always treats those around her kindly and respects him too, calling him ‘Brother’. At first glance, this seems like a good change. No, it actually is a good change. But…

‘As a lady, it’s a bit…’

In the end, after going round and round, that was the only thought he could come to.

Ariel appeared just as Reinhardt had emptied his teacup.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting, Your Highness. I’m sorry for the delay.”

“It’s fine. I’m the one who came suddenly… after all.”

Reinhardt, who was turning his head while saying it was okay, trailed off unconsciously. Theodore couldn’t say anything and just stood still.

Beautiful. Theodore muttered inwardly without realizing it. Wearing a navy blue dress instead of her usual comfortable pants, with makeup that was clearly Muriel’s work added, it was impossible not to turn one’s gaze.

Usually, she would give them headaches by refusing to wear makeup, saying it was bothersome, and only wanting to wear comfortable clothes, but when she dressed up with determination, the result was beyond imagination.

“Sit down first.”

Still, Theodore, who quickly came to his senses as family, hurriedly offered Ariel a seat. Ariel nodded slightly and sat down. Her careful movements were incredibly strange to Theodore.

‘Is this really the Ariel I knew?’

If even he, her family, felt this way, how much more so for Reinhardt? Glancing to the side, sure enough, Reinhardt couldn’t take his eyes off Ariel.

Although his eyes only contained emotions like surprise and curiosity, it was quite rare to see that Reinhardt showing such interest in someone.

As Ariel sat down, a waiting maid came and filled her cup. The sight of Ariel smiling slightly and saying thank you was like a painting in itself. There was a joke circulating when he was at the Academy about a lady’s transformation being justified, but who knew it would be to this extent.

“May I ask why you’ve come to visit, Your Highness?”

Theodore was about to say something about the rudeness of asking a royal family member about their business directly, but Reinhardt stopped him with a gesture.

“You’ll be entering the Academy soon, won’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The Academy’s entrance exam was in early winter. Considering that autumn had just begun, it wasn’t too far in the future.

“The thing is, you’ll be going with me on the day of the Academy exam.”

“Pardon…?”

Was it too sudden? Ariel froze on the spot.

“We are engaged after all. It’s troublesome if we don’t go together.”

“Ah…”

Reinhardt and Ariel’s engagement is not a simple matter, but a significant affair involving the Imperial family and the Walpurgis family. As such, they need to be conscious of how others view them, and going to the Academy together for the entrance exam is part of that.

“I understand. But did you come in person just for that?”

If it was just to convey that information, he could have sent someone. If not, there’s a communication magic tool in the Imperial family that’s been modified to send one-sided messages to the Walpurgis family, so he could have used that. There was no need to come in person to talk about this.

When she expressed her doubt, Reinhardt replied with a face that seemed not to understand.

“I said I’d come again last time, didn’t I?”

“No, was that serious… I apologize for my rudeness.”

For a moment, she was flustered and her true feelings came out without realizing it, but Ariel quickly recovered. However, even if she recovered, the situation was that everything that needed to be heard had already been heard.

‘Interesting.’

Reinhardt found this situation quite amusing. Going to take the entrance exam together with him, the Crown Prince. Not just the past Ariel, but any noble young lady would be desperate for such a position. Yet she reacts with such distaste.

Ariel took a light deep breath and picked up her teacup.

“…I understand. I’ll do so.”

She seemed to be trying to maintain an expressionless face to hide her feelings, but it didn’t work at all on the Crown Prince who had grown up in the Imperial court and Theodore, a proper adult. The trembling around her eyes, the twitching lips, the stiff facial muscles. She was openly showing her unwillingness.

It’s really interesting. For Reinhardt, Ariel was an existence that was quite enjoyable to observe. Because he knew the previous Ariel, there was also the enjoyment of comparing the two, and it was pleasing to see that pure appearance that couldn’t be seen in the Imperial court full of sly people.

Reinhardt was observing Ariel. Theodore was carefully watching to see if she would make any mistakes.

That’s why they could quickly notice the anomaly.

“Ugh?!”

Ariel quickly retreated as soon as she took a sip of tea.

“What’s wrong!”

Seeing Ariel turn pale while covering her mouth with her hand, Theodore unconsciously looked down at the teacup she had been drinking from.

‘Could it be poison?’

It’s not impossible. Although the Walpurgis family was loyal only to the Imperial family and didn’t have reason to be disliked by other nobles, it’s not like there was absolutely no one targeting them.

Just for standing out, for gaining the Imperial family’s favor, for being disliked. Theodore knew all too well that human lives could disappear for such trivial reasons.

His eyes grew cold. Fortunately, Ariel didn’t show any particular reaction, perhaps because she spat it out in time.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fi… ne.”

Ariel answered with somewhat slurred pronunciation. There must be something in that tea after all. As Theodore thought this and was about to pick up the teacup,

“Ariel?”

His attempt was thwarted by Ariel’s hand suddenly grabbing his wrist.

“That’s not… Brother…”

Seeing that her pronunciation was still not fully recovered, Theodore quickly moved his magic.

‘The detoxification magic isn’t working?’

He tried using detoxification magic just in case, but it came back without any abnormalities. In this case, it’s one of two things. Either there was no poisoning, or it was a poison so strong that detoxification magic wouldn’t work. As Theodore’s expression was about to become more serious, Ariel hurriedly opened her mouth.

“I, I just burned my tongue!”

“…What?”

Theodore, who was drawing up magic to use stronger detoxification magic, Reinhardt, who was quickly trying to seal off the surroundings, the maid who had turned pale, all froze in place, with no one moving first.