Chapter 9 (1/2)
Chapter 9 : The Villainess Needs A Tyrant
Translated by Tam
Edited by Genie
Maribelle, who returned, had to face the inevitable reality. By that she meant Arinel.
It was late at night, but the lights in the mansion were still on. The owners were awake at a time when the servants already went to bed. Maribelle laughed in her heart. It was Arinel who greeted Maribelle when she returned because the servants went to sleep.
Maribelle smiled regretfully when she saw Arinel standing with a lantern.
“You’re not sleeping even though it’s very late?”
There was no answer. Like this Maribelle spat out a sigh and glanced at Arinel.
Arinel, who she met again, still had a lovely face. Bright pink hair that could be seen at a glance in the dark, and beautiful features gathered together. It was a face that easily attracted many men, but now she looked a little crushed.
Maybe it’s because of her luck. Maribelle pointed to her own eyes.
“Your eyes are still swollen, aren’t they?” Maribelle said with concern.
“Stop acting.”
Arinel bit out the words. Maribelle could not fail to notice the faint anger beneath them.
“The etiquette teacher is right to worry about you. You’re so rude.”
“Who do you think you are provoking!”
Arinel shouted.
‘Oh, I’m scared.’
Maribelle smiled sarcastically in a slight imitation of Ethelred’s evil smile.
The more relaxed Maribelle was, the more impatient Arinel seemed. Maribelle understood her. At the party, the person Arinel loved and the sister she was looking down on were involved in a huge scandal, anyone would be impatient.
Knowing that, Maribelle was even more relaxed.
“Why are you so impatient? It’s like someone’s threatening me. Get out of the way, I’m tired.”
Maribelle motioned with her hand as if she were going into her room right away. She deliberately walked past Arinel.
One, two, three.
“Sister.”
Maribelle looked back.
“There’s a marriage proposal that came from the Imperial Palace. You know that, don’t you?”
“…I don’t know.”
“Lies.”
Arinel distorted her face fiercely, but as the person involved, Maribelle didn’t know. It was a very embarrassing story.
‘It’s a marriage proposal?!’
And it arrived faster than she did? As for Maribelle, she felt like clapping secretly for the Emperors actions. But Arinel, who couldn’t have known what Maribelle was up to, was staring at Maribelle to the point where it was hard for Maribelle not to slap her right away.
“What’s your relationship with His Majesty?”
“Well, it’s exactly what you saw.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
Arinel sighed and continued. Her lovely face red as if she was feverish.
“This is the first time you’ve ever been to an Imperial Palace party! Besides, His Majesty isn’t the type to interact very often. How the hell are you—!”
Arinel talked to herself, but she was confused, and she hid her face in her hand, then raised her head.
“Sister, how can you do this to me?”
“Don’t cry and talk slowly.”
“Sister, how could you do this! You know I want His Majesty! It was so obvious! What the hell are you doing?!”
Maribelle knew that feeling.
‘How could you do this to me? They killed me like an ant that trusted you too much, and you’re crying that you lost the man you love.’
“But you aren’t the one His Majesty wants, it’s me, Arinel.”
Maribelle smiled mournfully and pleasantly. She sighed helplessly and pulled out a small box.
“I’ve brought you a gift to comfort you, but this is how you treat me. This sister is sad. Will you come and take it?”
Only Arinel, who held a lantern in the dark hallway, was particularly bright. The light was unmoving. She looked like she was trying to kill Maribelle.
‘If you don’t take it, I’ll take it to you.’ As if there was nothing she could do about it, Maribelle raised her lips and approached Arinel.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m sorry, too. What can I do if His Majesty wants me so badly? Huh? My heart aches a lot, too.”
While holding the gift in her hand, she held Arinel’s hands tightly. As if she was still in the past where she was willing to jump into a fire pit for her beloved younger sister.
“Tell me, Arinel. What do you want me to do? Should I say I can’t accept His Majesty’s heart? Should I ask him: how dare you assault me in the middle of the party? Huh? Tell me. My beloved cousin is pining for you, so would you be happy to ask her to drink with you instead of me?”
“A-are you crazy?! What nonsense are you talking about—”
Arinel freaked out and tried to pull her hand away, but Maribelle held her tighter.
“Don’t worry, Arinel. His Majesty cares about me, and he will listen to whatever I ask.”
“Let go of me.”
“When I saw you crying at the party a little while ago, my heart felt like it was falling apart. There’s a scandal with me when you’re there—”
“Pretentious acting, let go of me!”
Arinel, who couldn’t stand it, shook her hand out of Maribelle’s grip and the gift fell. In the wind, the lamp in her hand shook violently, disturbing the shadows. Arinel’s face in the shaking light was severely reddened with contempt and shame.
After checking Arinel’s face, Maribelle dropped the pretentious acting. Instead, she applied a bright smile that she had always seen on Arinel.
“What’s wrong? You’re the best at it.”
“What happened to your head?What’s wrong with you all of sudden? You’ve been behaving well—!”
“All of sudden?”
Maribelle’s smile disappeared without a trace as if a fire were extinguished.
‘All of a sudden?! This is all of a sudden for you?’ The hate buried in her heart leaked out. Maribelle clenched her molars.
“Don’t you think I’ve left you to act all the time? It’s going to be sudden for you. But I’ve had to put up with every time you act like this.”
“Ha! Is that why you’re doing this? Do you have any anger towards me?”
“Anger.”
Maribelle grabbed the box that Arinel had thrown away with a smile that seemed faint and distorted.
‘If you won’t open it, I have no choice but to open it.’ The cream-colored lid of the box opened, and the luxurious red ribbon in it appeared.