A Painting of the Villainess as a Young Lady

“Mary.”

“…Yes.”

“I didn’t do anything, but I was misconstrued as the culprit anyway. Isn’t that really, truly, terribly sad?”

“…Yes.”

“That’s why I did those things. I figured that I might be less sad if I get criticized for things that I actually did.”

Which was why Violet finally became the villainess everyone thought her to be.

She ordered for a gossip monger’s tongue to be cut off.

She poured wine all over Aileen’s abominable face.

She slapped the girl across the cheek at a banquet hall.

She tore up all the clothes that Aileen dared to copy from her.

She humiliated the girl without hesitation in front of others.

She ordered the legs of someone in her way to be cut off.

She flung things, she broke many belongings, she screamed while thinking that everyone was cursing at her.

Seeing that she didn’t have some things that Aileen had—realizing that she lacked compared to the girl—she threw many things away and worked harder than anyone else to get results.

No one around her was trustworthy, so she spitefully acted out against everyone. That’s when she was labeled with the term, ‘vicious’.

No one believed her, so she was perfectly isolated.

Aileen sometimes took off that ‘good girl’ mask of hers. The girl did so only whenever she was alone with Violet.

She could not trust anyone. There’s no way they’d believe her. She hated the girl’s pretentiousness, her hypocrisy. There shouldn’t have been a need for her to turn wicked just because she hated pretentiousness and hypocrisy.

But her vicious behavior could not be excused, even if it all started only because she wanted to fight against that.

Violet went on to act out against anyone who dared to come close. She used violence against them without fail.

Among all those people, could she truly believe that there’s a single person who would be on her side?

In the end, it’s impossible to consider Violet as a completely innocent victim.

Whether it was pity, attachment, compassion, or rationalization—whatever it was that they felt towards her, no one truly wanted to get close to Violet, the villainess.

Not a single grain of expectation was left in her heart.

Yeon Ha-yoon sympathized with Violet because she knew that Violet didn’t have a choice but to do those things. But at the same time, she did not deny that Violet was, in fact, a wicked woman.

A wicked woman who had no choice but to become the way she was. She had no other option, but evil was evil.

“Mary, did you see it too? When Mikhail yelled at me. Ah, I’ve also been slapped by him before. I hit him first though.”

“……”

“It’s always been like that. What could I possibly say when no one believes me? They all say that I’m a liar.”

“Mi…lady.”

Malice was a double-edged sword. Violet’s voice trembled as she spoke, but she tried to pull herself together by the end.

“…Aileen’s right. It’s my fault, after all. Everything I did was my own responsibility, and everything I’ve received is in retaliation to my wrongdoings.”

“That can’t be true! What, what has Milady done so wrong…”

“There were people who lost their homes because of me, people who I insulted and inflicted pain against unnecessarily. Would they think the same?”

“But it’s only because they attacked you first!”

“Even so, there are some things in this world that shouldn’t be done.

“…You’re, you’re not at fault, Milady.”

Mary sobbed audibly. Violet closed her eyes and slowly stroked Mary’s hair.

In the end, malice was detrimental for all people involved.

Without a start, there would be no end. Without a cause, there would be no effect.

Violet was able to break that cycle of malice as she was in the middle of it.

However, it remained unfair that she had tormented innocent people for no reason.

Mary also knew well enough that Violet had done terrible things. But still, she continued to say,

You are not to blame.

At this moment at least, I am on your side.

“…I believe you, Milady.”

“Fufu. Thank you for that.”

Violet chuckled. She was smiling now, but her voice was still shaking.

Mary shed tears for Violet.

If Roen truly held any concern for Violet, he should have consoled her in this way. He shouldn’t have tried to resolve things blindly.

“…To be honest, I wanted to die.”

In the midst of the subdued atmosphere, Violet’s words filled the silence of the room.

She never did anything good, so what else was there for her to do if not to wish for death?

“It’s just, a fleeting thought passed through my mind. Would they regret it after I die? If I die like this, at least one person might regret it, right? Someone might think of me. Even just a little bit, someone might think of me…”

“……”

“Ridiculous, aren’t I. I wanted to die, but I couldn’t. No one would feel sorry for me if I lived and died just like that.”

Violet spoke calmly, but Mary carefully hugged her and patted her on the back quite awkwardly, but it contained the sincerity of the small girl.

“…Ke-hum.”

As the conversation came to a lull, Zylo—who had been standing next to the two girls while still holding the tray of tea—awkwardly cleared his throat.

The mood changed in an instant.

“I’m on your side, Milady,” Mary continued.

“……”

“No matter what anyone says. Other people, too—Eshika, Rosie, Angelica. Everyone’s on Milady’s side!”

“That…”

Mary didn’t mind Zylo at all. Somehow, Violet found the situation funny, and so she laughed.

“Come to think of it, you’re close to Young Duke Mikhail, aren’t you?” Mary asked.

“…That is… was the case.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

“……”

Mary practically growled at him. Zylo flinched right away.