The faint sunlight shining through the small window woke me up. I slowly open my eyelids.
…I’ve gotten used to my impeded vision with this cloth wrapped around my eyes. I don’t feel any discomfort. Maybe a Villainess has a higher capacity to adapt. They are often banished from the country or something after all.
“If I could use magic, I’d turn into a lion myself and fight back.”
I muttered to myself so that no one could hear me.
Well, I guess I’m wasting my time thinking about what I wouldn’t be able to do. The only thing I could do right now was strength training. I should stretch and make myself as light as possible so that I can move as much as I want.
I started doing push-ups on the spot.
I’ve really grown up, haven’t I? When I had just regained my memory, I had the muscle strength comparable to a baby. Consistency was really important. It really makes you feel the difference.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtIt was a tough road to take if I wanted to become a villainess that would go down in history. That’s why I’m so excited.
“Hey, breakfast time.”
As I was training my muscles, that manager brought me my meal himself.
Why did he even bother to bring me breakfast? Normally, he would leave that to his subordinates… Was it because I was the spectacle of the day?
He opened the door with a large key that produced a squeaking sound.
This fence looks so fragile, I feel like I could break it down by myself if I wanted to. It was too late, though.
The man places a tray in front of me with bread, soup, and a small piece of meat with it.
This was a slightly more luxurious meal… I wasn’t expecting much, but you’d think that the arena where the royals come to watch would be able to serve something better. …I wonder if they think that people who have been deported have never eaten good food.
“You’ve never seen meat before, have you?”
I could already guess what they would think.
I ignored him and reached for my food. Seeing this, he huffed and snickered.
He probably thought I was a street kid who was starving for food.
You know, if you were that careless, I could easily beat you.
“There’s no way a little, thin kid like you can take on a lion.”
“Is that so?”
I dared to nibble wildly on the bread. I had to play the part of a kid who didn’t know how to behave.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Have you ever been in a fight?”
“Hey, that was the reason I got deported.”
I took the last bite into my mouth and licked my finger with my tongue, flopping it in place. I smiled to provoke the man.
“That was a foolish question, wasn’t it? Let me have a little fun with you. Well, the picture of you being torn apart by a lion in an instant is not so bad.”
“You got it backwards. I’ll rip the lion off.”
“I don’t know where in the world you get such confidence. …Oh, that’s what you’re telling yourself.”
He stares down at me, his glasses glinting.
Oh, you’re not stupid either, are you? About twenty percent of the time, I tell myself I can do it. I can do it. But the other 80%, I really feel like I can do it.
I’ll show you everything I’ve been working on.
“Well, I don’t care. …The duel is at noon. The king will be here by then.”
With that, the man walked out of the special cell in the arena prison.