The Villainess is a Marionette

Translator: thursdays Editor: thursdays

“Were you injured anywhere?” Rezef asked.

“No, I’m fine.”

Rezef took off Cayena’s leather slippers and examined her foot.

It would be disastrous if she had stepped on glass, especially as she would soon have to dance in the middle of the Grand Hall for her coming-of-age celebration.

“Rezef, I’m fine. Take care of your wound, first.”

“I’m alright.”

“Well, I’m not alright with it.”

With that said, Cayena told the servants to quickly clean the room.

“And bring me something for the cut on his cheek.”

The servants expected to tremble with fear for at least the next two days, but now, they were perplexed. They especially found it hard to believe that Cayena was the one who had made the atmosphere so soft.

“…We’ll prepare some ointment right away, Your Highness.”

They left quickly, afraid that Rezef’s mood would change again.

“Then, I will take my leave as well,” Zenon said. He looked at Cayena suspiciously before exiting the room.

Cayena had come to find Rezef on purpose today, knowing what news he would receive from his ex-supporters. She waited for a long time as he vented his anger out on his surroundings before she told the servants to announce her presence.

It had been a wise decision, as it had given Rezef some time to regain his senses.

“No matter how angry you become, don’t act so rashly. Your body is precious; you are the one who will inherit the Empire one day.”

At her words, Rezef recalled what had irritated him, and he clicked his tongue.

As for her, Cayena had heard from outside what exactly made Rezef go off. And it was actually something that Cayena could fix.

“With my coming-of-age ceremony, there will be a lot more people coming to the capital.”

Cayena gently stroked Rezef’s head. A calm, gentle scent touched the tip of Rezef’s nose.

Come to think of it, the perfumes in the princess’s palace had changed. Was this that scent?

Maybe it was because of the soft touch, but Rezef felt calm. It was like the kind embrace of a loving guardian or protector.

Strangely, his sister had been acting more like an adult for a while now. Even though Rezef was capable, he still needed an adult’s help.

Cayena opened her mouth when she saw that the affection-starved Rezef had become docile.

“Our father gave me permission to choose who to marry,” she said.

Smiling, she continued, “The word will spread among the noblemen soon. So, wouldn’t they think something like this?”

Cayena fluttered her eyes coquettishly and put on a dramatic voice. “Ah! If I could just win over the princess, I could become the emperor’s son-in-law!”

Rezef smirked, dismissing her thought as overly optimistic. “Everyone will think that you’re still aiming for Raphael.”

“Unless Raphael is engaged.”

“…Engaged?”

Why was she suddenly talking about Raphael getting engaged? Had there been any rumors like that?

Then, Rezef suddenly recalled what his subordinates told him—that Cayena brought up marriage over tea and criticized several ladies as potential matches for Raphael. Was this somehow connected?

“You just need to welcome and make nice with the noblemen who will come to the capital soon. Until then, your older sister will continue pretending to be frail.”

Soon, a servant came in with the medicine. Cayena dismissed the servant and started applying the ointment on Rezef’s wound herself.

‘Then, did she really give up on Raphael?’

“I can’t force Raphael Kedrey to marry you, even if I become the emperor,” Rezef said.

He couldn’t dispel his doubt that Cayena was just trying to marry that man with the backing of an emperor.

Cayena grinned. “It’s true that I had once wanted Lord Kedrey. But just because it was true in the past doesn’t mean it’s true now.”

Rezef made a face like he was smacked.

He could never have expected that Cayena would speak about Raphael so coolly.

“…Don’t you love him?”

“Who knows? Now, I wonder if it was even love to begin with. How can feelings stay constant forever?”

‘She says that it might not have been love.’

Cayena watched over Rezef as he contemplated this, his mind falling into chaos.

Scene 3. Regarding the Role of the Villainess

Just as Cayena told Rezef, she did not leave the palace, claiming that she was too weak to do so. And while she acted like a bird in a cage, society found a new source of entertainment.

“I heard that Lord Kedrey received some portraits.”

The point of a wedding portrait was not to be truthful, but rather to flatter and beautify its subject. As everyone commissioned their portraits from the most skillful painters, a small number of painters dominated the market. As such, rumors about who was marrying whom were quickly spread.

Rumors about Raphael were even more so, as he was the top eligible bachelor in the capital.

“Is Her Highness just letting this happen?”

Recently, there had been strange rumors about the Imperial family and the current situation. For example, ‘the princess no longer cares for Lord Raphael!’

If this was true, then one of the ladies who had recently had portraits made could really become Raphael’s wife.

Who would be the next duchess?

The nobility turned their full attention to this new issue in high society.

***

“It’s hard to find a good groom. Isn’t that right, Lady Grace?”

Before the full social season began, the capital’s main families often held smaller, more intimate meetings. Olivia had never been to such a gathering before, but when word spread that her portrait was sent to Duchess Kedrey, she had received numerous invitations.

Even now, she was attending one of the gatherings to appease her parents.

“It takes time to find the right person,” Olivia answered vaguely.

She sat at the Marreth literary salon on Lawrence Street, feeling out of place.

“I wonder what sort of jewel Prince Rezef is looking for.”

“Lord Zenon is also unwed. The Evans family is magnificent, as well.”

But neither of them could compare to Raphael.

The ladies at the meeting were happily discussing society’s newest gossip.

“I heard that Lady Grace may be making a good match soon. Is that right?”

They thought that Olivia would definitely be happy about this opportunity. If Olivia married Raphael, the princess would no longer be able to harass her. What more perfect revenge could there be? Besides, Olivia’s family was poor. Her family had many mouths to feed, and as the eldest daughter, Olivia had suffered greatly. If she married well, her younger siblings would be able to live better.

“Is that so?” Olivia answered, smiling.

The ladies then stopped talking to Olivia, seeing how unenthusiastic she was.

‘It doesn’t seem as though they know that I was asked to enter the palace as the princess’s lady-in-waiting.’

Her family had been trying desperately to keep the news a secret.

‘There’s simply no way that the princess wants me by her side.’

Olivia knew best just how much Cayena hated her.

Thinking of it, the timing was rather strange.

It had not been long after she had received the request from the palace that she was asked by Duchess Kedrey to send over a portrait to begin marriage negotiations.

‘It likely isn’t a coincidence.’

Olivia could only think of it as Cayena requesting her presence because she predicted the marriage talks.

The Grace family could not comply with her request, however, because of the Kedrey dukedom.

The Kedrey duchy was staying neutral in the battle for the throne; as such, the Grace family could not get involved with politics. They were half seen as another of the Kedrey’s vassals. If Olivia entered the princess’s palace at Rezef’s request, people may see it as a reflection of the Kedrey’s will. It would look as if they were secretly showing their hand through her family.

While Olivia would be forced to go if Prince Rezef ordered it, right now, it was only a request.

‘Why would they ask for me?’

Princess Cayena hated seeing Olivia’s face.

‘There’s no way that she would just help me gain social status by putting me as one of her ladies-in-waiting.’

The ladies who waited on Cayena were the most highly ranked among the court ladies.

Even if Cayena had just wanted to monitor her, the position she was invited to was very high ranking.

After the meeting was over, Olivia waited for the carriage to bring her back home.

“Are you Lady Olivia Grace?”

While her maid was calling for a carriage, an unfamiliar lady came looking for Olivia.

~~~