Re: The Villainess Does It With Class

'Ahhhh… So tired…'

That was what my mind thought first as soon as I stepped inside the hall of the mansion.

"Welcome back, milady." The servants all bowed in unison, greeting me. Few of them were my very own maids who then came to my side to be of assistance.

"Mmm…"

"Did the lady have fun?" Erin inquired as she removed my cloak herself.

"It was nice. I met a lot of people that I never expected to meet. And now the exhaustion just came to me," I replied with a little bit of unenthusiasm on my part.

My feet felt sore and are begging to be freed. If I could just strip right here, I would have done it. Man… the corset I was wearing is killing me!

"I will prepare tea," Freesia stated upon seeing my tired expression.

I nodded, "Thank you, Freesia. And bring it to my room."

"Yes."

As we were walking back to my room, I turned towards Erin who was walking a few meters behind me.

"By the way, Erin. Did you see the book I purchased last time? Can you please bring it to me?"

Erin blinked and fell into thinking.

"Book?" Her expression then brightened-- "Ahh! I remembered putting it in a drawer! I will get it now, milady."

"Thank you."

I walked out of the terrace and stared at the setting sun. Even though I had clearly seen this more than a hundred times and still somewhat find it lovely. 

I mean, I just have the perfect place to see such an amazing view. My room directly faces the west horizon so every sunset is a treat to the eyes.

As I watched it disappear on the horizon, my mind was wandering back to the time I spent in the Capital. I had left the mansion because of boredom and I wasn't expecting anything when I did. It's just that I didn't think that this day would be so eventful that I even got tired right after.

Who would know I will meet everyone by chance?

Freesia appeared just as Erin found the book. The former diligently poured me tea and some cookies that she also brought along. 

"It's this, milady."

The gold cover instantly caught my attention because it was such an unusual color for a book to have. Normally, the letters would be the one in gold but it wasn't the case right now. Also, for some strange reason, there wasn't a title in sight. It was just blank except for a logo in the center.

It was a black raven, standing on a black crescent moon.

"This doesn't have a title. That's a first…" I mumbled.

While I was about to flip the book open, a thought came to me. 

'Come to think of it… A book without a title… I felt like I saw something like that before…"

"Hmmm…"

I can't seem to recall something even after trying my very best to rack my brains. But I can't, for the life of me, remember anything. But I'm so sure that there was the same somewhere.

Shrugging my shoulders after thinking that it's not important, I opened the book and immersed myself.

--**

Anyways… I have been staying at home these past few days just reading the book. Yeah, surprisingly, the plot is hella good. It's really a transmigration story just as the shop owner said. What was her name again? Nine?

I became so hooked by the story that boredom never called me out again. It was pretty interesting and somehow nostalgic. Who would know that I can relate to a story so much that it felt like I was looking at myself sometimes...

Are you interested? Then I will tell you the briefest summary of the book.

You have nothing to do as well, right? Just like me, we should just accompany each other.

So yeah, the story was about a woman getting sent to another world. LIKE ME. She was apparently a working adult who unexpectedly got sent there without her knowledge. LIKE ME. Though the only thing that differed was, I got here while I was sleeping soundly, on the other hand, she got there because she died. 

Tragically, if I may add. And it seemed like she came from the world I was in before too! LIKE ME. She was so like me that I was having goosebumps all the time.

Like damn… Can this story get any relatable?

She didn't swap soul with the villainess, nor the main character, or the leads. She actually got reborn as a baby, a princess of an empire. Sweet, am I right? A princess! But don't be fooled because being a princess ain't shit when her mother is a forgotten concubine and her father is a bloodthirsty tyrant. Everyone is out for everyone else's blood and there are always murder plots and death flags throughout the story that I was always on edge. 

Come to think of it… From the books I have read so far… Between The Forest of the Stars and this untitled masterpiece, I prefer this one. I don't know… it just gets me every time. The forest of the stars is a classic because it's my first book and I really love all the characters, except for the novel Nadia, but this one just gave me the overall feel. 

Oh? You don't care about the book, you say and you want something else? Well, too bad, I don't care. Fufufufufu~

"Maybe it's just me but I really have a thing for bad boys…" A cat-like grin appeared on my face-- "Take Emperor Gavriil as an example. He's such a war-mongering tyrant yet I liked him the most, more than the male leads. Heh~"

There's just something about bad boys, you know… The charms they have are just, chef's kiss.

"Something bugs me though… Why do I feel like I heard his name before? Hmmm…" I grumbled, brows furrowing from confusion-- "Anyway, I finished the story and I have nothing else to do now. I better go back to the bookshop and buy some more!"

Maybe there are more stories like this that Nine can recommend again. She did say the author of this book is famous for this kind of troupe.

"Are you going to the capital, milady?" Erin asked when she saw me stand.

"That's what I'm planning," I replied and stretched my aching back. 

Goodness, I need to exercise or I will suffer in the future.

"Then shall I ask Sir Uno to get the carriage?" It came from Lily.

"That would be--"

A knock on the door stopped me from saying anything further. Amy was the closest one there so she opened it and George entered, holding a small tray with an envelope on it.

"This came from the Ethalion residence, milady."

Hmm?

"Ethalion?"

Why would Conrad message me? Ah, wait! If I'm not wrong, Gwen is currently living in their residence because of the duchess lessons she's having. The letter probably is from her.

"Alright. Thank you, George."

George bowed his head slightly and left just like that after giving the tray to Amy. I was right. The letter came from Gwen.

'Ohh… she wants me to visit her… She's probably bored as well, fufufufu~" I muttered after reading the contents of the envelope. I then turned towards the others-- "Go get the carriage ready, I will be going to the Ethalion's."