A Painting of the Villainess as a Young Lady

Time indifferently passes by, regardless of the chaos surrounding it.

It was the same when Violet shuddered under the infamy of being called a villainess, and it remains so now.

Indeed, it was absurd to say that the current Violet was living peacefully.

Her much-detested half-sister was foolishly indulging in her stubbornness and wreaking havoc…

…And she was in a cold war with her own blood brother.

Amidst this, she also received an unwelcome confession.

If her life were to be depicted as a series of undulations, this period would certainly be the most tumultuous.

Nevertheless, there was a sense of stability.

There were many things to be concerned about, but not to the extent of being completely overwhelmed.

With nothing from her surroundings affecting her, how could she be swayed?

Many were worn out by her indifference.

One of them was Aileen.

Violet clicked her tongue as Mary relayed information about Aileen.

“Where on earth do you pick up such information?”

“Hehe, I have my ways.”

No matter how rife with rumors high society was, there had to be a limit.

Yet Mary had managed to gather some incredible intel.

“Do you think His Imperial Highness will really fall for Ai… um, Lady Aileen?”

“Well…”

What Mary had dredged up this time was the information that Aileen had approached Rajaden.

Where Mary obtained such information was a mystery, but the fact that Aileen had already approached a foreign prince before lent this rumor some credibility.

Knowing Aileen’s character well, Violet thought indifferently,

‘I wonder when she’ll finally combust.’

If Violet had been as aggressive as before, Aileen’s tactics might have been successful.

But that was no longer the case.

Violet hoped that Aileen would self-destruct soon, allowing the debris to drift away on its own.

Approaching the empire’s crown prince of all people was a shallow move.

Did she believe she could melt his heart with her charms and ensnare him?

Violet thought that Aileen’s attempts would have failed.

Had this situation been a romance novel, one might consider the possibility that Rajaden would genuinely fall for Aileen.

But the likelihood seemed remote.

“Really, the Second… Lady is peculiar. Does she really need to behave like that?”

Mary gritted her teeth each time she referred to Aileen.

It was a clear declaration of unwillingness to use honorifics, yet if she really omitted them, it would be seen as a challenge to the social order.

So, she forced herself to use them, which was obvious.

Violet patted Mary on the head.

“That’s right. I understand why she behaves that way, but it’s amusing nonetheless.”

Aileen was a greedy child.

She wouldn’t be satisfied until she had everything Violet possessed.

Whether it was people, talents, or knowledge.

And now, rumors about Violet and the imperial crown prince had upset her.

It was either foolish or brave to approach the sole heir to the empire so recklessly.

To Violet, it seemed more foolish, but she couldn’t be certain.

Still, the situation had become entertaining.

What was the reason for Lady Tolofia and Aileen becoming friends in the first place?

Their goals did not precisely align.

Now that Aileen had begun approaching Rajaden, she had turned those she had barely made allies into enemies.

Could the crown prince truly fall for her?

Considering his famously charming appearance and his protective instincts, it was possible.

Violet furrowed her brow slightly at the thought.

If he did fall for her, Violet could simply flee and go into hiding.

If Aileen continued to pursue her, and Rajaden, utterly smitten, decided to declare war…

Then a rebellion would surely erupt within the empire.

The path to the nation’s ruin was clearly visible.

Violet chuckled at these absurd thoughts, but then she suddenly became serious.

As Mary chatted about various other topics, including Aileen’s activities, she suddenly saw Violet’s serious expression and hiccupped.

“Ah, Milady?”

“No, it’s nothing. Continue. Was it Anne at the fruit store?”

Mary’s eyes quivered. It seemed Violet had heard everything, and so she was wondering whether it was okay to continue the conversation.

Violet stroked Mary’s head.

She had suddenly become serious for a reason—she had imagined something.

It didn’t matter to her that Aileen was approaching the crown prince or even if she managed to turn the people of Everett against her again and cast her as the villain.

She could just leave if it came to that.

But, what if.

…What if Aileen approached Aldin as well?

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