The Crazy Villainess in This Area Is Me

“

, Mari.”

Even though she had been staring intently, Lobelia greeted her casually, smiling as if she hadn’t noticed her presence at all. Magorit, too, smiled brightly as if she had never planned to poison Merilly.

“What were you talking about?”

“Let’s get on the carriage first.”

They faced each other politely, smiling faintly, and climbed onto the carriage together. A chill as if frost had descended settled between them.

In the heavy air, Magorit felt suffocated and swallowed hard. She had always felt this, but ever since Lobelia’s return, just seeing her made her feel an oppressive weight as if being physically pressed down. For some reason, Lobelia now exuded an indescribable aura of pressure, and wasn’t she also possessed of some strange, monstrous strength? Perhaps that’s why she couldn’t act rationally as before when they were alone.

There seemed to be a lot to talk about, but neither could easily start the conversation. After a long silence, Lobelia was the first to speak.

“Aren’t you curious about who the villainess I mentioned earlier is?”

“…Yes?”

While pretending to be polite, the tone was clearly aggressive.

Magorit twitched an eyebrow and shook her head. “No, I’m not interested.”

“You should be if you want to continue carrying the name of Marchioness Hamilton.”

Her words bit sharply, and Magorit’s teeth clenched. But Lobelia’s trick was obvious. She aimed to attack her by referencing the incident of her supposedly attempting to poison someone with her help. So, it had to be blocked in advance.

“The name of Marchioness Hamilton is not something just anyone can mention, Lobelia. You might not know because you’re a commoner.”

“Even if it’s about an incident where Merilly was almost poisoned, you’re not interested?”

Lobelia pinpointed the very incident Magorit was circling around. The smile that had been playing on her face froze. Yet, she quickly smoothed her expression back to one of nonchalance.

“Oh my, was there such an incident?”

“Yes.”

With her answer, the soft smile Lobelia had been holding turned cold.

“After analyzing the ingredients in the tea, it turned out to be a very expensive poison, almost impossible to make an antidote for it, except by the one who made it…”

“You had it analyzed?”

Magorit’s brow furrowed involuntarily. Indeed, the poison used was so costly that its components could not be easily determined.

“Yes. Why?”

“Nothing.”

It was just a provocation. Even with that thought, she couldn’t help but bite her lip slightly. Yet, there was nothing to fear or shy away from now. She was at the edge of a cliff. Cornered rats will bite the cat, as they say.

“How terrifying it is to hear such a thing happen.”

“Yes, terrifying indeed. Who would dare to poison Lady Hamilton’s tea, I wonder?”

Lobelia’s emerald gaze sharpened as it slowly turned towards Magorit.

“This is why the presence of a proper hostess of the house is important.”

Yet, she did not retreat; instead, she replied with feigned innocence.

“When I was present, such accidents never occurred. It’s because a commoner of unknown origin sits in the hostess’s seat that such unfortunate accidents happen, isn’t it?”

“

.”

“Be thankful for your lifetime’s luck in receiving an invitation to a tea party at the imperial palace. I hope you don’t get too greedy beyond this.”

The stinging words uncomfortably assaulted her ears. Lobelia simply caressed her chin and tilted her head slightly.

“Greedy, you say…”

A sense of unease seemed to hover in the air. Magorit turned her lip slightly, looking away. Then,

“Commoner or noble, what does it matter?”

Lobelia’s tone of voice became harsher than before.

“…What did you say?” Magorit faltered, taken aback.

Lobelia, with a face as bright as before, continued, “Now, Mari, look at yourself. And then look at me.”

Prompted, she involuntarily compared Lobelia’s opulent dress and her own simple attire. The difference was stark, even just from the jewels on the accessories. Pride wounded, Magorit clenched her fists. She had been conserving her personal wealth, not knowing how things would turn out.

“To others, who looks like the commoner, and who is the noble?” Lobelia gracefully flipped her hair, speaking cheerfully.

“…What are you trying to say? Even so, you are…”

“It doesn’t matter what one’s status is, as long as they have the appropriate culture. And, are you sure you want to say you have no interest in who actually got poisoned?”

“?”

Come to thin ko fit, Frinel said it wasn’t Merilly who got poisoned. Magorit quickly scanned Lobelia’s expression. Seeing her unharmed, it seemed the poisoned person was not someone significant. Yet, an inexplicable anxiety wouldn’t leave her.

Eventually, driven by curiosity, she tentatively asked, “Who is it? As long as I carry the name of Marchioness Hamilton, I need to know who was harmed.”

“You said you weren’t interested?”

“You said ‘almost poisoned,’ not ‘actually poisoned.’ If there’s a victim, it’s a different story.”

Magorit smoothly laid out her reasoning.

Lobelia stared at her intently. She wanted to shut that loose mouth spouting nonsense. How could she dare to harm a child and stand so boldly before her? If she were to be calling someone like her as a human being, Lobelia thought she would have to apologize to the entire human race.

“

…” Fiddling with her lips, seeming to ponder, Lobelia finally smiled slyly and said, “I don’t feel like telling you.” The teasing tone even dropped the hint of respect.

Magorit, grinding her teeth yet keeping a smile on her face, replied, “…And you talk about culture? Where’s your culture, speaking informally like that?”

“Culture is something you show in front of humans.” With patience snapped Lobelia unleashed her words. “Are you even human? You are trash.”

“…Lobelia…!” Magorit stood up abruptly inside the moving carriage, causing it to sway. She quickly sat down again, embarrassed by her reaction.

And then,

“

!”

The scarf-tied wound started to throb painfully. Magorit clutched at her neck, furrowing her brow. No matter the treatment, the wound refused to heal.

As Lobelia coldly observed her, she let out a scornful laugh. “I told you not to mess with the child, didn’t I? I warned you so many times… You really have no learning ability, Mari.”

“Shut… up!”

“Where did the cultured Marchioness Hamilton go? Speaking of culture without having any yourself?”

“There’s a limit to patience…!”

Unanswered questions piled up one after another. Yet, amidst this, Magorit could form only one hypothesis.

“Remember, I’m sparing you.”

That this power is not human.

“Don’t crawl back. I can kill you anytime. But do you know why I don’t?”

And that the ability to wield such power…

“Is to watch you struggle.”

…belonged only to the Shinsu clan.

Her deep green eyes fluttered as if swaying in the wind.

Lobelia smirked, pulling a golden key from her clutch. Magorit’s eyes widened at the sight.

“That’s…!”

“I’ll never return it.”

“That’s mine!”

“How will you take it back? I have no intention of giving it back to you.” She teased, spinning it around.

Magorit pressed her lips tightly together. With Lobelia’s strange strength and the pain that intensified every time they met, there was no way she could physically overcome her. The only way to regain her authority and the key was clear.

“Oh my, we’ve already arrived at the palace.”

As Frinel’s voice brushed past Magorit’s ear, Lobelia mockingly continued.

Magorit’s gaze slowly shifted toward the window. True to her words, the palace, where the empress was preparing the tea party, was in view. Yes, there was no choice. Though she harbored no resentment towards the empress, reclaiming her place was a necessary step.

As she contemplated how to assist Frinel, determination increasingly spread across Magorit’s face.