The Villainess is the Villainess [LitRPG]

Book 2: Chapter 20 - The Kiss of the Flames [Part 1]

The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire.

- Richard M. Nixon.

That Meridian no longer burned was in no small part due to the aid her mother had rendered to the authorities of the city. Knowing where the hungry flames would spread was a decisive factor, enabling those fighting the fires to concentrate their efforts effectively.

Her duty done, Anaselena had departed for Sarien's Duchy, but not before ensuring that her daughter continued her lessons under Eloise's brother in the townhouse in her free time from the Academy. Over afternoon tea—so thick with tension it was nearly choking—her mother all but commanded her to attend these sessions.

It wasn't that Seraphina objected to being taught by a cripple. Lord Beron de Laney was pleasant enough in his bookish, reserved way. What irked her was being given no choice. Anaselena, her mother, having purchased the deed outright, had temporarily taken up residence in the townhouse. And, as long as Seraphina remained under that roof, she was symbolically under her mother's thumb by Aranthian customs—and Anaselena clearly knew how to tighten the leash.

"...And that is why Sir Francois could not act directly in the Greater Intervention between the Church and Baron Godsford despite…" Beron paused, clearing his throat. "Lady Seraphina, are you quite alright? You seem… distracted."

Seraphina felt the once comforting walls pressing in on her. "Perhaps. My mind is full of womanly thoughts, of course. Let's take a pause for a moment and speak of other things. You know, I'm curious—have you ever thought about traveling? Seeing the world for yourself, instead of just reading about it from the pages of an old book?"

The cripple Beron looked pointedly at the crutches resting beside him. "An exciting notion, but my condition leaves me little choice," he answered, a wry note in his voice. "It's difficult enough to walk around town, let alone journey to faraway lands."

Seraphina stretched lazily, arching her back like a cat, then tilted her head to study the ornate floral patterns on the ceiling. "That sounds like an excuse," she said lightly. "If you truly wanted to see the world, you could. I'm sure there are more interesting pursuits than being paid to teach a brat like me."

He stiffened, as though biting back a retort he might regret. "It's no burden at all," he said carefully. "You're bright, beautiful, quick to learn. Sometimes it feels as though I'm not teaching you anything new at all—more like reviewing lessons you've already mastered."

She lifted an elegant eyebrow. He was more astute than she had initially thought. "Meaningless compliments aside, I hear your father favors your younger brother to inherit, given your condition. I suppose he'll try to petition for the King's permission to do so, if he hasn't already. Meanwhile, you'd have freedom you've yet to imagine—travel, research, whatever your sort of people like doing."

"Whyever would I want that?" he asked, defensive now. "It sounds like an awfully dangerous… and well expensive proposition.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Oh, I don't know…" Seraphina shrugged artfully, a teasing smile curling her lips. "You could write a book about your adventures. Then, people who can't travel could glimpse the world through your words. Who knows—future generations of adventurers and scholars alike might come to treasure your work."

She was doing her best to derail these tedious lessons. They consumed far too much of her time. Folding her hands primly, she let her gaze rest on him. "Lord Beron, do you have any regrets?"

"Regrets?" he echoed. "Though young, like any man, I have more than my share. Chief among them is being born as I am," he answered with a self-deprecating shrug.

"I never took you for self-pity," she teased with a delicate laugh. "I pictured you as stronger… more adventurous."

He glowered slightly. "And, wherever did you get that impression?"

"From your sister," Seraphina lied as smoothly as breathing. "She admires you more than you might realize. Anyway, about those regrets—I suspect I could solve them. I could offer you a simple and short path to greatness."

"How so, Lady Seraphina?" came his laconic response.

She leaned in, determined to make this conversation as uncomfortable as possible. She needed him to develop a petty dislike for her, enough to make him excuse himself from his role as her tutor. "You said I was beautiful? Do you truly think I'm comely?" she asked, fixing him with an unwavering stare.

He flushed, clearly rattled. "Of course—"

"Then if, within the next few minutes, you can give me a compliment I have never heard before, I will let you ask for my hand in marriage," she said with mock solemnity. "Ha! Picturing the look on Velen's face would be treasure enough! And, you wouldn't need your father's approval anymore for anything, and I'd gain... Now, what would I gain?"

She paused for a moment before answering. "I guess I would gain you."

She tilted her head and rested her chin on her palms, an image of childlike curiosity laced with calculated provocation. "Go on, Lord Beron. Impress me, I am giving you a chance that many would kill for."

His cheeks went crimson. He tried to speak, but only a stammered jumble emerged—no match for Seraphina's practiced manipulations. At last, he fell into a mortified silence.

"And that," she said coolly, "is why you have no desire to see the world. You cling to the comfortable and the known. Mediocrity is a guise that you wear well. You only need to reach out and take what you want, yet you don't. Impressive as your learning and intellect are, you're a coward, Beron—half a man. That is why, I believe, your father favors your brother."

"But—" he began weakly.

She waved a dismissive hand. "That's enough for today. I'm not in the mood to learn."

For a moment, it looked as though he wanted to retort with something clever, something to salvage his pride. Yet all his proud knowledge seemed to fail him in the face of this slender girl, a few years his junior. In the end, he only shook his head and departed with his tail between his legs.

Watching him go, Seraphina allowed a small, mischievous smile to tug at her lips, though a flicker of wistful regret caught at her heart. She couldn't help wondering—if she had chosen differently, could she have ended up the wife of the future renowned explorer, traveling the breadth of the world by his side? Would she be happy? The idea lingered for a moment, then she shrugged it off. There were other games to play, and she had never been one for such outlandish daydreams.

Now, what was the reason Beron had become an explorer in the first place? Considering it unimportant, she gave a mental shrug and leafed through a few reports. One of the worrying things was that there seemed to have been a spike in child runaways from her various businesses.

Honestly, some people just really did bite the hand that fed them. It was infuriating at times. She started to pen a memo ordering Miriam to come up with a deterrent for such behavior.

Seraphina was sure that her monstrous maid would come up with something.