The Villainess is the Villainess [LitRPG]

Book 2: Chapter 26 - Demonstrations [Part 1]

Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

- Sandy Koufax.

The trick to great fashion lies in daring to be different—distinctive enough to command attention, yet never so bizarre as to invite ridicule. This unspoken rule of standing out but not alienating is as true in the animal kingdom as it is among civil society, and for most people, it poses a tricky balance. But for the young girl studying her reflection in the full-length mirror, had she been wearing plain cardboard, she would have still outshone the stars in the sky.

By now, her mind and spirit had fully merged into her new body. She marveled at the exquisite harmony; the sweet, untouched innocence woven seamlessly with the bold, provocative curves of burgeoning womanhood. Seraphina could easily see how such beauty and form could stir a man's deepest instincts, making him ache to both shield and devour her in the same breath.

Her choice of attire was of paramount importance for the upcoming event. The First Year Ball was set to act almost like a debutante ball for Lady Seraphina de Sariens, heir to the Sariens Duchy and the almost-queen-in-waiting. Whispers would follow her every move, so each detail had to be meticulously chosen, from the cut of her gown down to the choice of her shoes.

Even her hair would be cause for rumour. To have cut so short was almost unheard of for a highborn lady. The Lady de Sariens had orchestrated a quiet rumor campaign through the staff in "Milly's" company, letting the whispers spread far and wide: Seraphina's bold haircut was a gesture of solidarity with the common folk. In addition to this, she was the only noble willing to sell grain at a fair price since the fires, further fueling her status among the common people.

She smiled to herself as her fingers ran across the cloth before her. Master Wilforte's skill with fabric and needle was unparalleled. He had presented two of his finest creations for the occasion: one, a striking red gown with alluring, exposed shoulders; the other, a pastel pink piece that clung to her form before flaring in the Empire style, a high slit tastefully revealing her shapely legs. Seraphina wondered if that boldness might teeter on the edge of improper, though a wry smile suggested she relished the idea.

Delicate black kitten heels had already been decided on. Black was the new black. And black, after all, was elegantly versatile. She recalled with amusement the ungainly strides of Meridian City's ladies, teetering on their heels which had just become a new fashion. The young girl was determined to demonstrate just how effortlessly such footwear could be worn by someone with true poise.

"What do you think, Eloise?" Seraphina asked, glancing at her lady-in-waiting. The doll-like girl wore a carefully schooled expression, but there was no hiding the anxious flutter of her long lashes.

"It is rather bold, Lady Seraphina." Eloise's voice was soft as she twisted a loose raven-dark strand between her fingers.

"Good," Seraphina purred, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. "I intend to make quite the statement. Now, Eloise—the red or pink?"

Eloise took a breath, weighing her words. "If I were choosing for myself, I'd lean toward the pink. But for you… if you truly wish to stand out, the red dress will be dazzling. Perhaps pair it with a fur wrap to give just a hint of your shoulders instead of baring them completely?"

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A faint frown shadowed Seraphina's otherwise perfect features as she mulled over her lady-in-waiting's suggestion. "Yes," she conceded with a graceful nod. "A little fur to ward off the autumn chill—and, as you said, it would go wonderfully with the red. Why thank you, Eloise."

Her hand drifted up to her short blonde hair. With a decisive, final glance in the mirror, Lady Seraphina de Sariens allowed herself the smallest smile. Tongues would wag and hearts might flutter—exactly as she planned.

***

The rest of the week passed without much incident. A steady cycle of lessons, practice, and more lessons. What little free time she had was spent assisting Miriam, answering letters, and doing assignments—though she steadfastly refused to call them homework, lest the word itself invite that evil from her old world.

Haze was also doing well, her mastery of the Chordrelle growing by leaps and bounds in one of the cultural centers of Aranthia. What was a bit disconcerting was the fact that she had acquired a taste for the finer things in life and had asked for an increase in her stipend. An increase that Seraphina ultimately approved of when she found out that Haze would be playing at the ball.

And, of course, she practiced her new Crystal Magic whenever her limited mana allowed. The spell itself was rather disappointing: it summoned only a pinkish shard of crystal that, at best, a generous liar might call a dagger. Naturally, she avoided practicing in the Dullstone-lined rooms of the tower—that would have been both silly and a waste of time. Instead, she practiced whenever and wherever she could spare ten points of mana. The repetition, while tedious, proved surprisingly fruitful. Not only did she manage to raise the spell to level two, but after one of her afternoon naps, she finally acquired the much-needed skill: Mana Regeneration. She almost leaped for joy when she found out, after having taken a nap to restore her depleted Mana via the Rest skill.

As for the Crystal shards, with no real use for them, she simply fed them to a very enthusiastic Cornelia, who seemed to enjoy them immensely for reasons Seraphina couldn't begin to guess. Then again, Cornelia enjoyed eating most things.

With the creature growing at a rapid pace, Seraphina could no longer conceal her. She was forced to file the necessary paperwork for permission to keep a familiar on school grounds. Ordinarily, this would have been a slow and bureaucratic ordeal, but a generous donation towards rebuilding one of the Academy's wings, coupled with a demonstration of Cornelia's obedience, expedited the process.

Seraphina still remembered when Cornelia had been small enough to carry everywhere. Now, however, the serpent had grown to the size of a very large python. One might expect such a creature to cause quite a stir in the dormitories, but the girls had quickly accepted her presence. This culture, unlike her own, had no real prejudice against snakes themselves, and a white snake in particular was seen by some as a messenger of the Divines.

They all knew the white serpent belonged to Seraphina and were well aware that Cornelia was the reason pests had been reduced to a comfortable zero. In fact, Seraphina had even caught some of the girls sneaking food to the greedy serpent after discovering she could eat just about anything.

Checking in on Frest, she found him settling into his role as a teacher—perhaps a little too well. She had to remind him that he was there primarily to protect her interests. To her surprise, she'd even seen him strolling through the gardens from time to time with Miss Templeton, of all people.

Seraphina had no real love for her homely homeroom tutor, but even she thought Daniella could have done better than Frest. The young noblewoman couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Daniella were to ever learn of Frest's rather dubious background.

After all, she was almost minor nobility.