The Villainess is the Villainess [LitRPG]

Book 2: Chapter 27 - Partners [Part 2]

Their shared laughter drifted through the still air of the dressing room, softening the edges of Seraphina's bruised spirit. She might not have the perfect date, the perfect fairy-tale entrance, or the guaranteed political advantage she had planned for. But in that fleeting moment, with Eloise's laughter washing over her and the soft brush strokes gliding through her hair, Seraphina felt just a little less alone.

Seraphina glanced at her beloved pet serpent, Cornelia, curled up on the velvet bedspread in a torpid little heap. The lines of the creature conveyed a sense of deep, dreamless rest. Under normal circumstances, Seraphina would have felt a wave of calm simply by placing her palm on the amulet around her neck and focusing on the bond that she and Cornelia shared. Yet today, no matter how hard she tried to reach the creature, Cornelia was far too lost in slumber to stir or respond.

With a weary sigh, Seraphina tried to draw comfort from the sight of her pet's peaceful repose—but her own irritation at the unfolding events refused to settle. She found herself wishing, for perhaps the first time in this world, that she could just hide away from it all.

"You know, I do not think I want to go," she murmured, her voice betraying a heaviness she rarely allowed herself to show. Eloise looked at her mistress, her mouth forming a perfect "O," but before she could respond, a small knock echoed from the door.

"Come in! By that knock, I know it's you, Milly!" Seraphina half-shouted in exasperation, pinching the bridge of her nose as she prepared for yet another disturbance.

Sure enough, her maid Miriam shuffled in. She paused to readjust her slightly askew spectacles, wiping them on the hem of her apron as though to steady herself. "Err…you have a guest downstairs, milady," Miriam said, chewing on her lip in nervousness.

Seraphina's brow knitted. "Who is it, Milly? Spit it out." Her patience was wearing thin, and it showed.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"It's Hughes, milady," the maid replied after a short gulp. "He… He said you promised to help him with an assignment of all things."

Seraphina flicked her hand dismissively. "Tell him to go away. I am not in the mood!" She had no interest in trivial schoolwork, least of all now.

"At once, milady," Miriam answered obediently, bowing at the waist. She had begun to back out of the room when Seraphina suddenly lurched upright, as if seized by a new thought.

"Actually! Wait!" Seraphina's cheeks colored slightly at her outburst, but she recovered with a regal toss of her short golden hair. "I will receive him in the lounge. Tell him to wait. I need to make myself presentable."

Miriam hesitated, glancing uncertainly at her mistress's flustered expression, but she bowed her head once more. "Very well, milady," she said, then vanished into the corridor to relay Seraphina's change of heart.

As soon as the door shut, Eloise stood and approached Seraphina, her doll-like features creased by a skeptical frown. "Lady Seraphina, you can't be serious," she whispered.

Seraphina arched a perfect golden eyebrow, her lips curling into a slow, cunning smile. "Why, Eloise, beggars cannot be choosers," she replied, her tone somewhere between resignation and delight. "And I do believe Hughes will be perfect."

Eloise drew back slightly, confusion evident in her wide, tilted eyes. "I don't quite understand… He's a commoner."

Like you were not too long ago, Seraphina muttered in her mind.

"Precisely," Seraphina purred, as though that very fact made him even more desirable for her plan. "It makes things less political, you see. Besides, Hughes asked me some time ago, before all this business, if I would attend the ball with him. And, I, of course, accepted his invitation over Velens'." A glimmer of triumph lit her eyes, making Eloise swallow hard.

"Oh… I see," Eloise murmured, the truth dawning on her. She studied Seraphina's face, seeing at once the renewed spark of mischief in her gaze.

Seraphina squared her shoulders, already imagining the scene. If Velens could cause a stir with the lowborn Este Lize, then Seraphina could make an even more pointed statement by choosing Hughes. She glanced again at Cornelia, still curled up in a contented coil on her bed, blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding around them. A faint smile tugged at her lips. She did not know what Velens had been planning, but two could play at that game.