The Villainess is Ti Chapter 31

Chapter 31

No one would have been able to refuse his request.

I nodded as if under a spell.

And so, we ended up taking the sa carriage back to the mansion.

It wasn’t until we were inside my private theater that I realized just how serious this situation was.

Darcy and I had watched the play together in a private box, spent the entire day together, and ultimately returned ho together. Now, we were alone in the sa room.

Goodness, there must be hundreds of people speculating about what kind of relationship we have.

And it wasn’t just anyone—it was a newly revealed prince. Every move he made was bound to attract attention.

…Darcy seed oblivious to this. It was probably a result of being isolated from people for so long.

One of us needed to keep our wits about us.

With that thought, I took a deep breath.

“Darcy. I need to warn you about sothing.”

“What is it?”

Darcy tilted his head slightly as he asked. I responded seriously.

“Because of what happened today, there could be rumors about us.”

“…Hmm.”

“People might even start saying we’re engaged or that we’re getting married… The social circles love gossip.”

In other words, your and my chances of getting married are slim right now.

I swallowed the rest of my sentence and awkwardly t Darcy’s gaze.

Honestly, I wasn’t that bothered. I had never been particularly interested in other people to begin with.

…And if it was Darcy, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

I realized I liked Darcy more than I thought. Perhaps I even saw him as more than just a friend.

But for now, I was comfortable with our current relationship. Above all, Darcy considered

his first true friend. Until I knew the depth and nature of his feelings for , I couldn’t act rashly.

Darcy shrugged.

“It’s fine. They’re just people who don’t matter.”

Then he gave

a sidelong glance.

“Unless you’re the one who’s bothered. Do you really hate being associated with , Marceau?”

“No, of course not.”

The denial ca out imdiately, and he smiled in satisfaction.

“Neither do I.”

…It seed I was the first person he had truly connected with.

I didn’t know how far that connection could go.

And even if I asked, it wasn’t sothing Darcy could easily answer.

While I was deep in thought, Darcy started looking through my record collection. It reminded

of the first ti we listened to music together.

Back then, I never imagined we would get this close, but now his presence in my room felt as natural as if he were a part of the furniture.

Darcy picked up a record and asked,

“Can I play the one I want?”

“Sure.”

After all, I had filled the records with music I liked, so it didn’t matter.

Soon, the sound of a violin filled the room. It was similar yet different from the piano nocturnes I used to listen to.

Darcy’s silver hair swayed like a veil in ti with the music.

I watched him for a while before lying down on the bed. The familiar ceiling made my body feel heavy with fatigue.

“Are you feeling better?”

Darcy’s whisper reached

as he approached. The strings playing in the background seed to rge with his voice, as if they were part of the conversation.

Sitting on the edge of my bed, Darcy gently gathered the hair that had fallen across my forehead and tucked it away.

“You seem most at ease when you’re here.”

The care in his touch, as if I were delicate porcelain, soothed

more than the music did.

It was then that I realized Darcy had suggested coming here not for his sake, but for mine.

He might say he didn’t care, but the stress had clearly been getting to him.

“I didn’t realize you were so considerate.”

“You’re the kind of person who makes

pay attention.”

“I’m honored. I’m glad you care so much.”

“I’m the one who’s grateful. I’m glad the person who makes

care is you.”

I enjoyed the easy banter between us. I couldn’t rember the last ti I felt this comfortable talking to soone.

“But weren’t you trying to keep the magical tools a secret?”

Darcy’s question seed to stem from Pitoll’s earlier words.

‘And one day… I hope the world will co to know of the grace Lady Marceau has bestowed upon us, which has allowed our troupe to flourish.’

I slowly nodded as I recalled Pitoll’s words.

“I was, but… I’m thinking of changing my approach. I might start a business using them.”

I intended to take over everything Ryan had been working on and make it entirely my own.

“A business with magical tools?”

Darcy furrowed his brows, not fully understanding what I ant. I nodded.

“Yes, the cost is astronomical, but I’m thinking of starting by renting them out… Later, I could bring in other mages and form contracts with them.”

Darcy was quieter than I expected. His smile had disappeared, and it was hard to read his expression.

I studied his eyes and continued speaking softly.

“Of course, I’ll need to et with the mages first… and I’ll have to offer terms they can accept. But I believe this could be a successful venture.”

“Is that how you’ll find happiness?”

Darcy blinked as he spoke. It seed he didn’t understand how this business would make

happy.

“Yes.”

“How?”

The main reason was revenge against Ryan, but since Ryan hadn’t started creating magical tools yet, that wasn’t feasible.

And revenge wasn’t the only reason.

“I want to give others who might be in a similar situation to mine the sa kind of ti I’ve enjoyed.”

I wasn’t the only one who needed this kind of ti.

There must have been others who wanted to escape from everything, who needed ti to heal at ho.

But in the world we lived in, there were very few things one could do alone. Perhaps reading or embroidery, at best.

I wanted to give them the opportunity to enjoy leisure ti without having to go out.

And not just that—I wanted them to be able to capture and relive their mories through video recordings and photographs.

I had retreated because I was weary of people.

But it was also people who made

want to go out again.

I want revenge because I was hurt by people. And because I was comforted by people, I want to help those who have felt the sa way.

Of course, that includes mages.

“Yes. I think I’ll be happier that way.”

I couldn’t be completely sure since it hadn’t happened yet.

But this was the conclusion I had reached, and I decided to trust it and move forward.

Darcy, who had been quietly listening, trembled slightly at the corners of his mouth. I wasn’t sure why.

“…There seem to be many hurdles you’ll have to cross.”

His voice was lower than usual as he spoke.

“And it seems there are things you’ll need to hear about my past.”

I was surprised by the change in atmosphere, but I figured there must be a reason.

“It’s going to be a long story. Can I lie down next to you?”

This wasn’t sothing he would have shared with just anyone. And more than anything, I wanted to watch Darcy’s expression as he spoke.

I wouldn’t be able to fully grasp his emotions through his voice alone.

“Of course.”

He sat down beside

and then lay down at a bit of a distance.

We faced each other, just like the day we first listened to music together. His hair spilled over his shoulder as he lay on his side.

Our hair, each a different color, spread out like threads, as if we had been intertwined from the beginning.

And so, Darcy began to tell his story.

Just as Ryan had suspected, Emperor Kyes was indeed in the palace. Surprisingly, he was in a place that was easier to find than expected.

He was locked away in the deepest part of the underground prison beneath the palace.

Whether this was Darcy’s doing or re arrogance, Ryan couldn’t tell.

Regardless, now that Ryan had found the Emperor, he needed to discuss their plan to break the current deadlock.

Frustrated by how things had turned out, Ryan ran a hand through his hair.

‘If only you had handled things properly.’

Then none of this would have happened.

Grinding his teeth, Ryan used the water he brought to wet Kyes’s lips. The Emperor coughed and slowly opened his eyes.

“Your Majesty, or should I say Father.”

Ryan deliberately switched titles as he addressed Kyes, reminding him that he was his true son.

“You need to deal with him.”

They didn’t need to ntion nas; both knew exactly who they were talking about.

Kyes exhaled a thin breath, deep in thought.

He had no way of knowing how much had been erased from his mory. It was maddening. Brainwashing soone was dangerous enough that he couldn’t have done it completely….

They had no choice but to try.

“I can’t do it alone. There’s a royal artifact that can break the brainwashing. We need to find it.”

“Will it protect us from brainwashing?”

“Yes.”

There weren’t many mages who could use brainwashing as their primary ability. The woman who had been Darcy’s mother had always kept it close, but after her death, they had let their guard down, which was their mistake.

After all, Darcy was supposed to be killed.

This wasn’t sothing that could be done alone. They needed an ally.

“To destroy him, we should make sothing similar to the weapon he used. Only better.”

Ryan didn’t know where Darcy had co up with such an idea, but good ideas were ant to be used.

“And…”

Kyes paused before continuing.

“We’ll make a deal with the Marquis of Ephecl.”

“…The Marquis of Ephecl?”

Ryan was surprised by the ntion of an unexpected family. Kyes nodded.

“If we offer the right terms, they won’t refuse. The Marquis still needs magic stones.”

Kyes’s eyes widened as he let out a sharp laugh.

Even with a mine, they still need more magic stones? Ryan couldn’t understand.

“What do you an by that…?”

Kyes stopped laughing and muttered under his breath.

“At this rate, the magic stones will be depleted.”