How a Villain Defies Destiny – Chapter 5

Author: Nikss

While confronting Yves, I shouted at the doorway to dismiss all the servants.

Then a maid entered the room with a quick answer to my call.

“Yes, Miss! Is there anything you need?”

Looking closely, it was the same young girl who came to wake me up in the morning.

“Can you prepare me a sweet, soft dessert and some hot black tea?”

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

After the girl went, I collapsed onto the couch and laid back.

‘Something’s wrong with Baron Laurus,’ I thought to myself, ‘putting a child who isn’t even an adult yet to take care of Laura.’

In Laura’s memory, her servants were replaced within a week.

Partly because of her fickle temperament, and because it was hard to please her whims, also she was reluctant to be around dirty commoners was also the cause.

Consequently, Laura’s focus was typically diverted as a rookie, who was still getting to know how things worked, and the vicious cycle persisted, with a maid who knew nothing much.

Laura, who had no idea how many servants she had dismissed, I could only assume that the overall quality of Baron Laurus’ servants was low.

‘I feel sorry for her. If only she’d had one decent person in her life, she wouldn’t be so crooked.’

Laura’s memories from that period consistently reflect her thoughts and feelings about inferiority and inability.

I wondered how people could be so twisted.

Laura was so paranoid that she perceived every meaningless action of others as an attack on her, and she would do anything to protect herself.

Just like the extra villain ‘Laura’ in the game.

However, after learning about Laura’s childhood, I had no choice but to change my mind.

Growing up in the hands of her employees from a very young age, her position was nothing more than a burden.

There were few things a child could do to prove that she wasn’t a nuisance, and her knowledge of power coincided with that period of her life, which shaped her into the person she was today.

A Baronet was second only to a Baron and his wife.

(Note: A Baronet ranks lower than a Baron Title)

Once the spoiled brat realized that there were people with higher status than her in the aristocracy, she used money as a weapon.

The parents, who were supposed to correct her misbehavior, didn’t care, the social circles she joined didn’t like her, and her tutors only taught her knowledge, and did not care about her personality.

There was no one in the mansion to correct her crooked way of thinking, as the less-than-equal employees would swear behind her, but faithfully obeyed her.

‘This is why home education, or should I say character values, is so important because it’s important to develop social skills at an early age.’

This was why I felt like an audience watching a movie after seeing Laura’s past.

There was such a big gap between what actually happened and Laura’s portrayal of it that I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘No, what’s wrong? That’s not what happened.’

“Phew…”

“Gasp— oh, Miss, is there something you don’t like?” asked the maid.

I exhaled a frustrated groan, but before I realized it, the maid who had delivered dessert and black tea questioned, shortly set down the tray with a startled look.

“It’s all right. Go ahead,” answered Laura.

Out of compassion for Laura, I stared at the maid setting the whipped cream cake, pink floral teacups, fork, and teaspoon in turn.

I had absolutely nothing else to do and was just staring off into space when an object suddenly caught my eye.

“That’s…”

She reacted astutely to my small muttering, perhaps she was paying attention to me even as she put down the utensils.

“Yes Miss, what were you referring to?”

“Show me that.”

I pointed to the silver tray she was holding.

“What? Oh, this.”

After setting it up, she handed the tray, as if she was afraid of being picked on by any fault.

‘As expected, it’s smooth.’

When she turned the tray over, the smooth, mirror-like bottom was visible behind the elaborate rose pattern that adorned the top, which held the cake and teacups.

‘Come to think of it, there was something that bothered me while talking to Yves earlier.’

To confirm my suspicions, I returned the tray to the maid and asked,

“Hold it up so that this side facing my direction.”

“What? Like this?”

“Yes.”

I saw my reflection on the silver tray. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, except that my skin was a little pale from fatigue.

‘Let’s try talking in this state.’

I started an experiment to see the questions that arose during the conversation with Yves.

“Hold it until I say I’m done.”

“Ye— yes!”

“But what’s your name?” asked Laura.

“Um…”

For the first time, the maid, who always answered sharply, hesitated.

Suddenly, I remembered the first time I’d asked her who she was, and she burst into tears.

“I’m not going to fire you, so feel free to tell me.”

“I’m Charlotte!”

“How old are you?”

“I’m 16 years old.”

That was unexpected.

‘She looks more like 13 years old.’

She was taking care of her mother and her ailing sibling when I thought she would never be able to grow up.

“Um, did I, did I do something wrong?”

Charlotte fidgeted across from me, and when I noticed the silver tray she was holding, I panicked along with her.

It wasn’t just that I couldn’t control my expression, it was that Laura’s face was showing a strange, distorted state of emotion.

‘What I felt was sympathy but…’

Laura’s brow furrowed, and her sly gaze took on an even more furious look, as soon as I found out that the girl was the main breadwinner in the family at such a young age. I felt both saddened and sorry for her.

At first, it appeared as though the lips were pouting as the tail of the drooping lips fell as if it would penetrate the ground, giving the impression of ‘a person who is holding back the displeasure.’

‘I’ve never been a good liar in my past life, but this is too much.’

Instead, it wouldn’t be unfair if only the feelings were expressed exactly as they were.

Nevertheless, after realizing what was amiss, I continued to converse with Charlotte while attempting to control my facial reactions.

“How many younger siblings do you have?”

But suddenly Charlotte began to cry.

Laura thought, seeing her cry, ‘Did she think I was going to hurt her siblings?’

It was a possibility.

Even though Laura had never disciplined her staff with anything more severe than termination, the rumors were so vile that Charlotte, the new maid, misinterpreted it.

Instead of waffling on about how it was an innocent question and not to be taken seriously, I quickly changed the subject before she burst into tears.

“Do you like cakes?”

“What?”

Her complexion brightened, perhaps because my attention had been diverted away from her family.

“I’ve never had it before, so… I don’t know.”

“I see, then why don’t you come a little closer, but keep that thing in your hand.”

Across the table, she cautiously approached me. Close enough to touch if I reached out my hand.

“Here, open your mouth.”

“What? Ugh.”

I shoved the cake into Charlotte’s mouth as she stared in bewilderment.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she eagerly moved her mouth to savor the sudden food.

After a long pause, she finally swallowed the cake, her eyes filled with deep regret.

The flushed cheeks showed that she liked it.

“Do you want another bite?”

“What? Um… Can I?”

After a little period of hesitation, during which she seemed to be afraid but still wanted to eat the cake, she gazed at me and spoke softly in response.

‘She’s like a small animal!’

Laura’s face subtly changed as she thought Charlotte was cute, shivering but unable to resist the temptation of sweetness.

The furrow between her eyebrows shuddered and the corners of her mouth moved uncomfortably upward, as if the pressure of keeping a straight face had strained her facial muscles.

When I released the force I had been holding in there, it turned into a smile that hid a sinister intent.

‘In my heart, it was a mother’s happy smile’

The difference between what I felt and what I saw on my face was too much.

“Put that down and relax. You can finish it.”

I handed Charlotte a fork, and she moved her hands diligently while glancing over at me.

Meanwhile, I was lost in thought.

‘Even objectively, Laura’s unbelievable.’

I admit to seeing Yves’ appearance in a mesmerizing way, but I thought I’d never had a look full of lust in my eyes.

Perhaps Laura strained on her eyes too hard to control her expression, and it had backfired.

I couldn’t confirm if it was Laura’s trait originally or if it was a side effect of the possession, but next time I meet Yves, I’ll make sure to bring a fan to cover my face.

Noticing that Charlotte’s fork had stopped, I finished my lukewarm tea and stood up.

“Well done, I’m going back to my room. I want to be alone, so tell everyone no one is to come in until I call.”

“Yes! Understood.”