When the Villainess Became the Male Lead’s Obsession - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It had been a while since the moon arose. Elysia visited the annex again as she promised herself earlier. As expected, a different knight from the one during the day was on guard.

After carefully observing his face, Elysia returned to her room with a satisfied face and slept.

Even though she only went back and forth between the annex and the main building, her whole body was sore like she just had an exercise after a long time.

Though she slept well last night because she was tired as well.

Elysia, who opened her closed eyes, raised her body from her bed.

She managed to grab the bell only by moving her body a little.

When she shook the bell lightly, Elysia’s bedroom door opened.

“Miss Elysia, were you coughing again?”

Elysia’s exclusive maid came in. Rachel, the maid who was the most potential to take over the position of the next head of maid.

“How is Ariel?”

One of Elysia’s morning routines was to ask about Ariel.

Ariel woke up a long time later than her, so even if she didn’t ask, the answer was obvious.

“She is still sleeping.”

Rachel answered politely. Rachel who was familiar with this question bowed down.

Rachel could also predict what Elysia was going to do next easily.

Like always, she would go into the bathroom to wash her face. Contrary to her expectations, however, Elysia didn’t move or open her mouth again.

“Can I see the list of the knights of the Duke of Valtine?”

“…If you ask the Duke…”

“I don’t want my father to know.”

Elysia hugged her knee tightly and drooped her head on it. It was rare to see Elysia acting like this; like a child at her age.

“I’ll do my best”.

The problem was that Rachel was obsessed with Elysia’s cuteness. Even if she didn’t act cute, she would be willing to do whatever Elysia told her to do.

“Thank you.”

Rachel was a maid brought by Isabella.

Isabella, who wasn’t loved by the Duke of Valtine, became the object of disregard among the servants.

Her meals weren’t delivered on time, and her room cleaning was often skipped.

It was also a normal thing to do for them to mock Isabella loud enough for her to listen.

Elysia was glad that Rachel was here.

Without Rachel, Isabella would have passed away sooner.

“Is it because some of the knights may have offended you?”

“It’s not like that.”

Rachel, who knew that a maid packed up and left this morning, was wondering if it was a knight’s turn to leave this time.

Her answer that came back unexpectedly was negative.

“Thank you for your concern, Rachel. I’ll prepare by myself today, so you can go out now.”

Elysia, who jumped out of bed, approached Rachel and hugged her slightly.

She showed a completely different attitude from how she treated the other maids.

“It’s my duty, Miss.”

When Elysia, who was a little smaller than her, hugged her, her worried expression eased.

Behind Elysia’s back, everyone hated Elysia for being tough and harsh just like her father, but Rachel thought it was fortunate that Elysia wasn’t a soft-hearted person.

Considering Elysia’s attitude toward Rachel and Ariel, it was rather rude to say that she resembled the Duke of Valtine.

At least Elysia was a person who knew how to love others.

* * * 

Elysia herself didn’t know how she would be reflected in others’ eyes.

She didn’t hide her displeasure and completely showed her values that she should return as much as she received.

‘In the end, I guess I look like a villainess to others.’

Still, Elysia never attacked others first because unlike when she was young in the past, she got to live and didn’t get beaten.

On the other hand, the original Elysia was different.

– Hey. It broke because you pushed it. Do you know how much it costs?

– Did you wash my blankets properly? What’s this stain?

– You’re not just lazy and slow. You can’t even work.

She always found a fault in the servants once a day.

It was Elysia who lift the expensive wine glass, and she was also the one who intentionally stained the blanket.

Whenever that happened, the servants raised their heads and refuted Elysia’s words to defend themselves.

However, eventually, the head of the maid even stepped up and said to Elysia.

– Miss Elysia. Please keep your dignity. How could a noble of the house of Duke of Valtine lie whenever she opens her mouth…!

‘No matter how easy Elysia was, she’s still a daughter of the Duke.’

Elysia, who was reading the newspaper, snorted inside and criticized the behavior of servants in the novel.

Unlike herself, Elysia in the original work had no authority to discipline the servants. It was purely a reward that she won by playing the ideal child that Elysia’s father wanted.

On the other hand, Elysia, the original work, had no power within the Duke’s mansion, so she created a scene and continued her little payback on the servants.

Of course, the subjects also included maid’s attire.

– Who’s pointing it out to who? You’re the one who is going to be screwed up if Father knew you took this family’s money. Those earrings… I don’t think those are something that you could afford.

– W-What are you talking about? Again! You’re lying again!

That wasn’t a lie.

The maid didn’t know, but Elysia was a smart child with a sharp intuition.

The original Elysia was a girl who knew how to bully and torment people according to her taste.

Therefore, when she was just the novel reader, she thought that Elysia’s ending suited her character, even though she didn’t deserve it.

As she was done remembering the ending of ‘Elysia the Villainess’, Elysia closed the newspaper.

The newspaper contained the news about the national power lost due to the war. The contents about the war, which began half a year ago, accounted for the largest portion in every newspaper.

Even though it was clear how serious the current national situation was, Elysia put the newspaper aside and stretched her limb.

Since she was Elysia, who read ‘Prison where Ariel was locked up’ she was relaxed because she knew that her empire would eventually win.

“Miss Elysia, this is Rachel. May I come in?”

Elysia, who was about to open a book to study, stopped when she heard Rachel’s voice from the door.

“Yes, come on in.”

When Elysia granted her permission, Rachel came inside. At first glance, Elysia could see Rachel had so many documents with her.

Elysia could easily notice that it was what she asked for this morning.

“From this part, it is a list of knights transferred from the outskirts.”

Rachel gave her a kind explanation.

Thanks to her, Elysia’s work has been halved.

Except for the knights who were not in Duke Valtine’s military forces and their personal information, Elysia searched through the remaining documents.

As her master didn’t tell her to leave the room, Rachel was standing still and waiting for Elysia’s next order.

“…These two.”

Elysia, who was carefully looking at the picture of two knights taken in neat uniform, pulled out two documents and handed them over to Rachel.

Rachel accepted the documents without a word.

“Can you look into these two in detail?”

In detail?

She had never seen Elysia so interested in others. Rachel opened her eyes wide and looked at Elysia.

“If possible, try to find out their weaknesses.”

A 12-year-old child asked you to find out about others’ faults and weaknesses with a relaxed voice.

If someone who didn’t know much about Elysia heard what she just said, they would have laughed at her or thought that she didn’t get a proper education.

To be honest, Rachel thought it was a matter of education rather than a joke.

“….Yes.”

Resisting her curiosity, Rachel bowed down and heed to Elysia’s order.

Cellendid had more slums than other territories and estates. It was because the Duke of Valtine didn’t take good care of his territory.

Therefore, it wouldn’t be difficult to conduct a background investigation.

* * * 

A few days after that.

Rachel brought only two papers this time.

Elysia, who had lunch with Ariel, looked at the documents Rachel gave as soon as she returned to the room.

“…..”

One was a knight who liked gambling and had a considerable amount of debt.

The other was a knight who was supporting his physically and mentally sick brother’s medical expenses.

‘I did ask her to find out their weaknesses or faults.’

Both were perfect to Elysia.

How were they watching the annex where Eden was kept hidden?

These days, did they still live with this kind of circumstances?

Elysia, who had a more complicated story than anyone else, was having a fruitless thought.

‘Debt and little brother…’

It was written that the younger brother seemed to have a complicated condition, and that the knight couldn’t afford the considerable amount of medical expenses.

So, in the end, both of them needed money.

Elysia quickly calculated how much money she had in her hand.

It was the money that Eden saved to start a new life when the House of Duke of Valtine collapsed later in the future. It was a shame, but Elysia decided to think of it as an investment for her new life.

‘I have to live first to start a new life.’

After finishing the calculation, Elysia crossed her short legs and concluded.

‘People who have something to protect are more desperate.’

Elysia was like that too.

Somehow, she felt like she was getting close to the knights that she had never talked to before.

* * * 

Rizbeth faced a second life crisis after becoming a knight of the Duke of Valtine.

He was more nervous than when he was worried about what he had to do when he was assigned to the battlefield.

Elysia quietly looked up at Rizbeth, whose forehead began to sweat even though it wasn’t a hot day.

‘I’m going to die.’

This annex was the least noticeable place in the residence of Duke Valtine. The poorly managed trees and grass hid the existence of the separate annex.

It may not have been intended, but it became the reason why the Duke of Valtine decided that this place was the best place to hide Eden.

“Sir Rizbeth”?

“How did you know my na– No, it’s an honor for you to know my name, Miss.”

But what brought her here…?

Rizbeth, who managed to get Elysia’s attention back from the annex, asked.

When the most desired question came out, Elysia answered with a bright face.

Seeing a bright smile, Rizbeth breathed in surprise.

“I have a favor to ask of Sir Rizbeth.”

“…You mean me?”

It was the first time that Rizbeth had talked to Elysia since he came to serve as the Duke’s knight.

The biggest reason was that Elysia did not pay attention to the knights, and they had never crossed paths.

So Rizbeth thought he was the only one who knew who Elysia was.

What did she mean by having a request, out of nowhere?

Didn’t the two even talk to each other for the first time today?

Toward Rizbeth, who seemed confused, Elysia kept her smile all the time.