Chapter 1 : I Got Caught by A Villain (2)
*****
She seemed to be standing in that dim space even after taking a shower and sitting on the sofa drinking herbal tea.
“What are you thinking, miss?”
Sally, who was waiting for Regina, turned her head at Regina strange attitude.
“No, nothing.”
Regina, who was still holding her teacup, quickly regained consciousness and shook her head. She had to act as casually as she could.
No one should have known this, that she had witnessed the murder. If she followed the original Regina’s path, it was a dead ending.
Arsene was a man who would not keep an eyewitness alive. She didn’t know him now, but at least Arsene in the original did.
“Sally, bring me the invitations I’ve received so far.”
“Yes”
As she sips the warm tea, Sally came with the invitations she had gathered.
“Here’s an invitation to the party this week, and this one after that. And here’s an invitation from a major family.”
Regina quickly glanced at the invitations letter. None of this week’s party was very important. When she heard about it, she handed it to Sally.
“Reject all of this invitation.”
“All right.”
Sally did the job right away without asking any further questions.
She wondered why her master was suddenly acting strangely, but she did her job well.
As she walks out carrying the bundle of invitations, Regina takes a deep breath, emptying the rest of her tea. She took an aroma bath and even drank herbal tea to relieve some tension.
“Let's forget about it.”
She was adjusting well to her life, but suddenly it felt like a bomb had dropped. But fortunately no one knows that she is an eyewitness.
In movies and dramas, witnesses to an incident always suffer from life threats. It was because they revealed that they were eyewitnesses.
For that reason, she decided to forget this incident and naturally blend into an extra of about one person around her. Then, she won't be caught up in the original story.
If she doesn’t die, the contact between Isota and Ruairi disappears, but unfortunately, she couldn’t afford enough to take care of the protagonist’s circumstances.
If they are really meant to be, even if one extra is missing, it will be able to connect well.
Regina thought so, and laid in the bed for a week to calm her mind and body.
It was a peaceful vacation with dessert in one hand and a novel in the other.
There was no one looking for her just because she disappeared for a while. It was not a notable issue that one of the young lady who had a social life and then doesn't show up week after week.
“Good!”
Rebuilding her mentality, Regina was filled with confidence that she might be able to escape the development of the original story.
‘Yes, like this, he’s living his life, I’m living mine.’
She should keep her mouth shut and forget what she only sees and hears. It’s very simple, isn’t it?
After her week-long break, Regina went out for the birthday party of the Marquis Brienne youngest daughter after a long time.
It was a brief moment, but thanks to her calmness, she felt that she could now pretend to be fine wherever she saw Arsene.
But as soon as Regina entered the party hall with so much confidence, she feels her heart pounding.
“Did you hear that?”
“What is it?”
“….The story of Count Durand being murdered.”
Some people gathered with lowered their voices and whispered. It was the story of Count Durand.
Hearing that from the beginning, her confidence dropped a little.
‘No. Its, okay.’
She had never yet been involved with Arsene, so it was fine. She struggled to think so.
“Regina?”
"Huh?"
"Your expression doesn't look good. Are you okay?"
Nevertheless, it seems that her expression hardened because she couldn't help being a little nervous. Isota, who was next to her, wiped the back of her hand with a worried expression.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
She gave Isota a bright smile that she had worked hard on, but the voice that was talking about Count Durand suddenly diminished.
When she looked at them wondering if something had happened, she could see that all the eyes of the people around her were looking behind her.
She unconsciously tried to follow along, but she heard a low voice right behind her.
“Hello. Lady Blois.”
“…….”
The voice calling her was so beautiful that it gave her goose bumps. But Regina couldn’t help but admire it.
‘This voice, I think I’ve heard it somewhere…’
Her heart was shouting that it was dangerous.
But she couldn't help but look back at the call she heard from a close distance.
As she slowly turned around, conflicting dozens of times in one second, she met the man who had been gathering people’s eyes.
Her heart dropped.
Bright platinum hair and jewel-like purple eyes shining under the chandelier.
It was undeniably Arsene Greroy.
*****
Regina was half out of her mind now.
'Why on earth Arsene come to me?'
He and her had no contact. That's because, unlike Arsene, who was the center of society, Regina was the type of person to be put in a corner after having a little formal conversation.
As she just looked at him without saying a word, she felt people glance at her.
A word of greeting, which was not difficult, rolled in her mouth for a long time.
She barely parted her lips and greeted him with a hard smile on her face.
“Hello.”
A young, handsome, and wealthy duke was not common. Naturally, it deserved everyone's attention.
She heard that the woman who liked him was over ten fingers.
When she thought about why such a proud person was in front of her right now, the only thing that came to mind was the murder case she witnessed a few days ago.
Moreover, they had never formally spoken to each other before, but he had clearly referred to her correctly just now as 'Lady Blois' like a person who has already memorized their appearance and name.
Regina tilted her head slightly, holding back the smile that was about to disappear from her lips.
"Is there something...?"
Arsene looked very relaxed, unlike her, whose heart was beating hard.
He quietly looked at her and smiled softly.
“I was wondering if you went home safely that day.”
“……..”
Regina stopped smiling.
People around her were making a fuss, but it didn’t come into her eyes.
For a moment, it felt like they were the only ones in this space. His smile, so perfect that it was almost like a mask, filled her vision.
'What did he just say?'
Her head spinning, and she thought she would be out of breath right away.
".... Maybe you're mistaken me for someone else? I don't remember of encountering the Duke."
She denied it for now. There's no way he saw her own face. Apparently she was standing around the corner until she was completely out of the alley.
However, Arsene's smile remained as if he was laughing at her.
Her fingertips became increasingly cold. She fiddled with her fingers without realizing it.
His gaze fell at her white hand, and he faced her pink eyes again. His eyes don't look warm, in her eyes.
Regina smiled at him as if nothing had happened, but she couldn’t tell if she had a proper smile. She couldn’t even feel her face, so she just hoped it wasn't weird.
“I guess you’ve never heard anyone talk about the Lady’s black hair.”
Regina's eyebrows narrowed and then straightened.
The Count of Blois's black hair was famous in its own way.
In the Yurden Empire where they live, there were not many people with black hair. That's why people often looked at the Count of Blois, who had black hair for generations, with curiosity. Isota once even asked if she could touch her hair.
But that doesn't mean black hair is limited to the Count of Blois. There was no reason for him to be so confident.
“They say, once you see it, you can't forget it and I think that’s definitely true.”
Regina looked at him and eventually avoided his eyes.
This was the first time the saying, 'Once you see it, you can’t forget it' sounded so ominous.
She felt like she wanted to run away from this place. Perhaps because she was so embarrassed, she couldn’t understand the situation properly.
“Thank you. It’s my family honor to hear such praise from the Duke.”
And before he could say another word, she beat him first.
"But I really don't think it was me. If I saw the duke, there was no way I could ever forget your highness. Oh... I'm sorry, but I'm a little dizzy, it hasn’t been long since I’ve recovered. Can I excuse myself first? I want to rest for a while”
At the same time, it sounded plausible that she was in pain because her face was so pale that it looked white.
Arsene sighed as if he had finally realized this and let her go obediently.
“Of course, my apologies, I didn’t know I was taking up the time of someone ill."
"Forgive me for my rudeness."
Regina eagerly grabbed Isota’s arm, who was standing quietly next to her. Then she hugged her half-way as Isota supported her.
"Then I hope to see you again."
When she bowed her head lightly, Arsene responded with a strange smile.
“Yes. See you again.”
She felt like he was cutting off the word 'again' as if to emphasize it, but she smiled as calmly as she could and walked away.
Isota, who followed her and glanced behind her, spoke in a low voice.
“So what’s the relationship between you two?”
“There is no relationship. You are truly mistaken.”
Even with that answer, Isota still had a bad expression on her face, as if she was dissatisfied with something.
Regina vaguely guessed why Isota was doing this. Because, she was her most precious person to her.
Isota was wary of all men who approached Regina because of the thought of losing someone precious to her.
To explain why her friends, rather than family, are the most important people, firstly she had to tell that, Isota is an illegitimate child.
Children born out of wedlock due to the husband's extramarital affairs were not welcomed by the family and their children. Because of this, she was shunned among her family and instead made her friends people she could rely on.
Regina, aware of her anxiety, leaned against Isota like she was a real sick person.
“Take me only to the lounge.”
“I’ll be with you.”
“No, I'm fine.”
It wasn’t long before the party started. She didn’t want to take her time.
Isota looked sulky for a moment, but when he saw Regina leaning on her arm, she sighed and nodded.
Regina walked down the quiet hallway with her and entered the lounge, immediately sat down on the sofa.
“I’m sorry for dragging you all the way here, Isota. I’ll be back soon.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, then… take a rest. If anything happens, ring the bell and call someone.”
"All right."
After thinking for a moment, Isota quietly closed the door and left. The room was quiet when she left.
Regina looked around as she poured water into the cup placed on the table and drank it in one breath. As her stomach subsided, her nervousness eased a little.
Her head was spinning.
‘Did he really see it?’
Really?
The Count of Blois was an ordinary noble family. It was not a family with a long history, nor was it a wealthy family overflowing with wealth. What's unique about it is the black hair that Arsene mentioned earlier, and the fact that her older brother Edwin, the next Count, is very popular.
Besides, Count Blois was support the emperor, and so was Arsene.
It meant he didn’t need to approach her for his political reasons.
So, is he trying to kill her too?
“……”
She felt like she had to go back home. Although the mansion was not safe, she needed peace of mind.
Regina got up from her seat, quickly walked over, and opened the break room door.
It hasn't been long since the party started, but she did everything she could to say hello to the host, Lady Brienne.
Now the plan is to go back to the party and tell Edwin that she’s sick and ride the carriage, which was perfect plan.
She walked quickly through the quiet hallway to the entrance of the hall.
Outside, it was already evening, the sun had set and the wind had cooled. The hallway she was passing through had only a few lights on, giving it a gloomy feel.
Suddenly, the hair all over her body stood up.
“The day Count Durand died.”
Her feet stopped at the voice coming from behind. Her heart sank for a moment.
“You were showing your back like this even back then.”
Turning her head slowly, she could see platinum-blonde hair shining darkly ini the lamplight. Subsequently, she was suffocated when her eyes met the sparkling purple eyes.
“I'm.”
The voice she barely managed to squeeze fell out. Arsene looked at her quietly, as if asking her to speak.
“As I said before, I’ve never seen you before.”
The words she barely spoke were meaningless. No one was listening so they dispersed into the air.
He smiled. The cold feeling was like a snake crawling all over her body.
“Nothing changes, Lady.”
Even though she didn't go there to threaten him, the two eventually met.
So, no matter what she does, will the end result be her death?
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