Chapter 5
The Emperor’s face, which had been wearing a gentle expression, stiffened again.
“Why aren’t you answering? Ah… as expected, you—”
“D-Dalton!”
It was an instinctive choice. If I kept my mouth shut like this, the next person lying on the floor after being beaten would probably be me. That primal fear moved my lips.
“The daughter of Count Dalton’s family chose this necklace for me.”
After saying it, I squeezed my eyes shut.
After that, I couldn’t remember how I stayed with the Emperor.
The Emperor changed my clothes as if he were dressing up a doll, replaced all my jewelry with completely different ones, and then let me go.
“There are still people in the palace who treat Marigold with such disrespect. Bring them in immediately. Especially the daughter of Count Dalton—make sure she cannot walk here on her own.”
Those were the last words I heard as I stepped outside the Emperor’s chamber. I doubted I would forget them anytime soon.
When I returned to my room, I collapsed onto the bed.
It was obvious the maids and attendants had been trying to mess with me. The chief palace maid who changed my clothes under the Emperor’s order had removed the heavy corset and the petticoat completely.
They probably weren’t even necessary to wear in the first place… or maybe they were just out of fashion.
Either way, I didn’t even have the energy to be angry anymore.
They had all been dragged to the Imperial Palace anyway.
That didn’t make me feel grateful to the Emperor in the slightest.
I pressed my fingers against the corners of my eyes. A rough curse slipped out.
“Damn it.”
The Emperor himself had been such a shock that I couldn’t even accomplish my original goal—going to the Bohanan Count’s house.
The cheek he struck was swollen, and my earlobe still stung.
As soon as I returned to my room, my stomach completely flipped over. I ended up vomiting everything I had barely eaten earlier.
Exhausted, I lay on the bed, breathing heavily.
What kind of game is this? I’m even more shocked this kind of trashy setting passed an all-ages rating.
As I wiped my lips with the back of my hand, a ding sounded and a system window appeared.
※ Villainesses do not use vulgar language.
It was a status window that scraped against my already frayed nerves.
I jumped up and punched the air, shouting.
“What else am I supposed to call something trashy if not trashy?!”
※ A villainess may only use elegant sarcasm. Continued vulgar language may result in penalties.
“Ugh, seriously.”
This game was lenient with every other character but strict only with me!
Just wait until I get back to my original world. I’m filing complaints against all of you. I’ll even report this for rating violations.
I couldn’t curse properly, and I couldn’t grab the so-called god of this world by the collar either.
Grinding my teeth, all I could do was wait for the future.
I buried my face in my palms.
I still felt like something filthy was clinging to my entire body.
Marigold must have been Sienna’s mother.
Considering how the Emperor raged that Sienna had “taken Marigold away,” she probably died after giving birth to Sienna.
After that, he must have searched endlessly for women who resembled Marigold…
Until eventually he realized something.
The daughter he hated so much looked the most like the woman he loved.
I can see it without even watching it happen.
When she was young, he probably mistreated her for “killing his wife,” taught her nothing, and once she grew up, only showed violent madness like today.
What could a father like that possibly teach his daughter?
No wonder the whip fit so naturally in my hand this morning.
The Emperor cherished Sienna.
But at the same time, he didn’t truly cherish her.
To him, Sienna was nothing more than a substitute for Marigold.
That’s why the servants treat Sienna like a joke.
Even now, no one asked if I was okay despite the fact that I had been vomiting.
That alone proved it.
Even when I left earlier saying I was going to the Bohanan Count’s house, not a single person followed me.
At first I thought they were keeping their distance because Sienna was such a villainess.
But at this point, I was certain the entire situation had been people deliberately screwing Sienna over.
I covered my face with my hands.
“Ah, villainess unni! No—calling you a villainess feels like an understatement now! Why are you so nice?!”
Whether the Emperor cared for her personally or not, Sienna could have used that power.
After all, she was the woman in the world who resembled Marigold the most.
But Sienna never used it.
Maybe she didn’t know how.
Or maybe using the fact that she resembled her mother hurt her pride.
“I mean, she could’ve at least created some tension early on. Scare the disrespectful maids by invoking the Emperor’s name or something. If she had done that, people wouldn’t have played such nasty tricks or pushed things this far.”
Then again…
The Emperor was far too insane to use as a weapon.
It was easy for me to say this since it wasn’t happening to me before, but if I had to stand in front of him again, I probably wouldn’t think like this.
Remembering the Emperor grabbing my hair and shaking me violently made my heart pound.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Ah… I’m tired. I just want to sleep.
As if waiting for that thought, my body sank heavily into the bed.
Just as I was drifting on the edge of sleep, I suddenly snapped awake.
No! I already wasted a whole day! If I sleep now, there will only be 98 days left!
An invisible hand seemed to pull me backward as I tried to get up from the bed.
But somehow, I managed to stand.
Letting out a sigh, I opened my door and stepped outside.
The days are still long, so it must be late afternoon. I can still visit the Bohanan Count’s house now.
I looked around for a maid so I could tell someone to prepare a carriage.
That was when I heard whispering from the reception room closest to my chamber.
They were talking about me.
“Ah… I really didn’t want to be assigned to Princess Sienna’s palace.”
“It’s the worst.”
“I still feel like I can hear the screaming.”
“Don’t worry. Count Dalton won’t let what happened to his daughter slide.”
“Will he, though? He might just ignore it. There were rumors she isn’t even his real daughter.”
I leaned against the reception room door and sighed.
So the Emperor really did drag them all away.
That explained why the palace felt so empty.
New maids had arrived.
It was uncomfortable, but at least they probably wouldn’t try to provoke me like before.
Thinking that gave me a small sense of relief.
Getting beaten by the Emperor over some jewelry I didn’t even know about was something I’d rather avoid.
Still, I need to say I’m going to the Bohanan Count’s house.
That was when I realized I was still wearing high heels.
Standing there absentmindedly, it was impossible to keep my balance.
The moment I relaxed even slightly, my legs trembled and both my body and the reception room door wobbled.
“Ah—”
A small gasp escaped me as I nearly fell.
The maids sitting inside looked toward me through the open doorway.
“……?”
But not a single one stood up to greet me.
No one even offered a greeting.
I let out a hollow laugh.
What is this?
If their predecessors had been dragged away by the Emperor for disrespecting me, shouldn’t they at least behave politely now?
Just as I frowned—
“Pfft.”
A mocking laugh echoed through the once quiet reception room.
It grew louder.
“Ha.”
“Ahahaha.”
They were openly laughing at me.
As I bit my lip, the maid who seemed to hold the highest rank sneered.
“Wasn’t it Your Highness who said that speaking with people beneath you lowers your dignity? You declared it loudly not only in private but even at a ball. That servants are better off saying nothing at all.”
Sienna was the one who stopped talking first?
Why?
Even without a mother, Sienna was still the First Princess.
Yet people could openly ignore her like this?
So she really let things deteriorate this badly.
It felt as though the blood in my body turned cold.
As I stood frozen in shock, the maid delivered the final blow.
“Just because you share the Emperor’s blood doesn’t mean you’re truly noble. Your Highness merely borrows His Majesty’s authority.”
“…!!”
I couldn’t hold back my anger any longer.
The moment I clenched my fist, a ding sounded and a choice window appeared.
▶ Slap her.
▶ Smash a wine bottle over her head.
I was furious, sure.
But smashing someone with a wine bottle sounded like attempted murder.
And wine bottles? They weren’t just talking—they were drinking? During work hours?
I stared in disbelief, my lips parting.
Then suddenly—
As if the system itself hadn’t anticipated this event, before I could choose, a maid hurried over.
“Your Highness.”
I turned my head.
The maid spoke hesitantly.
“Sir Daniel has come to see you.”
For the first time ever, that damned fiancé felt like a welcome sight.
