Chapter 12
Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Villainess Laura (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A refreshing morning.
A lively morning.
“Ugh…”
I stretched my stiff body every which way and opened my eyes.
“…”
And then, from within the bed, I felt an unfamiliar warmth.
Something warm and squirming.
My hazy mind cleared in an instant, and I swallowed hard before slowly opening my eyes.
My arms were wrapped around Rainy, her disheveled silver hair and substantial presence as she slept soundly.
My mouth fell open in shock, fully waking me as I recalled last night’s events.
“…”
And then I scolded myself.
To think I’d shared a bed with a former saintess.
For me to mess up like this.
I racked my unresponsive brain for a way out of this mess, but realizing there was none, I squeezed my eyes shut in denial of reality.
After all, closing your eyes was the best solution to any problem.
“Hey.”
“…”
“Hey… wake up.”
“Ugh…”
I opened my eyes again at the hand shaking my body.
Right before my eyes was Rainy’s face, way too close.
I jolted back in surprise at the proximity, putting some distance between us.
“Cut the crap and deal with that.”
For some reason, Rainy smirked at my face and pointed toward the door.
Thud thud.
Sure enough, someone was pounding on the door just as she said.
Wondering who it could be, I tilted my head.
“Hey, food! Give me food!”
The voice of Laura, the duke’s daughter, rang out as she slammed on the door.
She’d finally surrendered to her hunger and raised the white flag.
It would’ve been a disaster if she kept up her stubborn hunger strike and damaged her health, so I was relieved she’d given in late rather than never. I moved to open the door.
But then, my gaze fell on Rainy, still wriggling in the bed.
What if word got out that she’d slept with me?
With Laura’s nasty temper, who knew what she’d do.
I stopped short of the door and dragged the squirming Rainy out from under the covers.
“Whyyy… just leave me alone…”
“Hide quickly. It’ll be trouble if the lady finds out we slept together.”
Rainy, who’d been lying there with a drowsy expression, finally seemed to realize what would happen if Laura caught us. She shot up in alarm.
“I… I gotta hide!”
Rainy frantically looked around the room for a hiding spot.
I was pondering the same thing when my eyes landed on a spacious wardrobe.
That should be perfect for hiding her.
I flung open the wardrobe doors and looked at Rainy.
“Quick, get in here!”
“Uh…? Th-this… it’s a bit…”
Rainy eyed the wardrobe with a reluctant expression.
She knew there was nowhere else to hide, so I couldn’t fathom her hesitation.
Thud thud thud!
“Foooood! Foooood!”
The lady’s demands for food grew louder as she dawdled.
Her hunger was making her eyes glaze over; she looked ready to break the door down.
Anxious, I grabbed Rainy’s hand and shoved her into the wardrobe by force.
“W-wait!”
Thud!
After stuffing Rainy inside, I hurriedly opened the door.
Creak.
The door swung open, and the lady stormed in, eyebrows furrowed and fuming.
“Hey! Why are you ignoring me!”
Laura, the duke’s daughter and a beauty with stunning blue hair and eyes, was dressed in matching blue pajamas. Cold fury radiated from her entire body.
I had told her to come see me, only to fall asleep and forget, so I made an apologetic face.
“I’m sorry, my lady. I’ll prepare your meal right away.”
“Huh?”
Laura, who’d been huffing and puffing in rage, gave my face a strange look.
Bewildered by her sudden expression, I brushed it off—food was the priority—and led the way.
“This way.”
Luckily, perhaps due to her hunger, she lacked the energy to stay mad and followed obediently.
When we arrived in the kitchen, the head chef, already prepping food, approached with a bright smile.
“Good morning, Family Head.”
“Yeah, good morning.”
“Um… but your face…”
“Hm? Something on my face?”
The head chef scratched his head, then shook his head.
“Ah… never mind.”
“Hmm…”
Cooking nonstop seven days a week must be wearing him out.
Talking nonsense all of a sudden.
I made a mental note to give him some vacation time soon.
As I jotted that down in my head, I glanced at Laura, who’d followed quietly.
Drool pooled at the corners of her mouth as she stared desperately at the bread in the middle of the kitchen.
Grrrowl.
Her stomach let out a thunderous rumble at the sight of food, her hunger kicking in.
In this starved state, she’d probably eat vegetables without complaint.
“Prepare the lady’s meal.”
“Yes, but what about the saintess and your meals, Family Head?”
“Hmm… the saintess and I will eat in about an hour.”
“Understood, I’ll prepare them.”
“Thanks.”
I watched Laura, who was barely restraining herself from grabbing the bread, when the head chef handed me a basket brimming with fresh vegetables.
“Thanks.”
“Ah… yes.”
I thanked the head chef, still giving my face that odd look, and approached Laura.
“My lady, here’s your meal.”
At the word “meal,” she looked over expectantly, only for her face to drain of color at the sight of the vegetables.
“…You’re serious? How is a person supposed to eat this!”
Her face flushed red and purple with anger, but hunger sapped her strength; she couldn’t even yell.
“So, you won’t eat?”
“Are you threatening me right now?”
“It’s not a threat—it’s a deal.”
Laura furrowed her brows.
“You’re not scared of the backlash? I’m the rising star of House Mastain.”
Good grief, calling herself a rising star out loud.
I’d die of embarrassment before saying that, but she tossed it out casually, earning my awe.
Was her chuunibyou phase hitting late?
“No backlash scares me. The duke said to do whatever I want. What’s the issue?”
“M-my father?”
Her escorts knew, but the lady herself was apparently in the dark.
Judging by her fluster.
“Yes, he told me to educate you however I see fit.”
To be precise, there was a clause about protecting her face and virginity, but I didn’t mention it.
Hearing that, Laura’s face turned beet red as she clutched her chest and backed away five steps.
“You pervert! Go die!”
“No… I didn’t say anything weird.”
“Ed… education! A beast like you must be thinking something filthy! Ugh…”
“…”
It felt like a hammer blow to the head.
Jumping straight to lewd thoughts at the word “education.”
Rainy, Laura—everyone’s minds infested with dirty demons.
Wearing an aggrieved expression, I said.
“I swear, nothing like that crossed my mind.”
“Liar!”
“Sigh… I really have no intention of doing anything weird to you, my lady? What weird thing have I even done? I just handed over some vegetables.”
Laura fidgeted with her fingers, mulling it over, then startled herself.
“You’re giving me these awful vegetables, but if I want meat and bread, you’ll demand my virginity in return!”
“No, that’s not it!”
“If not, why only these awful vegetables!”
“I just want to fix your picky eating!”
“I don’t believe you.”
“If you eat all these vegetables, I’ll give you meat and bread!”
Staring daggers at the basket, she muttered just audibly.
“R… really?”
“Of course.”
“Swear it?”
“Yes.”
She stared at me intently for a moment, lips twitching, then said.
“Th-then butter and jam too…”
“…Yes, if you finish all the vegetables.”
At that, Laura stuck out her pinky.
Unsure what was going on, I tilted my head, and she urged me impatiently.
“Qu-quick! Pinky promise. Eat all the veggies, and you’ll give me what you promised.”
I gaped in astonishment at this unexpected move from Laura.
Was she messing with me?
Pinky promises at our age?
As I stared in disbelief, she stomped her foot and yelled.
“Qu-quick! Promise!”
“Ah… okay…”
Reluctantly, I hooked pinkies with her and promised.
The moment the promise was sealed, she snatched the basket from my hands and grabbed a kale first.
Desperate enough for meat and bread to willingly touch her hated vegetable.
“Ugh…”
She glared at the kale in her hand for a long time before squeezing her eyes shut and taking a bite.
And then.
“Ur… urk.”
She started dry-heaving.
Looks like she’d never touched a vegetable in her life.
Dry-heaving after one bite confirmed it.
I stopped her from forcing down more kale and fetched a tangy-sweet kiwi dressing from the kitchen, dousing the veggies generously.
“Here, try it now. It’ll be delicious.”
“If it’s a lie, you’re dead…”
Her passion for meat and bread meant she wasn’t giving up on the vegetables.
Once the gagging subsided a bit, she grimaced and forked up some dressing-soaked kale, eyes shut, and popped it in.
She chewed for a moment.
Then her eyes flew open.
The dressing-made veggies suited her taste.
“How is it? Delicious, right?”
Ignoring my light question entirely, Laura decided veggies were edible and began shoveling them into her mouth to sate her hunger.
Cucumber, kale, bell peppers, broccoli, and more.
Thanks to the tangy-sweet kiwi dressing, she downed even the tougher ones without much resistance.
Though it was the dressing’s power, seeing her eat veggies without fuss was satisfying.
Finally, the basket emptied, and I grinned.
“Better than you thought, huh?”
“…”
She hemmed and hawed, reluctant to admit it, but faced with the empty basket, she gave a tiny nod of agreement.
As I smiled contentedly, the lady—who’d been licking dressing off the plate with her bright red tongue—looked up at me.
Probably about to demand bread and meat now.
“Hey, Baron. Been wondering since earlier.”
“Yes.”
“Why are you walking around with graffiti on your face?”
“Yes…?”