The Villainess Doesn't Want to Die (2)
Silvia Robbins went by many titles.
Daughter of the Robbins ducal house, genius mage of the Academy, the Empire's most dazzling jewel, and so on. She had any number of nicknames, but among the nobility she was known by a single epithet.
The Villainess Silvia.
She was infamous for her cruel temperament. She threw hysterics at servants and attendants alike, and whenever something failed to please her she would unleash a torrent of venomous abuse.
"Beg, young lady. Heaven helps those who help themselves. If you cry out and plead with all your heart, I'll grant your request."
Rix said this as he looked down at the Villainess Silvia with complete indifference. His face was so blank it bordered on arrogance.
H-how dare he speak to me like that!
Silvia clenched both hands into fists. To ask for help after suffering such insolence would be to soil the honor of the Robbins ducal house. She ought to have cursed him out on the spot, or else stormed out of the room—but her body refused to move, as if frozen solid.
Could it be magic? Did he cast a binding spell on me without my noticing?
The Academy's genius mage. Bearing that moniker, Silvia swiftly examined her own condition. She circulated the mana within her body, searching for any spell that might have been cast on her.
Wh-what? There's nothing?!
There was nothing. Not a binding spell, not even a slowing charm.
Then why on earth can't I move?!
Her feet would not leave the floor. Meanwhile her entire body shook violently, trembling like an aspen leaf. She clutched at her skirts to still her quivering hands.
"...N-no. Beg desperately? Do you really think I would stoop to something so base?!"
She barely managed to force the words out. The one who ought to be afraid here was not her—it was Rix.
The Villainess Silvia. A name that even nobles feared and kept their distance from. Only members of the imperial family could meet Silvia's golden eyes. Even they could only just manage to look into those eyes; none would dare treat her carelessly.
The Robbins ducal house was a powerful ally of the Empire and a close friend—and at the same time, a noble house the Empire itself feared. Within the Empire, Silvia was like the sun itself. Before her, everyone bowed their heads of their own accord.
And yet, what of now?
Why? Why?! Why isn't this man afraid of me?!
Rix stood tall, looking down at Silvia without the slightest tremor. In the end, Silvia lowered her head to escape his gaze.
It was mortifying. It was infuriating.
Ugh, ugh! What is with that attitude of his?!
Insubordination the likes of which she had never experienced in her life. She was so heated that tears of rage welled in her eyes.
"Is that so. Then I suppose you don't need my help."
Rix remained as indifferent as ever. Even as Silvia's shoulders heaved with anger, he paid her not the slightest attention.
"In that case, you have no further business here. Leave."
As if he had nothing more to say, Rix turned his back on her. He was about to walk away, leaving his guest standing there.
"Ugh… P-please. Help me…"
A single plea, wrung out with great difficulty. With that, Silvia believed Rix would help her. After all, this was a request from the daughter of a ducal house. Naturally he ought to roll up his sleeves and do everything in his power to assist her.
But Rix casually betrayed her expectations.
"Your voice is too quiet."
…Huh?
Startled, Silvia lifted her head—only to meet Rix's eyes and immediately duck her gaze again.
"...W-what do you mean by that."
"Are you hard of hearing? I said your voice is too quiet."
A single tear rolled down her cheek. She was so furious that the tears came. She was angry at Rix for not being afraid of her. She was angry at the humiliating insult she had just endured. And she was angry at herself for being unable to do a thing about any of it.
I don't want to die…
The reason Silvia could not leave. The terror of death, coiled deep in the core of her heart, was eating her alive. If she let Rix go now, she would never learn who was plotting to assassinate her. There was no one else she could turn to for help.
The Villainess Silvia. Countless people held grudges against her, and vanishingly few would protect her.
"...Hic, hic. Please. H-help me!"
She raised her voice, just a little. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she would be shouting not to curse someone, but to beg for help.
But Rix was not satisfied.
"Louder."
"Help me!!"
"Louder!"
"Help me!!!"
She threw her head back. Furious, grieving, she screamed herself hoarse.
"I—I don't want to die! I want to live!! Please, save me!!"
She cast off every last pretense. That most primal desire—not to die—rang through the mansion. Her carefully made-up face was a wreck. Tears had washed away every last scrap of a ducal daughter's dignity.
Daughter of the Robbins ducal house. Genius mage of the Academy. The Empire's most dazzling jewel. And even the title of Villainess. She cast off every rank, every station, every role that had been given to her.
There was no ducal daughter here. Only a fragile young woman, terrified of death.
"Very well. I'll grant your request."
I would save Silvia Robbins.
Behind Silvia's shoulder, a hazy form came into view. Something like a pitch-black shadow clung to her shoulder, radiating a malevolent aura. It was the shape of a curse.
Looks closer to envy or jealousy than pure resentment.
The curse's form was still indistinct. Which meant it had not yet developed into a concrete threat.
"You. How did you find out about the assassination plot? Nothing dangerous has happened yet."
"Th-that's… a feeling."
"A feeling?"
"I've been losing sleep every night lately. Someone is plotting to assassinate me, and my body is clearly reacting to it."
"Ha. That's absurd."
To conclude that someone was trying to kill her just because she couldn't sleep at night. Classic paranoia.
"I don't know whether to call this good luck or not. You happened to be right. The hostility directed at you is no ordinary thing—if left alone, it will become a serious danger down the line."
"S-so I was right? Someone really is plotting to assassinate me?"
Silvia asked with a desperate look on her face. She looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.
A ducal daughter in the grip of paranoia. Suffering from that mental affliction, Silvia would have thrown hysterics at everyone around her.
So that's why they call her the Villainess.
Silvia's past came flooding into my mind. Her screaming that someone had tried to poison her because tea leaves had clumped at the bottom of her cup. Her tearing down a portrait on the wall, convinced the painted figure's eyes were watching her. Her snapping at other young ladies at a banquet for covering their mouths with fans while they talked, certain they were gossiping about her. Those scenes and more flashed rapidly through my mind.
Beyond that, I saw through a host of other facts about Silvia.
"Seven siblings. You're the second. And most of them are half-siblings…"
"Y-you can even tell that much?"
"Don't ask questions. I'm concentrating."
"Yes…"
"Your father was quite the lecher. A tree with many branches never has a day of peace—and yet he went around siring children without a care. Irresponsible fool."
"I-I don't care what you say about me, but don't insult my father!"
"It's not an insult. I merely stated the facts."
"Ugh…"
Silvia was thoroughly cowed and hung her head. She was as meek as a lamb.
"The one plotting your assassination is among your own kin."
"...I see."
"You're not surprised?"
"It's hardly surprising at this point. I've been competing with my siblings since the day I was born. We're half-siblings, so I always expected that someday one of us would try to kill another."
A philandering duke. Seven half-siblings.
Yeah, that tracks.
The power struggles within the family must have been fierce. Perhaps Silvia's paranoia had been born of that very environment.
"Sir Rix. Who is the culprit? Is it my third younger brother after all? Or my eldest brother?"
A crackle. Red Lightning flickered like static across Silvia's trembling right hand. Her emotions seemed to be running high.
"Calm down. Haste makes waste."
"I-I'm sorry. When I get worked up, I have trouble controlling my magic."
"The culprit is not among your siblings."
"I-is that so? Then who on earth is it?"
"Would you even believe me if I told you? I suspect you'd just get angry and call it nonsense."
"I'll believe you. No matter who it is, I swear I'll believe you!"
"Ha. Easy to say."
I didn't think Silvia would actually believe me. Humans are fickle. The moment a result doesn't suit them, they can reverse even the words they just spoke as easily as turning over a hand.
"I won't tell you. Confirm it with your own two eyes."
"With my own…?"
"Yes. If you see with your own eyes who is trying to assassinate you, you won't be able to deny it even if you want to."
Ordinarily, at this point I would have written out a talisman on yellow paper with red cinnabar ink.
Unfortunately, I don't have the materials.
This wasn't Korea. I had nothing on hand to give her.
"Silvia Robbins. Once you return to your mansion, shut yourself in your room for three full days. Under no circumstances are you to leave that room. Do so, and on the third night, around three in the morning, you will meet your assassin."
"...Thank you, Sir Rix."
"Skip the thanks. I'm tired, so hurry up and leave."
Silvia bowed deeply in gratitude, then left the mansion.
The spirit communion was over. A mild fatigue washed over me.
Whew… Doing this again after so long is exhausting.
As I sat slumped on the sofa, Hanna quietly appeared.
"Young master. What's this?"
"Hm?"
Hanna was holding three leather pouches. They looked familiar.
"These are awfully heavy. I wonder what's inside?"
Hanna asked with a sly little smile. She clearly already knew what was in them.
They're pouches of gold coins.
The pouches Silvia had shown me, stuffed full of gold coins. A single gold coin was enough for one person to live on for three months. If you added up everything in these pouches… I had just acquired enough gold to loaf around for the rest of my life.
How I achieved financial freedom in my twenties.
Some success-hustle lecture slogan from social media floated through my mind.