This Three Year Old Is a Villainess-Chapter 307

Erilot froze as if she had walked into a place she shouldn’t have.

She didn’t even try to hide her expression.

W-what’s wrong with her?

Startled, I looked around.

Now the situation came into focus.

Oh no! I must look like a madwoman babbling to myself.

Sure enough, the guards and attendants who had met my gaze flinched and averted their eyes.

Dalia glared at Masa.

Because of her, what is this even?

I muttered instinctively. She cleared her throat and said,

“W-well, the thing is, um, I— Ah! I wanted to delight the Duchess, so I prepared a performance.”

“.......”

“Not a play, but a—monologue! You know? Right?”

“.......”

“I wrote a script starring me and Father... or at least I—”

Her voice trailed off.

Of course she won’t believe it.

A wave of fright washed over me.

What if they tell the others?

Here, people are more inclined to trust her...

I might be shunned as crazy.

Dalia forced an awkward smile and approached Erilot, then leaned in to whisper.

“Will you help me? Actually I’ve been seeing strange things for a while now. Like... traces of magic? Lost souls? Things like that.”

“.......”

“You understand, right?”

“.......”

“I’ll explain everything slowly. I haven’t been in this situation for long myself, so I don’t quite know...”

Erilot said nothing. Dalia knit her brows.

What’s with her?

“Um, if someone speaks, they usually expect an answer—”

“I am Erilot Astra. Confess within.”

Without replying, Erilot strode off toward an attendant. When the attendant announced her entrance, she entered the room without looking back.

Unbelievable!

Dalia pouted.

I entered the hall and headed for the lounge. As soon as I closed the door with a bang, I collapsed onto a chair.

[Dalia is me! You’re just Yoo Se-eun!]

Masa’s voice rang clearly.

“Yoo Se-eun... Yoo Se-eun, you say...”

My limbs trembled. No shock I’d ever felt had left me so bewildered.

Right. From the start, Dalia wore the same expression as Se-eun and spoke the same words.

Why hadn’t I realized? What on earth happened? How did she become Dalia? What did Grimie do? Could it be that in my first life Se-eun was Dalia all along?

A tangle of question marks swirled in my mind.

“You brat! Are you tormenting Se-eun again?!”

“Why are you doing this? Do you want to see Mother die? I begged you to get along with Se-eun. I begged you not to make me give up on you!”

“I-I had a little to drink... I... Hyemin, huh? Father... no, I don’t know if you consider me your father. But I’m really curious about something. I— I’m so curious... Hyemin, why are you always so resentful? What are you so upset about that you always go astray? If you have complaints— huh?! Why not take them out on me instead of tormenting innocent Se-eun! No, I... Darling, let go. I’m just really curious...!”

Those voices materialized as visions and pressed in on me.

I can’t win.

Only one thought filled my head. Fear seized me the instant I realized that child was Se-eun. The child I could never beat, no matter how hard I tried or begged. The one who always received all the love at the center of that home. Se-eun, as if she was born to be loved...

At that moment, knock.

A knock sounded on the door behind me.

I stammered, “Someone’s—”

“It’s me.”

I jerked my head up. It was a voice I knew all too well.

Alexis...

With a pale hand I forced myself to my feet and opened the door.

“How did you— Ah, since you’ve become a prince, you have to show your face at the Royal Family Gathering.”

“.......”

“Sorry, I’m not in my right mind.”

After Alexis stepped inside, I brushed my hair back and sighed. Until now I’d thought the greatest pain was the constant mortal danger of my first life. But I suppose the grief I felt as Yoo Hyemin was just as great.

Alexis, who seemed half-crazed, grabbed my wrist sharply.

“Why does your face look like that?”

“It’s nothing. I just... saw something startling.”

“I’m asking who did this to you!”

I’d never seen him so angry. Trembling, I looked at him. I knew I shouldn’t burden him with worry—he had his own duties. I needed to tell him not to mind, but I couldn’t say “I’m fine.”

“.......”

“Erilot!”

“...Memories.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks. I tried to hold them in, but my body shook. Over and over I remembered: the ten-year-old running to her room to escape her drunken stepfather and sobbing mother; the day my grandmother hid Se-eun behind her and was slapped in front of the neighborhood kids; the child crouched in the yard waiting forever for a family dinner that would never come; Yoo Hyemin lying alone in a cheerful hospital room, surrounded by patients’ families, slowly dying...

“Unwanted memories... keep coming back...”

Alexis pulled me into his arms.

“Wah—!”

I broke down crying like a child. Unlike those days when crying only brought more beating and I had to bury my face in a water-filled basin, now—

“I’d rather... rather the first life was worse...! Being insulted as filthy blood, all alone... but there was no hope then...!”

“Mm.”

“Every time I hoped, it hurt...! On my birthday, when I got a perfect score on a test... I ran to see if I’d be praised, even if it hurt my knees! But always, always they ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) treated me like a stranger...!”

“Mm.”

“When I was ill and dying, they could have comforted me! We were still family! I... I was so happy, even wanting to die because I was in pain! Because of the illness, I learned what family love was!”

“I know.”

“How could they... treat a person like this to the end...”

“I know.”

I sobbed and shouted, “My... tears won’t stop. I hate crying because of those people...!”

The torrent of tears showed no sign of stopping. In the mirror on the door, I saw my tear- and snot-streaked face.

I hated it. Hated it so much.

“St-stop. Please, someone—! I can’t bear to see this face like when I was Yoo Hyemin—”

At that moment, brush.

He gently placed both hands on my face and pressed his lips to mine.

“.......”

“.......”

Time seemed to freeze. We simply stared at each other. He cleared his throat in a slightly husky voice.

“...Better?”

My blurred vision sharpened. When I saw his face perfectly clear again, I couldn’t speak. He looked now as if he might cry himself. Foolish Alexis. You, more foolish than anyone in the world to me.

My tears vanished.

“More.”

This time I took his face in my hands and kissed him back. As our lips met and parted again and again, I thought: even as that distrustful child in my first life, and now as I cried like a child over the second life’s pain, the one who comforted pathetic me was you.

He covered the back of my hand with his and said,

“I love you.”

“...Mm.”

His breath came again, and I gladly returned his kiss.

Alexis and I sat side by side on the sofa, staring straight ahead in silence.

“.......”

“.......”

How long we remained like that, I don’t know. The awkward silence wouldn’t break. I still faced forward as I stammered,

“Shall... we go out acting like nothing happened?”

“Why... pretend nothing happened?”

“...Well, that’s true... but then... what will we do?”

“...Kiss a few more times.”

“You’re insane.”

I glared at him, and he rose, looked down at me, and said in his usual tone,

“You pretend you don’t know. I’ll pretend I know.”

“What? That only makes sense if we both pretend.”

“I want to give it a different meaning.”

I flinched and fell silent. Alexis wore an arrogant expression.

“You weren’t unaware of my feelings.”

“You’re so shameless... huh.”

He suddenly leaned in, and I stiffened.

Kiss me again?

I closed my eyes briefly—but no sensation came to my lips. When I opened one eye to wonder why, he was holding a handkerchief and grinning. My face turned scarlet.

“What the—You tease!”

He laughed softly and wiped my eyes with the handkerchief.

“Your makeup’s all smeared.”

“.......”

“Shall I call a maid?”

“...Do as you like.”

He cleaned my tear-streaked face and said,

“It won’t be long before the Duchess arrives. Come out when you’re ready.”

“Mm....”

“Better. Your eyes are less puffy.”

Alexis let go of my face and smiled. He opened the door to leave, then paused and glanced back with a teasing look.

“I almost wondered if we should do it once more.”

“Shut up~!”

Laughter drifted up from the hallway. I pressed my burning cheeks with my palms.

I must be crazy.

I’m certain I’ve lost my mind. I could almost hear my heartbeat ringing in my ears. Alexis’s wrist still smelled faintly of his bittersweet cologne, and I remembered the warmth of his approach, the way he held my waist—

Stop, stop!

What am I doing—pervert?

Anyway, thanks to him, the trauma didn’t bother me at all now. I sighed deeply.

Right—this isn’t Seoul, and I’m not Yoo Hyemin.

It’s different from then.

“Now I need to think.”

How can I please the Duchess?

Good.

I tapped my cheek.

Another knock sounded. A maid, summoned by Alexis, came to help me get ready. I took a deep breath as she began. I felt no fear at all.

Walking down the corridor, Alexis unconsciously brushed his lips with his knuckles. The only person who could make his heart race and his body feel as if it were floating. Thinking of her, he couldn’t help but smile.

I guess I’m recovered.

“I too had someone I envied in the past... you know, Se-ni— no, when I was young, there was someone I envied.”

“Mm, there’s a name you never forget. Same here. Me? I wonder if I was Yoo Se-eun.”

“I don’t want to cry with a ruined face like when I was Yoo Hyemin...!”

Yoo Se-eun. Yoo Hyemin.

Unusual, but they’re both names... who are they?

Hyemin seems to be Erilot’s mask, and Se-eun...

Just then:

“Um...?”

A small voice. I looked up to see Dalia, shyly gazing at him.

“Hello... I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“.......”

“How did you get here? I heard the invitations were nearly impossible to obtain...”

“As a member of the royal family, I too receive one.”

“Oh, I see... Prince Alexis... um, I also heard what Erilot said in front of the palace...”

Dalia’s cheeks flushed as she looked up at Alexis, her heart pounding.

He really is amazing.

[Masa, am I right?!]

Masa, still sulking in me, also blushed and said,

“He used to work for the Duke’s house, you know. He was a young master then and treated me so kindly...”

He’s gentle even to servants. Dalia bit her lower lip, blinked, and looked at Alexis.

“You, uh... thank you for saving me last time...”

“.......”

“I’m so, so happy to meet you again.”

Her happiness was genuine.

Even when I read novels, he was my favorite character.

Not the hero, but whenever he appeared, the narrative grew stronger. A beauty matching the young Diamond Astra, miraculous talent, indomitable spirit, like a wolf of the snowy plains.

But his heart must be deeply scarred.

He pretended otherwise, but I could tell.

[Mhmm, I want to heal his wounds.]

Dalia said carefully,

“If it’s alright, may I escort you today...?”

[What?! He’s a prince. Why would he let you escort him...]

But Hera said that at most parties for adults, one attends with a partner.

Nobles have betrothals from childhood.

At a party like today, where a betrothed cannot attend, someone else must escort him!

[Really? Then say it—say I’m Masa...! He’d be pleased.]

Why do you keep this up? I explained already.

[He’s different! He wouldn’t mock me for being from a servant background...!]

Just then,

“Alexis.”

Erilot approached from behind and called him. He turned.

“Finished?”

“Yes. Are my eyes still too puffy?”

“You’re like a goldfish.”

“Maybe I should’ve cooled them more...”

Dalia stuck out her lips.

What now?

Dalia said sullenly,

“Why him? Leaving out the hero...”

“Hero?”

Erilot asked, and Dalia glanced sideways as if in passing.

“Just... a metaphor. If you’re the protagonist, there’s a hero—the male lead, right?”

“And?”

“Father said you were betrothed to Viscount Isiron, so now your status has changed, that engagement is broken.”

A royal betrothal requires the Emperor’s approval.

“If the Emperor had Alexis in mind above the Crown Prince, he certainly wouldn’t have allowed your engagement with Erilot.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s of impure blood.”

“.......”

“It’s only natural that one who has served as Crown Princess would become Empress. What noble would welcome someone half commoner?”

That was Father’s reasoning. So this was advice for both Erilot and Alexis.

“Then you must find the hero of your life now.”

“You—”

Before Erilot could speak, Alexis took her hand. Raising their joined hands before Dalia and Masa, he said,

“I am the hero.”

Dalia and Masa both blinked in surprise. Even Erilot.