Chapter 186
I couldn’t help but to laugh. When I say “laugh,” I mean I just raised the corner of my mouth. No classy villainess would open her mouth and laugh like Santa Claus.
“I never thought I’d hear Gilles say something like that.”
I patted him lightly on the head.
I’ll get out of this situation as easily as I can. They’re just ordinary people…but they’re still people nonetheless. I have to make it look like I have a chance of winning. No matter how disadvantageous the situation is, I have to make it my victory. That’s what a villainess does. But this time, I’m going to let myself get exiled. I want to go to Ravaal at all costs. Go to other countries and obtain information with my own eyes and ears. If I look from a different perspective, I might change my mind.
“Thank you for coming. You’ve been a great help, Gilles.”
“I haven’t done anything yet.”
“Yeah? You just reminded me what I have to do?”
“…You’re a sly one, Alicia.”
Gilles chuckled at that.
“Duke-sama, I’ll return this back to you.”
I took the necklace from around my neck and tossed it to Duke-sama, who took it with one hand and stared at it.
“You can exile me as you see fit.”
I said, staring into his eyes, and saw Duke’s eyes widen.
Well, it’s not often that someone would suddenly say something like that on their own, is it?
“If one day your memories will return, and if you’re still able to give me your heart again, then… then I’d be happy to meet you.”
I said and raised the corner of my mouth.
Duke-sama didn’t say anything and just stared at me with a blank stare.
The townspeople continued to curse at me loudly for being so rude. They even hurled some pretty vulgar words at me with no holding back. Words like ‘a woman with no sense of decency’, ‘not from this country’, ‘go away’, ‘a plague’, ‘a bastard’, ‘put your head on the ground and apologize to Liz’…well, I can understand why the moment they start cursing and hurling insults, they would be in a frenzy and continue to be so. Yet it also doesn’t make any sense.
“Are you guys even honorable enough to say that to me?”
I mocked them with a sneer.
I knew I was adding fuel to the fire, but I just did it. I said what I said, knowing fully the consequence that it would provoke them even more, and thus it will push my agenda so that the world would know that the soon-to-be-exiled young lady was one hell of an evil woman.
Thanks to the authorities who have made the people of this world look like idiots. I’m sure the rumors of my villainy will spread twice as fast.
“…Do you want to be exiled so much? You’re only a fifteen-year-old child.” (Duke)
“Even a child can at least be judged. ” (Alicia)
Duke-sama glared quietly at me as I smiled back at him, while Gilles watched us in silence. He can read the air better than most people. The Duke gave me a slightly troubled look that suggests that he doesn’t really want me to be deported, but he knows what will happen if he contradicts his own words here and now, so he remained quiet.
“I’ll do whatever you wish.”
Memory loss is indeed a terrifying matter.
I thought to myself as I looked at Duke-sama.
I really wonder who wiped his memory. …And only specifically memories of me.
“Guards, take her away.”
At that moment, many guards entered the room.
Wow, there were so many of them out there? Maybe they were near the perimeter right from the beginning in case of things ever spiralling out of control. I have never thought that I would be experiencing something like this, yet the current reality is that it is now a dream come true. Currently I feel like a real villainess. I’m going to have to stay dignified until the very end. I want to engrave the perception in them as a woman who never bowed down to intimidation, not even for a moment.
The guards grabbed my arms tightly and were about to take me away when Gilles spoke up.
“Wait, Alicia, don’t go! Don’t leave me alone.”
I didn’t expect him to speak up at this point; Gilles is very understanding, but he has a lot on his mind. I’m realizing that he is more of a child than I think of him to be. Even though that he is as intelligent as a grown man, though.
“Take me with you.”
I ignored his desperate plea.
I can’t have Gilles get exiled along with me. He has a bright and shiny future ahead of him. I can’t involve him this time.
“Duke, I promise, you will regret this.”
Gilles said as he glared at Duke, who said nothing in return. And the voices of the people were as loud as ever.
“Please, Alicia, don’t leave me.”
…You look like a lost child…Gilles, you have an expression like that too. It’s been a while since I’ve seen his childish face. It’s nice to see him talking to me like this, since he’s been getting cocky lately.
The guard tugged lightly on my arm as I walked. I mustn’t show any expression of loneliness on my face. It’s a part of my pride as a villainess.
Of course, I’m going to miss Gilles and Uncle Will and everyone. But I want to see what’s out there, you know? I don’t want to die knowing nothing.
The guards seized Gilles to prevent him from getting any closer to me. Gilles’ voice echoes in the room louder than anyone else’s. His cries are deafening, harsh, and sorrowful.
It’s my fault that he has to scream like this. That makes me a very villainous woman.
…Oh, God. I don’t want to leave any strange unfinished business behind.
I forced myself to shake off the guard’s arm and approached Gilles. I must have gotten really strong to be able to shake it off so easily. Or maybe the guards thought that since I am a woman and they underestimated my strength. Well, I don’t care about that now.
The guard grabbed my arm as hard as he could as I tried to make my way to Gilles.
“Do not resist.” (Guardsman 1)
I should remain calm. I wasn’t acting violent. I just wanted to say my last goodbye to Gilles. Yet now I guess that’s a terrible idea, as if i’m making a fuss out of nothing.
“Fine. Take your hands off her.”
Duke said to the guards. Duke is really kind, after all.
I approached Gilles with this thought in mind, tears streaming from his eyes.
“It’s unusual for Gilles to cry.”
“Whose fault do you think it is?”
Gilles said, his voice quivering slightly at my smile.
“I’m proud of you, Gilles.”
I said and placed the bracelet on my wrist into his palm, I pulled my hand away when I saw that Gilles had grabbed the bracelet.
“Is this…”
Gilles stared at the bracelet.
“The bracelet you said you wanted before…”
I left without a word and went back to the guards. The guards still grabbed my arms roughly. I was certain that they were not Duke-sama’s guards. I would have preferred to be taken away by Duke’s guards, who adored me instead. With that thought in mind, I walked towards the door.
It was at that moment when I walked out of the room that someone gently grabbed me by the neck. It was not painful at all.
“I’ll come get you, I promise.”
He said in my ear. In a voice so quiet that no one could hear.
…What? You must be kidding.
Did your memories return? Actually, no, the memories didn’t disappear in the first place. It was all an act, and Duke was just one step ahead of me. This was a complete disaster. For some reason, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
I could see why he had gone to such great lengths. He knew that I wanted to be exiled. Unless someone did a lot of things to deserve to be exiled, they wouldn’t have done it.
No one had been exiled in the last few decades. The last people to be exiled were those excellent people that the current king’s mother had dealt with….
And the current king has no reason whatsoever to have me exiled. My father is one of the five great nobles. It would be too difficult for him to exile me.
In other words, no matter how hard I tried to get myself exiled, it was impossible for me to do so. So the idea was to get the people involved. The first exile in decades would have to be a very big deal.
Besides, Duke is the prince of this country. He doesn’t have the authority to simply deport me. He knew that I wanted to be seen in a bad light, so he acted accordingly. Pretending to have amnesia… What a schemer.
So everyone in this room was playing right into his hands. How horrible.
I quietly raised the corners of my mouth and left the room with the guards.
The game was finally on.
Williams, Alicia: Deported to the Country of Ravaal.
Righteous Flower of Evil:
Oh. Ohhhh. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I’m so stupid. How did I not see that coming!? XD I kept saying I knew something was off, but then I gave up on that train of thought in favor of Duke becoming an idiot. Looks like I’m the real idiot! I love it XD I thoroughly enjoyed that suspense haha. And I’m glad the amnesia incident was dealt with quickly. I hate when these sorts of arcs get drawn out!
So!? Tell me honestly. How many of you were blindsided like I was? And how many of you saw it coming a mile away??
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdiqQXoleblhUMPS8Gkv07GvjZef7JA5AlaOeVQcwWc1WlPbA/viewform?usp=sf_link
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