A Guide to Raising a Villainess-Chapter 131: The Bloody Game

Three days later, a private party was held at the imperial palace by Prince Richard de Stone. And, to my surprise, I also found myself among the invited guests.

I left Ruby at home—knowing she would have preferred a cozy evening by the fireplace with her favorite book and a bowl of ice cream—and made my way to the palace right on time. On the way, I felt a light flutter of excitement: each moment drawing closer to the building felt both thrilling and nerve-wracking at the same time.

When I arrived, the guards at the gates were already waiting for me. Their gazes were stern, yet not cold, and without a single word they promptly offered to escort me inside.

I merely nodded, trying to maintain my posture, and followed them, feeling my heart involuntarily quicken. With each step along the marble pathway in the palace courtyard, it seemed as if time slowed down—the gentle rustle of leaves, the flickering light of the lanterns, and the muted clink of footsteps created a strange, almost stirring atmosphere.

However, the place they led me to was completely different from what I had expected.

Prince Richard had organized the party not in the main halls of the palace. No, instead he had chosen the garden.

The imperial garden was impeccably maintained: straight alleys, neatly trimmed bushes, flowers that exuded fragrance even in the late evening air, and the soft glow of lanterns placed along the paths lent the entire space an enchanting, almost fairy-tale quality. A gentle breeze played with the leaves and petals, and I found myself unconsciously slowing my pace, savoring the atmosphere.

When I arrived, all the guests were already gathered in the garden. And, to my even greater surprise... they were all familiar faces.

I walked across the soft grass, scanning the guests, and realized: there were very few people here. Just a handful, but all of them—people I definitely hadn’t expected to see at Prince Richard’s private party. Each step sent a gentle rustle underfoot, and the scent of the night-blooming flowers only heightened the strange feeling of unreality.

Among them, I almost immediately spotted Lionel, Serpens Strange, Angela de Stone, and Enoch. Just four people. But these were exactly the people I least expected to see here. No, I definitely had not expected this.

What is happening...?

No, what the hell is going on here?!

My heart began to pound faster, as if it wanted to burst out of my chest. Every muscle tensed, and my mind scrambled desperately to understand: why were these people here? Why them, of all people? And why had the sense of unease I had tried to ignore on the way suddenly engulfed me completely?

I stopped, trying to understand—was this coincidence, a carefully thought-out plan, or some hidden scheme I had yet to guess?

At first, I was completely bewildered.

But then I gathered myself and approached the person with whom I was closest among those gathered.

"Serpens..." I said, my voice noticeably trembling. "What is happening here? What the hell are you doing here?"

He raised his eyes to me, his expression calm.

"Your Grace," he said quietly, "don’t ask me about this."

"What?" I frowned, feeling anxiety rising even stronger. "About what...?"

"Don’t ask," Serpens said softly, avoiding my gaze. "It just... happened that I’m here now. I don’t even know why myself."

I blinked involuntarily, trying to comprehend his words. His face looked strange too—not just tense, but genuinely foreign compared to the usual controlled mask he normally wore.

Taken aback, I fell silent for a moment. My heart beat faster, but I tried to maintain an appearance of calm.

I turned to Lionel, who was standing nearby.

"And you?" I asked, keeping my eyes on him. "Why are you here?"

The young man nodded calmly, as if the answer were obvious.

"Like Sir Strange," he answered evenly, "I also received an invitation."

I froze for several seconds, completely stunned.

Gathering my thoughts, I slowly approached Angela and Enoch—the main heroine of this story and her adoptive father.

"Angela... Enoch..." I began, trying to keep my voice steady, though everything inside me was boiling. "Why are you here?"

They exchanged glances, and their faces held a strange expression too—a mix of surprise and slight unease.

"Lady Weinstein..." Enoch said gently, nodding slightly. "It just... happened."

"Just... happened," Angela repeated, her eyes shining with a strange, incomprehensible light.

I stepped back, feeling a chill run down my spine.

What is happening here?

And why were all these familiar people—each of whom individually would never have attended such an event without a special reason—here together?

"We, like all the others here, were invited to the party by His Highness," Enoch said calmly.

I stood there, still bewildered.

I still didn’t understand what the hell was going on here.

I barely had time to catch my breath when a familiar voice suddenly spoke behind me.

"Lady Weinstein, you are the last to arrive."

I spun around sharply and saw Richard.

He stood in the shadow of the lanterns, but his golden eyes seemed to glow, reflecting the soft light. He wore an elegant formal suit, perfectly tailored. His posture was impeccable, and his faint smile seemed both friendly and slightly mysterious.

He took a few steps forward, and I felt my heart quicken slightly.

"Lady Weinstein, please, come forward," he said softly, raising his hand and leading me toward the other guests. "We are gathered here today not without purpose. I have an interesting proposal for you."

The guests exchanged glances. Tension hung in the air.

"I love games," the prince continued. "And you? Everyone loves games, right?"

"Your Highness," Enoch interjected, "perhaps we should have dinner first...?"

"Oh, we will definitely have dinner," Richard smiled. "But first—a little warm-up."

He snapped his fingers, and the servants brought in a tray.

On the tray lay six daggers.

"The game is simple," the prince’s voice softened, almost affectionate. "There are six guests here. Six daggers. But only one of you will leave here alive today."