The Villainess is Tired of Everything-Chapter 27

The rumors about Marceau were varied, but none of them were good.

‘They say she changed as if she were a different person about a year ago.’

No one tried to understand the Marceau that he knew.

The preconceived notions were so strong that he could understand why she preferred to be isolated. No one wanted to see the truth.

But Darcy knew well that a person couldn’t live alone.

‘Humans are social animals.’

It was clear who had influenced Marceau’s thoughts.

Ryan was at the center, but Kaysen was not blameless either.

They had dragged one person’s life through the mud, and their excuse was always the same.

She deserved it.

“What makes you think you have the right to judge others?”

“As a human being—”

“You didn’t even realize she had changed. You only see what you want to see.”

Most of the rumors claimed that Marceau was being punished by Ryan and Kaysen for trying to harm Reshuan.

But when you listened to what Marceau had actually done before their so-called punishment, the word ‘punishment’ seemed excessive.

It was just that the rumors had already painted Marceau as a villain, which justified everything.

Prejudice clouded their judgment. Ryan’s and Kaysen’s love for Reshuan ultimately did more harm than good.

Love was clearly not something to be trusted.

Facing Kaysen, Darcy smirked.

“At least you know you have no right to speak.”

“…Darcy, that’s—”

“You’re not going to spout the same bullshit as Ryan, claiming she deserved what she got, are you?”

Kaysen was at a loss for words.

“If you do, I’ll half-kill you.”

The expressionless face that followed those words was all the more chilling.

“Hurry up and talk. I’m already running out of time to prepare for tomorrow.”

In the end, Kaysen began to speak.

“…It’s just that.”

And at that moment, Darcy began to break down Kaysen’s prejudices one by one.

…With a slight sense of helplessness.

It didn’t matter that Kaysen was a renowned knight captain. In front of Darcy, all he could do was nod.

Darcy had left, saying he would return in a week, leaving me with homework.

He said he wouldn’t leave until I was happy. He also told me to find a way to be happy.

It was a difficult task. How could one define happiness?

“…It’s not so bad right now.”

My current self-imposed isolation started because I was exhausted with everything, but I didn’t mind this way of living.

It wasn’t overwhelmingly happy, and even though this lifestyle wasn’t my choice, I had grown accustomed to it.

People are adaptable creatures, after all. Honestly, it was a relief not to have to see Reshuan, Ryan, or Kaysen. It was also convenient not to arouse unnecessary suspicion by staying out of sight.

I had told Darcy that I was content with the way things were.

‘Marceau, people can’t live alone.’

There was a sharpness in his words as he looked at me sideways.

I couldn’t argue back, knowing that he had been isolated in that abandoned palace.

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The reason he found a way to use magic within the palace, where magic was prohibited, wasn’t solely to escape.

Perhaps it was also because he found it stifling not to be able to talk to others properly.

‘You’re just taking a break because you’re tired of the situation. Nothing has been resolved.’

And with that, he hit the mark.

Even though I chose to isolate myself, it was Ryan and Kaysen’s schemes that led me to that decision.

‘I’ll support you when I become Crown Prince, so try to do whatever you want.’

Darcy’s tone was full of confidence, as if he couldn’t help but believe in himself.

It was the confidence that came from trusting yourself.

Perhaps that was why I began to think about the things I wanted to do when I first became Marceau.

Thanks to Darcy, the misanthropy I had abandoned seemed to be returning a bit.

When I discovered that Letty was Ryan’s pawn, I had felt a profound sense of disillusionment with the world, but being with Darcy made everything feel like it was all just a bad dream.

Having someone you can trust was reassuring in itself.

I wasn’t going to take Darcy’s words lightly. Staying here wasn’t an easy decision for him, so I wanted to show him that I was just as sincere.

I thought back to when I first became Marceau.

‘What did I want to do?’

With money to spare, I had wanted to travel after becoming good friends with Reshuan, learn magic, and even start a business.

I had the financial means to do all that.

But when I first arrived, I focused solely on fixing things. At that time, I was confident that I could change the course of the original story.

‘At least those days didn’t leave me empty-handed.’

I had become stronger from the scars I had endured during that time.

Yes, I couldn’t stay in the house forever. I wasn’t going to be exhausted for life.

When these wounds healed and I regained my energy, I would surely face Ryan again. The same went for Reshuan.

‘Even without Darcy, it was something I had to face eventually.’

It would be comforting to have Darcy as Crown Prince.

So I should do what I want to do.

But what exactly is that?

After some thought, I came to a clear conclusion.

‘I want revenge on Ryan.’

Even if it wasn’t the blood-splattering kind of revenge that the heroines of novels sought, I wanted to create a situation that would make Ryan’s stomach churn.

In short, I wanted to succeed in a way that would make him envious.

Ryan said he couldn’t stand the sight of me. Well, the feeling was mutual. He was no longer the male lead, just a fool in love.

What’s the most effective way to piss him off?

The first step would be to overturn what I had said before. Instead of hiding away in the house, I needed to come out.

It wasn’t my fault, after all.

I had planned to stay hidden, but it was Ryan who kept messing with me.

‘I knew you’d do that.’

Despite this, Ryan’s mocking voice still echoed in my mind. He was the type of person who would do that.

But my thoughts had changed now.

If I bothered him, I would make it even more irritating for him.

‘I won’t let it end here.’

I thought about magical artifacts.

In the original story, it wasn’t until Reshuan and Ryan used them that they gained popularity, but for now, they were like unclaimed lottery tickets.

There was so much I could do with them, and the fact that no one was interested in them yet was an advantage.

Originally, I intended to keep them for my personal use, but now I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to work with wizards to make magical artifacts more accessible.

At first, things might go poorly.

It would be challenging to convince wizards who were reluctant to make artifacts, and it wouldn’t be easy to quell the negative rumors about them.

But I had already seen people use magical artifacts without any resistance.

The actors had used magical artifacts to monitor their performances, which drew people’s attention.

Even if they didn’t know what their secret was, they knew that the source of that secret was the House of Etvar, my family.

Once people recognized their usefulness, it would only be a matter of time before they became popular.

The idea of recording a moment in time was both romantic and mysterious. Even in the modern world, where video is widespread, it still felt special. There’s no reason why people here wouldn’t feel the same.

‘The perfect opportunity is just around the corner.’

Pitol’s ambitious play was nearing its completion. The final touches were being put on the draft he had shown me, and it was about to debut.

I had no doubt that the play would be a success.

The spicy drama, filled with secrets about the protagonists’ births, affairs, love triangles—or rather, love quadrangles—would captivate the audience.

It was an opportunity to bring something fresh to the nobles, who were used to more mild content.

‘Perfect.’

I couldn’t showcase magical artifacts openly just yet. There wasn’t a plan in place for that.

It would be inappropriate to ask Darcy, who would be busy becoming Crown Prince, to continue helping me with artifact creation.

And now that I couldn’t trust Letty anymore... I needed to find wizards who would create magical artifacts for me, with my own power.

‘What kind of people will they be?’

Wizards are generally known for their pride.

They had been shunned by society and could only rely on their own power.

They had pride in being different from ordinary people.

‘I shouldn’t overthink it before meeting them.’

Rumors should be treated with caution, but since I hadn’t met any wizards other than Darcy, it was too early to judge.

‘I don’t want to judge them based on rumors alone, like Darcy.’

I, too, had suffered from rumors and prejudice because of the frame of the ‘villainess’ that had been placed on me, so I was even more determined not to do the same to them.

Okay, I can do this.

Just knowing that Darcy was there to help gave me strength. He was a reliable ally when he was with me.

The process of thinking about what I could do made me feel excited again, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

As I organized my thoughts for the conversation I would have with Darcy next week, I called for a maid.

It was time to fire Letty.