The Villainess is Tired of Everything-Chapter 62

"I didn’t expect this to be so draining."

The unexpected encounter with Lady Wernar had sapped all my energy.

Sudden events are not good for an introverted person….

"But I’ll get to rest soon!"

I comforted myself with the thought and downed another cup of coffee. The caffeine jolted me awake.

"Lady Marceau."

I turned to see a servant bowing to me. He explained the situation.

"A guest has arrived for you."

"A guest?"

"They asked me to tell you it’s a welcome one."

"A welcome guest at this time…."

Only one person came to mind. There was only one person who could enter my estate at this hour without prior notice.

‘Darcy.’

I wasn’t the only one who thought this. Lady Wernar, who had been listening to the servant's words, propped her chin on her hand and gave me a knowing look.

"Could it be the person we were just talking about? I didn’t expect him to arrive so quickly."

For a brief moment, I felt the urge to send Darcy away. But that impulse was fleeting.

Despite my fatigue, I wanted to see his face.

His sharp eyes beneath that silver hair. Those mesmerizing, multicolored eyes. I wanted to talk to him.

Although sudden meetings aren’t always pleasant, Darcy was different. Whenever he visited, I felt more joy than surprise.

I recalled the play we had watched together. The time he had appeared just as I was talking to Ryan before entering the ballroom. The journey we had taken together.

‘I want him here.’

I wanted him to come and see all the people present, including Lady Wernar.

‘I want everyone to know just how close we are.’

I had agreed to move at his pace, but surely I could indulge in this small desire?

I decided to invite Darcy in.

"Let him in."

However, there was something slightly uncharacteristic about the situation. The fact that he referred to himself as a "guest" rather than identifying himself directly was unusual. And for someone who didn’t usually enjoy meeting people with me, it was odd for him to come by unexpectedly.

But I attributed it to the somewhat awkward atmosphere we had during our last encounter.

So, I wasn’t expecting who actually walked through the door.

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"…This is unexpected."

The genuinely surprised voices of Lady Wernar and the other noblewomen echoed in my ears.

I inwardly cursed.

"Marceau Etwar."

Why on earth are you here?

"I came by to deliver something to you on my way."

Standing before me, boldly revealing himself, was Ryan.

Ryan knew that Leshuan had been avoiding him. He was also aware that her avoidance had coincidentally started around the time she had visited Marceau’s estate.

‘Marceau did as I wanted….’

He had recently learned from Leticia that Marceau had managed to push Leshuan away, just as he had wished.

He assumed Leshuan just needed time to adjust. He knew that Leshuan had relied on Marceau in ways both seen and unseen. His kind-hearted fiancée had always liked that woman.

It was almost pitiable how she remained ignorant of Marceau’s dark intentions, continuing to converse with her time and again.

Leshuan didn’t know nearly as much as she should. As someone experienced in social circles since childhood, and as Leshuan’s devoted fiancé, Ryan believed it was his duty to protect her.

Dragging Marceau Etwar down from a position where she could harm Leshuan was also part of that duty.

Initially, he had been anxious. He worried about how Leshuan might react, fearing she would be angry at him for belittling and mistreating someone she liked.

Because Leshuan was kind.

But Leshuan hadn’t said a word. Ryan was satisfied with that.

‘It means they’re destined to drift apart eventually.’

Marceau and Leshuan weren’t close.

Ryan found himself thrilled by the sense of doing something for the woman he loved. He took Leshuan’s silence as a silent affirmation.

‘That’s right.’

She was kind to everyone, so it was likely that the thought of someone leaving her life had never occurred to her, which is why it shocked her.

Her avoidance of him was just a temporary phase. Leshuan would soon find her way back to him.

That’s what Ryan believed.

Until he heard that she had been spending time with Captain Kaesen of the Knights.

Kaesen was the only person suitable for Leshuan.

Even Ryan’s patience was wearing thin.

The more desperate person usually yields.

In addition to his discussion with Count Epecle, Ryan requested a meeting with Leshuan.

After avoiding him a few times, Leshuan finally agreed to meet.

The day he was to meet Leshuan, Ryan’s mood brightened a little.

He hadn’t been feeling well after being reprimanded by Emperor Kies for mentioning that Darcy was a magician.

‘Then what am I supposed to do?’

Kies had no intention of acknowledging the mistake he made by having a child with a magician.

Ryan prepared gifts for all the days he hadn’t met with Leshuan.

A necklace, bracelet, and brooch made with magic stones. Leshuan needed magic stones to survive, so he believed these items would be helpful.

"Hello, Your Highness."

Leshuan greeted him with the same beauty as always.

Ryan couldn’t take his eyes off her as he inquired about her well-being. Leshuan smiled and engaged in polite conversation.

But the topic that came up next surprised him.

"I heard you spoke with Lady Etwar, Your Highness."

"…Yes, I did."

It displeased him that the first words she said after so long were about Marceau. He couldn’t understand why their conversation had to involve her.

But Ryan, not wanting to start the meeting with tension, remained silent.

"Your Highness, I am grateful for all you have done for me."

"I would do anything for you."

"But please, don’t do it anymore."

"…What?"

Ryan was taken aback by the unexpected request.

First, Marceau Etwar rejected him, and now Leshuan was asking him to stop helping her. His life had recently been full of inexplicable events.

"Leaving my issues for Your Highness to handle was a mistake."

Leshuan, who usually didn’t discuss serious matters with him and only smiled happily, continued with a somber tone.

"It was like leaving a decaying flower unattended, and I’ve come to realize that too late."

Leshuan had changed. And it was obvious who was at the center of that change.

Ryan muttered under his breath, grinding his teeth.

"…What did Marceau Etwar say to you?"

Marceau Etwar had been a thorn in his side since the day they met as children.

"Lady Marceau didn’t say anything in particular."

"You can speak freely, Leshuan."

"It’s true. It was simply Lady Marceau’s absence that made me realize many things."

Did she mean to say that Leshuan had been wrong all along? It made sense for the so-called villainess to point out Leshuan’s flaws.

Ryan tried to comfort her.

"I still believe you’ve done nothing wrong."

"No, Your Highness. I’m not perfect. I think it’s only natural for people to recognize that."

But today, Leshuan was truly different.

"But acknowledging it, accepting it, repenting, and moving forward is the right thing to do."

Her gaze was steady as she looked at him.

A creeping sense of fear, one he hadn’t anticipated, began to rise.

The absurd notion that Leshuan might resent him for mistreating and blaming Marceau Etwar seemed like it could become a reality.

Ryan hurriedly spoke.

"It’s dangerous to think that just because Marceau Etwar has changed temporarily, her true nature has altered."

It felt like he was making excuses. But once he started, he couldn’t stop.

"You mustn’t forget that the time she spent tormenting you far outweighs the time she’s changed. There was a valid reason for us to treat her the way we did."

"…So you do acknowledge that she has changed, Your Highness."

Ryan was speechless. He didn’t know how to respond to that statement.

How could he forget?

The image of Marceau Etwar looking at him and saying she didn’t love him was still vivid in his mind.

"I misspoke."

"You did think that Lady Marceau has changed, didn’t you?"

"…What she did still remains."

Ryan mumbled, swallowing his irritation.

Thinking about Marceau made his emotions intensify.

She stood in stark contrast to Leshuan, who made him a better and more rational person.

Conversations with Marceau never went smoothly. They always ended in conflict.

Leshuan, frowning deeply, stared at Ryan. Her gaze was almost analytical, as if she were reading a part of him he couldn’t even admit to himself.

"…Why won’t Your Highness acknowledge the truth?"

‘Am I not acknowledging the truth?’

Ryan didn’t understand what Leshuan was saying.

It was a denial that persisted every time.

Even as he watched Marceau Etwar change, he kept repeating the same, almost brainwashed, thoughts.

The Marceau Etwar he knew had not changed.

"Your Highness, do you truly feel nothing for Lady Marceau?"

A lightning bolt of realization struck his mind.

‘How could I….’

No, it was simply his wishful thinking.