The Villainess Refuses to Follow the Script-Chapter 20 -

Beatrice had one goal for the day.

Avoid unnecessary drama.

She had already fallen off a horse, rewritten a cursed novel, and suffered through an uncomfortable amount of eye contact with Francois. She deserved at least one peaceful afternoon.

Which was why she was minding her own business as she strolled through the palace gardens, enjoying the rare moment of solitude.

Then she turned a corner and walked straight into a scene ripped directly from the novel.

Johanna stood beneath an archway of roses, the soft glow of the afternoon sun casting a golden halo around her hair. She was gazing up at Francois with wide, uncertain eyes, her delicate hands clasped in front of her.

Francois, ever the perfect emotionally unavailable prince, stood before her, his expression unreadable as usual.

The air between them was charged.

The exact kind of moment where a romance novel's heroine would whisper something heart-wrenching, and the aloof male lead would show the tiniest crack in his icy composure.

Beatrice's brain screamed in recognition.

Oh. Oh, crap.

She knew this scene.

This was one of the key turning points in the novel.

Johanna was supposed to confess her feelings. Not outright, but in a way that would subtly affect Francois. It was supposed to be a beautifully vulnerable moment between the two of them.

And Beatrice had just walked right into it.

She froze.

Maybe, just maybe, if she backed away slowly, she could leave without being noticed.

Too late.

Francois turned his head toward her, his sharp blue eyes locking onto hers.

Beatrice panicked.

"Ah, don't mind me!" she blurted out. "I'm just... touching grass."

Johanna blinked, her delicate brows furrowing. "Pardon?"

Beatrice waved a vague hand at the garden. "You know. Going outside. Breathing fresh air. Reevaluating all my life choices that led me here. The usual."

Francois exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Beatrice had no idea what he was thinking, but she had a strong feeling it was something along the lines of why are you like this?

Johanna, ever the graceful heroine, quickly recovered from the intrusion. "Oh! Lady Beatrice, were you out for a walk as well?"

Beatrice nodded sagely. "Indeed. The trees are nice. Very... tree-like."

More silence.

Kill me! Beatrice thought.

She could feel the tension hanging in the air. She had ruined the moment.

This was supposed to be a scene that deepened Johanna and Francois's bond. Instead, it now featured Beatrice standing there like an absolute idiot.

Francois crossed his arms. "Were you eavesdropping?"

Beatrice gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "Your Highness?! I'll have you know, I make it a rule to never eavesdrop unless the conversation sounds interesting."

Francois looked unimpressed.

Johanna, ever polite, simply smiled. "It's alright, Your Highness. I'm sure it was an accident."

It was, but Beatrice wasn't about to admit how close she had come to running for her life.

She cleared her throat. "Anyway! I'll just be on my way now. Enjoy your very normal, not at all dramatic conversation!"

She turned, ready to escape.

But then Francois spoke.

"Lady Beatrice."

She stopped.

His voice wasn't sharp or irritated. It was... curious.

Beatrice turned back reluctantly. "Yes, Your Highness?"

Francois studied her for a moment.

"You always seem to appear at the most inconvenient moments."

Beatrice smirked. "Ah, but that's my greatest skill."

His expression remained unreadable, but she swore she saw the faintest flicker of amusement in his eyes.

Johanna chuckled softly. "It does seem to be a talent of yours, Lady Beatrice."

Beatrice gave them both her most winning smile. "It's a gift."

Then, before she could further damage the romantic tension, she turned on her heel and left.

She didn't look back.

Not even when she swore she felt Francois' gaze linger on her for just a moment longer than necessary.

Beatrice speed-walked down the garden path, resisting the urge to sprint like a criminal fleeing the scene of a crime.

She could not believe she had just interrupted that moment.

A major turning point in the novel. Ruined.

She was supposed to be laying low, not derailing the main romance.

It's fine, she told herself. It wasn't a confession. It wasn't that deep. Maybe I didn't ruin anything.

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Then she remembered Francois' expression.

And Johanna's soft, longing gaze.

Beatrice groaned into her hands. She had absolutely ruined something.

"Ugh, I am going to get assassinated for this."

"Assassinated for what?"

Beatrice jumped.

She turned to see Lila, standing with her arms crossed, eyebrow raised.

Beatrice placed a hand over her racing heart. "Princess! Can you not sneak up on me like that? I have enough trauma already."

Lila raised an eyebrow. "I was not sneaking. You were just too busy muttering to yourself like a madwoman."

Beatrice sighed. "You don't understand. I just made the biggest mistake of my life."

Lila hummed, looking mildly interested. "Did you set fire to the palace?"

"No, but it might as well be just as bad," Beatrice groaned. "I accidentally walked in on a—" she waved a hand vaguely, "moment between Johanna and Francois."

Lila blinked. "A moment?"

"You know." Beatrice made dramatic air quotes. "A moment."

Lila's eyes widened. "Oh. That kind of moment."

"Yes!" Beatrice groaned. "They were in the middle of some emotional, romantic nonsense, and I just stumbled in like an idiot."

Lila pressed a hand to her mouth.

Beatrice narrowed her eyes. "Are you laughing?"

Lila cleared her throat, though amusement still shone in her eyes. "Not at all."

"You are," Beatrice accused.

Lila let out a small, amused sigh. "I suppose it is rather poetic. You, of all people, disrupting Johanna's delicate love story."

Beatrice crossed her arms. "I was trying to leave, okay? But then Francois gave me that look."

Lila tilted her head. "What look?"

Beatrice scowled. "The one that says, 'I am quietly judging you but will never say it outright because I am a repressed prince who refuses to acknowledge emotions.' That look."

Lila smirked. "That does sound like him."

"Exactly!" Beatrice threw her hands up. "So I panicked and said something completely ridiculous."

Lila hummed thoughtfully. "And how did Johanna react?"

Beatrice hesitated. "She... recovered quickly. But there was a moment where she looked... unsure."

Lila frowned slightly. "That is unusual for her."

"Right?!" Beatrice sighed dramatically. "I feel like I've set something off. And now the story is shifting in ways I can't predict."

Lila gave her a long, unreadable look before finally shaking her head. "Well, there's no use dwelling on it now. What's done is done."

Beatrice groaned. "I should just avoid them forever. Maybe disappear into the kitchen and become a bread-making apprentice."

Lila rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure that will go unnoticed."

Beatrice scowled. "You could at least pretend to support my escape plan."

Lila smirked. "And miss the entertainment? Never."

Beatrice huffed, but let Lila drag her away from the scene of the crime, still muttering under her breath.

"If I walk in on them again, I swear I'll jump into the nearest fountain."

But as they walked off, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her chest.

The way Francois had watched her. The way Johanna's gaze had lingered.

Something was changing.

And Beatrice had no idea what that meant for the story.