The Villainess Returns with a System-Chapter 130: Heart of Thorns

A violent tremor seized Vivian, her body contorting in a strange dance against her will. A peculiar force shook her, rattling her bones as she pitched forward, collapsing onto her knees. Her back arched in a horrifying, unnatural curve, her eyes rolling back to reveal only whites. Spasms ripped through her, each one like an electrical shock of pure agony as an unprecedented episode of epilepsy revealed its power.

Her throat closed, making air a luxury as the convulsions continued their relentless assault. Then, mercifully, darkness claimed her consciousness to wash away the pain and the terror.

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The scene horrified them all, but none could voice a disagreement except for one.

"ARE YOU ALL MAD?!" Valentine roared at everyone present in his office.

He protested before this happened, but this time, he was so angry he dropped all manner of etiquette and decorum.

"Mind your manners, De Clare."

Ian Grayson stood in his way as he marched, but Valentine pushed him aside like nothing.

"Go fuck yourself!"

He stepped up between Beatrix and the rest of them, holding her hand away from her own head, and glaring at everyone, including her.

"What sort of sick, twisted sorcery are you casting on yourself?"

As he was not pleased with what went down in his own office, he made a firm stand against everyone.

The looks that were directed at him were both cold and menacing, but he did not back down a bit. Prince Liam remained on the other edge of the room, Matilda was at the opposite end, and Edith was standing outside, unable to bear this.

"Listen up, De Clare. His Highness has allowed this; what makes you think you have a say?" Edmond Black was the first to stand.

"Know your place, Black. The likes of you are only allowed to take orders, not even think them through." Valentine did not fear Edmond and stood against him without fear.

"Everyone, calm down." Ronald Morgan finally stepped up, "My sister has taken it upon herself to make things better. Do not assume that you know what is best for her when all she did was simply things she was trained to do. And with Lady Matilda here, healing any damage done is only a matter of..."

"Then you are not a man, Morgan. You are just as..." Valentine was not taking any words for what happened.

But just as Valentine was about to lash out at the rest of the group, Beatrix, who was seated on the armchair behind him, held his hand instead and activated her magic.

"Argh!"

Valentine pulled his hand right away, but he was left with a terrible pain echoing from his wrist all the way to his arm and back.

Beatrix seemed upset as she stood up from the chair, shrugging off all the pain she had subjected herself to, and the look in her eyes she directed at Valentine was cold and chilling.

"You hurt dear Ian, too?"

Beatrix saw how Valentine pushed Ian away on the way here, and she seemed displeased with how badly he treated her fiancé.

Valentine looked at her with anger written all over his face, as well as the pain she had caused him with a mere touch. Immediately, he discharged his aura, which lit up in a silvery light and dispelled all the harmful energy she had injected into his arm.

"That’s enough."

Finally, the owner spoke, and all eyes were directed to him. He walked over, coldly staring at no one but Valentine.

"Congratulations, Valentine. I see you have become Silver-ranked at last." He spoke, and a smile formed on his lips, but not his eyes.

"Thank you... Your Highness." Valentine replied and did not seem to be willing to make eye contact with the Prince.

"We should not fight among ourselves, gentlemen." The Prince said and shook his head, "Tonight was a terrible night for all parties involved. I fear that we have strayed from our path and started trying to exact revenge rather than upholding justice. That most certainly is not noble."

As he said so, he finally turned to Beatrix.

"My lady, I am sorry you have been subjected to such trouble because of our foolish act. We are lucky that Sir Valentine here reminded us that we are not some villainous thugs." He said.

On the other hand, Beatrix showed no courtesy, as her personality seemed to have flipped to her hostile attitude.

"I will continue punishing her. She tried to kill Dear Ian; she deserves death," Beatrix said with a crazed tone.

"Well..." The Prince looked around and shrugged with a smile, "That’s that then. I guess Lady Beatrix has quite the grudge to settle with the Bloody Swan." He turned away to walk, but then turned to her. "However, if you manage to get something on her identity, please let us know."

"..."

The Prince looked at his faction’s figureheads and took in a deep breath before saying one last line.

"Let’s see each other a week from now."

He then left, but the ones that remained were most of the entourage: namely Valentine, Ronald, Beatrix, Edmond, Edith, and Ian.

No one wanted to speak to anyone, but they were all waiting for Beatrix to finish gathering her belongings to leave. Edith stepped into the room and looked with obvious anger at her brother.

"Father will hear of this," she spoke while staring at him with obvious hostility, "Better from you than me."

Edmond rolled his eyes as this was the last thing he wanted to hear, but it seemed that Edith was adamant about the situation.

"You tell him then," Edmond said and shrugged her off. "I’ll be busy coordinating with the Morgan siblings to find any trace of the Bloody Swan," he said and left the room.

Lastly, Ian, Beatrix, and Ronald left as a group, and Edith was supposed to follow them, but she halted her steps, exchanging strange looks with Beatrix before the others left completely.

As for the last one in the room, the dejected Valentine, Edith simply stood in the room and bowed to him lightly, showing courtesy and respect for the fact that he was the only one willing to speak against the Crown Prince, something that Valentine may have to pay the consequences for in the near future.

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