The Tired Maid

Chapter 4

You met the villainess, albeit earlier than she was supposed to appear.

You were pruning the shrubs of the castle's garden while a few fellow maids chatted beside you, gossiping on the latest trend or any interesting events in the castle. Or just plain fawning over the king and the prince.

You eye-rolled.

It wasn't until one of the subjects of their gossip, Prince Helios, came with a stormy expression. Following him was a girl with ruby red hair, emerald green eyes, a rosy complexion with freckles dotting her cheeks, and a - honestly - slender figure.

The villainess, you realized as she hopped behind the crown prince with a smile and a blush dusting her cheeks. She wore a lavender gown with intricate designs at the end of the dress, puffed-up sleeves, and the back exposed.

'She's not supposed to show up until later in the story.'

Roxy was a noble girl from one of the most respected noble families in the kingdom, The Marches. In the novel she was the typical spoiled girl who would get what she wants through any means, obsessing over the prince at first sight. She was typically jealous of Stella because the princess got the attention of not only the princes from other kingdoms but also the prodigy of the wizard king!

So she would do anything to bring Stella down, if it meant embarrassing her, mocking her things, etc. Her personality was that of a minor antagonist. It shocked so many people when they realized she was the actual villainess when she appeared in the last few chapters. Her jealousy and rage were so large that she dared to get her hands on the forbidden dark jewel, stolen from the underworld hundreds of years ago. The battle between her, Stella, and her harem was a frustrating one since - from what you read in the forum - a lot of people wanted Roxy dead faster. You just found it entertaining.

So you were surprised to see the villainess early in the story.

As Roxy continued to chat happily with the prince, the latter's face became darker with rage. If she continues, the prince will reach his limit of patience and might cause a commotion. And you don't want that. But you have to approach this carefully, an angry prince who's trying to restrain his said emotion is dangerous after all.

Dusting yourself off the dirt, you walked toward the prince and the noble girl with as much confidence and poise as possible. "Your highness," you curtsied to the prince before at Roxy. "Milady," you straightened up, both the prince and noble girl's eyes on you. "If you may allow, may I ask why are you not with his majesty discussing your coronation?"

Helios's face which was previously dark with anger lightened up, albeit a bit, from your interruption. "(Y/N), " he nodded. "Father wanted me to. . ." he scowled at Roxy with disdain before looking back at you. "Acquaint me with the daughter of the Marches, Lady Roxy." As if on cue, Roxy smiled brightly at you. "Hello!" she greeted. "I'm Roxy from the Marches family, please take good care of me!"

You tilted your head as you replied. This was not how Roxy acted in the novel. Usually, she looks down on the servants of any household, holding her nose high and scoffing with arrogance. And this Roxy wasn't doing any of those leaving you to come to two conclusions. One Roxy bumped her head and had amnesia or two, she's also a reincarnate.

The second one wouldn't be too surprising since you're one.

You brushed a strand of hair that went to your face. "Well, I hope you enjoyed your stay here, my lady." Roxy smiled at you charmingly. "I hope so too."

After that, the prince and the noble girl headed inside, Roxy clinging to Helios's arm, much to his annoyance. You pondered as you went back to pruning the shrubs. Roxy's definitely a reincarnate, that conclusion was rational enough to explain her joyful and bright personality.