Villainess Reborn: SEASON ONE

CHAPTER NINE

TATIANA LORIEL

Tatiana learned a lot of things while talking to Elliot in the library. It's been days since they both started meeting each other at the library and talking about many things, like how the kingdom works, its hierarchy, and culture. Though it would be weird if Tatiana forgot everything about their world and kingdom, she chose a way to keep it simple. It also wasn't that hard since Elliot would rant all about it and Tatiana just had to listen.

For now, all that she studies is the palace and the people inside of it. As well as important figures that visit the palace, and she also takes notes about the places inside the palace. She was still forbidden to go out of the palace until she fully recovered, which means she can only go out of the palace when she chooses to behave and obey every order.

"So, Norma is the name of my lady-in-waiting?" Tatiana asked herself as she was writing down notes on a piece of paper using a fountain pen. It amazes her every time she uses a fountain pen since people from her world rarely use these. The last time she saw a fountain pen was from behind a glass door in their orphanages' relic cabinets.

It was difficult to use at first, but as time passed, she got used to using the pen. She felt weird satisfaction from looking at the ink bleed on the paper and the sound of it scratching from every stroke she made. This only made her realize how different this feeling was from when she was writing about her past life. There was also a feeling of reality, that this is her new world and everything is real.

"So, I'm fifteen right now," she whispered to herself as she stared down a concept map she just created. Just like from the mystery movies she watched before, there were red threads connected each name of the people connected to her and under each name, she wrote what relationship she had and what they looked like in case she bumped into them.

If she's fifteen at the moment, then it's four years before the plot starts taking place. She doesn't know why she was reincarnated in this timeline, but she isn't complaining. This just means that she has enough time to set her record straight, avoid the possibilities that might get her killed, and most importantly,

--make sure she doesn't get married to Hugo Spencer. The main reason why she suffered in the story.

She heard someone coming her way. She immediately put away the papers she was writing on and ran towards the back part of the door to see who had come for her. It might be William, but it might be her next target—Norma.

The double doors opened and a girl, just a few years older than her, walked inside, pushing a trolley in front of her. She smiled and sneaked up on the girl who jumped from being surprised.

Tatiana took a good look at the girl. She had short, straight black hair and olive skin. She was wearing a simple scarlet dress made from silk that is usually sold to commoners. From what Tatiana heard from William, Norma is from a noble but poor family.

Norma's parents were known for being gamblers and alcoholics, and they spent every penny they had in their pockets. Norma also has a younger sibling whom she adores and who is the main reason she works for the princess.

The lady-in-waiting's eyes shook in fear and anxiety. She wonders if the princess knows something about what happened to her. Just thinking of it brought shivers down her spine and made her break into a cold sweat. If the princess learns about the poisoning, Norma will surely be beheaded. And knowing the princess's personality, she would be tortured before being beheaded. She would die a painful death and her sibling would be alone.

She sucked in a nervous breath.

"Why do you look pale?" Tatiana asked. She wondered if Norma was that scared of being surprised to the point that her face went pale and bullets of sweat started to form on her forehead. She started to feel guilty about jumping on her.

"I-I apologize, your highness," the girl immediately went down on her knees and her body was visibly shaking. "I-I was just trying to bring you your afternoon snack. I didn't know that you were behind the door, I apologize for my reaction—"

Tatiana silently walked towards her and pulled Norma up by her elbow. What she hates the most is when people go on their knees for anyone. She has experienced it so many times that it makes her feel sick in the stomach when she sees others do it. She knows how belittling and degrading it feels to kneel in front of a person and beg.

"You don't need to do that," Tatiana said silently. "don't ever do that again."

Norma was flabbergasted by the princess's sudden reaction. She doesn't know how to respond when she says that. The princess always made her beg on her knees. She was even worse than the queen. She spent two whole years serving the princess and kneeling in front of her was just another daily task. She doesn't understand why the princess suddenly changed into a whole different person.

"I apologize if I used to make you kneel before. You see, I don't remember a lot of things." The princess explained, "but from now on, don't ever kneel in front of me. And don't ever kneel that easily for anyone else, no matter how hard it is."

Tatiana was speaking from experience. Now that she was a princess in a different world, she started to see how different the world was from her point of view. People looked up to her and bowed in her presence. There was always food on the table and she was provided with the things she needed without even having to ask for it. Heck, she even has servants that bathe her and do her make-up.

Everything was different from her past life, where she felt like she was at the bottom of the food chain, grabbing onto whatever was leftover from the people who left. She is related to Norma, although it doesn't show in this situation.

However, Norma stared at her with confusion and shock. Anger and frustration grew in her chest as she stared at the princess. Did she really think that after everything that happened, Norma would forgive her that easily?

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END