Requiem of the Villainess

Chapter Ten: The Villainess' Funeral Procession

Chapter Ten: The Villainess' Funeral Procession

The morning we arrived at the towering, gold-leaf gates of the royal palace was cold and dark. We had arrived in the wee hours of the morning, so the sun hadn't risen yet, leaving a cloak of darkness over the sky. Despite being well into late May, nearly June by now, the mornings were still bitterly cold, the wind exhaling a chill that seeped into my bones. Plumes of mist poured from my mouth with each breath. We had started our journey shortly after Asmodeus' return. After packing up our supplies and saying goodbye to Ryuji's family, we flew out on the griffin's back and left the fae village behind- and with it, left behind any chance for a peaceful life. But this was what I had to do. I had to play through my role of the villainess to its very end.

Upon landing in the capital city of Saffron, we completed the rest of the journey on horseback. The trip as a whole took the rest of the day and into the night, so when we reached the palace at last, we were creeping into the gloomy, chilly twilight hours. On the cobblestone path to the palace, we were greeted by a group of knights that escorted us to the front gates. The royal palace of Walpurgis was less like a castle and more like a small city in itself, contained within immensely thick, looming stone walls. The castle itself was made up of several large, regal buildings all connected to each other, clustered together to form a monstrous monolith, the ultimate symbol of the nobility. Each noble family had a house of their own, comprising a different building of the palace. The residence of the king and the rest of the royal family was dead in the center, a tower that pierced the black, cloudy skies. The mere sight would enthrall commoners, but to me, this place was never home. It was more like a compound than a palace, a prison dressed up in shiny attire.

We dismounted from our horses when we reached the gates, where the entourage of knights opened up the golden prison bars. The gates creaked open with a loud whining sound as they scraped against the earth, as though the metal was screaming. One of the knights took the lead and beckoned to us. "Come this way, Lady Lillian. Lady Lilac is waiting for you in the courtyard. The two of you shall hold your duel there. The rest of your servants may come with you, but they may not join you in the duel. They will be spectators, and they will not interfere with the duel, regardless of what happens. Are the instructions clear?"

I nodded sharply. "Yes. Lead the way, please." I came to the duel dressed to kill, clad in the slim, tight-fitting demonic scarlet dress Asmodeus had conjured for me. I wore knee-high boots instead of high heels, and a leather belt was tightly coiled around my waist, carrying the sheath containing my blade. It was a sword forged by the fae, much stronger and more durable than swords forged by humans. But at the end of the day, it was still an ordinary blade in comparison to Lilac's holy Sword of Sealing. All I could do was hope that the power of Asmodeus' demon blood I had consumed would be enough to stand up against her.

I kept my gait firm with every step, sharpening my gaze and steeling my resolve. On the inside, however, I was delicate glass waiting to shatter at the slightest impact. I am Ai. I am Lillian. I am the villainess. It doesn't matter what my identity is. I need to end the game. Even if my heart stops beating as soon as the credits roll, it doesn't matter. I refuse to be their toy any longer. I am not a lab rat. I am a human being. I am...

While I was in the midst of an identity crisis, before I knew it we had already reached the courtyard. It was shorter than I remembered, it seemed like we arrived in the blink of an eye. The courtyard was exactly as it sounded, a very large, wide-open grassy field, hedged by rosebushes blooming with blood-red blossoms. There were a few fountains and benches here, but otherwise it was a place for fresh air and exercise contained within the palace walls. A prison yard, if you will. Picnics, parties, and large social gatherings were often held here. No one could have imagined it would be a place where the verdant grass would drink spilled blood.