The Villainess' Play

Ch8.

The life of this pitiful Aryllis soon goes by.
Watching as the child runs through the garden, I watch with boredom.

The archduke shows little to no interest in the pitiful girl. Her brothers are wary of her, yet Ade is the only one who's made small efforts of spending time with her.
Once Aryllis reached the age of four, the archduchess gave birth to Ashton Athana, the youngest son of the Athana Archduchy. The young boy introduced an opening for the girl to spend time with her mother again.
Ashton was now three years old, and as he grew he would eagerly search for his older sister. Ashton's favour in Aryllis forced the archduchess to spend time with the two. She could stomach being in the same room as the pitiful girl for only half an hour or an hour—never longer.

Casmil yawns.
"Is there nothing you wish to change?" He asks, tilting his head.
"Not yet. This life is boring, and one I don't remember."
"I'm surprised."
"By?"
"How easily you allow that child, to get attached to you." Casmil's eyes focus on Ashton who plays with Aryllis in the garden.
"Should I have wasted a chance to curse him out, ensuring he'll keep distance then?"
"If you want."
"It's pointless. This is merely a boring part of the 'play'. I have no need to waste my chances on something like this."
"This Aryllis will continue to live as if a doll until you steer her, you know.""
"Meaning?"
"Meaning, she may seem like a different cut from the cloth than you who stands before me, but she's made from the same cloth. She'll only grow to resemble a similar dress."
I roll my eyes.
"What strange sayings you have."
"A metaphor to warn you, is not a joking matter."
I glance at Casmil who's eyes are upturned—as if in a mocking smile.

"Don't doze off. I know this may seem redundant but if this Aryllis becomes anything similar to you, she'll continue with the same ending."
"Even when she's now living a life far different than the one I remember?"
"Ah Princess... You both have the same origins, you're both neglected by your family, and those around you are wary and hold feelings far from care or warmth. You've had people be cautious from knowing what greed, and wickedness you possessed. This Aryllis has pity from those around her, but the time is approaching where she'll nurture that greed to have someone care for her, more than just from pity."
"She's nowhere near as gluttonous as I was. She has less jewels than I did in my first life-"
"Yet she doesn't know her past life." Casmil interrupts, "She may not be as greedy as you are, but she'll follow your path, maybe not to the extent you did, but soon she'll only desire things only she can possess. Afterall, she already desires something that doesn't belong to her, and she'll only grow her greed to replace what she can't have."
I clench my jaw, the amused look in his eyes, severely irritating me.

"Ah!"

We look at the scene to see the princess lost in the maze. She falls to her butt, her eyes tearing up as she looks up.

"This was never apart of my first life." I whisper, trying to remember a time I was in that maze.
"You grew up never playing with any of your siblings. She played with Ashton and it led her to the maze." Casmil watches on.

"You were in the way."
The boy who stands ahead of her scoffs.

He appears to be around the age as Aren and Ade. His hair a dark strawberry shade, his eyes a clear hazelnut colour. His outfit well tailored and neat, he sighs, looking down at the princess with a resigned stare—expressing his evident annoyance.
The princess tears up.

"Don't be a baby." He snaps, rolling his eyes.
"I-I'm not! How dare you speak to me like that!"
"Ha?" The boy looks back at her offended and confused, "What an annoying child!"
The princess' face burns red from anger.

A chuckles escapes my lips, a grin growing as I watch amused by the pitiful child.
"I suppose her enthusiasm is from being the same cut of cloth as me?" I watch on amused.
"As I said, she's still you. Surely she wouldn't be you, if she didn't have that arrogance of yours."
I roll my eyes and scoff.