Villainess Reborn: SEASON ONE

65

There was something about the store that did not sit right with Tatiana.

Simon said that he'd take her to a bookstore, but the place did not look like a bookstore to her. They walked for fifteen minutes, further away from the orphanage, but the place looked like an abandoned shelter. The brick roof had missing pieces, and the pillar on the porch looked like it was about to break. The house looked empty and haunted.

"Come, many people don't know about this place, but if they did, this place would be sold out in a matter of minutes." Simon walked on the porch, and the mossy planks bent downwards. Tatiana was scared that the floor would give in and Simon might fall.

"Are you sure? The place doesn't look like it would be a good place to sell books."

"Trust me, I know better."

Tatiana followed and realized too late that it was a trap. When her feet were right outside the doorframe, Simon immediately pulled her in with force, and she ended up stumbling and falling on the floor.

The house was empty except for the damaged furniture around them. The roof exposed the clear sky, which was the only part that brought light into the dark and creepy abandoned house. Tatiana hissed but immediately got up.

Simon was already holding a knife in his hand, wiping it with a piece of cloth. Tatiana looked around to look for something to fight with, but the only thing besides her was a drawer that was probably too heavy for her to lift, let alone use as a weapon.

"Don't you think you're going too far?" Tatiana joked, "this isn't funny."

"It's time for you to die princess, you've been here for too long. You have already enjoyed your life in richness."

"I'm only fifteen, in this body at least, and how does being rich have something to do with living life? And you! You knew that I'm royalty!"

Tatiana scoffed and felt betrayed. How dare this guy use the 'nice guy' card to trick them! Not to mention, she felt guilty and bad the whole time because he had the grown-up face of her childhood friend.

"I knew that there was something fishy when I saw your boots hiding behind the bush! How dare you come at me with that face!"

"What's wrong with my face?" Simon asked, looking like he was genuinely concerned.

"Traitor," Tatiana murmured, "you do realize that you're not going to get away with this!"

"I will if you're dead," Simon stepped forward, pointing his knife at Tatiana. The princess noticed the blade slightly shaking and how unstable his grip is.

This guy obviously doesn't know how to handle a knife let alone kill her. Maybe it's one of the nobles that hired him to kill her, but he knows that she's the princess, which even the nobles don't know. That means, there is only one person who's after her head.

"Simon, you do know that people call me crazy, right?" Tatiana asked and sighed, "I know that you're not good at killing people, and based on how you're shaking so much, you obviously don't want to kill me either—"

"Shut up!" Simon shouted, which made Tatiana jolt, "How would you know anything?! You're just a spoiled brat that lives in luxury!"

"Why do you always mention me being rich?!" Tatiana snapped back, "Did you think I wanted this?! I was born like this. How could you blame me?!"

"Because it's unfair!" he shouted back, still pointing the knife at her, "Why do people like me have to suffer while you live so effortlessly and easily and get everything that you wish for!"

Tatiana massaged the temple of her forehead. This is simply a problem of poverty again. Many people are after her head because of her wealth and power, and people will do anything for money, even if it means going after nobility.

Maybe it was a good thing that Elliot was not with her. Now she realizes why royalties aren't allowed to go out of the palace until they are at the right age. The palace is already dangerous as it is with all the plotting behind the royalty's backs. What more if a person with royal blood is exposed outside the palace walls?

"What did the queen offer you?" Tatiana asked him calmly, "Why do you resort to violence when you could reason with me?"

"Ho-How did you—"

"Did you think that this was the first time she came after my head? You should know that I was poisoned before and lost all of my memories." Memories that weren't hers, to begin with.

"She already paid my father, and she promised to be my sponsor and enroll me at the men's academy," he said, his voice faltering.

Tatiana groaned in frustration.

"Why—Why do you believe people like her?" Tatiana started to feel frustrated "she's the type of person who never keeps her promises! Even if you kill me here and erase all the evidence, do you think that my knights will stay still and investigate? What's even worse is that the queen will dispose of you to make sure that the clues won't lead to her."

"I-I—" Simon couldn't reason with her. All this time, she was making sense in a way that even he could not think of.

"You're better than this, Simon. Is entering the men's academy all that matters? Will you become happier if you did?"

Tatiana knew that Simon was not that type of person. She knew what poor people would do for money and power because she thought of doing such things in the past. But she realized that doing those things would only make her regret it later in life. Simon was one of those people who was weak to temptation and struggled. He was only desperate.

"Whatever!" Simon shook his head and glared at Tatiana. He was faltering and he knew it, but it was too late for him to turn back. He can't pretend that nothing happened, and everyone should already know this by now. He has no choice. "I'll just end this here and now—"

Simon fell to the floor with a thud. Tatiana gasped, and her eyes widened in surprise. She looked up to see Bjorn standing in front of her with a cold expression.

"Tatiana!" his voice boomed and made the house shake. Specks of sand and dust fell from the ceiling. "Why are you so stupid!"

"Bjorn!" Tatiana snapped back, "why-why'd you hit him?!"

Well, that ended nicely, looks like both of them will get into a fight like they usually do.

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END