Villainess Reborn: SEASON ONE

69

Tatiana walked back to her room, her chest heaving from the anger she felt.

She does not remember what her mother looked like, nor does she have any memories of her. But every single time that somebody mentions her mother, she becomes extremely sensitive and starts spewing out words that she, herself, does not even remember. For example, she does not know that the queen was a previous concubine and a poor noble. It just came out of her mouth.

Norma strutted behind her when the princess abruptly stopped making Norma also stop in her tracks. Her hands shivered in anxiousness, it was sweaty and cold. She almost jumped when the princess turned around to face her.

Norma immediately dropped to the ground kneeling in front of the princess, her head touching the ground.

"I was wrong, your highness!" she cried, "I deserve death for what I did to you!"

"Yes, you do deserve that punishment," Tatiana bitterly said. She can't believe what the girl tried to do with her. If Bjorn did not tell her then she would have remained clueless about everything around her. Who would have known that her lady-in-waiting was the one who tried to poison her to death as well as serve her tea that had small amounts of poison in the morning?

Of course, Tatiana felt angry and betrayed. But as she was staying in her room and thinking about what to do, she thought that what if she really deserved it for being such a cruel princess. But when she thought about it again, she realized that she didn't deserve this. Her actions should not be condoned but what if she was extremely ill-tempered and sensitive because of the poison that was being fed to her each morning.

Norma closed her eyes shut, her heart beating out of her lungs. Maybe this is the end for her, maybe this is punishment for following the queen's orders and trying to harm the princess. She was ready to accept her doom when the princess grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

"Stand up," Tatiana demanded and made her stand up, "how many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't grovel before others that easily. Is that your hobby? Is it fun?"

Norma could not answer. She was ashamed and guilty for the thing she did.

"Did you hate me that much?" Tatiana asked her, "was I really that evil to you? Did you do it out of revenge?"

"No, your highness!" Norma gasped and shook her head, "I may have had negative feelings towards you for bullying me but I never hated you. I only did what the queen instructed me to because she told me that she would hurt my family if I did not do what she said."

Another person whose dignity and honor was bought for money. She and Simon are so alike. Tatiana could never judge them for doing the things that they thought were the only thing to do because they had no other choice. But in this case, she also could not let the girl stay by her side. It was too dangerous and she can't bring herself to trust the girl either.

Tatiana turned her back to Norma.

"I can't let you stay here any longer," Tatiana told her, "William will instruct you on what to do. Go and start packing your bags."

"Princess, I'm very sorry!" Norma wailed, "I did not mean for this to happen, I am extremely sorry!"

Tatiana started walking away. Norma cried after her and begged but Tatiana turned deaf to her pleas. This is something that the princess alone can decide anymore. She thought carefully before making that choice and she realized that it was, in fact, the only way.

--

The princess peeked through the glass window and saw that Norma was loading her things into the carriage. Norma looked around one last time when she and the princess's gaze met. She looked at her apologetically and gave her a sad smile and bowed her head before riding the carriage.