The Villainess Leader

Chapter 9 (side story)

Lady Clementine Dove is the only miss of the Dove Marquisette. Like her parents, she grew up helping others and was kind. 
 
Every time she sees injustice, she takes it to court, no matter what the status of the people involved. When she sees poverty, she's extremely distressed, and she will donate. Children with no parents? Build orphanages. Lack of education for commoners? Proposed the public education system to the king. Sees a beggar on the street? adopts or helps the person to have a good stable life personally. 
 
Because of her family, the number of deaths due to poverty decreased significantly. Almost nonexistent. Even the king praised this family and bestowed a lot of things on them. 

Even gave the title of "Dame of Virtue" to lady Clementine.
 
No one in the kingdom doesn't know about this family's good deeds. 
 
Lady Clementine even had the reputation of being the saint to the common people and was praised as kind, magnanimous, and beautiful like a fairy by nobels. 
 
With these characteristics, a lot of young men were attracted to her and admired her, but they could only back away as she already had her brother Den. 
 
This Brother Den was Hayden White of the Silvervale duchy, also referred to as Marquess Silvervale. 
 
The two families have a good relationship, so they have more interactions with each other. As children were naughty, the young Hayden once vowed to take Lady Clementine's hand. 
 
The two families have a good relationship, and coupled with the fact that the two children seem to like each other, they didn't object and decided that once Lady Clementine's coming of age, they would be married. 
 
Others can only congratulate Marquess Silvervale for his good fortune and sigh in their hearts as a virtuous woman like Lady Clementine was already taken. 
 
These two were extremely close to each other, like brothers and sisters, but more intimate. Marquess Hayden was protective of her, while Clementine was reliant on the Marquee. It was a perfect match made by heaven, others say.
 
The two were already treated as a couple by the masses, even without the wedding yet. Many stories about the love story of the two were created for entertainment and are popular with young ladies who like to romanticize, for example, Lady Lavinia. 
 
But this fantasy was broken once a foreign girl named Alyzza came into the picture. 
 
"Brother Den," Lady Clementine called softly as she handed a piece of bread to the child. 
 
She called, but she didn't hear a reply. Thinking that he may not have heard it, she called again. "Brother Den"
 
"Brother Den?" she asked, as she hadn't heard a response, and finally turned her head to look for him. 
 
Lady Clementine tilted her head from time to time, looking for Hayden, until she saw him under the shade of a tree in the distance, talking to a young woman. 
 
Her head tilted to the side and she blinked. "It seems like they're talking, but brother Den doesn't seem to be someone who likes to talk unless he knows that person."
 
Lady Clementine narrowed her eyes to get a better look at the face of the woman, but the woman doesn't seem to be familiar. 
 
One must know how close lady Clementine and Marquess Hayden are, as since they're young, they're already together, so they know each other's friends or acquaintances, but lady Clementine doesn't have any impression of this woman. 
 
Lady Clementine didn't know why, but the thought that Marquess Hayden was close to other women aside from her made her uncomfortable. 
 
She's looking at the two laughing under the shade of a tree like a pair when she feels a tug on her clothes. 
 
She looked down and met the wet, big eyes of a little boy. 
 
Coming to her senses, she quickly pulled out a piece of bread out of the paper bag in her arms and gave it to him.
 
"Are you okay?" The little boy asked.
 
Lady Clementine was startled at first before a soft smile bloomed on her face, crouching down to be at the same level as the kid. 
 
"This big sister is perfectly fine, just thinking of something. Sorry for making you worry."
 
"It's nothing," the little boy blushed, making him look so cute that Lady Clementine couldn't help but pinch his cheeks. 
 
"Good boy," she said as she ruffled his hair into a chicken nest. Clementine giggled when the little boy pouted. 
 
The uncomfortable feeling caused by the scene of Hayden and a woman talking was swept away by the sight of the children with bright smiles on their faces. 
 
After distributing the bread, the children came to her one by one and thanked her. 
 
She patted their heads one by one in return and watched as they bid their goodbyes and went back to their own houses. 
 
Clementine's heart was so filled with satisfaction and warmth that the corner of her lips carried a smile unconsciously. 
 
But the moment she turned around to look for Marquess Hayden, she saw him still talking with the same woman and even laughing. They're both now sitting on the grass casually. 
 
The smile on her lips vanished. Especially when she saw the intimate way that the woman playfully hit Marquess Hayden's arm as she laughed. 
 
Who is she? Why is she touching her brother Den? Why are they laughing? It would be good if she left. I want to remove her hand and stop her mouth from laughing. 
 
Why is this scene so unsightly? 
 
Clementine gasped and covered her mouth. 
 
Did I just think of that? R-remove her hand, and why wouldn't I want her to laugh? This is obviously a good and harmonious scene. 
 
Harmonious. It is a good, beautiful, and harmonious scene, but I don't like it. 
 
Why? 
 
Why am I preventing them from being happy? 
 
Am I turning bad? 
 
Clementine gasps again, and her eyes widen. 
 
I'm turning bad.
 
"Good heavens, please forgive me for having such malicious thoughts." Lady Clementine murmured as she looked up to the sky but immediately retracted her eyes as she was blinded by the sun's brilliance. 
 
It's just past noon, and the sun was at its peak, and of course the temperature was also high. Only then did Lady Clementine notice that her hands and other exposed parts of her body were reddish under the blazing sun. 
 
She looked at her surroundings and noticed that there's no place to take shelter aside from the big tree where Marquess Hayden and the woman were talking. 
 
There are houses but no shade since the sun is high above, and she's also embarrassed to intrude on other people's houses. Her carriage is waiting outside Pearl Street per her order.

She told her knights and maids to wait outside as she distributed the breads so the children wouldn't be intimidated by them. 
 
She sighed and could only wait for the two to finish their conversation. 
 
But it seems like they don't have the intention of stopping. Clementine's head was dizzy, and her skin hurt, but she doesn't dare to go as she doesn't want to be rude. 
 
Her heart aches for some unknown reason as the two get along. She doesn't understand what this feeling is called, but she knows that it's not good because it gives her malicious thoughts and urges her to do bad things. 
 
Time passed by, and the two finally noticed the time. 
 
Clementine was delighted when she saw Marquess Hayden stand up and look in her direction.

She waved enthusiastically and had a silly smile. 
 
Marquess Hayden also smiled back. 
 
"Hayden?" Alyzza called, grabbing Marquess Hayden's attention back. 
 
Marquess Hayden realized something as he helped her stand up and said, "I have someone to introduce to you. Come."
 
Lady Clementine watched as Marquess Hayden lent his hand to help the woman stand up and make their way towards her. Her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly. 
 
"Miss Alyzza, this is Dame Clementine. Dame Clementine, this is Miss Alyzza, a new friend of mine. I hope that the two of you can also be friends, as Miss Alyzza here is a humorous person," Marquess Hayden said as soon as they reached Lady Clementine. 
 
Miss Alyzza smiled at her, and although stunned, Lady Clementine also gave a smile.

She was stunned that Marquess Hayden actually introduced and called her with her title that made her even more uncomfortable.
 
If she remembers correctly, every time the Marquess introduces her to a friend, he will call her 'Tine'. So that his friends can be familiar with her and also call her Tine and will only use her title and full name when there are other people or formal events.
 
This didn't sit week with Clementine, but Marquess Hayden seems to have not noticed something wrong with it, so she can only smile, but it's obviously a strained one. First because she was under the sun for too long and was dizzy, and second because she didn't feel like smiling. 
 
When Marquess Hayden saw Lady Clementine's flushed face, did he not think that something was wrong? 
 
He saw her pink and almost reddish hands and unfocused eyes. He touched her forehead, and it was hot! 
 
"How long have you been standing here?" Marquess Hayden asked as he pulled her under the big tree. 
 
Lady Clementine was embarrassed and waved her hand. "Not that long."
 
"If it's not that long, then why was your complexion like this? Try to lie to me, huh?" Marquess Hayden asked as his face darkened. 
 
"Yeah, lady Clementine. Why would you stand there in this scorching weather? Are you trying to harm yourself?" Miss Alyzza asked worriedly. 
 
"I-" Clementine was going to explain when Miss Alyzza cut her. 
 
"Uhm.. are you perhaps trying to make Hayden worried? You can knock on someone's door to ask to wait there or come here under the shade of the tree with us, so why?"
 
"It-"
 
"If you're trying to make Hayden worried, then you're successful. Look how worried Hayden is for you." Miss Alyzza seems to not hear her and continues. 
 
Marquess Hayden's eyes dimmed even more at Alyzza's words. 
 
"Not only Hayden but also I. Look at your complexion. It's so red. Although I don't know you that much, things like staying under the sun just for a man's attention weren't worth putting your health at risk."
 
Clementine's dizzy mind can't keep up with Miss Alyzza's words. She wants to explain, but she is always interrupted, and she can't fully process the things she's saying. 
 
At the end, she fell into Marquess Hayden's arms unconsciously. Miss Alyzza yelped in surprise at this.

Fortunately, Marquess Hayden caught her in time.
 
And then Miss Alyzza's eyes reddened when she saw the worried gaze that the Marquess gave to Clementine. "Did I say something wrong, Hayden? I just want to advise her to not put her health at risk. Am I wrong? I-i'm sorry. It's my fault."
 
She sobbed. 
 
Marquess Hayden looked at her delicate face, crying, and felt helpless. Forgetting his concern about the unconscious Clementine in his arms, he comforted the crying Alyzza, "You're not wrong, okay? Don't cry."
 

•~•

I love these girls, so I will write more side stories. Let's start with how our lil' Tine ended up in that situation in the prev chap (＾ω＾)