The Villainess Doesn't Want To Fall In Love

Chapter VIII: The Winter Fruit Part 1

The following weeks she had stayed in the Louvern Castle had become smooth and eventful. The gloomy place she had entered at first transformed into a home because she was with her most trusted maids and she was able to do several things that she couldn't do in her house. In this place, it didn't matter if she followed the noble etiquette or not.

The only thing she didn't like was that the prince banned her from doing any household chores after she almost fell from the wooden ladder which she used in wiping off the dust of the wall. Luckily for her, the prince saved her from falling. That's also the time that her maids realize she's immune to his curse.

If anything, she felt that the huge manor where the prince lived was much safer than the House Belfford. The second prince, Prince Warryn, couldn't bother her here and the church actually stopped sending her some letters that began after her awakening test. Either the first prince had been keeping a barrier against the people from the outside or they finally surrendered asking her questions about her well-being, both are good for her.

It's like hitting two birds in one stone. Being able to maintain her eyes on the prince from a closer distance and take advantage of her situation against her trouble. She could stay in this place forever.

However, just when Reina started to feel the comfort of a new home, she almost dropped her jaws upon hearing that Prince Darius wanted her to leave the castle for a while and return only after three days.

After she successfully convinced him to eat dinner with him tonight, she couldn't believe she'd only heard those statements that made her lose her appetite. She was silent for a while, trying to gather the right words to say. The prince noticed her worried reaction.

“You're not leaving the Louvern City entirely and you don't have to worry about anything at all. I've already prepared an inn for you to stay and there are knights who'd come along with you. You can take your friends with you, as well,” Prince Darius explained calmly, emphasizing the words 'friends' which means her most trusted servants, as he cut the steak skillfully and took a bite of it.

“And what might be the reason behind this?” she coldly asked and slowly dropped her utensils. “Why are you kicking me out of the castle suddenly and demanding me to return only after three days?”

He went silent. She looked at him intently as her chest began to roll like a drum.

“Wait, am I really bound to return or this might be another kind of a strategy to get rid of me?” She dropped her eyes to her plate and a weak smile formed on her lips. “I guess my presence no longer quench your interest. Are you discarding me now?”

And if he really does, what should I do?

It had already been weeks since she stepped foot in the Louvern Castle to live with the prince, to go alongside his little game but she wasn't doing anything at all that related to the real intent why she was here. Instead, she was only living a carefree life. She rarely came to see the prince in his office because there was no reason to do so and the prince would always take a stroll outside whenever he got the chance.

Even inviting him to dinner tonight was difficult enough for her. They only had a few interactions so it's not a surprise that a time will come that he'll grow tired of her and he's no longer interested in her.

But to think that it would happen this quickly was unexpected. Come to think of it, if he really wanted to use me against the enemies, he could've already planned on something and relayed the message to me but he didn't. Am I really of use to him? Does he think of me as worthless now?

Her train of thought was disturbed when she heard the sound of the prince's little cough to get her attention. When she looked at him, he was already staring at her and his facial expression could tell that he was offended by her choice of words. However, instead of getting mad at her, he tried to keep his composure.