A Painting of the Villainess as a Young Lady

Chapter 2

At Violet’s unhesitatingly biting words, Aileen flinched. Just because her ire had not been roused didn’t mean that Violet would hold back on what she’d say.

Meanwhile, the young man next to her was smiling the entire time with a truly unreadable expression that it was impossible to read what’s on his mind. It was the Everett Duchy’s second son, Roen.

Glancing briefly to Roen, Aileen let out her tears.

“What are you saying, Sister! It’s natural for me to worry about you because we’re family. Even though you don’t like me…”

“If you knew I wouldn’t want you to be here, then you shouldn’t have come. I already have a headache as it is. It’s going to get worse because of you.”

“…Aileen came here to see you because she was worried about you. Why are you being so cold?”

Right. A smile dawned upon Violet’s lips at the young man’s sudden interruption. She was wondering why the two of them came together, but she realized now. It’s this.

“No, Brother, I’m fine,” Aileen said. “Even if Sister says that…”

The slender girl looked hurt and it seemed like tears would fall at any moment as she dissuaded her older brother. There was no indication that it was merely a short performance.

Watching them like this, one would wonder who the real blood-related siblings were here. Snorting, Violet could be seen smiling slightly.

“It’s becoming a problem that you’re so forgiving. Violet, you should know how to be more careful, but you’re always throwing such sharp words.”

“If you didn’t want to get stabbed, then you shouldn’t have come here. Why must I welcome you?”

Even when you say that, you’re being unusually meek, aren’t you.”

“I almost died, didn’t I? Stop.”

“Yes, sure, the way you speak is still the same.”

“Do you think a person can change in an instant?”

Roen laughed sardonically as he noticed the sly way Violet had changed her words and attitude—formal one moment, informal the next. The only one here who’s at the edge of her seat for no reason was Aileen.

Unable to bear to just stand by as the real brother and sister talked, Aileen dissuaded Roen again.

“I really am fine, Brother. I know that Sister hates me because I’m not good enough… Hiic, I, I really want to be close to Sister, but…”

“It’s alright, Aileen. It’s not your fault. Never mind, Violet seems to still be in a terrible mood today, so let’s just go back.”

At the retreating pair, Violet wordlessly watched them walk away and quietly raised a middle finger at them.

Roen and Aileen had long since had their backs turned on her, so they did not see the vulgar action that the eldest daughter of this ducal household had just made.

Her surroundings grew quiet only after all the uninvited guests had finally left.

She could finally have some peace and quiet. Violet quickly lay back down on her bed, else someone might come again.

Having already faced Mikhail, Roen and Aileen, she was more tired than ever now.

She was grateful that her younger brother, the third son Cairn, was now at the academy.

Violet—no, Yeon Ha-yoon was finally left to her own world, and so she closed her eyes happily.

* * *

Violet S. Everett, the eldest daughter of the Everett Duchy, a household that had an extensive history.

The monikers she had were not just empty words. Most wicked villainess of all time. Green-eyed monster who’s eternally jealous of her sister. Everett’s evil witch with an ice-cold heart.

It’s a wonder how she ended up with these kinds of nicknames. However Violet, or Yeon Ha-yoon, did not deny these titles that had been attributed to her.

Out of the blue, she suddenly remembered her previous life.

For her to have remembered her previous life after falling right into a lake and having a near-death experience, wasn’t it so ridiculously contrived?

Even novels wouldn’t be this predictable, Violet complained inwardly.

Perhaps to clarify her situation, she had not transmigrated. Though if she were to categorize it, then she could say that she had reincarnated. She remained true to her identity as Violet, who she had lived as for nineteen years thus far. It just so happened that she recalled her previous life’s memories. Because of that, she felt no such disconnect to her current self.

She had lived her previous life and unfortunately back then. And here, she was reborn and she somehow recalled her previous life.

If one were to define Yeon Ha-yoon’s life, then it would be with this word: pathetic. As for Violet’s life, then: harsh.

The family she had been born into was a ducal household which had an extended history. As she had two older brothers and one younger brother, she was born as the sole daughter who was raised like the most precious jewel there ever was in the world.

Nevertheless, Violet’s life was exceedingly harsh.

It was during the spring of the year she turned eight years old that her life turned for the worse—when Aileen, Violet’s younger cousin, entered the Everett family as a ducal lady and interfered.