The villainess will survive!

Part 19: Coming back home and parting again

I bit my nail.

I had already came home, but there were a few issues. 

My reputation had already been tampered with, thanks to Ivy. 

And second of all, my personal maid, whom I trusted the most out of all the servants at home,  had been replaced because she recently married when I was gone. 

"My name is Tasha, M'lady." A girl with red hair in braids bowed. 

"I see. How did my parents pick you?" I said while another maid was unpacking my stuff.

"They thought I would be a good friend, because I our ages are fairly close." 

Ha! You had the guts to say that in front of a person with status incomparable to your's. I couldn't accept this. 

"Who do you swear your loyalty to?" I asked. I set up this room with a lie detector spell.

"Rosely Villinie, my one and only person that I serve." She said automatically. 

She sounded like a robot. Usually, a maid would stumble at these words. Had she somewhat practiced?

And on top of that, her statement was a lie. 

'Rosely Villinie, my one and only person that I serve.'

So you served someone else, didn't you? 

I rolled my eyes. Ivy was making her moves. 

I picked up her information paper. 

She indeed worked at the Castria mansion before coming here.

I clapped. 

"Alright! I hope we get along! Please serve me well, Tasha!" 

Yes, how I do hope we get along. 

I got up. It was time to change those rumours about me.

                                                                   ***

Knock knock. 

"Father, may I come in?" 

"Roselyn! What has brought my darling daughter here?" 

I opened the door to my father's office at home. 

"Father, I heard there was some drought in the south. Am I right?" I asked. I had learned of this from the maids gossiping in the hallway. 

"Er...That's right. A few nobles in charge of the production of food and supplies coming from the south are having a hard time." 

Thanks, Father. You really cut to the chase.

"I see. If it is alright with you, may I borrow some money and power? I have decided to go there myself to see and fix the drought." 

"......What?! No! I can't let you go there! It isn't fit for a girl like you!!!" He slammed the table. Papers fell everywhere. 

"But we run part of the south, don't we, Father? How could I just stay in my own little safe castle when our people are suffering?! You don't need to worry about my safety, either. I scored top of my class in magic, and even Philip Berk hasn't beat me once. If there's a person that you should be worried about, it's the people that attack me." I explained. 

My Father didn't want to make me look bad, and he knew that he couldn't make me a princess in a castle forever. Soon, I would lead the Country as queen. Or at least he thought. 

"I u-understand. I will let you go. But you must make sure to bring a mage or swords woman as an escort with you! No men! You can use a squad from the Dukedom!" He said through as if this was his biggest regret of his whole life.