The Villainess Who Accidentally Stole Their Hearts - Chapter 31

Chapter 16.1

Tears welled up in Mikarin’s big, round eyes.

Ulysses spoke, his voice low and subdued.

“So?”

“It’s hard to believe in love, isn’t it?”

“….”

“People who have never been loved are afraid of love. That’s why you couldn’t bring yourself to love just one person, Ulysses…”

Mikarin smiled, but there was sadness behind it.

“To be honest, I’m the same.”

“….”

“That’s why I understand you, Ulysses. So…”

The hand that had traced down Ulysses’ cheek slowly unfolded as though she was asking for a handshake.

“Let’s be friends.”

“…You think I dated three women because I was hurt.”

Mikarin held Ulysses’ hands firmly with both of hers.

“Mhm, I know. You’re hurting, Ulysses, and you don’t know how to handle it—”

“No.”

His sudden words abruptly interrupted her.

“…Yes?”

Mikarin, caught off guard, questioned him again, but Ulysses’ gaze was elsewhere. His eyes were fixed on the massive painting on the wall. A cascade of intense, burning red.

Just like Nikaearsha’s gaze—

“I did it because I’m just a piece of shit.”

Nikaearsha’s gaze was cold as if she were looking at garbage.

Her fiery red eyes burned like flowing lava—

“P-People judge you without knowing anything, Ulysses. You couldn’t help it because of the pain from your past—!”

It felt like everything was about to be engulfed in flames… A scorching lava flow, ready to consume everything he was. Ulysses stood up and moved forward as if following the lingering traces of Nikaearsha.

“Ulysses…!”

Mikarin’s desperate voice rang out from behind him.

However, he continued down the dimly lit corridor without a word.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

Duchy of Delosif’s estate.

I pushed open the door to my room and immediately scowled.

♥♡ Love Delivery ˚₊·-̳͟͞͞♡

You’ve received a ♥ from 〈 Ulysses 〉!

Ulysses’s heart.

Did he get a dopamine rush from being treated like dirt?

‘Weirdo.’

Then again, no sane person would try to date three people at once. I swiped away the floating message and collapsed onto the bed.

The following day.

I jumped up from the bed.

‘…Wait, what? What happened to my precious evening?’

I completely passed out without even realizing when I fell asleep! Well, to be fair, everything that had happened since my regression had worn me out.

But that wasn’t the reason.

“Ufufu~ My lady! You woke up exactly two hours, four minutes, and sixteen seconds later than usual! You must have had a good rest!”

Alice straightened up from the couch in my bedroom.

‘She was probably just cleaning. Yeah, definitely cleaning. It’s not like she watched me while I was asleep…’

Alice glanced at my face and flashed a cheerful smile.

“Wonderful! All your fatigue is gone. The perfect balance of softness, warmth, and elasticity in your blankets, and, of course, my expert massage! Everything tailored just for you, my lady!”

So, she was the one responsible for knocking me out.

‘But I feel totally fresh and clean… Just how did she manage to wash me?’

I was curious, but I didn’t want to ask.

‘She’s like a terrifying B-rank servant…’

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

Nikaearsha’s Parlor.

Leonard straightened his outfit, his face visibly tense. Not only was today his first day at work, but his boss had set off a huge scandal just the day before.

‘The infamous Ulysses’ three-timing, triple slap scandal.’

People assumed it was simply the victims joining forces, but Leonard knew there was more to the story.

‘It was all part of the lady’s plan.’

At that moment, Nikaearsha stepped into the parlor.

“Good morning, my lady. You’re glowing today. It seems something good has happened.”

Nikaearsha froze just before taking her seat and turned to look at Leonard.

“…You can tell?”

“Of course.”

Ulysses was famous for his excellent character… And Nikaearsha shattered that well-crafted facade in an instant.

‘She truly lives up to her title as the Mastermind of High Society! Pretending to be reckless while orchestrating everything from the shadows.’

Not to mention the women he had been juggling—Selena, Belinda, and April. Each one of them was highly competent.

‘Well, at least she gained some powerful connections from all this.’

Nikaearsha settled into her seat with a long, weary sigh.

“That blanket was amazing, and that massage was even better. I lost an entire day because of it. Alice is truly incredible…”

Question marks appeared over Leonard’s head.

‘…Where did that completely random comment come from?’

Perhaps—

‘Does she really think I haven’t figured out that she was the mastermind behind yesterday’s events?’

“No matter how much you try to avoid the topic, we need to talk about it.”

“What?”

“The whole mess with Ulysses suddenly being exposed as the ultimate womanizer… that was your doing, wasn’t it?”

“Oh, that.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Forget it. That was all the victims’ doing. What does that have to do with me?”

Seeing how thoroughly she was deceiving everyone into thinking she wasn’t the mastermind, Leonard firmly expressed his resolve with a stern face.

“You can’t fool me, my lady. It’s my greatest honor to take part in your grand schem—no, I mean, plans.”

“….”

“Just give the order. I, Leonard Fabian, will stake my life to make it happen.”

Leonard steadied his racing heart and met Nikaearsha’s eyes with unwavering determination. She had already dealt with Mikarin, the quiet presence in the household, and even managed to bring down Ulysses, the man once praised for his virtue.

‘I wonder what kind of ruthless plan she’ll come up with next.’

In order to follow her, he had given up his lifelong dream of running a merchant guild. Because right now, his dream was Nikaearsha.

To stay with Nikaearsha, he gave up the merchant guild—

“Establish a merchant guild.”

Nikaearsha spoke brightly.

Leonard’s lips twitched. Did he just hear that right?

“I just left the merchant guild. To help with your schem—uh, I mean, to assist you—”

“And?”

Nikaearsha’s sharp gaze locked onto him. Leonard lowered his head under the weight of her piercing stare.

“…Understood. I’ll prove myself first.”

“….?”

‘I already know he’s talented. I only told him to establish a merchant guild so his A-rank potential in commercial acumen wouldn’t go to waste.’

Nikaearsha gave a slight shrug and pulled open the drawer next to the sofa. She then retrieved the documents she had prepared in advance and handed them over.

“These are bonds from my personal funds. Use them however you need for your startup capital.”

Leonard’s eyes shot open as he examined the figures on the documents.

As expected of the Lady of Delosif.

Her personal fortune was incomparable to that of most young ladies or noblemen.

“You’re really entrusting me with this much money?”

“Yes.”

“…Why?”

“Because your value far exceeds that.”

Without hesitation, Nikaearsha responded casually while pulling another document from the drawer.

Leonard didn’t speak.

However, his gaze was so intense it felt like it could burn a hole through her cheek. When she lifted her head to see what was going on, she noticed Leonard frowning. It seemed as though he was holding something back.

“I’ll succeed. No matter what, I’ll make it happen…”

“…Well, alright. Now, about the name of the merchant guild—”

‘I guess Fabian would be the most fitting choice.’

Before her regression, Leonard had named his merchant guild Fabian, after his own last name.

‘Since he named it after himself, it’d feel strange to change it.’

Just as she was about to say something, Leonard spoke up…

“What do you think about Rosa Rabbit?”

“Rosa Rabbit?”

“Yes.”

“…Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

Leonard’s voice was unwavering.

“Rabbits might seem fragile, but they’re surprisingly tough. They can send a hawk flying with a single kick from their hind legs. They’ve got a bit of an attitude, too. And on top of that—”

“No need to explain. If you like it, that’s what we’ll go with.”

Nikaearsha gave a small nod and handed him the documents.

As sunlight poured in through the window, her hair gleamed. Her silvery hair had a subtle hint of red, almost as if it had been dipped in rose water (Rosa). Nikaearsha’s gaze traced the lines of text in the document. Her big, bright red eyes were like a rabbit’s (Rabbit).

Leonard nodded vigorously.

“Rosa Rabbit it is.”

“…Didn’t I already say to go ahead with it?”

“Yes, Rosa Rabbit.”

“….”

Nikaearsha paused for a moment, lost in thought.

Could it be that her regression had infected him with some bizarre virus? It seemed that everyone around her was acting stranger and stranger.

And then—