Re: The Villainess Does It With Class

Chapter 77 - Conspiracy

A girl with long blonde hair watches as carriages from different families, sped in front of her. She was just on her way from buying something in the capital when she noticed that a lot of wagons were passing by, and they were all going in the same direction. She watched them all go, full of curiosity.

'Is there an occasion?' was her unspoken question.

She had not heard of a festival, but she knows that it was someone's social debut. It was, after all, a widespread rumor, though it wasn't considered a rumor at all. She has heard most of the people in the Capital talk about it, just like the shop that she was in earlier. They were all talking about a certain lady's birthday celebration.

'She's probably famous, or she must be from a very influential household.'

She lingered for a bit before she resumed walking again. As she rounded the corner where her carriage was waiting, she caught sight of a bookstore across the street.. There was a big signboard in front, indicating that they are on sale. She halted on her steps and gazed at the shop while biting her lip. 

She was silently contemplating if she would go or not. Her eyes went to the sky, she still has some time to waste. She likes reading thus, she decided to visit. 

The chime made a ringing sound when she opened the door. Her eyes were then greeted by rows and rows of shelves on the walls, where books in different sizes lined up. There were also signs over them that tells you the genres and classifications of the novels. An old chandelier lighted the whole place, giving a cozy warm feeling.

"Hello~ Welcome to my humble store!" a cheerful voice sang at the side.

She slowly whirled to look for the owner of the voice and saw a young woman leaning behind the counter. The woman was smiling brightly at her so she repaid them with her own.

"Meow~" 

She then felt something furry touched her leg and was so surprised that she made a step backward. It was only a black cat though… 

"Sorry about that. Luna just likes seeing new people," the lady remarked.

She awkwardly let out a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Ah, I was only surprised. That's all…" she uttered.

Her eyes then strayed to the little black feline which had leaped over the counter and sat there while licking its tiny paws.

The longer she looked at it, the awkwardness from earlier slowly dissipated.

'It's kind of cute…'

"Are you looking for a specific book?" the woman voiced out, getting her attention.

She immediately snapped away from her thoughts and shook her head. 

"I'm just going to look around and find whatever is interesting..."

From the number of books surrounding them, it would be impossible that she wouldn't find something that would grab her attention. She then walked straight to the shelf in front of her and regarded all the books with focus.

"Oh, then can I suggest a book for you?" The lady inquired.

She blinked at the smiling shop owner then slowly nodded. She did not think of it as something burdensome hence why she agreed. 

The shop owner then left the counter and sauntered toward a shelf not far from her. Her white silk robes flowed around her body, creating an illusion of her looking delicate and airy. The gold bangles around her wrists rattled as her hands stretched out to grab one specific book out of the bunch.

She watched in silence fascination, enthralled. It was like she was being hypnotized by her every move. 

The woman's bluish-silver hair swished in time with her motion when she turned, a book in her slender hands. With her being close to her like this, she noticed that the woman is beautiful. Her face and skin look luminous as if she was glowing. She had never seen someone as pretty as her in her whole fourteen years of life. Her mind thought a foolish conclusion that this woman might be an angel or a fairy. 

'Ah, I am fifteen now.'

It had left her mind that it was her birthday today, but she had never regarded it with importance anyway.

The woman smiled at her again, "This is quite popular with the young ladies right now, and it only costs 1 silver coin," she informed, raising one candle-like index finger in the air.

As though transfixed, she slowly nodded, paid for it, and received the book from her. It was a quick transaction.

She then turned around to leave, wistfully taking a quick peek at the beautiful woman one more time.

"Come again~" the woman called out, waving at her as she exited the door.

She stared at the bookshop again for a moment, seemingly perturbed, and while clutching the novel to her chest, she finally left for home.

-----------------------***

Estelle slowly closed the book and sighed. She has not finished the whole novel yet, but she was already exhausted. The story was quite heavy and had rather struck a chord deep in her heart. She greatly relates to the main character who was constantly facing hurdles. Just like Seraphina, she is being bullied from her social standing. Coming from a ruined household like her, people were always cruel and unforgiving.

Her green eyes then drifted to the evening sky which was littered with millions of stars that sparkled one after another. She stayed like that for a while, admiring the panoramic view from her window and daydreaming of something good. How many times did she create a situation in her head that favored her? Countless. Every single day she would wish for something.

It was already winter, sooner, snow would start falling. The air is cold and it bits on her skin. When she felt that she couldn't withstand the chill any longer, Estelle then closed the blinds and went to her bed.

In the middle of the night, a figure appeared, sitting on the now open windows. Estelle was sound asleep and did not feel the presence of another aside from her. With only the light from the moon, the person's shadow cast on the floor. 

"Meow~"

"Ssh. Don't be noisy or you'll wake her from her dream," the musical voice of the woman said in a hushed tone as she scratched the cat's ears.

The cat purred and nuzzled her hand. The woman then felt that she had another company, but didn't make a move to look at whoever they were, for she already expected it who it was. 

"Master, why are you wandering around again?" the man questioned.

He was wearing a dark robe that hid his countenance. It was swaying against the wind as he floated on empty air behind the woman. The moonlight cast over his head, making him appear more mysterious.

The woman smiled and glanced at the sleeping figure of the young lady. The latter was getting restless as she tossed and turned in her bed, face scrunching in a mixture of pain and sorrow. No one knew what she was seeing in her dream except for the woman, whose eyes seemed to sparkle like a thousand stars. 

"I am only checking the stage that I had set," she answered. 

The man's curious eyes wandered inside the room, to the resting Estelle, then back to his master. Her bluish-silver hair and unblemished skin, under the moonlight, looked even more radiant. The woman then whirled around gracefully, like a gentle flowing water in a brook. Her long slender legs hung loosely as she sat on the window sill.

She then stared overhead, surveying the vast nothingness which was enveloped by darkness. He could only stand perfectly still in the air, not wanting to disturb his master from her thoughts.

"It's starting…" the woman then whispered. The cat looked up from her grasp and swished its tail.

"It's all according to your will," was his only response. He deeply meant it, and he clearly believed in it. Whatever his master wants, and whatever she wills, it will be done.

The woman beamed, but her eyes looked detached as if she doesn't see what's current, completely lost in her musings. She then stood up on the edge of the window in her tippy toes, her long hair blowing in the cool wind, same with her white silky robes. 

She looked ethereal.

She gazed at the distance, particularly in the direction of a mansion whose lights are still lit open. Even without being near, she could almost hear the music from the orchestra and the chattering of the people. Then to another mansion in which a girl was staring outside her balcony, looking forlorn.

Her eyes sailed towards the north where griffins howled in agitation, mourning for the loss of their caretakers. Her head then tilted to the east. A certain butler was happily pouring tea for the person he serves, who was sitting on a throne. He was watching the other people in cloaks inside the room, performing a ceremony, while a young woman screamed and struggled against her bonds.

The woman smiled, eyes flashing. 

"It is all in accordance with fate."