I’m a Villainess, Can I Die?

“Do you have strawberry flavor?”

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“Aha! It tastes like strawberry! Because young people don’t like bitter medicine.”

The warm-hearted vendor smiled and handed a glass bottle filled with red liquid.

‘Well… It’s not that she’s young…’

When Selena’s face, who emphasized that she wanted strawberry flavor with an expressionless face, came to mind, Aiden smiled a little as he paid for the strawberry-flavored potion in the cute glass bottle.

“It took longer than I thought.”

The minute hand of the clock tower was running quite a bit.
He had been looking around for potions, but there was no place selling ‘strawberry flavored’ potions, so time had been delayed too much.
Of course, if his Lady had said that she would go out alone, the noble ladies and Madam would have stopped her, and some reliable people were also guarding, so there was nothing to worry about.

Yet, still, Aiden was feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

‘Let’s hurry and go back.’ Aiden quickly walked towards the salon.
After knocking on the door a few times, Madame immediately opened the door.
The face of the woman who opened the door was paperwhite.

“…Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

“It’s not a big deal.
Thank you for your concern.”

Madam’s voice, who covered her mouth and smiled, was weakly low.
It was the sound of resignation as if she tired of something.
Madam couldn’t say that she was exhausted from trying to stop the two young ladies who were fighting like dogs.

“That aside, how is Miss Selena’s condition?”

“She’s fine.
She’s been changing clothes… for a while… now?”

Madam looked at the clock slowly.
Quite some time had passed since Selena entered the changing room.
Even if she had tried on a ball dress, it was already time to come out.
She didn’t realize how much time had passed because she was out of her mind.
Madam’s pale face began to turn blue.
Aiden’s expression, looking at Madam’s appearance, also hardened.
It seemed like something happened to her.

Seeing that she hadn’t been out after such a long time… perhaps…

‘Did she fall?!’

They both had the same thought at the same time.
Madam walked ahead and Aiden followed.
It was a speed close to running, which was not suitable in the salon.

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“Mi… Miss! Miss! May I come in?”

Despite the urgent knock, there was no sound from inside.
Madam quickly clenched her fists and turned to Aiden.

“I’ll, I’ll open it.”

“Yes.
I will turn around.”

“Yes!”

Madam grabbed the doorknob with trembling hands.
Seeing the doorknob turn around smoothly, it seemed that the door was not locked.

‘Why is the door unlocked…?’ Madam was puzzled and swung the door open.

Considering that Selena had planned this moment wholeheartedly, the scene was too plain.
In the empty room, a well-arranged blue dress and a pearl pin were placed alone.

Unfortunately, however, it was not possible to simply define the scenery in the room as ordinary and let it slide.
Selena was supposed to be inside that room.
Whether she was laying face down or standing still.

“…There’s no one here?”

“I beg your pardon?” Aiden, who had been nervous at the strange feeling, turned back at Madam’s muttering.
He passed her and entered the room, which was empty.
There were just clothes that had been stripped off.

“This…”

Aiden’s green eyes gleamed fiercely and looked back at Madam.
The woman flinched at that gaze.

‘No, why are you so frightened of a servant…?’ Madam trembled and remembered what had happened earlier.

“Ah… Come to think of it, the Miss asked me if there was a back door!”

“…A back door? So is there a back door?”

“Yes… Behind that hanger–”

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There was a slight gap between the clothes on the hanger on the side that Madam was pointing to.

“Ha–! Damn it!”

It was clear.
Miss Selena had opened that back door herself and went out.

“Send someone to the Duke right now.
very secretly.
Enough that even the ladies over there won’t know.”

“Yes, yes!”

At the same time as Madam nodded, Aiden strode towards the back door and opened it.
The woman watched, bewildered, as the locks fell to the floor helplessly with a ringing sound.

Soon after, Aiden closed the door and disappeared, and Madam collapsed to the floor.

“Ha… What is this…”

 

* * *

 

This place was a lot more complicated than I thought.
Except for farmhouses in the estate, it was a place where commercial development gathered and developed into a city with one huge square… The closest transportation hub to the capital.
They said this place was called the White Square.

Fortunately, the clock tower was so tall that I could check the location from anywhere.
I sat down for a moment and hit my legs, then stood up again.
There was no time to waste.

Sadly, I was a little bad with directions.
No, before that, in fact, in such a strange place, most people would not find their way.
That was it.

But the Earth was round… and I didn’t know if this was Earth or not, but it was pretty round, I thought? Anyway, if one walked, walked, and walked, even if they turned around a few times, they would eventually reach their destination.

Just like right now.

I was thrilled by the sight of the clock tower in front of my eyes.
Fortunately, I arrived before my feet were swollen.
At the entrance of the tall clock tower, a gatekeeper was sitting on a chair.
It was not easy to sit on the outskirts where no one went.
It seemed that the work of public officials was not as easy as it appeared.

“Excuse me.”

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The gatekeeper opened his half-closed eyes and sat up abruptly.

“What’s the matter?”

“I want to climb to the top and see.”

The gatekeeper shook his head in response to my words.

“I’m sorry, but the public is restricted from entering the clock tower.
If you want to enter, you must get a permit from the guard.”

It seemed that the guards did more than expected.
They had to deal with a girl who broke a stick with her knee, a peacock, and permitted anyone who wanted to climb the clock tower… For the busy guards, I applauded them in my heart and decided to lighten their work.

What I pulled out of my arms was an invitation to the National Day ball that the imperial family sent to the Duke’s family last year.
It was an invitation card with the name of the Duke along with the seal of the imperial family which no one would dare to forge.
I found it in the drawer of the desk I had only sat near once.

‘Selena collected all these things… It seems that she dreamed of being part of the imperial family.’

She liked Lucas as a man, but she wanted to marry into the imperial family? Or was that not the case? ‘Did I think too far…’

Anyway, when I showed the invitation that I brought just in case, the gatekeeper pressed his eyes and looked alternately at the letters and me, then bowed.

“I greet The Noble Princess!”

I took a step back without realizing it.
‘The greeting was too loud… he wasn’t even a lion…’

“It’s fine.
I want to look inside the clock tower.
Can I go in?”

“Uh… It’s supposed to be off-limits… But you’re still the princess of this estate… So, I’ll open the door.”

The gatekeeper hesitated for a moment, then smiled brightly and nodded his head.
The thought crossed my mind—no matter how much of a princess I was, shouldn’t he properly issue a permit? But, let’s not pay attention to other people’s business.

“Thank you.”

As I said thank you, the gatekeeper bowed with his ears burning red.
It seemed that his love for his job had suddenly risen after being thanked by a noble.

“Would you like me to guide you?”

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“No.
It’s fine.
I’m just taking a quick look so it’s fine to be alone.”

“Yes! Then if anything happens, please call me!”

“Yes.”

Seeing the man bowing, I closed the door inside the clock tower.

The bright light disappeared with a bang, and light poured down from the small windows above.
Admiring how much it looked like a road to heaven, I slowly started to climb the stairs.

 

* * *

 

The moment Selena took the first step on the stairs, Aiden was running towards the clock tower.

‘Looking at the location, the outskirts of the square are clear…’

Aiden clenched his hands and opened them.
To be honest, even if he practiced magic, he was only able to practice secretly in his own room, so he could not fly or move his legs quickly.

But…

“Why did you save me?”

Aiden stood still and focused.
All sources of magic came from mind and emotion.
That was all he could do now.
Like on the stairs that day…

‘Let’s think… Let’s imagine.’

‘You have to reach the clock tower.’

‘The clock tower…’

‘And the lady.’