The Uncommon Villainess

Chapter 19

       "Are you alright, my Lady?" Lord Hart voiced his concern over me and I diverted my attention from the prince to him. As I was staggering to find my balance, the prince held my hand and waist to stabilise me. 

       "Yes, yes. Thank you my Lord." I was in a mess a bit and my speech was a little unorganised. 

       "Don't mention it, my Lady. I'm glad you're not hurt." He smiled and his eyes wondered from me to the prince and I swore I heard a light chuckles from him.

       "Well then let me excuse myself first."

       "Ah... yes. Thank you once again, my Lord. See you next week then." 

He nodded a little to me and the prince. I bend slightly to send him. As I was staring at his back when he was leaving, a cough sounded above me. I looked up and the frown never ceased from the prince's face. 

       "Your Highness."

When I greeted him, slowly his face relaxed and he became an expressionless prince like always. He moved a little to face me and his hands moved to my shoulder. My eyes followed his action and turned out he fixed his coat on my shoulder.

What?! When did he put it on me?

His hands moving busily to make sure his coat perfectly covered on me. I was sure my face reflected my emotion since he seemed uncomfortable under my stares.

       "Keep it. You look cold." When he satisfied with his work, he met my gaze.

 "You're in friendly term with Lord Hart Ellington?" 

Why he sounded a bit angry? From the novel these two are eternal rivals but never acted as sworn enemies. They were called rivals by the nobles simply because they are in the same age, their families close with each other and both of them are the heir for their family. 

       "You can say we're acquaintances since he's my business partner as well as my teacher."

       "Teacher?"

       "He teach and guide me in business management as per my father's request."

He nodded at my explanation and seemed to lost in deep thought for a moment. I stared at his face and immediately knew why ladies crazy about him. Even while in his own world, he looked so handsome. You can called it is male lead's halo. 

Suddenly I remembered something and took out a small square box with a ribbon on it. I handed it to the prince. It was a birthday gift for him. I came across a hexagonal gold encased pocket watch and thought it suited with the prince. 

He took it from me and put on his pocket. Luckily it was small enough to fit in his pocket. He grabbed my wrist and interlaced our fingers together. At that moment something flickered from inside of me. Something I couldn't described with as it was something I never felt before. A warm sensation lingered on our hands when our fingers locked with each other.

I turned my eyes from our hands to the prince and he was looking at me, same as I. All of a sudden our surroundings turned quiet and all we did was stared at each other. Time seemed moving slower at the moment. I clearly saw his ocean eyes and his eyes reflected me on it. I saw my silhouette on it. 

       *Clang*

The sound of glasses hitting interrupted both of us. I quickly woke up from it and avoided his eyes. When I calmed myself, the prince moved and dragged me with him. 

      "Let's greet the others."

The night ended with me following him around to greet the nobles.

*******

       "My lady, this is the report you want."

I was doing my work at my own study room when Sir Hobert entered the room. For the past days, I started to do my work in a room designated for me. Father arranged it for me. At first I declined his arrangement as it was not proper for a lady to own a study room but father insisted on it. Easton also agreed with father and I accepted it. 

I read the report throughly and something caught my attention, the origin of the slave trader organisation. "Diavolos" A name I was familiar with. Diavolos meant devil in ancient Greek and it clearly showed why it was named that way. The organisation did a lot of dirty and inhumane works which fitted the name. And the leader of it was someone I clearly knew. The underground boss... Lord Hart Ellington.

My head throbbed when I read it. Why Lord Hart of all people in this world? You expect me to go against the biggest villain in this world? I rested my hands on it and contemplated on it. What I should do with this information? Should I burn it? But it is an important evidence. I sighed loudly. It's so hard. This will be either my doomed or my saviour. 

After a while I placed my hands on it. I decided to keep the information and locked it away. When Sir Hobert saw it, he immediately understood me and came forward with the second report.

Sir Hobert had been acting as my informant and my personal guard. I thought for hiring someone for that but decided Sir Hobert was the best for it. 

The second report was about an orphanage and school. I needed the information to write a proposal to my father. The report consisted of budget, management and other things related to it.

I knew to build a foundation that consist of school, orphanage, workplace were never easy but it was one of my goals in my past life. I realised I could achieved it in my current life. For the proposal, I wrote things I need to knew first such as the size of the place, the design of it, the characteristics of the buildings and etc. 

Sir Hobert also helped me with his ideas and we discussed a lot about it. Once in a while, Clarissa also gave her two cents. I was grateful to have such competent people around me.