The villainess will survive!

Part 83: Breakdown

Murmurs and gossip spread around like a wildfire, because the events that transpired today was nothing short of a big topic. 

Although a bit dazed from the waves of confusion that hit me like a truck, I still kept reminding myself that this wasn't a dream but reality.

Baron Castria managing to crawl up into the higher ranks of nobles was already a big thing among social circles. 

Most people who were neutral on the Crown Prince having a lover immediately started to join in on the suspicions after the Baron was given the title of Count. 

It was rumoured that Albert himself discussed it with the King, to promote the Baron. 

In this case, Ivy's rank as a noble's daughter would also increase, turning into a candidate for Queen and nothing short of rank. 

But if Albert suddenly turned around and pointed out the Count's supposed crimes to the crowd, then what would that make people think?

Most people were aware that most children born in this competitive society learned to plan and scheme, and you would draw a conclusion that Albert was the same. 

He wouldn't decide to throw convince the King to raise the Baron's rank because the Baron simply deserved it for his effort, nothing else. 

Nor would he suddenly find out about the crime and regret his decision in advising his father in an action.

The evidence, to accuse a Count, must have taken at least months of working and sorting out details. 

Nobles were quite tricky and good at hiding their tracks, after all. 

There was obviously another selfish-orientated goal behind these actions. 

However, I couldn't understand why he purposely raised the Count's rank. 

Wouldn't this cause more trouble for him than if he were outright accusing a Baron?

But with the reassurance that something in this wretched otome world changed course and that I may hold an almost iron-clad survival rate, better than ever, I decided to not think too far into it. 

Pleased and a slight bit smug with myself, my attention on the situation in the ball wavered. 

It wasn't until the bone-chilling scream I snapped back to the current situation I was in. 

My head snapped upwards to see the mess of the person who created the sound. 

Ivy had both hands tugging at each sides of her head, hair falling around or being held by the two fists. 

Her face was a bit miserable, nevermind, in a really depressing state right now. 

Tears of anger were streaming down her cheeks, but her eyes weren't red, indicating she had only recently started crying. 

After her father was arrested and pulled away?

I stepped a bit closer to get a better view of the scene, and noticed the very visible madness in her eyes. 

It seemed that somewhere in the middle of this fit of anger and madness, she noticed me staring at her. 

"...Haaaa..........Hahaha............Haahahahahaha.....HAHAHAHA............."

She started laughing in a rather mocking manner, but everybody in the room had heard the loud noises.

It wasn't the laugh of a sane person who had been just told a funny joke; it was clearly the laughter of someone who had gone mad. 

There were a few turns of head, but truly, nobody knew how to deal with this situation. 

"Roselyn.....Roselyn.....Roselyn.....That used to my name......Is this satisfying for you? Tell me....." 

Confusion hit everybody in this room, except me, who was now standing in the front. 

"....Why is it that in both 2 lifetimes..........I'm always the one who gets the short end of the stick?"

I could hear soft steps moving closer to the core of this situation, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Onii-sama cautiously proceeding towards Ivy. 

 "...At first, I assumed it was luck........that baron girl just got lucky....that's it....." 

I glanced at Onii-sama without turning my head, as to not alarm Ivy in her state. 

"....but the problem must have not been the positions.......but me only....." 

A small bird's chirp came from her back, along with a small, quick spell that I assumed was to calm down her owner. 

"...life really is too unfair.......why isn't it me....................." 

A pang of pain that wasn't present before struck my heart at these words. 

When I was in my old world, I would watch as kids walk back home with their parents as I sat there, waiting for my parents to pick me up. 

Somedays, my adoptive mother's car would pull up. 

Others, they wouldn't. 

A teacher would sometimes ask why I was still here after school ended, and I would always reply with, "I'm waiting for my parents." 

Most of the time I would just usually end up walking alone back home, as the day started to get darker and the sun lower. 

Although I've matured and turned into a person of convenience, back then, I still had a bit of hope lit up within me. 

That they would come, just late. 

That I would be cared for, like other kids. 

But like ice cold water being dumped on me, my parents didn't even bother.

"I see no reason I should go pick you up when you can come back home just fine, just like every other time", was what I received after a 40-minute walk in the rain. 

I had not brought any umbrellas that day, while other children had one packed by their parents.

To look upon something enviously, but never having it within your reach. 

This was something I could understand. 

My mind snapped out of the flashback as I heard her voice once more. 

Ivy had stopped pulling at her hair, and despite it being ruffled, her face was replaced with a more neutral expression. 

But her eyes were still coated with a haze of madness, and a small grin spread across her lips. 

"But if I won't get what I want, then I'll make sure you won't, either. Maybe, at least, in this life, I won't be the sole one suffering."