ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴᴇss ɪɴ ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇ ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ sɪᴍ

6 | Heroine

"Greetings, Lady Halle."
 
As Graciella approached Halle, she gracefully curtsied.
 
Halle was astonished the moment Graciella approached her because she saw the resemblance between Graciella and the duke.
 
For this reason, she immediately curtsied, although in a rushed manner, her smile bright.
 
"Greetings Lady Graciella! My name is Halle Kainat. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
 
Graciella smiled at her, and somehow felt a bit surprised.
 
(There it is...! The naive and innocent aura of the heroine!)
 
"Indeed, it's a pleasure to meet you."
 
Graciella, though, gave a courteous response to Halle.
 
"Would you like a cup of tea?"
 
Graciella offered with a gesture of her hand, as if holding a cup, and Halle's eyes sparkled brightly in response, excited.
 
"For real?!"
 
"Y-yes...."
 
After calling Louis to prepare for tea time, they were seated in the living room to talk more comfortably.
 
Halle was busy admiring the luxurious furnishings while eating the sweets that were prepared by the maids.
 
Louis was standing behind Graciella as he always would, and Graciella was sipping her camomile tea calmly.
 
(... I only remembered that Halle is the Heroine. But that's all there is to it.)
 
For someone who had only read the prologue, Graciella didn't even remember what exactly the story was.
 
All she remembered was the appearance of the heroine and capture targets, and the fact that it was a yandere otome game.
 
(... Can I really go back to my own world?)
 
She couldn't express how deeply her longing for her family was. However, her thoughts were interrupted by Halle, who started another conversation.
 
"Uhm... actually I'm really grateful to the Clarence family."
 
She smiled shyly, but her expression was thoughtful and sincere. Graciella was surprised that she suddenly brought that up.
 
Although Graciella knows that Halle worked for her family, she never knew the circumstances behind it.
 
"I'm glad to hear that."
 
Graciella smiled kindly at Halle, which somehow made Halle feel specks of warmth inside.
 
"... My family wasn't able to get a decent job and we weren't well off, but when my dad started to grow his own business, the Duke took interest and wanted to invest."
 
Halle chuckled, remembering those hard times when they were still in a small house, gaining help from the people around the village.
 
"The Clarence Dukedom changed my family's life. And when I heard that the Duke has a daughter around my age, I was thrilled and wanted to be friends with you."
 
Although it was for a moment, Graciella could feel the sincerity from Halle. She was astonished and surprised that the Heroine of the game admired the Villainess, and was grateful to her family.
 
(I wonder how badly Graciella harassed Halle in the game...)
 
Somehow, a spark of curiosity flows through her. She wondered what would happen if she played the whole game and how much she would know about Halle.
 
"... Then, I hope we can be good friends from now on."
 
Graciella offered a friendly smile, which was returned brightly by Halle with a hint of surprise to the point that she stood up from the seat.
 
"Really?!"
 
"Yes, of course."
 
Somehow she felt a sense of relief because the system didn't show up to tell her what to do.
 
This time, she's happy to decide for herself.
 
***
 
"A ball for my engagement... with the crown prince?"
 
Graciella was speechless when she heard the news from her father. Just a few minutes ago, she was asked to meet her father in his office, but she didn't expect it to turn out like that.
 
"Father... I appreciate the thought but—"
 
Before she could finish her lines, her father cut them off.
 
"Are you saying that you're going to disobey my orders?"
 
Although he said that with a smile, a shiver ran down Graciella's spine and she dropped her head in fear.
 
"I-it's not that I'm disobeying your order, father... but—"
 
Her words trailed off and sweat started to form on her skin. Her gaze was wandering around the room in order to avoid his eyes.
 
"But I'm—"
 
She gathered the courage to look into the duke's eyes once again and lifted her head, but that courage she gathered was broken with the gaze of the duke that turned cold.
 
The smile on his face didn't waver, but she felt anxious.
 
"Yes, Graciella? Continue what you were saying."
 
Again, she lowered her head and rubbed her own arm in comfort.
 
"N-nothing. I just wanted to say that... I'll soon arrange a date for the both of us to learn about each other."
 
"Ahh, young love."
 
The Duke chuckled and his gaze softened, as if he was never angry in the first place.
 
"... I'm looking forward to the ball."
 
"My daughter is too impatient, isn't she?"
 
Graciella bit her bottom lip to suppress her emotions. Hot tears started to form in her eyes, but she blinked them away and forced herself to smile.
 
Although the atmosphere seemed light from the outside, it was suffocating for her.
 
"... Hahaha..."
 
After returning to her room, Graciella felt down, and she preferred to sleep to bury all her worries.
 
However, Louis appeared with a letter in hand, which caught Graciella's attention.
 
"Forgive me for interrupting your rest, Lady Graciella. But a letter from the temple came."
 
Louis smiles brightly while handing her the letter. Their fingers brushed for a split second, which caused the blush on Louis' cheeks.
 
(Is it the answer to my question? Or about the Blessing Ceremony?)
 
She thought to herself while opening the letter carefully, unfolding the paper.
 
(... Huh? He asks me to come?)
 
She raised a questionable brow but then turned her head toward Louis while handing the letter to him.
 
"Prepare for an outing. I'm going to the temple."
 
"... Again?"
 
Although Louis was confused, he prepared everything without question.
 
As soon as Graciella arrived at the temple, she was greeted by Dylan at the entrance.
 
"Greetings, Lady Graciella!"
 
Dylan greeted her with his familiar friendly smile and Graciella returned his greeting with a polite curtsy.
 
"Shall we go to the garden?"
 
He offered, and Graciella nodded her head in response, following his steps.
 
As soon as Graciella arrived in the garden, she was surprised to see desserts and her favourite tea.
 
Before, she said what kind of dessert and tea she liked due to his curious question about her likes and dislikes.
 
(I never thought he would remember.)
 
"Please sit."
 
He gestures to the seat where Graciella sat when she first visited the temple.
 
(The treatment of a duke's daughter is clearly excessive for someone like me.)
 
She thought awkwardly, hiding her real emotions behind a cheerful smile.
 
"Thank you for the assistance!"
 
She went to her seat and initiated the conversation first.
 
"I'm surprised that you sent me a letter. Do you already have an answer to my previous question or is it about the date or the Blessing Ceremony?"
 
She asked. Her eyes sparkled in delight, as if waiting for a useful answer from him or an answer that could help her complete her task.
 
Contrary to her expectations, Dylan looked a bit shy to answer her question.
 
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and avoided any eye contact.
 
"Actually... I wanted to see you."
 
Stunned, Graciella went silent because of his unexpected answer.
 
"... Pardon?"
 
"Oh, I don't mean anything by it! I just heard that my lady will be engaged to the crown prince."
 
As if she had been betrayed by him, Graciella's eyes widened in surprise. She thought it was unbelievable.
 
(... What kind of nonsense is he spewing now?)
 
Her patience was wearing thin, and she didn't accomplish anything by going to the temple.
 
She clenched her hands into fists and her eyes tightened, but she continued to force herself to smile, just like she did with her father.
 
(This is infuriating.)
 
"Yes, that information is true."
 
She uses a carefully controlled tone so her anger won't burst and ruin everything she's worked for.
 
(This is tiring.)
 
"Oh, is that so?"
 
Somehow, Dylan seemed surprised, as if he didn't want to believe that. He even seemed bothered by her answer.
 
Graciella, who noticed his reaction, finally realized the meaning of his intentions.
 
(Don't tell me... he likes me?)
 
Veins appeared on her neck.
 
(I don't even care about that. I just want to return to my own world.)
 
Her mouth opened with the intention of showing that she was dissatisfied with their meeting.
 
"Dylan, I appreciate the thought of you taking an interest in my engagement. But—"
 
[Comfort Dylan Michel about the engagement.]
 
The screen, which had been absent for some time, abruptly resurfaced before her eyes, nearly startling and upsetting her.
 
When she saw the task assigned to her, it made her tremble with fury, and she bit her bottom lip to control her seething bitterness.
 
She opened her mouth to continue her sentence, which she had already altered due to the task that appeared.
 
"But both of us don't have that kind of feeling for each other. We are attempting to call off our engagement."

***

• Halle Kainat (Heroine)
Status : Baron's Daughter
Hair : Blonde
Eyes : Yellow
Description :
Halle is a bright, good-hearted girl who is always prepared to lend a hand and sees the good in everyone she meets. She has no resentment for the people who have mistreated her.