The Villainess Doesn't Want To Fall In Love

Chapter V: The Sacrificial Lamb Part 1

"As long as we keep our mouths shut, everything will be fine, right? Then let's keep it a secret between us. But, in one condition. Stay with me."

Reina scratched her head with her two hands out of annoyance as the words of the cursed prince ran through her head as many times already. Since that night of their confrontation at the banquet, sleeping became a difficult part of ending the day. Who would have thought she would meet the man who saved her from the phantoms yet turned out to be the first prince instead? All the more reason why she had regretted coming, she couldn't even enjoy the food there because of him.

"Send me a letter once you've made up your mind." -were his last words before he walked away after he covered her with his cloak which she had been carefully hidden under her bed. She hadn't caught a fever, thanks to him and she hated him even more for acting like he cared for her health. Even though she had already told him that she couldn't be of any use to him, still, he wanted her to be by his side.

He could've been thinking about something else. She fed herself with assumptions as her brain began to formulate the thoughts. There was no reason for the prince to keep her by his side unless he was into something else. Since she had already told him about her so-called precognition ability, which was a lie, and she had proved it herself to cover up her lie, maybe he wanted to monopolize her and cage her in the abandoned castle.

Thinking of living with the prince made her shiver at first, thinking about the deadly curse he possessed but as she thought about it repetitively, there was nothing to be afraid of actually. Turned out she was not affected by his curse. Even his enormous flame couldn't scratch the thinnest surface of her skin. In fact, she liked his warmth. Her face noticeably went bright red when she remembered how desperate she clung to him that day. She shook her head and slapped her cheeks gently to chase away the memory.

She didn't know how she turned out like this but it was interconnected to the incident during her awakening test when the light of the crystal ball surprisingly faded every time she touched the transparent glass. She was not just an empty vessel but she was a void, one that nullifies mana. She theorized that she could only be hurt physically but no one could use the elemental gift against her.

So there was no point in crying over his condition. If I just have to stay with him, it'll be fine. In fact, living together would only be an advantage for her to monitor him. It'd be convenient if she could maintain a closer watch on him if ever he's planning something. If he failed to keep his word and tell the duke about his curse, then it's the end. She made some strokes on her chin and she heaved a long sigh. Living in the Louvern castle may not be so rough for her unlike Melissa in the original storyline who had to be conscious in every move whenever she was with the prince.

It had been weeks already but she still couldn't find the courage to write a reply to the prince. She was stuck between 'she doesn't want to say anything' and 'she has a lot to say that letters could never carry all the words'.

It's not that I wanted to talk to him personally though. She frowned at the unnecessary thought.

Another thing that had been bothering her was the fact that it wasn't only about her decision, she must consider her family's opinion too. They didn't know about what was happening between her and the prince and it would be hard to convince them to let her go. Well, it's not only her family but including also the Scarlett faction.

If only Prince Darius was not a son from a Marqaux bloodline and he hadn't been cursed, the Marquis would probably, in a blink of an eye, let her live with him and bless them with a happy marriage. Given her age, the Marchioness would also wish for her to settle down and build a blissful family on her own.