The Villianess's Redemption (HYUNJIN ff) ✓

7.Building Trust

Chapter 7: Building Trust
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Y/N’s POV:

The study room was warm and inviting, the sunlight streaming through the tall windows casting a gentle glow on the room’s rich wooden furniture. Jasmine and I had been meeting regularly to strategize against the Seo brothers, and today was no different. We were sitting at a large oak table, its surface strewn with papers, maps, and various notes we had gathered over the past few weeks.

Jasmine was leaning forward, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of excitement and determination. “I’ve managed to gather some useful information,” she began, her voice steady and confident. “Lord Donhyuk has been meeting with a merchant in secret. I’ve seen them together several times, and it looks like the merchant provides him with some sort of herb or ingredient. It could be something for alchemical use or even poison.”

I nodded, taking mental notes. “That’s important information. What else?”

“There’s more,” Jasmine continued, her enthusiasm palpable. “I’ve discovered that a large sum of money is being transferred to an account linked to a charity Donhyuk supports. It looks like he’s laundering money through this charity for some unknown purpose. We need to investigate this further.”

I frowned, considering the implications. “That’s quite a lot to take in. What else?”

Jasmine hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “I’ve also heard that the Seo brothers will be attending Eliza’s birthday party, which Hyunjin is hosting. There’s a chance they might make a move during the event. It would be beneficial for us if you could attend the party and keep an eye on things.”

As Jasmine mentioned Eliza’s upcoming birthday party, a cold shiver ran down my spine. I tried to mask the sudden dread that overcame me, but it was impossible to ignore the vivid memory that flashed before my eyes.

In the original novel, Isabella had attended this very same birthday party as an uninvited guest. Her intentions were fueled by jealousy and a desire for revenge. The novel described the event as a turning point. Isabella, driven by her emotions, had orchestrated a subtle but devastating scheme.

I recalled the way she had slipped into the party unnoticed, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. She’d planned to humiliate Eliza publicly, thinking that by doing so, she could regain some sense of control over her unraveling life. Isabella had arranged for one of the party’s performers, a seemingly harmless magician, to be the scapegoat for her actions. In the novel, the magician unknowingly delivered a gift to Eliza,
a laced perfume that, when applied, caused a severe allergic reaction.

Eliza had collapsed in the middle of the celebration, gasping for breath as the party guests panicked. The scene had been chaotic, with Hyunjin rushing to her side, his face twisted with fear and concern. The novel had painted Isabella’s feelings in stark contrast with relief at her success mingled with an unexpected pang of guilt as she watched the scene unfold from the shadows.

But what haunted me most was what followed. Isabella had expertly manipulated the situation, ensuring that the blame fell entirely on the magician, who was swiftly arrested and banished from society. Eliza’s recovery had been slow, and the event had left a permanent scar on her relationship with Hyunjin, who never fully forgave himself for failing to protect her.

Remembering this, I felt a wave of nausea. The idea of history repeating itself filled me with dread. I couldn’t allow the same thing to happen, not after everything we’d been through. I couldn’t be the cause of any more harm to Eliza.