The Obsessive Villainess Vol. 1 ✔

12. The Prince of Self-Ruin

Chapter. 12: The Prince of Self-Ruin.

Ah, there's Risor!

Grinning mischievously, I snuck up behind the crouching man and tapped his shoulder, before swiftly jumping to the other side; making him look both ways. I giggled and then crouched beside him as he gave me a look.

"Oh, don't be too mad!" I grinned and held out my hand which had a keychain in it; it was a citrine gem that I had seen in the market and it had reminded me of Risor. It sparkled golden, like his eyes.

"For you." I pushed it closer to him when he just stared at it, not understanding why I was showing it to him, and then his eyes widened and he shook his head.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's a little thank you, Mister Risor." I beamed up at him and he reluctantly picked it out of my hand.

Thankfully, it was cheap, and I could afford it with a discount because the stall owner's dog had almost bitten me... ah, sweet memories.

Hmm?

I noticed Risor looking troubled, staring at me. I tilted my head.

"Oh... do you not like it?"

He shook his head. Then he sighed and wrote something in his notebook.

"Did something happen?"

Ah...

I blinked. And then twisted my lips in a bitter smile.

"You sure are sharp, Mistor Risor." I touched a leaf idly. "But it's nothing I'm not used to."

I didn't expect him to pick up on my mood when I made sure to greet him with a smile. The truth is, I was feeling very low right now.

Feeling hungry after lunch, I'd decided to go to the kitchen, hoping it would be empty and that I'd be able to sneakily take some food as I do in the night. But instead of being vacant, it was full.

Full of the manor's servants and food. A feast lay on the kitchen table as the staff ate and made merry. I watched through a gap in the door until the smell of delicious food turned too bitter for me to breathe in and I left.

In the few moments I stood there watching them, I heard a few things they said and one rang clearly in my ears.

"Who knew it'd be so nice to serve an abandoned noble?" A worker leaned back into his seat with a grin. "Nobody cares enough to even check the house funds!"

"There should be more nobles like this! My sibling serving her master is so envious."

One laughed at my misfortune while the other wished for someone else's. I wondered if it's because they were characters in a book that they were being like this. Are they acting like this to fulfil Nora's abused past arc, or are they really such terrible people?

No matter what, it was easy to hate them.

I could throw a tantrum and fight them, but how much would that change? Besides, I don't care. I only need to survive and leave this place.

Ever since I got here, I never felt like I was the daughter of a marquess, or a noble or their master. I had no confidence to suddenly up and start ordering them around and besides, I'm sure they worked for my stepmother and I had no intention of being any further involved with her.

I was used to hunger anyway. The days of my past life when I barely felt like moving, let alone cooking were not uncommon for me.

My gaze returned to Risor in front of me and he had his brows furrowed. Then he wrote something else on his notebook.