Given That I've Become a Villainess, I'd Like to Live Freely

CH. 86 to 88

[Chapter 86]

Having completely lost my bearings, I tried changing topics.

[Rose]: "H-Hey El. Why were you and everyone else there when Erina-sama pushed me down the stairs? You never told me the details."

That's right. Will-sama said he would explain things later, but I returned home without ever hearing about it.

[El]: "Oh, about that"

It seems that Erina-sama had said something very suspicious to Sophia-sama while I was absent from school. Something that made it sound like she was acquainted with Count Damiel and the kidnapping incident, so Sophia-sama spread the word to El and everyone else.
That's why when I returned to school and went off on my own, everyone secretly tailed me from behind because Will-sama wanted to see what Erina-sama would do.

[Rose]: "And so when I was falling down the stairs, you were able to get there in time to save me."

[El]: "Yes, thankfully I decided to follow along from a different direction from Sophia-sama and Prince William. I had a bad feeling when I saw you heading for the stairs. Thankfully I made it in time. Really......"

I brushed some of El's hair out of his eyes. It really is scary to think about what would have happened if he hadn't made it in time.

[Rose]: "All I've been doing lately is make everyone worry about me."

(I was supposed to be the villainess.)

It feels strange when I think about it. If everything had gone as it was supposed to, El should've fallen in love with Erina-sama and turned against the story's antagonist, me. But Erina-sama, the heroine, was the one who was ultimately condemned.

[El]: "If you would stay by my side forever, I'd never have to worry about you again."

[Rose]: "........"

I couldn't come up with an answer for the serious look in El's gaze.

(I......what is it I'm supposed to do? I know I don't dislike El. But I can't understand what it is I'm feeling besides........)

[Rose]: "......El, I still don't know how I feel......"

[El]: "I know, it's okay. I can wait. You haven't rejected me at least."

For some reason I don't really understand, a knot in my chest got real tight when I saw El's soft smile. But, it's probably just because of how cute El is when he smiles, so I decided to not worry about it and instead enjoy the sweets Anna had just brought for us.

[Chapter 87]

Word that Erina-sama was sent to live in a monastery spread quickly throughout the school.

(It's only natural that something like this would get around in no time.)

Apparently it's thanks to Will-sama that it didn't get out how she was involved in my kidnapping. I should say that it is expected of the respectable prince to be able to hide something as large as a duke's daughter being kidnapped, but it once again firms my resolve to never make an enemy out of him.

[Rose]: "She would've been the heroine if things had gone normally......."

She was the heroine of an otome game. There's no way she wouldn't be cute. But because she was so desperate to be liked by everyone, she resorted to using harassment like a villainess and was forced into a monastery.

[El]: "Rose, are you thinking about that woman again?"

It's already been a few weeks since Erina-sama left the school.
But she was somebody I was well acquainted with in my previous life and a domineering existence in my current one. It'd be impossible for me to forget about her immediately. Especially after the things she had done to me here.