Chapter 17: I see. Viviana.

In the game, Mardian embodies the typical traits of a villainess. She is a beautiful woman with blonde hair, red eyes, and fierce eyes.

However, Mardian only appears as a villain when the protagonist is chosen as Lilian, the Saint. Mardian found Lilian, who was essentially a commoner, attempting to enter high society to be unpleasant and used every means to harass her.

If the protagonist is chosen as Viviana, Mardian becomes as insignificant as an extra NPC like Tina. They rarely even cross paths, and even if they do, there is no interaction.

The scenario where a countess harasses a princess would only occur if there was a setting error. In other words, encounters between Viviana and Mardian are almost non-existent.

At least, scenes where they exchange sharp glances like this have never been seen in numerous playthroughs.

“I never expected to see Lady Viviana in such a humble place.”

[Is the lady so free that she can come to such a secluded place?]

Thanks to her long experience in high society, Mardian’s true intentions hidden behind her polite words were easily discernible. However, despite Mardian’s sharp tone, Viviana maintained her poise, smiling gracefully.

“I didn’t expect Lady Mardian to have such a hobby either. I’m surprised.”

Mardian’s golden eyes trembled slightly. She must not have expected to see the princess in such a place. And now that she’d been caught red-handed, there was no room for excuses.

“…Do you have a reason for being here?”

Eventually, Mardian withdrew her sharp thorns aimed at Viviana. Viviana turned her cold, purple eyes toward me.

“I have a brief matter to discuss with Lady Blanc. Would it be alright to speak with her for a moment?”

“…Of course. As you wish, Your Highness.”

“Thank you. Then, Lady Blanc?”

Viviana extended her hand toward me, a faint smile playing on her lips. I looked at Mardian in confusion. She nodded in approval, but her eyes remained cold and distant.

“Mardian…?”

“Go ahead, Tina. Oh, your tiara is a bit crooked.”

Mardian smiled and adjusted the tiara on my head. Although I was unsure if it was alright to leave, I couldn’t resist Viviana’s insistent gaze and took her hand.

We walked away from the party, hand in hand with the princess, for quite some time.

Eventually, we arrived at a secluded spot deep in the garden, far from the party hall, where I first encountered Viviana.

“Lady Viviana, this is…?”

I was flustered. More shocking than Mardian attempting to kiss me was the fact that I had encountered Viviana three times in such a short span.

And all three times, Viviana had sought me out. The first time, she found me deep in the garden; the second, and now, the same.

The Viviana I knew was not the type to show interest in others. One of the things she hated the most was wasting time. She was a cold person who would cut off unnecessary relationships without hesitation.

It was often said that collecting all the bad endings was much easier than achieving a love ending with Viviana. She was not someone who easily opened her heart to others.

“I didn’t know Lady Tina had such tastes.”

Viviana suddenly stopped leading me and turned around with a cold smile. I instinctively shuddered at her icy aura, but I masked it and instead smiled back.

“Tastes? What do you mean?”

“You were quite devoted. I wondered if you put honey on Lady Mardian’s fingers.”

Normally, people might beat around the bush a bit, but Viviana was direct and honest. It was just like her.

But it was fine. Even if her words were meant to insult me, calling me something akin to a prostitute, there was nothing embarrassing about them.

“As you say, I’m just a pet lady. If that makes Lady Mardian happy, then I’m happy too.”

I approached Viviana with a bright smile, looking up at her with weary eyes and speaking in a tired voice.

“If you wish, I can do the same for you.”

In a brief moment, the always composed gaze of Viviana flickered. However, it was only for an instant. She quickly resumed her cold expression and let out a soft chuckle.

“…Hmm.”

‘Her smile is exactly like in the game and the illustration.’

To describe Viviana in one sentence:

She was a perfectionist with sociopathic tendencies.

She generously supported those who were beneficial to her but was exceedingly ruthless to those who were not. She never wasted her time or resources and would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

Her excellence wasn’t limited to just her business acumen.

What about on the battlefield against the enemy kingdom? Viviana was a warrior armed with exceptional talent inherited from a renowned swordsmanship family. Her appearance as she cut down enemy soldiers was like that of a ghost, becoming a symbol of fear on the battlefield.

In social circles, she carried an aura of elegant beauty and a gentle smile, causing little alarm. However, those who knew her true nature dared not meet her gaze, aware of the cold-blooded reality hidden behind her smile.

Such was Viviana.

‘What puzzles me is why someone like her would take an interest in me.’

For now, as I couldn’t grasp the true nature of this situation, it seemed wise to play along with her tune. I looked up at Viviana with a bright smile.

“I didn’t get a chance to properly thank you last time, so I’m really glad to see you, Lady Viviana.”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d drop the act, Lady Blanc.”

But what came back was an unexpected, chilly voice.

“Huh? What do you mean…”

“I saw it all. How you enjoyed yourself after ruining Lady Verdalen’s social life.”

“…What?”

What?

I blinked in confusion at the unexpected remark. Did she see what happened with Rose? No, that’s a problem too, but enjoying it?

That can’t be.

Even when I felt a burst of laughter, I had thoroughly covered my mouth to hide it. My eyes might have slightly curved, but that alone wouldn’t be enough for her to sense that I was enjoying myself. Not even Sharyone or the other ladies noticed, so how could she have caught such a subtle change?

“Lady Viviana, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Lady, my senses are far sharper than those of an ordinary person. I can easily pick up on even the slightest changes in emotion.”

Viviana’s unwavering voice shook me. I knew she had a keen intuition honed through extreme training. But I thought it was limited to combat situations. Could it be that this sharp sense extended to everyday situations as well?

‘…What should I do?’

It felt like she truly saw me enjoying myself. I considered testing Viviana, but I knew such an attempt would be pointless. Viviana knew that I was not as innocent as I appeared to the world. So, perhaps, as she said, there was no need for me to keep up pretenses.

“You can relax, Lady.”

“What do you want from me?”

I decided to follow her wishes. As I gave up the intention of sounding cheerful, the voice that came out was cold and indifferent. However, Viviana seemed pleased with the tone of my voice, smiling satisfactorily.

“Well… What could I possibly want from you?”

“I have nothing to offer you, Lady. My family has no money or power.”

Knowing her personality, which coldly disregarded those who were of no benefit to her, I spoke to exploit that point. But her eyes still held deep interest in me.

Why? Why is Viviana so interested in me? As long as I don’t know the reason, I can’t escape her grasp.

But it was Viviana who answered my deep concern.

“Well, why don’t you flatter me like you do with the other ladies?”

“…What?”

Viviana lifted my chin with her finger, a playful smile on her lips.

“Why don’t you do to me what you did to Lady Mardian? Then, I might keep quiet about your cunning nature, my little pet.”

It was an unexpected request, but it gave me a clue to this confusing situation.

The situation began to clear up.

The pieces of the puzzle slowly started to fit together.

I finally found the answer to why Viviana showed such deep interest in me.

Ah, of course.

Why hadn’t I realized this sooner?

It’s impossible to deny the human instinctual attraction to cuteness. Even a person with a cold heart can’t resist the bright and pure affection of a puppy, the clever charm of a cat, or the adorable cries of a baby.

Moreover, if that cuteness is directed at them with goodwill, they can’t help but be defenseless against its charm.

A truth that has never been denied in history: Cuteness always wins people’s favor.

“Pfft!”

I covered my mouth, trying to hold back my laughter. Viviana looked down at me, furrowing one eyebrow, seemingly not expecting my reaction.

“Hmm…? Judging by your laughter, it seems you don’t understand the situation, Lady Blanc.”

“Ah, sorry, pfft… It’s just, a funny thought suddenly came to mind.”

I see.

Viviana.

You’re no different from the other ladies, after all. Well, you’re just a human too. Maybe I’ve been stuck in the frame of being the protagonist, thinking unnecessary thoughts.

I covered my mouth to stifle the laughter and looked into Viviana’s eyes. The cold violet eyes that used to scare me didn’t seem so frightening anymore.

“Lady, if it’s not too rude, may I call you Viviana?”

Viviana.

You want to love me too, don’t you?