The Crazy Villainess in This Area Is Me

“

!”

How foolish can a woman be?

Kriella sat in the empty powder room, laughing hysterically. As soon as she arrived at the palace, she met with her close lady friends and borrowed money from them. With that money, she bribed a lower noble to hire assassins that could be used immediately.

No matter how strange the powers a woman might have, she couldn’t possibly defeat dozens of assassins by herself. By the time she returned, Lobelia would surely be a cold corpse sprawled out in her room.

Laughter continued to leak from between her lips. Now, she could attend the debutante held by Duke Gracie with a heart lighter than ever.

“Grandma!”

Just then, Roseni burst through the door.

“

? Roseni.”

“There’s big trouble!”

The child’s complexion was terribly off. With a sense of foreboding, Kriella jumped to her feet.

“Mother and Merilly are missing!” Roseni cried out urgently.

At those words, her mouth slowly opened in shock. “That’s…!”

Despite being tainted with the blood of commoners, that child also shared her son’s blood. Kriella immediately kicked open the door of the powder room. At that moment, Magorit appeared before her.

“

?”

“Where are you rushing off to, Mother?”

In her arms, Merilly was sound asleep.

“What? What’s going on?”

“She’s sleeping. She said she was sleepy, and as soon as I held her, she fell asleep.”

“And Endimion?”

“He’s been talking with the nobles from the Shinsu faction.”

Kriella’s gaze drifted to Merilly. Seeing her breathe softly with a slight flush, thankfully, it didn’t seem like she had been harmed.

“I need to let Merilly sleep more in the powder room. Could you take care of Roseni, Mother?”

“…I want to stay by Merilly.” Roseni clung to Magorit, not letting go of his suspicion.

“Then, so be it.”

She entered the powder room as if nothing was amiss, followed by Roseni.

“What about Mother?”

“…

. I have a lot to do.”

“Then go. I’ll come there once Merilly wakes up.”

“Alright.”

Roseni was there; what could possibly go wrong? Despite everything, she wouldn’t abuse a child with her own child watching. Kriella glanced at Magorit for a moment before quickly turning away.

Soon, only three of them were left inside the powder room. Magorit carefully laid Merilly down on the sofa. The child’s breathing filled the quiet room.

After patting Merilly’s chest for a while, she whispered to Roseni. “Are you bored waiting? Why don’t you take a nap too, Roseni?”

“I don’t want to.”

Roseni answered brusquely. She wouldn’t take her eyes off Merilly for a second. Now that she knew Merilly was Lobelia’s child, she could no longer overlook her mother’s wicked deeds.

She wanted to believe those foolish excuses. But as expected, excuses were just excuses.

“What did you say to Merilly?”

“Nothing. Just said I missed her.”

“Okay.”

Roseni sat down next to Merilly, crossing her arms and watching her mother as if she were on guard. Magorit smiled kindly as if she had become a completely different person.

While tidying Merilly’s hair, she gently asked. “Roseni, should I get you some cocoa?”

“Cocoa?”

“Yes. It seems we’ll have to wait a while before she wakes up. I’ll bring you some cocoa and a fairy tale book. Can you watch over Merilly for me?”

“Yes. Okay.”

The child’s lips pouted but eventually nodded. Reading fairy tales and drinking cocoa seemed like a good way to keep an eye on whether Magorit would harm Merilly.

“Alright. Just wait a moment.”

She smiled faintly and carefully stood up to avoid making any noise. Then, she slowly left the room. Nothing she did aroused suspicion. She merely picked up a cup of cocoa and a few fairy tale books prepared in the great hall.

Magorit headed back to the powder room. But just before touching the doorknob, she slightly opened the locket pendant on her bracelet. A mysterious white powder fell from it, heading towards the cocoa. The white powder melted into the cocoa like snow. Magorit returned to the powder room as if nothing was amiss.

“Roseni.”

“…

.”

Attracted by the sweet aroma, Roseni hurried over to her and took the cocoa. Then, like a puppy looking for its owner, she sat right next to Merilly, holding the cocoa cup properly.

“Is it still warm?”

“Yes. What about Merilly’s?”

“There’s plenty in the hall. She can have some when she wakes up. It’ll get cold if we bring it now.”

“…Right.”

The child blinked her mysterious-colored eyes quietly as she looked into the cocoa.

“Why?”

“Just, it’s so dark, I wondered if someone I know is as dark as this.”

The barbed words were directed at Magorit. However, she shrugged her shoulders, not taking the words as if they were meant for her.

“Drink it before it gets cold.”

“Yes.”

Roseni tipped the cocoa cup without any suspicion. The warm and sweet liquid gently enveloped her mouth. Pleased by the taste, the child repeatedly sipped the cocoa.

“…

?”

At that moment, Roseni’s eyes widened as he sensed something was off. But it was too late. Her body was already tilting to the side.

“No…”

With a clatter, the cocoa cup fell towards the floor. Roseni’s eyes slowly fluttered. Through her blurred vision, Magorit said in a low voice.

“I’m sorry, Roseni.”

“No, please… Mother…”

“It’s just a moment of pain.”

Despite the child’s last plea, she gently closed Roseni’s eyes. Then, with a completely changed face, she revealed a wicked smile.

“We’re going to be happy now. Just like before.”

Magorit picked up both children at once. She only put the children in the carriage she had arrived in. To avoid the suspicion that she had gotten rid of Roseni and killed Merilly herself, she had no choice. She planned to lock up both children together and pretend to be a victim herself.

Merilly had fallen asleep in her arms before she could even use the drug. The heavens were helping her. It was fair to say she was followed by great fortune.

“Feed the pink one to ‘Merilly.’ Give the mint one to ‘Roseni.’” She handed a pink box and a mint box each to the coachman she had hired in advance.

“Yes, understood.”

He bowed his head and immediately set the carriage in motion. The coachman headed to a dilapidated warehouse in a deserted area outside the city. He stopped the carriage and carried the children inside.

Inside, a soft blanket had been laid out in advance. The coachman carefully laid the children on the blanket. Then, he sat down on a chair and began to doze off himself.

How much time had passed? It was around dusk when one child groaned and sat up.

“

…!”

The first to wake was Roseni. Startled by the unfamiliar scene, Roseni frantically looked around. From the rust on the walls to the spiderwebs hanging everywhere. It was clearly not the palace.

“W-who are you?”

The child clutched Merilly’s skirt first, asking in a frightened voice.

“

, you’ve woken up.”

The coachman’s eyes, laden with sleep, slowly fell. He yawned greatly and took out the boxes Magorit had given him.

“Feed the pink one to ‘Merilly,’ the mint one to ‘Roseni’…”

The coachman mumbled stupidly.

Then, he abruptly turned his head to look alternately at the still-sleeping child and the awake one.

He hadn’t asked who was Merilly and who was Roseni.

“

, how foolish.”

He smacked his forehead and shook his head in disbelief. It was too late to go back and ask. There was bound to be a hitch in the plan.

“

, what to do now.”

“I am…”

“

?”

At that moment, Roseni’s eyes sparkled faintly. Shielding Merilly with her body, she stuttered.

“I am Merilly. As the eldest daughter of the Hamilton Marquis, I will protect my younger sibling…!”

Tears welled up in Roseni’s eyes.

“You… you can’t lay a finger on my sibling!”

But even as she teared up, the child did not avoid the coachman’s gaze. The desire to protect Merilly, who had been abused, was the only thing burning in her small chest.