villainess chapter 10

A flicker of something unreadable crossed Evan’s eyes. Caroline clapped her hands together. “Oh my, Beaufort? Then your elder sister will be attending the debutante ball soon!”

“Yes, that’s correct. I’ve accompanied her to choose a dress.”

The Duchess’s eyes lit up with genuine envy. She gently took Vivian’s small hands in hers. “I envy the First Princess so much. I wish I had such a lovely and kind sister like you. All I have is this dark-haired brother who needs another round of etiquette lessons.”

“Oh…” Vivian was unsure how to respond. The young Duke beside them twitched his dark eyebrow, frowning slightly as he tugged at his sister’s sleeve, as if to tell her to stop embarrassing him.

“Just be quiet. My lady, if you don’t mind, may I ask your age?”

“I am twelve.”

“Oh my! You must have graduated from the academy two years early. And so intelligent too! I envy your elder sister even more.”

“The academy only teaches the basics required of nobles, so you flatter me.” Vivian felt a blush creep up her cheeks at the unexpected praise. Her relentless studying had been a personal challenge, allowing her to graduate early and return home. It was nothing to make a fuss about, as it was basic knowledge for most nobles in the empire.

Unlike her prickly and aloof brother, the Duchess was quite cheerful and sociable. People like her often took a liking to Vivian, who was calm and a good listener. She enjoyed hearing others’ stories, finding them occasionally informative and helpful for maintaining amicable relationships in social circles—though it all became meaningless in the end. Caroline, despite their first meeting, seemed to have taken a liking to her.

“Nonsense. Your father must be so happy to have two such wonderful daughters. Oh, Evan barely managed to graduate… Ow!”

“A little bug seems to have followed you, sister. Drawn to your sweet fragrance, no doubt,” Evan said, a smirk playing on his lips as he flicked his sister with a finger. Caroline, who had been gazing at Vivian with adoration, glared at him.

“We’ll talk later,” she mouthed silently, a warning he couldn’t ignore with Vivian present. Evan simply shrugged nonchalantly. Vivian, caught in the middle, felt a sudden urge to escape to the restroom. She needed to return to her sister, who was probably worried.

“If you’ll excuse me, I should be going now.”

“Oh dear, I’ve taken up too much of your time. It was a pleasure meeting you.” Caroline took her hand again.

Vivian responded politely, “The honor was all mine, to meet the Duchess and Duke of the Grey family, the Shield of the Empire.”

“The honor is mine as well, to meet the daughter of the Beaufort family, founders of the Empire. Why don’t we have tea at the Ducal residence sometime soon, along with your elder sister? I’ll send an invitation.”

“I’m free anytime. Thank you.” Caroline, seemingly reluctant to part, had extended an unexpected invitation. This was a stroke of luck for Vivian. In her previous life, Flora had received a tea invitation after her debut, but Vivian, not yet debuted and lacking any connection to the Greys, hadn’t been included. Ultimately, due to an unforeseen incident, Flora hadn’t attended either. The Greys rarely extended invitations unless they truly liked someone, and they seldom hosted even the most common of social gatherings. Vivian decided to seize this unexpected opportunity, hoping to nurture this connection into something stronger. I need to build a solid foundation for my sister, starting now.

“I eagerly await your visit, youngest daughter of the Beaufort family,” the Duke said, flashing her a sweet smile. They say in the East that a promising tree shows its potential from its sapling leaves… Vivian almost blurted out a formal response, overwhelmed by the disarming sweetness radiating from the handsome young man. This gentle warmth was a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor. Was he always like this? And why are you awaiting my visit? Vivian swallowed her questions, nodding politely before finally making her way to the restroom.

***

In the private room assigned to the Grey siblings, the attendant served tea and went to inform Madame of their arrival. While they waited, the two siblings chatted amicably. Several design sketches lay on the table, untouched since they were brought in. Caroline, seemingly uninterested in the dresses, sat on the sofa, looking at Evan with amusement. “So, that young lady was Vivian?”