HE/HEROINE AND MY VILLAINESS

             (YOUR REASON'S DOESN'T DEFINE WHO YOU ARE)

Yerre had slept until the evening, and when she awoke, everything was already quiet, and the classically designed lamp on the table beside her bed was now lit, giving the room a slight clearness.

She wandered her eyes through every light-filled corner of the room until she noticed something on the entrance door that gave her shivers and chills.

'Is there someone standing near the front door?  Is it a ghost? 'Yerre pondered. Because the room isn't completely illuminated by the lamp, Yerre suspects that something strange is standing at the door.

Sensing her movement from the bed, the strange thing moved forward to where she was, causing Yerre to scream in terror and close her eyes in dread.

“AHH!!! GET OUT! GET OUT! Don’t come near me! ”

When it heard her helpless screams, the strange thing dashed over to her in panic.

“Miss! Miss! What's the problem? What's the problem?“Mary inquires, her voice trembling from worry. Yerre slowly opens her eyes and turns to look to her right.

Only to see Mary with a concerned expression on her face, bending down in the bed with her knee. Yerre was taken aback, embarrassed, and felt stupid as a result of this.

"What the! M— MARY? “She asks, perplexed.

"Yes, Miss, it's me. What happened? Why did you scream? Is there a problem? " Mary inquires, still concerned. Yerre looked at her for a second before sighing in relief and feeling relieved.

"There is nothing wrong. I thought you were a ghost. Why are you standing at the front door like a statue when you could have sat on the couch instead? You nearly gave me a heart attack. Please don't do anything like that again. " Yerre nagged Mary, who looked at her in relief and stood straight on the floor beside their miss bed.

"I apologize, miss, but we are not required to sit on our master's property without their consent," Mary replied, gesturing to her as she spoke out the Marquis family rule.

'Ah, that's right. I almost forgot this world demanded courtesy, law, and noble rules for servants,' Yerre reflected, feeling distracted.

Yerre sat up on the bed, gently leaning against the soft headboard, and reached out with her right hand to pat Mary's right shoulder.

"Why are you in my room? Did you keep waiting for me to wake up? " Yerre inquires, his voice gentle.

"Indeed, miss,'' she admits.

"I waited for you to wake up so I could bring you your dinner. The madam also told me to stand guard here while you sleep," Mary added as Yerre nodded.

"Haah... It's okay, Mary. You don't have to keep an eye on me all the time. I'll be fine. Besides, we're at home," she explained. Mary nodded, then straightened up and went to the table to retrieve something.

When she returned to Yerre's side, she was already carrying a bed tray with food and warm tea, as well as the medicine that the doctor had prescribed for her full recovery from her fever.

"Here's your food, Miss," Mary announced. Yerre smiles as she looks at the food and into Mary.

"Thank you very much, Mary.  So, how about you? Have you had your meal yet? " She inquired as Mary moved to place the bed tray in front of her.

"I'm already done eating, miss," Mary replied as she sat beside Yerre, about to pick up the spoon to assist Yerre in eating again, but Yerre stopped her hand from touching the spoon by holding her wrist.

"It's all right. Mary, I can now eat without difficulty. My strength had returned earlier," Yerre assured Mary with a smile.

"Oh, please accept my apologies, miss, and then enjoy your food, miss," Mary replied, rising from her bed and facing forward, face flushed with embarrassment for what she had done a split second before, her gaze fixed on the door as she waited for their miss to finish her dinner.

Yerre can't help but sigh as he looks at her, feeling compassion for Mary, who stands guard beside Vendia's bed, unaware of the other's feelings.

"Mary, you can sit on the couch for the time being while I finish eating my dinner, okay?" Yerre explained. Mary looked her in the eyes, nodded, and then went to do what she was told.

'She was truly well-trained as a servant ha, I feel bad ordering her around but I can't do anything about it because it's her job and profession after all. 'I can't interfere,' Yerre reasoned as she began to eat her food.

When she was finished, Mary assisted her in cleaning up by assisting her in bathing and dressing into a new set of sleeping clothes.

Mary is now assisting her in drying her hair while Yerre sits on a soft fluffy chair with the skin of a white bear and the texture of cotton inside, in front of a table with many accessories for women to use and a mirror with parts of gold carved like a phoenix and silver carved like a salvia flower on each side.

Everything in front of her is very expensively beautiful, but it didn't capture Yerre's attention, not even a ping of interest, instead it only reminded her of something that made her mood worse.

After being confined inside the room for the entire day, Yerre became bored and desired to breathe fresh air outside. She also wants to know what part of the story she is in right now so she can be prepared for the next situation.

"Mary, did the doctor come by earlier to check on my condition?" Yerre inquires, starting a conversation to relieve her boredom inside the room.

Mary responded, 

"He does, miss."

"What does he say about my condition?" Yerre inquired of her recovery process, taking Vendia's body into account, before venturing out to enjoy the fresh air and relieve boredom.

"He said your fever had already gone down, but you'll need to rest for four days and you're not allowed to do any heavy work or think too much," Mary responded.

"That's pleasant to hear. Then... am I permitted to leave my room for a brief moment? " Yerre inquired, prompting Mary to put down her bath towel and answer her question.

"Of course, miss, I’ll accompany you," Mary said, making Yerre very glad.

"Great! Um, thank you; how’s my mother and... uh, father?" Yerre inquires, still uneasy and not used to addressing the other people as her parents. Mary continues to dry her hair as she responds to her question.

"The madam has already returned to her chamber, and the master is still inside his office doing some paperwork," Mary responded.

"I see, Mary, how do you feel about the fact that the person you've been serving for so long has forgotten all her memories?" Yerre's question caught Mary off guard, but she quickly recovered by answering her question.

"It’s fine, miss. I don't pay much attention to that issue. As long as you're okay, that's all that matters," her response is simple and short, but it's enough for Yerre to feel calmed and relaxed towards Mary.

"I'm delighted to hear that, Mary. Thank you for answering my question," Yerre said, prompting Mary to nod in response.

Mary had finished drying Vendia's hair and went to tidy it up by tying it into a ponytail for the time being as they went out to explore the mansion.

"Oh, it's a little chilly tonight. Don't you think so, Mary? " Yerre inquired, her breath releasing a foggy art as she shivered from the biting cold. Mary looked her up and discovered something strange.

She forgot to bring her coat, leaving their miss without one. Mary dashed away in a hurry to retrieve the coat from their bedroom's miss drawer.

"Miss, I'll be right back!  Stay there and don't leave. I'd be quick! "Mary yelled as she dashed back inside the mansion, leaving Yerre perplexed and baffled by her actions.

But she stayed put as Mary had instructed, blowing on her icy hands to warm them from the coldness she felt inside her body as her eyes wandered through every flower five meters away from her.

The night was cold, but the weather was beautiful, as were all the stars that lit up the sky. Yerre can't help but let out a long, relaxing sigh as she gazes up at the sky, which is filled with stars of various colors.

"It's lovely," she mumbles through her hazy breath. When she heard footsteps in front of her, she was startled and distracted from her moment. Yerre then took a quick look straight in and noticed a familiar face.

"Milady?" a man dressed in a butler suit asks, surprised to see her. Yerre watches the man's expression and facial features until she recalls something.

'Sir Sebi?' she asks in her thoughts.

Yerre was taken aback. He's the marquis's head butler!

When she found out who the man in front of her was. She immediately straightened her back and smiled at him.

"Sir Se—“

"Oh, my name is Sebi, the head butler of the Marquis residences, and it's good to see you well, young Miss," Sir Sebi interrupted Yerre's words.

'Oh, I almost slipped my tongue there. I almost forgot about my situation,' Yerre thought as she smiled caringly at Butler Sebi.

"Nice to meet you, Sir Sebi," Yerre said, pretending not to recognize him.

"What are you doing outside? It's cold; why didn't you bring a cover for you to stay warm?" He inquires, moving closer to hand Yerre his butler coat.

"Oh, I, uh... thank you," Yerre said hesitantly. She can't refuse Butler Sebi's coat any longer because he's already draped it over her shoulder, protecting her from the cold.

"Mary is actually with me, but she went inside to get something. But she'll be back," Yerre said awkwardly, and Sir Sebi noticed the awkwardness, but he didn't mind because he understood why she acted that way in front of him. 

After all, in everyone's eyes and understanding, she has lost all her memories, but for Yerre, this is her first time seeing these people who are only drawn and described in the book.

Sir Sebi nods and smiles at her.

"She must have gone back to get you your coat," he said, surprising Yerre. She has no idea why Mary had run away with no explanation; all she knows is that she will return to her after getting whatever she wants to get back inside the mansion.

"Oh," Yerre's reaction elicited a chuckle and a warm smile from Sir Sebi.

His smile put Yerre at ease and made her feel at ease in his presence. She shifts her gaze to the flowers in front of her before returning her gaze to the sky with a light feeling in her heart.

"Sir Sebi," she addresses him.

"Yes?" he responds.

"What was I like in the past? Did I offend you all?" she asks, averting her gaze from the sky and looking directly at Sir Sebi with a sweet smile that calms Sir Sebi's heart.

"Well, you do it sometimes, but we know you didn't mean it," Sir Sebi responds.

"I see," Yerre responded, unsurprised. After all, her character was a villain, so hearing the butler's honest response to her was not surprising.

"After you have done something terrible to us, the master and madam will come and explain why you have done those things to us,"

"They do?" Yerre inquires, surprised.

'Those things, however, were not mentioned in the book,' she reflected, perplexed.

To be continued...