Villainesses Have More Fun

Chapter 5

When Reilynn had seen Iris’ dress in the novel, she’d known it was by the same modiste as her own. It was the exact gown she’d had her heart set on for the next imperial ball and she’d been certain that one of the male leads had given it to Iris as a gift. She’d clenched her fists in rage. Then she’d leaped forward, grabbed Iris’ hair, and yelled, “You leech! You penniless scarlet woman!”

I get it, Reilynn. I’d also be upset if I put something in my online shopping cart only to discover it was sold out before I could check out. Of course, I’d be angry. But it’d be the price tag that had me debating whether or not to buy it. I may be a modern, city-dwelling career woman, but I’m nothing compared to Reilynn. If she were the sun, I’d be a firefly. After all, how could I, a salaried worker, shine brighter than someone born with a silver spoon?

“It looks fine,” I said.

Iris was speechless.

“It’s pretty,” I said again.

“I’m sorry?”

“Isn’t that a one-of-a-kind Rosemary gown? Her work is truly breathtaking. It suits you well, Ms. Iris.”

What’s with the look of bewilderment? It’s as if she’s thinking, “Why is Reilynn being so nice? Has she lost her mind?” Am I forbidden from giving a compliment? From letting things slide? I don’t have to be evil all the time. I looked over at Reilynn’s followers, whose brows were arched as if they were questioning my very existence. A-am I also supposed to grab Iris by the hair?

“Well then, I hope you enjoy the party,” I said.

Men like Han Beomjun and the crown prince? They’re all yours. I couldn’t give a damn about those womanizers. A leopard, as they say, can’t change its spots. You’ll come to your senses when the tables turn and suddenly you’re crying your eyes out because you’re the one being cheated on. I hope you live to regret trusting bastards like that with your heart. I, on the other hand, plan to spend my family’s fortune. Then I’ll laugh to myself, thinking, “Wow, after everything I’ve spent, I still have money to burn.”

“I’m glad you think so, my lady,” Iris said. “I was afraid you would shun me again because of my gown.”

But my attention was already wandering from Iris and her silly dress. Standing in the banquet hall reminded me of being dragged to a nightclub by my friends when we were younger.

Is it similar here? Can I just approach whoever catches my eye and ask for their phone number? Oh, wait. I’d have to ask for their address so I could write them a letter, huh? I was deep in thought when I realized what Iris had said.

“What exactly do you mean?” I asked.

She smiled sweetly before opening her mouth to speak. “Well, if the modiste is the same, the dresses are bound to be similar. I was worried you’d be upset because many ladies would prefer to avoid such a wardrobe crisis.”

She was explaining why I should be upset. That’s right, Iris was the badass female lead. The one who always triumphed over the villainess through her successful retaliation.

“Is that right?” I answered. So, you’re here to exact revenge on Reilynn, huh?

“They do say a lady’s dress is her pride, though I’m not sure what that means,” Iris said. She poked her cheek, tilted her head, and gave me a doe-eyed look. That lovely, innocent look.

I get it. You’re the refreshing character who crushes the villainess with everything you’ve got.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Lady Reilynn?” Iris clearly hoped that her dress would bruise my ego. It was obvious, given how eager she was to show off how she, the daughter of a poor family, was dressed by the same couturier as Reilynn.

Is she expecting me to raise hell like Reilynn did in the novel?

“How shameless,” I muttered.

“I’m sorry?” Iris said.

I realized I had spoken my thought out loud. Thank God it hadn’t been profanity. How could she be so bold when she’s the secret mistress of someone else’s fiancé? Reilynn didn’t do anything wrong. Iris had no business flirting with the crown prince in the first place.

So what if you’re the female lead? Is that a green light for you to have a great love affair with someone else’s man? Unbelievable. I’ll punish you in Reilynn’s stead. Justice will be served. I beseech the gods of the romance fantasy world: Please grant me strength in exchange for all the money I’ve spent reading your stories.

“Oh, Ms. Iris, I’m not that narrow-minded. If I cared about sharing a modiste, I could have easily bought every custom-made gown on the continent,” I said.

For a brief moment, Iris’ smile slipped. She seemed to grasp what I was saying.

I wasn’t bluffing, right? With House Candmion’s wealth, I’m sure purchasing every dress is feasible.

“The dress looks lovely, Ms. Iris. I hope you have a good time at this party because you never know when you’ll have the chance to wear Rosemary’s dress again.”

All this fuss over wearing that dress once? Don’t let it go to your head, Iris. Stay in your lane.

“Oh, and while I understand your excitement, I hope you don’t embarrass yourself by wearing that dress a second time. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” I walked past her and into the banquet hall. I noticed her knuckles had been white as she gripped the skirt of her dress.

Sucks, doesn’t it? Originally, the villainess would have grabbed your hair and tossed you around. Then, with all the strength you’d earned clawing your way up in this world, you’d have flung her away. You would have said, “Have you no pride? No dignity? Even I, who comes from a humble family, do my best to protect my honor. Don’t forget, Lady Reilynn, that you have honor to uphold as well.” And then you’d have swept out dramatically, leaving the antagonistic villainess behind.

Thank goodness the dream began before that happened. Otherwise, I’d have been up a creek without a paddle. To be frank, Reilynn was a moron in the web novel. If not, it wouldn’t have even been a competition.

Reilynn outshone Iris in every way, whether it was money, power, family history, or a lady’s social standing. Most importantly, her actions had been wholly justified. She could have easily hurt Iris’ pride if she’d played her cards right. So why was Reilynn, “the most precious jewel in all of high society,” dubbed the mindless villainess?

I understand the author’s perspective. It’s cathartic for the reader when the have-nots prevail over the haves, but if Reilynn hadn’t been such a moron, Iris would never have been able to defeat her. I suddenly heard Reilynn’s followers whispering behind me.

“How did Ms. Iris get her hands on a Rosemary dress?”

“Tell me about it. Rosemary’s prices are exorbitantly high.”

“The cost isn’t the only issue. Rosemary refuses to sell her dresses to anyone who isn’t from an influential family.”

Now that I think about it, I was set up to fail right from the beginning of this dream. Screw the male lead who gave Iris that dress. I’ll exact my revenge on you if I don’t wake up soon.

“Did the crown prince—”

“Feira.”

Reilynn must have guessed right, seeing as her followers also thought of the crown prince when they saw Iris’ dress. Mielle cut Feira short and glanced over at me, concerned about the mention of the crown prince, but I wasn’t bothered.

I don’t want to give that jerk even a smidgeon of my attention. Now, should I take a look around the banquet hall? I opened my hand fan and fluttered it around. I was worried about looking awkward, but my body seemed to have some sort of muscle memory. I even remembered the name of the dress designer, who only appeared in a few lines in the web novel, as well as the names of Reilynn’s followers.

My dreaming mind is helping me fill in the blanks. Talk about a massive buff. Wait, what’s going on? Many people were frowning at me, as if they were watching the situation unfold and had lost bets on how much trouble I would cause today. Suddenly, I noticed a stunning man among the disappointed crowd. Who in the world is that?

He was idly leaning against the wall and I could see every beautiful detail of his face thanks to Reilynn’s perfect vision.

I came to this party hoping to meet a few handsome men, but I had no idea I’d find one so quickly. I turned to face Mielle, who had come to stand beside me. “Mielle, who is that man? I’ve never seen him before,” I asked.

Wait, why are Reilynn’s followers giving me a dirty look? As if they had waited an hour for a table at a trendy restaurant, eaten the most delectable food, and then discovered a cockroach in their dish.

Oh, they must be upset by what I said earlier. They, too, could never afford a dress from Rosemary’s boutique because they didn’t come from the most affluent families. That’s why, despite their hatred for her, they’d latched onto Reilynn. They’d wanted to reap the benefits of being close to her and her family.

“That’s Sir Cassion,” Mielle replied, trying to hide her annoyance with a smile.

Sir Cassion, huh? I stared at him closely as Mielle began to explain who he was.