Villainesses Have More Fun

Chapter 6

He was a brunette with dark eyes and the brown shade of his hair was divine. It was the kind of brown that sun bleached to a dark blonde but shone a lustrous black at night. It was very rare to find natural brown hair as lovely as his.

And look at that face! Absolutely flawless. He could even pass as a movie star. If he lived in my world, agents would have attempted to street-cast him hundreds of times. If he were to walk into a nightclub, people would be lining up to talk to him.

But what stood out the most was his stoic expression. If I were to take his photo and upload it with the caption, “the quintessential decadent beauty,” a slew of people would comment, “Please be mine!”

“He’s not worth your time, Lady Reilynn,” Mielle said.

“How come?” With a face like that, how could he not be worth my time? If he has a fan club, I want to be the first to join.

“Well, he’s nothing more than a commoner knight and his skills are quite mediocre,” she said. “He must have been invited alongside the other knights, as Count Auswen is the Captain of the 12th Order.”

Doesn’t the fact that he’s of humble origin yet received knighthood imply that he’s fairly skilled? I thought knights wielded considerable power.

A flood of information inundated my brain. The 12th Order was the lowest-ranking order out of twelve, where knights assist soldiers in patrolling the outskirts of the capital and inspecting the castle gate. The order was made up of knights with no connections, skills, or status.

“But he is handsome,” I said.

It doesn’t matter if you’re inexperienced or of low social standing. You’re easy on the eyes. If you had been born in Korea, your looks would have placed you in the top one percent. Why are you getting kicked around in this world?

“Pardon?” Mielle looked at me, gaping. It must be strange to hear Reilynn, who has only ever had eyes for, or rather stalked, the crown prince, praise another man’s appearance.

I heard someone snort with laughter. It was one of Reilynn’s followers.

“Pardon my rudeness, Lady Reilynn,” Anastasia, or Aisha, apologized, waving her hands as if to snatch back her words. Her frantic movement told me she was in a panic.

“That’s quite all right. Did I say something amusing?”

“No, I... I was merely taken aback,” she explained. “You sounded like one of us just now.”

What was Reilynn like again? That’s right. She treated those below her on the totem pole as if they were insects. And, if I remember correctly, she regarded commoners as livestock. If the people didn’t have bread, Reilynn would have definitely said “Let them eat cake.”

“So you get what I’m saying, Aisha!” I said excitedly and grabbed her hands. But what is there to do about it? The web novel’s Reilynn, the person everyone in this world knows, is gone now, and I’ve taken her place. I once read about an heiress dating an extremely handsome actor. I looked up to her thinking that if I could choose any life, I’d choose hers.

“Y-yes, I suppose I do...” Aisha glanced at where I held her hands, bewildered.

“Truth be told, many ladies find themselves drawn to him. He may be a commoner, but he is a sight for sore eyes.” Sarah, one of Reilynn’s more enthusiastic followers, came to stand beside me.

It’s true. Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, but there is such a thing as aesthetic perfection. A kind of beauty no one could deny. After all, beauty has moved people since the dawn of time.

“Oh... But he is no match for the crown prince, of course,” Sarah said, examining my face for signs of displeasure.

“I believe they each have their own charm,” Feira chimed in. “The crown prince’s beauty is more sublime, whereas Sir Cassion’s is more... More...” She stared intently at the ceiling, hoping to find a word to describe him.

Fortunately for you, I know the perfect word. “More rakish,” I said to Feira solemnly.

“That’s right! Rakish! As if he’s about to divest himself of his shirt and come over to tease us at any moment. My, oh, my!”

Who knew young noblewomen would also enjoy gossiping about their local hotties? I guess they’re ordinary people too. This brings back memories of my high school friends and me whispering about our crushes by the lockers. Actually, Reilynn’s followers are around that age, aren’t they?

Sarah kept giggling. Her face was round, as were her eyes. She was a pretty, young gamine with freckles on her cheeks. She looked at me. “I never expected you to describe someone as ‘rakish,’ Lady Reilynn.”

“You could say I’m pretty good at figuring out what makes someone unique.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?”

The sour faces of Reilynn’s followers had given way to sweet smiles. They seemed more at ease around me now. Despite being pressured by society to be women of prim virtue, the girls were still just teenagers.

“Has Sir Cassion ever danced with a lady?” I asked.

Everyone turned to face me.

“No, my lady. Most attendees are hesitant to ask a commoner to dance.”

“Why do you ask?”

What do you mean, why? If this is all a dream, can’t I at least satisfy my desires? Is that too much to ask? Is it? What’s the harm in courting an Adonis for one night only? “Because I would like to ask him to dance,” I said simply.

They froze, perplexed by my words.

“But dancing with a man without a title is...”

“She’s right, Lady Reilynn. You might be risking your reputation.”

Oh, come on. Can’t a lady simply dance with whomever she wants?

“Don’t worry,” I said.

When else will I have the opportunity to hold hands with someone like him? How do I ask him to dance, anyway? Do I just walk over, grab his hand, and say, “Let’s bust a move. You and me. Right now”? Or is that too direct?

“Go ahead, Lady Reilynn. His Highness isn’t here and I have always wanted to dance with Sir Cassion, just like you,” Sarah said. “I want to live vicariously through you.”

I looked at Sarah in astonishment. I didn’t know Reilynn had such a sweet follower. The villainess was unkind, sometimes scathing even. Why did you put yourself on the same side as someone like her, Sarah?

“I’d be happy to do that,” I answered. Then a memory came to me. The memory of asking someone to dance. Wow, this world has confined a woman far too much to her title. I need to send a signal with my eyes to request a dance, huh? Why? Why can’t I just walk up to him?

“Would anyone mind telling me... how exactly a lady asks for a dance?” I spoke up.

Reilynn’s followers fell silent.

“Oh, you must have forgotten after spending your entire life dancing with the crown prince. All you have to do is send a signal with your eyes,” Mielle broke the silence in an attempt to hide my humiliation. They were doing their best to justify my unladylike behavior.

You don’t have to do that. I mean, I doubt I’ll ever be able to adapt to such etiquette. I just want to have fun without having to deal with all of these frustrating roadblocks in my way. But as they say, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” What choice do I have?

“Don’t forget, Lady Reilynn, you’re the jewel of high society. If you send a glance his way, he will undoubtedly come to you in a heartbeat.”

Even in this humbling situation, they continued to cheer me on.

Why am I nervous? Reilynn is beautiful. Coming from a country with cutting-edge medical technology and plastic surgery ads on every corner, I can tell you she has a face you’d only see once in a thousand years.

“All right, I’ll give it a try,” I said.

Sarah looked overjoyed. Meanwhile, Mielle appeared troubled, and Aisha scrunched up her face in confusion. The other two followers, Roshay and Feira, looked on in amusement.

Why do I feel like a test subject? Are you five getting a vicarious thrill from me? I waved my fan with one hand while my other arm hung loosely. Then I looked in his direction. How am I supposed to signal him with my eyes? With a sidelong glance? A glare? Why is it so difficult to dance with a hot guy in this world?

Sir Cassion looked over at us as if he had sensed my gaze.

“Oh my, he’s looking at us.”

“Is he? He’s too far away for me to see.”

“Oh no! He looked away.”

“Wait, he turned around again. Now he’s staring!”

Are they enjoying this? They were all covering their mouths with their fans, covertly relaying the play-by-play of his every move. Their voices grew more animated.

“Oh, he’s on the move.”

“Where is he going?”

“He’s looking at us again.”

Fine. Enjoy this moment. I shall sacrifice myself for your amusement.

He initially averted his gaze. He then looked back over his shoulder, confused. After that, he started walking.

Did he notice my eyes following him? He frowned. Wow. Now that’s what I mean by rakishly handsome.

“I think he’s coming this way.”

“You’re right!”

He marched across the banquet hall toward us. The scowl never left his face.