Spill the tea: Part II

Why is Rozalia considered the main villainess rather than the side character villainess, or a sidekick of a villainess?

Because my dear readers, it is quite evident in every reincarnation that the male lead is someone strong and has power in the kingdom or some curse, or evil past that needs him to go through some major character development arc. Regardless their powerful lore is what sets them apart from the rest of the guys and in most of the novels, princes are usually considered the male leads.

And where there is a prince, there’s a female lead or the going-to-be princess; the one who falls in love with the male lead and achieves the happiest ending in every book.

Where there is good, there's evil. For every two good characters, there must also exist an evil character and that is what they call a villain. In romantic novels, the villainess would be either the prince’s ex-fiancé before he falls in love with the female lead or an avid admirer of his or an obsessed stalker. The villainess may not always be connected to the prince. They can also be the close relative or friend of the female lead who gets jealous due to her luckiness in love. 

Jealousy, hatred, anger, and sorrow is what drives the villain to ruin their happy lives. So for a happy ending, they kill the villainess and have a lovely honeymoon in their summer castle. That's the whole plot.

Basic plot, but this basic plot is what’s going to kill me sooner or later.

“Why is she the crown prince’s fiancé?” I groaned, stumbling over to my bed and face-planting onto my pillow. The knight seemed unbothered by my reaction and simply munched on his cookies. “I asked you something.”

“What?”

“Why is she the crown prince’s fiancé?”

“Even after losing your memories, my lady, you still beg for his heart. Sometimes it's okay to move on. They are more handsome guys than the crown prince out there.”

This guy is going to get on my last brain cell if he doesn’t shut up. If he shuts though, who's going to talk, “I asked why. I didn’t ask why not me.”

“Because it was like that from the very start,” he sipped his tea, let out a sigh of satisfaction at the taste of sweet and bitter refreshing his palate and continued, “The emperor favoured the family of Sordredei from the very beginning thanks to the heroic deeds of the late late marquess. To strengthen the bond, he wished for one of the Sordredei’s sisters to marry the crown prince. Lady Irina was chosen at the age of twelve.”

“Do they love each other?”

“That I don’t know,” he said, “However, his crown prince cherishes her and she adores him immensely. Though it may not be love, what they have is a stepping stone towards love.”

So they are in their shy and crush era.

After Irina spills the tea on how Rozalia killed her puppy and is harassing her on a daily basis, the prince will grow protective over her, sparkling a raging flame of trust and love between them. Together they’ll defeat the villainess and have a happy ending with their marriage and their honeymoon set in the summer palace overlooking a lovely beach. Long live the prince and princess.

The end.

How lovely. But am I really supposed to die for their happy ending? What if I just retire to the grasslands and have a lovely time growing beetroots and let them have their cutesy romance?

“Another question.” He hummed for me to ask away. “Why wasn’t I chosen?”

“Because you are evil.” Right. The crown prince wouldn’t want to choose someone who killed a puppy at the age of ten. No one wished to associate with the evil. Especially if they killed a puppy. Not even the devil himself wishes to join hands with her. “And the choice of which daughter was to be wed rested on the marquess hands.”

“Of course he would choose his beloved Irina.”

“Jealous? It's high time you move on.”

“I will stitch that mouth of yours shut.”

Let me lay down the whole thing. My sister is engaged to the crown prince— “Are they engaged yet?”

“Of course they are. Why else would the empire call her the crown prince’s fiancé?” he said plainly.

True. That means the marriage—

“However," he interrupted her thoughts, "there has been no ceremony to declare their engagement to the masses.”

“What does that mean?”

“Though they have been declared as each other’s fiancé, to the country as whole, they are yet to be engaged in an official ceremony.”

Oh, so they are not engaged yet. Apparently. They were technically engaged in words, but not under the blessing of the gods.

If I were to base the whole story according to my assumptions and my knowledge of reincarnation tropes, after the official engagement ceremony of the crown prince and Irina, Rozalia will become more wicked from the hatred, jealousy, and betrayal from her father, I guess. And it would all be directed towards her sister. As of now, she believes there’s still a chance to redeem herself and get the prince as her husband, since the ceremony hasn't been conducted yet. But with the engagement ceremony finalizing their wedding, this would have Rozalia turning the whole world upside down.

As of now, her evilness is at bay; it is present only within the walls of her mansion. Once her sister is engaged to be married, it would go beyond and corrupt the entire country. She might end the lives of more puppies.

Luckily for us, I came along and saved the world. If I lay low and show this family that I have no intention in sabotaging my sister’s married life and have no interest in the crown prince, nothing would happen to anyone and I shall die of old age in my lovely little beetroot farm.

To have a perfect life, we are to curb the evil at the bud. And since I am a budding evil, or was, I shall cut it and have this world saved. Or more like save this world’s important marriage of the century (and save lots of puppies).

I need to know one more thing.

“How’s it between me and the society?” Every historical novel had something they called the society, comprising of the nobles who had snake tongues and slitted eyes. They were starving for gossips and they loved to feast on the hopelessness of the one who fell too far, digging their graves deeper and deeper till their reputation had no chance of redeeming itself.

“Well, to the noble society you don’t have much of a reputation. It’s on a thin line. The marquess pays to cover up all your evil misdeeds. However, it isn’t enough to cover up the attitude you show to the nobles. In their eyes you are—”

“The black sheep of the family.” He nodded. “Have I ever visited any gatherings?”

“Ever since the incident, you haven’t visited any.”

“What incident?”

The biscuits were all done, including mine for he knew well I wouldn’t be eating, as I was digesting this new found information. The sparkle in his eyes had dulled and there was a dark shadow over his face. I would order more snacks just to see that shine in his eyes.

“I must be going now, my lady,” he stood up and bowed. The sun had already set and the lamps outside were flickering to light up the darkness of the evening.

“When will you be coming back?” I asked, turning around in my bed and laying on my belly to see him better. This sort of behaviour was definitely not condoned according to the ethical behaviour of a noble. But he was her knight, he surely had seen her in worst positions. I can imagine him accidentally entering the room when she’s doing the devil’s tango.

“Whenever you call for me.” He nodded before leaving the room.

I stared at the golden canopy that was now shrouded in the dark. No maid came inside the room to light up the lamps, because I, for one, don’t have a single clue as to how they work. I know how switches work.

“Maybe I’ll just sleep.” I yawned, crawling under the sheets and resting my head on the soft pillow.

The new information and world was still being processed in my head. My death. This life. The life on the other side. How I don’t have to worry about deadlines and projects, but here I was to worry for my life. Which was better? Problems that were going to define my life in the future or my survival?

My head was aching and I decided not to think more. Sleep was just about to come to me when the door opened with an annoying creak. I didn't have the energy to open my eyes or ask who it was barging into my room.

What if it were an assassin? Hopefully my knight will save—

“Is she asleep?” I heard Irina’s voice, as she spoke to someone.

“Yes, my lady. Sir Daveen left the room a minute back.”

“I see.”

I felt the bed fall under Irina’s weight as her fingers twirled my hair. I didn’t dare open my eyes, because I was seriously feeling tired and knowing Irina well, she might start up a conversation and go on and on about it—she just gave me that vibe.

“Sister is pretty when she sleeps.” Of course. All villains look the prettiest when they close their eyes and wander to their dreamland where they are thinking of new ways to murder people. “I wonder what father is going to do to her. Lu asked her to repent for her sins before the divine being, but she won’t do it no matter how much we ask of her to. At this rate, things are going to end in the worst way possible for my beloved sister.”

Her sins? Would that be her kill count? And who’s Lu? Divine being? Is this world governed by an actual God? Goddamn it girl, speak in detail; explain the lore!

“My lady, the marquess calls for you.” the maid informed. Damn it, woman! I wanted to hear more!

“Speak not of the present to father. This would only worsen his health.” Irina said. "I just wish for our family to embrace the blissful state of serenity. Why must we fight and hate?"

With a final pat on my head, she left the room along with the maid. Making sure there were no more presence or noise, I opened my eyes and looked over at the door.

Serenity. My dear Irina, that feeling shall come at the end of the book. But since I am here, maybe things might end up getting better. Besides, the father started the hate train, not me aka Rozalia. 

Irina's words only made me more awake for answers. I couldn't sleep till I get every single detail about this world and solutions to save my life.

I need my knight to give me more explanation. Especially over that incident he decided to run away from and this Lu and the kingdom’s divine being.