Villainesses Have More Fun

Chapter 1

Prologue

I raised my glass of champagne toward the pink-haired girl, toasting her insipid smile. Casually, I extended my arm over her head and upended the contents of my glass over her head. The champagne ran in rivulets down her cheeks, soaking her snow-white dress.

We stood silently, facing off in the banquet hall. The murmuring crowd then broke the stillness. I set the now empty glass down on a nearby table. The girl’s simpering smile had twisted into a grimace. I couldn’t help but cackle, for it was diverting to see her face flush in humiliation.

“Lady Reilynn.”

Iris, the pink-haired girl, seemed as if she was trying valiantly to remain calm. Eventually, her agitated expression gave way to one of serenity—her feigned composure only made me laugh harder.

Doesn’t she know that I love watching her be miserable?

Iris donned a mask of victory and grinned, having triumphed over her embarrassment. We were at an autumnal feast to celebrate the harvest, but this was not simply a youthful social gathering. Everyone was present, including those from the ancient noble houses, and my behavior was far from prudent.

People will certainly point their fingers at me, the villainess. I chuckled. Aren’t the expectations for a villainess too low? Pouring champagne is probably the least heinous thing I could do.

“You remain quite composed. It seems my reputation precedes me, Ms. Iris.”

“Did you suppose I could be ignorant of someone such as yourself?” she asked.

I snapped open my folding fan and fluttered it about. “So you patronized me despite knowing who I was?”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Did you, a mere viscount’s daughter, dare to call my dress ‘vulgar’ knowing my standing?”

Iris’ face contorted with dismay, causing her mask of victory to slip away.

I scoffed and hid my smirk behind my fan, relishing her defeat. I had paraphrased her comments a tad. Her criticism, admittedly, had been more figurative, but the underlying meaning behind her words had stuck with me.

“I simply stated that your choice of attire was unusual, Lady Reilynn.”

“You said my dress resembled that of a dancer, did you not?”

“Well, it does bear some comparison to—”

“I know many talented ateliers, yet you implied that their gowns lack the dignity of a duke’s family.”

“I just thought another dress might suit you better,” Iris said.

“Is that why you offered to introduce me to a new dressmaker?” My voice was almost a singsong as joy welled up inside of me. This situation tickled me pink.

“I was only looking out for your best interests. I’m not quite sure where you got the impression that I called your dress ‘vulgar,’” Iris prodded. No matter how many times I repeated it, she never caught my meaning.

“How is what you said any different from saying that I, the duke’s daughter, decided to wear a crude dress to today’s party?” I slyly revealed how Iris tried to disparage me by beating around the bush and I made sure that the crowd understood why I had cause for recourse. A lady, of course, would never do such a thing. If someone criticized her attire, she would rather hang her head in shame. But there was no reason for me to do so. “It seems you don’t know your place, Ms. Iris. Do you truly think you have the authority to decide whether or not I have dignity?”

Iris bit her lips, which paled under the strain. Wavy pink hair. Rose-colored eyes, evocative of warmth. Translucent skin that hadn’t seen the sun in days. Iris clenched her fists around the bottom of her dress and glared at me.

I wonder, why does Iris harbor such a deep resentment toward me? Why is she so determined to outshine me? Just why, Iris van Conrad? You’ll find that you will never be able to defeat me.

I raised my fan to conceal the sneer that was forming on my lips. Iris was nothing more than a viscount’s daughter. I, on the other hand, was the only heir of one of the empire’s two dukedoms.

Why do you insist on getting in my hair when all I’ve done is mind my own business? Can’t you just hold hands with the male lead and say, “And we lived happily ever after.”? I don’t want to get involved. In fact, I’d rather shack up with the handsome baron’s son who is winking at me at this very moment!

“Again, that’s not what I meant,” Iris insisted.

“It doesn’t matter what you meant. The moment you spoke, you poured scorn on House Candmion.” I took a deep breath and looked at Iris, who was furrowing her brows. “I am Candmion’s flesh and blood. To insult me is to insult my family.”

Whispers echoed throughout the banquet hall.

The villainess is throwing down the gauntlet, the onlookers must have thought.

But instead of making more of a scene, I offered a reasonable explanation for my actions. This is because family power did not necessarily manifest itself as high status in society. Here, a lady had to assert her own competence. Even the daughter of the most influential family could never take center stage if she was a wallflower.

Nevertheless, some behaviors were deemed intolerable, and I swallowed my pride to prove my point. I didn’t care how sophisticated and elegant Iris was in her attempt to outclass me. I was Duke Candmion’s daughter and I was going to remind everyone.

My family was one of the two pillars that supported the empire. Our wealth sprouted like golden branches.

“You’ve misunderstood, my lady. I only wanted to suggest a better atelier, not offend you,” Iris said.

“That is entirely up to me to decide, Ms. Iris.” You can’t tell me what to think. Remember, I’m the duke’s daughter.

Reilynn had been ruthless in the past—she was wicked and disdainful. Despite that, she had a swarm of followers who hung on her every word. How was that possible? Well, money and power made the world go round. Any other lady would have been embarrassed to hear such a remark about her dress and would have quickly changed the subject, but not me. I’d lived as a Korean for thirty years before this, so I knew a thing or two about mental fortitude. Get ready, Iris, because I’m going to take you to the cleaners once and for—

“What is all this commotion?”

And there he was, the novel’s male lead. The recurring narrative begins anew, with the male lead arriving to save the damsel in distress. As usual, Friedrich came to Iris’ rescue. He drew a handkerchief from his pocket and quickly wiped her face. Iris finally relaxed her curled lip and she gave Friedrich a reassuring look.

Their eyes shone with warmth and affection as they locked gazes. Friedrich then cast a glance my way. The warmth in his eyes completely transformed and he glowered at me with pure hatred, as if gazing upon something detestable.

“Reilynn, how long do you intend to continue this puerile behavior?” Friedrich asked. His gleaming silver hair appeared to have been spun strand by strand. It glistened, catching the lights of the banquet hall. His crimson eyes glowed like drops of red ink in water. His razor-sharp jaw, aquiline nose, and pursed lips reflected his rigid personality. Although his expression showed he was as stubborn as a mule, he was undeniably beautiful. One might even say stunning, like he’d stepped right out of a painting.

“Commotion, you say? That’s rich coming from you,” I said.

He’s handsome. Really, really handsome. I can see why the villainess was head over heels for him. But who gives a damn? His terrible personality negates his good looks. He was putting on a show of kindness in front of Iris, but I knew his true nature. In the web novel, Friedrich cheated on Reilynn with Iris while they were engaged and he constantly taunted his fiancée out of animosity.

“Your arrogance is unrivaled,” Friedrich said.

“In case you were unaware, there’s a difference between arrogance and self-confidence,” I retorted.

You’re the one who turned Reilynn into a villainess. Now that we’ve broken off our engagement, I’m going to marry a better man than you, even if I have to search the entire world for him.