I’m a Villainess but So Popular

Editor : Aru

Academy’s vacation has begun.

After a long time, the road to the Spade Territory was rough and far.

There was no way that there was a multimedia product in the novel that would soothe the boredom of a person trapped in a carriage to their home like a smartphone.

Nevertheless, I wasn’t very dissatisfied with this situation.

‘Oh….’

It was because Cassius, a handsome man authorized by the original author, was sitting right across the seat.

Perhaps because of exhaustion from the long journey, Cassius paused for a moment and looked out of the window with his chin raised. And such a figure could be said to be a sculpture.

His ebony-like hair that slightly covers the eyebrows reminded me of a black jaguar, and his roaring golden eyes were half-closed, exuding the decadent beauty hidden in his usual puppy-like appearance.

On top of that, a straight nose, a sharp jawline, and a solid body…

If the original photo card had been made by taking this image as it is, the fans would have bought the book with a nosebleed.

‘After all, looking at the handsome face is the most interesting thing in the world.’

It’s always new. It’s thrilling.

Pretty people and handsome people are the best.

So alone, I recounted the truth of the world, and spoke to Cassius, who was in a trance of seeing outside.

“By the way, can you really not go back to the palace?”

In my question, Cassius turned to me with his puppy-like eyes, who picks up his ears when I call his name.

And then his eyes looked incredibly gentle as if it were a puppy’s eyes.

“Yes. I don’t have to go. Not many people care about me anyway.”

“But that’s home for Cassius anyway.”

I said so, with his head slightly lowered, and said in an apologetic voice.

“I’m afraid you can’t go home because of my request.”

The evening after the Housekeepers meeting, I thought I’d still have time until the next Housekeepers meeting.

However, I woke up at 4 a.m. on the day of the vacation because of a necklace that was emitting enormous light, ready to blind me.

On the necklace, there were official documents sent by at least five people, including the Duke of Ace and the Duke of Ale Club, and when I saw them, I had a hunch.

‘I’m going to have a lot of work to do on this vacation.’

The problem was that the task of dealing with information is so difficult for me to have, which is still lacking information about the situation of the Imperial Palace or other territories.

‘Should I get some help from the Duke of Ale club?’

I thought so at first, but I realized that was not enough.

There was a limit to receiving guidance from the Duke of Ale Club, and for that, there was too much information to find and organize.

Unconsciously speaking of this inconvenience, Cassius readily said he could help me with a list of materials.

Cassius was such a suitable person to help me that it was difficult to easily reject the offer, that I accepted his offer with pleasure, though I was sorry.

“It’s not supposed to be the Imperial Prince assisting the work of the Duke.”

“Because there shouldn’t be a job where the original prince of the Empire assisted in the work of a person who was merely a Duke.”

I waved my hand at Cassius’s words and refused.

“No, really. Cassius had a hard time during the semester, so please take a break.”

“That sounds like what I’m going to say. You couldn’t even sleep because of the appointment ceremony.”

“I slept soundly after it was over.”

Then Cassius snorted and said,

“You, you didn’t listen to what Rayl always says. Once accumulated fatigue is no use if you don’t release it right away.”

“Oh, stop it.”

I felt as if I was being scolded by my mother, so I twisted my body with my hands on my head.

“Speaking of which, why don’t you just get some sleep now? I think we still have a long way to go.”

“Well, but I can’t sleep much.”

“I heard you woke up early this morning.”

I answered Cassius’s words with a wry scratch on my head.

“I know, but I don’t know why I don’t feel tired yet.”

“You’re still awakened, aren’t you? Did you pour in another Rayl nutrient?”

“No, I didn’t drink a bottle yesterday.”

Cassius then leaned his upper body against the back of the chair and said with a smile.

“Then close your eyes. If you stay still, you’ll be sleepy.”

“Wow, that’s not going to help me fall asleep.”

“Just give it a try.”

Frankly speaking, I didn’t believe what he said because I was too well for waking up at dawn.

If I close my eyes when I’m not sleepy, I can’t fall asleep that easily.

“Well, I see.”

I knew there wouldn’t be much urology anyway, but I did as he said.

‘If a person can fall asleep just because he closed his eyes, there wouldn’t be anyone who had any insomnia in the world. There’s no way I could fall asleep.’

***

Surprisingly, it happened.

Yerine began to sleep with a slight breath less than a minute after closing her eyes. Cassius, who was watching her, also exclaimed as if he was dumbfounded.

“No, after being confident like that, how can she fall asleep this fast?”

Cassius muttered to himself, rose from his seat and sat in the opposite seat.

He was careful not to touch Yerine and wake her up, but fortunately, the carriage seat was wide, so that didn’t happen.

‘Cause, she can’t catch a cold.’

Casius, who took off his furry red cape, covered Yerine with his cape.

Nevertheless, Yerine slept without knowing anything.

‘I’m so glad I’m the only one here.’

How lovely she is even when she sleeps.

‘If Blothea had seen this, she would never have stood still.’

It was Cassius, who put Yerine’s head against his shoulder while struggling to shake his silly thoughts.

***

When I opened my eyes, a woman was looking down at me and smiling.

She had such a beautiful face that it was hard to take my eyes off her.

‘Pretty……’

Her black glossy hair, as of black dan, was finely braided, and her large eyes, shining like a brownstone, were full of life.

“Oh, Yerine, what a pretty flame.”

I was used to her face. I didn’t know why.

“Mom, look! A little firework!”

I said proudly showing my both hands which I had lit a small flame.

My body wasn’t moving according to my will.

And between my lips, the voice of a very young girl flowed out.

“Oh, my God, that’s wonderful, Yerine!”

The woman smiled happily as if she had won the world.

I also followed her with a big smile, extinguished the firework, laughed and held her in my arms.

When I was in that warm embrace, I remembered.

I saw her face in a portrait in front of the mansion’s central staircase.

***

When I woke up again, I was lying in bed.

My right arm hurt like it was drying up.

As if burned.

Turning my head slightly, the whole arm was bandaged.

‘Burned?’

As I was looking at my arm with a bandage to the tip of my finger, a chilling ache swept past me.

“Ugh…”

There was also a fever heated in my left eye.

I felt as if I had heated up a heavy stone and put it near my eyes, and the heat had stifled me.

Breathing hard in pain, I twisted myself, and a man beside me sobbed with tears.

I couldn’t quite understand what he said.

“Yerine, Yerine…”

When I heard it carefully, it seemed like he was calling Yerine’s name.

And next to him was the woman I saw earlier.

She was also saying something with a tearful face.

“Yerine, our baby…”

She told me in a long voice, holding one arm tightly in her hands.

“I’m sorry, Yerine. In the future, in the future– ”

In the end, she couldn’t finish her words and hugged me.

Of all the mysterious words she uttered, I could understand only one word.

“Yerine, you must never use magic–”

The remark brought me to my senses.

And only then did I realize that the eyes of the man who was sobbing me were both purple.

***

Flames devoured everything.

The flames dancing with their red tongues were so huge.

“Uh…”

Smoke rose from my trembling hands.

The heat still lingered in my red ripe palms.

My left eye aches so badly.

“Mom…”

I called her in tears, but the woman didn’t show up.

“Uh, Mom, Dad.”

I shouted “Mom and Dad” until my voice cracked.

But no one answered.

At that moment I realized the terrible truth.

The fact that they were trapped in that red flame.

No.

The fact that I trapped them in that fire.

***

“Ugh—”

It was such a vivid dream.

It was still like a huge flame in front of me dancing.

The slight ache in my left eye was similar to what I felt in my dream to the point of making me goosebumps.

“Yerine! Are you okay?”

As I breathed out my breath, the blurred vision gradually returned.

When I looked up, Cassius was looking at me with his right hand on my sweaty face.

“Oh, my God, your fever–”

The whole body was soaked in sweat, and the heat seemed to rise around the eyes, but the blood flowing through the body seemed to cool off.

‘Certainly….’

With the burning mansion in front of her, Yerine’s hands were frantically hot.

There must have been people in the mansion.

The earthenware came up with a sense of shocking vividness.

It wasn’t me.

It wasn’t me, it was Yerine from her childhood.

Nevertheless, I felt like a red flame would burst from my fingertips and swallow this carriage and turn it into ashes.

Without leaving a handful of lives.

“Oh, Ugh, ughh–”

“Yerine!”

I had to say it was okay, but I couldn’t.

I couldn’t do it, even though it was obvious to make him worry.

The afterimage of the burning mansion continued to haunt me.

When I came to my senses, everything around me seemed to be dead, like Yerine at that time.

It was scary.

“Cassius, hold, hold my hand.”

My voice was shaking.

I didn’t even know what I was talking about back then.

What came to my mind was when my long, thick arms that enveloped me completely.

“It’s all right.”

I felt the skin of a person, not the heat of the hot flame at my fingertips.

The warmth that I can feel only from being touched with someone.

“I’m here.”

I closed my eyes thinking it was a relief.

Thinking that he must be a living person.

—————