The Reincarnated Villainess Whose Romantic Trauma From Her Past Life Is Too Strong Is Sweetly and Painfully Doted On by the Prince of the Neighboring Country - Chapter 3

“I wonder if Lady Cherie is alright…”

With only a few minutes remaining before the ball to welcome the Prince of Trigea, Lily murmured these words to Reiss, who had come to fetch her from the royal waiting room.

“You are so kind, Lily. To worry about someone who treated you so terribly.”

Reiss gave her a wry smile as he spoke.

By the way, this waiting room Lily was currently using had been prepared specifically for the fiancé of Prince Reiss; the person who actually had the right to be here was Cherie. Reiss, however, had used his authority to force his way through and secure it for Lily. Even though this fact alone made his actions toward Cherie far more cruel, Reiss continued to speak ill of her without a second thought. Meanwhile, Lily put on the face of an innocent maiden and offered words that sounded like genuine concern for Cherie’s well-being.

“…Because, while I have you by my side, Prince Reiss, Lady Cherie has lost everything.”

“It was a fate that was bound to happen sooner or later. If anything, giving her a chance to reflect on her actions this early is for her own good.”

In reality, Cherie had done nothing that required reflection. However, Reiss, who twisted facts to suit his own convenience, didn’t doubt for a second that his actions were for Cherie’s benefit.

Lily gazed at Reiss with watery eyes as if she were completely devoted to him. “Prince Reiss, you’re so kind!” she whispered, clinging to him.

“…If I am kind, it is only because of you.”

Reiss gently embraced Lily as she leaned into him. To any observer, it looked like a scene of two lovers who cherished each other. But out of Reiss’s sight, Lily was smirking to herself.

(Hehe… How easy.)

She felt the same about Reiss, but thinking of Cherie, who had “pitifully” collapsed in front of everyone the other day, Lily couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from curling up.

—Disciplined and beautiful.

Cherie had perfectly embodied the ideal woman of this country. One who stayed a step behind and upheld strict decorum. Because she was such a model of perfection, she was held in high regard by those around her; yet, because her rank was so high and she seemed so untouchable, she had no one she could truly call a friend.

Lily had exploited this by making many friends through her “approachable” personality. When she subtly spread negative rumors about Cherie, everyone fell for them instantly.

Prince Reiss, his knight Geek, and Thiel, the son of the neighboring country’s Prime Minister, they all believed everything Lily said and were completely head over heels for her.

(…I mean, isn’t everything going perfectly right now? I’ve already captured all three love interests who’ve appeared so far. And the villainess is on the verge of being written out.)

While these thoughts ran through her head, Lily sat in the shadow of Reiss’s gaze, indulging in her triumph with a smile that truly belonged to a villainess.

(At this rate, a reverse harem ending will be a piece of cake. If I kick Lady Cherie out of the picture and keep the other love interests as backups while on the Crown Prince’s route, it’ll be the perfect ending.)

Indeed. This heroine, Lily, was also a reincarnated person, just like Cherie. Frustrated that Cherie wasn’t making any obvious “villainess moves,” Lily was the one who had framed her repeatedly to force her into that role.

“I wonder if Lady Cherie will attend today’s venue.”

“Who knows? After what happened, I doubt anyone would want to be her partner.”

Reiss, the very man who caused “what happened,” spoke with shameless arrogance. Furthermore, after publicly humiliating his fiancé and then sending a dress to and partnering with a woman who wasn’t his official fiancée, he should have technically been disqualified as a prince. Neither of them noticed this, and it was clear that beneath their sympathetic words, they held nothing but contempt for Cherie.

“Excuse me, it is almost time.”

“Is it that time already?”

A servant announced the start of the ball, prompting Reiss to check his pocket watch and mutter.

“Prince Reiss. How do I look? My outfit for today.”

“…Ah, you look wonderful, Lily.”

As Reiss gave her a light kiss on the cheek, Lily smiled with satisfaction.

(Too bad, Lady Cherie. Your fiancé is already completely crazy about me.)

Lily took Reiss’s offered arm, twirling gracefully in the dress that was originally meant for Cherie.

(Ah. It would be the absolute best if I could capture the Prince of Trigea as well.)

Lily hadn’t played the original game extensively, so she didn’t know how to unlock Salute’s route. She knew he existed as a hidden character, but since she didn’t know the requirements, she had stuck to capturing the standard characters until now.

To think he would appear now, so close to the epilogue.

(…I wonder if I can capture Salute at this stage. If I can, I’ll keep Reiss as a backup and make Salute my main target.)

His visuals were the best among the cast, and he held the highest status in the entire work. If she could win him over and become the Queen of the great kingdom of Trigea. How wonderful would that feel?

Lost in these thoughts, Lily arrived at the ballroom and boldly took the seat reserved for the Prince’s fiancé, the seat that should have belonged to Cherie. Though the surrounding guests frowned at the Prince’s improper behavior, they chose to look the other way.

(Well, whatever. For today, I just need to see for myself how beautiful the real Salute actually is.)

She was just glad he had shown up before the main story reached its end. As Lily sat there smiling pleasantly, an announcement rang out:

“First Prince of the Kingdom of Trigea! Lord Salute Trigea! And the daughter of the Marquis Mercury family, Lady Cherie Mercury! The two are now entering!”

“Eh…?”

Lily couldn’t believe her ears.

(Did he just say Cherie Mercury?)

Shaken, she looked at Reiss beside her, only to see that he was just as agitated as she was. In the midst of the confusion, the doors groaned open and there appeared a young noble whose features were far more handsome than Reiss’s.

And there was Cherie, dressed far more elegantly, brilliantly, and beautifully than Lily herself.

(Wh… Why is Lady Cherie with the Prince of Trigea—?)

As the two of them appeared side-by-side like a pair of intimate lovers, Lily could do nothing but stand there with her mouth agape.