The Villainess Will Not Bring Dishonor To Her Family

14 - Our Little Secrets

Lily had always spoiled her two only friends. I think they were the closest to knowing the actual Lily Celeste. Not the gaudy and cruel young girl, but the person she could be when there was neither pressure nor loneliness.

The reason the three of them became friends to begin with was because of their crush on Alstair.

They became friends shortly after Lily turned 5 and became Alstair's fiance. At first neither of them probably came with pure intentions, but once they started praising Alstair, Lily went along with it happily. After all she had a crush on him too, and the two girls in front of me didn't stand a chance at his side anyway. Lily ended up charming them. Sort of. She became the leader of the 'Alstair adoration club'.

Bridgette was always an incredibly refined girl that truly enjoyed attention. I think she became a follower to be the center of attention that I used to me and perhaps learn from Lily. Though, of course Lily was not the center of attention for being good or beautiful...

I know enough about Bridgette to make assumptions on why she might have tried to humiliate me.

Before anything else, our situations at home were nearly the same. Except, unlike me she had a constant pressure from her family to make friends with people of higher rank. Even in our world that is fairly normal, but not to the extent I think Bridgette is going through. Her family is a powerful viscount house bordering on getting the rank of Count for their effort in financial bureaucracy.

Bridgette's obsession with Alstair was likely just a way to direct her energy. To enjoy something beautiful, even from a distance, can bring peace to the soul. Lily may have been an existence like that as well. However, Bridgette must have only adored me for my position at Alstair's side... no... perhaps she detested that after everything we had gone through together I had fallen out of love with Alstair. It is possible.

Our mutual love for him had brought us together, and I had betrayed that.

Part of me pities her, but to the part that is Rei, Bridgette will forever be an existence she cannot consider an ally.

---*---

As I stare at Magdalin's back I wonder why Magdalin and Bridgette ended up reacting so differently, but part of me knows.

I knew the moment Magdalin took my hand in hers earlier. There is no pity for Magdalin anymore. After all, the little girl has a strong heart. 

"Magdalin, are you alright with going with me instead of watching Alstair?"

We'd gone a bit deeper into the garden, which was sparse with people. Magdalin turns towards me with frustration in her eyes, but then lower her fierce gaze to the side as she bites down on her lips and squeeze my hand tightly.

"It is fine. It appears I have fallen out of love as well," she nearly spits out those words while her eyes tear up.

She took a breath deep enough to make her shoulders rise and press her lips firmly together in irritation. Magdalin in the story had always been quiet, but in Lily's memories she had been more lively once the three of them were alone. I couldn't help but to wonder where she had been at the condemnation event. I guess the fate of side characters and mobs from the 'evil' side were not important enough to be mentioned in their 'happy ending'.

"I cannot believe his highness didn't try to comfort you after such a thing... to be poisoned by your friend is just..."

Magdalin's tears start spilling down her cheeks. I... am not good at dealing with crying.

"It was just laxatives, she just wanted to harass me a bit," I tried to calm Magdalin down a bit and make it less severe, but Magdalin jolts and stare up at me with those shimmering silvery eyes in disbelief.

"You knew, Lily-sama?! Even what type?! No, even so! His highness couldn't have known that! It's unforgivable!" She stands firm in her decision and shakes her head in anger. She visibly grits her teeth.

"Even so..." she mutters quietly.

"Well, I am usually a cruel woman, so he likely felt that the fright was well deserved. I am a villainess after all." See, is not too bad from his point of view. Why am I struggling to calm her down?

"Lily-sama is not a villainess!"

Ara?

"Lily-sama has always known the name of every servant in your home, even the temporary ones! Your eyes would shine when you pointed out the name of the new people, even the guards! I can only imagine how much effort Lily-sama must have put into finding that out without asking!"

I... was taken a bit aback at her words. It was true that Lily had done something like that.

"I never use their names though, and I've slapped quite a few of them too. Even if I know their names I do not use them, thus I am still cruel," I reply. I partly forget about the goal and end up discussing the truth instead, and at my comment she puffed up even more than she had before.

"Lily-sama..." her voice lowered.

"Lily-sama has always been mocked among the maids in secret for being extremely weak..."

Was there a thing like that? Ah...right, there was a thing like that. The maid I had when I woke up was just like that as well.

At my hesitance to reply Magdalin grasps both of my hands in hers... tightly...

"You do not need to be like your mother, L-Lily-sama! you are fine as you are!"

Her words are rushed, panicked even as she says words that she seems to have held in for a long time... I wonder if those words would have changed Lily. If Magdalin had said those words to Lily, would the story had gone the way it did? 

Magdalin suddenly begins to tremble and looks utterly terrified at the words she had just said. Lily always did seek her mother's approval, so she's probably worried I wouldn't take her words positively.

This is an event that would never have happened in the book.

It is a certain sign that I am slowly changing the direction of Lily Celeste's fate.

"...I have one condition," I add calmly and then remove my hands from her grasp, only to take hers in mine. She flinches softly as I touch the back of her hands, but I don't stop and instead bring her hands close to me. She is being far more brave than I thought she could be. I look down into those silvery eyes glimmering with tears, and narrow my eyes at her gently. 

"You must tell me when you cannot bear it. When that happens we will arrange that you can spend time with me, no matter what is going on." I let my gaze sharpen at her, but even so her eyes round at me in shock.

"L-Lily-sama... Since when?" she whispers in a tear choked voice and slowly begins to crumble.

"Since you and Bridgette ran up to me," I reply softly.

My hands light up with a cool blue light as I whisper out a prayer for Lumere. Nothing big happens though, nothing fancy.

"Keep this a secret between the two of us," I whisper and gently brush her cyan strand of hair behind her ear the way she prefers it.

"Lily-sama?" She looks confused for a moment, but as I give her hand a little squeeze her eyes widen. It is my personal little secret that would get me in far more trouble than the raw force my attack magic.

I gently move a hand to the corners of her eyes and brush away the tears on her cheek.

"Let us head back. I have a lot more greetings to make and many connections to mend before the party ends. Will you be by my side this evening, Honorable Magdalin Ruche?"

Magdalin stares at me blankly for a moment, but then lights up in a brilliant and warm smile.

"Of course! Lady Lily!" she chirps.

Magdalin becomes my first real ally in this world, and one I intend to protect fiercely.