The Villainess is Filthy Rich!

𝓕𝓲𝓿𝓮 ➳ Winning him over pt. 1

My eyes remained glued at the huge portrait on the hallway near the stairs. A smile bloomed out of my lips as my eyes studied the painting before me, admiring every stroke. "Wow..." Even though I've already seen it countless times, I can't stop admiring it. He is really not a court painter for nothing!

I gaped at the painting, praising the painter in my mind nonstop. The painter captured the moment perfectly. It was as if the portrait was alive and full of happiness. The portrait contained the three of us sitting on a blanket. I had a huge smile on my face, to the point my eyes formed into crescent moons, while my parents were both kissing my cheeks. My smile grew wider. It might be a bit expensive, but it was worth every penny.

"Are you staring at the portrait again, Miss? You've been doing that a lot recently." I glanced at my side to see Celsia standing not too far from me. She slowly walked towards me with a gentle smile on her face. "Do you like it that much?"

I let out a smile and nodded gently. It's my first time having a complete family portrait. Her eyes softened as she placed a hand on top of my head and stroked my hair gently. "I like it a lot too, Miss." I let out a toothy grin. "Really?"

"Yes." She nodded, still stroking my hair. "It's the first time I saw Miss that happy. I like everything that makes Miss happy." Warmth seeped into my heart as I gaze at her warmly. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a hug. Celsia, I promise you that I will never let you suffer such hardships this time. I will become the Miss whom you can be proud of.

We stayed like that in silence, basking in each other's warmth. "Good morning, my lady." A voice called out behind me as we hurriedly detached ourselves from each other. I glared at the owner of the voice, irritated. Does this guy know how to read the atmosphere? My eyes left him as I scanned through the hallway to check if we're alone before returning my gaze back at him, pressing my lips together. As if reading my mind, he eased my worries. "My lady need not be worried, I am not one to spread rumors."

My shoulders relaxed as a sigh left my lips. It would be not good for Celsia if rumors spread that I treat her differently from others—though, it's kind of true—and I didn't want to hear rumors about me discriminating servants, and further soil my reputation. That would be such a huge minus for me.

I want to be a fair master who treats everyone equally, but most of the servants were still wary of me, making it impossible for me to approach and improve my relationship with them. I stopped forcing myself onto them and let time take care of it. I don't care what the nobles think of me, but I want my people to think of me favorably. They would be the people whom I'm going to spend with most of my time after all. I really still have a long way to go.

I focused my gaze back to the black-haired knight in front of me. First of all, I still need to win this guy over. If I can win him over, I'd be making a big progress. My eyes roamed through his body from top to bottom. Even though he's only 2 years older than me, he's already a head taller.

He's still on the first stages of puberty but he's already this tall! I can't imagine how tall he can be especially if he's yet to experience a growth spurt. Ah, I wish I could be that tall...

I always wanted to be tall even in my previous life. Even though I'm taller than most girls my age, I'm still one of the shortest girls in my job. I even barely reached the minimum height required to become a model. And Amarizi in the game seemed to be just a little bit taller than the average height too. I hope Aphrodite made me taller this lifetime...

My eyes landed on his face as I scrutinized his features carefully. His lips were moist and full. He also has a pointy nose, thick eyebrows and attractive indigo eyes. His looks had a hint of boyish charm and was still maturing, but he would become an outstanding beauty once he grows up. A certified bishounen who would soon grow into an ikemen.