Struggling as a Villain

Getting embraced by the Duchess was the last thing expected today.

However, despite how unreal it seemed, there was no doubt in it. Currently, Lilia is in the arms of the lady of the mansion. The person she expected to be hating her was fawning over her.

What in the world happened for the Duchess to react so positively?

"How have you been? You must have gotten tired of travelling for so long, right?" The lady asked which was answered by Lilia in a daze.

"A little..."

Bellarine detached herself from the maid before conveying, "You should take some rest. I will tell Marie to send dinner to your room and prepare a bath for you, okay?"

First the hug, and now this Princess-like treatment....what the heck is happening?

Like an oasis in a desert, suddenly Lilia caught the figure of her young master as her pleading gaze went to him.

Richard smiled in helplessness before he asked, "Mom, let me take her to her room."

Bellarine blinked in curiosity but she didn't resist and said, "Okay then, I will be waiting for you in your bedroom. Don't make me wait for long~" Caressing his face as she walked past him, Bellarine made her way to her room to get changed.

Tonight, after all, she would relish the sensation of being a woman~

Richard took Lilia's hand and urged her to follow him.

The duo walked with their hands connected and fingers intertwined intimately. The servants who came across them, gave Lilia a smile of approval and congratulated them.

There was a subtle blush on her face all the way. There haven't been many occurrences when Lilia had shown such a maiden-like expression.

Richard was smiling fondly at her all the way until they reached a room which wasn't Lilia's.

"Young Master?" She tilted her head in questioning.

Richard narrowed his eyes with evident displeasure on his face.

Lilia lowered her eyes and spoke in slight embarrassment, "It will take some time to call young master by his name..."

Richard heaved a sigh and didn't insist. Rather, he pushed open the door to reveal a newly decorated room which looked nothing but beautiful.

A large, canopied bed with dark wooden posts and white linens takes centre stage, its canopy draped in sheer black fabric. The floor is covered with a soft, charcoal-hued rug, and a small writing desk, carved from ebony wood, sits near a narrow window.

The only splash of colour comes from a single white lily placed in a black vase on the windowsill, reflecting Lilia's quiet elegance and preference for simplicity.

The room was renovated to Lilia's taste and preference of black and white. She doesn't like colourful things.

Richard hugged her waist from behind with his face placed on her shoulder as he whispered, "This is your new room."

Lilia slightly turned her head and asked in slight astonishment, "But young master-mmf!" Suddenly her lips were sealed as Richard pressed his lips to hers and silenced her.

Lilia felt her legs shaking a little as the memories of that night flashed through her mind, and the place at the crown of her legs started to salivate.

Richard separated his lips from hers before telling her in a slightly domineering voice, "Call me young master again and I will push you down on the bed and make you scream my name."

His voice sounded threatening yet it was making her hot at the same time. She looked at him with teary eyes, and for a moment, she wanted to call him young master again...just to see how it goes. However, the look in his eyes told her how severely she would be 'punished' if she tried to tease him.

"R-Richard..."She finally uttered his name for the second time.

Richard flashed a sunny smile as he led her inside the room.

He allowed Lilia to look around a bit and stood near the bed.

"This is...a little too much Richard...I am not accustomed to living in such a luxurious room." Lilia has been living like a nomad for the past eight years after she left her house to become a soldier.

Although the maid's quarters weren't compact and small, this....was a little too big.

"Get accustomed to this luxury. After all, you would become the bride of the next Duke."

Her hands froze as she looked at Richard with slightly widened eyes.

Those eyes asked him a question and Richard had an answer prepared, "Yes, Lilia...Mom accepted our relationship."

The cushion she was holding dropped back on the bed as she leapt into his arms after overcoming the initial shock.

This was truly the best day of her life.

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After they spent some time together, Richard decided to return to his room.

Lilia came to the door to send him off when they saw a maid standing there with her head lowered.

Richard asked, "Yes?"

"Young Master, there is a letter for Lilia."

Lilia stepped forward before taking the letter from the maid.

Reading the name, she said, "It's from my mother."

Richard nodded and said, "Well tell me if it's something urgent." Planting a soft kiss on her forehead, Richard walked away.

The maid who came to deliver the letter had a slight blush on her face as she stared at Lilia in awe.

"W-What?" In embarrassment, Lilia glared at her and asked.

"No, it's just...when you left, you were still a maid, and now that you have returned, you are now our mistress."

"Shut up."

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It was the time of evening tea, and just as usual, Emily was sipping on the tea which she herself brewed.

However, unlike usual, there was a friend of hers sharing the table.

"So she ran away, huh?" Emily asked, a bit of astonishment and amusement in her tone.

"We are talking about Elizabeth here. Breaching the security mustn't have been a challenge for her." Eleanor replied with a smirk.

For Elizabeth to reunite with Ethan, breaking the security and running away from home wasn't very big of a thing.

"But still...knowing how much Elizabeth is adorned by her sibling and parents, quite a turmoil would arise once they discover her disappearance."

"That...is true." Eleanor agreed.

They both became silent after that—slowly sipping the tea and munching on cookies every now and then.

The evening sun provided a gentle glow to the scenery and allowed them to feel at ease.

However, deep down Emily was still quite anxious as she turned toward Eleanor and asked, "Are we really not going to do anything?"

Eleanor sighed in slight exasperation at being asked this same question the third time this evening, and her answer remained the same, "We can't interfere in that event, or things would become problematic for this world."

Emily's shoulders dropped in regret and disappointment.

In a few days, a group of high-ranking Ambrobates would attack the town where Ethan lives. And in that attack, the whole town would get massacred except for Ethan. His mother, teacher...everyone.

That is the event which allowed Ethan to awaken his Blessings as the Child of the Fate. If this event doesn't occur or someone intervenes, then there is a high chance for Etan never to awaken his blessings.

That's why Eleanor had decided to let things happen how they are supposed to be. She would be there to overlook things and to protect Ethan if his life came under the shade of danger.

However, Emily was reluctant to let Ethan get traumatized again. She didn't want him to lose the people he loved over the benefits he would receive.

Emily knew that they had to consider the future as their priority but she has seen how much Ethan has incurred emotional damage by the incident.

Suddenly, Emily realised something which made her eyes widen and asked Eleanor in an accusing voice, "When you knew that Awsperg was going to get invaded, then why did you send Elizabeth there?"

Eleanor shrugged, "She is strong and sensible enough to protect herself. And if by chance some mishap occurs..." A thin grin extended Eleanor's lips as she added, "...then who would care? She was nothing but an obstacle for us anyway."

Emily's lips parted in shock. She couldn't believe that the person sitting in front was the same Eleanor who cried until she fainted when Ethan left them. And now, she was behaving so selfishly.

Suddenly, Emily rose from her seat and silently began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Eleanor asked.

Emily didn't pause and said, "Awsperg." And continued her walk.

Eleanor grumbled. She anticipated such a reaction from Emily and now, there was no stopping her.

But the problem was that Emily wasn't as strong and cunning as Elizabeth, so there was a chance for Emily to endanger her life if she went there.

'Tch! I also have to go there now.'

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A/N:- Everyone gathering? Something's about to happen for sure.

The next chapter would most probably contain explicit content, so tread carefully.

I have been receiving a lot of responses from the readers, so thanks for that and good day.