The Villainess Returns with a System
Chapter 151: Set It Free

Chapter 151: Set It Free

Ian Grayson and Beatrix Morgan, in a perfect world, would have been the Lord and Lady of Pain and Suffering. This, however, was far from an ideal world, for it is a world that centers on a heroine who is loved by seven charming princes, each with his own agenda.

In her mind, Beatrix was a very logical person, despite the emotional attachment and drama that surrounded her. Every sorcerer is a rational person and a scientist after all, and the fields of their study are always deep and profound.

Beatrix studied psychology and human behavior—aside from anatomy and nervous medicine—which are subjects that should have made her more of a mentally stable individual; still, she was anything but.

Her upbringing, emotionalism, self-pity, and delusions of a happy-ever-after ending made her a very clingy lover, someone who could be perceived as too much at times. However, with Ian, she did not even get the chance to be this "too much" version of herself, and he humiliated her when he was the one who showered another girl with attention in front of her.

Now, he seemed to have found his way to her in the carriage of her father, Count Albert, and for the first time in a hundred years, he was the first Grayson to set foot this close to the Moore Mansion.

"D... Ian?"

Hearing how Beatrix’s voice softened with the emergence of Ian, all parties in the vicinity realized that it was the right move to use him against Beatrix. After all, Ian’s influence on her was something her family preferred to keep a secret, and now that he was aware of it, he could easily use it to manipulate her.

"D- Dear Beatrix," Ian spoke, stuttering on the first word, but getting himself on the right foot as he bowed with refined grace to Beatrix, "Do forgive me for my rather unbecoming behavior yesterday. I truly was not thinking straight when I treated you so harshly. I deeply regret wasting that rare chance to get to know you a bit better, as the situation rather muddled my thinking."

Ian immediately recited a line he seemed to have been rehearsing flawlessly for the last hour or so, with the appearance of a sorrowful lover who did something unforgivable.

"Ian... I..."

Facing him was the pure-hearted Beatrix, who seemed to have believed everything he said, judging by how soft her voice had become and how her wild nature had become rather tame.

Before Beatrix could respond, her expression shifted as she turned toward the mansion door. Her gaze settled on Vivian, who emerged cautiously, offering a gentle smile to those who had come for Beatrix.

"What a pleasant surprise! If it is not Young Lord Grayson!"

Ian’s piercing gaze hung on Vivian, who was as calm as ever, but rather than going after Ian, her tone surprised almost everyone.

"What did I tell you, Beatrix? It seems like Young Lord Grayson is a good person after all. He is here just for you, just like a lover from a fairy tale."

This positive tone toward Ian was something even he, who saw Vivian as the most annoying person in existence, could never fathom. Even the Lord of the Morgans, who was listening from the confines of his fancy carriage, was somewhat taken aback and moved the curtain on his side to watch.

"You are truly gracious, Lady Vivian." Cunning as ever, Ian Grayson did not let go of the chance to whitewash his image in front of Beatrix.

As far as he was concerned, Vivian should not know much about him, and they should not be on each other’s radar. Despite his trying many times to disturb her work, sending thugs to attack her workers, and even recruiting some scientists who were on the side of ViTech, what he imagined was that Vivian was in the dark about all that. Yet not only did she know, she had all his operations registered, documented, and sorted.

Vivian stepped ahead two steps past Beatrix as if standing between her and Ian, which almost unsettled everyone involved, but she still maintained her smile as she spoke:

"I know. And as such a gracious person and a warden to dear little Beatrix, I would not be a gracious person if I stood between her and love, would I? What do you say, Bea?"

Vivian walked around with total control over the situation and then cleared the way for Beatrix as she turned towards her. Faced with a choice she never anticipated, Beatrix was more surprised than anyone else that Vivian was actually letting her choose whether to stay with her or go with Ian.

"I..."

She was at a loss for words, but as soon as she tried to say something, Vivian interrupted her:

"Do not worry, dear. I am sure Young Lord Grayson is a gentleman. He would not dare break your heart, would he?" Vivian said and turned to Ian, directing her question at him.

Ian’s ego would hardly tolerate the word "dare," yet he still found ways to navigate Vivian’s provocation, replying:

"Such a big word! I may have been foolish enough to treat Dear Beatrix roughly, but that was due to a situation out of my hands. I am here to apologize and make amends."

"Wow!" Vivian clasped her hand. "You must love her so much to say all that. I mean... at this rate, I assume he does not find any other woman attractive, isn’t that right, Bea?"

Beatrix smiled slightly, and a glimmer of hope returned to her eyes. Vivian simply stepped back and watched as Beatrix stepped towards Ian, who was wearing a very luxurious suit, as if he were taking her to a party.

The two juniors looked at Vivian, who was smiling at them, but her smile was unsettling to Ian, while Beatrix was too happy to see Vivian’s lips quirk in a playful smile, though her eyes were not smiling at all.

"Fair warning, Young Lord Morgan," she said with the same playful soft voice, letting the silence hang in the air before adding, "Break her heart, and I will break every bone in your body, starting with the one that matters."

With such a chilling joke, to which nobody paid any heed, Beatrix joined her fiancé and father in the carriage, waving at Vivian as the horse-drawn carriage started moving out.

She is just seventeen. One side of Vivian thought, but the other dismissed the thought, knowing that such a young girl can only learn if life throws hardship at her.

Once Vivian returned inside the mansion, she was met with Isabella, who was looking at her with a stern gaze.

"What the hell, Viv?" Isabella’s voice echoed sharply, her eyes narrowed as she glared. "You let them take her just like that?"

Vivian halted her steps, and with a long sigh:

"There is nothing to worry about," Vivian said, her shoulders relaxed, a faint smile playing on her lips as she brushed past Isabella.

"What do you mean? She..." Isabella wanted to raise her voice before hurriedly following Vivian and whispering, "She knows your secret."

Vivian halted her steps and turned to Isabella with a surprisingly fast motion, startling Isabella, who almost stumbled. Vivian then walked closer to Isabella with a smile curling on her lips.

"Think, Bella. What do you do when you want something very badly?" she asked.

Isabella paused for a second, averted her eyes while thinking, before replying with a shrug:

"I buy it."

"I don’t know."

"You set it free." Vivian said with a cunning smile, "Show them how honest you are, care for them, and provide for them what they always wanted, then set them free. If they are meant for you, they will come right back."

"God!"

As Isabella was almost horrified by Vivian’s logic, the latter only left her with a wink and walked up to her room, finally feeling refreshed after recovering from all the pain she had to go through.

That night, Vivian found herself alone in the drawing room, engrossed in an interesting book she had discovered in her father’s study. Outside, a storm raged, with rain pouring down in sheets, creating the perfect atmosphere for reading. The rhythmic sound of the rain blended harmoniously with the comforting crackle of the fire in the fireplace, enveloping her in a sense of cozy tranquility.

Just as she was getting lost in the pages, the sound of someone knocking on the front door of the mansion echoed through the halls. Vivian’s eyes turned towards the entrance as a servant hurried to open the door, and then the guards escorted someone inside.

Completely soaked and dripping wet from her hair, fingertips, and the fabric of her dress, Vivian watched as the figure was led towards her in the drawing room. Maids rushed to grab some dry towels.

As the figure drew closer, Vivian was finally able to make out her identity. It was none other than her cute little ward, Beatrix Morgan.