The Villainess's Secret Bedroom Service
Chapter 40: Glaring Game

Chapter 40: Glaring Game

The Princess’s Palace, or the Swan Palace as it was commonly known by nearly every single person in Rische, initially belonged to the late Empress Ayana and stood gracefully on the eastern side of the Emperor’s Grand Palace – an ethereal sight crafted from glistening white stone that glowed softly in the sunlight.

Majestic in its three-floor structure, it exuded an air of regal elegance. Surrounding the palace was a small, enchanting flower garden adorned with vibrant blooms, centered around a captivating fountain that danced with cascading water.

A sight to behold was Angelica’s favorite spot – the grand, beautiful wooden gazebo, where delicate green vines entwined its sturdy pillars, providing a haven of serenity and peace.

"Your Grace, Lady Rosalie, we finally meet again! Welcome back to the Swan Palace!" Angelica Rische enveloped Rosalie in a warm embrace, tapping the girl lightly on the back, while Damien greeted the Crown Prince with a rather stiff handshake.

"Come, have a seat. The tea smells exceptionally good today, and I asked the maids to prepare our favorite snacks! Do you remember, Rosalie? We used to like strawberry cakes. Loyd always mocked us, saying that we would turn into strawberries ourselves."

Rosalie offered Angelica an awkward smile as she took a seat beside her. The Princess’s enthusiasm, the incredibly mesmerizing view of the garden, and even the tempting sight of delicious desserts did not alleviate the growing feeling of restlessness pressing down on her chest since they entered the Palace.

The reason for her restlessness was simple – unlike the original Rosalie Ashter, this reincarnation had no recollection of her past friendship with Her Highness and had to navigate with the limited knowledge she acquired from the scant details written about them in the book.

"I can only pray that Angelica does not bring up something too personal or believe me if I say that my memories about our past have been replaced with something else."

Unfortunately, she seemed not to be the only one at the table feeling uncomfortable. While Damien appeared rather bored, stirring his tea with a golden spoon, Prince Loyd kept drilling Rosalie with his cold blue eyes, as if trying to find some fault with her or simply read her mind.

At last, having endured enough of that suffocating discomfort, Lady Ashter turned to Angelica and smiled.

"So, are you feeling much better now, Your Highness? You still look rather pale..."

The Princess covered Rosalie’s hands with her small, cold palms and nodded, a bright smile tugging at the corners of her rosy lips.

"Please, call me Angelica. We are among friends here, after all. And your concern is rather baseless, dear Rosalie. My condition has improved drastically, and although I still have to rest a lot, both Father and His Holiness think that I am ready to return to proper social life."

Relieved by Angelica’s confident tone, Rosalie offered her a brief nod and replied in a now chipper voice,

"I am glad you are fine now. It must have been difficult to go through all that treatment in the Temple for so many years."

Angelica agreed, her eyes reflecting a hint of sadness.

"It definitely was not a vacation, as some nobles assume. However, what hurt me the most was the overwhelming feeling of loneliness. I really missed your company, Rosalie."

Lady Ashter lowered her gaze and fixed her deep grey eyes on Angelica’s hands. She felt an unfathomable wave of sadness and regret washing over her body as Rosalie’s true feelings resurfaced deep inside her trembling heart. She knew it was her fault; she single-handedly ruined perhaps the most meaningful relationship she ever had, yet she could only feel pity for herself. After all, the person who replaced Angelica in Rosalie’s heart was none other than Damien Dio.

As the Crown Prince kept quietly observing Rosalie’s behavior, having noticed a slight change in her expression, he leaned over the table and rested his chin on his right hand, curling his lips into a somewhat sly grin.

"I hope that your engagement with His Grace will continue bringing positive changes in our lives, Lady Rosalie. This union might be that much-needed reset for both your and Duke Damien’s friendship with the Imperial family."

"Well, I ––"

Rosalie desperately wanted to interject and assure the Prince that she was way too insignificant to influence such a grand relationship. However, Loyd’s loud voice drowned out her attempts as he continued, his azure eyes still piercing right through her.

"So, Lady Rosalie, the entire high society has been in an uproar when the news spread around that your affection toward Damien had begun a long time ago. Such a romantic story! When was it exactly that you fell in love with His Grace?"

"Your Highness, this is rather inappropriate, let ––"

"Why? As Angelica said, we are all friends here."

Even Damien’s desperate attempt to interfere with Loyd’s persistent interrogation failed as it seemed like the Crown Prince was set to learn all the answers that he needed directly from Lady Ashter herself. He fixed his glare on her face once again and offered her a half-hearted smirk, encouraging her to speak as well.

’Is he testing me? In the novel, the Crown Prince was described as a skeptical person who always questioned everything and everyone, so does that mean that he is suspicious of me too? Well, although he will never be able to check the veracity of my reply anyway, I might as well tell him the truth as it was written in the book!’

Rosalie cleared her throat with a generous sip of her tea, then briefly glanced at Damien, who appeared surprisingly restless and anxious. With a confident look in her sparkling grey eyes, she smiled back at Loyd, accepting his glaring game.

"This is slightly embarrassing, especially since His Grace confessed to me first, but I do not see why I cannot share this story with my friends. The first time I met Grand Duke Damien was eleven years ago in the flower garden behind the Temple, during one of my visits to see Angelica. The moment I laid my eyes on him, I fell in love for the first time, and that feeling has never changed."

As Rosalie finished her confession, Damien flinched and dropped his spoon, its collision with the porcelain cup echoing through the quiet garden like a thunderstrike. His eyes rounded in surprise, nearly bordering on shock, as he gazed at his fiancée’s calm face.

’She remembers it?’

At that very moment, it seemed like time itself came to a halt, and all he could see was Rosalie’s beautiful face, while the sound of his thumping heart rang in his ears, turning his mind completely blank.