A Painting of the Villainess as a Young Lady

Finally, Violet changed the topic with a faint smile.

“Your Highness, why did you ask me to come to the temple with you?”

“……”

“I hope I haven’t done anything to anger you, Your Highness.”

Rajaden, who had been smiling along with her, suddenly hardened his expression at her question and hesitated.

“…There was no other reason. I just wanted to pray together. …Did it bother you?”

“If Your Highness had no other intention, then it’s fine.”

At her reply, Rajaden let out a slow sigh. Hesitantly, he spoke.

“I thought you’d like it, since you hadn’t visited the temple before. You liked the art gallery, too…”

Violet chose silence instead of a reply. It wasn’t that she deliberately didn’t answer… she simply couldn’t find the words. Seeing her hesitation, Rajaden quickly changed the subject.

“If you don’t mind, how about touring other buildings in the imperial palace next time? Even if it’s not the crown prince’s palace. There are many old structures like the temple, with much to see.”

“……”

Would they still have this kind of relationship then? Violet didn’t answer. Seeing her remain silent, Rajaden visibly shrank and quickly changed the topic again.

After that, their conversation was filled with trivial matters.

Explanations about the Founding Festival, how preparations for the exhibition were going—nothing deep or significant.

After parting with Rajaden and boarding the carriage, Violet closed her eyes and reflected.

The temple’s unsettling movements, the crown prince’s wary conversation with the archbishop, the sudden mention of a pope’s absence.

In the end, it was a stagnant power struggle. The temple did not recognize the divine bloodline, and the imperial family despised the power-hungry temple, so conflict was inevitable.

She didn’t know what might happen next, but she hoped their squabbles wouldn’t affect her exhibition.

* * *

The day of the Founding Festival dawned.

Although the main ball would start in the evening, those who loved to socialize began to gather and have fun in the imperial palace’s banquet hall.

Though no one said it aloud, the current star of high society was Violet.

She didn’t seek to dominate, but countless young lords wished to dance with her, and young ladies admired and aspired to be like her.

Naturally, this following included making her fashion the trend.

Everyone followed Violet’s lead, wearing the clothes she wore. The one most infuriated by this was Aileen.

Even Lady Tolofia, who had been the flower of high society before Violet’s arrival, only felt resentment, but did not harbor complex ill feelings toward Violet.

However, for Aileen, the situation was different.

‘So annoying…’

As she greeted the people approaching her, she barely contained her irritation.

Aileen, too, had once tried to emulate Violet, but back then, Violet wasn’t an object of admiration. Rather, she was constantly compared to Aileen, and her now-remarkable traits were deemed irritating and harsh.

But now, how things had changed. Everyone praised Violet’s beauty and imitated her style.

Undeniably, Aileen felt bitter about this.

She tried to quell the rising heat within her, not even knowing exactly what upset her so much.

‘Why… Just why is it always you!’

As her complicated emotions made it hard to even smile, she bumped into someone.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking…”

“It’s been a while.”

The voice was familiar to Aileen. Surprised, she quickly looked up to see Cairn watching her with a complicated expression.

“Ah… it’s been a while.”

As soon as she saw Cairn, a flood of thoughts filled Aileen’s mind.

Were they really on such casual greeting terms? Aileen barely recalled that Cairn hadn’t been there when she felt isolated.

Quickly, she put on a fluttering smile and greeted him again with a charming gesture.

“I didn’t expect to see you here. How have you been, Brother Cairn?”

“More or less. You haven’t changed.”

Their conversation was as casual as if nothing had happened. The people around them found it curious to see Aileen and Cairn together, whispering among themselves.

The higher one’s position, the more forces try to bring them down. The Everett Dukedom had a prominent name, and even small indiscretions drew much attention.

Thus, the meeting between Cairn and Aileen was seen as an interesting spectacle.

Feeling the gazes of the people around her, Aileen looked at Cairn and smiled shyly.

“I… actually haven’t been well…”

“……”

“Maybe because it was a foreign land. I missed my family so much and felt really lonely because I couldn’t see my beloved older brothers. But I learned a lot there and got to know a wider world. Surely, my brothers and Father sent me to study abroad because they wanted me to know this world, right?”

“……”

While Aileen prattled on with a mix of cuteness and complaint, Cairn silently listened to her.

And as soon as she finished speaking, he gave a faint smile.

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