Who is the Villain?

Chapter-13

"I did NOT," Lucien stood up, raising her voice. "I only said– ah!" She quickly clamps her mouth and stares down at Alina, she was grinning and as for Renee, she was simply smiling like a female lead.

"You...." Lucien points her finger toward Alina in disbelief. "You trick me..."

Alina was now grinning more, "it was only a gamble but it was worth a try."

Lucien has just fallen into her trap. She plops down with regret about coming here. "I should have held more of my guard up," she mumbles. With a sigh, she stares at Alina and Renee who were curiously waiting for her to speak but, Lucien only stares. 

"Don't worry," Alina spoke in assurance when she notice her doubt. "No one can hear us, nor those mages."

"Really?"

Renee nodded her head, calmly sipping her tea. Alina was as well smiling. "I made sure no one knows." She pours more tea into her cup which was still yet to be empty. "I didn't simply put bouquets here for decoration."

Now that she carefully observe, something was off. It was a little too much and the coordination didn't fit. As a florist in her previous life, she eventually understood. Lucien looks back at Alina hoping she would say something more.

"It's irritating when somebody keeps on spying on you like you're an outsider," Alina annoyingly spoke, stirring her cup with two pink sugar cubes. "I picked those flowers from the garden and back home. Well," she puts aside her spoon and sips. "I'm good with this so-called illusion and that's my specialty as a spirit user."

"Spirit user?"

"What? Don't tell me you are not aware of that?" Alina raises one of her eyebrows in question.

"Ha..ha..ha..! Of course, I know," Lucien responded with an awkward laugh. 'I was only told this world exists magic and nothing specific.'

"Here, Renee has the ability to heal any wounds," Alina explains. "Her ability falls in a special spirit user."

"Really? You can heal any wounds?" Lucien tried to put astonishment on her expression as she had already known.

"I can, however," Renee hesitated as she looks down at her cup where her reflection splashed across the tea. "I can only heal small wounds. Large wounds drain my energy and after that, I go  into slumber for three days."

Lucien simply nodded her head in more amazement. The novel did refer that the female lead holds a special ability. Of course, why not, she is the female lead for goodness sake and, she needs the ability to stand out among all the other characters. 'Ah, hate being a side character for once.'

However, shortly in the novel, she was able to master her ability that she was even able to join cut body parts. 'Was that a good thing? Not only that she creates this amazing medicine. Her future is very bright.' Lucien nodded her head for herself. Impressed by what the FL is about to create in the future.

"Don't worry," Lucien assures putting down her cup on the saucer making a clinking sound. "You'll be much better in the future. Continue to do what you are working on. You have an extraordinary ability." No, she wasn't going to hint about what she did about this or that. Just support and encouragement were more than enough. Main character always breaks through their breaking point when someone supported them in lifting their self-esteem and spirit.

"Does that mean you'll be helping me?" Renee questioned in excitement, eyes glowing full of hope and expectations.

Lucien has to move her gaze away from her, the brightness was too much.

"Nevertheless, is it true that you're a spirit earth user?"

Alina suddenly questions curiously.

"Spirit earth w-what?"

"Are you trying to fool us or you are making a fool of yourself?"

Alina worriedly questioned with narrow eyes. Both of her arms folded on top of the table.

'Like seriously, what the hell is a spirit user? I only came here to save my precious life. I'm NOT A MAGICIAN.'

Lucien's mind echoed hard. She has absolutely no idea what they are talking about. The only thing she was aware of was the novel has a genre of romance and a little bit of fantasy but, the author never gave too much detail about it. Nor did the Villainess care about her ability.

"I...I didn't know I was an earth user?" Lucien mumbled avoiding their gaze away.

"........"

"You were absolutely living under the rocks for ages." Alina finally responded with a stunning expression. "No wonder you were so grumpy on that debutant day."

"Ha..ha...ha...."

'Please, let's stop talking about magic. It has nothing to do with me.'

"Can you communicate with plants?" Renee had her gaze fixed on her hoping for a response.

Lucien sighs, she moves her hand away from the cup she was holding and gently moves her hand towards the plant that was placed near the window. In a second, a little glow ball-like firefly appeared, it flew gently toward the plant and flew back at her palm.

Renee and Alina silently watched, getting more curious when Lucien's lips began to stretch into a lovely smile.

"Every plant here wants to thank you, Lady Renee," Lucien spoke raising her head towards her.

"W-what? Me?"

"Yes, they said you always took great care of them and they want to help you in creating the medicine." Lucien looks down at the little glow ball floating in her palm. "They heard what both of you were discussing earlier and before."

"Oh my! Really?" Renee was almost about to tear up, touched by what she heard. Both of her cheeks turned red including her eyes.

"Yes, they said you were too kind and they love you a lot." 'Of course, who can hate the female lead? She is like those fairy tale princesses. Everyone loves them.'

Lucien didn't think she would receive this kind of help when the butler told her that he'll send her aid. She had tried talking to the plants before she departed for the palace and it work. This was the best and greatest support she could obtain as a person who loves flowers.

And what Lucien said to Renee, it wasn't a lie.

"Wait...wait...wait..." Alina interrupted. "What about me?" She points at herself. "I was the one who bought them here."

"Seriously?" Lucien questions in a rather mocking tone. "They said you constantly skip to water them until they are about to perish. They very much dislike you."

Those words struck like lightning to her soul. Never in her life had she thought a plant could have an impression on humans. Nor did she think a day would come when she would be able to meet a person who could communicate with plants.

"By the way, did you actually send someone to assassinate that night?"  Alina inquired in a little lifeless tone, filling her mouth with portable cupcakes.

"Before I answer that, I'm curious about one thing," Lucien picks up her tea again. The glowing ball has vanished now. "If it was just a gamble you said, how did you guess I was committing something?"

"Actually," Alina stretch her hands and grabbed a tart from a plate. Her cheeks rested on top of her palm. "There was news that so many nobles has gotten into a tragedy on the way after the banquet. This made the emperor send his mages to investigate and," she paused l*****g her fingers that had cream on them. "They found a spirit user was responsible for it, more or less, an earth spirit user."

Lucien wasn't slightly affected by the news instead, her lips stretch into a playful smile staring down at her cup which was almost empty now. "Are those nobles still alive?" She questioned.

"Well," Alina was a little stunned. "There weren't any serious casualties though."

"Hmmm?" Lucien thought for a moment, her fingers held her chin with narrow eyes. 'I guess he actually did as I told him.'

That night when she summoned the flowers for her little undercover work, Lucien didn't think they would actually carry out her order but even more than that, they went ahead and decided to assassinate the nobles. That was not even what Lucien asked for, what all Lucien wanted was to only teach them a lesson. However, she instructed them not to harm them critically but to send them to a little life-threatening moment.

"But I don't see how you learned it was me?" Lucien questioned curiously turning towards Alina. "Unless there is someone among those mages working for you."

Alina smiles with a little chuckle. "My brother is a royal magician and he told me he found a flower petal nearby where the surrounding was only trees and bushes."

Her lips formed into an 'oh' as she understood. 'The supporting character has a brother.'

"And, the flower petal my brother found was the only flower that could be found in the royal garden."

"Ohh,"

This was a sign she should be careful from now on. If the accident turns deathly, she'll be in big trouble. The mage was quickly able to conclude that someone from the palace was involved. 'Oh well! As long as the emperor didn't find out.'

"And," Alina continues. "That day I saw you picking those flowers after the banquet." And she smiles. Her chin now rested on both of her palms.

'She is dangerous,' Lucien's mind echoed. Too clever and very sly. Lucien only wanted to stay away from the female lead but now, the supporting characters were as well dangerous to make friends with.

Lucien understood those smiles and what Alina wanted her to do. She sighs and spoke, "I wouldn't mind helping you but, how am I supposed to be helping you?"

Renee stood up from her seat and leaned toward Lucien with a hug. "You will honestly help? You will? I'm so delighted."

Lucien was taken aback and couldn't even return the hug. Renee broke the hug, wiping her tears. "Forgive me, lady Lucien. It was out of my character. Nevertheless, I'm in joy to know you'll be willing to help me."

Maybe, it wouldn't be that bad to think about befriending the female lead and the supporting character. After helping Renee, she'll put a distance between them or she might get into a complicated situation that is about to happen in the novel.

'Wait, hold on, the original plot was supposed to start 5 years later but it began early. Will everything flow according to the novel?' Confusion hits her. She had never thought about that. 'But the second lead did appear as it was supposed to and.....I don't know anymore.'

The evening tea took quite a surprise turn. After dinner, Lucien sat by her room all alone, the moon was already up and it lits up the dark room.

"Now then, what is a Spirit earth user again?" There was nothing written about spirit users in the novel. As she thought about it, she needed to look through and there was a library in the palace.

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"Bless and prosperity to the Galatians empire." Benjamin appeared in Efthalia's working room. He was no more working on his table.

Efthalia sat beside the open window with a golden embroidered silk robe. A glass of wine on his right and his other hand on top of his thigh-crossed leg. Under the moonlight, Efthalia was exceptionally breathtaking, it wasn't only his looks that made him elegantly gorgeous but whatever he does was as well elegant; his poise, action, phrases he speaks, etc.

It was a waste to have this kind of beauty if the emperor wasn't willing to make use of it. Benjamin has always thought about it. "Your Majesty." Benjamin walks towards him. "I've some information about lady Lucien as you've asked."