Chapter 3: Villainess and The New Lackey.
Author's note: Please do not bully- it is bad. The story does not support bullying, as the main character is aware of its actions.
However, she is tasked with being the villainess- needing to get home she believes she must finish the game in order to go back to her own world.
That means she needs to take her role as the villainess seriously.
Bullying must not be tolerated. If you are experiencing this please contact your parents or any of your trusted adults.
Keep safe!
...
The daughters of the noble house of Sinclair and Alarie were facing one another talking about deals of their alliance.
"How about it? What if I ask you to bully a certain noble girl with me?" The villainess asks the eldest daughter of the noble house of Sinclair.
Lady Anne lifts her hand to hold her chin, as if calculating whatever the risk and benefits of bullying a noble girl that crossed Olivia Alarie's path.
"It is a bit... random." She replies, still being unsure if she's up to the task. "I would never expect that kind of request coming from you, I know you've been clean- out of trouble and rumors have it these past months you've been terribly nice."
Indeed the villainess hasn't been making much trouble, ignoring the servants when they've made mistakes- still she couldn't tolerate gossiping while being on the job.
She's helped around the family business, kept in touch with some of her family, started socializing and even became smarter than before.
"Except for the party that is." (Lady Anne) has heard of her drunken behavior from her friend that attended her party. "You've had a little too much to drink, I heard you've slapped one of your friends hard in the face."
Lady Olivia grimaces hearing that incident already got to the outside circle.
"So the rumor was right." (Lady Anne) sips a bit of her tea before being satisfied with the look on her face, confirming the rumor.
"It's just there's this girl that's so annoying and just hard to deal with. I don't like her- not one bit." The villainess looks away a little, doing her best to lie.
Definitely not one bit.
"Who is this girl that you're talking about, Lady Alarie?"
"The new fresh girl in the noble circle. Mariana Borbón, a southern girl adopted by a lower class family of a Baron."
Lady Anne's eyes widened hearing such a name. "That's the girl I've heard rumors of possessing the light magic is a blessing after all. Not many possess such an element."
"I was supposed to teach her a lesson but that has to wait for the academy, right?" (Lady Olivia) tells her casually, taking a sip of her tea waiting for the other party to reply.
"Bullying is a serious matter- even if you're a daughter of a powerful household I do find it distasteful."
Lady Olivia bites her lip, she doesn't even want to do it! But she needs to get home! And the only way to do that is by finishing and following the game's coded path!
She won't risk changing the flow of the story. The villainess is happy to live her lip whatever ending the heroine chooses.
"It's not going to be harsh- I just want to teach her a lesson and send a message that I don't want to be friends." The villainess' reason seemed to be a valid one because Lady Anne Sinclair believed it.
The villainess can never be friends with the heroine.
"..."
Or more than friends because based on the letter that she sent with the nude art- she plans on becoming the villainess' friends with benefits instead.
"So she has already proposed to you the same thing as I was going for." (Lady Anne) mutters out as she holds her chin, thinking some things through.
Lady Olivia shrugs, "She had better offers if you ask me, they were all tempting but I turned it all down."
Indeed her offer to continue sleeping with her was tempting. It was in her good graces that both of them were of age, still- being influenced by alcohol what she did is still wrong.
'I won't lower my guard like that again anymore. No more wine for me and I'll make sure that I won't eat anything that'll get me worked up.' (Lady Olivia) dreads for something like that to happen again, imagine dreaming yourself with a wine bottle only to end up with the heroine beside your bed.
Naked and full of marks that she can't easily hide.
What a nightmare.
"...a lower class daughter of a baron is having more tempting offers than mine? That is indeed a problem." It seems that the deal is settled, in exchange for their alliance bullying shall be done. "If your wish is to bully that girl then I will have no problem."
Lady Olivia was thrilled to have a lackey onboard.
Since she accidentally fired her old one for taking her job... while being drunk.
"Ah- but make sure it won't cross a line. We won't hurt her and make sure she's safe, just humiliating her in front of the class is enough- just to get the message through that I want none of what she's offering."
Lady Anne Sinclair raises an eyebrow, what could be this offer that's so tempting to Lady Olivia Alarie?
It seems that she wants to accept- it is just that she can't.
"...you're rather picky- and repetitive. You only need to tell me once that you consider rejecting her advances. You know bullying is still bullying, and seeing that my rank is much higher than hers I would get nothing more than a slap on the wrist."
"...?!" The villainess didn't realize that she's gone repetitive on what she was saying. Truly, when it comes to the topic of the heroine she sure has her brain on a scramble.
"Both of us would get nothing more than a slap on the wrist, yeah." (Lady Olivia) smiles stiffly, being born into an influential family has its perks. "So Lady Anne, I'll be your ally throughout the whole school year. I'll be in your care, why don't we get to know each other for a bit?"
Get to know each other?
Lady Anne could sense that this might be some sort of trap, but then again it was her that offered to have an alliance that they should be friends- friends should get to know each other...
Right-? Honestly, being friendless is making her social prowess rusty. When it comes to faking she's quite good but now Lady Olivia intends for them to be actually good friends.
"Thou are permitted to get to know me."
With a charismatic smile, Lady Olivia stands up from her seat offering a hand at the eldest daughter and invites her into her workplace. "Then how about we go to my office? I'll show you around, Lady Anne."
"...lead the way."
The villainess and her new lackey were all smiles as they walked through the hall, asking questions back and forth to get to know each other. Mostly it was just the villainess trying to strike up the conversation, the eldest daughter of the Sinclair house seems to be quite aloof and usually gives nothing but a short reply.
"So about our alliance and some of your projects that I need to help in, can you tell me what they could be or will you keep it a secret?" (Lady Olivia) did agree to whatever contract on her side was upheld.
Then again she jumped the shot too early and didn't even bother to ask what her projects were.
"I need to become the student council president of the academy."
The student council being elected by their fellow students has a role of observing the students, guiding them and coordinating events for the school.
Such a setting is normal for an Otome game/Visual novel to have.
"Oh wow, I forgot they had those." (Lady Olivia) could almost laugh at how a fantasy world would even have such a thing but then again this story was made by a human in her world so-
"By becoming the student council president I will be able to raise my influence, make my father proud and become the first in my family to have such an honorable role."
"Well if that's your dream, I can help you with that. Especially with campaigning and advertising no problem."
"The royal academy is very strict. I must win over the hearts of the commoners in order to get their vote... even bribery is not allowed." She purses her lips, a little too determined and hopefully that she'll have a chance.
Seeing that the ones who usually run for president are noblemen with the rank of a Duke if there is no royal family enrolled in the academy.
'In any good political sport, bribery is allowed as long as you don't get caught.' (Lady Olivia) considers using bribery as a backup plan if they never got to their goal.
Surely they won't be the only one who's going to use that anyway.
"Well we'll just have to work hard then." When they got to the office door, Lady Olivia opened the door for Lady Anne like the gentlewoman that she is and saw the mountain of books behind her table.
Clack-
"My apologies, I've been studying as you can see. I didn't have the time to tidy up a bit. I hope you don't mind."
"...!"
Geography, business, literature, magic and all amounting to different topics... all of the books were there. After coming to this new world, she had to make sure to study very well in order to fit in.
"Nonsense, you have nothing to apologize for. If anything, your office looks similar to the state of my study. Messy and it looked like a whole library." (Lady Anne) softly smiled, admiring the new version of Olivia Alarie.
She took a book from the very top and chuckled seeing that it was one of her working documents regarding their estate. "I have heard of the changes you have had these past six months. I never visited during those times but it seems you're doing much of the family's work now?"
"Guilty for those charges, it took a while to convince father of my plans but with just a push I was able to show him that I've changed." The villainess laughs, a bead of sweat running through her side as she remembers one of the canon events of the otome game that her family will end up broke and poor if they don't play their cards right.
The worst possible outcome is execution. The death of the lower branch of the Alarie household, if this continues then her family won't have any money to keep their lavish lifestyle afloat.
There is only one ending where she survives. A slight percent chance, if the main character picks the prince- and she's still alive by then...
"..." She's not even sure of what not following the villainess' route will do but one time she did-
It already filled her with such regret.
That one night stand wasn't supposed to happen, now she doesn't know what will happen in the coming future. She has to fix that somehow in order to keep the story running.
"My brothers could learn a few things from you. Your work ethic is up to par with mine. The documents here are very well made and you've even included the finances list here."
"Ah my apologies don't touch that- private papers after all."
Lady Anne nods, placing back the document where it once was. "Understandable, my apologies."
The villainess relaxes slowly as she notices that this girl isn't all that bad.
She gives and respects her boundaries. Why doesn't she have that many friends?
"Thank you, Lady Anne. Please have a seat. I have some tea leaves left over in my drawer. I'll go get them." (Lady Olivia) ignores the question for now and heads to her drawer taking the fresh tea leaves, putting it in a special pot.
Being bored Lady Anne couldn't help but look for something to read, she saw another loose book in front of the table.
'How to start a business.'
Was the title of the book.
"You want to build your own business?" She couldn't help but ask. They were getting to know each other so might as well.
Lady Olivia sat down after waiting for the pot to heat up a bit, she placed a hand on the handle pouring some tea replying back. "Mm, I have been getting into finance recently. I wanted to make a bit of money for the future. One that doesn't have any ties to my family."
The lackey tilts her head, viewing the girl in front of her with much curiosity.
"You don't need to work. You just need to get married and let the man handle everything for you." That is what her father always tells her anyways.
"I digress, I don't need a man for that. When it comes to financial power, gender won't matter. If I want to work or start a business then I'll work." (Lady Olivia) finished serving the tea, and as expected the people of this kingdom don't consider a woman capable of handling her own business.
She has heard the north has a few noblewoman merchants...
"You have a peculiar mind. I... don't understand much of your reasoning but it is your choice. I hope your future business will prosper, Lady Alarie." Truly she means it.
Seeing the sincerity of her new lackey, an idea popped in her head!
'That's right the heroine invited me to her party. I know I shouldn't tamper more with the story but I'll only fix it! That's right, I'm going to fix this!' Her confident voice echoed in her mind that she won't mess it up a second time.
She might as well test her skills out in bullying when she's not drunk. "Please call me Olivia. Since we're going to be a little closer. Why don't we go on a little field trip together, Lady Anne?"
"A fieldtrip?"
The villainess couldn't help but smile. "Come with me as my plus one next week. I'm sure it'll be a party we'll never forget."
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