Banished Villainess – Under Observation!

Accumulating Shadows

The passing breeze glid through the stack of papers Leddorio secured in his arms, giving out a flapping sound. For a moment, Locke was stupefied, merely voicing a dumbfounded groan.

‘Huh?’

‘You told me to think about my own happiness, right? And that you’ll root for me. Then, Locke wouldn’t see any problems if I love him, right?’

‘Well, uhm…, why me though? You’re so beautiful you could easily find and pick a better man.’

Locke replied with obstinate laughter, clearly flustered.

‘Fufu, it makes me happy to hear that. But if I can pick men with no problems, wouldn’t it be fine if I just choose you instead?
To tell you the truth, I originally didn’t plan on confessing. After all, you cherish and treasure Momo so much and I can never make away with the fact that I harassed her.
…But then… you’re way too softy that it made me greedy, Locke. It’s scary to think that I might have another unrequited love, but that’s exactly why I don’t want to give up even more. I will not lose to Momo this time.’

‘Wai- Close, you’re too close…!’

‘I love you Locke. I love you so much. So, while that girl is looking away, I’ll make you fall for me.’

‘Chlo—’

Chloe bend over Locke so much that Leddorio could barely see her silhouette anymore. The stacks of paper that he was carrying were betraying his surveillance. He could make certain of his notions by taking a single step forward, but his feet seem surrendered themselves to the ground without any resistance. As he watched their shadows stretching over the floor, only the sound of his heartbeat and breathing registered in his ears.

It was a short moment of pause, yet felt to him like an eternity. Chloe’s mischievous laughter covered the sound of Locke’s deep breathes for air.

‘Now, I have a point lead.’

‘Y-Y-You!……Uargh!?!’

Locke’s foot betrayed him as he tried to stand and fell down the stairs. One of the shadows disappeared together with crashing sounds.

‘Locke!? Locke—!!’

Chloe hurriedly descends. There was no one in the balcony anymore and Leddorio’s feet were freed from their chains. He took a deep breather. He only noticed by then that he was subconsciously suppressing it, which made his heart palpitation severe.

Taking a peek to the lower ground, there was Locke with his staggering gait, heading for the castle gate. The steams rising from his head can be seen no matter the distance. Chloe was at the foot of the stairs, cheerfully waving her hands to see him off.

(Which reminds me, Momo was pushed down the stairs too.)

The thought of the two heroes from Palette Village subjected to the same treatment gave the prince an incomprehensible laugh.

‘How foolish, aha…hahahaha ua!? Ah, now you’ve done it.’

He shook at his loosened grip as his body weakened. The mountains of paper freed, scattered in random directions. Suddenly, he was struck by pangs of emptiness.

‘The fool is me. Eavesdropping in a place like this…’

As a lamenting sigh leaked from his mouth, Leddorio remembered that he’s got no time to be idling around. He rushed to pick all the papers back but as he bend over them, Chloe was just about to return to the upper ground and noticed him. Seemingly in good mood, the lady’s lips slackened; her cheeks burned hot red.

‘Oh my, Prince Leddorio. What are you doing here, sir?’

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‘What, indeed.’

‘Huh?’

‘Ah, no. I was about to deliver this to minister-to-the-right but I ended up dropping them.’

He was worried whether she’ll find suspicious his act of subjecting the bundle of documents to the balcony’s strong breeze, but the lady didn’t bother taking any hints from the wind and merely leaned over to pick the scattered papers with him.

‘Allow me to help you, sir. I will carry half of them.’

‘Unnecessary. I don’t need a woman’s hand for this.’

‘If you let the wind carry them further like this, you’ll have a hard time recovering them, sir. I also have a business with my father so the arrangement will save us the trouble. Do not mind it, please.’

Whether Chloe’s words were out of her consideration, or just making her purpose clear, the prince was in doubt. After all, the usual Chloe would have Shin gather them, carried them all towards the upper room, then implicitly demand a return for ‘her’ achievements. She had always hated exhausting an effort to pick up things a little more than anything.

‘Sorry to trouble you then, I’ll have a tea prepared on the terrace for you in return.’

‘There is no need to trouble yourself, sir. We are no longer engaged, after all. Besides, I have taken my fill of leisure, and I need to be resuming my work.’

She answered with a light stride in her steps, almost skipping, which made the prince lose his words. Having Chloe next to him should’ve been normal, yet he had a feeling that there was something fundamentally different about her. It was not due to the change in personality, nor the lady having recovered her past life memories— that he was certain.

 A glance at her glossy skin, her dampened rosy lips, made bitter feelings excessively leak out from his very core. 

Why? Why is she—

‘Are you fine with this?’

‘What do you mean, sir?’

‘I was thoroughly convinced that you’d abandon this country to chase after that man— that you would pursue Locke.’

The dam of accumulating hazy feelings within the innermost part of his heart broke towards Chloe before he even noticed.