I Won't Clear Up the Misunderstanding. I Don't Mind Being the Villainess. - Chapter 12

In an instant Kevin forced his kiss on me, my mind immediately flashed to my own mother. The sudden thought—was she taken by the Count just like this?—sparked a fierce combination of grief and fury. That’s why I bit him. I refused to be a pawn for a man like him.
But seeing Kevin smile, utterly delighted and with bl00d smeared on his lips, sent a shiver down my spine. To him, I’m nothing but a toy. I hid my fear, took a steadying breath, straightened my back, and met his gaze.
“If you insist, I must not neglect my duties as a mother,” I said, my voice firm, “then you must not neglect your duties as a father.”
“I am not,” he retorted, completely unfazed.
I couldn’t read the man’s true intentions behind his smooth reply. I wanted to scream, How dare you, but then I noticed a small, trembling hand gripping the fabric of my dress. It was Leo. His face was ghost-white, his eyes wide and wet with terror. Of course. He had just witnessed his father’s violent actions toward a woman up close.
In that moment of seeing his shock, I felt a flicker of hope that he could still be redeemed. Leo’s terror, and the fact that he didn’t share his father’s malicious smile, was the only saving grace in the room. This child hadn’t fallen into depravity yet.
“A wife is not a tool to satisfy a husband’s urges. Please do not show your son such a terrible example,” I implored.
“You preach pretty words,” he scoffed, twisting his mouth into a sneer. “You, of all people, know that isn’t the reality, don’t you?”
Erika’s mother was forced into being a mistress. Erika herself was forced here as a stand-in for a sister who refused to marry. Kevin knew both stories, and he was now gleefully using those facts to mock me. I felt dizzy, confronted by his madness, his sheer possessiveness, and the strange, self-destructive glint in his eyes.
I briefly wondered: If I had followed the novel’s script, would things have been different? If I’d been the sweet, innocent, kind Erika, would Kevin have looked at me with affection? I regretted the thought, then pushed it away, deciding regret was useless.
“No, we need pretty words,” I insisted. “Lord Leo is the next Duke of Avenius. He will soon be entering high society and public life.”
“I will…?” Leo whispered, startled. I nodded.
“There are influential women among the royalty and high nobility. What do you think would happen if he were to declare in front of them that women are merely tools for men?”
This country had a much more entrenched patriarchy than my old world, but it also had extreme class differences. That was why Erika’s father had been able to abuse a beautiful maid without facing any consequences.
“Similarly, stating that his younger brother is a slave would be a huge liability,” I continued. Just because the eldest son holds absolute power here doesn’t mean he can openly disrespect everyone else. Her half-sister had cruelly tormented Erika, and the Avenius children had a deeply unhealthy sibling dynamic. But in A Single Flower Melts the Ice, the supporting cast included many siblings who were close and affectionate. This suggested that neither the Olson Count family nor the Avenius Ducal family represented what was considered a “normal” family, even here.
“If the royal family interprets contempt for a younger brother as an insult to their own relatives, there is a risk that Lord Leo and the Avenius Ducal house might face sanctions.”
Leo stared at me, dumbfounded. He didn’t even know that. This child, who’d been crowned ‘King’ by Lady Marvella within the confined ‘garden’ of Avenius—a place Kevin controlled but utterly neglected—was oblivious to the dangers.
“Is that clever tongue how you’ve always managed to wrap men around your finger?” Kevin sneered.
“I have only stated undeniable facts. Please stop jumping to that conclusion about everything I say.”
If Leo hadn’t been there, I might have asked if Kevin was simply sexually frustrated. If I could actually control men, my father wouldn’t have been able to sacrifice me to this house. As I glared at him, the rage and contempt drained from Kevin’s face. Perhaps he was simply bored with the fight.
“…This is tedious. I’m done,” he dismissed.
He probably had no actual interest in the children. His fury at Lady Marvella was most likely just because she’d insulted his dead first wife. I still couldn’t fathom why he was so cold to the very son his beloved wife had given him.
“Very well. Then you take responsibility for disciplining the children properly. If you’re capable of it, that is.”
“Then grant me the necessary authority,” I stated, ignoring his condescending remark. “The authority to choose new tutors for Lord Leo and the others.” This was essentially telling him his judgment couldn’t be trusted and that I would pick them instead. He merely shrugged and scoffed.
“That authority has been included in the Duchess’s privileges from the start.”
“And who do I confirm that authority with?” I asked.
I didn’t expect a helpful or detailed response from him. With an air of complete disinterest, he answered: “Ask Holger.”
He tossed out the name curtly. I repeated it in my mind. Holger—the steward who’d quickly exited the comic after his slipped disc worsened, replaced by his son. The image of the elderly butler was instantly followed by the face of an intelligent, handsome young man.
(Holger’s son is named Carvel… and he was Erika’s first love.)
Carvel, with his red hair, green eyes, and glasses, was a handsome young man and a fan favorite. He was transferred from civil service to steward of the Avenius Duke’s house, and initially struggled with the other servants. Erika’s support and encouragement helped him integrate, leading him to fall for her kindness and optimistic nature. Erika felt the same, but neither ever spoke their feelings aloud. As she was the Duchess and he was the steward, they couldn’t.
Furthermore, in A Single Flower Melts the Ice, Erika and Kevin were destined to fall in love, so Carvel’s feelings could never be returned. He was the tragic character who drowned in the lake, saving Erika’s life instead, leaving a powerful, lasting impression on both the heroine and the readers.