I Won't Clear Up the Misunderstanding. I Don't Mind Being the Villainess. - Chapter 14

After we agreed on the separate bedrooms, I quickly scurried out of the Duke’s office.
I walked along the long corridor, heading back to the Duchess’s quarters.
The spot where I’d been thrown against the wall was starting to really throb, and I was getting dizzy from hunger. My body felt like it was crashing all at once, which is how I realized I’d been running on pure adrenaline the whole time. I knew I was nervous, but I was so pumped up that I barely noticed the hunger or the pain. Now that the tension had broken, everything came flooding in.
“Just five minutes, a tiny break…”
I sank onto the floor right by the stairs. I couldn’t risk trying to walk when I was unsteady, only to slip and fall. But the second I sat down, I felt like I grew roots. I just didn’t want to move. Erica’s body might be young, but I felt like an absolute ancient.
“…Wait, how old is Erica, anyway?”
The Erica from the original story never really kept track of her age, and I don’t know it either. I know she just came of age, so I’ll check on it later.
When my mum, the former maid, was alive, she’d celebrate with me, even if it was just words. But that only lasted until I was four, when she died of a fever.
Funnily enough, the day before I was forced to marry Kevin, Rose came into Erica’s room with the Count. She grabbed Erica’s hair and yelled, “This one will do, won’t she? She turned eighteen last month.” Thinking back, Rose actually remembered my birthday, which even the original Erica had forgotten. It’s almost laughable.
And that’s when the deep realization hits me again.
I hate everything about the Olsson noble family. The Count, naturally, is the worst. He’s the root of it all—the one who dishonored my mother, a maid, and took her as a mistress. Yet, he didn’t even protect her, letting her die so easily. I also loathe the Countess and my half-sister, Rose, who never blamed the Count, but instead ceaselessly tormented the violated maid and her daughter.
But right now, survival in this mansion takes priority over revenge. If I had Kevin’s power, I’d probably tear that whole family apart. The original Erica never once thought about revenge. Now that I’m in her shoes, I honestly wonder why she didn’t hate them.
(Right, Kevin and the others called her a ‘Saintess’ or an ‘Angel’.)
Kevin must have been drawn to the original Erica’s impossibly pure and innocent heart, falling in love with her and dedicating himself to maintaining a world where she could always smile. And ultimately, that’s what saved him.
(But I can’t do that. That man is beyond saving.)
I have a hunch that Kevin won’t live long in this world. And it’s not just wishful thinking; there’s a reason for it.
The author mentioned in my past life that Leo, if he had never met Erica, would become a tyrant Duke, even worse than Kevin. The portrait of him showed a young man. That means the Avanius Dukedom will change hands while Leo is still young.
(…Maybe ten to fifteen years from now?)
Of course, there’s a possibility Kevin hates the Duke’s seat and will just hand it off to Leo early. But would a man so obsessed with control actually do that while he’s still healthy? I’m doubtful.
(Well, maybe I am letting my wishes creep into my thoughts.)
I managed a pained, bitter laugh, still feeling the ache in my back. Then I stood up. I have no intention of letting Leo become a tyrant, so the future might change. The question isn’t what happens in an uncertain ten years, but what I need to do right now.
I want to keep my distance from Kevin and wait for him to suggest the divorce. I know why he suddenly remarried, and I know he planned to just toss Erica aside if he hadn’t become interested in her. I want to tell him divorce is exactly what I want, but I have a huge problem.
Erica has no home to go back to, no money to live on, and no practical skills. All she has is her youth and beauty. So, I need to get those things before Kevin divorces me. Getting kicked out right away would be a disaster, plus, I’ve developed an attachment: the two children, Leo and Ron.
(My first step is selecting tutors and staff who will be a positive influence on those kids.)
I thought this over as I walked slowly down the hall. Kevin mostly ignores the children, so once I hire the tutors, he probably won’t fire them unless there’s a serious incident. I need to make sure I strongly warn the servants not to insult the former wife—though most decent people wouldn’t.
(And… while I’m still in this house, I’ll use the Duke’s wealth to gain the knowledge and resources I need to survive in this world.)
The current me knows how to clean and bake, but I don’t know how to make a living on my own. Education and proper etiquette are like invisible armor. If I tell Kevin that learning them is essential for the Duchess, he won’t object.
Lost in these plans, I approached the Duchess’s room, when I heard women arguing.
“Oh, stop being a goody-goody. Weren’t you the one saying the Olsson family was rude and how much you hated them!”
“That was about the first young lady they proposed to, and the sheer audacity of them suddenly demanding the younger sister instead. It wasn’t about the new Mistress.”
The reason my head was pounding was that the one shouting was my personal maid. She was close to the original Erica, but she and the current Erica (me) are clearly oil and water.
(Well, that just makes it easier to fire her.)
Looking for the bright side, I walked closer to the two maids. The one who had been calmly arguing was the first to notice me.