If You Want To Frame Me As A Villainess, I Will Be The Villainess. However. - Chapter 2

“Lady Christiane, what nonsense are you talking about!?” His Highness Fabian shouted.

I shook my head. “Your Highness, this is the first time i’ve met Noelia.”

“That’s a lie! Lady Christiane bullied me!”

“Noelia, I understand. Christiane is lying to avoid admitting her wrongdoing.” His Highness Fabian calmed Noelia, who quickly reacted to her words.

“Well then, perhaps you can tell me where we’ve met?” I smiled at Noelia, who then clung to His Highness Fabian and cry.

“Oh, you don’t want to. But if i have met Noelia before, i’d like to know. I heard the rumors about her but in this venue is truly the first time i’ve seen her.”

“Don’t play coy! Lady Christiane, if you have any pride as a Duchess, you should apologize to Noelia!”

I shook my head in indignant to His Highness Fabian. “I’ve just returned to the academy after a year of absence, so how could i have possibly met Noelia?”

“A year of absence?! What do you mean?!” It seemed His Highness Fabian, completely attached with Lady Noelia, had forgotten what his own fiancée had been doing. I’ve told him a year ago, but… I knew he was forgetful, but I never imagined he’d forget something this important.

“I was studying abroad in the Bahr Kingdom. Do you forget about it? His Majesty the King personally requested that i have to learn the neighboring Kingdom’s language, so i’ve been avidly studying there for a year. Although i attended their academy, arrangements have been made for me to graduate from our academy as well.”

Murmurs rippled through the venue.

“Th-that’s a lie!” Noelia cried.

His Highness Fabian, startled by my words, shook his head. “You were studying abroad, pretending to be out of the Kingdom, while secretly bullying Noelia!”

I sighed softly and looked around the venue. “Has anyone here seen me at the academy during the past year?”

Everyone looked away from my eyes, but no one raised their hand. Of course they won’t. After i invoked His Majesty’s name, that would be disrespectful to denying the King’s order. I returned my eyes to His Highness Fabian. Noelia looked up at him anxiously, and he shook his head reassuringly.

“Your Highness, it seems no one has seen me.”

“W-why would Lady Christiane even need to learn the Bahr Kingdom’s language in the first place?! That must be a lie!”

Oh, i didn’t expect him to deny that. Should i say it? Well, of course! I’m the villainess.

“If Your Highness were fluent in the Bahr Kingdom’s language, there would have been no need for me to study abroad. His Majesty was worrying that Your Highness hadn’t mastered the language despite learning it since childhood, and arranged me to study abroad to support Your Highness by becoming proficient in it.”

His Highness Fabian’s face flushed red. “Are you insulting me?!”

“How dare you insult His Highness Fabian!” Noelia shook her head to his chest.

“I’m not insulting him. I’m simply telling the facts.” I tilted my head.

Noelia, who had been clinging to His Highness Fabian, looked up. “His Highness Fabian is fluent in the Bahr Kingdom’s language! He whispered words of love to me in it!”

I replied firmly. “Words of love is not necessary for negotiations with the Bahr Kingdom, Noelia.”

“You’re just jealous and being mean because he loves me!” She buried her face in His Highness Fabian’s chest again. I was having trouble understanding what she was saying.

“I’m saying that proficiency in the Bahr Kingdom’s language is necessary for negotiations with them.”

“Why must we use their language for negotiations?! We can simply communicate in our own language!”

“Noelia, are you aware that the Bahr Kingdom’s national power is ten times of ours? If they were to invade, our Kingdom would be doomed. It is the King’s duty to negotiate, and the Queen is expected to support him. That’s why I was sent to acquire the language skills to support His Highness Fabian.”

Noelia’s lips trembled. “I will support His Highness Fabian! You’re no longer needed, Lady Christiane!”

Hmm. Was Noelia even listening to me?

“Are you fluent in the Bahr Kingdom’s language, Noelia?”

“His Highness Fabian! This is how Lady Christiane bullied me, saying that i wasn’t educated enough!” Noelia clung to His Highness Fabian again. It seemed like she did not understand. …Well, i was the villainess. I would do as i pleased.

“We haven’t been properly introduced. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Noelia. My name is Christiane Duchess of Dumerg.”

I smiled and curtsied. Both His Highness Fabian and Noelia’s eyes widened, and then they began to tremble. Oh dear. They were the ones who wanted me to be the villainess.