The Villainous Young Lady Would Even Risk Her Life for Her Beloved ～ Her Fiancé, the Prince? By All Means, Please Be Happy with the Heroine! - Chapter 1.11

The princess consort’s education was not as dreadful as I had feared.

(That scoundrel Prince Leonhart… He really made me panic for no reason!)

The etiquette lessons were not much different from the ones I had received at the Flores ducal estate, and my previous life’s knowledge was immensely useful in terms of academics. Three days a week, I traveled to the royal castle for these lessons.

It seemed that fostering a deeper bond with the prince was a significant part of this arrangement. Each time, I spent the afternoon tea session with Prince Leonhart. It was evident that the whole engagement cancellation debacle had left a deep impression on them.

Occasionally, Luca and Lord Finley would also join these tea gatherings, leaving me flustered. The first prince’s faction was not just focused on securing a fiancée from a powerful noble house but also on gathering talented individuals.

Honestly, these days felt like heaven. Having tea time with my favorite characters…

(Oh, gods! Thank you!!!)

However, not everything was so wonderful. The real challenge lay in my study sessions at home. Since they were unable to find a suitable tutor for Lydiana Flores, she and I ended up taking lessons together with Lady Lione.

“Incorrect.”

“Wrong again.”

“Try it once more.”

Every single time, I was met with her expressionless corrections. The magic lessons, which were supposed to be my forte, were an absolute disaster.

“Having magical power is meaningless if you cannot control it.”

“Relying on brute force? That is far from elegant.”

Lady Lione was a thin, middle-aged woman who always wore slightly worn-out clothes. Her appearance was not unpleasant, but she constantly had a sullen expression. Did she ever have good moods? According to Luca, she was an obsessive magic scholar.

She placed particular emphasis on mana control training. Unfortunately, the gap between Luca and me was painfully obvious. While Luca effortlessly traced his name in the air with fire, I was still stuck practicing how to float a tiny flame.

“That woman clearly despises me!”

Her treatment of Luca was clearly different! I was being forced to repeatedly suppress my magic output. I had magic—I wanted to do something flashy with it!

“Well… I admit my mana control isn’t great, but still.”

I was supposed to become the greatest magician in history! Could I really afford to struggle like this?

To be honest, I had expected to dominate in magic. Yet, here I was…

“You’re lacking focus.”

Luca spoke nonchalantly as he casually produced tiny electric sparks at his fingertips while nibbling on a piece of bread.

“And that is focused?”

“I’ve just gotten used to it.”

Magic in this world was based on the four classical elements—earth, water, fire, and air.

Anyone with magical power could manipulate these elements, at least to some extent. However, derivatives such as lightning and ice depended on individual talent and training. The healing magic that was our family’s specialty belonged to a rare category of special magic, making its practitioners highly valuable.

“I could control raw mana well enough, but…”

Magic only manifested when mana was properly shaped. The process itself was not terribly difficult—most people could manage something simple like producing a flame, akin to lighting a match. However, anything beyond that required advanced control, akin to drawing a circle with one hand while sketching a square with the other.

“It is not enough to simply perfect the melody played with your right hand. You must not forget the beauty of the left-hand accompaniment.”

In a dimly lit room, Lady Lione played the piano, sending crystalline ice blossoms swirling through the air. Tiny sparks, reminiscent of flickering sparklers, occasionally scattered among them. The breathtaking sight held me spellbound. She truly had unwavering confidence in her magic, and rightfully so.

This was the essence of magic—the sheer beauty of it. I was overwhelmed with admiration. A distant memory from my past life surfaced—the time I had visited a planetarium. The nostalgia made me feel somewhat sentimental.

I was so moved that when Prince Leonhart and Lord Finley visited our estate, I pestered Lady Lione into performing the display once more.

“Incredible! I never knew magic could be used this way!”

“How do you control it?”

Both of them were brimming with excitement. Sharing something that had moved me so deeply was truly delightful.

Lord Finley, murmuring about how beautiful it was, conjured a large sphere of ice in his palm. It gleamed like a crystal ball.

“Oh my goodness! That’s amazing! You can already use ice magic?”

The room filled with the enthusiastic cheers of his admirers. And really, it was incredible—he was only ten years old!

“I wanted to create crystalline structures like Lady Lione, but they still come out rough.”

Even his slightly frustrated expression was adorable! I wanted to preserve the ice he made forever. A freezer was needed.

“How about this?”

This time, Prince Leonhart produced a star-shaped ice crystal, resembling sugar candy.

“Oh my! It’s as pure as your noble heart, my lord!”

“W-What? What is that supposed to mean?!”

Hearing our exchange, Luca and Lord Finley burst into laughter. These moments had become more frequent lately.

In the original story, Prince Leonhart, Luca, Lord Finley, and Geoffrey were depicted as childhood friends. Geoffrey had yet to appear, but somehow, I had ended up becoming part of their group.

(This… This is a dream come true!)

Being the childhood friend of my favorite characters? This was the ultimate position! Who cared if I was a villainess? I wanted to keep this moment forever.

And then, I caught sight of Lady Lione, who had been watching us. She had a faint smile on her lips.

Luca noticed it too and, looking pleased, asked a question.

“Where did you learn such magic, Master Lione?”

“In my homeland. Though it no longer exists.”

Lady Lione quickly returned to her usual expression. Luca lowered his gaze.

“My apologies…”

“No need. It was a long time ago.”

Perhaps noticing Luca’s reaction, Lady Lione decided to share more about her homeland.

“The country I was born in was small, but it was rich in magic stones, so the people were relatively well-off. Many had a deep love for the arts, and magic like what I showed you earlier was particularly admired. Men who could perform such displays were especially popular with women.”

I could tell she was trying to make Luca smile.

“So magic developed in a different direction there than it did in our kingdom?”

Prince Leonhart asked, clearly intrigued. Indeed, in our kingdom, magic was primarily valued for its military applications. Its effectiveness in combating monsters was what mattered most.

“That’s right. My homeland had a saintess, much like this country, but unlike here, she was not revered for her healing magic. Instead, she was the highest authority in defensive magic. Thanks to her power, a protective barrier covered the entire nation, so there was little need for offensive magic… However, when the saintess passed away, the empire attacked. And that… is why I am here now.”

By “the empire,” she must have meant the Vinsor Empire—the birthplace of magical artifacts and a nation with a rather notorious reputation. Incidentally, its crown prince also falls for Iris in the original story.

“Master Lione… do you ever wish to return to your homeland?”

Even though she had spoken lightly, a homeland was still a special place. I, too, sometimes thought about my past life in Japan.

“Perhaps just to visit my family’s graves.”

“I’d like to go too!”

Luca exclaimed enthusiastically.

“If the duke’s house is willing to cover the travel expenses, I wouldn’t mind.”

Everyone laughed at that.

◇◇◇

That night, while I was having my usual chat with Luca, Lady Lione came to see me.

“I need to speak with you.”

Luca, being considerate, was about to leave the room, but Lady Lione stopped him. She likely didn’t want to be alone with a noble lady at night, even if he was just a child.

“If you don’t mind, Lord Luca, I would like you to hear this as well.”

What could this be about? Though she had come to speak, I could tell she was having a hard time bringing up the topic.

“Master Lione?”

“Forgive me… Lady Lydiana, are you familiar with prophetic dreams?”

Luca and I both stiffened at the unexpected words. Had someone told her about the excuse I had used during the Frozen Stone Disease incident?

Noticing our reaction, Lady Lione continued.

“There are those in my bloodline who occasionally have prophetic dreams. I am one of them… and I have seen a dream about you, Lady Lydiana.”

Oh no. This wasn’t about my past excuse at all—if anything, this was much worse.

(If it was about me, then it could only be… that.)

Luca seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Lady Lione’s next words came without hesitation.

“I say this with all due respect… Lady Lydiana, you will bring ruin to this kingdom.”

See? I knew it.