Page 21 of Villainess's Redemption
I was out of the carriage before she could finish her sentence, pushing through the crowd with Laurel hot on my heels. The marketplace, usually a vibrant tapestry of colors and sounds, had become a suffocating arena of spectators. The scent of fresh bread and ripe fruit mixed sickeningly with the metallic tang of blood.
And there, in the center of it all, was a boy. Small, dirty, and painfully thin, he couldn’t have been more than fifteen. His tattered clothes hung off his bony frame like rags on a scarecrow. But it wasn’t his appearance that made my heart clench. It wasthe way he curled in on himself, trying to protect his vital organs from the rain of blows.
At that moment, I didn’t see a nameless urchin. I saw Sebastian, my brother, beaten and broken in exile. I saw every child who’d ever suffered at the hands of those more powerful. And something in me snapped.
“STOP!” I screamed, my voice carrying over the crowd. “Stop this at once!”
The guards paused, turning to look at me with a mixture of surprise and annoyance. I rushed forward, kneeling beside the boy. “Are you alright?” I asked softly, my hands hovering over him, unsure where I could touch without causing more pain. “Can you hear me?”
The boy’s eyes, wide with fear and pain, met mine. He nodded slightly, wincing at the movement.
I stood, fury coursing through my veins as I faced the noble responsible for this barbarity. He was a minor lord, one whose name I couldn’t be bothered to remember. “What is the meaning of this?” I demanded, my voice cold enough to freeze hellfire.
The lord scoffed, his face contorting with indignation. “The little rat stole from me. I’m well within my rights to punish him as I see fit.”
“Oh, of course,” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Because clearly, the appropriate response to petty theft is to beat a child half to death in the middle of the street. How very noble of you.”
The lord’s face reddened. “Now see here, woman. You’ve no right to tell me how to handle my affairs. Who do you think you are?”
Laurel took offense on my behalf, pushing me behind her as she started defending me. “How dare you speak to my lady like that? Do you have any idea who you are talking to? Apologize, right now.”
I walked past Laurel as I straightened, channeling every ounce of aristocratic disdain I could muster. “I am Lady Ilyana D’Arcane, daughter of Lord Elyas D’Arcane and wife of Lord Noah Stormbourne,” the words tasted bitter on my tongue, but I pushed on. I didn’t want to be associated with Noah but the situation called for it. “And I’m telling you that this barbaric display ends now.”
Laurel gave me a discreet approving nod as she posed beside me with her hands crossed and a defiant expression on her face. I internally rolled my eyes at her antics.
The color drained from the lord’s face as he realized just who he was dealing with. “My lady, I… I had no idea.”
“Clearly,” I said dryly. “Now, what exactly did this boy steal that warranted such a response? I’ll repay you myself if you agree to leave him be.”
The lord, now practically tripping over himself to appease me, named a laughably small sum. I handed over the money, watching with grim satisfaction as he scurried away like the rat he’d accused the boy of being.
I turned back to the boy, intent on offering him further help, only to find that he’d vanished in the commotion. The crowd, sensing the excitement was over, began to disperse.
Sighing, I made my way back to the carriage, Laurel following close behind. “Well, that was certainly more exciting than shopping for gowns,” I muttered.
Just as I reached for the carriage door, a slow, steady clap froze me in my tracks. A voice I’d never forget, smooth as silk and twice as dangerous, cut through the air.
“That was quite generous of you, Lady D’Arcane.”
I turned slowly, coming face to face with Prince Anderic Voltaire himself.
Chapter 6
I looked at Prince Anderic Voltaire, and for a moment, I thought I’d gone blind. The man was a walking ray of sunshine, complete with golden wavy hair, sun-kissed skin, and eyes so blue they made the sky jealous. His dimpled smile could probably charm half the kingdom and then some. It was almost comical how perfect he looked – as if the gods had decided to create the most irresistible man and then said, “hmm, we overdid it.”
But I knew better. Beneath that dazzling exterior lurked a dangerous man, cold and calculating. His charming personality was nothing more than a well-crafted mask, hiding a mind as sharp as a dagger and twice as deadly.
He approached me, his loyal captain of the guard, Lennox, trailing behind like a particularly stern shadow. He kept glowering at me from a few paces back. The captain of the guard never did approve of me. Just like every other person around me. Story of my life.
I noticed Anderic wasn’t in his usual royal get-up. Instead, he sported an outfit that screamed, ‘I’m trying to blend in, but I’m still richer than you’ll ever be.’
I stared at him, momentarily stunned by his sudden appearance. Of all the people I could run into, it had to be him.And to think I had been counting my lucky stars this morning for not having run into this walking nuisance.
“What?” I so eloquently managed to say. Smooth, Ilyana. Really smooth. Add some drool and finish the whole look now.
Who knew I was an idiot in my past life.
Anderic gestured towards where the boy had been beaten up, his eyebrows raised in what appeared to be a genuine surprise. “That was very generous of you, Lady D’Arcane. I must say, I’m shocked to see you lowering yourself to help the common folk.”
