Page 25 of Villainess's Redemption
Laurel tried to follow me but I told her not to and to stay here.
The halls were quiet as I made my way to Anderic’s wing, my soft slippers silent on the marble floors. The elderly maid Agnes opened his outer door, her perpetual scowl firmly in place. Without a word, she shuffled away, leaving me to navigate the prince’s domain alone.
I approached his office door, hand raised to knock when voices drifted through the thick wood.
And like a proper noble lady, I decided to eavesdrop.
“I think there’s something not right with Magnus’s case,” Noah was saying. “The evidence… it doesn’t add up.”
“Explain,” Anderic’s voice held that dangerous edge I remembered so well.
Noah’s response was too muffled to make out. I leaned closer, cursing the thick door.
“I think Magnus’s case might be linked to the salt smuggling operation I’ve been investigating,” Anderic continued. “Think about it. All the gold mines are under royal control. No private individual has that kind of power. Yet somehow, illegal gold is flooding the market. Ministry of Revenue must be involved somehow.”
Salt smuggling? This was entirely new information. In my previous life, I’d been too wrapped up in my own schemes to notice any larger conspiracies at play.
“And you think Magnus was framed to cover this up?” Noah asked.
“It’s possible. Very possible. Magnus was on track to become assistant head of the Ministry of Revenue. He would havebeen in a position to notice discrepancies, to ask uncomfortable questions.”
My blood ran cold. If they were investigating gold smuggling in the Ministry of Revenue, how long would it be before they started looking at my father?? He was after all the head of the Ministry of Revenue. I knew he hadn’t been involved with the gold mines, but father’s ambition had always outweighed his judgment. What if…? No, I needed to talk to father tomorrow.
I turned and hurried back to my chambers, my mind racing.
I stared at the blank journal page before me, my quill hovering uselessly above it. Who knew that plotting to be good could be so damn difficult? Evil schemes? Those practically wrote themselves. But this? This was like trying to teach a cat to bark.
“Come on, brain,” I muttered. “You managed to orchestrate the downfall of an entire family. Surely you can figure out how to undo it without ending up in a insane asylum.”
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Here I was, Lady Ilyana D’Arcane, once the puppet master of court intrigues, now struggling to string together a coherent plan that didn’t involve backstabbing or blackmail. How the mighty have fallen. Or risen? I wasn’t quite sure anymore.
My eyes drifted back to the empty journal. Right. Convincing Father. That was going to be about as easy as teaching a pig to fly. Elyas D’Arcane, stubborn as a mule and twice as pig-headed. That’s how he climbed up the social circle. If I told him I’d had a change of heart overnight, he’d probably think I’d been possessed by a benevolent spirit. And if I mentioned anything about the future? Well, hello mental asylum.
“Think, Ilyana, think,” I muttered, tapping the quill against my temple. “Use that devious little brain of yours for something other than ruining lives for once.”
My mind wandered to Rosalind, and a pang of guilt hit me like a punch to the gut. In my past life, I’d seen her as nothing more than an obstacle to be removed, jealous of her for being able to win Noah’s heart so easily. But now? Now I could feel the weight of her pain, the ache of her loss. It was a bitter pill to swallow, realizing just how much damage I’d done.
“I need to save Magnus,” I whispered to the empty room. “I need to give Noah back to her. I need to atone for my misdeeds,” the words felt foreign on my tongue like I was speaking a language I’d never learned. “But I also need to save my family.”
And that’s where the problems lie.As much as part of me wanted to march straight to the authorities and confess everything, I couldn’t. My family’s fate was tied to mine. If I went down, they’d go down with me. No, I’d have to find another way. Even if it meant begging Rosalind on my knees. Even if it meant spending the rest of my life trying to make amends.
A knock at the door startled me out of my thoughts. I quickly shoved the journal into a drawer as Noah entered the room.
“Ilyana,” he began, “May I come in? I need to talk to you.” His talk with Anderic ended so quickly?
I nodded as he started, his voice heavy with guilt. I almost rolled my eyes. I might have become a better person but I wasn’t a saint. “I wanted to apologize for leaving yesterday. It was unforgivable of me to-”
I held up a hand, cutting him off. Better get this over with as quickly as I could. “It’s alright, Noah. I understand,” the words came out smoother than I expected, no trace of the bitterness I’d felt in my past life.
He blinked, clearly surprised by my lack of anger.As if. I’m not repeating the same mistakes.“You… you do?”
“Of course,” I said, mustering up a smile that I hoped looked genuine and not nonchalant. “These things happen. You hadimportant matters to attend to, I’m sure.” And some important discussions with that deranged prince.
Noah’s brow furrowed, confusion battling with relief on his face. “I… yes. But still, it was our wedding night. I should have been here with you.”
I waved my hand dismissively. “Water under the bridge. Let’s not dwell on it.”
“You’re being very understanding about this,” he said slowly as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.Oh, c’mon now. I won’t throw a tantrum. Is it that hard to believe?
