Page 76 of Villainess's Redemption
I arched an eyebrow at her reflection. Well, I wasn’t actually going to fight but yes, it was a big day—a different kind of war awaited me.
I looked around my room once more - a mix of white and lilac where Queen Felicia even stayed once. I never minded too much about this room before, the gilded furniture, plush carpets, and heavy curtains. Now, it gave me warmth, feeling like a sanctuary rather than the hollow, gilded cage it once was to me.
I had been on bed rest for the last week. Other than the Queen, I had only been visited by my father and Noah, whosevisits I kept as short as possible. I did feel bad since he was always so genuine and kind but I really couldn’t deal with him.
No sight of Prince Anderic, though. Not that I was waiting for him—quite the opposite, actually.
I turned away from the mirror, my fingers trailing over the ornate dresser as I approached the drawer. From within, I pulled out a rather plain wooden box, its simplicity at odds with the grandeur surrounding us.
“Time to drink my poison,” I murmured, opening the box to reveal the peacock brooch nestled inside. The emeralds, diamonds, and sapphires caught the light, winking at me like co-conspirators in a grand joke. A joke that was me.
This beautiful, cursed thing. The root of so many lies, so much pain. I curled my fingers around it, feeling its weight in my palm.
“No more games,” I declared, straightening my spine. I had wanted to slowly unravel my web of lies, but after yet another close brush with death and the increasingly unpredictable changes in events, I realized I needed to cut the web at its roots—there was no time for gently unraveling the threads.
Laurel’s brow furrowed with concern. “Are you sure about this?”
She hadn’t known what I was about to do until last night when I told her everything. Well, almost everything. Of course, I couldn’t tell her about the things that would definitely send me to prison.
I was afraid of her judgment but surprisingly there was none.
I nodded, trying to project more confidence than I felt. “I’ve been dancing at the edge of a knife for too long, Laurel. One misstep and we all fall. Better to leap now, while I still have some control over where I land.”
We made our way through the corridors, my emerald gown swishing against the polished floors. Servants and courtiers alikepaused to stare, no doubt wondering what the newly recovered Lady Stormbourne was up to now.
Queen Felicia wasn’t joking about my popularity. Soon enough, they’d have plenty to talk about.
As we approached Rosalind’s chambers, Laurel’s worry finally bubbled over. “Is this really a good idea, my lady?”
I paused, my hand on the door handle. Was it a good idea? Probably not. But then again, few of my ideas in this life or the last could be called “good” by any stretch of the imagination.
I offered Laurel a reassuring smile. “Good? Perhaps not. Necessary? Absolutely.”
With that, I pushed open the door, the peacock brooch clutched tightly in my fist. Rosalind looked up from her embroidery, her eyes widening as she took in my determined stance.
Uh well, I forgot to knock. Anyway.
“Lady Stormbourne,” she greeted, her voice carefully neutral but her eyes were full of fire. If looks could kill, I’d be dead. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this sudden appearance?”
I strode forward, my heart pounding but my voice steady.It’s now or never.“It’s time we had a talk, Rosalind. About the truth, about lies, and about this damned brooch.”
Rosalind’s eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of the brooch in my hand. That damned peacock brooch, glittering innocently as if it hadn’t caused so much strife. The very brooch that had once belonged to Noah’s mother, then it was given to Rosalind by Noah after her death when we were still in our youth.
The brooch I’d stolen when she returned to the capital and used to weave my web of deceit on that fateful night of summer solstice.
Why did he even believe me so easily? That idiot.
“What are you doing?” Rosalind asked her voice tight with suspicion.
I smiled, extending my hand to return the brooch to its rightful owner. “Here. This is yours, I believe.”
Rosalind stared at my outstretched palm as if it held a venomous snake rather than a priceless heirloom.Well, can’t say I blame her. I wouldn’t trust me either.
I sighed, withdrawing my hand. “I deserved that. Well, Perhaps I should explain. Do you know why I stole this?”
Rosalind arched an eyebrow, her voice dripping with disdain. “Because you’re a selfish, lying bitch?”
Ouch. Fair, but ouch.“I am, no doubt, but…,” I took a deep breath, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. “I was jealous.”
