I was still walking down the pathway in the garden when I heard a voice.
My mum's voice, to be exact.
"Seraphina!" she half-yelled, her voice cutting through the quiet hum of the afternoon.
I turned, startled. "Mum?"
She was striding toward me in that graceful yet terrifying way only mothers could manage—skirts swishing, expression sharp enough to cut glass. Dad followed close behind, looking slightly out of breath and very done with everything.
"What are you doing here?" he asked when they reached me. His eyes scanned the garden like I'd been caught committing a crime.
"I was just… admiring the roses," I said, gesturing vaguely at the nearest bush. "They're lovely this time of year."
Dad gave me a look. "You've been gone for nearly half an hour."
"Roses take time to appreciate," I said evenly.
Mum sighed, though the corners of her mouth twitched. "You always did find peace in the strangest places. I thought you'd be resting after everything that happened in the throne room."
"I'm fine," I said quickly, brushing a petal from my sleeve. "Just needed some air."
Dad adjusted his coat, still visibly irritated. "Well, come along. The carriage is waiting. The king and queen send their regards—apparently they're very pleased with you."
I blinked. "Pleased? For slapping their son?"
Mum's lips curved into a proud little smirk. "Oh, I made sure they understood exactly why you did it. The queen wasn't happy with Lucien either. You should've seen her face when your father told her how he's been treating you."
Dad crossed his arms, still fuming. "Unacceptable behavior, royal or not. If he weren't a prince, I'd have taught him some manners myself."
"I'm sure he's learned a lesson," I said dryly, though the image of my father fighting a prince was… oddly comforting.
"Come, dear," Mum said, resting a hand on my arm. "It's been a long day. Let's go home."
I nodded and followed them back toward the gates. The palace shimmered under the afternoon sun—beautiful, distant, and exhausting in the best possible way.
________________
By the time we arrived home, I was practically buzzing. The day had been insane, but not in a bad way. I'd just publicly humiliated a prince, gotten engaged to another, and somehow earned the royal family's approval.
[Have you always wanted to humiliate a prince host.]
No but in books it was always satisfying to see people get what they deserve and this time I gave it to them.
That had to count as progress.
I climbed the stairs to my room, ignoring the chatter of servants and the faint clatter of teacups being set in the drawing room. The moment my door closed behind me, I kicked off my shoes and flopped onto my bed with a satisfied sigh.
"So," I said to the empty room, "this is what being a villainess feels like."
[Not quite yet, host.]
I grinned into the pillow. "Nero, what's the point of these quests anyway? Who decides them?"
[Oh, we're starting with philosophy now, are we?]
"Nero."
[Fine, fine.] His tone turned almost smug. [The Villainess System does. It observes, calculates, assigns. You complete quests, you grow stronger. You fail, you get punished.]
I sat up, eyes widening. "Punished? What kind of punishment?"
[You don't want to find out.]
I gasped. "That's actually exciting."
[That's… not the usual reaction.]
"Come on, Nero," I said, smiling. "A little danger makes it fun. What's the point of being reborn if I don't get to stir things up?"
[You're taking this better than most hosts.]
"I was murdered in my last life. Anything is an upgrade."
[Can't argue with that logic.]
I leaned back against my pillows, a thrill buzzing beneath my skin. "So what happens next? Another quest?"
[Not immediately. But soon. You'll get a new one—with deadlines.]
"Deadlines?"
[And punishments if you fail. Keeps things interesting.]
I laughed. "Perfect. Nothing like a bit of pressure to make life exciting."
[You're supposed to be horrified, you know.]
"I'll save the horror for later." I stretched, grinning. "Right now, I'm too busy enjoying this."
[Enjoying impending doom? That's a new one.]
"Villainesses don't fear doom," I said, smirking at the ceiling. "They dance with it."
I knew that was cringe but I said it anyway.
[Well, congratulations, host. You're definitely getting into character.]
"Good," I murmured, closing my eyes. "Let's make this life worth remembering."
The sunlight spilling through my window warmed my face, and for the first time since my rebirth, I felt genuinely alive—like the world was waiting for me to do something spectacular.
And I fully intended to.