My stomach did a slow, heavy roll. I knew that tone.
"I know it would be a little difficult for you to talk about her," Selene continued, her hazel eyes fixed on mine, tracing every change in my expression. My smile wavered a bit, still replied, "What about her?'
"She has been... very vocal since the incident. She's convinced that your sudden change of heart is a performance. She spends every afternoon telling me how dangerous you are, Irene. She tells me that if I let you back in, I am essentially inviting the fox into the hen house."
I stiffened, my back going as straight as a rod. The warmth I had felt moments ago evaporated, and was replaced by a cold, familiar prickle of irritation.
Josephine. The girl who had perfected the art of the 'concerned sister-in-law' while sharpening a knife behind her back. She was the one who had really pushed the narrative that I was a murderer, all while holding Selene's hand and crying crocodile tears.
"She is very protective of me. She told me just this morning that she plans to handle you herself, so we don't have to deal with the stress." Selene added, her tone being too careful and measured compared to before.
My blood ran cold hearing her last words. A different kind of survival instinct rushed through me. In the original story, Josephine wasn't just a side villainess; she was the one who profited most from Irene's downfall. My downfall as everyone's trust in me increased, including Selene.
"Is that so? What did she say?" I managed to say, my voice losing its softness and regaining that rough edge I would mostly use with Xander. The mental image of Josephine's smug, pitying face flashed in my mind.
If I were going to secure my place beside Selene, I was not just fighting rumors anymore. I was going to have to go through the one person who had made it her life's mission to see me destroyed.
"Well, she seemed... quite determined about finding some evidence against you." Selene's low voice fell into my ear, making me freeze in my place.
The pavilion felt smaller as Selene's words settled between us like a physical weight.
Evidence.
In the original story I wrote, Josephine did not need real evidence because she was an expert at manufacturing it. She had already twisted the narrative so effectively that the entire ton viewed me as a murderer, even though I had refused to participate in her poisoning plot at the engagement party.
"Evidence? What kind of evidence could she possibly find for a crime I didn't commit?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Selene looked down at her tea, her expression troubled. "She didn't say. She only mentioned that a thorough investigation of the Solyne estate might reveal the source of the toxin. She's convinced that because the physicians confirmed poison was in my system, someone must answer for it."
I felt a sudden, sharp spike of adrenaline. Josephine wasn't just talking now, but she was preparing a plan.
If she could convince Marcus to search my home, she would make sure they found exactly what they were looking for. My parents, Jenna and Edward, were already eyeing my connection to Xander as a golden ticket to the palace, but they would disown me in a heartbeat if a scandal turned into a formal execution.
"Selene, look at me. You have seen the rumors. You know what Josephine says, but you also saw me today. If I were the fox in the hen house, would I be sitting here, in the open, warning you about the very person who claims to be your protector?" I said, leaning forward. My heart was hammering, but I kept my gaze steady.
Selene stayed silent for a long beat, the shadows of the willow tree dancing across her pale, fragile face.
Finally, she tucked a stray platinum strand behind her ear as she replied in her soft voice, "No. A fox doesn't ask to tell her own story, but Josephine is... persistent. She won't stop until she has what she wants."
"Then I'll have to be more persistent," I replied, a cold resolve hardening in my chest. I wasn't just Kayla Smith anymore, the girl who died because she was too invisible to fight back.
I was Irene Solyne, and if I had to become the "Only Redemption" of a cursed prince just to survive a villainess I created, then so be it.
"I need your help, Selene. Not just for my sake, but for yours, because the person searching for evidence against me is the same one who benefited most from you falling ill." I said, dropping my voice.
Selene's eyes widened, a flicker of shock crossing her hazel gaze. Before she could respond, the sound of rhythmic clapping echoed from the entrance of the pavilion. We both froze in our place.
"What a touching scene. I see the fox has already started whispering her lies." A sugary, familiar voice drifted toward us. I froze. Standing at the edge of the marble stairs was Josephine, with none but Marcus standing just a few feet away from her, and he clearly wasn't pleased to see me.
Josephine stood there with her hands clasped delicately over a violet dress that made her look like an innocent porcelain doll. Behind her, Marcus's presence was like a dark, looming cloud.
His eyes, sharp and filled with a cold, protective fury, were fixed on me as if I were a venomous snake that had somehow slithered back into his garden.
"Brother, look at them. I told you Irene would try to corner Selene the moment she was alone with her. She's taking advantage of her kindness, spinning stories to hide her own guilt. We shouldn't have let Xander allow him to come here again," Josephine whispered, her voice trembling and filled with fake concern just enough to be convincing.
My heart hammered against my ribs, but I forced my spine to stay rigid. I couldn't look like the girl in my old life. The invisible Kayla Smith, who let her sister Lyla steal her hard work and her joy.
In this world, the world of my own novel, being invisible was a death sentence. I was Irene Solyne now, and the disposable side character was done playing by the rules.
"Lady Josephine, Your Grace. You arrived just as we were discussing the nature of truth. It's a pity you missed the beginning. I think you would have found the logic quite… illuminating." I said, rising from my seat and offering a curtsy that was perfectly, and enough to be respectful, but not nearly as submissive as the Irene they remembered.
Josephine's eyes flashed with a spark of genuine irritation before the mask of sorrow slid back into place.
"Logic? Or manipulation, Irene? You've always been so clever at twisting words to suit your needs. Just because we were friends, I can't let you harm my sister-in-law again." Her last words almost made me tremble from disgust.
How can someone be this shallow and cruel at the same time? I think that's the reason she is the villainess.
The villainess I created.