"Aaaah~ this is life, when the soft breeze passing through my soul and the joyful strolling beneath the warm sunlight..."
"I...."
"am..."
"freeeee..."
"Yahooooo~"
Dion shouted like Tarzan spinning and twirling around the Prince annoyingly with a wide grin on his high spirited face, it's all thanks to the capable Aides selected by Grizel, they finally finished all the paperwork a day right before the engagement party.
Though bothersome, as a Prince, Rex is doing another inspection around the capital city to make sure everything is alright and nothing bad happens to affect the party tomorrow, disguised himself as a normal passerby accompanied by the irritating Dion and the drowsy Nine, they are finally free from the gloomy office for the first time since a certain troublemaker's arrival in the capital.
Bump!
The twirling Dion lightly bumped into the Prince who stopped abruptly in the middle of the way.
"Young Master!"
Dion called, seemingly peeved by the sudden halt, he couldn't say the usual 'Your Highness' when they are in the middle of the town disguising as commoners yet do not dare to directly call the prince's nickname either.
"You shouldn't sto-"
Before he could finish with the complaint, Rex asked him while frowning upon the sight of the main street in the capital city.
"I think my eyes are playing a trick on me right now, the town seems... Empty?"
Rex looked at the usually lively main street, it's not as hollow as a deserted place since there are still plenty of people who are doing business or working, but compared to the normally noisy road with tons of carriages passing by and the roaming crowds at the market, the decrease amount of the people is visibly significant.
"No, young master. The people are definitely lesser than normal"
Dion added as his bubbly attitude vanished entirely replaced with a serious expression knowing something is amiss about the people.
"They seem too calm for it to be another kidnapping case, there is no uproar"
They looked at the people who are doing their things normally, even though the empire's intelligence department is busy focusing on the movement of the traitors and the Western continent, with these many missing people, it should've been exposed, yet not a single news comes to the palace.
"Hhmmm"
With a mumble, Rex agrees with Dion. All of the people seem to behave like nothing, there is no trace of fear on their face in case of crimes was the reason for the decrease of the townsfolk.
"What?!"
A middle-aged man shouted in front of a blacksmith shop not far from where Rex, Dion, and Nine are standing. The 3 of them glance at the source of the voice in unison.
"I am sorry but I am here merely as a shopkeeper to serve the costumers who want to take their finished orders or to buy the ready items, as my master, the blacksmith is working out of town for several months, we won't take new orders in the time being"
A youth explained while bowing to apologize in front of the shop, looking at his messy appearance and the black stain everywhere while holding a worn-out hammer, he seems like an apprentice of the blacksmith but still has no courage to take orders from the customers by himself.
"Ugh, not this again... even in the capital I can't find one"
The middle-aged man heaved a sigh of disappointment, this is another blacksmith shop which refused him for the very same reason.
Tap!
A 12-year-old ordinary boy tugged his sleeve then asked curiously when he was about to search for another blacksmith.
"Uncle, why did you say 'again' earlier? Did something similar happened before?"
"Uh? Yeah boy. Actually, I come from the next town to find a blacksmith since the harvest season is approaching, I want to fix my broken farming tools. But seems like a wealthy noble is hiring most of the blacksmiths here in the capital and the neighboring towns including mine for several months ahead"
Sigh...
He sighed as he explained what's happening in the town to the Prince in disguise, a noble hiring blacksmith is not a new thing to be surprised of, but the fact of this noble is hiring most of all blacksmiths in the capital and neighboring towns is worrying as if they plan to build something big.
'Who is this noble, why no one comes to report this suspicious matter?'
As his anxiety growing bigger inwardly, Rex asked again to the unfortunate man.
"I don't know such a thing is happening, what do you know about this noble, uncle?"
He was too engrossed in his office to finish the paperwork before his engagement party, who knows that kind of thing is happening right before his eyes.
"I don't know much, but besides the blacksmiths, they are also recruiting restaurant owners along with their whole family, people at the slums and the black market"
"Isn't that suspicious? What if they were going to be sold as slaves?"
Rex acted like a frightened little boy who afraid to be kidnapped.
"Oh, I heard they are offering magic contracts to ensure the worker's safety, moreover, all of them get early payment, aaaaaahh, as expected of wealthy noble, they never seem to run out of money, just imagine the price of those magic contracts alone is making me shiver"
He said acting like in chilling as the price of the blank magic contracts is more expensive than the slave contract which is usually used in slave trading.
"Thank you, Uncle. I hope you get to meet a blacksmith before the harvest season, bye bye~"
The boy waving his hand while running to his shadow guard and closest Aide in disguise who are waiting for him, he could order Dion or Nine to ask the man, but he chooses to do it himself.
"Young master, seems like you're enjoying your role as the town boy"
Ignoring Dion, Rex started to summarize the information.
"Someone seems to hire a lot of townsfolk to build something suspicious. Nine, ask for Zero to investigate it"
He ordered the youngest shadow guard. Since this matter might highly involve the traitors, it should be investigated as soon as possible.
Thud!
"Haaaaa, I just barely escape and now we have to go back to that gloomy office"
Dion who was twirling and spinning around happily just a moment ago sat languidly, seems like half of his soul went to heaven leaving the dispirited body behind.
"I think there's no need to investigate it, Master"
Nine is hesitating to answer as his eyes looking away averting the Prince's suspicious gaze like a child getting caught hiding a candy. Seeing his behavior, Rex has a bad hunch about it, a very bad one at that.
"Don't tell me, is it perhaps... Her?"
Dion barged into the conversation, for some reason he doesn't want to say the name of a troublemaker that carved deep into his heart, not in a romantic way like a lover or admirable person, but as a cursed one that always gives him a train of endless bad luck.
"Yes, it's Miss Bel-"
Before Nine finished saying the name of the source-of-calamity, Dion is shrieking.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Rex just facepalmed without saying anything as he has long given up on complaining about the troubles caused by his fiancee, unlike the real victim Dion who keeps on holding his dream of a peaceful life.
"I don't want to hear that name"
He said covering his ears with tears flowing through his lifeless face.
Flop!
"I knew it, I should've just stolen the Imperial seal and stamp it on my resignation letter by myself"
Dion confessed his petty deepest desire as he leans on the wall sitting with his dazed dead-fish eyes, if only he was surrounded by flies, people will mistake him for a rotten corpse.
"Why did she recruit blacksmiths?"
Ignoring the dead body, Rex asked Nine who seems to know a bit of his troublesome fiancee's plan.
"I heard she wanted to build something related to an important expedition"
"Ugh, now she broadens her scale of place to mess around in. What about the people from the slums and black market, why did they get recruited as well?"
"They needed as laborers"
"How about the restaurant owners along with their families?"
"As chefs and servants"
Sigh...
Rex sighed in a deep heavy breath, the sudden decrease in the number of people, the closed restaurants and blacksmith shops when the harvest season is approaching will affect more or less the economic growth.
"Let's go to our beloved office, we need to sort of several things"
Rex glanced at the silent Dion and shook his head, it's only a couple of weeks since he gets acquainted with Grizel yet the top scholar of the Empire has reached his pinnacle of life, in the opposite direction.
"Nine, bring him back"
"Yes, Master"
He answered as he pulled the dead Dion's collar and drag him back to where the carriage is waiting.
-•-
"Woah, this is so beautiful. Thank you, Emma"
Grizel happily hugs the maid who is smirking inwardly, they are currently preparing for the engagement party that will be held at the Palace this evening.
As the limelight of the party, Grizel was awake even before the sun is rising, for the whole morning and afternoon, she was treated like a princess, several times of bath, massage, nails and hair treatment, etc.
The party is about to begin in several hours, and Grizel is finally wearing the dress chosen by Emma, after casting out the other maids from the chamber in the pretext of making the appearance of the Miss as a surprise, she dresses Grizel up.
"This is gorgeous, I love this dress"
Grizel is spinning in front of the mirror once again, a knee-length glittering sleeveless and strapless red tight dress, a familiar dress that Angela Samael often sees swarming in night club parties back when she lived in modern times, it's gorgeous indeed, she meant what she said, but...
For medieval times like this era, this kind of mini dress is no better than a prostitute's attire.
"But, isn't it too revealing? I feel like everyone can see the shape of my body"
Grizel said shyly covering her bare soft snowy skin that wasn't covered by that mini dress.
"It's alright, Miss. This is how the women in the capital are showing their beauty, you should be confident as you have this beautiful skin unlike the other noble ladies, you are the most stunning among them"
"Really?"
Grizel asked beaming when she heard she is the most beautiful among the other noble ladies as she will be in the limelight tonight.
"Of course. I, Emma, your most loyal maid guarantee it"
"Sister Emma, you are my most precious maid"
Grizel clung to Emma's arm happily, her genuine smile is still fascinating even with a vulgar dress and thick makeup.
"Yes, yes, anything for my special young Miss"
She bent down to hug Grizel back, they look like a very close best friend.
"Ah! Excuse me for a moment, Miss. I have something for you to match the dress"
Emma hurriedly excuses herself and gets out of the chamber, she went back to her room to fetch another thing for Grizel to wear that she left on purpose.
"Tell Master, the prey is ready. She is wearing the thing as planned"
Emma said to her colleague that was waiting for her in their room.
"Pfft, she really is believing in everything you said"
Another maid who was assigned as a spy just like Emma snickering.
"Hahahaha, she is too dumb to doubt me"
Emma said in haughty, as her master tends to be careful since he will only believe in Emma's report right before the engagement party that Grizel is wearing the prepared dress.
"Hahaha, alright, good luck on consoling the humiliated young Miss at the party. I'll go to report to our master, bye~"
Said the other spy parting with the smirking Emma before she went back to the pitiful young lady's chamber.
Wearing such a thing at the engagement party held by the Imperial family where she becomes the limelight of the whole nation, Grizel doomed to be the shame of the whole nobles.
If only they choose a petty trick such as dressing her like a clown with an ugly dress and thick makeup, Grizel will only end up as a laughing matter, but...
This attire is on whole different levels of sheer embarrassment, this vulgar improper dress that doesn't match with the occasion held by the Imperial family will be seen as an insult to the entire nobles who uphold etiquette and courtesy as their way of life, instead of laughs, this will give rise to prejudice in Grizel and the Belial family.
As if confirming the bad reputation and her role as the Villainess in the story.
Of course, as a mere 10-year-old little villainess, she won't bear the sin herself, this will be the start of the downfall of the respected Belial Family.
But...
That kind of thing will never happen if the one who possesses the body of the little Villainess is the real devil.
"Miss~ look at this footwear"
Emma barged into Grizel's chamber without permission for the umpteenth time like forgetting her status as a mere maid.
"Wow, what is that? I've never seen that kind of footwear"
Grizel asked in excitement as she looks at the red high-heeled shoes brought by Emma.
"This is called high heels and now is trending among the nobles"
For the first time today, Emma is speaking the truth, this thing is indeed gaining popularity among the high-class nobles as only someone who did not have to work could afford, both financially and practically, to wear such extravagant shoes.
But this will only worsen her reputation as an arrogant bratty young Miss who loves to show off her wealth and high status like the cliche Villainess in every story.
"Thank you, Emma~"
"Look, it's a match with my dress"
Wearing the high heels, Grizel places her left hand on her waist posing like a model, she looks like a real villainess now.
"It's perfect"
Emma chirped but suddenly getting confused as her ears caught the child-like Miss who keep on her arrogant pose in front of the mirror mumbling.
"Hhhmm, this Villainess appearance doesn't look bad, turn out this Angelic face suits the sexy little devil image as well..."
As if not caring for her surrounding, Grizel keeps observing her appearance in front of the mirror.
"Miss??"
Emma called, this kind of attitude is strange for her, she never saw Grizel behave like that before.
"Ah, since you have relayed your report to your colleague that I am wearing this to the party, I don't see the need to prolong our drama"
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
The sound of the high heels echoed through the chamber as Grizel is walking towards Emma leaving the mirror behind her.
"Y-young Miss??"
Emma startled by the sudden change, she wants to step back but couldn't move an inch as she started to feel something is emitting from the unfamiliar Miss, the chilling aura that could freeze her heart at any moment.
The beaming eyes of the little Miss replaced by the cold ones piercing through the sweating maid, her aura alone can make the haughty maid trembling.
Tap!
Grizel stopped right in front of the pale blue maid.
"W-who are you?"
Emma asked in a stutter after gathering every drop of her courage, different from the Young Miss who always listens to her unconditionally, this time Grizel didn't answer.
'Tch, this peasant keeps on yapping'
"Kneel!"
Flop!
Emma unconsciously bent down on her knees as she heard Grizel's commanding tone.
As if karma is slapping her face, now Emma is kneeling right before the Villainess with the arrogant Queen-like attitude just like the bad rumors she spreads befitting the appearance that was created by herself as well.
To be continued...