The Villainess is Tired of Everything

After bidding farewell to Darcy, I stepped outside and ran into Marquis Etvar.

"What brings you here?"

I knew the Marquis often stayed up until dawn, but we never intruded on each other’s personal space.

The fact that my father, who usually didn’t even join me for meals, had come all the way here meant something was definitely up.

Expecting him to speak first, I waited, and an awkward silence settled between us.

Spending time with someone unfamiliar feels like walking on needles.

In the end, I broke the silence first.

"What is it you need?"

"Are you doing well?"

"...Yes."

"That's good. I've come to tell you something."

Just as I thought, the Marquis, who initially observed formalities by asking about my well-being, quickly got to the point.

"His Majesty the Emperor has sent you an invitation, Marceau."

...An invitation? For what reason?

In the book, Marceau Etvar courted Prince Ryan but never once received an invitation from the Emperor.

The Emperor did not favor Marceau, since she was trying to use her status and the magic stone mine she owned to win over Ryan.

"You are invited to a dinner with Prince Ryan. It seems His Majesty is considering you for the position of Crown Princess. It appears the ceremony for appointing the Crown Prince will be soon."

I was confused. The Emperor wanted to place Marceau Etvar in the role of Crown Princess?

Was this in the original story? No, I couldn’t have forgotten such an important detail.

There was only one answer. My actions, which diverged from those of the original Marceau, had created a butterfly effect.

This was the first time I felt that the original story had changed. While it was good to know my actions could alter the situation, I didn’t like this outcome.