7. First, a Villainess Does Not Avoid Attention
Maybe because it was her second life, but time went by very quickly. Lara met Eunice and Ximena almost every day while waiting for the banquet. They spent time going back and forth between Lara's house, arena, boutique, and restaurant.
"Lara, if you keep talking like that, people will misunderstand you as being nice."
"Why?"
"What kind of troublemaker would talk elegantly and politely?"
Ximena wanted to correct Lara's tone before the banquet.
"I don't know if you're satisfied with being a half-assed troublemaker. But I thought you wanted to be an out-and-out troublemaker that would make your father furious and cut all ties with you."
"Even a villainess can speak politely. Isn't it better this way, rather than shouting like Eunice?"
When Lara refuted Ximena's remark, Eunice shouted at her.
"These bishes, why are you dragging me in?"
"Eunice."
"Do you want to learn to swear? Then, I will teach you as much as you want. First, practice with fortis. Fortis, intonation, and rude expressions are important in swearing. And make sure you sound natural. You can't be like, 'okay, one, two, three! I'm going to start cursing from now on.' That's a no-no, being natural is the best."
"What a good thing you're teaching her."
Ximena shut Eunice's mouth. Then, she smiled at Lara and said.
"Actually, there's something more important than the way you talk."
"What's that?"
"Your expression."
Lara listened carefully to Ximena's advice
Even Eunice, who had been listing unusual words to teach Lara about swear words, nodded with a serious face.
"Expression and gaze are more effective than any words you can say. You're way too calm. It's good that you always ignore people no matter what they say, but that makes you look so calm and elegant."
"Then, what should I do?"
"You should ignore and look down on them. Ridicule and spite them. If that's difficult, could you at least be prepared to drag them by their hair?"
I see.
Every single word that Ximena said was right.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
It was the day of the banquet.
Lara ate lunch with Isadora—who was worried about her—to reassure her. After that, she took Konny to the dressing room and stayed there.
"Milady…"
Konny opened the dress box and gulped. Then, she said,
"This is a crazy dress."
'I think that's exactly what Eunice ordered.'
Lara smirked and nodded.
The black top and red skirt would intensely catch the eye of the beholder. The top was designed to reveal the back of the neck without shoulders nor sleeves. And it used hard materials like armor, giving it a seductive yet strong feeling. The ankle-revealing red skirt was lavishly made with several layers of see-through and light fabric.
Perfectly adorned with black shoes and a black necklace, Lara stood in front of the mirror and asked Konny.
"What do you think?"
"You look like a puppet for the Demon Lord."
Leaving behind Konny's nonsense opinion that was neither a compliment nor an insult, Lara got on the carriage and headed to the arena.
The arena warden greeted Lara, looking like he had almost passed out.
He said that not a single noble has hired the arena's mighty warrior to be an escort knight so far. He repeatedly asked if Lara would really take Demian to the banquet hall.
"Let's go."
Lara brought Demian to her carriage.
He was wearing an escort knight uniform specially prepared by Lara.
Demian's superior look shone even more because he was dressed like any other royal guardian knight.
"Our destination is the outdoor banquet hall along the Tender River. When I come in, a few people will probably look at us and talk about us. Just ignore them all."
"Okay."
"It's not polite to have an escort guard in a banquet hall with the royals. But I will stand firm, I'll say that my father tried to kidnap me and that I'm not going anywhere without you."
"What if we get kicked out?"
"That's even better. We will make a fuss and then just spend some time nearby. All we have to do is save the Princess."
Demian nodded without saying anything. He wanted to ask Lara a lot of things, but he decided to endure it. He thought it was not the right time to question such things.
"We're almost there."
Demian muttered.
"I guess so."
The entrance to the river was filled with carriages. They were noble carriages decorated with expensive magical lights.
The sun was setting.
As it became dark, hundreds of magical lights glittered along the riverside. Tender River was wide, slow-moving, and had plenty of water. Picnic boats specially arranged for the banquet, moved leisurely on the river.
It was high time for the banquet.
It seemed that the royal family had not arrived yet.
By the time the invited nobles were almost there, Lara took Demian's hand and got out of the carriage.
As she told Demian, she thought that only a few nobles would show interest in her. Marquess of Bailey was said to be emerging as a rising power, but whatever trouble his daughter got herself into, it would not be a big deal for the old nobles.
So she thought it would end with a bit of criticism from her peers.
"…"
But as soon as she entered the banquet hall, she felt enormous pressure as a great number of gazes fell on her.
Everyone nearby was looking at her.
After a while, most of the nobles in the banquet hall had turned their attention towards her. As they were nobles who were accustomed to gossip, it was not often for them to be focused on someone for a long period of time.
They looked carefully at Lara's face, hair, attire, manner, and companion. Lara now realized that everything about her was being judged by them.
"Lara."
Demian gently swept her palms and put his fingers in between Lara's own.
"Raise your head."
His voice magically moved Lara's body.
She was used to the stares.
In the past, she was taught not to make eye contact and to just let them flow. Like herbivores who have no will to fight, she was taught not to lower her tail, but her gaze.
But not anymore.
Lara raised her head proudly, as Demian said.
She straightened her back and stretched her shoulders.
She opened her eyes properly with her chin up.
She walked with a sneer on her mouth and moved arrogantly and confidently.
'Who are you to judge me?'
She expressed that with her whole body.
She made eye contact with every single person who looked at her.
When someone pointed a finger at her, she threw a sharp sneer at him.
When someone gossiped about her, she gave him a piercing look.
This was a war of nerves.
She would not drink until she forgot herself and swore around like Eunice, nor would she go in and out of the watchmen station for making extreme troubles like Ximena.
Lara had her own way.
She once had a past when she was chosen as the demon's offering in order to save everyone.
When she recalled the moment her gut melted after taking the poison, the current situation was nothing.