After my embarrassing meeting ended, I walked out of the room blushing and dying of embarrassment.
Verónica had regained enough energy to end what she was doing, so my presence would only be an unnecessary distraction. Besides, I had completed my objective, therefore, I had no more reasons to stay in that room.
"Fuck... I can´t believe I did that... Stupid Dominique. Why did the autor never mention how sensible you were?"
My words were devoured by the darkness of the long halls of the mansion. The sound of my steps and the wells of the cart was what lasted longer.
It´s been a year since I reincarnated as Dominique.
I´ve been training my skills and preparing myself for the beginning of the original story.
Today, in this night, the context of Verónica´s personality and reasons to be the villainess will begin.
So today is where everything changes.
"I won´t let you become the villainess"
With purpose appeasing my mind, I fastened my pace.
Something important was about to happen, and I couldn´t miss my chance to be part of it.
*
"Excuse me" I said opening the kitchen door.
A white-haired old man dressed in a butler suit greeted me saying "Good night" as he prepared a cup of coffee.
"You were also asked for a drink, Mister Cort?"
Not stopping his hands the man responded "Master Herion asked for one, so I must obey"
"Certainly..."
His voice was as cold as a corpse, and his sight was as sharp as a knife.
The conversation ended and I proceeded to clean up the utensils in the kitchen sink. Cort ignored my existence and got done preparing the coffee.
"Turn off all lights and close the doors once you´re finished"
"I will sir"
He was gone when the door closed, leaving me alone inside the kitchen.
"I guess now is the time"
After waiting for a little to let him get further away. I walked from the kitchen sink to where all the tea bags and coffee beans used were disposed of.
With the help of hands created from the shadows. I began to pull out everything inside the nasty container.
"It should be around here... Ah, got you"
When the trash was all around me. I found what I wanted.
Sniff, sniff.
"Ugh, yhea, this definitely smells like something that could kill you"
What I got close to my nose was a tiny empty flask. On its inside, I was able to see slights remainings of a green liquid.
By the smell and my knowledge of the original story, I was able to determine that it was the poison Cort poured in the coffee.
"I can´t let Herion drink that"
After cleaning the flask´s surface I saved it inside one of my suit´s pockets and sunk into the shadows of the room.
Not losing a second, I moved through the darkness of the building to my objective.
"If Herion wanted a drink at this hour it means he´s still in his office"
The mansion where I was looked like a rectangle of 5 floors, the third is where the members of Verónica´s family had their offices, and meeting rooms.
Thanks to my magic I was able to arrive in just a couple of minutes, exactly at the moment that Cort called at the door.
"Master Herion, I bring you your drink"
"Is that you Cort? Come on in"
I jumped out of the shadows and hid behind a wall until he entered the office. When he did, I went to the metallic doors with loud steps.
The guards to the sides got surprised by my sudden apparition and tried to stop me, but I dodged them with the great agility that Dominique´s body had, and kept moving forward.
Bam!
"Hey! You can´t do that!"
I opened the doors with a kick, Cort was about to serve the coffee but he halted with my entrance.
"Master Herion! Do not drink that coffee, it's poisoned! I said blocking the doors with a bind made of shadows.
Thump! Thump!
It won´t be long until those guards break down that door, I have to be quick.
"You damn stray! What the hell are you doing?! Who do you think you are to enter master Herion's office like that while yelling such absurdity!"
"..."
Cort hid his panic with hellish rage. I ignored all his words and showed the poison flask to both men.
"I found this in the trash can. Curiously, it was very well hidden under a mountain of newly used coffee beans"
Cort´s face distorted in disgust, however, he smiled shortly after.
"Oh, now I get it"
He walked to the center of the room and pointed at me with his accusing finger.
"Master Herion! That filthy dog is trying to charge me with his crimes! The one planning on poison you wasn´t me, but him!"
"!! That´s not true!"
"Hah! You´re accusing one of the oldest and most loyal servants of the Fotiadis house of a murderer attempt. How can that not be considerer an evil lie?!"
Cort didn´t say a thing, it was his eyes who told me that he wasn´t going to let me expose him without a fight.
His intelligence was big enough to make him look sure of his words even in a situation like this.
Just like in the original story... This guy is clever...
I was prepared for this nevertheless.
"A lie huh, in that case, let the soldiers empty those pretty flowerpots that you take care of with so much effort"
"Huh?! Why would I let you do that?!"
"I´m not asking you..."
Cort turned to Herion; he was watching us silently but focused on each of our words.
"!!"
His mask fell as quick as his grin; there was cold sweat now covering him.
"What´s wrong? Where is your confidence? Are you perhaps afraid of what we could fin in there?"
"Y-You!"
"Cort..."
"Hik... M-My lord... D-Don´t listen to this brat! I-It´s just a distraction!"
Who limited himself to just observe had finally taken a word.
His robust shape took the sword hanging on one of the walls and walked to where I was.
"Boy. Since you´re the favorite of my daughter, I have been very patient with you, but this has no forgiveness"
My heart rate shot upwards when the edge of his sword was covered in fire and it was now floating right before my chest.
"I´ll kill you if I have to"
That was the warning that the man with golden hair in front of me was more than willing to accomplish.
This didn´t happen in the original story, I´m not sure of what to do, but I can´t fail here, not now!
Gathering all my courage I placed my hand to where the fired-up sword was.
Tssss.
"Hrgh!"
My flesh immediately burned. A torturing pain invaded me with each passing second.
"M-My lord... I know this is hard to believe... And... We both know that I can´t say I´m doing this because I deeply care about you"
Both Herion and Cort stayed silent. The fire in the sword slowly began to fade.
"But you can be sure of one thing..."
I pulled the sword towards my chest, both my skin and clothes burned in consequence.
"If there is something I can do to protect the happiness of Verónica... Then I will gladly do whatever it takes to reach that goal! No matter the place, the people, the cost, or the danger!"
My grip on the sword tightened, a horrendous sound filled the air.
Neverminding my pain I interlocked my eyes with Herion. I wasn´t sure what kind of voice or face I was using, though it must have been quite particular since he never blinked.
Then I let my soul speak.
"I WILL PROTECT HER!!"
Not even breath was left inside the room.
The silence wrapped us with a heavy mantle.
My hand was as black as coal. The pain should have been unbearable, but my mind was clear and my body firm.
Dominique becomes truly unstoppable when it comes to her mistress, doesn´t he?