Chapter 3: You like that maid, don't you?
Scarlett's POV
I saw my own brother flirting with a maid. What juicy blackmail material it could get me... for future purposes. Then again... my memories of my brother are- not that bad. Even if I acted out harshly at him he was always kind and acted like a proper brother. Hmm, so perhaps I have no need to use blackmail for anything yet.
It wouldn't hurt to gather more intel on the other hand. What does he see in that maid?
I squint at my brother's figure and the maid conversing with one another, their bodies in a relaxed position. "That maid..." I don't recall much memory of her because all I can recall in my memory is that she was always in the shadows barely noticeable.
"That maid, milady?" (Elise) asks who was beside me, she was also watching my brother and the maid converse she gives a wide smile. They looked so cute together like a couple, is what Elise is probably thinking right now with the current look on her face. "Young love isn't it right milady?" I hear her giggle and I cross my arms protectively.
Love? Well to me I don't think my brother should be dating some maid I don't even know-
"Agh..." I held my head in pain feeling my other personality leak out for a moment. Elise didn't notice it thankfully because she was busy eyeing those two being sappy. I bite my lip trying to calm myself down, taking deep breaths and controlling my fused personalities.
"Perhaps." I told Elise and I began to grow more curious about this specific helper instead ignoring a certain throbbing feeling in my head. I don't remember her in the game being mentioned as a potential love interest for my brother... "What do you know about that maid, Elise?" I ask her.
Elise hums in thought happily before replying, "She's actually my niece. I'm actually taking care of her, the two of you should be around the same age, milady." (Elise) answers feeling in a good mood.
Wait what? You have a niece the same age as me?! This wasn't mentioned in the game!
I look though the girl again and at Elise. They don't even look alike- or perhaps the other parent's genes are stronger? "What happened to her parents?" I shoot the following question. She turns to me with a sad smile.
"Milady, her parents are not longer with her that's why I'm taking care of her right now. Having no place to turn to and I managed to land her work in your family's place." (Elise) answers looking at her niece. "It would be nice if the two of you would become friends though. She doesn't have anyone at her age in the Duchy to talk to- and I mean! I-If only her highness would like to!" she panics waving her arm around at me and I almost let out a little laugh.
"Ahem." I cough looking away at Elise and then at her niece. "Maybe if she has no ulterior motives with my brother I'm willing to become acquaintances with her." For someone being related to Elise, I know her niece has none but it's best to be careful than let my guard down for anything that might happen.
She wasn't mentioned in the game for a reason after all, even if she had such an important role as a possible love interest for my brother.
"Ah milady, your brother seemed to have noticed us in the distance. He is currently waving in your direction." (Elise) suddenly points at the field where my brother's figure was indeed waving to us.
"Let's go meet them." I steady my dress and heels to prepare to walk on some rough soil. This choice of outfit to visit them was not a good choice. Elise noticed me struggling and helped me through some rocks by kicking them on the side first.
"Thank you." I mutter out to her a little more quietly than expected, I guess my other personality is not used to giving out thanks because Elise clearly didn't hear it and was too busy kicking out some rocks I might slip in.
"Please be careful milady," she advised me while walking to my side and we could see my older brother Sawyer walking towards us with Elise's niece.
"Scarlett! You came to visit!" (Sawyer) slowly jogs up to meet me and when he does, he proceeds to pat my head gently and smiles. If I'm being honest, we look exactly the same but just genderbent. We both have dark purple-ish hair and eyes that sparkle like sapphire on the sun.
He's... well he's colder in the game when he was his own adult version but who knew he had this caring side to him when it came to Scarlett when they were just teens.
He seemed really doting just now. Ah, the memories just came surging back. Scarlett seemed to be so close with Sawyer- like really close but I'm not the original Scarlett so I'll reply a little bit more mature than usual.
"Greetings, brother. How are you?" I greeted him and his eyes widened for a moment before returning a stiff smile. "Greetings to you as well... Scarlett, do you still have a cold?" (Sawyer) places his hand into my forehead and looks at me puzzlingly.
"You still haven't answered my question... how are you?" I ask once more now he leans in all worried then at Elise.
"Has she taken her medicine? Is she still sick?" He asks Elise who nods politely and replies, "Yes milord she has already taken her medicine a few days ago including some fresh air and no, she's perfectly healthy now." (Elise)
He still didn't believe Elise and double checked my temperature but that is where I got a little annoyed. "Brother I am fine." I take his hand and remove it from my forehead but he shakes his head.
"This is the first time you ever called me brother, usually you would call me big brother Sawyer and would run up to me whenever you saw me." he mutters worriedly looking dejected and I cross my arms.
"Brother it's about time I grow out of childish things. I would like to call you from now on, brother and not be rude to other people like... before." I defended myself quickly and his shoulders slumped.
"I never thought this day would come... apologies but I'm still processing the thought of my sister growing up." he turns around and I could see him covering half of his face looking so sad- I cannot believe this is the same person in the future that's been cold and collected as hell to the Heroine.
I rolled my eyes and eyed the companion my brother had. "Ah!" the girl a little shocked, who was Elise's niece, noticed me staring at her and curtsies first. "Greetings to milady," the facial expression on her face seemed to be frightened.
"To you as well, I believe I never got your name." I tell her and my brother looks at the maid worriedly. "She's just-" (Sawyer) was about to answer for him but the maid gathered her courage first and replied.
"M-My name is Olivia Warren, milady." she stutters a bit refusing to meet my eyes. Oh for the love of- the Villainess curse is that only a selected few can really look at me in the eyes now.
"Face up and look at me properly, Miss Olivia." I told her, the tone of my voice came out a little strictly unintentionally and now Elise started getting worried as well. Her body shakes a little and I felt like I was the bad guy in here.
"Scarlett she's just-" (Sawyer) interjects once more and I talk over him. He doesn't need to defend this lady who's capable of talking for herself, please brother.
"Be friends with me." I tell her straightforwardly and she immediately raises her head.
"P-Pardon milady?" she stuttered when she talked and Sawyer raised his eyebrows in amusement.
"Well that was rather unexpected." (Sawyer) scratches the back of his neck and smiles, it was certainly a surprise because I didn't even want to do this. I just need someone to keep tabs on him just in case- of anything that might go wrong.
Elise nods in agreement with Sawyer, "You're right, milord. Milady has been acting weird this past few days. She's surely matured but..."
"I can hear the both of you, you know." I whip my attention to them both and they look away. I give a polite smile to Miss Olivia Warren who's legs seemed to get weak. "How about it Miss Warren? Will you try being friends with me?"
Olivia seemed to look around for help, first to my brother then to Elise, her aunt. "Um... milady I don't know after all I'm just-"
I raised my head up high and looked down. "I don't take no as an answer by the way."
Olivia's legs nearly fainted; she was stuttering so hard that she couldn't even reply back properly. "I-I-... can't say no- but- um-" she kept getting tongue tied. Don't tell me in her vision I look like those scary visual villainess novel arts in the game?!
So if I smiled at her it looks like I'm about to torment her or something! Oh no!
"P-Please don't kill me!" (Olivia) scampers behind Elise leaving me in the middle of that. My attempt at starting some sort of bond of friendship with a maid was gone. "Olivia- milady is not going to kill you-" (Elise) tried calming her niece down but really she kept shaking around me.
That's a sign that she's been traumatized before.
"Hahaha..." I could only laugh at myself. Scarlett, your face is the scariest thing to ever exist apparently. You can't even make friends with a simple girl your age. Oh wait, I have forgotten for a moment our personalities fused or something. I'm insulting myself.
I could hear Sawyer sighing before he grabbed my wrist dragging me away with some force. "Come on Scarlett. We need to have a conversation with how you handled a pathetic display."
"Hey but I'm not done yet!" I tried not moving an inch but he was too strong. Curse this weak body of mine!
"Elise I'll have to take my sister and have a pleasant chat with her. Please, the two of you can go ahead first." (Sawyer) waves goodbye continuing to drag me.
"Come on! Let go of me!"
"No."
Oh you little!
I tried to struggle free out of his hold.
"If you don't let me go, you're a wuss."
"Don't be a child Scarlett. Where did you even learn how to speak so vulgarly like that?"
"You're not letting go, so it means you are."
"Will you stop being childish?"
We continued to banter like that for a few more minutes and he stopped when we reached somewhere a little more private. It was the private study of our father, the Duke. He kept his hands on his waist in place glaring at me in disappointment, I reckon. "What was that back there, Scarlett?" (Sawyer)
"You mean my horrible attempt at befriending someone?" I answered for him while I crossed my arms feeling offensive.
"That and the fact that you almost made her pass out." he reminded me again and I shuddered. I didn't mean to do that- It's just what the Villainess aura does to weak hearted people... I think.
"It's because of my face isn't it. I look scary don't I?" I ask him and he looks away looking guilty. Looks like I was right, if this continues I won't be able to make progress on building connections with others. "It's understandable and I'll need to approach her in another way then."
I tried to think of other possible ways of befriending commoners... "If I gave her a bunch of money will she be my friend?" I know that was probably a bad idea but I couldn't help muttering it out. The old Scarlett's influence is still here with me. My brother looked disappointed at the suggestion and he looked like he has a lot more to say.
"Rumors has been going around the household that you've changed." he sighs, giving me another look. "What is it that you're planning?" (Sawyer)
My plan?
My plan is to live my life to the fullest as the Villainess and make sure I survive. I want to live rich and die rich, because that's something I couldn't do back in my past life.
To life a good life I must have decent relationships with people and to do that-
"You like that maid, don't you?" I ask him and Sawyer, the brother who looked so serious slowly became flustered and red all over. "Miss Olivia Warren right? She even has a pretty name to accompany it."
"What are you talking about-" he was about to interject but I point at a nearby window of our father's study room.
"Your reflection is bright red like a tomato." I grinned feeling like I'm winning here.
He glares at me and covers half of his face looking away. What a shy little boy, how nice. He's in denial about it. "No! I don't like her-"
"Don't be shy. It's alright... that's how young boys are with their first love-" or at least I think it is. This is honestly so pitiful, does he need some sort of encouragement to pursue that love? Hmm... if I do that... that means he'll have a reason to not appear in the heroine's love route.
I'm sure the Heroine won't miss his love route, she can go pick another one available.
The less male love interest gets in the way, the more chance I'll know who'll she'll pick in the end so I can prepare for all of my bad endings. "W-Will you tell mother and father about this-?"
Will I tell them? Please if I did you'll be in for a lot of punishment and might even be disowned since you'll be engaged to someone by then-
If... I tell on him...
If I tell on him?
"Agh..." I held my head once more feeling a certain throbbing feeling. Why does this seem so familiar- if I tell on him... I feel like something bad will happen. "I..." It feels like needles were currently poking my head and I can't fully recover quickly like last time.
Sawyer noticed something was wrong as well with how I am right now. He leans over to check if I was alright. "Scarlett, are you okay?" (Sawyer)
I grit my teeth to bear the pain and nod in answer letting go of my head, feeling that the pain has subsided. "Yes. I was just about to say... I won't tell anyone about this." I replied and he seemed so happy to hear my answer.
His sapphire eyes gleamed and pats my head softly feeling safe with my claim. "Thank you." His smile was so wide like the crescent moon revealing a perfect set of teeth.
Hopefully he won't mind the new Scarlett in his life.