Novels2Search
The Heroine is a Villainess (Rewritten)
Chapter 101: Clouded Feelings

Chapter 101: Clouded Feelings

“Who’s there!? Show your face!”

“Who am I matters not, Ophelia.” His way of saying the words were familiar as if my soul had heard it somewhere else before. “Your hands are now tainted with the blood of another. Do you have any regrets?”

“I regret nothing.” Was all I said before diving into the water again in a pitiful hope that this voice was nothing but the remnants of my consciousness.

Gilbert Averton was an assassin, a man who’d murdered many before and who was bound to live his life at the cost of another’s. He held no regret, no remorse for his past actions - from everyone, he deserved the kindness fate bestowed upon him.

“Do you seriously think you can hide from me here?”

Coughing my lungs out, my feet struggled to find their standing on the mossy rocks beneath me. What exactly was going on?

“Who are you?” I yelled, fear slithering into my soul.

“You will know when the time comes.”

A harsh wind passed through, causing my struggling body to be pushed onto the edge of the lake with the current. My eyes darted through the forest, just to see everything peaceful, quiet, and dark. The moon had its essence covered by some runaway clouds who seemed far too eager to erase the existence of light from this world, punishing us mortals for our audacity and sinful actions.

Am I really not becoming insane? First was a man that no one saw, then miraculous healing... and that dream... I swear...

“Everything is settled.” Jade appeared, holding a cloth bag in his left hand. His slim figure filled with blood and dirt. “I thought you’d need new clothes so I...”

The water dripped through my skin like melting silver, each translucid element reflecting the faint rays of moonlight that managed to escape the clouds grasp. Such sight was seemingly beautiful enough to tense his body in place, his clenched jaw twitching with every piece of nakedness displayed. Unable to finish his sentence, and his rationality, Jade’s hands turned into fists, eyes gazing up and down my figure, measuring my sizes, taking in every single piece of whom he’d sworn loyalty to.

Once my feet touched the muddy ground, walking towards him, his mind seemed to have awakened. Reactively, his eyes looked away, cheeks flushed from the tip of his pale nose to his curvy ears. It seemed this was the first time he’d seen a woman wearing the birthday suit provided by God, as it was often something men would only gaze upon on their wedding night - or a brothel.

“Are you embarrassed?” My hand traveled through his neck, feeling the warmth emanating from his heated mind. At such simple touch, a shiver ran through his spine causing little volcanoes to erupt through his being.

“Master, you shouldn’t...” As he attempted to speak, my touch slithered to his back, right beneath his damp shirt. “Please!”

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“I am already dressed.” He turned around just to see me in the nightgown he’d brought. Jade was so invested in controlling his own thoughts and emotions that he’d not realized my hand had left his back for a long while now. “I like men who can control their urges.”

At that moment, his expression became bitter. He knew my words weren’t to be taken as praise, instead they were but a vivid reminder to keep everything we were, as it was. I didn’t despise him and he was well aware of that yet the ghosts haunting his mind were hurting the most hopeful thoughts in him.

“Wash yourself and burn the clothes; I’ll be waiting for you.”

Morning came rather quietly, its gentle whispers traveling alongside the warm wind. The maids, humans whose dull life forced them to only dwell in the gossip of another, had finally gained momentum of their own - the sudden disappearance of the most recent hire.

“Have you heard?” A butler chatted loudly with two maids, his perky mustache twirling upwards, satisfied with the juicy information he possessed.

“Heard what?” One of them replied, leaning forward, completely consumed by curiosity.

“John is gone. All of his belongings are still in his room but no one seems to be able to find him.”

“Really? Do you think something happened?” The other maid questioned, her eyes glimmering with expectation.

“Maybe... I heard them talk, saying he must’ve eloped but I think it was...” His voice got lower as if even the souls of the dead were able to hear him speak. “...the curse.”

“The curse?” Without meaning, both women spoke in unison, chuckling moments after such timed event.

“Yes. I think he angered Lady Ophelia and the Criswell’s curse fell on him...”

“If you have time to chat then do your work properly.” Olivia darted forward, causing them to gasp. Their faces paled seeing my figure, right around the corner, glaring at them from afar.

“I’m sorry, milady!” As if they were comrades in arms, training for the longest of times, their bodies sunk into the floor, knowing full well their tongues could be cut off for such condemning words.

But I didn’t give them the punishment they so deserved as these rumors would soon reach the one man who shouldn’t go against me. Certainly, the news of the disappearance of his puppet would travel fast, just like his anger.

“Olivia, prepare my dress. I’m going out.” Arriving at my chambers, the maid pursued my commands. The room was one person short, as Ivy was nowhere to be found, probably having taken a sick leave using one excuse from the pile humans often had.

“Who might you be taking, milady?”

I glared at the maid’s impertinence, realizing she seemed too eager, too curious about things that did not concern her in the slightest. “You were just given an order but it seems you are far more fond of talking. Are perhaps, your hands wounded?”

“What color would you like? It is a pleasant weather today, surely a pink would be...”

“Blood.” Olivia’s hands stopped rummaging through the clothes the moment my words flew through.

“You mean red, milady?” Her eyes glimpsed into mine, a hint of fear hiding behind them. The moment she saw my cold smile, her hands removed the heavy red dress from the hanger. The vivid color contrasted the paleness of her complexion, as her anxiety, certainly roared wild. “Milady truly has some excellent jokes...”

Why is she so scared? Does she know something? Olivia’s strange behavior lingered in my mind, as she cautiously combed through my hair. Surely I’d been the one bringing this situation forward but her awkward attitude seemed to be far more peculiar than usual. Yet, no answer would come from digging my mind into it so my torso simply leaned back and allowed the maids do the work they were being paid to.