Chapter 7: Misunderstood for Being Kind
At some point, the rhythm of the music and the dance began to drift slightly apart. But no one noticed—except Leriel, who was dancing with him.
“You do know, just accepting my dance invitation doesn’t erase all the terrible things you’ve done, right?”
“…Your Highness, you’re going too fast.”
“You’re a villain. A demon. Someone who would destroy others just to benefit herself. And now you say you’ve decided to be kind?”
It was clear Perik was deeply offended, and he lashed out with harsh words.
Leriel couldn’t say anything in response. She was already struggling to keep up with the suddenly quickened pace of the dance.
“I get it, but… can we slow down a little—”
Just as she opened her mouth, she stumbled. Her foot missed a step, and she fell forward. Reflexively, she closed her eyes tightly—her hands hitting something flat and firm.
The music stopped suddenly, and all that filled the ballroom was murmuring.
Leriel slowly opened her eyes as the strong scent of his cologne reached her nose.
She had fallen into his arms.
Blinking in shock, she stared up at Perik, who looked right back at her without even being out of breath.
They were so close—she could see every strand of his eyelashes.
Then Perik leaned in and whispered something in her ear.
“I promise you—your mask will come off soon. I’ll make sure of it.”
Leriel’s eyes widened in surprise. Before she could ask what he meant, Perik let go of her, turned around, and walked out of the ballroom.
Just like that, their dance ended.
Leriel stood frozen, clutching her chest. Her heart was pounding—maybe because of the sudden movement, maybe because of his final words, which still echoed in her ears.
After that, Leriel returned straight to the duke’s mansion.
Originally, she had planned to stay at the ball longer to show the nobles just how kind she had become—but things didn’t go according to plan.
The dance with Perik had been more intense than expected. And their conversation? Even more exhausting.
She had no energy left to deal with anything after that.
“Haah…”
Soaking her tired legs in warm water, Leriel let out a long sigh.
“Mmm…” she groaned softly.
Rose petals floated and scattered on the water’s surface, bumping against the edge of the tub again and again.
Staring at their irregular movement, Leriel thought back to Perik’s last words to her.
“I promise you—your mask will come off soon. I’ll make sure of it.”
“…Calling it a mask is a bit much, isn’t it?”
She grumbled under her breath and sank deeper into the bathwater.
She was trying to turn over a new leaf, and instead of encouragement, he gave her a curse. From her own fiancé, no less.
“…What am I supposed to do now?”
Her complaints didn’t last long. Realistic worries soon filled her head.
If she left Perik alone like this, her plan to escape the villainous duke’s house might be delayed.
What if the heroine’s story started moving forward without her?
“Just thinking about it is terrifying…”
Even though the bathwater was still warm, a chill ran down her spine. Leriel shivered.
No. If it came to this, she had to do something truly good—something even Perik couldn’t deny.
That was the conclusion she came to.
After all, just dancing with her fiancé once wasn’t enough to convince people she’d changed.
She had been called the villainess of House Tenebris for twenty years. She needed a good deed strong enough to match that reputation.
Something like…
Her feet stopped splashing the water.
Drip, drip.
A few drops fell from the faucet.
Then, as if something clicked, Leriel stood up with a slight smile.
Splash! The water overflowed from the tub, filling the bathroom with the sound.
Her damp red hair darkened and clung to her skin. Her green eyes sparkled with renewed motivation and determination.
She walked to the door and called out to the maid waiting outside.
“Illia!”
“Y-Yes, my lady!”
The maid hurried over, and Leriel asked for a towel, a change of clothes… and one more thing.
“Oh, and could you also find out where the largest orphanage in the Trien Kingdom is?”
“Pardon? Orphanage…?”
The maid repeated the unexpected request.
Wondering if her voice had been too quiet, Leriel repeated kindly.
“Yes, that’s right. Did you not hear me properly?”
“N-No! I’ll go find out right away!”
The maid sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
‘Did she just ask if my ears worked properly…?’
To the maid, Leriel’s kindness sounded more like intimidation. But still, she hurried off.
Listening to the fading footsteps, Leriel squeezed the water from her hair with a hopeful smile.
‘Good deeds mean donations and volunteer work! If I do this, people will definitely call me a good person, right?’
She looked at her reflection in the mirror with pride.
But all the reflection showed was a smug smile.
Ahem, Leriel cleared her throat awkwardly and quickly looked away from the mirror.
What mattered was her heart—the genuine desire to do good.
Encouraging herself, Leriel waited eagerly for the maid to return with the towel, clothes, and information about the orphanage.
This time, she felt certain she’d finally break free from her “evil” reputation and become known as kind Leriel.
The plan was perfect.
With the maid’s help, Leriel found the largest orphanage in the Trien Kingdom and contacted them to offer her help.
To make things official, she even wrote a donation certificate.
She tried to make it sound elegant, but the main message was simple:
“I truly just want to help. No hidden motives!”
She even signed up for volunteer work.
The priest at the orphanage had been terrified after recognizing her face, but after calming him down, she finally got permission.
“You won’t hit the children, right?”
Yes.
“You won’t abuse them?”
Isn’t that the same thing? Anyway, yes.
“You won’t harm or scare the children—?”
Yes! I won’t!
Remembering the roundabout conversation, Leriel smiled in victory.
Now no one can call me a villain.
House Tenebris’s reputation would soon be redeemed.
The night before her visit, she went to bed relieved.
But the next morning—
“To think I’d be volunteering with you. How touching.”
“Oh no…”
Right before departure, her fiancé—Crown Prince Perik Trian—suddenly appeared and said that.
Leriel stood frozen, realizing her plan was already falling apart.
She wanted to smile, but it wouldn’t come out.
‘Are you serious right now?’
Her expression turned stiff. It was a very obvious reaction.
Perik chuckled coldly.
“Your face is hilarious. Shouldn’t you greet your one and only fiancé a little more kindly?”
‘Ah, oops.’
Flustered, Leriel quickly forced a smile. It was clearly fake.
Perik knew that, but he didn’t back off.
Finally, Leriel couldn’t take it anymore and asked,
“You’re coming to volunteer with me? What do you mean by that?”
“You didn’t hear? I sent a letter saying I wanted to join you after hearing about your volunteer plans.”
“Well… I don’t remember getting it…”
“That’s strange. I sent it through my aide—an hour ago.”
An hour ago!?
Leriel stared at his handsome, smug face as he smiled.
Who has time to read a letter just an hour before leaving? There were so many things to prepare—getting dressed, preparing the carriage…
‘You did this on purpose, didn’t you?’
She quickly caught on to his intention.
But there was still one big question:
Why was her fiancé—who hated her enough to want her destroyed—suddenly trying to join her volunteer work?
‘Why are you coming with me? You hate me. You’re supposed to join hands with the heroine later and destroy everyone connected to Tenebris!’
