"Nero!" Ophelia yells on the big garden of Wharton's estate.

"Have you found him, master?" Jade says while trying to catch his breath.

A small black shadow runs towards the kitchen.

"There he is! Catch him!" she starts running after him just to crash onto Olivia who was carrying a bag filled with eggs. The sound of eggshells cracking is heard.

"Are you alright milady?" her hair was filled with egg yolk as her eyes were filled with concern. Ophelia laughed.

"Olivia, look at yourself first... You look..." she starts crying from laughing so much.

"Myself? What do you mean milady?" Olivia places her hand on her head and feels the stickiness right before having her face turn flushed by embarrassment.

"Jade wait! Don't rush in...!" Jade dashes towards Ophelia and slips on the wet floor making him fall onto the floor. His clothes were not covered with egg yolk. Ophelia kept on laughing and after several minutes she stops to breathe.

"Either way, did you see a black cat? He is about this size," Ophelia tries to copy the cat with her hands but Olivia just looks at her confused.

"I haven't seen anything like that around," she tilts her head.

"If you see him, tell me right away!" Jade helps Ophelia up as they both continue their journey.

"Nero...!" she yells as the cooks look at Ophelia without understanding what was going on.

"Sister!" Ralph appears from the pantry with his mouth covered in chocolate.

"Ralph! Did you see a cat? A black cat? Extremely small?" Ophelia goes down to his level and cleans his mouth but he just shrugs.

"If you see him, tell me right away, alright?" Ralph grabs her arm and Ophelia hugs him close making him let out a chuckle right before leaving.

As Ophelia ran down the big halls she sees Nero walking towards the study room and, without thinking about the situation properly she opens the big wooden door, making a loud bang, just to find Duke Criswell and Duke Wharton having a cup of tea as they were discussing serious business.

"Is everything alright my dear?" Duke Wharton looked at Ophelia shocked from being startled.

"Ophelia, behave yourself! You almost made us drop our tea!" Duke Criswell's attitude was almost as if he was with an intense headache.

"This will only take a minute!" Ophelia explains and wanders inside the room, looking on top and bottom of the furniture carelessly.

"What are you doing Ophelia!?" Duke Criswell's voice echoed in the room as he witnessed his daughter go down on her knees to check under the wooden table. Finding this situation amusing, Duke Wharton laughed.

"What does it look like I'm doing father?" Ophelia tilts her head as her father bit his bottom lip.

"Ophelia this is..." as the Duke was talking Ophelia interrupts him.

"You there! Stop!" she sees the familiar shape of the black cat and rushes towards him.

"I'm done, sorry for disturbing you!" she heads out the door, leaving both of them alone and confused.

"Ophelia! Your dress is..." Duke Criswell yells but Ophelia was already long gone, searching for a rebellious cat.

"She must take after her mother," Duke Wharton comments making his guest let out a deep sigh.

"Did you find him?" Jade asks as he meets Ophelia across the hall.

"No, I haven't! How is he sneaking through our fingers like this?!" as Ophelia said these words she heard a meow coming from the end of the hall.

"I got you now you little rascal!" she starts running as fast as she can however the wooden floor had just been polished and she can't stop sliding.

"Ophelia!" Jade yells as he sees the situation unfold.

"Look out!" at last she manages to stop however she bumped against Mace who was arriving from the library, making several books and papers fall onto the floor.

"Ophelia? What are you doing? Are you alright?" Mace massages the end of his back as he sees her scratching her head while she mumbled painful words.

"I'm fine! Are you alright?" soon after Ophelia starts gathering all the books and papers that covered the wooden floor.

"Yes, I am fine. What were you thinking? Running in the halls?" Mace questions as they both get up.

"I lost something and I need to find it! If you see a black cat let me know alright?" as Ophelia was about to leave Mace grabs her arm and smiles.

"That sounds dangerous. I'll go with you," he delivers his books to a maid that was standing in the hall watching the whole situation.

"Of course, the more the merrier!" Ophelia smiles gracefully as the trio heads towards the garden.

Meow. Nero was close to the tea house.

"Get over here you little furball!" Ophelia ran after him as Mace and Jade followed her.

Then suddenly the cat disappeared and Amanda appears holding Bradley's arm. They were both taking a stroll in the warm Seedling weather.

"Have you seen a black cat?!" Ophelia immediately asks as Bradley pushes Amanda away.

"No, we haven't," feeling uncomfortable Amanda replies.

"Ophelia, if you are searching for something then allow me to help you," Bradley's charming smile made Amanda's heart melt.

"She doesn't need it, she already has me you see my lord," Jade intervenes and Bradley gets tickled with a little bit of anger.

"And I am helping as well, there is no need for a third wheel," Mace intervenes and Bradley pops.

"Listen here you little..." as he was about to talk Ophelia's attention shifts towards the lake as she sees the small cat on the edge. Immediately she runs and as she was about to reach him she stumbles on a rock.

"Ophelia! I got you," the male voice's echo was both Bradley, Mace and Jade managed to catch Ophelia. Their eyes glared at each other understanding how annoying their own rivals were.

"Thank you!" Ophelia smiles but soon is interrupted by Amanda.

"Isn't that it sister?" she points towards the tea house and Ophelia instantly dashes.

"Thank you Amanda!" she yells as everyone follows.

"There you are! Stop running from me... and give me back my necklace!" as Ophelia reached the teahouse she saw Nero biting on her possession with his sharp teeth.

"Stay... Still... Good kitty... Stay..." she launches her body forward and manages to grab his tail. He meows loudly after feeling the pain and drops the necklace.

Immediately Ophelia catches it and places it around her neck.

"If you do this again I swear you won't have any children," Ophelia grins and the cat disappears into the wild.

"Did you got him?" Bradley, Mace, and Jade enter the room all asking the same question.

"No need, I already have what I lost," Ophelia smiles.

"Besides he was warned... If he tries something funny like this again... I will make him regret it," she grins while thinking about all the trouble Nero had caused her.

"The dinner is served milady," Olivia appears and they all head towards the dining room as the sun sets on the horizon.

Not_A_Symphony

Hello everyone! As you could see this chapter was a little different... You must all have noticed that the whole concept of the story I am writing is darker than your usual "villainess" type of novel and I think it's not good to only create/read such a heavy story so I came to an idea.

Every 10 chapters I will release a Bonus Chapter with lighter, happier stories involving the characters of the main story [specifically, Ophelia's personality in her first life when she was still a kind and positive heroine!]. The other character's traits [like hatred and disgust] will also be toned down, in order to make the whole story lighter. 

 This was my first attempt at making a "happy" story. These stories are NOT CONNECTED to the main story however they might have some "easter eggs" for the future of the novel. Even then, if you enjoy these smaller side stories/have any suggestions let me know! Thank you all so much! (/ =ω=)/