The first vile deed is hiding Alicia Vinevallia’s textbooks, making her seem to be an incompetent student who cannot properly pack her things.
The response to the first vile deed is Edward Lovell de Adonia finding Alicia’s textbooks himself and returning them to her, which then led to the two of them studying together.
The second vile deed is Alicia failing Elemental Magic Class through sabotage. Mizette attempted to sully Alicia’s Saintess title by drugging Alicia’s lunch with a Mana Blocker Type liquid. By doing so, it will make Alicia undeserving of the Goddess’ blessing.
The response to the second vile deed is Edward coming to the rescue and personally guiding her until she felt comfortable using elemental magic. Based on the player’s perspective, it is discovered that Edward had sensed her magic being blocked and negated it with a recovery spell.
Not only has the second vile deed earned ire from Edward, but from another capture target who had been observing from afar.
The third vile is the Soiled Dress Event. To publicly humiliate Alicia to society and not just students anymore.
The response to the third vile deed is Edward being unable to assist Alicia properly as he had been ordered by his mother to check on Mizette first. Needless to say, Edward’s smile looked more forced that day.
After listing out Mizette’s sins against the innocent Heroine, the player sighs out in frustration. She grabs her hair, pulling them with little strength as she grits her teeth.
Her bed is calling to her, it’s just a few steps away.
She’s tired, ready to faint at this point.
Especially after dealing with the fact she had just been transported into this world, and carefully opening the thorny carriage door handle.
The former Mizette, being the delusional villainess she was, probably pinned the thorns in her carriage at Alicia. She had seen Edward give the bouquet to her, so Mizette assumed that Alicia took one of the flowers and tied it around the handle of the carriage.
It wasn’t her.
It absolutely wasn’t her.
She has played Alicia’s story over and over again, there is no such scene where Alicia had done such a thing. It must’ve been Edward, even Lawrence is plausible, but it’s most likely Edward.
Returning to the present…
She couldn’t put herself to sleep, not just yet. There’s much planning that needs to be done, whether it’d be simple or complicated. How was she supposed to apologize to Alicia after everything that Mizette Karpathia has done? Would it even look or sound sincere to Alicia? Not just Alicia, but to the capture targets?
Edward would probably take it as a lie, another ploy to trick Alicia and humiliate her once more.
But actions speak more than words. Mizette will just have to show that she had no more intentions of harassing Alicia, and she will just have to deal with Edward’s doubts towards this sincerity.
Onto another agenda, the timeline and her place in the present, including the status of the capture targets.
【~Virulent Love~】has a total of five capture targets, that includes the secret capture target.
Edward Lovell de Adonia, Charming Crown Prince of Adonia.
Alexander Riverty, Cold Son of the Archmage.
Nicholas Singleir, Mischievous Son of the Captain of the Knights.
Lawrence Auturius, Charismatic Son of the Vice Captain of the Knights, as well as Mizette Karpathia’s bodyguard.
Frederic Lugetuse, Mysterious Half-elf and the secret capture target.
Since she started right after the events of the Soiled Dress Event, that meant that Alicia only has two capture targets who are currently pursuing her.
That is Edward and Alexander.
The rest of the capture targets would fall for her much later on, so that means that Mizette had two main enemies to deal with. However, that doesn’t mean she won’t be taking chances. Nicholas, Lawrence and Frederic are still very dangerous individuals that Mizette has to be cautious with.
As for the timeline, a total of five events have been completed.
- The first encounter with Edward Lovell de Adonia.
- Study Date with the Prince of Adonia.
- The first encounter with Alexander Riverty.
- Elemental Magic Mishap.
- Soiled Dressed Event.
The next event would be Alicia’s first encounter with Lawrence Auturius. If Mizette plans to follow the game’s original plot, she would march towards Alicia with a scowl and bandaged hand. She would proceed to blame Alicia for her injury and Lawrence comes to the rescue before Mizette could slap Alicia.
She stares at her right palm.
Right, the original Mizette has no reason to confront Alicia now, her hand is completely uninjured. Though, that still wouldn’t stop the original Mizette from finding ways to harass Alicia.
This means that Lawrence’s encounter with Alicia is canceled. But Mizette doesn’t let that cloud her mind. The capture targets will eventually find their path into stepping into Alicia’s life.
Speaking of Lawrence, he’ll be following Mizette, unfortunately.
That is to be expected of a bodyguard.
So when Mizette goes to apologize to Alicia the next day, Lawrence will be by her side, observing and listening. Mizette hopes she could order Lawrence to be sent away, even just for a little while. She hopes he would follow, as Lawrence didn’t have even a shred of liking towards Mizette.
He hated her to his very core.
Of course he did, Mizette treated him unfairly, like a dog on a leash.
It’s not hard for him to deny her order.
More on Lawrence, the man also had a way of using his serpent’s tongue.
Good with words and rumors, able to spread them like wildfire and manipulate people’s hearts to reach his goal. He is very much the opposite of Edward, who is the brute force type, using his status and power to get what he wants.
Lawrence may seem docile now, acting like a loyal dog but on the inside, that hatred piled and piled.
So when the next day came, it didn’t surprise Mizette to see Lawrence smiling at her. She barely got any sleep as she couldn’t rest easy with this man on the other side of her bedroom door.
“Good morning, my Lady.” Lawrence greets, “How was your sleep?”
“...Yes…Good morning.” Mizette replies slowly, “...It was good.”
“I see, that is pleasant to hear.” His smile grows wider.
Pleasant to hear my ass…You wished I died in my sleep.
Mizette holds herself back from giving him an irked look. She plans to…fix…the relationship between them. Fix is a big word, but Mizette hopes that they would at least be in tolerable terms, a term where Lawrence no longer has the desire to kill her.
It’ll take a lot of work, but since Lawrence is her bodyguard 24/7, she has to make this work.
“Let us go and have breakfast.” Mizette says and walks towards the dining hall.
“Of course.” Lawrence follows, a few steps behind. “My Lady, I would like to tell you in advance that we disposed of the carriage last night. So we have to use one of your least favorite carriages for today.”
“...What?” Mizette pauses, “Disposed? I…I asked to get rid of the thorns, not the carriage itself.”
“Ah,” Lawrence then explains, “After your father heard of what had happened, he ordered for the carriage’s disposal. He had asked me to inform you that he will purchase an even lavisher carriage for you as soon as he can.”
“But to go as far as disposal…”
“It is for your safety, my Lady. Other parts of the carriage may have been tampered with, so it was best to dispose of it.”
“...” Was it really the best choice?
“I understand.”
“...” Lawrence continued to smile at her, but there was something about the way he was staying still. He looked like he was expecting something, but what? Mizette gulps nervously and turns back to the direction of the dining hall.
“Are you alright, my lady?”
What a sudden question…
Do you think I’m alright?
Are any of us really alright?
Ask yourself that, Lawrence.
“Yes, I’m quite alright. Let’s hurry along then.”
Mizette doesn’t look back anymore nor does she plan to. She doesn’t want to see what kind of expression Lawrence Auturius is making right now. The question of her well-being threw her off after all. Not that Lawrence genuinely cares about her, but why would he ask such a thing?
Lawrence is following behind of course, with a dull gaze and lips curved down.
His footsteps are heavy.
“My Lady.”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to take the path with the lakeside view? Or the path through the meadows?”
“...Either would be fine.”
“Is my Lady in the mood for tea in the afternoon?”
“...Yes?”
“I see, I shall ask a servant to prepare everything. Would you like to spend tea time alone or with company?”
What is with all these questions!?
“You’re awfully talkative today, Lawrence.”
“My apologies, I would just like to make sure that my Lady is comfortable today.”
Really? Then please disappear and never let me see your face again.
Lawrence adds, “You had a terrible night after all. I am simply looking out for my Lady’s well-being.”
Terrible doesn’t even begin to describe it, you sociopath.
“I see…Thank you.”
“...”
“...No more questions?” Mizette carefully asks.
“Do you not have any more requests, my Lady?”
“...No.” Mizette replies, “Tea is enough.”
“...Understood.”
===
Chapter End...To be continued...
