Chatting with the vilainess

I sat on the delicate black chair nestled in a picturesque garden. Tea was promptly served, and I kept my gaze fixed on my companion for the afternoon. Alice was a true lady, graceful with the servants yet unflinchingly direct in expressing her desires, avoiding idle musings. My mind wandered momentarily to the image of the "false Alice"—so naive, arrogant, and immature—a stark contrast to the woman before me.

Part of me struggled to accept that my nemesis was once my close friend from university, yet another part embraced the harsh reality of what had transpired. Quiet and peculiar as I was, it wasn’t entirely surprising to have an enemy or two. But when that enemy sits beside you, the bitterness gnaws at your throat—dry, cruel, and unrelenting.

As one of the maids finished arranging the final dish—a stunning apple pie alongside ginger biscuits—she quickly retreated. Alice sipped her tea delicately, setting the cup down with elegance.

“First of all, I feel we were never properly introduced,” she began, her mechanical eye sparking faintly as she addressed me. “I am Alice, the true Alice. I will be forever grateful that you recovered my body, but I cannot overlook the price my brother paid to save your life.”

Her determined gaze, straight posture, and firm words struck a chord. I adjusted my own posture, inhaling deeply before responding.

“I don’t understand your point. I wasn’t responsible for your brother’s death, and believe me, the loss of my fiancé weighs heavily on my heart,” I replied, holding back tears as I took a sip of tea.

“Rafar was young. He sacrificed himself to save you. You could have saved him—you are far more powerful than anyone else in this realm, even more than I am. So, why didn’t you?” she demanded, a sharp edge of anger in her tone.

A faint, involuntary smile crossed my lips.

“Why are you smiling?” she asked, her voice tinged with irritation. “Do you not see that by doing so, you force me to arrest you right here and now?”

“Forgive me,” I said without altering my expression. “I’m just relieved to see that Rafar wasn’t alone all this time.”

Alice’s face darkened for a moment. Her gaze dropped, as though recalling something deeply painful.

“He suffered far more than I ever did,” she said at last. “Though I was the daughter of the former queen, the king adopted me willingly. He always wanted a daughter and placed all his hopes and love in me. He rescued me when my mother abandoned me in that warehouse after the surgery,” she explained, tracing a finger over her mechanical eye. “But Rafar... no. The king never saw Rafar as his son, despite Rafar carrying his blood.”

My chest tightened at the mention of Rafar. I placed a hand over my heart, unable to stop a tear from slipping down, warm against my fingers.

“When the first queen—Rafar’s mother—died giving birth to him, he was raised by a nursemaid, the wife of a coachman. Years passed, and after the king married the new queen, the legitimate heir to the throne was increasingly cast aside. By the time he was fifteen, Rafar already had several body parts replaced with mechanical ones,” Alice continued. “It was customary to isolate those undergoing such replacements, especially for vital or severe enhancements. Like me, Rafar was abandoned in the decrepit depot, but unlike me, no one ever returned for him.”

“Did you try to rescue him?” I blurted, the question slipping out faster than I could restrain myself. She gave a faint, bittersweet smile.

“Of course, I did, but I never managed to find him. I only discovered the depot’s true location after I was cast there myself,” she said, taking another sip of tea.

“How did Haruka... I mean, how was your body possessed?”

“Well, it happened on the day I was abandoned in that wasteland, as I mentioned,” she said, her brow furrowing. “When I saw my father breaking down the door to reach me, an aura enveloped my body, and I lived as a phantom for some time—several years, in fact. But now, I have this small entertainment to make up for lost time,” she added, pulling a squeaking mouse from her pocket by its tail.

“Rosana!” Alice shouted, and a maid with fine blonde hair stumbled hurriedly toward her. “Put Mili in the cage. Quickly!”

I noticed the maid hesitating to handle the rodent, but Alice’s stern gaze prompted immediate action. She grabbed Haruka by the tail and carried her into the palace.

“Tell me exactly what happened that day so I can help you save yourself,” Alice said, turning fully to me and grasping my hand. “Mai, I want to help you. I am your ally in this journey, and together, we can overcome the danger that lies ahead.”

Her words carried a profound weight, and I found myself confiding everything that had happened. Unburdening myself brought a strange relief.

“I see...” she murmured after some time. “Unfortunately, you cannot remain in our kingdom for now. I need to settle things with my father, but I know he will stop at nothing to see you face the gallows.”

“What should I do then?” I asked, apprehensive.

“You can stay with me for a while, mademoiselle,” a feminine voice spoke from behind me. Turning, I found Penelope standing near a rosebush.