I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 72

As I expected, the cream-colored outfit with hints of green suited Aiden perfectly. Dressed sharply in a tailcoat, his hair neatly styled, he exuded an air of nobility.

Who would ever believe that Aiden had come from the streets?

“It suits you.”

At my compliment, Aiden rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed. The clothes may have changed, but the person remained the same.

“It’s because you gifted it to me, my lady.”

Even if I had gifted it, it wasn’t guaranteed to suit him.

I tilted my head slightly, signaling my confusion.

But Aiden simply smiled at me in response.

I shifted slightly to the side so he could step inside. Bowing his head briefly, Aiden took slow steps into my room.

“Come in.”

“Yes.”

Once he was inside, I closed the door behind him. He glanced around the room as if taking in every detail.

He was probably comparing it to my old room at the duchy’s estate.

“But why are you here?”

Carefully adjusting the heavy folds of my dress, I walked past Aiden toward the table. But it was harder than I expected.

Ugh, this dress... The hem keeps flaring everywhere.

The one I wore today was twice—no, three times—as extravagant as the ones from my engagement day or the greenhouse party.

The excessive layers of lace tickled my legs as they wrapped around me.

Frustrated, I kicked at the fabric, trying to straighten it out, and suddenly, Mia came to mind.

How does she walk around so elegantly in dresses this huge, making every step sound crisp and graceful?

I suppose villains really are built differently.

Of course, I used to be the ultimate villain, but that was a story of the past.

Now, with only my memories of my previous life remaining, I had washed my hands of that entirely.

Recalling how Mia had moved so effortlessly, I stopped my frantic kicking and attempted to walk slowly instead.

...Nope. Still not happening.

In the end, I gave up on both the kicking and the slow walking.

Which meant I was also giving up on keeping the dress unwrinkled or untangled.

Aiden, who had been silently watching me, finally stepped forward. Lowering himself to one knee, he began carefully adjusting the hem of my dress.

I looked down at him.

As expected of someone who had spent years as a servant, his movements were swift, precise, and meticulous.

Ah... This really feels like the old days.

Back when I was always in my room, and he was always seated outside my door.

As I gazed at the familiar sight of his bowed head, I turned my eyes toward the window.

“I wanted you to be the first to see me wearing it.”

Still lost in my drowsy thoughts, I blinked at the sudden voice from below.

I lowered my gaze, but since Aiden was still bent over, all I could see was his golden hair.

Because of that, I couldn’t tell what kind of expression he was making when he said something so adorable.

Running over excitedly just to show me how he looked in his new clothes...

He really is like a puppy.

Before I even realized it, my hand had begun to reach for his head.

But just as I was about to touch him, rationality returned, and I stopped myself.

No matter how much he resembled a puppy, Aiden was a person.

I almost let my instincts win there.

Instead of ruffling his hair, I settled for giving him praise.

“You look nice.”

Aiden’s hands, which had been busy tidying the hem of my dress, briefly halted.

His shoulders stiffened slightly, making me wonder if I had said something wrong.

Was nice the wrong word?

But before I could dwell on it, Aiden resumed his work and quickly finished.

Wow. The dress looked just as pristine as when the maids first put it on me.

Once a professional, always a professional.

Having completed his task, Aiden slowly rose to his feet.

Now that he was standing, I could finally see his face.

His gaze darted uncertainly before locking onto me, his cheeks slightly flushed.

It was hard to tell for sure since his height cast a shadow over his face, but I was fairly certain he was blushing.

His lips, which had been twitching as if he wanted to say something, eventually pressed together before curving into a smooth arc along with his eyes.

“Yes, please continue to find me beautiful.”

Whoosh.

A gust of wind slipped through the small, open window.

But even more clearly, I heard Aiden’s voice.

I blinked.

Yes, please continue to find me beautiful?

Did the Mage Tower turn him into a puppy, or was it just Aiden?

Whoosh—

The summer wind rattled the window frame again.

Then, a sudden strong breeze blasted through the room, throwing the window wide open.

The gust swept through in an instant.

Both my hair and Aiden’s fluttered wildly like leaves caught in the wind.

Ah, the maids worked so hard on my hair.

Sorry, maids.

But it wasn’t just my hair that the wind disturbed.

Wearing high heels and an excessively long dress, I lost my balance from the sudden force.

My right foot wobbled, and my body tilted sharply to the side.

Ah, I’m falling. I can’t fall.

Yet, despite my thoughts, my body didn’t hit the ground.

Rather than standing, I was... floating.

“My lady, are you alright?”

Aiden’s eyes widened in alarm.

“...I’m fine.”

Aiden reached out, his arms extended as if offering support.

I hesitantly placed my hands on his forearms, and he slowly lowered me back to the ground.

My feet touched the floor once more, and the strands of hair that had floated in the air now cascaded back down over my shoulders.

“...Thanks.”

...You saved me again.

This moment reminded me of the engagement party.

The day Aiden had caught me when I almost fell down the stairs, lost in my thoughts.

His frantic voice, his desperate, almost pleading expression.

Aiden looked just the same today.

The startled face, the worried tone, the way he had reached out to catch me.

And the persistent hum in my head.

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Yes, the only difference between now and that day was...

This time, I could immediately thank him.

I could be grateful to him for keeping me from getting hurt.

I could think, I'm glad I didn’t get hurt.

I could... actually feel thankful that I wasn’t hurt.

I had spent my entire life indifferent to myself. If I lived, I lived. If I died, I died. If I got injured, I got injured. That was all.

I didn’t like pain, but I had never worried about scars, nor had I ever considered that someone might be concerned about me.

Even when I scraped my knee or ended up with scars, they were nothing of consequence to me.

But today... it was different.

The moment I wavered, I thought, I can’t fall.

I pictured my family’s worried faces, imagined Lukas coming over just to scold me, recalled Jane’s excitement about me attending the ball today.

And then, there was Aiden, reaching out in alarm right before my eyes.

And... I also remembered myself, marveling at my own reflection in the mirror just moments ago.

I raised my hand and traced the scar on my left arm.

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The faint ridges beneath my fingertips made me exhale softly.

This was strange.

A strange feeling indeed.

“It was nothing. I only did what I was supposed to.”

Aiden’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I blinked, lowering my hand from my arm before nodding.

We fell into silence for a moment.

Just as the pause began to stretch, a timely knock sounded at the door.

“My lady, shall we go down?”

Jane had returned with the maids.

Aiden stepped forward to open the door before I could respond.

Honestly, I could have just told them to come in, but he had moved so confidently that I missed my chance to say anything.

Well, I suppose shouting come in wasn’t something Aiden was used to.

As the door opened without a word, Jane blinked in surprise before looking at Aiden, the one who had opened it.

She was only startled for a moment, though. Soon enough, she greeted him cheerfully.

Both of them were good at acting casual, and given their positions, they must have had plenty in common.

“Oh, Aiden.”

“It’s been a while, Jane.”

Not to mention, they had been dessert buddies for quite some time, so there was no awkwardness between them.

Aiden exchanged greetings with Jane, then held the door open so she and the maids could enter easily.

Jane gave him a slight nod in gratitude before stepping inside, with the other maids following suit.

The younger maids stole fleeting glances at Aiden, their cheeks tinged pink.

How adorable.

They blushed at the sight of him but, being the diligent workers they were, quickly turned their attention to me and moved into their positions.

“My lady. Let’s go.”

Jane, standing closest to me and carefully holding up my dress, smiled warmly.

Her eyes sparkled.

Like a fairy godmother about to cast a spell on Cinderella.

“Let’s go.”

I lifted my chin and gazed at the palace before me.

At first glance, it looked like an enormous mansion, but could one really call this a mansion?

Its sheer scale was overwhelming.

I had thought the White Duchy’s main estate was impressive, but... if the palace was a tiger, then the mansion was nothing more than a kitten.

Was that an exaggeration? Maybe. But that was how massive it was.

“Selina.”

I had been staring at the palace absentmindedly when Lukas called my name, pulling me back to reality.

“Ah, yes.”

I straightened my posture and followed his lead.

Ahead of me, my mother, father, brother, and Princess Ariel walked in perfect form.

Aiden trailed behind me.

Since Lukas was my partner, he was by my side, whereas Aiden, being an escort mage without a partner, followed behind.

Glancing back, I saw Aiden giving me a reassuring smile, as if telling me not to worry.

“Selina.”

“Yes.”

Lukas called my name again, making me face forward.

We paused before the grand entrance.

The guards at the door took my father’s invitation, checking something against it.

Then, the soldier’s eyes widened, and he immediately straightened before bowing respectfully.

“The ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ White Duchy has arrived!”

His loud proclamation was followed by the triumphant sound of trumpets.

For a moment, it felt like we were about to march in a parade.

“Are you alright?”

Lukas lowered his head slightly and whispered.

He must have noticed the slight tremor in my hands when the sudden announcement startled me.

I nodded at him.

“I’m fine.”

The blaring trumpets ceased, and the massive doors swung open.