Rehabilitating the Villainess

Truttt!

A droplet of wine from the soaked dress fell to the floor, creating a distinct sound. 

Other than that, an eerie silence prevailed…

Neither I, Shael, nor even Perl in the front could bring ourselves to speak.

Perl stared in disbelief at my wine-splattered hands.

When the dripping wine ceased, Perl muttered in bewilderment, "Wha…what…?"

Perl glanced at me, as if expecting forgiveness through an apology. I coldly ignored her gaze and redirected my attention to Shael.

Shael had a firm grip on my arms, and, much like Perl's expression a moment ago, a smirk adorned her face.

‘Everything seems fine now.'

But it wasn't fine a little while ago, as Perl had needlessly provoked a conflict.

From the moment we entered, a group led by the Duke of Anyden had given Shael a few unfriendly stares, and she had also overheard things that would be normally difficult for her to tolerate. So my concern for Shael was only natural.

Therefore, I asked Shael, "Are you okay?"

"Oh, it’s okay!"

However, the response didn't come from Shael; it belonged to Perl, who was now drenched in wine.

I had clearly directed my words at Shael. So, even if Perl was dimwitted, there was no scope for a misunderstanding. 

‘As I thought, there was something off about this person…’

"Not you. I'm asking Shael."

"…"

"It’s not okay."

Finally Shael responded, but her answer made me involuntarily smile.

‘Is it really not okay?'

In response to Shael's words, I shot her a questioning look.

Then Shael remarked, "If it were me, I could have spilled it more naturally, making it seem like a mistake."

‘Am I being evaluated on my wine-spilling skills?'

Shael sounded like some kind of a wine-spilling expert.

Anyways, I responded to Shael's comment with a vacant smile, then I turned to Perl and said, "What are you doing? I need to spend some intimate time with Shael."

"…!"

Letting Perl go meant that there was a possibility that she could openly criticize Shael in front of the crowd. Nevertheless, I didn't care. From the outset, Perl had consistently belittled Shael. 

I intended to put an end to those rumors somehow.

"Ha!"

Perl, exhaling a deep sigh as if utterly dumbfounded, turned away. 

In contrast, I exhaled happily.

This incident seemed to have helped me release the stress that had built up for the first time in a while. Even though there were still adversaries outside whom I couldn't handle, their reckoning would come sooner or later. 

While laughing for a brief moment, I heard Shael say, "Wait!"

Shael intercepted Perl as she was about to leave, then continued, "My wine, bring another cup back."

"…"

Perl frowned at Shael's request and left her balcony.

Hmmm…I have to think of a few way to remedy the situation.

"We should go inside now." I suggested.

"Yes. I need to use the washroom for a moment. The wine splashed on me too."

Exiting the balcony with Shael, I, in a wine-drenched dress, observed Perl engaging in conversation with other nobles. And, their discussion's topic was evident. 

Avoiding their gazes, I headed to the washroom with Shael.

"I'll wait outside."

"Sure."

Shael entered the washroom. Frankly, I was worried, since Shael was in a space beyond my sight.

Despite being a washroom in the imperial palace with stringent security and having equipped various protective artifacts, I couldn't shake off my concerns.

‘I'm still anxious. What should I do?'

I stared at the washroom, heightening my senses as much as possible. Although it was something quite rude, but I couldn’t help it.

Tuk! Tuk! Tuk!

Footsteps echoed in the washroom, and I could pinpoint their exact location.

‘In front of the entrance?'

She hadn't even entered the washroom properly, yet Shael stopped right at the entrance.

Then, I saw Shael peeking her head out. And I turned away to avoid making eye contact with Shael.

‘Is she spying on me?'

Leaving me alone deliberately as she goes into the washroom?

A dreadful notion crossed my mind—the ‘Ring of Mutual Restriction.'

In the boutique, I had been able to converse with the owner with Shael's consent. But what about the conversation with Perl?

I consistently wore the ring, meaning Shael had permitted the conversation.

‘Did she forget to set the Ring of Mutual Restriction since the boutique?'

Possibly. But more than that—the assumption that Shael was ‘keeping an eye on me' seemed reasonable. 

Even now, Shael left me alone and went to the washroom. It reminded me of the incident in the carriage. Despite Shael being present, I engaged in a conversation with another woman without her knowledge; there's no way she didn't know about it.

Beyond trusting me, Shael was exceptionally possessive and jealous.

Shael's peculiar behavior had me on edge. It appeared I needed to be more cautious than usual during social gatherings. 

Aside from dispelling rumors about Shael, perhaps it was best to refrain from conversation altogether.

Goblin: Please consider becoming a Patron at Patreon to support me if you can. You can also support me and sponsor chapters at BuymeaCoffee! A little support will help me a lot in these tough times.

If you want a more severe (spicy) rehabilitation of multiple villainesses, you can check out my other project, Pushover Extra Trains the Villainesses. Check out my other project My Summons Are Special and Dual Cultivation with a Fox Demon

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