The Villainess Does Not Want to Die

Chapter 8: Alina

I felt a slightly sticky sensation in my mouth, probably from having eaten too many sweets.

Returning to my room, I tugged at the handle attached to the wall.

With a soft jingling sound, a young maid appeared.

Every time I called, this girl came to me. Perhaps she was assigned to be my personal maid.

“Did you call, miss?”

“Could you bring me something to clean my teeth or rinse my mouth?”

At first, she seemed confused, but after I mimed brushing my teeth, the maid understood.

“Oh, you mean willow twigs, right? I’ll bring some with salt powder!”

Without waiting for my reply, she dashed off, leaving the door ajar.

I wondered if it was acceptable to run like that in the hallways.

After a while, she returned, carrying something with bristles that looked like a polished wooden handle and a pinch of salt that smelled of ginger.

“Please lie down on the bed!”

“Excuse me…?”

“You don’t need to speak formally with me. Just lie down, miss.”

I hesitated, unsure of what to do, and the girl, seemingly frustrated by my lack of action, lifted me effortlessly and placed me on the bed.

The way she loomed over me made me uncomfortable, like something unpleasant was about to happen.

“Alright. Open wide.”

“I can do it myself—ugh!”

Ignoring my protest, she smeared the salt powder on the bristles and pushed it into my mouth.

The taste was unbearably salty, and an unpleasant scent filled my nose.

“Usually, a personal maid handles this, but since you don’t have one yet, you’ll have to endure a little discomfort. Don’t worry! Even as a maid, I’ve been trained to do such things at the duke’s household.”

Do nobles not even brush their own teeth?

Another surprising discovery.

She began brushing my teeth delicately, her movements slow and precise.

Her expression reminded me of the old man dusting the library, carefully wiping each speck away.

The memory made me feel strangely melancholic.

“Mm…ugh, argh!”

At first, she gently brushed the front teeth, but soon, she pried my mouth open and applied the salty powder everywhere.

It would’ve been fine if she had simply continued with the bristles, but she started rubbing my teeth with her fingers until they squeaked.

She pressed her fingers lightly against my gums and tongue, as if testing their resilience.

“Eh…ehh…”

I wanted to tell her it was too salty and ask her to stop, but I couldn’t articulate the words. Eventually, I gave up.

Afterward, she finally used the bristles to clean my teeth, treating them like precious jewels.

I never realized brushing teeth could be so complicated.

When my tongue began tingling slightly, she cleaned it with a gentle touch and then brought cool water to rinse my mouth.

Even though the brush and her fingers were long gone, I could still feel their presence inside my mouth.

Perhaps out of curiosity, I lightly tapped my freshly cleaned teeth with my fingers.

She helped me rinse my mouth, wished me a good night, tucked me in, and turned to leave.

I watched her retreating figure for a while before sitting up and grabbing her sleeve.

“…What’s your name?”

“Alina. And you, miss?”

“Mar… no, Marisela.”

“Good night, Miss Marisela.”

She smiled warmly and left the room.

If I had been a boy in my youth, I might have fallen for her in an instant.

Who knows?

Even though everyone in the estate called me “miss,” it was clear they only did so because they were told to.

It wasn’t out of respect or loyalty. Actions speak louder than words, and their behavior revealed their true feelings.

To the servants, I was just an impurity.

They would listen to my requests but likely thought, How dare the daughter of a prostitute give me orders.

When I called for them, they ignored me the first time.

The second time, they would finally turn their heads, and by the third call, they would pretend to be surprised, saying they didn’t realize I had summoned them.

Their lips curved ever so slightly upward as they spoke.

I would glare at them, filled with humiliation, but their only response was mocking laughter.

Among everyone in this mansion, the only person who truly treated me as a noble was Alina.

Alina. Such a sweet name.

I’d have to ask her what it meant someday.

As I was lost in thought, a knock interrupted me.

I closed the journal I had been scribbling in.

This time, it wasn’t a maid who had come to my room.

It was the girl I had seen at dinner yesterday—the one who had sat with her arms crossed, her expression full of disdain.

She held a book in one hand and a doll in the other.

Her appearance was almost cute, and for a moment, I considered patting her head. But I stopped myself, remembering we were the same age.

She glanced around my room briefly before giving me a sly smile.

“You. Get dressed properly and have a maid escort you to Mother’s room. It’s almost time for lessons.”

Her tone was haughty, as if addressing a servant.

“And by ‘almost,’ you mean when?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“By the way, I heard you came from the slums. Is that true?”

I nodded.

She burst into laughter, clutching her doll.

“Don’t even think about calling me ‘sister’ later. I don’t want to be tied to a half-wit like you.”

I glanced around the room.

Unfortunately, two maids stood near the hallway, and a butler lingered behind her.

If no one had been around, I would have punched her square in the face.

Instead, I unclenched my fist.

When I didn’t react, she hesitated, lips moving as if to say something, but she seemed to forget her words and walked off.

I watched her leave, then turned my attention to the necklace I was wearing, fiddling with the jewel hanging from it for a long time.

It’s not a good feeling.

The pendant on the necklace clinked against the rings on my fingers as I fiddled with it.

The children at the orphanage, the ones who hadn’t been abandoned, often clung to their parents’ belongings, cherishing them and reminiscing about their parents.

Some even believed their parents were still with them in spirit.

I suppose I lack the talent for such sentiments.

I pulled the handle on the wall again.

The now-familiar bell chimed, and footsteps approached steadily from somewhere down the hall.

When Alina arrived, I asked her to take me to the bathroom, help me wash, and dress me.

She replied that she’d bring a few others to assist and soon returned with five maids. Together, they escorted me to the bathroom.

As before, they lowered me into the bathtub and scrubbed my body with fragrant oils and soaps.

They dressed me in a pristine white dress and put me in shoes that made my feet ache with every step.

Initially, I’d overheard them commenting on my slightly tanned skin.

But after days of soaking in the tub, my body coated in bubbles, oils, and cleansers no one outside the slums could afford—except perhaps the prostitutes—the old grime and dark patches disappeared entirely.

Even the faint, dusty smell that clung to me vanished.

For the first time, I could truly feel that I had left the slums behind.

In the better parts of town, the dust and filth that marked the slums were absent. I’d realized that the first time my mother took me to the lake.

The way there had been fresh and fragrant, but the return trip was dull and foul-smelling.

“Alina, after washing up, I need to go to the duchess’ chambers. Do you know where that is?”

“Of course. So, you’re starting lessons today, huh?
By the way, I told you—you don’t have to speak so formally with me.”

“Oh… lessons? What kind of lessons… exactly?”

Alina seemed to hesitate, adjusting my clothes as she thought. She zipped up a hidden fastener, buttoned me up, and folded the frills to make them look neat and proper.

“They say it’s mostly common sense, etiquette, and rules you’re supposed to follow.
Honestly, I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because I’m just a commoner.”

“Commoner or noble, it’s all—”

Before I could finish, Alina’s eyes widened in shock. She glanced around nervously and clamped her hand over my mouth.

“Mmph—!” I tried to mumble for her to let go, but her eyes, slightly unfocused with worry, fixed on mine as she whispered urgently.

“Shh! If someone hears you, they might—oh.”

Realizing I was technically a noble, at least in title, she released me, her expression awkward and apologetic.

“Sorry. For a moment, I forgot you’re a lady…”

Because I seemed like a commoner, no doubt.

“I get it. I shouldn’t have said anything awkward.”

“…I was just worried about you, that’s all.”

“Let’s go, then, to the duchess’ chambers.”

I didn’t want to see her flustered expression any longer.

Ordinarily, I would’ve walked beside her, but this time, I trailed a few steps behind.

The endless, suffocating corridors stretched on as always.

The gazes of the servants pierced me like needles.

The portraits on the walls seemed to scowl at me as if to say, You don’t belong here.

The air in the hallway was thick with dust, rough enough to leave a dry sensation in my mouth.

My nerves were on edge, and I couldn’t keep my focus on any one thing for long.

TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES