Villainess’s Redemption (Reborn Villainess #1)

Chapter 17

The next morning, I steeled myself for the inevitable battle at the tea party. Maybe I was being a bit overdramatic, but that was how it felt. After donning my carefully selected gown, Laurel bustled in, a letter from Annalise clutched in her hand. I scanned the contents, a smile playing on my lips. Everything was proceeding according to plan.

“Perfect,” I murmured, setting the letter aside. I penned a quick response, inviting Annalise to the palace, and handed it to Laurel. “Make sure this reaches her today.”

As we made our way to the greenhouse, anxiety gnawed at my insides. The thought of facing a room full of vapid noble ladies was about as appealing as wrestling a bear. But at least with the bear, I’d know where I stood.

I just want to skip all of this and start my farm life.

The greenhouse was a marvel of glass and wrought iron, sunlight streaming through its domed ceiling. Exotic plants from every corner of the kingdom flourished here, their vibrant colors taking you to a different world. The air was thick with the mingled scents of jasmine, roses, and something distinctly tropical.

I stepped inside, immediately assaulted by the cacophony of chirping voices. The room was already teeming with notable women from the palace and other high-standing families. My eyes darted around, searching for Rosalind, but she was mercifully absent. A small part of me hoped she’d come down with a fever and couldn’t attend. A girl can dream, right?

“Lya!”

I cringed at the overly enthusiastic call of my name. Turning, I saw my mother pushing her way through the crowd, her face alight with joy. Before I could react, she enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug.

“Mother, I can’t breathe,” I wheezed, but despite the discomfort, a warmth spread through my chest. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed her incessant fussing.

She pulled back, holding me at arm’s length. “Oh, darling, you look absolutely radiant! Marriage clearly agrees with you.” Right. “How is Noah treating you?” Noah? Who’s that? “Are you eating enough?” That’s all I’ve been doing. “You look a bit pale.” I was born like that. “Oh! Did I tell you about Lady Fairfax’s new conservatory? It’s the talk of the town, but between you and me, I think it’s gaudy…”

As Mother prattled on, I took stock of my surroundings. Most of the faces were familiar—after all, I’d grown up in this circle. Lady Seraphina glided through the crowd with practiced ease, her smile never quite reaching her sharp, cunning eyes. Lady Penelope huddled with her sisters, their excited whispers carrying across the room.

Servants lined the walls, faces carefully blank as they waited to serve. They bowed slightly as we passed, but one caught my eye. She looked oddly familiar - dirty blonde hair, a smattering of freckles across her nose, and startlingly blue eyes. Our gazes met for a fleeting moment before she ducked her head. Had I seen her before? The nagging feeling of recognition persisted, but I pushed it aside. Maybe I had seen her in passing. The palace was huge after all.

“…and then Lord Pembroke had the audacity to suggest that my new hat was out of fashion! Can you believe it? What does he even know about women’s fashion?” Mother’s indignant voice pulled me back to the present.

I patted her hand consolingly. “How dreadful, Mother. Clearly, that man wouldn’t know anything about fashion.”

She tittered, pleased with my response. “Oh, Lya, you always know just what to say. Anyways, have you heard about the shipwreck? Silk ships carrying goods from the east suddenly went under without any reason. There was also a huge fire in the eastern nations. Trade will probably stop with them for a few months at least. I should have bought more silk.”

I hid a satisfied smile and opened my mouth to reply, but a hush fell over the room. Queen Felicia had arrived, resplendent in a gown of deep purple, her golden crown glinting in the sunlight peeking through the glass. And there, just behind her, was Rosalind.

My stomach twisted. So much for hoping she’d be sick.

Rosalind’s eyes locked onto mine, a small, triumphant smile playing on her lips. I gritted my teeth as I smiled tightly. I didn’t think she would worm her way into the queen’s heart so quickly. My only hope was that she wasn’t so easily manipulated.

I plastered on my best smile as Queen Felicia welcomed everyone to take their seats. The greenhouse’s humid air clung to my skin like an unwelcome embrace as I settled into the chair beside Her Majesty. Right across from me, Seraphina sat on the other seat beside the Queen, and thankfully Rosalind took the seat beside Seraphina. So, I didn’t have to see her face every time I looked up.

Great.

The Queen’s melodious voice broke through my cynical thoughts. “As you all know, Lady Ilyana is the wife of my dear nephew, Noah.”

I stood, executing a deep bow that would have made my etiquette tutor weep with joy. Queen Felicia also explained Rosalind’s situation after introducing her and she did the same. As she straightened, I caught Rosalind’s gaze for a fleeting moment before she pointedly looked away.

Really? What’s wrong with the people at the palace? Everyone had mood swings. If you’re going to hate me and taunt me then do it properly.

Once we were seated again, Queen Felicia graced us with a beatific smile. “This marvelous idea for a charity event was the brainchild of both Lady Rosalind and Lady Ilyana.”

A chorus of congratulations erupted around the table. I nodded graciously, as I saw Seraphina’s smile turn down a little around the corner. Well, if she wanted to impress the queen she should’ve worked harder.

“Now then,” the Queen continued, “let’s hear your ideas for the event.”

My muscles tensed involuntarily. Last time, if memory served me correctly, I’d been spared the torture of participating in the event as I wasn’t invited, only getting the invitation to the main event itself as a guest. The ladies had donated their handcrafted creations - mostly embroidery and paintings. Two skills I possessed about as much talent for as a pig did for flying. My painting was worse than a toddler’s and I simply didn’t have patience for needlework.

Please, for the love of all that’s holy, don’t let it be—

“Embroidery!” Seraphina chirped.

“And Painting!” Rosalind chimed in.

Go to hell both of you! Why don’t we just host a ‘Let’s Humiliate Ilyana and bury her alive’ festival while we’re at it?

The Queen beamed. “Splendid ideas! Does anyone else have suggestions?”

As more women offered up various handicrafts which I was terrible at too, I sat there, sweating enough to water half the plants in this blasted greenhouse. Even Laurel must be cringing. She knew very well how terrible I was at all of these suggestions.

My mother, who was sitting a few chairs away from me, must have sensed my distress since she knew all about my wonderful talents which should be kept hidden.

“If I may, Your Majesty,” she interjected, “handcrafted items take considerable time to create. With the Spring Ball approaching, we’d have at most two weeks, not accounting for other event preparations.”

Well done, Mother!

But my relief was short-lived. The Queen’s brow furrowed. “What else can we do if not handcrafted work? We need something to sell, otherwise it’ll simply become a donation camp.”

A heavy silence fell over the gathering. Think, Ilyana. So, without thinking, I blurted out, “Cooking!”

As expected, every head swiveled in my direction, eyes wide with shock. I cleared my throat, willing my voice not to waver. “I mean… I can cook. I could set up a stall and sell food.”

The horror on their faces would have been comical if it weren’t so insulting. After all that was how I provided for my family in exile. Queen Felicia’s eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t know you could cook, Ilyana.”

I didn’t dare look at my mother. I could feel her stare burning into the side of my face like a branding iron. No noble ladies knew how to cook. Even I didn’t, only learning this skill to survive.

Lady Seraphina’s tinkling laugh cut through the tension. “Isn’t that… beneath us?”

Beneath us? That ungrateful, good-for-nothing cow. She had the audacity to say this while munching on a cookie.

I lifted my chin, meeting her gaze with steely determination. “Food is important, be it for the rich, poor, or noble. No one should be ashamed to know how to cook,” I paused, allowing my words to sink in. “In fact, I’d argue that understanding the art of preparing a meal gives us a deeper appreciation for the sustenance we often take for granted. It connects us to the very essence of life and reminds us of our shared humanity. After all, even kings must eat.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the gathering. I caught a flash of admiration in the Queen’s eyes.

To my surprise, Rosalind spoke up. I tensed, preparing for an attack that didn’t come. “If I may, Your Majesty. I think Lady Ilyana’s idea is quite innovative. In that vein, I could offer to play the violin at a stall.”

As if a dam had broken, ideas began to flow freely. One lady offered to dance, another to recite poetry, and yet another to write personalized verses for customers. With each suggestion, Seraphina’s smile drooped a little more, and the vestiges of evilness in me smiled a bit too much at that.

Queen Felicia clapped her hands together, her face alight with enthusiasm. “I’m so proud of you all. This is truly a brilliant idea. We’ll showcase the many talents of our noble ladies while raising funds for a worthy cause. This will truly be a unique charity event.”

As the chatter around me grew, I allowed myself a small, triumphant smile. Not bad for a day’s work, Ilyana. You might just survive this time after all.

“Lady Ilyana,” Rosalind’s voice pulled me from my reverie. “Since this cooking idea was yours, perhaps you’d like to give us a little taste of your skill? I’m sure we’re all curious about your culinary skills.”

“Yes, I’m very curious indeed. Isn’t that right your Majesty?” Seraphina chirped in with a smug smile.

While my smugness evaporated faster than morning dew under the scorching sun. Oh, shit.

As I caught sight of Rosalind’s knowing smirk. It was then that I realized why she so readily agreed with me - this had been a trap. And I’d walked right into it.

Well played, Rosalind. Well played indeed.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t cook but without any preparation and for so many people, it would be hard even for a seasoned chef.

Queen Felicia took a sip of her tea and nodded. “Yes, yes. I would love to see what Ilyana can cook up but let’s enjoy the tea right now. We’ll have plenty of time to witness her culinary skill later, won’t we, Ilyana?”

I was shocked when she looked at me with a conspiratorial smile. Did she just help me out right now?

“Yes, of course. I’ll be glad to show my skill.”

I let out a sigh of relief, but it didn’t last long. As I scanned the room, my eyes landed on a familiar face - the maid I’d noticed earlier but couldn’t quite place. Now, as she approached the Queen with a glass of wine, recognition hit me like a boulder to the chest.

Why the hell are they serving wine at a tea party?

Other maids followed suit, each bearing glasses of wine. My heart began to race, panic rising in my throat like bile. This wasn’t supposed to happen yet, not according to my memories of the past. Because that particular glass of wine was poisoned.

Damn it all to hell. Can I not take a breath today? Changing the future is messier than I thought.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think clearly. Okay, Ilyana, get your shit together. What do you remember? In my past life, Felicia was poisoned on the day of the charity event. They caught the maid, but the poison wasn’t lethal. Yes! The poison wasn’t lethal. The Queen’s healer tended to her quickly, and she recovered within hours. It was more about creating panic than actually killing her.

So, should I just let her drink it? She won’t die anyway. yes, that’s probably for the best. Don’t interfere.

But another voice nagged at me. What if I let her drink it and then Anderic accuses me of poisoning his mother since it happened in my presence? After all, he already didn’t trust me and was suspicious of my every move. I couldn’t let that happen. Drink it yourself, you fool.

Should I? Should I not?

The poison wasn’t lethal, and the healer would be nearby. I should be fine…right?

Should I? Should I not?

As the maid reached the table, my panic kept rising. My mind was a jumbled mess, thinking about all the possibilities. Time slowed down, my heart beating faster with every passing second.

Should I? Should I not?

My body moved before my brain could catch up. I snatched the glass and downed it in one go, the wine burning my throat as it went down. It didn’t taste any different, maybe I miscalculated. Well, what did I even know of poisoning?

With a sigh of relief, I set the glass down, when I noticed every eye in the room was on me, horror etched across their faces. Even my mother looked aghast.

What now?

Then it hit me like a slap to the face. I’d completely forgotten that drinking from the Queen’s glass was a major faux pas. Oops.

I looked at Queen Felicia to gauge her expression, but she was staring at me with amusement dancing in her eyes. Lady Amelia was smiling behind her too. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize-” I began, but she cut me off with a wave of her hand.

“It’s quite alright, dear,” she said, her voice warm and tinged with mirth. “Mistakes happen. There’s plenty of wine to go around, and you looked rather parched. Perhaps you should have some more?”

I managed a weak smile, relief washing over me. No time for embarrassment when I had bigger things to worry about—like, survive being poisoned. But just as I opened my mouth to respond, the door burst open with a resounding bang. Prince Anderic strode in, his golden curls catching the sunlight streaming through the greenhouse windows.