Villainess’s Redemption (Reborn Villainess #1)

Chapter 18

I watched Prince Anderic storm into the greenhouse, his golden curls disheveled and his eyes blazing with an intensity that made my stomach clench. The warmth I’d glimpsed yesterday was gone, replaced by cold suspicion. My heart ached at the sight. Must be the poison kicking in, I told myself. Who cared what this infuriating man thought of me?

I was right. His gentleness, warmth, and the way he looked at me with concern were all an act. But the question was, what had I done again? He couldn’t have guessed the poisoning this quickly.

In an instant, Queen Felicia’s jovial face twisted in anger. I realized I hadn’t really seen her angry before. She was certainly not someone to be trifled with. Her voice rang out, sharp with indignation. “What is the meaning of this, Anderic? This gathering is only for ladies!”

But Anderic paid her no heed, striding directly toward me. Uh-huh, this definitely has something to do with me. He bent to plant a hasty kiss on his mother’s cheek, murmuring, “My apologies, Mother, but I must borrow Lady Ilyana for a moment.”

Before I could protest, his hand closed around mine, and I found myself being all but dragged from the greenhouse. Everyone gasped and looked on, horrified. The last thing I saw before being dragged away was Lady Seraphina’s narrowed eyes fixed on the hand Anderic held, her smile souring. Oh no, I do not want to go there.

“Anderic, come back right this instant. I’m not done with you…” The queen’s angry scolding faded as we burst into the garden, leaving a wake of scandalized gasps behind us.

I looked around, trying to put together what just happened. It all happened so fast. No, I couldn’t leave now. The royal healer was in the greenhouse near Queen Felicia. The poison hadn’t hit me yet, but I needed to be there when it did. God, I don’t want to die… again.

I cast a desperate glance at Laurel, who trailed behind us. What’s going on? I mouthed to her. She merely shrugged, clearly as bewildered as I was. Her expression was a mix of horror and poorly concealed amusement at the situation I was in. Someone found this situation hilarious at least.

Anderic’s grip on my hand wasn’t painful, but it brooked no argument. Lennox materialized beside us, his perpetual scowl fixed firmly in place. At least he wasn’t prone to mood swings and was firm in his beliefs. He was consistent in his dislike of me, unlike his volatile prince.

“Stay here,” Anderic barked at Laurel and Lennox as he pulled me toward that cursed alcove where we’d had that particular encounter.

As we came to an abrupt halt, I found my voice. “What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, but my words were cut short as Anderic leaned in close, his face mere inches from mine.

“How did you know about the shipwreck before it happened?” he asked, his voice low and harsh.

Ah, there it was. The reason for this drama. He suspected I had something to do with it. It didn’t even surprise me at this point, but why did my heart clench so painfully at his accusation?

I schooled my features into a mask of innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, knowing full well I couldn’t tell him I knew it from my previous life. Better to pretend not to know anything.

His eyes narrowed. “Then why did you have that store owner buy all the raw silk from the market? It’s as if you knew exactly what was about to happen. And precisely the ships I was investigating. How very convenient.”

Damn it. He knew about Annalise and had her followed too. I didn’t know this shipwreck was suspicious or that he was investigating it. In my past life, everyone had known about the accident, but there had been no whispers of foul play. I felt sweat beading on my forehead despite the cool breeze.

What should I do? Deny everything? No, that would only make me look more guilty. Perhaps a partial truth…

“Yes, I did,” I admitted, lifting my chin defiantly. “So what?”

Anderic leaned in even closer, his breath warm on my face. “So you’re agreeing that you knew.”

A strange warmth spread through my stomach. Was that the poison finally taking effect? It had to be. There was no other explanation for the way my skin tingled where his breath touched it.

“Why are you so quick to accuse me whenever there’s something wrong? Why do I always get looked on with suspicion? Why do you do this to me always? Why do some people have everything without even asking for it while someone like me can never get a shred of respect even after trying so much? If you want me to become a villain so badly, then fine I’ll become one. And what if I did know?” I challenged, my voice breaking at the end and barely above a whisper. I was breathing heavily. “What would you do to me, Your Highness?”

His eyes, those damnable pools of blue that seemed to see right through me, searched my face. For what, I couldn’t say. Guilt? Fear? The truth?

“I’m not accusing you of anything… yet. I’m still investigating,” he said, his voice low but holding a hint of warmth after my outburst. “But I will find out soon enough, Ilyana. Make no mistake about that. If you’re not guilty, there’s nothing to fear. I’ll ask you directly, Are you involved?”

As I opened my mouth to reply, a wave of dizziness washed over me. The warmth in my stomach turned to a searing heat. Oh god, was this it? Was the poison finally taking hold?

I had to finish this quickly and go back to the greenhouse.

I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to step back as dizziness washed over me. “No, I have no idea what you are talking about. But yes, I asked Annalise to buy all the raw silk because I knew something would happen soon.”

Anderic’s eyes narrowed, his piercing gaze looking for any signs of a lie. “Explain.”

He leaned back against the alcove wall, giving me some space to breathe. The rough stone scraped against my back as I mirrored his posture, buying time to think. My head was spinning, whether from the poison or the interrogation, I couldn’t be sure.

I closed my eyes, trying to gather my thoughts through the haze of dizziness. I took a shaky breath, weighing my options, and considered what I could safely reveal. The cool stone of the alcove pressed against my back, grounding me as I struggled to focus. The truth was out of the question - he’d think me mad if I mentioned time travel. An idea struck me through the haze.

“It’s common sense, actually,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady despite how breathless I was feeling. “They’ve been over-harvesting in the east. Combined with less rainfall and dry weather, a fire was bound to happen. If you look at the pattern, it occurred three years ago too when they made the same mistakes.”

Anderic’s brow furrowed, but I pressed on before he could interject.

“I’ve been reading all the news coming from the east. If you look closely, the hints were there all along,” I fixed him with what I hoped was a haughty stare. “I may not look it, but I do read, you know.”

A ghost of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “I never doubted your intelligence, Ilyana. Only your motives.”

“My motives?” I scoffed, ignoring the way my stomach lurched. “And what nefarious plot could I possibly be hatching by creating a silk shortage?”

“That remains to be seen,” he murmured, leaning closer. His scent - sandalwood and something distinctly him - enveloped me. “Though I must admit, your explanation is… plausible.”

I raised an eyebrow, fighting to keep my expression neutral as another wave of dizziness hit. “High praise indeed, Your Highness. Shall I swoon now, or would you prefer I wait until we have an audience?”

Anderic’s laugh was low and rich, sending an entirely different kind of heat through my body. “Your wit never fails to entertain, my lady.” Anderic’s brow furrowed again. “But the shipwreck?”

I opened my mouth to reply, but the words caught in my throat as my vision swam. The greenhouse. I needed to get back before -

I shook my head, immediately regretting the movement as a wave of dizziness crashed over me. My hand flew out to steady myself against the wall as I fought to catch my breath.

“Are you alright?” Anderic asked, concern flashing across his face as he took a step towards me. “You’ve gone quite pale.”

I waved him off, swallowing hard against the burning in my throat. “I’m fine,” I snapped. I took a deep breath and ignored his outstretched hand. “It’s just… the heat… And no, I didn’t know about the shipwreck. That was just a coincidence-”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Anderic cut me off, his voice sharp with worry.

But his words seemed to come from far away, muffled and distorted. There was a buzzing noise in my ears. My vision narrowed, darkness creeping in at the edges. I blinked hard, trying to focus on Anderic’s face.

“What-” I began, but the word caught in my throat. A coppery taste filled my mouth and I coughed, bringing my hand up instinctively.

Blood. Bright crimson against my pale skin.

What was I saying again? I can’t think . My head was pounding with each heartbeat.

My mind reeled, struggling to process what was happening. The poison. It had to be the poison. But how? It wasn’t supposed to be lethal. Did I truly underestimate how far and wildly the events could change?

I looked up at Anderic, my mouth working silently as I tried to form words. But my throat burned, the pain spreading like wildfire through my body. Every breath sent jolts of agony coursing through me.

Anderic was trying to say something to me but his words are distorted because even though I can see his mouth is moving, the words are all coming through wrong. The world tilted violently and I felt myself falling.

Strong arms caught me before I hit the ground. Through the fog of pain and confusion, I realized Anderic was carrying me, shouting orders to someone I couldn’t see. Everything was too loud and too quiet at the same time, a cacophony of noise that made no sense.

“Stay with me, Lya,” Anderic’s frantic voice broke through the haze. “Stay with me. Nothing will happen to you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I tried to tell him it was alright, that I was okay, but all that came out was an incoherent mumble.

He looked down at me, his blue eyes wide with fear. I blinked, trying to focus on his face. How ironic that after everything, it was the fear I saw in those piercing blue eyes. Fear for me and not losing a prime suspect in his investigation. For the first time, it truly felt like he was looking a me as a person and not a piece of puzzle. Was this how death felt like? Full of realizations? Who was I even asking? I knew how it felt. If only I could live a little bit more-

“Shh, it’s alright,” he soothed. “Don’t talk. You’ll be alright.”

As I lay cradled in his arms, I found myself staring up at Anderic. He looked like a fallen angel, with all golden curls and chiseled features, his bottomless blue eyes focused intently on something ahead.

Why had I never truly seen how beautiful he was before? I’d always dismissed him as just another pretty face, a cunning prince playing his games. But there were layers to him, so many layers I’d never bothered to uncover.

Maybe I should have fallen for him instead of wasting my time on Noah.

Wow! What a realization at the doorstep of death…again.

Was this really the end for me? The thought drifted through my mind as darkness crept in at the edges of my vision. As the pain consumed me, dragging me down into oblivion, one last coherent thought flickered through my fading consciousness.

Why did it take dying to finally see the truth?

* * *

Darkness. Endless, inky darkness engulfed me. Was this death? Or perhaps hell’s waiting room?

With each labored breath, awareness crept back—along with searing pain that pulsed through my body in agonizing waves. Every inch of me felt flayed open, raw, and exposed. My heart thundered in my chest as I desperately tried to assess my injuries.

No, I’m not dead. Death shouldn’t hurt quite this much, should it?

Another surge of pain washed over me, sweeping away all rational thought. Panic clawed at my mind, reducing me to base instincts. Where was I? Where were Sebastian and Mother? Had we somehow made it back to our pitiful little shack? Why did everything hurt so bloody much?

The more I spiraled into these frantic musings, the tighter anxiety gripped me. No matter how I fought, I remained trapped in the prison of my own mind. A wretched sob tore from my chest, the sound pitiful even to my own ears.

Through the haze of agony, I felt a hand press against my neck - soft yet firm. My face was tilted, and a low voice murmured in my ear. The words were unintelligible, but the tone was oddly soothing.

Now I’m hallucinating gentle touches. Clearly, I’m not dead. Dead don’t hallucinate.

More voices drifted around me, but my addled mind couldn’t make sense of them. The pain consumed everything, dragging me back toward oblivion. Just as consciousness began to slip away, a familiar voice cut through the fog.

“Lya? Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can understand me.”

Anderic? What in seven hells was the golden prince doing here? And why did he sound so… concerned?

I tried to respond, to squeeze his hand, to do anything - but my body refused to cooperate. Frustration welled up, threatening to choke me.

“Your Highness, perhaps we should let her rest. The poison-”

“No.” Anderic’s voice was sharp, brooking no argument. “I’m not leaving her side until she wakes up properly.”

Poison? Oh, right. The wine. Memories flickered through my mind - the greenhouse, Queen Felicia’s tea party, my desperate attempt at avoiding suspicion. It all seemed so distant now, like a half-remembered dream.

“As you wish, Your Highness. But please, try not to agitate her. Her condition is still quite delicate.”

I almost wanted to laugh at the situation I had created myself but my body spasmed with pain again as my breath leaked from my lungs.

Through the white-hot pain, a warm hand clasped mine, surprisingly gentle for someone I’d always seen as cold and calculating. “I know you’re in there, Lya,” Anderic murmured, his voice so low I could barely hear it. “You’re too stubborn to let a little poison keep you down. Fight this. Come back to m- to us.”

Was that a hint of vulnerability I detected? Surely not. The ever-composed Prince Anderic couldn’t possibly be worried about me , of all people… could he?

But then I remembered how he cradled my body in his arms, the desperation in his voice. Not everything can be an act, right?

Agony. Searing, all-consuming pain coursed through my veins like liquid fire. I wanted to scream, to thrash, to do anything to make it stop. But my body refused to cooperate, leaving me trapped in a prison of agony as I wavered between consciousness and oblivion, each moment a battle to stay awake.

I must have lost consciousness again as the fog in my mind slowly cleared, snippets of conversation drifted to my ears. The voices were familiar, but in my addled state, I couldn’t quite place them.

“What have you found out?” The first voice was crisp, and authoritative. Anderic, my barely functioning brain supplied.

What is he still doing here? How is that even allowed? I’m married to his cousin for God’s sake—even though the marriage is a sham. Speaking of my marriage, where is my husband when I need him to throw away his cousin? It’s not like I ask much of him anyway. What is Laurel doing even?

“We’ve been questioning her, but she hasn’t said anything yet.” That gruff tone could only belong to Lennox, Anderic’s ever-present shadow. “But we found out that she started working in the palace last week in place of another maid who suddenly died. I suspect she had something to do with her death too.”

That’s new information I didn’t have from my past. Then again not much was released about the poisoning to the public. They even made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. Obviously, they didn’t want anyone to panic.

“Do we know any personal information about her apart from her name?” Anderic asked, a hint of frustration coloring his words, his usual calmness gone.

“No, we checked her address and it was a sham too. Her identity might be forged as well, I suspect.”

Oh, they were good. “She” had done a thorough job of covering their tracks. I almost felt a grudging admiration for their efficiency if I wasn’t at the receiving end of the poison.

“Find out whatever you can about her.” Anderic’s voice had taken on a hard edge, anger simmering just beneath the surface.

Silence fell, and for a moment, I thought they had left. But then Lennox spoke again, his voice uncharacteristically subdued. I could feel their gazes on me. “This lady Ilyana seems so different from the one I knew. I still can’t believe she took the poison herself. The dosage was lethal. If Her Highness had taken it…”

The voices faded away as darkness crept in once more. But this time, I fought against it. I needed answers, damn it. What changed this time? And did their opinion about me change? Was I free of suspicion? I don’t want to wake up to see Anderic look at me with suspicion again.

With monumental effort, I forced my eyes open. The world swam into focus, revealing an ornate ceiling adorned with intricate gold leaf patterns. Definitely not my chambers, then. The mattress beneath me was obscenely soft, softer than the one in my bed. The lavish royal bed-chamber swam into focus - all gilded moldings and plush fabrics that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. Not that that was saying much these days.

Where the hell was I?

I turned my head, wincing at the stabbing pain the movement caused. Anderic sat in a chair beside the bed, his golden curls disheveled and dark circles marring the skin beneath his eyes and the look in his eyes. He looked… terrifying. That lunatic! Was he angry at me? Did he think I poisoned his mother?

Oh God! Even almost dying didn’t convince him?

“You’re awake,” he said, relief evident in his voice. Relief? “How do you feel?”

I opened my mouth to prove my innocence, but all that came out was a pathetic croak. Anderic quickly reached for a glass of water on the bedside table, gently lifting my head to help me drink.

As the cool liquid soothed my parched throat, I couldn’t help but wonder, when had the infuriating prince become so… attentive? And more importantly, why did I find myself not entirely hating it?

“I didn’t do it,” I finally managed to choke out, my throat still raw as sandpaper.

Anderic’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Do what?”

But it didn’t matter what he said or how he looked - I was hell-bent on proving my innocence. He couldn’t accuse me again. Nope, not happening this time around.

“I didn’t poison Her Majesty,” I rasped, the words tumbling out in a desperate rush. “I swear I would never do such a thing. I’m not that evil. Please, you have to believe me.”

Realization dawned in those piercing blue eyes, quickly followed by a flash of anger that made my stomach clench.

“Ilyana-” he started, but I was too far gone to listen.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I insisted, my voice growing hysterical with each word. “Whatever you think happened, whatever whispers have reached your ears - it’s all a misunderstanding.”

I sat up straighter, ignoring Anderic’s outstretched arms as he tried to steady my tired aching body. My gaze locked onto Anderic’s, unflinching and determined. “I may have made mistakes in the past but I’m not that person anymore. I’ve changed. And I won’t repeat the same mistakes again.”

The words tumbled out, fueled by a desperate need to rewrite my story. This was my second chance, my opportunity to set things right. And I’d be damned if I let it slip through my fingers because of baseless accusations.

“I didn’t do it,” I repeated, my voice rising hysterically. “I didn’t, I didn’t, I-”

My treacherous body chose that moment to give out on me. Darkness crept in at the edges of my vision as exhaustion dragged me back toward oblivion. The last thing I heard before consciousness slipped away was Anderic’s quiet voice as he held me in his arms.

“I believe you.”

* * *

Consciousness crept back like a timid mouse - soft and hesitating. This time, there was no searing pain, just a bone-deep weariness that made even opening my eyes feel like an impossible task. My limbs felt leaden, refusing to obey even the simplest commands.

The bed beneath me was still impossibly soft - definitely not my own chambers then. Fragments of my earlier awakening drifted back: Anderic’s concerned face, my hysterical rambling, his quiet “I believe you.”

Had that actually happened? Or was it just another fever dream?

Voices drifted through the haze, and I strained to make them out through the fog in my mind.

“But the evidence so far points to Elenthar’s involvement.” Lennox’s gruff voice carried clearly across the room.

Elenthar? Did they connect the dots so soon?

“Are you sure?” Anderic’s voice held a note of skepticism I’d rarely heard before. “What would they gain from poisoning the Queen? It’ll only start another war. So soon after the last one… They still haven’t even financially recovered from the last one. King Maldover is also very old, I don’t think they would be so reckless.”

Their voices faded, and darkness pulled at me again. I fought against it, desperate to hear more.

“…succession war going on…” Lennox’s voice faded back in. “…Five of Maldover’s grandsons are vying for the throne. Prince Callum is especially ruthless.”

Prince Callum. The name sent a chill down my spine. He’d been one of my allies in my past life until he was not.

“…can’t rule out internal treachery…” Anderic’s voice drifted back. “Someone in our own court could be working with Elenthar.”

The conversation blurred again, my treacherous mind refusing to stay focused. When I managed to tune back in, Anderic’s voice had taken on a harder edge.

“Keep a close eye on Lady Ilyana and increase her protection. She might not have been the target but I don’t want to take any risk, especially with her. When she wakes, I want to know everything she does, everywhere she goes.”

My heart skipped a beat. Did he still not believe me?

“Do you suspect her?” Lennox voiced my thoughts, sounding surprised, and honestly, so was I.

“No.” The firmness in Anderic’s voice startled me. “But she knows more than she’s letting on. I need to know what she’s hiding. And I intend to find out.”

Well, wasn’t that just perfect? He believed I hadn’t tried to poison the Queen and wasn’t plotting something nefarious, but he still thought I was hiding something else. Which, to be fair, I was - but would he ever believe if I told the whole truth?

The voices faded again, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts. If I remember correctly, he hadn’t shown up in Eldoria yet.

My head spun with possibilities, each more concerning than the last.