A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

Far from the bustling free city and the royal kingdom, particularly within the domain of Princess Katheria Arinphiam, the atmosphere was markedly calmer than it had been two nights prior.

The serene views of surrounding farms contrasted with the grandeur of the palace, which gleamed under the sunlight as one of the luxury vehicles belonging to a prominent family glided smoothly through the gates of the territory.

As the car came to a halt, a woman stepped out, adorned in a blue dress with striking black lipstick and golden eyes that easily revealed her identity as a member of the Sersu family.

Her gaze fell upon the expansive palace of Princess Katheria, and she was soon met by the butler and several servants who awaited her arrival.

"Greetings, Lady Aecilia. The Princess is expecting you," the butler said, offering a respectful bow as he gestured for her to follow him toward the palace.

Aecilia trailed a few moments behind, her thoughts wandering.

*I definitely need a raise for this*, she mused while making her way to the palace.

As she took in the impressive architecture, she couldn't shake the feeling that her current task, her second in a short span, warranted some form of reward.

It didn't help that there had been a slight rift between herself and the princess, primarily due to Aecilia's initial reluctance to engage in conversation.

The formality of their meeting felt somewhat awkward.

As they passed through the palace gates and entered the corridor, they eventually arrived at the guest room.

Two servants bowed in greeting as the door to the room slid open.

Aecilia's eyes landed on the center of the room, where a woman with golden blonde hair and striking yellow eyes sat comfortably, cradling a cup of tea.

The princess wore a luxurious robe, which contrasted with the formal attire Aecilia had chosen for the meeting.

"Greetings, Princess," Aecilia said, forgoing a bow as she stepped into the room and settled into a nearby chair.

The princess kept her eyes closed, seemingly focused on her tea, uninterested in the customary formalities.

"I shouldn't have worn this dress either," Aecilia attempted to lighten the mood with a poor attempt at humor, noting the princess's discomfort during their encounter.

Aecilia herself wasn't a fan of the formal attire that was expected of her in a royal setting, but she had done so out of respect for the occasion.

"What brings Miss Aecilia here today?" the princess finally inquired.

Her tone suggested she was more curious than engaged, as if she were probing the reason behind this unexpected meeting.

The Sersu family historically maintained neutrality with members of the royal clan, and given the strained relations, it was unusual for Aecilia to take the initiative to arrange a meeting with her.

But after the announcement of the Marquess's engagement to the princess, Aecilia had begun to show a newfound interest in the royal family, though the princess knew it was merely a formality.

But the question remained: what prompted this rare breaking of traditional values, encouraging the Sersu family to support her?

After all, Princess Katheria was a member of the Arinphiam Royal Family, which had earned an unfavorable reputation among the Sersu clan over the years.

"Direct to the point, aren't you, Princess?" Aecilia replied, clearly agitated by the lack of niceties.

The princess's disinterest made the conversation feel stilted, yet they both understood the necessity of finding common ground.

Aecilia continued, "Whatever the case, I have a message from the Marquess, that's all."

"...." At this, the princess opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Aecilia, narrowing them as confusion washed over her.

Why had the Marquess sent this woman to convey a message instead of coming himself, as he had done the last time?

She was still processing his last exchange of words, and now another message had arrived via Aecilia.

It was puzzling how the Marquess appeared to have closer connections with women like Aecilia and Margaret than with her, his soon-to-be wife.

"So, tell those two to leave the room," Aecilia stated firmly, her expression hardening as she noticed a flicker of surprise in Katheria's eyes.

Her yellow pupils widened ever so slightly.

The princess seemed startled, just enough for Aecilia to sense that she had caught her off guard.

"I don't understand what you mean," Katheria replied, narrowing her gaze.

She lowered the cup she had been holding, her fingers tracing its handle while her eyes remained fixed on Aecilia.

The intensity of Aecilia's words clearly took her by surprise.

"Princess, you should stop using that invisible shield on your—"

CLANK!

Aecilia had just begun to speak the words Evendia had instructed her to deliver when, without warning, two swords came slicing toward her face.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Reacting swiftly, she raised a fork to deflect the strikes.

Although her physical strength allowed her to absorb much of the force with the utensil, it ultimately shattered under the pressure.

In a split second, she kicked the table, sending her chair toppling backward as she avoided the deadly blades that whizzed through the air.

THUD.

"Haah, what a hassle this is," Aecilia muttered, her head hitting the floor—not painfully, as she had tucked herself into a roll.

Now she lay on her back, looking up at the ceiling.

Above her, the two flaming swords hovered ominously, accompanied by two figures clad in black-and-white cloaks, standing as cloaked assassins on either side of her.

In that moment, Aecilia realized the gravity of her task; she had become a scapegoat, merely a pawn in this dangerous game.

With a decisive tilt of her body, she positioned her hands on the floor and executed a backflip, propelling herself upward and away from the fallen chair.

In mid-air, she caught a glimpse of Katheria, whose cold gaze was fixed upon her, while a protective seal formed between them and the Empyreals—an unmistakable sign that Katheria did not wish to harm Aecilia, but rather sought to protect her.

"Phew, I must thank the princess for saving me," Aecilia said as she landed gracefully.

She stood up, her staff in hand, and turned to face Katheria.

She noticed the princess tapping her fingers on the desk, her eyes darting between Aecilia and the broken fork on the floor.

'Is she even human?' Katheria couldn't help but wonder, observing how Aecilia had instinctively triggered a response from her bodyguards with her previous words.

Katheria reflected on her own inability to conjure a protective shield in time, a delay that could have resulted in injury for Aecilia.

It was remarkable to witness how Aecilia parried the attack with a mere fork and evaded the swords, affording Katheria the necessary time to summon her shield.

All of this led Katheria to question Aecilia's humanity.

Could anyone truly possess such speed to dodge the strikes of two seasoned Empyreals, trained for combat and able to deliver lethal attacks?

However, Katheria also acknowledged that there were several factors at play.

One was that the two Empyreals were not attacking with lethal intent; their actions were merely reflexive, aimed at protecting the princess.

Additionally, Katheria's shield had inadvertently delayed the movements of the Empyreals, creating the illusion that Aecilia's speed was superior to theirs.

"But attacking me could complicate things for you, princess, so leash these dogs of yours," Aecilia said, her hand lowering as she tore the lower part of her dress to give her legs enough space to move.

She needed to be prepared in advance, unlike the last time when these idiots had suddenly attacked her, not even considering that she was a noblewoman, particularly from the fire of the Sertsul family.

Most likely, in retaliation, the princess would have to face severe consequences for her actions.

Though it didn't matter; it was clear from their behavior.

At the same time, it made Aecilia think about how crucial this information was for these people to not even consider attacking her.

It wasn't surprising, considering that the princess being an Empyreal in itself was valuable information regarding her life, providing a proper reason for why these two bodyguards attacked Aecilia.

"....." Standing there, while gripping the source, both of them parallel, looking towards Aecilia, hearing her taunt.

Though they were composed, they could clearly sense that right now, the attack they had executed and the way she dodged it were not human, making them, for a moment, doubt if this woman was really just like them.

Yet again, the method of the creation of Empyreals was highly secured under the royal family.

There were doubts, but at the same time, they couldn't do anything, given their loyalty towards the princess, prohibiting them from thinking anything else.