A Third-Rate Villain Tries Her Best Today 182

Chapter 182: Sue Byron Chiqmefriar’s Story

Acrea led Sue to the empty terrace. They stood by the railing, silently enjoying the view of the garden for a while.

“Master Acrea, happy birthday.”

“Thank you, Byron.”

“….”

“….”

Sue, snapping out of her daze, broke the silence, her voice steady.

“Master Acrea, to be honest… I don’t know.”

“…I see.”

Acrea’s voice was weak, knowing what she was talking about. But Sue wasn’t finished yet. A faint smile appeared on her face.

“But… when I was living with you in Patroclus, it was… very enjoyable and… warm.”

“…Huh?”

Before Acrea could even ask, she tightened her grip on the railing. She forced a smile, repeating the words she had said before.

“Master Acrea, did you know? You’re blessed by God, unlike me, so you are loved, you can be loved, you will be loved, and you will definitely fall in love with someone.”

“….”

She closed her eyes slowly. She had said those words for him back then, but it was different now.

“You’ve fallen in love with someone, Master Acrea.”

She had never imagined it would be her.

“Byron, I…”

“I told you, you can do more than I can.”

The silver necklace around Sue’s neck swayed in the breeze, as if mocking Acrea.

“I’m leaving this capital, this country, in a few days.”

*So you can probably guess what I’m going to say, right?*

“Master Acrea, do you want to… take a leap of faith?”

***

Sue stood naked in front of the mirror. The two snakes were gone from her waist. Every morning, she would look in the mirror and check her clean, unblemished body, then check again, unable to believe it.

The curse had been completely lifted from Sue Byron’s body. It was something she repeated every day, but it still felt unreal.

But she couldn’t spend all day staring at the mirror, so Sue got dressed and boarded the carriage. Her destination today was the home of the person who had broken her curse. In other words, she was heading for Apricot Tea Forest.

Sue hadn’t been able to graduate from the academy. She had been dragged to the Student Tribunal for the second time in history, and there was no way she could receive a proper diploma with the infamous title of “daughter of an accomplice family involved in the Lopetrefer family’s human experimentation.”

She had initially wanted to graduate, after all the hardship she had endured for three years. But now, she didn’t care as much.

“Sue, you’ve worked hard. Our contract ends today.”

“Jean, thank you.”

“You said it would take three years, but you ended up finding the high priest and the curse caster for me. I guess I should return half the money I received.”

“Do you want to return it?”

“Hahaha, just kidding.”

On the last day she visited the workshop, Jean welcomed her as usual. He had broken the curse last fall, but he hadn’t stopped her from coming to the workshop.

And there was a new member of the workshop, Michaela Lopetrefer. The high priest was taking care of the not-yet-three-year-old Michaela like a nanny.

Interestingly, the high priest, who had become useless after the curse was completely deciphered, was constantly looking at Jean nervously. Because Jean had broken the curse on the high priest as well while he was breaking Sue’s curse, so he was now a penniless, powerless man.

Every time Jean glanced at him, he would hug Michaela and hide behind Rem, determined not to be kicked out. Not that Jean seemed to be trying to kick him out.

“You’ve worked hard too.”

Sue said her final goodbye to the high priest, who was feeding Michaela a bottle and glaring at her.

She had thought that would be her last visit to Apricot Tea Forest.

But a week later, a letter arrived at her townhouse, addressed to “Sue Byron Chiqmefriar,” from “Jean Emilia.”

He said he had something he wanted to give her and asked if she could come to the workshop.

Sue, having never received such a letter before, was suspicious, but she went to Apricot Tea Forest anyway.

But when she arrived, she realized that she had been completely fooled by Jean.

The barrier around Jean’s workshop was gone. She went to the clearing in the forest where she had first found the workshop. The remnants of the workshop, released from the barrier, were piled up like a haphazard tower.

Sue frantically searched through the debris, but there was no one there. Jean, the high priest, Michaela, they were all gone, as if they were just a dream.

She looked around, her heart sinking, and saw Rem grazing near the stable.

At first, she thought it was a hallucination and ran towards Rem, but she immediately realized it was real when he growled and glared at her.

Sue finally realized what Jean had meant by “something he wanted to give her.” She looked at the letter and then at Rem, and a chuckle escaped her lips.

Sue climbed onto the crumbling remains of the workshop and looked up at the sky. The spring breeze blew.

It was graduation.

***

It was past midnight.

Acrea, unable to sleep, was sitting in the garden gazebo. He kept picking up his empty teacup and putting it down, his leg bouncing restlessly.

The servants attending him kept lamenting, “You can’t do that, Young Master… You can’t do that…”

“Just…” Acrea mumbled to himself.

At that moment,

“Woo, you’re not actually thinking of going, are you?”

“…Brother.”

Reeves, who had been watching him from his bedroom, came out with a bright smile and sat down across from him.

“Don’t do as you please. You have to help me.”

The affectionate face issues a rather cruel order.

“You said it yourself. That you’d marry as I tell you to, without ruining my plans. So do it. That’s what you said.”

“……..”

Acrea tightly gripped the handle of the teacup.

“I’m not a kind big sister like Yuna. I can’t tell you to live as you want.”

At that moment, the image of Sue Byron boldly thrusting her fist forward rose like a mirage in his mind.

“So don’t do it, Woo.”

With a rush. As if daring him to stake his life on it.

***

At the capital’s gate.

The damp smell of dawn mixed with the chill air, creating a sour taste. Ten, who disliked the sour scent, grimaced, while Nine, who loved the fresh morning air, was in a good mood.

Ten and Nine, the two personal maids of Sue Byron, stood at the same place as their former mistress.

“Be careful on your journey.”

Immediately after the verdict, Sue had released all her servants except for Ten and Nine. It was a gesture of goodwill, allowing them to find new jobs as soon as possible, as they would soon be unemployed.

However, Ten and Nine were different.

“My service to the Lady is over, so I’m thinking of going back to Dande where I used to live.”

“I’m going back to my hometown in the south.”

They had lived with Sue for over 10 years, and although they weren’t particularly loyal, they didn’t feel like finding a new master.

Of course, 90% of the feelings they had left for Sue were hatred. The humiliation and wounds they had received from her for over 10 years would forever remain in their hearts.

Still, they had decided to leave the capital because that remaining 10%, a residue of some other feeling, lingered within them.

“I’m going to farm with my father when I get back to my hometown. Hehe.”

“I’m thinking of becoming a baker…”

The faces of Ten and Nine were those of people who had been freed from all their burdens and regrets.

“Miss, let’s meet again someday, if fate allows it.”

Blessings of the Empire.

Sue, who had seen them off at the gate, stood there for a long time, her feet rooted to the spot. The sun began to rise in the crimson dawn sky.

She patted Rem, who seemed indifferent to her, to pass the time.

But the person she was waiting for didn’t come, even as the sun fully rose in the sky. Sue finally gave up and stood up. She wanted to leave while there were fewer people.

‘Idiot.’

He wasn’t coming.

As she was about to turn and leave, leading Rem by the reins,

“Sue.”

She knew the owner of the voice that awkwardly called out her name.

A gentle voice that brought a sense of peace.

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

This is where the story of Sue Byron Chiqmefriar begins.