When the Guide Stopped Playing a Villainess, the Obsession Began - Chapter 2
Although Lea had committed countless wrongs against Calix, the greatest of them all was, without a doubt, that day.
Even if her mother’s orders and pressure had been involved, it should never have happened.
The vile act she carried out to blemish Calix, Crown Prince of the Cantabrian Empire, had been simple enough to come from the mind of a young Lea, but it was also fatal.
Pouring boiling tea over his face was one of the things she came to deeply regret even after becoming an adult.
Every time she saw Calix wearing a mask that always covered the right side of his face, her heart throbbed with guilt.
Shrinking back from that guilt, she only tormented him more, but of course he came to despise and loathe her.
But why had she returned to that day?
Ah, perhaps the heavens were granting her one wish before death.
Lea looked at the table full of ornate desserts and then noticed the attendant moving on her command.
That palace servant, assigned to her by her mother, was the one who would take the fall for today’s incident and be forced to leave the palace.
Of course, the servant would be given enough gold from her mother to last a lifetime, even unto death.
Even knowing this was just a fleeting moment before death, she didn’t want to repeat the same mistake.
Even if it wasn’t reality, she wanted at least a shred of comfort.
After confirming that Calix was sitting across from her, watching her, Lea suddenly stood up. The palace servant was already right next to him, ready to pour the hot water.
Panicking, Lea rushed around the table and hastily shoved the servant aside. In doing so, she lost her balance and fell.
Even as the teapot shattered with a sharp crash and scalding hot water spilled across her shoulder, Lea didn’t let out a single scream.
It hurt terribly, but she felt at peace. Perhaps she even felt a strange thrill at being able to feel the pain he must have endured.
“Sister?”
Just like in the past, Calix called her ‘Sister’.
Despite sharing not a single drop of blood—not even the same species—he had followed her with innocent eyes, calling her ‘Sister’.
That affection soon dried up as the torment continued, and the one who had always coldly and heartlessly cast him aside was none other than Lea herself.
“Lady Haisley!”
At the loud voice of the attending servant, the rest of the palace attendants—waiting for this moment—rushed into the drawing room.
“Kyaa! Lady Haisley!”
The vision was so vivid it felt real, and Lea only blinked slowly.
She had endured far worse when she was tortured, so being doused in hot water wasn’t enough to faze her.
Instead, she was focused on the dreamlike nature of the current moment.
Still collapsed on the floor, Lea looked up at Calix, who was now in the form of a boy staring down at her.
He was looking down at her with wide eyes filled with shock.
“Ugh.”
Her left shoulder throbbed with a pain that defied description. Even dulled by suffering, the burning pain made her unwittingly groan.
At that, the surrounding attendants called out noisily for the court physician.
Amid the clamor, Lea let out a soft exclamation.
Was this really just a memory? How could it be so vivid?
“Sister? Why on earth…?”
Amusingly, even his voice felt so full of life that Lea was struck by a foolish thought.
It felt as though she had truly returned to the past.
Calix’s suspicious question jolted her back to her senses.
It was only natural for him to be confused, since she had suddenly lunged at the servant.
But more than that, there was something she wanted to correct.
“Don’t call me ‘Sister’.”
She couldn’t bear to hear him call her that ever again.
In the past, she had nitpicked and imposed over every little thing, just to feel superior to him.
Even the title ‘Sister’ was one of those petty things.
The very thought that she, a royal with not a drop of shared blood, had expected to be called ‘Sister’ was ridiculous.
The thought alone made her laugh bitterly at herself, but the silence around her made her stop.
Everyone was looking at her strangely, their gazes pricking her skin.
Something was wrong.
Was this really just a dream she was seeing after death?
How could it feel so real?
At first, she had simply felt relieved at the thought of being able to undo a mistake she regretted…
But now, something about the atmosphere seemed off.
“This way, quickly!”
Amid the noisy voices, Lea’s body was suddenly lifted.
“My apologies, Lady Haisley. We’ll escort you to your room immediately.”
A palace knight with a familiar face picked her up.
And just like that, Calix disappeared from her view.
