106: The Villainess Delights in Tea Time (4)
Lately, Avril had been reading a lot of mystery novels in which villainesses played active roles, so reciting those lines were no trouble for her.
Avril made a display of reaching for a small tart in front of the confused former duke. Then, she deliberately brought it to her mouth in the same manner Corinna would have. Its sweet and sour strawberry fragrance exploded in her mouth.
As expected of a tart baked by the chef of the Duke of Lancester…!
As she was chewing, she noticed that some eyes were on her, those of the former duke, Chris, and Grace.
…However, even Dylan, who always caught on to her villainess pretense and provide follow-up, was staring at her for some reason.
What’s the matter?
…Does Lord Dylan want to eat one?
Convinced that might be the case, Avril was about to reach for another tart, only to be stopped by Dylan.
“I prefer this one.”
“—!?”
Avril gasped.
After all, Dylan had just bitten into Avril’s half-eaten tart.
That’s rude… No, wait, I’m a bad girl, so it doesn’t matter—wait, that’s not it!
The original goal was to be seen as a seductive yet arrogant villainess who enjoyed tea on top of a gentleman’s lap. Nevertheless, Dylan’s reaction had thrown her for a loop.
As he munched on the tart, she realized how close his face was. Although his expression was calm, she could sense that he was being mischievous.
What do I do…?
Avril took a second bite, then Dylan took another, and before she knew it, only a small piece remained of the tart.
…What should I do with the last bite?
Avril stared at the tart in her hand.
I’m sure Corinna, the bad girl, would eat anything a gentleman has put his mouth on…!
While she was experiencing some kind of culture shock, Dylan stared at her in amusement. Rather than looking at an evil woman, his gaze resembled one given to children or animals.
Come to think of it, the other day, when I was about to chase after Lady Teresa, didn’t he treat me like a child? He fully believed I was going to jump out of the window… Even though that wasn’t my unintentional.
In order to remove myself of this stigma, I have no choice but to eat this…!
Just as she was about to make up her mind and bring the tart to her mouth, Dylan held her wrist once again.
“!?”
Dylan ate the remaining bite straight from her hand. Surprised, she stared at him in disbelief as he nibbled on the leftover cream in her hand, eliciting a laugh from him.
“Don’t we usually eat like this?”
—!? I can’t. Lord Dylan… Is too immersed in this performance…!
Or rather, she didn’t think he was even acting anymore.
Avril’s mind blanked as she was left staring, failing to notice that Dylan was playing with her.
“I-is it always like this? You? Who rejected every marriage proposal and treated woman like they were nuisances?”
The voice of the former duke, who sounded full of doubt, reached her ears. Just as Avril was about to panic, Chris, who’d been watching, stepped in to help.
“This is how Lady Avril always spends her tea time.”
“Indeed. Just as Chris said, Lord Dylan makes for a perfect chair.”
This will definitely boost my persuasiveness!
When Avril agreed with Chris’ follow-up, which was akin to a blessing from Heaven, the former duke became even more stupefied.
“C-chair?”
“He’s extremely comfortable to sit on.”
“…Pfft—”
For some reason, Dylan started sputtering.
Am I being too vague? What if the former duke presumes I was referring to the taste of pastries rather than the comfort of the seat?
As she momentarily regretted her mistake, Grace, who was watching from the corner of the room, came to her aid.
“When Lady Avril has tea, she’ll become upset if she runs out of sweets and tea. Once that happens, cups and plates fly.”
“! P-precisely. You see, even if the other party is a maid, I won’t hold back. Lord Dylan is both my chair and toy…”
“Toy…”
Even though Avril was talking to the former duke, for some reason, Dylan was the one who reacted. However, in the next moment, Dylan quickly reverted to his usual expression, worried he might have misspoken.
“No, you’re right. I’m completely at Avril’s mercy.”
Hearing those kind words, Avril grasped Dylan’s shoulder.
Lord Dylan, thank you for going along with me as I pretend to be a villainess…
“I can’t relate to the former duke who surrounds himself with his concubines. To me, a gentleman who can’t devote himself to a single woman is still immature—both as a person and a man.”
“Avril is right. Besides, your annex is poorly managed and has become a hotbed for crime. Shame on you.”
When Dylan severely criticized the former duke with those ruthless words, the latter… could only gape.
“…I-I see?”
After the perplexed former duke left the salon, Avril apologized to Dylan.
“Lord Dylan, forgive me for sitting on your lap earlier…!”
“It’s all right. It was fun. To prove that, I did something I wouldn’t normally do with Avril, right?”
Avril nodded sheepishly, remembering that the two of them shared a tart.
“That’s right. You were so excited that I got confused.” (Avril)
“Our exchange might have appeared trivial to others, but to me, it was meaningful.” (Dylan)
“Really? Our performance was?” (Avril)
What on earth does that mean?
She couldn’t understand what he meant, so she tilted her head to the side, and Dylan burst out laughing.
“That man, who refers to his mistresses with strange honorifics, turned into a complete buffoon by the hands of Avril. I realized how hopeless I was. I was so childish and foolish for refusing to talk to him.”
Lord Dylan has been avoiding the topic of the former duke for a long time. It was probably due to complicated circumstances and his feelings for his mother… Maybe this was the trigger for him to take a new step forward. I’m delighted at having been able to witness that moment.
Thinking of that, Avril took Dylan’s hand.
“…By the way, I won’t be returning to the townhouse in the royal capital just yet. The former duke judged that I was a fine villainess, so I’ll continue to assist Lord Dylan in this territory.”
“…Understood. Avril, I’m counting on you.”
Smiling wryly, Dylan gently caressed Avril’s hair. As she smiled in return, Grace went to re-brew the tea for the two.
Calm tea after a stormy visit during the busy time spent in the territory.
The two were enjoying their momentary sweet time.
Did you like what you read? Was it the worst thing ever? Tell us, please. Let the world know how you feel~