Holy Power for a Villainess? - Chapter 02

Chapter 2

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I think I really did die.

And after dying, I transmigrated.

Into Roxina Tanzeric.

Roxina Tanzeric was the villainess of Please Don’t Pluck That Flower, known for her cruel personality.

She had originally been the Crown Prince’s fiancée, but after the heroine appeared, their engagement was broken off. Afterward, Roxina committed all sorts of vicious acts to torment the heroine.

And yet, when the Crown Prince insisted on marrying the heroine anyway, Roxina ultimately took her own life.

I had always thought Roxina became twisted because she was unloved—neglected by her father during her sickly childhood, ignored by her eldest brother, and constantly mistreated by the second.

But judging from the Duke’s attitude just now, that assumption didn’t seem wrong at all.

And more importantly—

Right now, I was that villainess.

At that moment, Heinox’s gaze shifted behind me.

“Father, you’ve returned.”

“Have you been well, Chedman?”

“Yes.”

‘Chedman?’

At the familiar name, I whipped my head around.

“Roxina?”

Golden hair like dripping honey and gentle green eyes.

The boy staring at me in surprise was—

‘Chedman Tanzeric!’

The eldest son of House Tanzeric. The one who had neglected Roxina.

“What do you think you’re doing to your brother?!”

While I pointed at Chedman in shock, a child’s angry voice shouted from the distance.

‘That kid is…’

The closer the child came, the more certain I became.

That brat with the terrible personality practically written across his face had to be Renzard Tanzeric—the younger brother who tormented Roxina until the very end.

“Put your hand down!”

Before I could react, Renzard slapped away the finger I still had pointed toward Chedman.

“Ah!”

The back of my small pale hand instantly turned red and swollen.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Clutching my hand, I glared at Renzard.

Renzard glared right back at me without backing down, and eventually Chedman stepped between us to stop the fight.

“F-Father is here, so let’s not do this…”

Even Chedman’s attempt to mediate couldn’t calm the situation.

Then a furious voice rang out:

“You’re no different from a beast.”

Slowly turning my head, I felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon me.

“Even the dogs outside this estate know their place.”

‘Ah…’

I was doomed.

This time he was genuinely angry.

“Father! That girl dared to point at Brother—!”

“Renzard Tanzeric.”

Still unable to read the atmosphere, Renzard tried tattling on me, but Heinox’s warning instantly shut him up.

Even so, his hateful glare toward me remained unchanged.

“Roxina Tanzeric. It seems you are the rude one.”

My legs nearly gave out.

The pressure in that single sentence made every hardship I’d endured in my twenty-seven years of life seem childish in comparison.

Unable to argue anymore, I lowered my head.

Then Heinox turned away, carrying with him the faint scent of blood.

As soon as he disappeared from sight, Renzard approached me again with a smug expression.

“Told you. You should’ve acted like you normally do.”

“Renzard.”

Chedman glanced at me apologetically before dragging Renzard back into the mansion.

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I began thinking seriously about my situation.

First of all, I was Roxina Tanzeric now.

Since I’d transmigrated into this body, I had no choice but to live as her.

Should I be happy about that or not?

House Tanzeric was the wealthiest family in the empire, so at least I wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore.

Judging by the luxurious lifestyle Roxina had in the novel, I probably wouldn’t have to worry about starving like before.

But considering how this family treated Roxina, I honestly wondered if it would be better to just run away to an orphanage instead.

I’d already lived like that once before, so maybe it’d even be easier the second time.

While I was lost in thought, the maid who had defended me earlier cautiously spoke up.

“Miss, are you alright?”

First, I needed to understand the situation better.

The maid—who had bravely stepped in for me despite her fear—looked utterly distressed, probably assuming my silence meant heartbreak.

“Um…?”

“Yes, Miss!”

“What’s your… name?”

“It’s Anne, Miss. Please speak more casually to me.”

‘Ah, right. Roxina is a duke’s daughter, so she probably spoke informally.’

Trying not to arouse suspicion, I awkwardly switched to casual speech.

“How long… have you worked here?”

“This is my fifth year, Miss.”

Five years.

That meant she likely knew most of the mansion’s internal affairs.

I decided I’d hear Anne out before deciding whether to stay or leave.

“How old am I?”

“You’ll turn four after your birthday passes.”

Then Anne had been here since before Roxina was born.

Which meant she probably knew about the Duchess.

In the novel, the Duchess had only been briefly mentioned as having died while giving birth to Roxina.

Wanting more information about this family, I asked carefully:

“Were my brothers and the Duke always that angry?”

“Well…”

Anne trailed off awkwardly.

She avoided my gaze, clearly worried about how I’d react.

“No… When I first entered the estate, the atmosphere was lively and cheerful.”

The only thing that had changed since then was that the Duchess died and Roxina was born.

The Duchess lost her life giving birth to Roxina.

Was that why the family rejected her?

“Ah…”

Anne’s expression alone was enough to confirm my suspicions.

Renzard’s hostility.

The way Heinox looked at me as if I were no more important than a pebble on the roadside.

They all thought Roxina was responsible for the Duchess’s death.

“It’s not your fault, Miss!”

When my expression darkened, Anne hurriedly tried to reassure me.

“The Duke just returned from the battlefield after four years, so he must simply be exhausted.”

I appreciated her effort, but I didn’t believe her.

If Heinox had truly just returned after years away, the mansion should have been celebrating his safe return.

If Roxina really was hated because of the Duchess’s death, then there wasn’t much I could do about it.

‘Maybe I really should leave.’

Looks like this life wouldn’t be luxurious after all.

Just as I was beginning to plan my escape, Anne suddenly blurted something out to comfort me.

“His Majesty plans to reward the Duke for his achievements by granting him territory in the East.”

“Territory?”

Seeing my interest, Anne excitedly continued.

“Yes! It’s said to be the Gaked Territory, famous for its peaceful climate. With this, House Tanzeric will own lands in all four directions of the empire—including the southern Vegit Territory known for its sea breeze and the northern Imelu Territory. Aren’t you happy too, Miss?”

Anne kept talking, worried by my silence.

But the truth was—

I couldn’t speak.

‘That’s insanely amazing…!’

House Tanzeric already ruled the western region.

And now, according to Anne, they’d gained eastern territory too.

I hadn’t fully realized how rich they were because the novel mostly just showed Roxina spending extravagantly, but now that I remembered the East was famous for its gemstones—

This family’s wealth had to be unimaginable.

That changed everything.

A grin slowly spread across my face.

Alright.

No matter what happens, I’m staying in this house.

“Miss… are you really alright?”

“Mm-hm. Totally alright. Super, super alright.”

Anne began worrying as I sat there smiling to myself without explanation.

Well, being mistreated was nothing new to me anyway.

If I was going to spend my life walking on eggshells no matter what, I might as well do it while swimming in money.

I was happily dreaming about my future when—

“Roxina Tanzeric!”

The door slammed open.

Renzard—who I’d assumed had already returned to his room—stormed inside shouting.

“We need to talk!”

“Ha…”

“M-Miss…”

Anne stood frozen between my annoyed expression and Renzard’s obvious anger.

Well, if I was really going to stay here, I’d have to get used to this eventually.

“Anne, leave.”

“Y-Yes!”

After hesitating briefly, Anne bowed lightly to Renzard and quickly exited the room.

I had told her to leave because the atmosphere was uncomfortable, but seeing her actually go so quickly somehow made me feel a little betrayed.

“Hey. Are you ignoring me?”

While I stared at the door Anne had closed behind her, Renzard’s expression grew even angrier.

“How dare someone like you ignore me?”

“Ha…”

The reason Renzard hated me was because he believed I caused our mother’s death.

That was sad, sure.

But if you really thought about it, it wasn’t entirely my fault, was it?

Besides, judging from how he verbally abused Roxina all the way until her death in the novel, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to crush that attitude while he was still young.

As I prepared myself to stand up to him—

“You should never have been born.”

‘Wow…’

Renzard’s insults were way harsher than I expected.

In the worst possible way.

Living in a mansion where everyone still mourned the Duchess, it was painfully obvious what kind of treatment Roxina must have endured.

“Hah! Looks like you finally understand your place.”

Because I remained silent—too busy pitying Roxina—Renzard mistook it as agreement and smirked proudly.

“Stay in your room. Don’t come wandering around like today.”

In the original story, Roxina was sickly as a child and unloved by her family.

That was all the information given.

Even though I knew almost nothing about Roxina’s past, one thing was certain:

The original Roxina probably endured those cruel words in silence.

“Hmph! Anyway, watch yourself!”

After saying whatever he wanted, Renzard stormed back out of the room.

I remained standing there alone, unable to say anything.

The thought of listening to that nonsense for years felt suffocating.

Maybe I should just endure until adulthood, take my inheritance, and run away?

But with a face identical to Heinox’s, hiding would probably be impossible.

Then first, I needed to fix the way Roxina was treated in this mansion.

Renzard and Chedman were still children, so maybe if I pushed back enough, things would gradually improve.

The real problem was Heinox.

If he was still consumed by rage over losing his wife, then he could throw me out of this estate at any moment.

Which meant my course of action was obvious.

I needed to gather every bit of knowledge I remembered from the original novel and prove my usefulness to Heinox.

Yeah.

Since things turned out this way, I’d cling to this family just long enough to secure my fortune and then leave proudly on my own terms.

I was going to become House Tanzeric’s parasite.