I, The Villainess, Will Seduce All The Heroines Instead
Chapter 64: Penelope’s Debut Birthday (1)

Chapter 64: Penelope’s Debut Birthday (1)

Well, not that it mattered anymore.

If this ridiculous romance novel had taught her anything, it was that she might be a mess, but she refused to become that kind of mess.

She wasn’t about to be like Beatrice, who couldn’t pick a single guy and accidentally built a love pentagon.

Verena would own it. Like a villainess with a plan.

"Whatever, it was dumb to ask you anyway," she huffed, flouncing away to return the practice sword to the sides.

"Dumb?" Raphael scoffed, brushing dirt off his shirt as he stood up. "That’s a stretch. Anyway. Where’s my future reading, Madame Fateweaver?"

"What’s your question, oh mighty idiot?"

"Fine. Do I... end up dying for love?"

Verena didn’t answer right away. She tilted her head, eyes narrowing like she was consulting a constellation only she could see.

Then she said, far too casually, "No. Even worse."

"Worse?"

"You’ll hurt the woman you love."

The mood dropped.

Raphael opened his mouth, maybe to protest or joke, but Verena had already turned on her heel. In the end, he chose to stay silent.

"Why are her words always so heavy?..."

Verena arrived at her dorm to find Sera already asleep, the room quiet and calm.

But as she stepped inside, her eyes caught a glimmer of something on the floor.

Leaning down, she picked up a thick, well-made envelope that had an unmistakable royal seal.

The seal was a golden phoenix with outstretched wings, encircled by a crown and a wreath of laurels - a symbol of the Imperial Family’s power and authority.

Curious, Verena broke the seal and opened the envelope.

Inside was an elegant card, thick and embossed with gold. She unfolded it, revealing the handwritten message.

=====

The Imperial Family extends an invitation to you:

You are cordially invited to the 18th birthday celebration of Princess Penelope.

Your presence would be most welcomed as we celebrate this momentous occasion in the grand hall of the Imperial Palace.

Date: The 17th of SeptemberTime: 7 PM, Royal BallroomDress Code: Formal Royal Attire

Please RSVP at your earliest convenience.

=====

Tomorrow was September 17th—Saturday.

How convenient.

The day when everything hit the fan.

The day the major conflict kicked off, thanks to none other than Norvan. He’d broken the cast of events so spectacularly that tensions skyrocketed.

Evelyn was humiliated beyond belief, unlocking some of her hidden powers in the process. Meanwhile, Raphael stood there unable to do a thing.

And, of course, it was also the day Raphael was once again forced into an engagement, but this time with Penelope.

Verena smirked, glancing at the invitation in her hand. She could only guess she was invited because she used to be Raphael’s fiancée.

Well, this should be interesting.

[SYSTEM ALERT]

[WARNING: Evelyn has been abducted.]

[The current status is critical.]

[Failure to intervene may result in irreversible consequences to the storyline.]

[Location: The Imperial Palace]

"Wait, what?!"

This wasn’t in the novel at all.

The course of events was shifting drastically.

Could it be... that Penelope saw her as a threat and decided to humiliate her?

But then why abduct Evelyn? That didn’t add up.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

[The princess is orchestrating a scheme to implicate you in Evelyn’s abduction.]

Two birds, one stone.

So that was it. Penelope was planning to take out both Evelyn and her.

"This is Norvan’s doing, isn’t it?" Verena snarled as she crumpled the paper in her hand. "Nice try, jerk. Not happening this time."

She might not be the most powerful just yet, but she had put in her fair share of training. Faith wasn’t going to shove her aside that easily, she will have a few tricks up her sleeve.

[Event Alert: Elimination Event Activated.]

[True Villainess Arc Begins.]

[Objective: Release Evelyn and humiliate Penelope back. On the other hand, deal with Norvan.]

[Failure to comply will trigger consequences.]

[Time: 30 Hours]

As dawn broke, Verena stepped into the waiting carriage, its polished black exterior gleaming in the morning light.

The ride up to The Celestial Heights was smooth, the rhythmic clatter of hooves echoing in the quiet streets as the city slowly stirred to life.

As they ascended, the view shifted, Astralis’ bustling lower districts giving way to the majestic towers of the Heights, their marble gleaming against the sky.

The carriage swerved through winding, narrow streets, each turn growing steeper, until it finally crested the hill and reached the imposing wrought-iron gates of her estate, towering over the city below.

"Welcome back, my lady," the butler greeted, offering a bow as he helped Verena out of the carriage.

Standing at the entrance was her mother, Orasia, her presence as imposing as ever.

"Ah, greetings, my child," Orasia said smoothly, her tone casual, though her eyes studied Verena closely. "I trust you’ve been behaving yourself?"

The question was asked so nonchalantly, as if the idea of her daughter being anything other than well-behaved was laughable.

Orasia hadn’t even fully grasped the shock of Verena becoming a Conduitor, let alone one of the Thirteenth Zodiac.

"I suppose you could say that," Verena replied.

"Good," Orasia said with a small nod. "Come, we’ll get a dress ready for you. It’s been too long since you’ve had something fit for royalty."

As Verena stepped into the estate, she couldn’t shake the feeling of distance, like a stranger returning home after too long.

It had only been two weeks since she left for the academy, yet everything felt different now.

"Welcome back, my lady!" The maids greeted her in unison, bowing as she passed.

Their cheerfulness was almost too much to bear, especially considering the original Verena’s history with them.

In her bedroom, a swarm of maids fussed around her, eagerly presenting dress after dress, their excitement palpable.

It was strange to see them so animated after the way the previous Verena had treated them.

"My lady, how about this one?" one maid asked, holding up a dress in shades of blue.

"No! This one!" Verena snapped, pointing at another gown.

She sighed inwardly. If anything, she needed a sword, not a wardrobe.

Finally, she glanced into the mirror and caught her reflection.

The beauty staring back at her was undeniable.

No wonder they were so eager to dress her up.

Anyone would be excited to style someone this beautiful.

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