The Villainess Refuses to Follow the Script-Chapter 28

Queen Cecile was many things. Regal. Graceful. Sharp as a blade.

She was also, as Beatrice was now realizing, a woman with far too much free time.

Because why else would she summon Beatrice for an afternoon social visit?

Beatrice sat stiffly on the velvet chaise, watching as the queen delicately poured tea into an ornate porcelain cup. The royal parlor was as extravagant as expected. Gold-trimmed furniture, massive windows letting in soft sunlight, and fresh floral arrangements carefully placed around the room.

And across from Beatrice, Johanna sat with perfect poise, effortlessly composed.

Beatrice resisted the urge to groan.

Oh, this was going to be painful.

"You’ve been adjusting well to life at court, Lady Beatrice," Queen Cecile said smoothly, passing her a teacup. "Haven’t you?"

Beatrice accepted it with both hands, smiling as innocently as possible. "Oh, absolutely, Your Majesty. No struggles at all. I feel right at home."

The queen’s lips twitched, just slightly. "Is that so?"

Johanna glanced at Beatrice, her expression unreadable. She had a sinking suspicion that neither of them believed her.

Queen Cecile took a sip of her tea, studying her over the rim of her cup. "You were rather quiet at the last court gathering. That’s unlike you."

Beatrice smiled, placing her cup down. "Ah, yes. I’ve been working on personal growth. Very committed to the whole... self-improvement thing."

Johanna raised an eyebrow. The queen hummed, unconvinced.

Beatrice fought the urge to fidget. She knew exactly what this was. A test.

Queen Cecile had been keeping an eye on her ever since the selection. And now, without the nobles around, without her family breathing down her neck, the queen was taking this chance to observe her more closely.

Wonderful.

Beatrice adjusted her posture, pretending to be the perfect noblewoman. "I’m honored to be here, of course. It’s been a... delightful experience."

The queen smiled. "How lovely to hear."

That smile put Beatrice on high alert.

Johanna finally spoke, her voice gentle. "I must admit, Lady Beatrice, you’ve surprised me."

Beatrice tilted her head. "Oh?"

Johanna gave her a small, polite smile. "You seem... different these days."

Beatrice’s grip tightened slightly on her teacup.

Dangerous. This conversation was becoming dangerous.

She forced an easy chuckle. "Falling off a horse tends to be a humbling experience."

Johanna’s smile didn’t waver. "Perhaps."

Queen Cecile set her cup down with quiet precision.

"Change isn’t necessarily a bad thing," she mused. "After all, court is always evolving. Those who fail to adapt often struggle the most."

That felt like a warning.

Beatrice smiled, ignoring the way her stomach twisted. "Then I suppose I’ll just have to keep adapting."

Queen Cecile studied her for a long moment before finally inclining her head. "Yes. I suppose you will."

Beatrice took a careful sip of tea, forcing herself to stay calm. She was walking a thin line.

The queen had seen the old Beatrice. The reckless, power-hungry girl who schemed for the throne. And now? Now she was watching closely, waiting to see what kind of person Beatrice would become.

And Beatrice had no idea what answer she was supposed to give.

The conversation drifted to other topics, mostly idle court gossip, and Beatrice let Johanna take the lead, nodding along when appropriate.

But as the visit ended and she excused herself from the parlor, one thing was painfully clear.

She was still under watch. And Queen Cecile was waiting for her next move.

Beatrice left the royal parlor with a polite smile still plastered on her face, but the second she turned the corner, it dropped. She exhaled sharply, rubbing her temple.

That had felt less like a social visit and more like a performance review.

Queen Cecile had been testing her, no doubt about it. The woman didn’t waste time on idle conversation. Every word, every observation, had been carefully chosen. And Johanna? She hadn’t been hostile, but something about her demeanor made Beatrice uneasy.

Had she noticed something? Had Queen Cecile?

Beatrice shook off the thought. Overthinking wouldn’t help. She needed to distract herself.

Her first instinct was to find Lila, but that would be like walking straight into enemy territory. Lila barely tolerated her on a good day, and if Beatrice walked into her chambers uninvited, there was a nonzero chance she’d get a book thrown at her head.

That left Francois, which was an even worse option. She had spent too much time around him lately, and frankly, the way he kept watching her, like he was trying to solve a puzzle, was unnerving.

So, with her usual companions ruled out, Beatrice wandered aimlessly through the palace, unsure of what to do with herself.

A servant passed by, giving her a quick bow.

"My lady."

Beatrice hesitated. "Hey! Uh, excuse me. Do you know if there’s a library?"

The servant looked mildly startled but nodded. "Yes, my lady. The royal archives are down the eastern wing."

"Great! I’ll find my way there. Thanks."

The servant looked like he wanted to offer directions but thought better of it. Beatrice, fully confident in her (questionable) sense of direction, set off toward the eastern wing.

It took her three wrong turns, two empty hallways, and one near collision with a very alarmed maid. But eventually, she found the doors to the royal archives.

Beatrice pushed them open and immediately froze.

The library was massive. Tall shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, lined with thousands of books. Golden chandeliers cast a warm glow over the polished floors, and a few wide tables were scattered throughout the room, perfect for reading or studying.

It was... beautiful.

And most importantly, it was quiet.

Beatrice grinned. Oh, she was going to love it here.

She wandered through the aisles, trailing her fingers along the spines of old tomes, occasionally pulling out a book to glance at the title. History, politics, trade agreements, most of it was serious, heavy reading.

Then, toward the far end of the room, she found something unexpected.

Fiction.

Her breath caught slightly.

She had spent so much time thinking about the novel, the one she had fallen into, the one she was trying desperately not to mess up, but she hadn’t thought about reading for fun.

For the first time since arriving in this world, she felt a flicker of something familiar.

Excitement.

Books had always been her escape. Back in her old life, she had spent hours getting lost in stories, analyzing them, writing her own. Even now, with her life turned upside down, she could still do this.

Beatrice grabbed a book at random and found a seat near the window. She cracked open the cover, ready to immerse herself in a world that, for once, wasn’t her own.

And then— 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"What are you doing?"

Beatrice nearly dropped the book.

She turned sharply, only to find Francois standing there, arms crossed, looking entirely unimpressed.

Oh, for the love of—

She groaned, slumping into her chair. "Why are you everywhere?"

Francois raised an eyebrow. "I could ask you the same."

Beatrice waved a hand. "I was looking for something to do that didn’t involve court politics or people watching my every move like I’m about to steal the crown."

Francois tilted his head slightly. "And reading achieves that?"

"Yes." Beatrice held up the book. "It’s called escapism, Your Highness. You should try it sometime."

Francois just shook his head, walking past her toward one of the shelves. Beatrice watched him for a moment before smirking.

"You should read something fun for once," she said. "I’m sure there’s a book here about a very serious, brooding prince who learns how to smile."

Francois shot her a flat look. "I am going to ignore that."

Beatrice just smirked, flipping a page.

For the first time in days, she felt... calm.

And even if Francois was standing nearby, ruining the atmosphere, she decided this was officially her new favorite place in the palace.