The Villainess Refuses to Follow the Script-Chapter 32

The air felt heavier after Beatrice left the solar.

Francois’ words still lingered in her mind, echoing with an unsettling weight. I expect you to be prepared.

Beatrice exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "Nope. Not thinking about that right now."

She had bigger problems. Like how to navigate the rest of her day without spiraling into anxiety.

The halls of the palace were as pristine and elegant as ever, with servants moving in perfect rhythm. If anyone else knew about the growing tension at court, they weren’t showing it. Beatrice, however, had to resist the urge to scream into the nearest embroidered cushion.

She needed a distraction. Preferably one that didn’t involve political scheming, assassination plots, or Francois staring at her like she was an unsolvable puzzle.

Fortunately, the universe answered her silent plea.

"Lady Beatrice!"

She turned just in time to see Johanna approaching, her usual gentle expression in place. But something was... off.

Beatrice had been paying closer attention lately, and she noticed it now more than ever. The slight hesitation in Johanna’s steps, the way her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She was nervous.

Beatrice raised an eyebrow. "Lady Johanna. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Johanna smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "I was hoping to speak with you. If you have a moment?"

Beatrice considered pretending she was very busy with royal obligations, which would be a blatant lie. But Johanna had never sought her out like this before.

Curiosity won out.

"Sure," Beatrice said. "Lead the way."

Johanna led them through the halls, eventually stopping in one of the smaller palace courtyards. It was a quiet, enclosed space, filled with neatly trimmed hedges and blooming roses. A place for private conversations.

Beatrice sat on the edge of a stone bench, tilting her head. "Alright, Johanna. What’s on your mind?"

Johanna hesitated before sitting beside her. "I wanted to apologize."

Beatrice blinked. "For what?"

Johanna clasped her hands in her lap. "The riding accident. I’ve been meaning to say something for days, but I... I didn’t know how to approach it."

Beatrice frowned. "You already apologized, didn’t you?"

"Not properly," Johanna said, looking down. "I know it was an accident, but I still feel responsible. If I had been more careful—"

Beatrice cut her off with a wave of her hand. " Lady Johanna. You’re not responsible for the fact that I have the balance of a drunken goose, and that the horse I had mounted was easily startled."

Johanna blinked in surprise. "A... what?"

Beatrice sighed. "Never mind. The point is, it wasn’t a big deal."

Johanna still looked uncertain. "You could have been seriously injured."

Beatrice huffed, leaning back on her hands. "Yeah, well, I wasn’t. Trust me, I’ve had worse."

Johanna glanced at her, something flickering in her expression. "Have you?"

Beatrice hesitated.

Had she?

She could barely remember now. Her memories as Bea Elisha Park felt hazy at times, slipping between the cracks of her new life. But she did remember one thing, her past life had been difficult in its own way. Maybe not in the dramatic, life-threatening manner of the novel, but still exhausting.

But Johanna didn’t need to know that.

Beatrice shrugged. "Let’s just say I’m tougher than I look."

Johanna studied her for a moment before nodding. "I see."

Silence settled between them.

It wasn’t the awkward kind. More like an understanding, a pause filled with unspoken thoughts.

For the first time since arriving in this world, Beatrice found herself looking at Johanna not as the heroine. Not as the flawless, untouchable protagonist she had read about, but as a person.

One who, for some reason, was actually trying to make things right.

It was unsettling.

Before Beatrice could dwell on it, Johanna shifted slightly.

"There’s something else."

Beatrice arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Johanna hesitated. "I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but things at court have been... tense lately."

Beatrice barely held back a snort. "Oh, no, I hadn’t noticed at all. It’s not like people are whispering in the halls or sending cryptic letters or preparing for an impending war."

"So you do know."

Beatrice tilted her head. "You don’t seem surprised."

"I would be foolish to underestimate you." Johanna gave a small smile.

Beatrice blinked. That... was actually a compliment.

Weird.

Johanna continued, voice softer now. "The kingdom is changing. And I don’t think any of us know what’s coming next."

Beatrice exhaled slowly. "Yeah. No kidding."

Johanna hesitated, as if debating whether to say something else.

Then, finally, she said, "I just hope that when the time comes, we’ll be on the same side."

Beatrice stilled.

Johanna didn’t wait for a response. She simply stood, smoothing out her skirts.

"Thank you for your time, Lady Beatrice. I won’t keep you any longer."

Beatrice watched her go, still processing the conversation.

The same side?

That had never been a possibility in the novel. Beatrice had always been the villain, the antagonist, the one standing in opposition to Johanna.

But now?

Now, the story was breaking apart, unraveling piece by piece.

Beatrice exhaled, rubbing her temples.

"Great," she muttered to herself. "Now I have another thing to overthink."

She wasn’t sure what was changing.

She just knew that whatever it was... it wasn’t going to stop.