The Villainess Refuses to Follow the Script-Chapter 56

The underground market was everything Beatrice had expected, and worse.

The moment they stepped through the hidden entrance, ducking past a heavy velvet curtain, they were hit with a wave of noise, scents, and flashing colors. Merchants called out their wares, some with the charm of seasoned salesmen, others with the desperation of those trying to offload something possibly stolen. The air was thick with incense, spices, and the occasional whiff of something less pleasant.

"Now this," Lila declared, spinning on her heel with a grin, "is what I call an adventure."

Beatrice adjusted the hood of her cloak, keeping her face angled slightly downward.

"Adventure or felony?"

Lila shrugged. "Depends on how the night goes."

Francois, dressed far too stiffly for their surroundings, kept a step behind them, his eyes scanning the market with suspicion.

"We shouldn’t linger too long. Places like these—"

"—are crawling with informants, thieves, and criminals," Lila finished for him, rolling her eyes. "Yes, yes, we know. That’s why we’re here."

"Relax, Your Highness. You might even have fun." Beatrice smirked.

Francois looked doubtful, but he didn’t argue.

The trio wove through the crowded stalls, pausing to inspect an assortment of oddities. A woman with silver-painted hands sold vials of memory mist, promising to either erase an unwanted thought or bring back a long-lost one.

Beatrice watched as Lila seriously considered a bottle before Francois dragged her away, muttering something about poisons.

Further down, a masked vendor demonstrated an enchanted mirror that whispered one’s deepest desires. Beatrice caught her own reflection as they passed, but the mirror remained silent. She quickened her step.

Then there were the food stalls. Lila, predictably, wanted to try everything. Beatrice watched in horror as she bit into something described as a firefruit, only to immediately start fanning her mouth while Francois handed her a water pouch with a long-suffering sigh.

"This is incredible," Lila gasped, once she had recovered. "You have to try something, Beatrice."

Beatrice raised an eyebrow at the skewered meat offered to her by a cheerful old man. It smelled delicious but also vaguely dangerous. She took a cautious bite.

...It was, unfortunately, very good.

As they continued through the market, the murmur of a gathering crowd drew their attention. A makeshift stage had been set up in the center of the square, draped in tattered red curtains. Small figures danced across the platform, jerking with exaggerated movements.

A puppet show.

"Oh, this is going to be good." Lila grinned.

Beatrice folded her arms as the puppeteer’s voice rang out, overly dramatic and theatrical.

"And lo, the wicked lady of the court emerged, draped in the shadows of her own deceit!"

A puppet bearing an unsettling resemblance to Beatrice flounced onto the stage, complete with an exaggerated sneer and a black cloak two sizes too large. The crowd murmured in amusement.

"Really?" Beatrice muttered. "The cloak is a bit much."

The puppet-Prince Francois appeared next, depicted as a wooden-headed fool, tripping over his own feet as he declared, "But surely, the lady is misunderstood!"

Lila was laughing too hard to breathe.

The show continued, painting Beatrice as a scheming villain, Francois as her unwitting pawn, and the virtuous heroine as the only one capable of restoring balance. The audience was eating it up.

Then the puppet-Beatrice threw her head back in a cartoonish cackle, shouting, "I will destroy them all! Especially that perfect, sweet Johanna!"

Beatrice twitched.

"That is absolutely slander," she muttered.

Francois, arms crossed, didn’t look amused either. "At least they got the part about you being terrifying correct."

Lila, wiping away tears of laughter, nudged Beatrice. "You should be flattered! Look at you, immortalized in the arts!"

"I am going to set fire to this stage." Beatrice shot her a flat look.

Lila wheezed, still grinning. "No, no, wait. I want to see how it ends."

The audience burst into laughter as the puppet-Beatrice flailed dramatically, her wooden curls bouncing wildly.

"I demand everything go my way, or I shall throw the most vile tantrum!" the tiny puppet screeched, kicking over a smaller puppet in a flowing white gown who collapsed in an exaggerated heap.

Lila snorted. "You have to admit, the dramatics are spot on."

"I do not throw tantrums." Beatrice crossed her arms.

Lily hummed. "Mmm. Not anymore."

Beatrice rolled her eyes before turning back her attention on the show. Puppet-Francois scowled deeply, crossing his tiny arms.

"Ah," Lily murmured. "Here comes the grand finale."

The wooden prince heaved a dramatic sigh. "Beatrice, you must change your ways!"

"Oh, but I cannot! I was born wicked!" Puppet-Beatrice clutched at her wooden chest.

The audience howled.

Lila was nearly doubled over. "I— I think I might cry."

"We are leaving." Beatrice let out a suffering groan.

She grabbed Lila by the wrist and pulled her away, still giggling behind her hand. The last thing Beatrice heard before they disappeared into the market crowd was puppet-Francois lamenting, "Alas, she will never learn!"

Predictably, the show concluded with the villainess being banished to the depths of despair.

Beatrice rubbed her temple. "That was an experience."

"Amazing," Lila corrected.

Francois was still frowning. "It means your reputation is worse than we thought."

Beatrice exhaled slowly. "It doesn’t matter. The court will believe what they want to believe."

"But you do care." Lila tilted her head, watching her carefully.

Beatrice didn’t answer.

Before the conversation could continue, a commotion stirred near the outer edges of the market. A group of cloaked figures moved swiftly through the crowd, their presence heavy with purpose.

Francois tensed immediately. "We need to go. Now."

Beatrice and Lila followed his gaze. The figures weren’t ordinary market-goers. There was something calculated in their movements, something that set off alarms in Beatrice’s mind.

And unfortunately, one of them had just turned in their direction.

Beatrice sighed. "Oh, wonderful. I was hoping the night wouldn’t end with us running for our lives."

Lila grinned, already grabbing her wrist. "Then you really should stop hoping for things." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

As the figures moved closer, the three of them slipped into the shadows, vanishing into the depths of the market before they could be seen.

Because, felony or not, this adventure was far from over.