Chapter 5: No Villainess more worthy of her title III

Entering the house, Serena did not see Leonard immediately. She assumed that he must be in his room, proofreading or editing some aspiring novelist's work. Again, that was something she was grateful to Emily for.

To ensure that Leonard would have no time to wallow in depressing thoughts, Emily found ways to make him busy. She found him work which he could do that can earn money for the upkeep of their current residence. It was not much, but at the very least, it could alleviate some of his worries.

Serena can recall how Leonard was at first. Though he would never say or show it plainly, there was sadness and shame in his eyes that he could not hide. It was not strange given his situation.

He used to be a healthy heir to the richest dukedom, the brother of the crown princess, and the vice minister of finance. His future seemed limitless. But now, he was a handicapped person who can not stand on his own, he sat on an empty title without a penny to his name, he can only receive charity from his girlfriend, he has no prospect in the future, and worse, he could not even properly take care of himself.

In truth, in this world, Serena felt guiltiest towards Leonard. Leonard was the one who always supported her. When he found out about her and Charlton when they were younger, though angry, he still supported her for she told him she truly loves Charlton. When she shifted gears towards Geoffrey, he still supported her, and their family became the biggest supporter of the crown prince.

Then, when everything was falling apart for her, she had an affair with Charlton while married to Geoffrey. Leonard tried to stop her, but she did not listen. In the end, Leonard could do nothing about it.

When Charlton did what he did, the first person to come to her rescue wanting to protect her, was also her brother. And then after everything was said and done, he was still by her side.

But look at him now… Maybe if she just followed the script of the original novel, maybe if she just listened to him when he told her to stop, none of this would have happened. Geoffrey and Charlton, they both betrayed her at some point. But Leonard, her dear brother Leonard, he was so good to her, but what happened to him? His suffering was all caused by her damned choices.

That was why there are times when it was difficult for Serena to look at Leonard in the eyes. She felt guilty, and sometimes she wonders, does he blame her? For the situation they were in now, for what happened to him, for everything… it must have at least passed his mind at least once. Yet, he never said those words. He never said that he blamed her. He never pointed his finger at her to tell her that she's the cause of their downfall.

Serena felt moisture in her eyes with the thoughts. She took a deep breath before walking to the dining area and placing the apples gently on the table. After, she quietly made her way upstairs towards her bedroom.

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Serena's bedroom was of reasonable size. It contained a vanity, her closet, a queen-sized bed, a study table, and her own bathroom. Really, Emily made sure that there was nothing to nitpick about the shelter she provided. The female lead is truly the female lead indeed. Perhaps the only good outcome out of all she ever did was that Emily fell in love with her brother Leonard.

She used to scoff at Emily, but after everything was said and done, their real characters shone through. Emily was loyal, understanding, and when she falls in love, she will truly stick to that person's side through thick and thin. Though it's hard to say that she will forever be with her brother, but after all she did to this point, whatever her choice in the future may be, no one could ever blame her.

Anyhow, Serena began removing the layers of clothes covering her all over. She first removed the sunglasses covering her eyes, then the cloth wrapped around her head. the gloves, and the loose long dress until her normal daily clothes were what was left.

She took a deep breath. Finally, air.

She looked at the time, it was already half past four. She has about 2 hours to prepare for dinner. As per daily schedule, Emily will be visiting by then. She visits almost daily. From Monday to Friday, it was during dinner. Then, on weekends, it's either she will be there the whole day, or she would bring an automobile at night when no one would be out on the streets and take them out on a trip to some private area for a change of scenery.

Serena walked to her vanity to fix her appearance. She sat on the stool, and for a minute, she took the time to examine herself. 

Even though nine years have passed since she transmigrated, the face staring at herself was still the same. Despite all she has been through, the only minute change was that her features now have some maturity.

Deep set eyes the color of the sea, radiant hair with the shimmering brilliance of gold, lush cupid's bow lips, and rosy-white skin. Truly, it was a beauty anyone would covet. Even now despite the ugliness of her situation and everything she had been through, the only thing left to her was this beauty. What great use was of it now?

Serena heaved a deep sigh as she brushed her hair. There were times when she thought of using her beauty somewhere to get out of their predicament. However, she was also not delusional. The nobility was a cruel bunch. Beauty, brain, whatever, well, at the end of the day, the end question would always be 'what can you bring to the table?'

In any case, she shook her head to stop her musings. The time was not young anymore. So, putting her brush aside, she went downstairs to prepare for dinner.

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TBC