Chapter 53: The trial of the villainess (part 1)

The next day, I came to Shael’s room as usual. But I found Shael glaring at me, for no reason at all.

Well, I guess there might be a reason, considering what happened yesterday.

First of all, I asked Shael with an embarrassed face, “Why are you doing that?”

“Are you pretending that you don’t know?”

I went silent. 

Certainly, it was true that I went a bit too far yesterday. I ordered Shael, who had no choice but to obey my words due to the effect of that strange tree sap, to say some strange words which I recorded in the serpent orb.

But I was confident that it wasn’t me who was the one at fault. It was Shael who attempted to make me drink that strange sap first, and it wasn’t like I forced her to drink it.

“Now, return the serpent orb.”

“I don’t want to.”

Shael didn’t give up easily despite my rejection. Well, it was natural, considering that her dark history was recorded there.

Therefore, I decided to launch a counter attack!

“Come to think of it, I remember why you tried to make me drink the Obedience Tree Sap.”

“…”

“You said you did it because you wanted to know if I liked you.”

Shael went silent for a moment. I mean, I would have shut up in shame as well if I was in her shoes. 

Then Shael broke the silence, “Because of the alcohol, I don’t remember what happened yesterday.”

That must be a lie. Just a moment ago, she had been glaring at me and demanding that I return the serpent orb.

“I don’t even know anything about this Obedience Tree Sap you mentioned just now.”

Shael was acting as if she had forgotten about even the Obedience Tree Sap she was trying to make me drink.

That must be a lie too. 

Her face stiffened and her eyes avoided my gaze. Shael habit of telling lies was showing on her face. This time, that habit became more prominent.

“You don’t remember anything except the wine you drank.”

Shael nodded her head.

It was honestly a bit pathetic, considering that her acting was not good enough. So I decided to torment Shael to the fullest.

“Did you know that when you get drunk, you tell your true feelings?”

“Why are you saying that all of a sudden?”

I sent her a teasing glance and said, “You begged me not to cheat on you.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Still, Shael continued with her bad acting. 

Such an act made me laugh under my breath. Still, I continued my attack while barely holding back my laughter, “Then do you remember what you said after that?”

“…”

Shael shook her head. 

Another lie? Then prepare for the next attack! 

This time, I wanted to completely destroy the villainess’s bad acting with solid evidence!

[I like you.]

[I love you.]

It was Shael’s voice which originated from the serpent orb. At that, Shael made a puzzled expression again.

She was acting as if she really couldn’t remember. She showed an amazing acting skill that was different from just before.

“No way, are you going to deny even this?”

“There is no way I would say something like that. Please give return the serpent orb to me.”

She was acting shameless even in front of solid evidence! 

I was astounded by the level of shamelessness she could reach.

Now, even I began to wonder if she had really forgot.

***

[Shael’s POV]

The day after drinking alcohol with Eran.

Shael sat up on her bed while clutching her throbbing head.

‘Something happened yesterday…’

She drank with Eran, and she also remembered that she did it to make Eran drink the Obedience Tree Sap.

‘And what did I do after that…’

[So, drink it quickly.]

She handed over the Obedience Tree Sap to Eran. Eran received it. And if everything went according to her plan he would have drank it.

‘Of course that didn’t happen.’ Shael was convinced of that, and began to mull over the events that followed after. But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t remember anything.

Shael got up from her bed and started looking for the serpent orb. After feeding Eran the Obedience Tree Sap, she wanted to record all of Eran’s words with the serpent orb.

However, the serpent orb were nowhere to be seen!

“Ah!”

It was then that a memory popped into Shael’s mind. 

In that memory she was handing the serpent orb to Eran.

She must have fallen for Eran’s ticks after getting drunk and had the serpent orb taken away.

If she had been successful in making Eran drink the Obedience Tree Sap, she would have been able to get it back, but that would be impossible. 

Because Shael at that time was drunk and not in a normal state of mind.