The Villainous Noblewoman Is About to Be Forced into Love, Isn’t This Wrong?

Some passersby were initially curious about which little noble princess had come shopping, but the moment they saw it was Liana, they all turned away in unison and quickly left.

It seemed her infamy was well-earned.

"Lady Liana, where should we go?"

"Mm…" Liana was still thinking when she suddenly heard a familiar voice. The words sounded strangely recognizable as well.

"Is this a place someone like you should be?!"

"Let’s go take a look," Liana said as she stepped forward toward the clothing shop.

"Welcome, esteemed guests…" The store clerk hesitated awkwardly.

She had no idea what had sparked this sudden conflict, but rather than a heated argument, it seemed more like a one-sided attack.

"Do you belong in a place like this? A mere commoner?" A maid sneered as she berated Loraville.

The maid was none other than Sharido—the one who had escorted Loraville to Liana’s room the previous day.

Now, she stood with her head held high, brimming with confidence. She was no longer a lowly servant—she had made it.

Sharido had always been the boastful type, and this was the perfect opportunity to flaunt her status. The person in front of her was nothing more than a powerless commoner.

Even if she hadn’t latched onto Viscount Ent, Loraville was still beneath her.

"Apologies, esteemed guest, but we have no such rules here," the store clerk stepped in. "We welcome anyone to browse, even if they don’t make a purchase."

"Do you know who I am?" Sharido suddenly said. "I am Liana’s personal maid."

The store clerk’s expression stiffened. It was clear she had heard of Liana’s reputation.

Seeing the clerk’s reaction, Sharido was quite satisfied. "I won’t make things difficult for you. After all, I know for a fact that you aren’t qualified to attend that ball. The invitation you received? It passed through my hands."

"So don’t think you’re anything special. You’re just an ordinary girl, struggling to get by. You can’t even afford to shop here."

Liana’s notorious reputation had already spread far and wide, and the store clerk now understood that Loraville was another one of her victims. "It’s alright. Even if you don’t buy anything, you’re still welcome to browse."

"Shut up! Are you defying Lady Liana’s orders?" Sharido snapped. "Don’t forget, you only sell your wares in Venus territory because we allow you to. That privilege belongs to us!"

The store clerk fell silent. She pitied Loraville, but not enough to risk her job.

"I’m only following Lady Liana’s orders. I was told to come here and buy clothes," Loraville said, presenting the Venus family crest.

But Sharido snatched it away instantly. "If I recall correctly, the dress you’re wearing belongs to Lady Liana—it’s her favorite."

"How bold of you. First, you steal Lady Liana’s clothes, and now you dare to flaunt the Venus family crest? That’s a serious crime. Just being thrown in prison would be considered a light punishment!"

Sharido didn’t care about the truth. She had backing now, and more importantly, this was Countess Ruth’s order. Liana was nothing more than a powerless figurehead.

"I see… so that’s how it is." Loraville let her arms drop.

So that’s why she was given this crest.

So that’s why she was told to come here.

So that’s why Liana just so happened to appear at this moment.

What an interesting scheme, Liana.

Loraville felt nothing but despair toward this world. She was just a toy.

Sharido reached out, intending to tear the dress off Loraville and humiliate her in front of everyone.

Since everything would end up like this anyway, then…

Nabet had seen enough. She was about to step in when she realized Liana had already moved.

Slap!

A crisp sound echoed through the boutique.

Sharido’s cheek burned, while Liana’s hand throbbed in pain.

Maybe she had struck too hard. Or maybe this body was just too fragile.

Liana extended her arm and pulled Loraville into her embrace.

"I believe I’ve made myself clear," Liana said, her icy gaze fixed on Sharido. "Loraville belongs to me. What exactly were you planning to do to her?"

Sharido was utterly stunned.

She had served Liana for a year now. Liana had never once struck her—not even when she should have. In fact, she had always seemed… obedient.

"Liana, I was just punishing a thief!"

"A thief? And what exactly was stolen?" Liana said coolly. "The dress? I gave it to her. The crest? I gave that to her too. I was the one who sent her here to buy clothes."

"So tell me, do I now need your permission to make decisions? Who do you think you are? Do you bear the name Venus?"@@novelbin@@

"That’s not what I meant!" Sharido faltered. "It’s just that, as your maid, I wasn’t informed about this. Even Countess Ruth didn’t mention—"

"That doesn’t matter," Liana cut in. "As of today, you are no longer my maid. I have only one maid now, and that is Loraville."

Sharido’s face twisted. "Have you even told Countess Ruth about this?" She was banking on Liana’s fear of the Countess to intimidate her.

But things were different now.

She had dared to bully Loraville in front of her. This was a golden opportunity to gain favor.

Besides, Liana had never liked Sharido in the first place. Even if she ignored the strategic benefit, she still would have acted.

"There’s no need to tell her anything," Liana said. "For the past year, I’ve tolerated you out of respect for Countess Ruth. I turned a blind eye to what you did."

"But yesterday, I ordered you to bring Loraville to my room to rest, and what did you do? You failed to prepare appropriate clothing for her and even tore apart the dress she had been wearing."

"And now this? You think being my maid means you have the right to speak on my behalf? I saw everything you did just now."

Sharido’s expression darkened. So Liana was truly serious about this girl.

She had just been used as a stepping stone for Liana to score some favor points.

But it didn’t matter.

Once, she might have cared about the prestige of being a noble’s maid. But now, she was about to become a noble herself.

"What a coincidence," Sharido sneered. "I already left the Venus household this morning."