The Abandoned Villainess Decides to Take It All Chapter 27

Chapter 27

What’s going to happen to me now…

Margaret squeezed her eyes shut.

There was no doubt she would be punished severely.

…Haah.

Elias released a long, weary sigh.

“……The lady has requested authority over your punishment. She wishes to keep you at her side.”

“…Pardon? M–me?”

Margaret blinked.

She had been fully prepared to hear the words execution.

“The lady said she doesn’t want any loss to His Highness’s forces.”

“…!”

“So go and thank her for sparing your life.”

Elias looked away.

If Lillian Tillard hadn’t intervened—

Margaret wouldn’t have even left behind a corpse.

Controllers tended to harbor convenient illusions about their lord.

That His Highness smiled, so he must be kind.
That the First Empress’s tragic death had softened him.

None of that was true.

Utility and uselessness.

Those were the only metrics Ebren Tarandia recognized.

Outward virtue, inward cruelty—none of it mattered to him.

If someone failed, he erased them.

And yet—

Now he was questioning, observing, and trying to understand a single woman.

Margaret, who had failed to grasp what that meant and acted on her own pride, was simply… pitiful.

Late at night.

Margaret’s footsteps toward Lillian’s quarters felt unbearably heavy.

“What brings you here?”

“Lady Lillian… thank you for sparing my life.”

“……”

“And… I’m truly sorry.”

Margaret held her breath.

Lillian, who had been facing the window, turned halfway.

Her voice was gentle—quiet as the night air.

“I think it’s natural to feel that way, Margaret.”

“…Pardon?”

“When you’re loyal to someone, there are moments when you believe you have to step forward. Even if it means casting yourself as the villain.”

Margaret clenched her fists.

That wasn’t an excuse.

It was exactly what she’d done.

She had served this household since childhood.
Worked harder than anyone to become a dependable controller.

So she’d believed it was dangerous to trust a woman from an enemy house.

“…That’s why I understand.”

“…!”

Tears welled up in Margaret’s eyes.

Even if it means choosing to be the villain.

Those words struck painfully deep.

How could someone she’d dismissed as useless be this precise?

Maybe—

Maybe Lillian Tillard had been the one sacrificing herself all along.

“But does an apology end it there?” Lillian asked.

“…Huh?”

“If I accept an apology and move on, all I gain is a future where my hypothetical future in-law bullies me and I quietly endure it. Is that how this works?”

“…Pardon?”

“Margaret. Margaret. My dear Margaret.”

Lillian stepped closer, smiling brightly—beautiful enough to be frightening.

“If you’re really sorry, why don’t you start with a plank position?”

“…WHAT?!”

The night sky was beautiful when viewed from the floor.

It moved slightly up and down—but remained distant and steady.

As expected of the chief controller.

Margaret’s stamina was impressive.

Holding a plank while supporting Lillian’s weight on her back was no easy feat.

“I’ve been thinking, Margaret.”

“Yes—yes, ma’am!”

The reply came from below, strained and desperate.

“I became His Highness’s controller. I can’t just follow him around controlling him all day. I wanted to contribute.”

“Yes—yes!”

“And then you twisted my intentions rather thoroughly. That hurt, you know. I may not look it, but I’m delicate.”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“And then I thought some more.”

“W–why… do you have so many thoughts…?”

“I always think, Margaret. Therefore, I exist.”

She worked harder than anyone here just to survive.

“Margaret. Your hips are dropping.”

“Ugh—!”

“That’s enough. You’ve admired the sky long enough.”

Lillian stepped off.

Margaret collapsed face-first onto the stone floor, dignity abandoned.

“So?” Lillian asked calmly.
“How are you going to treat me from now on?”

“I—I will serve you with absolute sincerity!”

“Oh my. That sounds like I terrorize people for fun. That’s not it, is it?”

“…N–No! I want to serve you!”

“Good.”

Lillian smiled.

“And the people under you?”

“They’ll follow me—and serve you the same way.”

If they valued their lives, they would.

There was no grand moral reason for her mercy.

If the succession struggle turned violent, force would be required.

If the worst happened—

there would be war.

Until then, it was better to keep capable minds alive.

People had value as long as they lived.

As long as they didn’t throw others away.

Afterward, the atmosphere around Lillian changed.

The gossip vanished.

Thanks to having an excellent attendant.

“Margaret. My sketches.”

“Yes, my lady!”

“Your angle’s wrong. You’re handing the pencil like a novice.”

“My apologies! I’ll correct it!”

“Let’s do it right the first time.”

“Yes!”

Margaret behaved more like a knight’s squire than a maid.

With her acting this way, even those who once opposed Lillian fell into line.

Some even began approaching cautiously.

“Lady… you haven’t been in the field much, have you?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then how did you create the butterfly afterimages earlier?”

“That’s from Tillard training.”

“…!”

“I organized those records myself.”

Ramio had dumped the training journals on her.

‘Kuern said he needed this urgently.’
‘You’re so fussy. Do it yourself if you care.’

Thanks to that, even as the so-called “useless” one, she’d memorized countermeasures others ignored.

I wondered when I’d ever use this knowledge.

Turns out, nothing is truly useless.

Even dog shit can become medicine if you know how to apply it.

The controllers’ expressions soured.

“…You handled that too, my lady?”

“Yes.”

“But… that’s usually subordinate work…”

“I did it anyway.”

“……”

No one argued.

They followed her now—voluntarily.

I’ve gained a voice.

As the villain’s exclusive controller, she could push through quite a lot.

Still—

If the succession truly ignited,

people would be hurt.

If there were no benefits, some would flee.

So this level of trust—
just enough for exchange—was perfect.

A few hours later, Jeanne came running, breathless.

“My lady! The relic for checking compatibility is ready to activate!”