The Villainess Won't Die

IT'S FUNNY TO SEE THIS JERK ACTING AS IF HE HADN'T HEARD A WORD. My dad must have been fooled, but not me. I remember very damn well that he has heightened senses just like the both of us. He probably stayed back there this long to hear us talking.

"Thank you, sir Rogers! Let's see. It's kind of big because dad is way taller than me. But I'm very tall for my age, so I can make it work," I held in my hands with all the care in the world. I'm not going to be a bitch, carrying it carelessly when I pretty damn much know how much my dad values this. "And damn, it's gorgeous," both dad and sir Rogers nodded, agreeing with me.

It was lilac with gold. The colors of our house.

"Not only gorgeous but also strong," the Knight said, taking it from my hand. "It's one of the best bows ever made in the Caspien Empire. The same goes for the arrows," he said, lively. By his excitement, he must love weapons. Or, he's just loving being in the position of talking with me like this. "Once they are magically made, the user can drown the arrows and the bow fusing with their magic," is he trying to pick a fight with me? In front of MY DAD? "Which makes the power attack even stronger than it already is without the magic," sir Rogers explained, way too excited.

"Natasha doesn't have magic, sir Rogers!" dad added, clearly bothered. And the Knight's face got paler, making me giggle lightly.

Then I turned to him. "Let him speak, dad. Everyone here knows my condition. It's not a secret. He's just explaining what this weapon can do and how. I like hearing it anyway," dad rolled his eyes, sighing. But Sir Rogers gulped, obviously uncomfortable.

He must have thought I didn't see his true intentions. What a dumbass. Who does he think he's speaking with? Of course, I knew he had done that purposely. I'm not that dense or stupid to not notice it when even dad did. And you must have seen that sometimes dad's dumb as a rock.

Damn... I suddenly remembered that the jewels should be ready today. I'll have to speak with Ash after I'm done here. And it would be good to send him there with Kate. That way, none of them will be around when the archer comes, so I'll be able to speak with him alone, to try to see what is he up to.

Or precisely, what is the Imperial Crown Prince Joshua Caspien up to, "Were you daydreaming, Tasha?" Dad asked, and I stared at his face, a male mirror of my own.

Of course, I am. What else would I be doing?

"Nope. Not daydreaming. I was just thinking that if I still had my magic, I would be able to use it to make iced arrows and freeze my prey's heart. It would be awesome," they look at me as if I were a crazy girl spouting nonsense, which's funny. Dad seemed annoyed by my words. Well, I guess he's about to scold me for it. Something dad always did when I used to mention me having magic. It would make things even weirder if he didn't say anything.

"Haven't we already talked about this, Tasha?" I love to be correct. I just don't appreciate the matters I'm right about. "Didn't we tell you that you never had magic powers? Moreover, this is the result of a mental disorder caused by you, to try swallowing the sad truth about your magicless condition?" Bullshit and more bullshit. Come on, Dad, stop it.

You're making a fool of yourself here. For the Goddess-damned sake, what a clown. "You are such a knows-all, dad. If you say so, it must be the truth, right?" This time I made sure that he noticed the sarcasm in my tone. "Anyways, I loved the bow and the arrows. Can I already take it with me?" They looked so uncomfortable that I had to hold my laughter.

After some time, dad finally agreed, and Sir Rogers gave me the weapon again. "Be careful! They're precious to me!" Dad said, and I nodded. Knowing it already.

In my past life, he made this sure a thousand times. So much that I believe I'll never be able to forget it.

"You're talking to me, dad. Not Dalilah! I always take good care of everything I have in my hands. Even if it's just temporary," he laughed slightly and nodded again. "Then you can go!"

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"Thank you, daddy!" He nodded. "Thank you, Sir Clive Rogers. See you later, daddy." Kissing dad's cheek and waving a hand to Sir Rogers, with my temporary weapon in my hands, I left the weaponry. For gods' sake, I'm such an ass kisser, pfft.

Heading towards Moondust, I mounted her again. After putting some distance between me and where dad was, I headed towards the woods, craving some practice with one of my favorite weapons again.

In my first life, I was the best in swordsmanship. But also, archery and using daggers. Not one was in pair with me, and probably that's why I was able to accomplish what Dalilah wanted in such an easy way. This means that I have a lot of experience with it.

But I need to be sure that my body can handle what I know. I have to see if this body will be able to control my skills. Or, at least, some of them. Once I clearly am not as strong as I used to be before because I came back as a twelve-year-old girl and not in my gold twenties.

When I was sure that no one had followed me, I entered the heart of the woods. Got off of Moondust and started preparing myself to hunt a dear or another animal. It's been a while since I last did this. I missed this feeling of adrenaline. Silently like a cat, I went forward.

Paying total attention to the slightest sounds in the forest. Then I heard something on the tree above me. Probably a snake. And just the thought of seeing such an animal spread goosebumps down my spine.

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I fucking hate snakes! It's not fear. No, no... it's pure hatred towards the animal that represents my sister's soul. And not only because of that. When I was a kid, around the time my magic was stolen, I got bitten by one. It was one of the most dreadful moments of my damn life, and I almost died.

My memories of it are hazy, but someone saved me, sucking the venom out of my wound. Though I don't remember who did it, I'll always be thankful for that.

Back to the monster in the trees above me, I tried my best to focus and not freak out. I've killed a snake before. I can do this. I just need to imagine it as if it were any other animal, right?

I didn't move my legs. Not even an inch. I knew that shit was some meters above me, so I breathed deeply and soundlessly. Preparing an arrow in my bow. My hatred flowed through my veins like it was part of my blood.

Some instants passed, and I heard the horrible sounds of the snake becoming slightly far from me as if that piece of shit was preparing to attack, just like the ocean does before a freaking tsunami. My heart was beating like a damn drum inside my chest. And there was cold sweat rolling down my forehead.

After holding my breath for some instants, I turned my head towards the fucking snake, with my arrow ready. Then I let it go. All in a blink of an eye.

My arrow found its head, and seconds after it reached its target, it was on the ground. That was when I realized how big that bitch was. Seriously. When my eyes landed on it, I couldn't even hold my scream in my throat.

With an enormous dark green head in heart shape, big blood-red eyes, and a body with almost three meters of extension. THREE fucking meters. The ugliest shit I've ever seen.

Then all of a sudden, it started to become iced-blue from the head until the end of its tail. And I only understood what just happened when I looked at my arrow on its head, which was frozen, which means the snake was too. "I must be fucking hallucinating, right?" This time, my voice came out shaken.