Latina: Becoming the Villainess of a Japanese Otome Game

Chapter 11.5: In the Prince's Eyes

Latina De Lacourt.

Something in her had changed since that day. She wasn't the same ditzy little girl that clung to me. I believd it was Jasper that told me that she may have been overly in-love with me. Her love deepened more into a chaotic level when it was rumored that our parents were arranging a marriage for us.

My worst nightmares had come through. I've known Latina for years, and I remember how cruel she can be. I remembered how she told off a servant that made a small mistake. In retaliation, she spilled tea on herself, and then cried out an appaling performance that got everyone believing her. They fired the servant and even sent him to prison for assault.

I had to intervene, saying that Latina was lying, and I managed to get the servant out of prison, but he still lost his job.

And that was just the first of the many evil deeds she had committed.

That day I was forced to visit her when my father was visiting he duke over some suspicious government stuff with La Roque. I was about to find out more about what they were talking about when Latina entered the room.

She insisted to show me around the garden. Under my father's orders, I reluctantly joined the walk.

Then the incident happen. She brought up marriage--that we were destined to be married.

And then she tried to kiss me!

I stepped back, she stumbled, grabbing me and insisted to hold her, but instead I dropped her into the pond.

She returned to the surface, and then I ran. She called my name, but I ignored her, still feeling quite repulsed.

...At that time, I had no clue that she couldn't swim.

I spent my time alone in the garden, and I was glad for the silence. Latina didn't come to pester me aymore.

When it felt like more than an hour had passed, I returned inside, and then her maid asked me where Latina was.

I told her we got separated, and I saw her last at the bridge.

Her maid let out a panicked cry and she ran to the garden. What? Why? I ran after her, wondering what made her so scared when I said that.

When we got there, we went on the bridge and Marie cried out of shock...

Latina was at the bottom of the large pond, unmoving...

I jumped right in and swam right to her. What have I done? Why didn't I go back? I didn't like her, but that didn't mean I wanted her to die.

The guards arrived and they helped me pull Latina out of the pond. We got her to the grass, trying to see if she could breathe.

This can't be happening! She still wasn't moving!

"What's going on here?!" My father demanded.

"Latina!!" Duke Leon called out and ran over to his daughter lying on the grass. He gathered her lifeless body in his arms and patted her face to wake her up. "Latina?!"

No, no, no!

"Son, what happened?" he asked me.

Shaking slightly, I turned to my father. "S... she fell into the pond..."

I wasn't lying.

"What do you mean? Weren't you with her?" My father questioned me.

"I..."

It's not my fault. It's not--!

Cough!! Cough!!

I whirled to see Latina coughing up the water and gasping for air before falling back to slumber. The Duke let out a sigh of relief and he carried his daughter back inside.