The Villainess’ Beloved Plan: The Struggles to Avoid a Doomed End - Chapter 93

　As soon as the train started moving with a whistle, Randall opened the window shutters. In the distance, the tops of the mountains were covered in white snow.

The first-class cabin was kept warm with a fireplace, but the cold air was coming in through the window panes so Sophia pulled her stole over her shoulders. In an instant she wiped the white, cloudy glass of the window with her palm and looked up at the setting sun. The journey to the royal capital takes half a day and requires an overnight stay on the train. The first-class cabins had fluffy bunks, but they are bunked up and down, and it was a little embarrassing to think of spending the night in the same room as Randall.

　On board the Queen Amiliana when returning from Verhund, Randall gave Sophia his only large king-size bed, and he slept on the sofa. he seemed to have remembered Sophia refusing to share her bed on the ship. . Therefore, this was the first time they slept in the same room, as Sophia had slept in her bedroom and Randall in another room. Moreover, even though it was a first-class cabin, the train room was small.

She wondered what Randall, who was silent with a dark expression on his face was thinking. Because he was worried about Kyle’s case and naturally there was little conversation between them.

‘… I seem to be the only one embarrassed.’

Randall would not think anything of it even if Sophia was sleeping next to him, because he was so angry at her for refusing to sleep in the same bed with him on the ship.

‘we are a married couple… but that’s not the same as this’

Speaking of which, Randall said they would be the “Proper Couple” In other words, will they eventually have a day where they sleep in the same bed?

Sophia, who had inadvertently imagined sleeping with Randall in the same bed, turned bright red and slumped down.

It was inappropriate to have this kind of thoughts at a time like this, but the heat that had gathered in her face did not go down easily.

She didn’t know what Randall meant when he said “I think we’re going to be the Proper couple’, but if he said it with that sort of thing in mind, it’s a bit troubling. Because Sophia’s heart was about to burst.

“What’s wrong, do you have a fever?”

Randall asked worriedly, probably because Sophia was red-faced. He reached out and touched Sophia’s forehead and looked into her face.

“You don’t seem to have a fever, are you unwell? Maybe you got drunk from the train jolts.”

Glastona’s trains were fuelled by coal. The tracks were not as well laid out as the trains and bullet trains of Sophia’s previous life, so they are fairly bumpy. However, Sophia, who is not prone to motion sickness, does not get drunk from this degree of shaking.

“It’s okay, I’m fine.”

Sophia blushed even more when he looked into her face at close range.

She was a little sad when Randall was been cold to her, but she didn’t know what to do when he was suddenly being nice to her. In the game, the moment he becomes sweet, people cheered!, but in the real world she felt embarrassed when he was just a little bit nice to her. Sophia may have a romantic two-dimensional constitution. In the real world, Randall was too cool.

“Are you cold? Can I get you something hot to drink?”

Randall opened the door to the room and asked the chambermaid outside for a drink. When the hot milk tea arrived, Sophia droped a sugar cube into her teacup and stired it, glancing up at Randall. He was still looking at her with concern. There was no way she could say she was embarrassed at the thought of sleeping in the same bed, so Sophia slowly drank her milk tea.

Randall finally seemed relieved when Sophia repeatedly told him she was okay.

“There still some time before dinner, you can lie down for a bit. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to eat.”

Dinner was to be brought to the room. It would be another couple of hours before it was brought in.

“Okay.”

If she stayed awake, she might start imagining unnecessary things again. Besides, she might get too nervous to sleep tonight, so she might as well take a nap now. Sophia headed towards her bunk, which was partitioned off by a thick curtain. The curtains opened to reveal a bunk bed at the back of a small space.

　Sophia layed down on the lower bunk bed. It was spacious enough, soft and comfortable. But even with her eyes closed, she couldn’t seem to fall asleep. When she calmed down a little, she became worried about Kyle again, and that’s all she could think about.

　Randall said that Kyle was likely to be imprisoned somewhere after his conviction. He said In Glastona, high-ranking nobles were not put in jail. So  he shouldn’t be shivering in the dungeons of the castle in this freezing season, but she was still worried that he might have been treated badly in his place of imprisonment. The lack of details in the newspaper article made her even more anxious. Where was Kyle imprisoned now? Will she be able to see him? What can Sophia do for him?

‘Randall said it would be okay, so it must be okay.’

But Randall’s words about being “set up” bothered her. If Kyle was set up by someone, who was it? How many people in Glastona could trick the Duke of Levord’s legitimate son, who is related to the royal family?

Is it Kyle… a political enemy of the Duke of Levord, or… Who was it?

‘Is it someone who wants to kill me?’

Sophia may have underestimated her position as the villainess in The Snow of Glastona. She thought that as long as she changed the beginning of the game, she would not face a doomed end.

But is it possible that as a result of changing the original storyline of the game, forces other than the storyline began to work to bring Sophia to her doom, and Kyle was caught in the middle of it.

Sophia was horrified.

If she had struggled to make herself happy, and her dear friend had suffered so badly because of it…

Her heart made a sickening thumping sound.

What if it got people she cared about got involved, and it would continue to do so in the future? After Kyle, it could be Randall, it could be Orion. It could even be the King, Johannes or Isolte.

Sophia covered her face with her hands.

　In the corner of her head, there was a part that said she shouldn’t think about these things. There was no point in thinking about it. The more she thinks about it, the worse her thoughts will turn to. But her anxiety grew and her vision blurred.

Even more than the culprit who framed Kyle, she seemed unable to forgive herself.

‘I should stay awake after all.’

She was going to start crying if she didn’t and If she cried, Randall would notice. He would probably ask her about it. But Sophia wouldn’t be able to answer. How could she tell him that she was a reincarnated person? He would never believe her. Sophia got out of bed and was about to return to her seat with Randall when the Train suddenly shook violently and there was a beeping sound.

The loud shaking from side to side threw Sophia’s body over the edge and she slammed into the wall.

　When she winced from the pain, Randall jumped in with a nervous cry of her name

The shaking of the train had subsided, but somehow the body was tilted

The slanted floor prevented Sophia from standing up, but Randall was dexterous enough to come to her side and help her up.

“Randall, what  is going on?”

“I don’t know. But are you hurt?”

“Yes, just a little bump”

It wasn’t just a little bit, but it would have made him worried if she said otherwise. Randall patted her on the head to see if she had a bump. He then exhaled a sigh of relief and looked up, still holding Sophia up.

“I’m pretty sure we’ve got a derailment.  we should get out of the train. Maybe we can get out through the window in the corridor.”

Randall was right, there seemed to be no doubt that the train was derailing as the body was slanting. The corridor side was tilted downwards, so if they could just open a window, they might be able to get out.

She was also worried about Orion and the others. It would be better to go out of the guest room into the corridor before thinking about it.

Randall forced open the door of the guest room, which was tilted and difficult to open, and Sophia, supported by him, went out into the corridor. Johannes had just come out of the next room.

“Sir, madam. Are you safe?”

“Yes, we are fine. How are you?”

“No problem.”

After Johannes, Orion and, supported by Orion, Isolte come out. The room attendant in the corridor was nowhere to be seen, so he may have gone to check on the situation.

When Randall tried to open the corridor window, he could already see the evacuated passengers outside. Randall pried open the window and first got down himself, then reached out to Sophia.

“Can you get down?” Randall asked

Sophia nodded and leaned out the window, and Randall held her up and helped her out. She was in a hurry and hadn’t brought her cloak, so the cold wind made her wince. When Orion and the others also went outside, one of the attendant, who had been checking the situation outside, finally noticed them and came running.

“I am so sorry! Are you hurt?”

“We are fine”

He was breathing heavily, as if he had been rushing around to deal with the situation. The cabin attendant, who bowed again and again. When he was asked about the situation, he said there was something on the tracks that had caused the derailment. They applied the brakes, but not in time, and the driver was injured, but they were still checking the details.

“This is unlikely to be easily remedied.”

“Yes…”

But what can they do when you’re thrown out in a place surrounded by vineyards?

Randall looked back at Johannes.

“There must be a town nearby, do you know?”

 “The detailed distance can be found at… We have a map back at the office.”

Johannes looked at the tilting train behind him and Randall shook his head.

“No, it would be dangerous to go back now.”

“If it’s the town of Leben, it’s probably a 30-minute walk.”

When the room attendant replied, Randall frowned, “Thirty minutes?”

“Sophia, can you walk?”

He must have thought that thirty minutes would be a hard walk for a woman’s feet. However, Sophia grew up running around in the city and has a fair amount of confidence in her physical strength.

Orion should be fine. The problem was Isolte, who also said: “Of course! If it’s too hard for you, I’ll carry you on my back!” she replied with a snort. Isolte had a deep-rooted grudge against Sophia for being locked in the wardrobe of Verhund Castle and left behind when she was drugged with a love potion, and she was determined not to be left out of the group.

When Sophia smiled wryly and replied to Randall, “It seems to be fine,” he also smiled slightly.

　Sophia and the others left for the town of Leben, asking the cabin attendant to deliver the luggage that was left in the train when things were restored.