Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

"A marriage proposal for our dear Liria?" Verida asked, her tone like velvet wrapped around a blade.

"Yes, yes!" Milara\'s father nodded eagerly. "Your Majesties, we\'d be honored to have Liria join our family. As you can see, Milara is quite smitten, and we can sense Liria feels the same!"

Liria\'s eyes widened, and she quickly looked away, horrified at the idea of feeling the same.

Queen Verida raised an eyebrow, clearly amused but entirely uninterested in allowing this charade to continue. "While it\'s heartening to see such dedication, Liria has a great many duties here. She\'s Enara\'s bodyguard, after all, and a critical part of this palace\'s security. Marriage would be…ill-advised at this stage."

Milara\'s father\'s face fell, disappointment clear in his eyes, but he managed to offer a polite nod. "Of course, Your Majesty. We understand."

Milara\'s mother gave Liria one last lingering look. "But should you ever change your mind, Liria, we\'d welcome you with open arms. Truly, a perfect addition to the family."

As if, Liria thought, inwardly cringing. I\'m not about to tie myself to an eight-year-old.

[Well, you did get her hopes up with that cheek kiss,] the System teased, its voice practically buzzing with amusement. [Just a reminder: cultural sensitivity may help avoid such incidents in the future.]

Noted, Liria replied with a mental eye-roll.

As the nobles and their overly affectionate daughter finally departed, Liria felt her shoulders relax. But Milara, already halfway down the hall, turned back and blew Liria a dramatic kiss, her parents casting indulgent smiles back at her.

Once they\'d disappeared around the corner, Liria exhaled a sigh of relief. Thank the stars for Verida.

But her relief was short-lived.

Enara leaned in, voice dripping with mockery. "So, the human protector has become a demon\'s fairytale love. How quaint. I almost pity you, Liria."

"Oh, I wouldn\'t worry," Liria replied, forcing herself to sound calm, "I think I\'ve handled it just fine."

"Oh, indeed," Enara smirked, eyes glinting. "Quite the scandal, having nobles swooning over a common human. I hope you know they\'re only interested because you\'re a novelty. The moment you become boring, they\'ll be done with you."

Liria kept her expression neutral. Remember, she\'s just trying to ruffle you, she reminded herself.

[Not bad,] the System noted. [No visible reaction. Impressive restraint.]

After enduring Enara\'s snide comments all the way through breakfast, during which Daena seemed amused by the whole ordeal, Liria finally had a moment of peace. She\'d barely reached the door to her chambers, longing for some quiet, when she saw a servant hurrying towards her, looking nervous and holding a letter sealed with a crest she didn\'t recognize.

"This is for you, Lady Liria," the servant said with a quick bow.

As soon as the servant left, Liria opened the letter. Inside was a flamboyant invitation, written in flowery script and accompanied by a small portrait of Milara. Liria\'s eyes scanned the lines, her dread growing with each word.

"Dear Liria,

Since we must postpone our wedding plans, I invite you to a private picnic in my family\'s enchanted gardens, where we can be as \'intimate\' as we wish. I long to bask in your presence. Please wear something dashing.

With love and undying devotion, Milara"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Liria groaned, nearly crumpling the letter in her hand.

[Better get used to it,] the System chimed in. [It seems you\'ve made quite an impression.]

"Fantastic," Liria muttered to herself.

Liria sighed deeply, reading the letter again, as if maybe some different words would magically appear. A private picnic in an enchanted garden? It sounded nice, if it didn\'t come with the additional weight of a starry-eyed demon noble intent on making her his fiancée.

[There\'s a lesson here,] the System intoned, clearly entertained. [Be cautious where you bestow your kisses. After all, we\'re in a land where a cheek peck can lead to lifelong vows.]

Noted, Liria thought back, still holding the letter as if it might catch fire in her hand. Maybe I should have just stayed in my room.

She stowed the letter in her pocket, figuring she\'d figure out how to gently decline the invitation later. For now, she\'d enjoy the few hours of relative peace until the next hurdle found her. She stepped into her room and let herself sink into a chair, finally relaxing as she let her head fall back, eyes closing.

Of course, that peace didn\'t last long.

A knock sounded at her door, and without waiting for an answer, Daena strode in, arms crossed and a slightly amused smile tugging at her lips.

"I hear you\'ve managed to attract the attention of yet another noble," Daena said, her voice laced with dry humor.

"Please don\'t remind me," Liria groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "It\'s a child, Daena. Eight years old. I\'m practically getting marriage proposals from a kid."

Daena chuckled, leaning against the wall. "She\'s infatuated, and you\'re new. Give her time, and maybe she\'ll move on to someone else who catches her fancy. Or perhaps you could make yourself a little less… enchanting?"

"Oh, trust me, I\'m doing my best." Liria gave her a pleading look. "Please, tell me there\'s something you can do to help here. Maybe talk to her parents? Get them to understand that I\'m not well, I\'m not interested."

"Oh, I have, don\'t worry." Daena\'s smile broadened. "But nobles are persistent. It might take a bit more time for them to accept that you\'re… unavailable."

[Maybe if you scowl more,] the System suggested. [Or pretend to be awful at gardening. That tends to work on small children.]

You\'re not helping, Liria thought back, rolling her eyes internally.

Daena\'s gaze softened slightly as she continued, "In the meantime, your training continues tomorrow, bright and early. If Milara sends another letter, I\'ll try to… intercept it before it becomes another ordeal."

Liria felt a small wave of relief. "Thank you. That might actually save me."

Daena nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "You\'ll get used to this palace\'s quirks. Until then, keep your focus. Every day here is a new test, and you\'ve done well to stay steady in all of it."

"Steady might be an overstatement," Liria muttered, feeling the day\'s exhaustion settle over her. She stood and offered a grateful nod to Daena. "But I\'ll keep going. And thank you for the advice seriously. I think I needed it."

Just as Daena left, Liria\'s eyes fell on her training gear, laid out on the side table for tomorrow\'s pre-dawn session. She sighed, steeling herself for another day in this chaotic world.

But before she could even think about lying down, she heard footsteps outside her door heavy and purposeful. It swung open, revealing Enara standing there with a mischievous smirk on her face, eyes narrowed with the promise of mischief.