Page 16 of Barbi and the Villain

“Oh, Lady Barbi. That’s horrible!”

“Isn’t it? Poor PomPom will be scarred for life. It was the first time she’s seen a dead body, you know?”

“I can imagine.” He nods sympathetically. “You are so lucky to be the only survivor.”

I release a pointed sigh.

“Yes, the gods must be watching over me and PomPom. We have been praying daily and then you showed up,” I continue. “I’ve made offerings to the Goddess and she has decided to take pity on me.”

Invoking the Goddess should add to my convincing act, since she is one of the figures worshipped exclusively by the upper class of Akkaya. Those of lower ranks would not dare to utter her name, let alone pray to her.

As expected, Willy averts his gaze. Her name alone is too hallowed to acknowledge.

“You will have to excuse our leader, Lady Barbi. He did not mean to offend you in any way.”

“It is all forgotten and forgiven.”

“I cannot believe you did not catch the plague, Lady Barbi. We’ve been through tons of villages by now and we haven’t found one person who wasn’t infected. They were all either dead or dying,” he explains, his expression sad.

Poor boy. He has a good heart, I can tell. So I take advantage of it some more.

“Do not tell anyone but”—I look right and left before I lean in to whisper—“I think I am immune to the plague.”

His eyes widen.

I nod, my lips flattened.

“It is why I must reach Lady Jocelyn as soon as possible. She will help me make sense of this.”

His eyes sparkle with hope after the shock wears off, and a small twinge of guilt stabs at my heart. Alas, the only way I can ensure that I survive until I reach Kiya is to make myself indispensable. With the way Willy is looking at me now, a mix of awe and adoration, I know he’s not going to be able to keep this to himself, and the seed of the rumor will be officially planted. As long as they believe I might be useful, they aren’t likely to hurt me, no?

A smile tips at my lips. Who needs Econ when I have my subterfuge skills and my doe-like eyes that work wonders on the unassuming—especially those of the male variety?

We head to the inn where all the soldiers are already back to their routine, eating, drinking, and being rowdy. It’s then that I notice there is no staff around.

Of course there’s no staff! They likely died from the plague.

The leader eyes me suspiciously as I enter, so I put on my best Lady Jocelyn act and push my chin up as I ignore him. I stop in the middle of the room as I address Willy.

“Is there a room where I may refresh myself?”

“Yes, of course. Come with me,” he says, pointing me to the stairs in the back.

He shows me a small, unused room that is not the cleanest, but hey, I can’t complain right now.

“I will bring you and your dog something to eat.”

“Thank you, Willy.”

He blushes and nods. I close the door in his face and put PomPom down, stretching my arms and body. She might not weigh much, but carrying her for the past few hours has caused my arms to go stiff.

True to his word, Willy comes back with a tray of food for me and PomPom. Not ten minutes after, he shows up again with a big bucket of hot water that almost slips from his hands.

“We shall leave tomorrow at first light. You have time to wash your clothes and take a nap. The door locks, but I will keep guard by the stairs so you don’t have to worry about anything, Lady Barbi.”

“You’re a sweetheart, Willy.” I smile at him.

His cheeks redden even more.

---