CH 26

As soon as I entered the hall, I felt uncomfortable from the attendees looking at me so openly.

That wasn’t all. Gossip was heard everywhere.

I was unfortunately used to this noisy atmosphere.

It was a response that always followed when I appeared in front of people.

It was Perdia, one of the four major families. On top of that, it was the immaculate Duke of Perdia leading that great family, the Duchess, being the best poisoner, and their two sons, who had inherited the family power.

Moreover, Jansi and Carlot boasted of their parents’ good looks. Anyone could see that they were the direct descendants of Perdia.

Everyone looked forward to meeting Perdia and envied them.

It was a perfect family indeed.

On the other hand, I was, for example, some kind of being caught between them.

A foreign object, a blemish, a flaw, the ugly duckling…..

I’d actually heard all of these things, but now I didn’t feel particularly hurt by them.

I raised my head and made eye contact with Raeyan.

“Is there something wrong?” He asked.

“No, it’s just that I hated crowded places.”

Perhaps the reason why the buzz was louder today was because of the appearance of Raeyan.

Entering together as partners was enough because the collusion between the Earth Hawk Mercenary Corps and the Perdia family would have been known.

For the rest of this banquet, what I would do had already been decided.

‘I’ll stick to the wall. Like interior decoration.’

Just like I had always done.

It wasn’t just when I entered alone, but even if I attended with the first prince, I was always alone because he quickly disappeared to talk with someone else.

I used to stand in a place out of sight of people and wait for the time to pass, but there were always young aristocrats who would get drunk and pursue me.

I endured it a few times, and I hit back with words a few times, but that didn’t work at all. So, at one point, whenever someone flirted with me, I tore off their hair – since then, they hadn’t approached me.

‘Thanks to them, I got the nickname “Perdia’s Rogue”.’

It was a nickname I liked quite a lot because it sounded strong.

Naturally, I was going to sip a drink today, but there was an unexpected variable.

I couldn’t help but think I would be less bored with Raeyan by my side.

I looked closely at Raeyan, who was escorting me.

Prepared for today’s banquet, Raeyan in a dark uniform looked more handsome than usual; perhaps it was thanks to the reflected chandelier light.

Raeyan, who felt my gaze, asked hesitantly.

“….Why are you looking at me?”

“Because you’re handsome.”

“…….”

“I’m serious.”

“Don’t you usually say it’s a joke in these types of situations?”

“But you are handsome.”

His appearance was close to my taste. Especially those red eyes that seem to have a story hiding in them.

First Prince Adenmir was also handsome, but each of them had their own charm because they were handsome with different atmospheres.

Of course, the only good thing was Adenmir’s face.

Really, I had no intention of coveting a man who would become someone else’s man.

Anyway, since I showed my face, I was about to go to the corner because I was done with the basic courtesy of the banquet hosted by the empress.

Carlot, who had been snooping around me since earlier, glared at Raeyan as if to keep him in check and reached out his hand.

“Sister, leave him alone and dance with me.”

“Carl, didn’t you say you hated dancing?”

“When did I? I like dancing.”

‘Lie. I’ve never seen him dance before.’

There was a reason why I rejected Jansi’s dance request earlier, and above all, I didn’t want to dance.

‘If you want to dance so much, I should let you dance, right?’

“That’s right, you do enjoy dancing. Lady Hormelton.”

I smiled and spoke to one of the ladies, who was just waiting for a chance to talk to Carlot.

Carlot, who saw through my intentions, frowned openly.

”Sister…..!”

I waved at Carlot, unfazed when he got upset.

“Go ahead, Carl.”

“……..All right.”

With a face full of things to say, Carlot went down to the dance floor.

‘How long are you going to play the role of an obedient younger brother?’ 

I wondered when Carlot’s patience would run out.

Despite Carlot’s discontented attitude, Lady Hormelton smiled brightly and often took extra steps to match Carlot’s quick steps.

She was just happy about the fact that they were dancing together.

It was hard to believe, but Perdia’s two sons, Jansi and Carlot, were extremely popular in society.

Everyone was staring at Lady Hormelton with envy.

I pulled Raeyan’s arm while people’s attention shifted to Carlot.

“Raeyan, let’s go where no people are.”

“Huh?”

I dragged Raeyan, who was confused about what to think, and moved to a place behind a pillar that was relatively less visible.

There were still people who glanced this way, but it was much better than when I was in the center.

“Don’t you have to say hello to other people?” Raeyan took a drink from the attendant and asked while handing it to me.

“It’s all right. I have no friends.”

“I see.”

I liked Raeyan’s simple attitude of listening calmly to me without ridiculing me for being pathetic.

“The Second Prince should have seen Raeyan, right?”

“Yes. Our eyes met when we entered.”

It was obvious without looking at it. Beltran, the second prince, a playboy with the attitude of a small child, must have been flushing and wheezing in indignance.

Imagining Beltran’s face, I took a sip of the drink Raeyan gave me and frowned at the subtle sweetness.

“Eww!”

Blech. 

What the hell does this taste like?

When I hated it, Raeyan, the person who gave me the drink, looked at the glass in my hand.

“Do you want to try it?”

Of course, I just held out my glass as a joke….but Raeyan took it and took a sip.

“It’s really bad.”

Looking at Raeyan muttering quietly, I ended up making a stupid face.

‘That was a joke…….’

I really didn’t expect him to take the glass and drink it.

‘You must have a very casual personality, contrary to how you look. Is it okay with you, using a cup that someone used before?’

Thinking of it like that calmed my mind, which was a little surprised at his brazenness. 

It was at the time when I was smiling as hard as I could so as not to show my embarrassment.

“Long time no see, Miss Elodie.”

I turned my head to the soft voice coming from my side.

‘Ah.’

I hurried to manage my stiff expression.

“Yes, it’s been a while, Lady Angellus.”

“Oh, but we decided to call each other by our names. I’ll be sad if you keep your distance like that.”

“We did. Nice to see you, Miss Dorothea.”

Dorothea Angellus.

It was the long-awaited appearance of the original villain. 

Unlike me, a supporting villain who quickly quit the original work, Dorothea was a character who persistently harassed Estelle until the end.

She was so arrogant and proud of herself for being a direct descendant of one of the four major families. Because of her superiority complex, she bullied Estelle, who she felt was unworthy of being attached to Perdia as a powerless orphan.  

I was in the same situation, but the reason she didn’t show it openly was because she knew that half of Perdia’s blood flowed in me.

She was pretty, with hair and eyes the color of violet flowers, but when the corners of her eyes went up they gave her a ferocious impression.

“Who is that next to you? Can you introduce him?”

Dorothea covered her mouth with a fan and smiled shyly.

‘Apparently, she’s interested in Raeyan. Well, he is handsome.’

She hated commoners so much but this must be an exception.

“This is my partner, the mercenary Ian.”

“Nice to meet you, Ian. I am a friend of Miss Elodie. Wait, if it’s Ian……Ian the Mercenary King?” Dorothea asked with her eyes wide open, as if she had just found out.

Raeyan replied as bluntly as his face was blank.

“Yes.”

“You’re as quiet as the rumors say.”

“………”

“It would be more fun to talk over there with me than to be in this corner with Miss Elodie. Many people are curious about you.”

She meant not to be stuck in a corner with me, but to go play with her.

I wasn’t even angry at Dorothea’s act of revealing her intentions openly. Because she was always used to being such an arrogant person.

Raeyan couldn’t leave my side anyway because he was my escort and partner.

It was time to watch the conversation between the two with the same excitement I would have when watching a drama.

“It’s okay.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes.”

Dorothea laughed somewhat nervously at Raeyan’s determined attitude.

I often saw that face – as if she had a desire to win. It was the look on her face when she wanted to get what she wanted.

It was mainly dresses and jewelry, but this time it seemed to be this man.

Touching her forehead, she stumbled slightly and held out one hand to Raeyan.

“I feel a little dizzy. Can you help me out for a moment?”

Looking down at her hand for a moment, Raeyan took her hand and helped her.

Dorothea looked at me with a triumphant look on her face. I became puzzled.

“……?”

What am I supposed to do?

Do you think he became your man with just one instance of helping?

Dorothea laughed weakly and let go of Raeyan’s hand.

“Thank you, Ian. Thanks to you, the dizziness is gone.”

“Is that so.”

“I want to give you something in return.”

“That’s enough.”

Raeyan, who flatly refused, took a handkerchief out of his pocket. Then he started wiping his hands.

And then.

“……..!”

He threw away his handkerchief in front of Dorothea.

Dorothea was shocked, and so was I.

“Hey, you rude-!”

The red-faced girl alternately glared at me and Raeyan, then turned around and disappeared among the people.

I was stunned by what had transpired in an instant.

‘You used the glass I used before so casually, but you threw away your handkerchief just because you held her hand?’

Wasn’t that weird? 

“Raeyan, what are you doing?”

“You said you didn’t have any friends.”

So, you recognized that Dorothea was not my friend?

‘What kind of a guard dog is this?’

He touched the Angellus family. I looked up at Raeyan, who was calm, and laughed.

“We are not friends, but….”

“Looked like it.”

“By the way, Miss Dorothea is from the Angellus family, will you be okay?”

“I don’t care about that.”

You should care.

It seemed that Angellus, who specialized in dirty work, would retaliate against the Earth Hawk Mercenary Corps.

“It’ll be okay. Trust me. I will protect you,” I boasted to Raeyan.

With Perdia’s protection, even Angellus would not be able to touch them hastily.

‘Let’s say it’s a reward to show the scene of chewing up Dorothea Angellus vividly in front of our eyes.’

***

First Prince Adenmir’s office.

Adenmir, who finished one agenda bothering him, held his stiff neck and raised his head.

When he came to his senses, it was already dark outside.

“Take a break,” he commanded to his aides.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Come to think of it, was today the banquet hosted by the empress?”

“Yes.”

Adenmir, who was briefly agonizing over something at the aide’s answer, responded while looking in the direction of the hall where the banquet was taking place.

“If anything happens to the ducal princess, report it right away. There must be a lot of talk about her entering without a partner.”

It was only natural that there would be gossip when entering alone.

He hadn’t considered Elodie’s situation so far, but he had been bothered about it more and more for some reason recently.

Originally, he would have considered it a blessing that he couldn’t attend today as a partner, but he really couldn’t due to his work. 

Adenmir did not dwell on the reason.

‘I’m going to visit soon and give her a present. Does she like accessories?’

(E/D: She actually has a favorite new accessory, and his name is Raeyan .)

Just when he recalled Elodie’s extravagant taste, the aide called carefully.

“Your Highness the Prince.”

“Yes.”

The aide looked around and carefully spoke.

“It is said that the young lady entered this banquet with a partner.”

“……?”

Adenmir looked at him incredulously for a moment and then asked, “Is it Beltran?”

After saying that he had an opponent in mind, he recalled Elodie smiling at the Second Prince Beltran at the Emperor’s birthday banquet.

“No, it was another man.”

“…..Another man?”

What do you mean by other men?

Adenmir opened the document again, while brooding over the words. He didn’t want to waste his time on trivial thoughts.

How many minutes passed like that……?

Suddenly he jumped out of his seat and stood up.

“I’ll be gone for a while.”

“Your Highness?!”

Leaving the surprised aide behind, Adenmir headed for the hall where the banquet was being held.

‘I’ll have to see what kind of person he is this time.’

Elodie said she liked someone and didn’t even try to hide it.

‘Does she have any awareness of who she is?’

No matter how much she wished to break up this marriage, they were definitely engaged.

Eventually, Adenmir arrived at the entrance of the hall.

“First Prince….”

“It’s fine.”

Adenmir, who dissuaded the attendant from announcing his position, searched for someone among the spectacularly dressed people.

His gaze reached the edge of the unnoticed hall.

Adenmir’s face gradually hardened.

“….What is that?”

Indeed, his fiancee was with a strange man.

They looked at each other affectionately, and even smiled.

He had never seen such a smiling face.

Yeah, Beltran had never seen that face either.

This time Adenmir was convinced.

His fiancee cheated on him.