The Villainous Family is Against Independence - 139. I came because I missed you

The grand melody of the orchestra filled the spacious hall.

Countless eyes were fixed on the two dancing figures.

Adenmir glanced down at Elodi, who was still looking puzzled and spoke.

“You do not look at all pleased to see me.”

“Oh, I beg to differ. It’s delightful to see Your Highness after such a long time.”

Elodie still looked unwelcoming, but she spoke pretty words.

Adenmir felt the urge to provoke her, even though he knew she had something to say.

Despite the impulse to provoke her to express what she wanted to say, Adenmir pulled her waist firmly, pressing his body against hers. Elodie tensed at the contact.

“Why don’t you ask why I came?”

“Why did you come?”

He took her hand and twirled her lightly.

Their faces drew close again.

Where their flesh touched felt hot.

The rustle of her dress echoed each time it brushed against him.

Under the chandelier’s refracted light, Elodie appeared more radiant and dazzling than usual. Yet, her gaze remained unchanged.

Adenmir smiled softly at his reflection in those pale pink eyes.

“I had to come. It’s the first banquet you’ve thrown in your life.”

“What’s so special about that?”

Every time Elodie moved, a sweet fragrance stimulated his sense of smell. All senses, except taste, were solely focused on Elodie.

“I was a little disappointed you didn’t send me an invitation.”

“I didn’t send one because I knew you wouldn’t attend if it wasn’t an official event. Plus, you’re busy.”

Knowing that she didn’t send it intentionally to spare him discomfort, his resentment softened.

“Right. I don’t attend events unless they’re official.”

But there was one point that needed to be addressed.

“So why am I here?”

“Well, are you expecting to meet anyone at the banquet tonight?”

Half right, half wrong. He didn’t get an invitation, but he took the time to come because…….

“I came because I missed you.”

“……Huh?”

Elodie stared at him, wide-eyed.

Adenmir smiled bitterly as he watched her prepare to shove him away at a moment’s notice.

At that moment, the music ended.

Adenmir took a step back and held out his hand to Elodie, who bowed.

Elodie didn’t take it immediately. She was clearly wary.

So, Adenmir hid behind a plausible shield.

“You said it yourself; we are friends.”

He couldn’t be her fiancé, but he could be her friend.

He was willing to exploit the friendship if it meant getting closer to Elodie.

Because there was no need for pride in love…..

Meanwhile, behind a nearby pillar, Raeyan’s expression grew cold as he watched Elodie.

’Adenmir Presil Wallent.’

Every time he looked at him, an unpleasant sensation surged through him.

Somewhere along the line, Raeyan had recognized the source of that feeling. It was a sense of kinship hatred. The way he looked at Elodie was the same way he looked at her.

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***

At the same time, not far away, the two Perdia brothers were also watching.

Carlot, grabbing Jansi’s clothes and shaking him, asked distractedly.

“Brother, I’m not seeing things, am I? Why does it look like the First Prince is interested in our sister?”

“You’re quick to catch on this time, Carl.”

“This time? Hey, I’m always quick to catch on!”

“Haha.”

“Don’t just laugh, agree with me.”

Jansi continued to jest without agreeing with Carlot’s words.

Carlot pursed his lips and turned his head slightly. Then he met the gaze of someone who had been staring at them all along.

“Hmm?”

With a sly grin, Carlot once again grabbed Jansi’s sleeve.

“Brother, brother, isn’t that woman supposed to be engaged to you? Why does she keep staring at you?”

“There hasn’t been a decision on any engagement, Carl.”

“Whatever.”

Jansi didn’t bother to look in that direction. He didn’t want to entertain any unnecessary misunderstandings with just a glance.

’It’s already annoying enough.’

As the heir of Perdia, Jansi always had to consider alliances with other families.

Hyacinth Euter was one of those candidates.

They are a noble family with their own reputation and influence among the aristocracy, even though they are not one of the four major noble families. Jansi thought it unnecessary to compete or interact with the Euter family due to their standing and stature.

With no intention of getting engaged anytime soon, it was convenient for him to dismiss any woman approaching him.

However, he found the approach of using Elodie to get closer to him distasteful.

What if Elodie ended up disappointed in him, and any remaining discretion vanished?

The discomfort grew as he considered that anyone, not just Hyacinth Euter, could try to use Elodie.

Jansi lowered the glass he had been holding, fearing that holding onto something might lead to an uncontrollable exercise of power.

At times like this, it would be nice if his lovely younger sister took his hand.

***

The Perdia family’s banquet ended as a great success.

Everyone who attended had nothing but praise, not only boosting the reputation of the Perdia family but also solidifying my position, as Martha enthusiastically reported.

But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

“Letters and invitations for Miss Elodie.”

Swish-.

Seeing the papers pile up like a mountain in front of me, my face lost its color. Greed perched on the table playfully knocking the letters around with its front paw.

‘When will I have time to reply to all of these?’

I want to be a social outcast again……. As I anxiously sifted through the letters, a savior appeared.

“Lili. What are you doing?”

“Oh, madam. I received some letters and invitations, so I was going to write replies.”

The duchess tilted her head in confusion as she saw me sadly unfolding the letters.

“Replies? Why bother with replies?”

“Pardon?”

“You don’t have to write back. What’s the point of writing back as a Perdia?”

“Really?”

“That’s right. Who would be offended by not receiving a reply from Perdia? Oh, except for the imperial family.”

The duchess smiled brightly. She was truly a savior with her laughter.

’The Duchess is the best!’

I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude, clasping my hands together. Although the butler had a look of wanting to say something to the duchess, he dared not contradict her words.

“So, did you enjoy the reception this time, Lili?”

“Absolutely!”

Indeed, the duchess’s skills were remarkable. By leveraging Perdia’s wealth, she had elevated my position in society with just one event.

Only once, but this banquet opened up many opportunities for me in the future, under the name ‘Elodie Perdia.’

The duchess turned to me, cradling Greed with a familiar touch.

“Today is the day the guest Lili invited is coming, right?”

“Yes. I heard she’s very interested in old books, so I thought I’d go to the library with her.”

“I see. I hope everything goes according to your wishes.”

Hoping everything goes according to my wishes.

It was a nice thing to say because she knew I had invited the guest with ulterior motives.

But she never asked me why I was doing all this. I was grateful for her consideration, but I also felt guilty.

***

The Perdia carriage came to a halt, and there, Gretel Sangpan stepped out.

I greeted Gretel warmly.

“Welcome, Lady Gretel. Was your journey here comfortable?”

“Oh, no discomfort at all. Lady Elodie sent the carriage for me, so I could come comfortably. I’m grateful.”

I was well aware of the financial situation of the Sangpan family from my previous investigations. Gretel was so poor that she even had to borrow carriages from other families when attending banquets.

So, when sending the invitation, I made sure to include the offer of a carriage to ensure her comfort.

“I’ll guide you straight to the library, Lady Gretel. Today, only I have been granted access.”

“Thank you so much for your consideration. Honestly, I… I never expected to be invited.”

Suddenly, I realized that Gretel hadn’t met my eyes once since getting off the carriage. It wasn’t hard to guess the reason.

As the only daughter of a poor family, Gretel had always lived a life where she was pushed around by others. Her peers in the same circle often ignored her, and Gretel always had to be cautious.

Recently, having been rejected by her fiancé would have surely shattered her self-esteem even further.

‘I’ve even used that to my advantage……’

As much as I exploited others’ emotions, there was a sense of guilt towards Gretel.

Yes. Let’s do our best while we’re together.

That was the only way to alleviate my sense of indebtedness to Gretel.

As I stopped walking, Gretel also stopped and stood beside me.

I turned to Gretel with a smile.

“Lady Gretel.”

“Yes, Lady Elodie.”

“Thank you for sticking up for me in the last beast subjugation, I’ve been meaning to say that.”

“That, that was…….”

Gretel’s cheeks flushed red.

“So, I want to become closer with you, Lady Gretel.”

The Gretel I knew was the female lead’s friend, but the Gretel in front of me hadn’t met her yet.

Would it be right to keep my distance just because she might become a friend of Estelle’s someday?

‘No. I’ll do as I please now.’

I wanted a friend who would stand by me too.

“I also want to become closer with Lady Elodie.”

This time, Gretel didn’t avoid my gaze. Perhaps we could become good friends. After a while, we arrived at the library of Perdia.

“The Perdia family is truly amazing!”

Gretel’s eyes sparkled as if she was genuinely interested in the ancient texts.

“You can take your time and look around.”

“Yes…!”

For a long time, Gretel quietly immersed herself in the ancient texts, almost forgetting my presence next to her.

I waited patiently for Gretel to finish reading so that we could discuss the books together.

As the evening sun began to set, Gretel finally noticed my presence.

“I’m sorry. Did I read too much?”

“No, not at all. I invited you to read books, remember?”

“There were so many interesting ancient texts I’ve never seen before, so I lost track of time.”

Gretel shyly smiled and gently closed the book with a hint of regret. It was clear that she wanted to continue reading but was restraining herself.

“You can come back and read more next time.”

“Really? Can I?”

“Of course.”

Gretel beamed with a wide smile, a brightness I hadn’t seen before.

‘Could she have opened up to me?’

I was sure I had won her favor to some extent.

But what I was about to say could be taken as offensive, depending on who you ask.

I turned to Gretel seriously.

“Actually, Lady Gretel, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“It’s about Lady Gretel’s powers.”

Occasionally, in families with diluted bloodlines, there were rare cases where individuals were born with abilities.

Like Gretel Sangpan, right in front of me.

Gretel was a distant descendant of the Apellites family, who possessed the power of foresight.

“How did you…”

It was natural for Gretel to be surprised. Her ability was her own secret, known to no one, not even her biological father. Explaining this would be the most challenging part.

“Well, you see-.”

How could I make her understand that I knew about her abilities?

‘Maybe saying I found out by chance would be best?’

As I was pondering over a feeble excuse, Gretel suddenly clapped her hands.

“Oh, I see! You received a revelation from Ishtar, right?”

“What?”

“Because you, Lady Elodie, are the savior that Ishtar has chosen.”

“Oh, right.”

Well, that wasn’t exactly accurate, but I went along with it for now. Gretel seemed pleased as my speculation turned into certainty.

“That’s right, I have the power of clairvoyance. It comes with many limitations, though…”

Gretel’s clairvoyance was the power she used to take down Gabe Jenade.

She would know where he was going and what he was doing. I opened my mouth cautiously.