The Villainess' Son is Innocent - Chapter 34
Chapter 17.2
Emil’s existence was already widely known among the nobility of the Castone empire’s capital, but outside its borders, few were aware of him.
This was largely due to the prevailing sentiment that widely acknowledging the son of Castone’s infamous “villainess” would only further disgrace the empire.
Rumors of the villainess having a son had circulated in passing, but the details of his upbringing, or the kind of person he had become, remained a mystery.
When I revealed Emil’s existence to Professor Rostad, his posture immediately stiffened.
“I want to help him.”
In order to seek his assistance, I had to hide my true intentions. Again.
‘I want to survive him.’
What is this feeling?
‘It’s not pity. I’m trying to change Emil’s life. I can’t possibly pity him.’
Suddenly, self-loathing washed over me. I couldn’t offer him pure goodwill. Instead, I was pretending to worry about him and sincerely care about him.
This wasn’t any kind of emotion, or even something resembling it. It was nothing but deception.
And now, here I was, using the same manipulative tactics on the professor.
After a long pause, the professor finally spoke, but the words he said were completely unexpected.
“After you graduate, I’ll pay a visit to Castone.”
* * *
The graduation ceremony at Rilford Academy was far more extravagant than those of other academies.
It felt less like a student graduation and more like a gala for the elite and upper classes.
Now that the students had turned eighteen or nineteen, they celebrated their years of effort and cheered each other on as they prepared to move forward.
By the afternoon, all official procedures involving outside guests had concluded, and by evening, the real party had begun.
“M-my lady, I feel so out of place in a dress like this.”
“Don’t be. It suits you perfectly. Lavender looks wonderful on you, Elena.”
Elena had accompanied me to attend to my needs, but she was awkwardly fidgety in her soft, glossy dress.
“I can’t get used to how it feels when I walk.”
“Haha, you’ll get used to it soon enough.”
Even so, Elena kept fussing with her dress and adjusting it.
As time passed, music began to play. I strolled through the hall, politely declining a few invitations to dance from familiar classmates.
‘I need to find out when the professor plans to visit so I can prepare…’
As I wandered around the hall, a male student whom I occasionally shared classes with appeared before me.
“Pardon me… Miss Lancaster?”
Considering the timing, it was obvious he was about to ask for a dance. I was already debating whether to accept or not. Of course, I didn’t forget to keep a smile on my face.
“If it’s alright with you, would you like to…”
One dance can’t hurt. I was about to agree, when the student’s bold request was interrupted by a new presence. A tall, mysterious figure.
He was a man dressed entirely in black from head to toe. The chain connecting his epaulettes and cravat glimmered a dark, muted sheen.
‘Who is that?’
I instinctively straightened, sizing up the unexpected intruder.
The music shifted.
It was slower, having a sweeter melody than before. The weighty, resonant sound of the cello both calmed my heart but also urged me to proceed with caution.
The flustered student at my side tried to speak up, and though I considered taking his hand, I changed my mind.
“This seems like it could cause trouble. I’m sorry, but could you wait for a moment?”
The man didn’t act threateningly, but there was something unnervingly chilling about him. Unsettled, I decided to send the male student away first.
He stood off at a distance, keeping an eye on us. Only then did I narrow my eyes and focus on the stranger before me.
“Miss Lancaster.”
His voice carried the uneven tone of a boy still growing into adulthood. There was something strangely familiar about it.
I needed to find out who this man was and how he knew my name. However, he was wearing a mask, which felt somewhat excessive, making it impossible to see his face.
“Who are you?”
“Someone you perhaps already know.”
I flinched, because it was like he’d read my mind. I was wondering why he seemed so oddly familiar.
Without warning, Emil’s face flashed in my mind.
If the man’s hair had been the silver-gray I often ran my fingers through so fondly, instead of the raven-black that crowned him now, I would have called his name immediately.
“Will you gift me the honor of a single dance?”
Just one dance… Surely that would be fine, I thought foolishly.
Against my better judgment, I accepted, letting his hand graze my fingertips.
“Just one song,” I warned.
A low chuckle escaped him. “I’ll treasure it dearly.”
As I began to dance with my mysterious partner, my suspicions only grew deeper.
He matched his steps and breathing to mine with uncanny precision. He never tried to lead me forcefully but occasionally pulled me closer.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the cufflink attached to his sleeve.
‘Garnet.’
Come to think of it, the cufflinks I had gifted Emil were also adorned with small garnets, though the design was different.
Still, it brought me back to that moment when I’d given them to Emil, hoping that he would think of me, even if things went awry.
And perhaps they’d serve as a reminder. A guilty conscience, so he couldn’t harm me so easily.
The delicate song was as beautiful as a hymn, but it came to an end all too quickly. I released the mysterious man’s hand.
“Are you satisfied now?”
I didn’t forget to smile politely.
“No.”
His eyes behind the mask softened.
There was something painfully alluring about him, even though we were likely the same age. The faint curve of his lips, though, carried a bitter edge.
“Nowhere near satisfied.”
Despite his words, he took a step back, bidding me a polite farewell before disappearing into the crowd.
Moments later, Elena arrived with a non-alcoholic drink.
“My lady?”
“Oh, thank you.”
The strange impression the man left on me didn’t fade easily.
Later that night, after the party had ended, I found a bouquet of red tulips left outside my room.
‘The person who left this… it must have been him.’
I hesitated, unsure what to do with the flowers. When I filled Elena in on what had happened, she anxiously suggested throwing them away.
I understood her reasoning, but I decided to hold onto the flowers for now.
No matter how much I tried to dismiss it, I couldn’t get the red gem at the end of his sleeve out of my mind.
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