The Villainess Who Accidentally Stole Their Hearts - Chapter 21

Chapter 11.1

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‘What kind of situation is this?’

I frowned as I found myself stuck between Cleas and Yusril.

Meeting Yusril here was truly a golden opportunity. No matter how many times I had requested an audience with the Grand Duke’s household, the answer was always a flat rejection.

‘Today, I’ll absolutely make sure to meet the real Grand Duke!’

However, no matter what I said, Yusril kept slipping away, dodging me at every turn like a slippery eel. Just when I lost my patience and grabbed him by the collar—

‘That guy walked in.’

Suddenly, Yusril pulled me toward him with an angry look on his face, startling me.

‘But why did he help me?’

Wouldn’t it be better for him if I were dragged away by Cleas? He had been doing everything he could to avoid me… Yet, the arm wrapped tightly around my waist held me securely.

Warmly.

‘Why…’

I looked up at Yusril and froze.

‘His eyes… they’re a different color?’

Just a moment ago, his eyes were a deep navy blue, but now they glimmered with a sharp, icy blue light. The instant our eyes met, it felt like my breath had been stolen away. His gaze, his expression, the atmosphere surrounding him—

‘He seems like a completely different person…’

“Nikaearsha.”

Cleas’s voice snapped me back to my senses. He smiled when our eyes met, his smile undeniably captivating.

“Come here.”

He reached out his hand, his face showing no doubt or hesitation as though he didn’t even consider the possibility of me refusing.

“I don’t want to.”

“…What?”

“I have business with His Highness the Grand Duke. Don’t get in my way.”

“Get in your way?”

Knock, knock—

Just as Cleas was about to say more, the sound of knocking interrupted.

“Come in.”

At Yusril’s permission, the door swung open.

The servant hesitated, clearly startled to find the three of us together.

“Ah… so the three of you are here together. What kind of drink shall I bring for you, Lord Cleas?”

“No need. Cleas will be leaving now.”

Cleas frowned at my comment but didn’t seem to want to create a scene in front of the employee, so he stepped back.

“I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave. Make sure to take good care of my fiancée. Stay by her side until she leaves, alright?”

With a smile, Cleas slipped a gold coin into the employee’s front pocket.

“O-Of course! My lady, you must be so happy to be so loved by your fiancé.”

I wasn’t happy at all.

As he was leaving, Cleas turned and asked.

“… You’ll come to Ulysses’ birthday party, right?”

Ulysses.

One of my childhood friends, and Mikarin’s fourth lover.

In other words,

‘A cheating scumbag.’

I frowned.

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After leaving the shop, I sat in the carriage on the way back home, lost in thought.

‘What was that?’

If I wasn’t mistaken, Yusril’s eye color had completely changed.

‘It wasn’t just the color of his eyes… it was like he was a completely different person.’

However, it was only for a fleeting moment. When I looked at him again after Cleas left, his eye color had returned to its usual deep navy, and the overwhelming presence had vanished as well.

‘Hah… I still couldn’t secure a meeting with the real Grand Duke today either.’

The employee who received a gold coin from Cleas stuck to me like glue. Even when I tried to dismiss him, Yusril stepped in to block me.

‘…And as soon as we left the shop, Yusril disappeared.’

While I was lost in thought, we arrived home before I knew it.

Alice greeted me.

“The meeting just ended.”

“Perfect timing. Let’s go right away.”

“Ah! Wait a moment, my lady. Since you’re going, please wear these shoes instead.”

The shoes Alice brought were by far the most extravagant among the gifts I’d received today.

Not my taste.

Still, they seemed the most expensive.

‘There’s nothing wrong with listening to Alice.’

I swapped into the shoes and made my way toward the meeting room. From the other end of the hallway, I could see people leaving the meeting.

Akain, who spotted me, suddenly gave me a once-over before letting out a small laugh.

“Well, at least you’ve got some sense of taste.”

“….?”

His gaze was fixed on my shoes. And for some reason, he looked at me with an annoyingly smug expression.

‘Why is he like that?’

Just as Akain and I glared at each other, Viscount Barento stepped in.

“They look like very sturdy shoes.”

“There’s no chance the heels would ever break.”

Akain quipped immediately.

‘…Is he seriously mocking the time my heel broke at the party and nearly embarrassed me in front of everyone?’

“Haha, it seems the young lady really likes them. Out of all those gifts, she chose to wear these right away.”

“Ahem, ahem.”

As Akain cleared his throat with a smug expression, the viscount smiled contentedly and asked,

“What brings you here, my lady?”

“I just wanted to say thank you for the time being.”

“Seriously, why are you troubling yourself over such a thing?”

‘Akain has been interrupting and ruining the mood since earlier.’

Annoyed, I glanced at Akain and saw that he was grinning so widely it looked like the corners of his mouth might tear. He never smiled like that… does messing with me really amuse him that much?

Thankfully, Viscount Barento didn’t seem bothered by Akain’s interference.

He bragged to Zerno.

“The young lady has come to thank you personally.”

“….”

“I heard she went out earlier. It seems she was shopping for gifts. For her to choose this herself shows how much thought she put into it.”

The viscount seemed to appreciate the gesture of a personally chosen gift.

‘It’s a good thing I listen to Alice.’

I took a step forward and held out the gift.

“Thank you for your consideration in so many ways, Viscount.”

“Y-Young lady?”

Viscount Barento stared at me, visibly surprised, which was rare for him.

“Ha, haha, perhaps you’ve chosen the wrong person to give the gift to.”

“But wasn’t it the Viscount who liaised with the newspaper?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“And you even hosted the reporters.”

“Yes, but still…”

“And you were the one who prepared the gifts in my room, weren’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“This is my way of saying thank you.”

“….”

For some reason, sweat began to drip from Viscount Barento’s face, like a torrential downpour.

“Uh, my lady, while it’s true that I handled it, someone else was behind the order—”

“Just accept it, Viscount.”

A cold voice cut off Viscount Barento’s words.

“Y-Your Grace…”

“Isn’t this a gift that Nike went out of her way to personally give you, Viscount?”

Who says something like that while glaring as if they’d like to rip someone to shreds?

‘Does he think I’m trying to make a move on one of his trusted aides and is furious about it?’

Or perhaps he misunderstood and thought I was attempting to recruit Viscount Barento… If that was the case, the viscount’s panicked reaction made a lot more sense.

He wasn’t boasting to Zerno earlier.

‘I didn’t mean to take a bribe. Please spare me.’

—That was probably what he was trying to say.

‘…Should I just take the gift back?’

While I debated this, Akain looked at me with a very displeased expression. Then, as if something suddenly clicked for him, he nodded to himself.

“…Looks like you’ve recovered a bit.”

What on earth was he talking about?

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A few days had passed since the chaotic cheating melodrama.

And every single day since then—

“Please accept me, my lady.”

Leonard had been showing up.