The Villainess Who Accidentally Stole Their Hearts - Chapter 23

Chapter 12.1

Mikarin, Cleas, Raphael, Lucvan, Ulysses.

Just recalling the chaotic web of these five adulterers was enough to give me a headache.

‘No, hold on. Raphael should be studying abroad right now.’

The thought of not having to see at least one of them was a relief.

At that moment, Cleas lightly pushed aside my hair.

“Hurry up and get ready. Or—”

A low voice whispered against the white nape of my neck, where his fingers had brushed through my hair.

“Do you want me to help?”

His whispered words carried the movement of his lips, following his breath. As goosebumps ran up my spine, buried memories clawed their way to the surface.

The dressing room that was officially considered part of my room.

Mikarin, standing there as though she owned the place, adorning herself in glamorous attire while Cleas wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck.

“Do you want me to help? Let’s undo this first, come on—”

“Mmh, if you do that… we’ll end up late.”

“Even if we’re late, it doesn’t matter. No one would dare say anything to you, Mikarin.”

“Haa, more…”

Smack—!

Cleas, suddenly pushed away, widened his eyes in surprise.

“Nike?”

My breath caught, my chest heaving unevenly. At the same time, anger and disgust boiled within me, sending my blood pressure through the roof.

My blood pressure shot up, fueled by both anger and disgust.

“Hm, how cute. Nike, you’re so naive in situations like this.”

What?

“There’s no need to be embarrassed.”

‘…What nonsense is he spouting now?’

I was so speechless that I couldn’t even respond. On the other hand, Cleas, who noticed my reaction, laughed so hard that dimples appeared on his cheeks.

“Oh dear. My sweet fiancée seems to have malfunctioned. I wouldn’t want to get in your way, so I’ll just wait here happily.”

Kiss.

Cleas blew a kiss and walked out of the room.

‘…Should I just kill him?’

I glared at the closed door before letting out a sigh.

I couldn’t let someone like Cleas mess up my plans.

“Get me ready to head out.”

I had something important to take care of at Ulysses’s birthday party.

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

Ulysses’s birthday party.

“Ha… Doesn’t Lord Ulysses look even more radiant than usual today? I just want to get lost in those crescent eyes of his when he smiles.”

“And what about Lord Lucvan? That rugged, wild charm is driving me insane. I’d happily bury my face in that strong chest and die.”

“I hope Lord Cleas arrives soon…!”

“When will Lord Raphael come back? It’s such a shame we won’t get to see the garden with all four flowers together.”

I let out a dry laugh as I listened to their murmuring voices.

‘A flower field, huh. More like a field of airheaded blossoms.’

In the center of the party, Ulysses and Lucvan were the focus of everyone’s gaze… with Mikarin standing between them.

“W—ow! Look at Lord Lukeban’s arm! It’s so solid! It’s completely different from mine!”

Mikarin giggled as she alternated between touching her own arm and Lucvan’s. The friendly scene reminded me of a moment from before my regression.

‘…Back then, I was stupid enough to feel proud.’

They were childhood friends I’d known since we were children. And Mikarin, my cousin, whom I’d always seen as a little sister.

I simply thought it was nice that the people I cared about were getting along so well.

So—

“I feel so out of place around your friends… I think it’d be great if you could set up a meeting without you there.”

“Without me?”

“When you’re around, they only pay attention to you, and I end up feeling like a third wheel… It’d probably be less awkward if we met on our own and got to know each other better. You’ll help me out, won’t you?”

I still helped, even when Mikarin said that.

‘I didn’t know they were planning their messy affair express.’

I couldn’t care less if those scumbags were close to Mikarin, but it pissed me off that I had been used in their affair game.

“Sister!”

At that moment, Mikarin spotted me and tried to run over with a wide smile. However, the moment she took a step forward, she stumbled with an “Ah…!”

“Be careful.”

Lucvan quickly caught Mikarin as she stumbled. In his arms, her face turned bright red as if she were embarrassed.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m a bit clumsy. I should be as graceful as you, Sister.”

“You and Nike are completely different.”

“Ah! That was an insult, right? You’re calling me clumsy, unlike my sister!”

“Oh? You caught on pretty quickly.”

“You’re so mean!”

At his teasing, Mikarin pouted cutely, puffing out her cheeks before breaking into a bright smile.

“Hehe, but it’s okay to be clumsy, right? Since Lord Lucvan always catches me.”

‘What a circus.’

I watched the two of them with a cold, detached expression. While Mikarin happily created her little scene, I just stood there like a mere backdrop, without even being acknowledged with a greeting. Not that I cared since I had no interest in getting a greeting from the cheating trio anyway.

‘I guess cheaters see things differently.’

Cleas was staring at Mikarin with burning eyes.

He must have been jealous, seeing her laughing and playing with other guys without even sparing him a single glance. And Mikarin, pretending not to notice, was sneaking peeks at his reaction, clearly enjoying herself.

‘Ugh.’

What a ridiculous display.

‘Why do they even live like this?’

“Nike.”

At that moment, Ulysses called out to me with a gentle smile.

“Welcome. Thank you for coming to celebrate my birthday. You look beautiful today.”

“Sure.”

I gave a brief nod and glanced around, sensing someone’s gaze.

Ulysses was still quietly watching me.

“What?”

“You seem a little different.”

‘Ah, is it because I’m not acting as kindly as usual?’

Since I hadn’t received much affection from my family, I was especially vulnerable to the childhood friends I had been with for so long. Normally, I would have enthusiastically complimented Ulysses and sincerely wished him a happy birthday.

‘So what if I’m not congratulating him?’

As I silently grumbled to myself, Ulysses spoke again.

“You look good. Somehow, you seem more at ease.”

His slightly downturned eyes gave him a soft, kind expression.

As Ulysses flashed me a gentle smile, I turned my head away indifferently. However, I caught sight of Cleas tracing his fingers along the inside of Mikarin’s wrist.

‘Wow, truly unbelievable.’

It seemed you needed that level of shamelessness when you were deep into an affair.

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

Mikarin pouted and snapped her head to the side.

“Lord Lucvan, you’re so mean! You keep teasing me!”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

Lucvan asked with a playful smile as though he found her antics endearing.

At that moment, Cleas’s fingers slid across the inside of Mikarin’s wrist. The warmth and light tickling sensation of his touch made her twitch slightly, but she maintained her composure.

Beside her stood Cleas’s fiancée, who was also her cousin.

In front of her were her cousin’s childhood friends, Lucvan and Ulysses.

Even with all three of them surrounding her, Cleas dared to act so recklessly.

But Mikarin didn’t panic.

Instead—

‘This is exhilarating.’

Of course, Cleas loves me.

Even with his fiancée, whom he had personally escorted, standing right next to them, he still couldn’t resist touching her.

What we have is true love.

‘Oh my, sister, what should I do? Your fiancé is so madly in love with me…’

As Mikarin cast a mockingly sympathetic look at Nikaearsha, she overheard some annoying chatter from behind her.

“Wow… she’s definitely a ‘Cassiopeia.’ She has this untouchable aura…”

Five stars forming one brilliant constellation—Cassiopeia.

Nikaearsha, Cleas, Raphael, Lucvan, and Ulysses. People often grouped these five together and referred to them as such with admiration and envy.

‘…I’ve never been part of that.’

No matter how much she stuck close to them or tried to get in between them, she was never included in their group.

“Oh, Mikarin? How could she be lumped in with those five and called a star? If you really want to call her a star… maybe she’s more like a satellite.”

“Nikaearsha’s satellite. That’s right. Without Nikaearsha, she’s nothing.”

She was treated as nothing more than a satellite clinging to Nikaearsha.

‘…But things are going to change.’

And it turned out exactly as she had expected.