I Became the Villain’s Lost Daughter - Chapter 73

As the people chattering disappeared, Callian’s gaze turned to the end of the banquet hall.

Callian’s eyes, which we’re looking at someone for a while, sank low for a moment. There, he saw an aristocratic young man asking a lady to dance, the young man with an innocent face was slightly blushing.

In the Empire, courtship was not shameful. So, it was a common sight to show interest in someone you like.

Especially at a party like this. But Callian couldn’t pass through those scenes determinedly.

“…Erita.’”

Because the target of courtship was Erita Krovachatz, who was smiling while her eyes were slightly curved looking at the young nobleman.

The person he most wanted to meet when he came here, and Erita must be busy to see that.

Callian wanted to get up at any moment and try to suppress his desire to approach her. His conversation with Erita had to be kept private from others.

In that state, Callian’s secret meeting ended, and there was no contact between him and the Grand Duchess.

‘If I approach her, the Empress will definitely notice.’

If that happens, Erita will be forced to participate in this muddy fight against her will.

One day she’ll know, but Callian wanted her to stay clean and safe until the end. But he already knew that he had made her home on that wish.

‘They say that human greed has no end, and I am just like that.’ Callian sneered at himself inwardly.

Despite his vow not to approach her until it was all over, the glance he caught made him crave for her over and over again.

His fake name, fake identity, knowing that one day she would know the truth, he coveted a moment’s sweetness.

Zerop, who was talking, closed his lips coldly. He knew Aaron wouldn’t say anything about this, but seeing those red eyes made him automatically shut his lips.

‘…If you glare at me like that, I can’t help but shiver.’

Zerop was also at a high level in swordsmanship, but it was incomparable to the person in front of him.

If I hadn’t had a friendly relationship with such a purpose, it would have been difficult to talk to. No, to be precise, it was thanks to the fact that I had been close friends with him for two years.

As evidence, even those who stand on the same side cannot easily approach the Grand Duke of Krovachatz and the Grand Duke of the Knights.

“Do you know his personality?”

A little while ago, when I remembered Aaron, who was kinder to the Grand Duchess than anyone else, I thought of that for nothing.

Although Erita knew Aaron more than a few years ago. After that, Aaron and Zerop talked about their future plans.

It’s not as important as it’s an open space, but it was enough to make a brief report.

“He beat the blue sword once before he started.”

Zerop’s light expression on his face was still there, but even the content that came and went wasn’t light.

“A blue sword?”

Aaron’s eyes reached Zerop when he heard him.

Zerop spoke softly, “Yes, I heard that a foreign object came out on the way and left it in the blacksmith’s shop, so you’d better go and check it out yourself when you have time.”

On the surface, he seemed to be talking about the sword in a normal way. Who knows that conversation was about the attempted poisoning of Callian today.

Moreover, it was even more so because the expressions of the two people who continued talking were calm.

“Okay. I’ll see you in a few days.”

That’s when they were talking about a lot of things in a calm manner.

Aaron’s eyes were in one place.

There he had a younger sister whom he loved.

“…Erita?”

His voice was filled with anger from embarrassment and worry. Erita’s face was pale as she walked without the jacket he put earlier on her shoulder.

Aaron’s expression froze cold in an instant when he saw the appearance that looked bad to anyone. It was bright before she went to the balcony.

“Zerop, I’ll talk to you later.”

Aaron took the first step over Zerop, who still didn’t know what was going on.

As he strode, he quickly disappeared from Zerop’s sight.

“…What is it?”

After Aaron had left, Zerop, left alone, was still puzzled.

✿

After Thane left, Erita stood there for about a dozen minutes and organised her thoughts.

‘I’m going to take a little rest for now.’

I looked around, rubbing my feisty cheeks in less than an hour. I saw a familiar face far away, but I deliberately pulled my gaze away from it.

Even when I went out to the balcony, thoughts about him filled my head. I wasn’t confident to see how he feels now.

‘…I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.’

The female protagonist, who I thought would naturally connect to Callian, disappeared without leaving a trace.

I don’t want to admit it, but what the letter says was true. Yurgen’s carefully selected informants were outstanding.

So it was just my hope to think it was a mistake.

It was then, the moment I made eye contact with Aaron, who was approaching.

“Brother?”

For some reason, his stiff expression popped out as if he was wondering.

It was an instant before Aaron arrived in front of me. He grabbed my shoulders so that it didn’t hurt, and then took a look around my face.

His gaze was brimming with concern.

“…Did my expression look bad even from afar?”

That was the only reason Aaron came up and looked at me like this.

“Erita, what happened?”

Contrary to his sweet voice, Aaron’s expression in front of me was terribly cold.

It’s been a long time since I saw Aaron’s cold face. Perhaps he noticed it too, and his cold, hardened eyes softened.

“Erita, did you hear anything bad?”

He asked again in a low voice.

This time, his face looked sweet, but the tone of his voice was serious.

I had to struggle constantly to clear up Aaron’s misunderstanding. It was just my personal problem that I can’t handle my expression.

“I’m okay. It’s true!”

Aaron nodded reluctantly after a long denial of what I answered. However, his expression was still full of worries about whether he could not fully believe it.

“If you’re worried about going out early, you don’t have to worry… You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I know that. It’s just that I want to stay longer.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Sure. It’s really okay.”

I smiled brighter and replied, “It’s really okay.”

Aaron said it was fine to leave early, but leaving the seat in front of them at a banquet involving the Emperor or Empress was explicitly forbidden.

It was not set by law, but it was a publicly known rule.

“It was my first time having such a big party, so I must have been a little nervous. It’s not that I’m not feeling well, so I can stay longer. Yes?”

I tilted my head to Aaron’s still worried face and gently waved his arm.

Of course, as Aaron said, we knew that our family didn’t need to look out for the Imperial Family.

But even considering my plan, it was more profitable to keep my seat now. There’s nothing good about pulling the Empress’ nerves over something like this.

For now, I have to avoid the Empress’ gaze as much as possible.

Now that it was ruined and distorted, it couldn’t be said that it was the same world as the original, but all I could trust now was a plan I had made.

Even though I don’t know when or how Ayla disappeared, time goes by as usual. If it weren’t for that fact, I’d be gone, too.

“Yes? Brother…”

Aaron’s expression softened as I waved his arm once more. I didn’t look in the mirror, but fortunately, I know my face now looked pale as usual.

“…Okay. Instead, don’t overdo it.”

“I will!”, Erita readily answered.

I nodded vigorously because his mind would change in a second. It was very fortunate that my father was not here.

If the two of us had asked us to go back together, I wouldn’t have been able to win either.

Fortunately for the sad part, the Empress left the banquet hall shortly after, and about five minutes later, my father also left us, whom I encountered just in time.

On the surface, I said it was okay, but in fact, I was exhausted, so I didn’t notice the blue gaze staring behind me.