When A Villain Meets A Villain - Chapter 48

“I commend you for your work, Grand Duke Blanc.”

With a satisfied smile, the emperor rose from his seat and looked downwards at Lionel, who was standing in the middle of the hall.

“To think that you managed to catch a wanted criminal that couldn’t be found even after combing through the Empire and bringing her here.”

The emperor’s words caused the crowd to start buzzing.

If he had truly caught the wanted criminal in order to win the emperor’s favour, that was tantamount to announcing that he was standing in the imperial faction.

There was a sense of dilemma on the faces of those in the aristocratic faction, and expectation on those in the imperial faction.

“Today was originally supposed to be a happy day, and everyone will be able to enjoy the feast with greater peace of mind due to your outstanding deeds.”

The smiling emperor concluded his words with an endlessly benevolent tone.

Instead of replying, the Grand Duke looked up at the emperor with an unreadable expression.

Their blue eyes met each other for a moment, before Lionel’s laughter that broke the silence.

“Your Majesty, you have quite a remarkable imagination.”

“How envious I am of you,” Lionel continued with a gentle voice, before speaking sarcastically.

“I’m not attending today’s banquet as the Grand Duke. Much less as a treacherous retainer that’s going nuts trying to please Your Majesty.”

His radical expression caused the aristocrats’ faces to pale. Although veins popped up prominently on the emperor’s wrinkled neck, he tried to portray the facade of a gentle monarch.

“If not? How are you going to explain yourself for bringing that villain to this place?”

Towards the obviously prickly question meant to judge him, Lionel responded with a smile like he was waiting for this.

“It’s a delightful day where Miss Atalante will be coming of age, so I am merely attending as my love’s debutante partner.”

Miss Atalante? My love?

Due to the series of incomprehensible words, a halt in the thought process of all that was present.

The first person to shake off his shock was Kaiser, the emperor that was utterly discomfited.

“You’ve gone mad. That woman is a wanted criminal. I’d personally stamped the seal onto the Imperial decree to capture her!”

The mask of Kaiser, who had a reputation for being a benevolent saint, cracked for the first time.

But Lionel didn’t seem to possess any hint of fear of an old lion’s ruckle.

Atalante was able to affirm this, as she heard Lionel, who was standing next to her, snort quietly at the emperor’s roar.

“It was definitely the case just now, but not anymore.”

“What?”

“Our Blanc family, who had made a great contribution to the revival of the Thessalia Empire, is capable of using immunity only once per generation.”

“You don’t mean!”

Blanc’s immunity was granted in honour of Imperial Princess Ariadna’s achievements, namely the sealing of demons in the Black Land.

As a result, the heads of the Blanc family are able to use immunity from all sins only once in their lifetime.

Of course, as a sign of loyalty, not using the immunity was an implicit practice, but Lionel didn’t follow that.

“I will use that immunity to absolve all of Atalante’s crimes.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“If you use your immunity today, you’ll receive punishment for whatever crimes that you’ve committed. It’s also a boon for Your Majesty, as you’ll be able to stop the buds of treason in advance.”

Lionel seemed to have seen through him, and added quietly.

The emperor was unable to deny that he was wary of the grand duke, and could only clench his teeth.

“I’m glad that you’ve approved of my request. In that case, do get rid of all the garbage on the roads.”

Right this instant.

Lionel, who was holding Atalante’s hand, slowly tilted his head upwards and spoke whisperingly.

The emperor stared at his arrogant gaze for a moment, before letting out a sigh and ordered the guards present in the hall.

“…… Destroy all of the wanted posters of Argo’s boss, Atalante.”

Perhaps because they wanted to escape from the suffocating hall quickly, the guards quickly made themselves scarce in order to perform their duties.

‘It’s really… settled.’

Just the fact that the wanted posters were destroyed, she would be able to catch her breath. Her heart pounded in anticipation of meeting the members of the organisation again soon.

Just as the performers that were observing the emperor’s mood were about to play the music that will mark the beginning of the debutante.

“Wait a moment, there’s a problem that hasn’t been resolved yet.”

At his words, the nobles, who’s knees were starting to numb, looked at the emperor with astonishment.

[T/N: I think the nobles are still in the bowing/curtsy pose for the emperor…]

“As everyone is aware, the debutante is a place where only the attendance of aristocratic children who are about to come of age is allowed. It also means that even if she isn’t a wanted criminal, it’s not an event that a commoner can participate in as she pleases.”

With an arrogant smile, the emperor’s gaze turned towards Atalante for the first time.

“Argo’s boss, Atalante.”

Instead of glaring at him, Atalante had a nonchalant look.

‘The Empire’s emperor ordered the killing of the head of the Blanc family, who was loyal to the imperial family. And also, it’s given to the boss of an underworld organisation.’

She also held the Emperor’s weakness, so she didn’t have to feel inferior.

“Yes, Your Highness the Emperor.”

The sound of Atalante’s mischievous answer caused a faint snort, but that only lasted for a moment.

“…We are addressed with Your Majesty, and not Your Highness.”

“Oh dear. I guess I was confused as I have only called His Highness the Grand Duke.”

The emperor’s stiffened face only lasted momentarily, as his sky-blue eyes gleamed while he spoke with a mocking tone.

“It’s understandable as the need to address an aristocrat you wouldn’t have appeared in your life. Instead of feeling uncomfortable in a place that’s ill-fitting with your position, why don’t you celebrate your coming of age in a place that suits you? For example, a simple bar at the folk festival.”

At his words, someone burst into unrestrained laughter, and the sound of laughter directed at her reached irreversible levels.

There wasn’t anyone that stopped the person next to them from laughing, but instead laughed along.

It was but a matter of course. She was only a commoner, no matter how notorious of a villain she was, and it was the privilege of nobility to disregard and mock commoners.

There were only three people that couldn’t laugh along. Pietro, Esma, and Tross. Ah, with the inclusion of Paulo, who originally didn’t smile, there were a total of four.

Lionel didn’t say anything until their laughter died down. The same goes for Atalante.

It would be a lie if she didn’t have any thought of running away just like that. But she had already promised Lionel.

‘I’ll do as I please.’

And Atalante wanted to be here right now. She didn’t want to run away like a criminal.

“The aristocrats of the empire really like to laugh.”

When the sound of laughter was barely present, the grand duke opened his mouth with a bright face.

“No, should I say that they’re unreserved?”

“Grand Duke, I’ve always treated you like a son and endured, but I can no longer put up with your mischief. To think that you’d bring an unbecoming woman to such a momentous occasion. You’re obviously ignoring both the imperial aristocrats and Us.”

After perfectly retracing his laughter, the emperor gave a warning in a voice that was annoyed and full of bloodthirstiness.

Even Atalante was taken aback by the clear show of anger.

However, Lionel was still very nonchalant.

“What do you mean unbecoming? You’re crossing the line, Your Majesty.”

As he snorted, he wrapped an arm around Atalante’s round shoulders affectionately.

“Atalante is going to be the Grand Duchess of Blanc, so why would you say that she’s unworthy?”

Even though he was wearing gloves, the hand that was touching her exposed shoulder felt very hot.

In fact, it might be Atalante’s shoulder, and not the grand duke’s hand, that actually heated up.

Everyone looked at the grand duke, who had his arm around a woman with an astonished gaze.

Come to think of it, didn’t the woman that the grand duke brought from the West had crimson hair? If that’s the case, really…

“…Grand Duke, are you serious?”

“I’m not adept at lying, unlike Your Majesty.”

The grand duke, who had whispered sarcasm-filled words, opened his mouth after sizing up those that were staring at him foolishly, starting from the emperor.

“Regardless of her origins, the person that will become the Grand Duchess will obviously be treated as quasi-noblemen even before their marriage. Rather, if you’re going to ignore our Grand Duchy, I think you should be eliminated. The same goes for those that laughed like they were breathing their last.”

“…….”

“I don’t feel too good.”

After speaking, he habitually reached out to his waist, but there was nothing that touched his hand.

This was all because of Atalante, who hid his sword while Lionel was bewitched by her after she had finished being dolled up a few hours ago.

“Miss Atalante, my sword…”

“It’s Your Highness’s fault for not even knowing that it was taken away.”

His mysteriously reproachful gaze was only directed at Atalante for a moment. After Lionel’s reproachful look was collected back, he immediately revealed a faint smile.

A shrewd little thief that’s so lovely that he was dying.

“It’s all thanks to my lover that I’m able to appreciate today’s banquet peacefully.”

With a slightly disappointed expression, he enunciated the word ‘lover’ with strength composedly.

It was something to be truly grateful for. If it weren’t for Atalante, someone might have been badly injured by the hand of that mad grand duke.

“Your Majesty, the banquet is about to start. Are there any other problems?”

Perhaps finding it boring to just stand there, Lionel rubbed his neck slowly and asked the emperor.

Of course, the reply was obvious.

“……There’s none.”

Lionel smiled satisfactorily and turned neatly to stand facing Atalante.

As she looked at his profound eyes, unfamiliar emotions seemed to form within her.

‘Drug. Acting. Villain.’

Atalante could only show a composed look after repeating these three words several times in order to suppress that sort of emotion.

Then, Lionel politely reached a hand out to her, and Atalante took his black gloved hand unhesitatingly.

“Congratulations on becoming an adult. My beloved Atalante

“…this is quite an overly grand celebration that I’m undeserving of.”

Lionel smiled happily at her reluctant answer, before turning his head to shoot a glance at the stiffened conductor and orchestra.

“It seems that there are those that have forgotten about what they had to do.”

The conductor, who was surprised by the cold voice, immediately began to play the music, and only then did the hall’s frigid atmosphere soften a little.

As the music announcing the opening resounded, the main characters of the debutante flocked to the center one by one.

Though confusion was still present in their eyes about what had just happened, they couldn’t go through the once-in-a-lifetime big day blankly.

“Well… Young Lord Sera, we should also head there, right?”

Esma approached Pietro, who was still stiffened, first and called out to him cautiously. Only then did Pietro come to his senses and reach his hand out towards her awkwardly, which was taken by Esma in an even more awkward motion.

Both were unable to erase their feelings of discomfort for varying reasons.

After confirming that everyone was standing with a partner, the conductor began to direct the tune for the first dance of the debutante.

In actual fact, everyone already knew even before the melody began.

The main characters of today’s debutante have already been decided.

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