When A Villain Meets A Villain - Chapter 54

Even though there were two time bombs, the Grand Duke of Blanc and the villain Atalante, the first banquet of the founding festival was going smoothly.

“To think that the Grand Duke actually remained at the Imperial Banquet for this long. It’s unbelievable.”

“More importantly, look at her frivolous back. Isn’t that akin to blatantly proving the rough life that she’d lead.”

“Uhm, to be honest, I think she’s really beautiful….”

Although she could feel cutting gazes, curious eyes and strangely envious looks that were directed at her with her entire body, Atalante didn’t pay it any mind.

Rather than saying that she was much better at adapting to those gazes, it’s because there was something that she had to pay more attention to.

‘Lionel has a sword today.’

Atalante swallowed dryly as she looked down at the long sword, which was splendidly located under the golden coloured baldric. She had tried to sneak the sword away like she had done so yesterday, but it was impossible.

“Not wearing the sword that conquered the Grand Duchy is no different from not wearing underwear properly!”

After helping to deck out the grand duke, Gianna, who had a dreamy look on her face, stopped Atalante from stealing the sword resolutely.

Even so, he was a so-called grand duke, so it would be troubling to seize his underwear. As such, Atalante had no choice but to bite the bullet and watch Lionel fasten his sword into place.

Anyways, there was no use crying over spilled milk, so Atalante vowed that no matter what happens today, she wouldn’t allow that sword to be unsheathed.

‘I had barely managed to remove my wanted criminal label, so I can’t face a similar crisis due to this guy’s unpredictable behaviour.’

but I can’t be in a similar crisis because of this guy’s unexpected behaviour.’

Without knowing what she was thinking, Lionel smiled affectionately when he made eye contact with Atalante.

‘I’d clearly told you not to smile like that.’

Even from a side view, it was a smile that caused excessive harm to the viewer. But if she left it unsaid, he’d do much more harm to herself. With overly sweet words and actions.

Atalante, whose mouth was closed, merely took a sip from the drink that Lionel had given her.

“H—hello.”

The sound of an awkward greeting came from behind. There were only three people that she was acquainted with at this banquet. Esma and Pietro as well as Tross. Ah, including Count Sera, who she’d taught a lesson previously, there were four in total.

‘I don’t see that person.’

Unable to find that sh*tty Count Sera’s red hair, turned around indifferently and faced the person that called her.

“Who?”

“I—I’m Lillica, daughter of Count Union!”

The one that called her was a young aristocratic daughter, who seemed to be around ten years old at best.

Perhaps out of nervousness, after Atalante spoke, Lillica’s voice trembled to the point where she wondered if she was alright.

“It’s Paulo’s younger sister.”

Lionel followed Atalante’s line of sight and looked at Lillica, before murmuring with an insipid voice.

“T—That’s right. H—hello! How do you do, Your Highness. I’m Lillica Union.”

“Your reason for starting a conversation with Miss Atalante?”

The cute young lady’s greeting was responded to by Lionel with a frigid voice.

“That’s,” the lips of the blue haired young lady kept twitching for a long time, and only babbled when Lionel rebuked, “What.”

“You’re so beautiful, Young Lady! I’m a fan.”

Fan? At the strange words, Atalante couldn’t help but frown. Of course, there was something more offending than that.

“I’m not a young lady.”

“Oh, yes. In that case, what should I call you?”

“Don’t call her.”

Lionel responded in her stead, and wrapped his arm around Atalante’s shoulder like he wanted to change locations.

However, Atalante seemed like the type that… liked cute things very much. Be it a person, an animal, or an object.

“You can call me Atalante.”

Lillica, who had turned pale with terror because of Lionel, regained her original complexion upon hearing Atalante’s answer.

“B—but my teacher said that I shouldn’t recklessly call someone else’s name……”

“Then, call me boss.”

“Well then,” Atalante said, like she was annoyed, and was about to move to another place along with those words.

“Boss! Amazing!”

It was obvious that Lillica, who was still young, didn’t know the actual meaning of that word.

By the time she shouted, “Boss,” with twinkling eyes for the tenth time, a stiff-faced man approached them.

“Lillica.”

“Brother!”

The man that was called ‘Brother’ by Lillica, had darker blue hair than her and gray eyes that was reminiscent of a deep snow field.

“I’m sorry, Grand Duke. And Lady. My younger sister has been impolite.”

Unlike his expressionless face, there was an apologetic look in his eyes.

“I wasn’t impolite! I followed how the teacher taught me and talked to her with courtesy.”

Lillica looked up at her ‘older brother’ with a chagrined expression. Though it only lasted for a moment, a friendly smile appeared on his expressionless face, before disappearing.

Paulo patted Lillica’s head lightly, and turned his gaze towards the grand duke and Atalante immediately.

“It’s my first time meeting you, Lady. I’m Paulo Union. Please forgive my younger sister’s impoliteness.”

The young man, who was about the same height as Lionel, was a handsome man that gave a firm and composed impression.

‘Paulo Union. The eldest son of the Count of the aristocratic faction.’

As she wasn’t particularly impolite, Atalante was about to say that it was alright, but Lionel was a little faster.

Lionel let out a light sigh, and instead of saying that it was alright, he said something else.

“She didn’t do anything rude. It was just irksome.”

Who’s the one that is really irksome here?

But the grand duke didn’t feel Atalante’s sharp gaze.

“In that case, my apologies for that. My younger sister is still young and too frank.”

“In the past, I’d only seen her squirm around, but now she’s even able to speak.”

“It’s because Lillica was just born then. The Grand Duke and I were still young, but now, I have also become an adult.”

Perhaps Paulo and Lionel were old acquaintances.

A young Lionel Blanc, it was somewhat unimaginable.

The two conversed about various things quite comfortably. Atalante felt amazed that the grand duke could have a normal conversation with other people.

Before she knew it, the attention of others began to focus on the four of them.

It’s amazing that they spoke to the Grand Duke of Blanc and Atalante first, but to think that they managed to hold such a long conversation.

Their gazes must have been filled with such thoughts.

Paulo soon noticed the gazes on him, and he opened his mouth with a slight frown.

“Well then, may I take my sister with me now?”

“Go ahead.”

As soon as he was permitted, Paulo left a dignified greeting and disappeared while holding his sister’s hand.

“S—see you next time, boss!”

Lillica, who looked back with disappointment, waved the hand that wasn’t holding her brother’s.

Atalante, who unintentionally waved back to Lillica, folded her hand behind her back with an embarrassed look.

Lionel looked downwards at her with an odd gaze, and murmured in a small voice like he was talking to himself.

“It seems that Miss Atalante likes children.”

“No! It’s just… she’s cute.”

“Do you like cute things?”

“Is there anyone in this world that doesn’t like cute things?”

With wide eyes, Atalante, who asked back with a hint of rebuke, felt awkward and continued to drink her beverage.

“How do you do, Lady.”

She heard a voice calling her again. This time, the ones that called her were the young ladies in the same generation as her.

In the midst of the group, Esma could be seen with an awkward smile on her face. Although she felt oddly joyful, Atalante had to clearly distinguish between public and private interests.

“Who are you?”

“I am Vanessa Elphiorim, daughter of the Marquis of Elphiorim.”

Starting with the introduction of a bright-looking young lady, who seemed to be the group’s leader, six or seven young ladies introduced themselves one by one.

Elphiorim, Evita, Pedira, etc. They were all names of powerful families in the imperial faction.

“…I’m Milvia Sera.”

Oh, so that’s the real Milvia.

Her previous actions of identity theft caused a pang of guilt, and she stole a glance at the Grand Duke, but his side profile was as indifferent as ever.

“I’m Atalante, do you need something from me?”

Vanessa’s haughty mask was slightly broken by Atalante’s indifferent response, but hardly noticeable because of the slight difference.

“I’ve been waiting to speak to the Lady since a while ago, but I was anxious about whether I’d be impolite.”

“Why me?”

Vanessa’s mouth trembled, perhaps also finding the odd shortness of her words offensive. However, she was an outstanding noble young lady, so she was quite adept at hiding her feelings.

“Since yesterday’s debut, the Lady has become the focus of the aristocratic society’s attention, so it’s natural to want to be acquainted.”

“Attention? Me?”

“Yes, the topic of Miss Atalante’s beauty stormed through the capital yesterday. They said that the goddess of the night had descended. After seeing you in person today, I feel that those rumours weren’t an exaggeration.”

Atalante’s ears turned red at the embarrassing nickname. Perhaps Vanessa’s tongue was oiled, as she continued to compliment her without pause.

Whenever that happened, the young ladies that stood behind her would let out sincere admiration, saying, “That’s right,” and “Truly.”

At the shower of praises that she’d received for the first time ever, a subtle gleam appeared within Atalante’s purple eyes. The more excited she was, the more subdued Lionel’s mood became.

It’s because it was never a good thing for Atalante, who wanted him to leave her alone, to have acquaintances.

However…

“A kind, generous, and magnanimous man.”

Atalante, who leaned towards such types of men, would surely hate it if he displayed childish possessiveness.

Didn’t she like how he had treated Tross nicely last time? He recalled the compliments that he’d received from Atalante, Lionel resisted the urge to clean up these cumbersome women.

“If it’s alright, may I excuse myself for a moment?”

On top of that, Lionel squeezed out the next three years’ worth of patience and even made an offer that was unlike him.

It’s because it seems uncomfortable for her if he were to stand next to her when she was socialising with similarly aged young ladies.

It was the first time Atalante was socialising with someone that wasn’t a member of the organisation or affiliated with the underworld.

Actually, she would have avoided the situation first if they were people that she was meeting for the first time, but Esma was within that group of people.

“Then, I appreciate it, but just for a while.”

“Not for too long,” Atalante added, and secretly looked at Lionel with an excited gaze.

Even though he knew that sentiment wasn’t directed at him, Lionel was engulfed with a strange impulse.

“I, too, don’t want to be absent for a long time, so I’ll be back before Miss Atalante misses me.”

‘Then you wouldn’t return for the rest of my life.’

Instead of voicing the words that rose up her throat, Atalante gave an awkward smile.

She was currently in the position of his lover, so even if she didn’t show a mushy appearance, at the very least, she shouldn’t overstep her bounds excessively.

“This is Miss Atalante’s first social gathering. Do make sure that she’s entertained.”

Lionel kissed Atalante lightly on the back of her hand, and looked at the blushing young ladies that were standing there.

“Of course, Grand Duke.”

“One more thing. As far as she is concerned, please be cautious with your choice of words.”

“Yes?”

“Because there are many eyes and ears.”

Lionel, who added sanguineous words in a friendly manner, only moved away after brushing his lips against Atalante’s crimson hair.

They might not know much, but if anyone said nonsense to the grand duke’s lover, they had a strong premonition that every bone in their body would be broken.

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