The banquet hall, bustling with a mix of anticipation, jealousy, excitement, and worry.
At last, the door to the hall swung open.
With the resounding cries of knights echoing, the woman who appeared instantly captured everyone’s attention.
Her pink hair flowed down to her shoulders, revealing dazzling porcelain-like skin beneath it. Every little feature of her face was irresistibly adorable.
The Saint, Lilian Eldoria.
Some gazed at her with sharp scrutiny, while others seemed mesmerized by her lovely appearance, their cheeks flushed in a daze.
However, the saint herself appeared uncomfortable with the intense attention, casting anxious glances to and fro.
She seemed to be forcing an awkward smile, but…
Under the invisible pressure that pervaded the nobles, Lilian’s expression gradually darkened.
In the game, I had participated in the banquet with the excitement of making new friends.
But reality was cold. No one approached, and all Lilian could do was awkwardly hold her ground with an increasingly pale face.
‘This must be unfamiliar to her, having lived in the temple for so long.’
It was strange.
Seeing Lilian in distress, a sense of inexplicable satisfaction slowly bloomed deep inside me.
Perhaps it was due to the ugly nature buried within me that derives secret pleasure from the suffering of others.
At least when others are suffering, I don’t feel unhappy about myself.
Watching the lost Lilian with a smirk, I popped a snack into my mouth.
I normally wouldn’t relish such a situation, but oddly enough, Lilian’s plight felt quite delightful.
Maybe because she stood on the opposite end from someone like me, my envy naturally welled up.
I don’t know.
But I somehow felt this feeling wouldn’t last long.
Soon, a helping hand would reach out to her.
‘Right on time.’
In the tense banquet hall, a woman with blue hair approached Lilian.
Though she wore an ordinary dress, the sharp impression she exuded clearly distinguished her from other young ladies.
“Nice to meet you. I am Arien Kaltree.”
“Ah…!”
Relieved that someone spoke to her, Lilian’s expression brightened instantly from its previous pallor.
“Oh, hello! It’s truly a pleasure to meet you!”
Lilian grabbed Arien’s hand and greeted her in a lively tone.
‘Heh.’
Hearing her clumsy greeting made me inwardly chuckle.
One should be cautious when under so many stares.
To make such an informal introduction without even revealing her name and grabbing hands freely.
It was behavior devoid of any noble dignity, almost embarrassing to witness.
Lilian’s light-hearted tone only made some nobles’ gazes grow even colder.
‘Oh, right.’
Just a few days ago, Lilian was of no different status than a commoner.
Having gone from being a low-level priestess, doing menial chores in the temple, to suddenly attending a noble banquet, it was only natural that her awkwardness stood out.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Saint.”
“I’m honored as well!”
“Hehe, I have many people I’d like to introduce you to, Saint.”
But Arien didn’t seem to mind at all, giving a gentle smile while holding Lilian’s hand.
Under that kind touch, a blush began to spread across Lilian’s face.
“Kaltree… Isn’t that a marquis family from the empire’s border?”
As I watched Lilian’s actions, a calm voice came from behind. Mardian was staring at Lilian with half-opened red eyes.
‘Is she already intrigued by Lilian?’
Is this really unfolding just like the game’s storyline?
Upon hearing the news of the Saint’s arrival, Mardian and I stepped out from the balcony. I casually greeted Mardian intending to scope out the Saint, but…
[It’s been a while since we met, and you’re leaving already?]
With those words, Mardian tightly grasped my hand. Then, she led me to the sofa and made me sit on her lap.
Since then, Mardian had been slowly stroking my hair. It felt as though I had become a cat.
Honestly, it was unexpected.
In the past, she would’ve squeezed my butt the moment we met, but this light skinship was something else.
Could she have reflected during her period of restraint?
But sometimes, when she buried her face in my neck and inhaled like a pervert, I wondered if that was the case at all.
‘Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.’
After all, from this day on, Mardian’s interest would solely lie with Lilian.
So for today, it wouldn’t be so bad to show some magnanimity to the pervert who trampled me.
“I remember now, the Kaltree family. One of the families dedicated to the imperial army.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of them as well.”
“Heh, they’re a pitiful family that’s barely better than slaves.”
I nodded at Mardian’s voice, laced with mockery.
Currently, the nobles are largely divided into two factions.
The conservative faction and the noble faction.
The noble faction works for the prosperity of their families, harboring ambitions to lay the foundation of society through wealth and power.
The conservative faction, on the other hand, primarily consists of those who pledge loyalty to the imperial authority, devoting themselves to the empire. They place great importance on the royal family’s prestige and focus on maintaining tradition and order.
The saint is the embodiment of the glory of the royal family and temple. Thus, she is a thorn in the side for the noble faction hoping to see the imperial authority weaken.
The Kaltree family nurtures talent for the imperial military and builds knight orders. It’s a clear conservative family. So naturally, Arien would have feelings for Lilian.
While families like Mardian’s and Viviana’s, with enormous personal family powers, regard Kaltree as a target of wariness, it is the opposite for those aligned with the conservative faction.
Naturally, our Blanc family is leaning closer to the noble faction.
“Tina, do you have a connection with the Saint?”
A serene voice slipped from Mardian’s lips, sounding rather disturbed.
I turned my head back. Mardian’s gaze was solely on Lilian. As I met the icy gaze of the villainess, a chill ran through my spine.
Here it comes.
Lilian caught Mardian’s eye.
Mardian would become increasingly interested in Lilian.
She would torment her mercilessly, dumping all the vile sins of the villainess lurking within her upon Lilian.
“What do you think of the Saint, Mardian?”
I asked Mardian, hiding my true intentions. Perhaps my question didn’t sit well with her, as she frowned and replied.
“I find her ridiculous. Bestowing a title of saint to a commoner still makes her a commoner.”
That was a satisfying answer.
Should I prod a bit more?
“Um… But the Saint treats the nobles with such familiarity. To me, she seems like she views them as ‘friends’.”
“Ignorance is a trait of common folk.”
The gentle touch that had been stroking my head suddenly came to a halt.
“The Saint…”
From between her red lips, the villainess’s voice slipped out. Her blood-red eyes flickered slowly yet intensely.
Confronted by that gaze, I immediately sensed it.
‘Now she’ll be heading toward Lilian.’
Regardless of the route, their meeting was inevitable.
No matter how saintly she might be, Lilian wouldn’t escape the flow of this grand fate.
“Tina.”
Mardian called my name, pulling my gaze towards her.
I looked up at her with an innocent expression, feigning ignorance.
“Yes, Mardian.”
I express my regrets to you, Lilian.
Soon, the worst villainess will come for you.
“Do you really like that girl?”
I’ll be watching closely to see how you endure Mardian’s daily torment.
Eventually, that will lead to me becoming distant from you.
But what did Mardian just ask?
…Did I hear that correctly?
…Huh?
“Excuse me?”
“Why do you keep staring at that girl instead of me?”
“…Huh?”
Mardian’s blood-red eyes seethed with fury.
But those eyes were directed solely at me.
“Ahh!”
Mardian’s hand, which had been stroking my hair, slowly slid down my waist and grasped my butt tightly.
“Ha… I’m trying to slowly build a good relationship with you, but doing this again…”
CRACK-!
“Ugh…! M-Mardian! Th-There are people around…”
“It’s fine. It’s from an angle that people can’t see. Just keep your expression in check.”
W-What is this crazy perverted villainess doing in public?
“M-Mardian? W-Why don’t we go see the Saint together?”
I tried to divert Mardian’s interest towards Lilian, but that only seemed to fan her anger even further.
“…If your plan was to incite jealousy, then it succeeded.”
“Ugh?!”
Once more, Mardian squeezed my butt.
I quickly clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle a moan and curled up in distress.
Unlike the rather timid Viviana, Mardian’s gestures were laden with sinister desire.
‘Reflection? Please, it’s as if nothing has changed…!’
“Did you grow fonder in my absence? How much have you been rolling around with Princess Viviana to turn out so lewd?”
Mardian’s voice turned icy. I couldn’t comprehend what could possibly make her this upset.
“N-No, I mean, that saint is…”
“…Should I kidnap her and ensure she can never think of being a saint again?”
Her voice dripped with sincerity, sealing my lips shut.
A trickle of cold sweat ran down my back.
‘H-Huh…? This isn’t good.’
An inevitable event that occurs regardless of the route taken.
I knew that for sure…?
But why…
Why does it seem like there’s no interest in Lilian at all?
