Chapter 66

Time flew by like an arrow.

The days spent with my mother, being spoiled, passed so quickly. And finally, the day of the banquet that the entire Empire had been eagerly awaiting arrived.

“Tina!”

In the banquet hall where countless nobles were engaged in conversation, a loud voice echoed, drawing everyone’s attention.

The owner of the voice, a woman with long, flowing purple hair, called out to me with an emotional expression.

“Sharrione!”

“Tina…! It’s been so long!”

Sharrione, one of my patrons, forgot her usual dignified noble demeanor and warmly welcomed me, clearly showing her joy at seeing me.

Did she really miss me that much? I suppressed my trembling lips and instead gave her a pure, bright smile.

“It’s been a while, Sharrione. I really, really missed you.”

Without hesitation, I ran into her arms. Sharrione gently hugged me. We began to catch up, asking about each other’s well-being.

The Saintess, the main guest of the banquet, had not yet arrived, so the nobles were mingling and chatting around the banquet hall.

As Sharrione and I talked, other young ladies began to gather around us, and I naturally blended into the social circle.

“Without Tina, I always felt so lonely without someone to pat my head,” one young lady said softly as she stroked my hair.

“That’s right, without Tina’s smile, the atmosphere has become much duller,” another added.

Amidst the warm words of the passing young ladies, I fully returned to the social circle.

Another young lady looked at me with affectionate eyes and said, “But how fortunate it is that you’ve returned. You’ll continue attending banquets now, right, Tina?”

Sharrione gently sat me on her lap. I smiled brightly as the young ladies fussed over me.

“Yes! Now that I’m free, I will.”

I noticed a slight tremor in Sharrione’s eyes, but she soon smiled again and patted my head.

‘She’s pretending not to know.’

I could sense the emotions hidden behind her smile, but I just maintained a cheerful expression to match the mood.

She must have heard about what happened at the Merdelia Ducal Family. Yet, the fact that she didn’t mention it at all made me realize just how powerful the Ducal Family’s influence was.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and small talk, the conversation naturally shifted to the main guest of the banquet.

“By the way, a Saintess… I was really surprised.”

“Right, it’s been 500 years since the last oracle about a Saintess, hasn’t it?”

As the topic of the Saintess came up, the atmosphere grew even more heated. The only news that had spread was that an oracle had been received; there was no information about who she was or what her personality was like.

Not even her age was known, so no one could tell if she was a young girl or an old woman. It was no wonder people’s curiosity was piqued.

‘I wonder what expressions they’ll make when they find out the Saintess is a commoner.’

They’d probably be shocked.

A Saintess of even lower status than me.

It was only natural that Lillian would become the subject of noble gossip.

For a while, many would likely mock and slander her behind her back. Especially high-ranking nobles like Sharrione would undoubtedly be hostile toward Lillian.

No matter how much of a Saintess she was, it wouldn’t be easy for them to accept a commoner standing on the same level as them. Moreover, the Saintess was a figure who strengthened the imperial and temple’s power, making her an unwelcome presence among the wealthy nobles.

Even in the game, Lillian had to endure the nobles’ scrutiny for a while. But unlike Viviana, Lillian had a steel-like mentality, so it wasn’t a big issue for her.

Slowly gathering allies, expanding her influence, and solidifying her position in the social circle were Lillian’s main goals as a character.

The process of winning over the nobles who initially dismissed her was one of the greatest pleasures of playing as Lillian.

In fact, the difficulty wasn’t that high.

Expanding her influence as Lillian, whose charm stat was nearly maxed out, was as easy as it got.

Just greeting NPCs would increase their favorability. When I first saw that, I thought, “Is there another cheat-level character like this?”

In just two years, the entire Empire would likely praise the Saintess and regard her as an angel descended from heaven.

‘Not my problem, though.’

Honestly, what happened to Lillian didn’t concern me.

In the early stages, Lillian faced a lot of scrutiny from the nobles.

I had no intention of getting involved and suffering the consequences.

She would live her life, and I would live mine.

I had already paid off all the family debts, and now all that was left was to slowly build up my wealth and live happily with my mother in the mansion, free from worries about old age.

“Tina.”

Sharrione’s soft voice interrupted my thoughts. I naturally leaned my head on her shoulder and acted a little coy.

“There’s someone who really wants to see you right now.”

“Someone who wants to see me?”

“Yes.”

There were more than a few people who wanted to see me.

“They’re waiting eagerly for you on that balcony over there.”

Sharrione only said that much, giving no hint as to who it was.

A sense of wariness about the unknown person arose, but it was unlikely that anyone would cause trouble at a banquet hosted by the Imperial Palace.

“Um… Okay. I understand.”

With a puzzled heart, I got up from my seat. Sharrione smiled and gently stroked my hand.

“It’ll be fine, Tina.”

I was fine until just now.

Her words made me unnecessarily nervous.

But of course, there was no reason to say that to Sharrione. She wasn’t as influential as Viviana, but she was still a noble from a powerful Count family.

I left a brief smile and moved to another seat.

I took a moment to catch my breath away from the bustling atmosphere of the banquet. As I opened the terrace door and stepped out, the cold night air greeted me.

At the end of the balcony stood a woman.

Her long, flowing golden hair shimmered softly under the moonlight. This golden hair, tinted with a golden hue, belonged to only one person I knew.

“…Huh?”

She turned to look at me.

Her blood-red eyes stared at me through her long, elegantly lowered eyelashes. Looking into those eyes, my body naturally stiffened.

“It’s been a while, Tina.”

“M-Mardian.”

“I told you to call me ‘unnie’ when we’re alone.”

Her fierce, predatory gaze seemed to ensnare me.

“You don’t look well, Tina.”

A smile spread across her lips. Her lips alone might have looked gentle, but her overall impression, reminiscent of a villainess, made my body freeze.

But that was only for a moment.

Upon reflection, there was no reason to be afraid of her anymore.

It had been so long since I last saw her, so I was startled, but it was only natural that Mardian would be here.

It was a banquet directly hosted by the Imperial Family.

It was only natural that she couldn’t miss it without a good reason. It was my mistake for not thinking about Mardian’s presence.

Moreover, several months had passed since that incident. The period of reflection I received as punishment for the crime of assaulting me should be coming to an end by now.

“Tina, aren’t you happy to see me after so long?”

Mardian spread her arms and approached me. I unconsciously took a step back.

Her blood-red eyes, filled with dark desires, remained the same.

This was an unexpected situation, but there was no need to be afraid.

In fact, it was a relief.

“It’s been a while, Mardian.”

I took a step toward Mardian. She raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.

“That’s not the reaction I expected.”

“What reaction were you expecting?”

“I thought you’d tremble like a scared rabbit, but you seem more composed than I expected.”

“The past is in the past.”

“…Oh my.”

Mardian’s arm wrapped around my waist, and in an instant, she pulled me toward her.

Before I could even react to the sudden situation, Mardian whispered close to my ear.

“Too bad. The sight of a little rabbit trembling and crying would have been quite adorable.”

“Ugh.”

Her sticky yet elegant voice seeped into my ear. Mardian buried her face in my neck and took a deep breath.

The sensation of her breath against my skin made my body stiffen. An uncomfortable feeling mixed with a strange tension churned in my chest.

“Ha… I’ve missed this scent so much.”

“…This, um.”

“I want to love you so much right now.”

“…”

Mardian’s sinister hand caressed my side. She was still trying to pour out her abnormal desires on me.

People really don’t change.

I had wondered if she might change during her period of reflection, but our wicked villainess remained the same.

Now she was openly expressing her dark thoughts to me.

But it was fine.

In fact, I was relieved that Mardian hadn’t changed.

“Mardian… I’m still very scared.”

I carefully extricated myself from her embrace. Mardian looked down at me with her deep red eyes.

A tear formed in the corner of my eye, and I put on a sorrowful expression.

Deliberately trembling, I gently held onto Mardian’s dress and looked up at her with a subdued gaze.

“I really liked you, Mardian. I still think I do… I want to slowly build a relationship with you.”

“…”

Her red eyes grew even more violent, but Mardian remained silent.

As the night air on the terrace grew colder, after a long wait, Mardian finally let out a short sigh and nodded.

“Hoho, I’m just grateful you’re not avoiding me.”

Avoiding her?

Mardian was the ultimate villainess in this world. There was no benefit in getting on her bad side. Maintaining a decent relationship with her was the wisest choice.

“Let’s slowly build our relationship, as you said.”

“…Yes, Mardian.”

Too bad, Mardian.

Unfortunately, you won’t have time to pay attention to me anymore.

**[The Saintess has arrived!]**

A loud voice echoed through the banquet hall. The sound was so loud that it reached even the terrace outside.

I paused my conversation with Mardian and listened to the reactions of the people inside through the window. The news of the Saintess’s arrival caused quite a commotion in the hall.

‘Nice timing.’

I felt grateful to our protagonist for appearing at just the right moment.

“Mardian, let’s catch up later and go see the Saintess.”

“…Hmm.”

There was only one reason I wasn’t worried about Mardian.

It was Lillian’s existence.

She was Mardian’s soulmate.

The two were inseparable.

Lillian was the one who made Mardian the ultimate villainess.

Just as Batman completes the Joker, only Lillian could complete Mardian’s character arc.

In other words, Lillian was the reason for Mardian’s existence.

No matter which route you chose in the game, the bond between Lillian and Mardian would continue endlessly.

Even until the moment the executioner’s blade fell on Mardian’s neck, their relationship would reveal a deeper color than that of lovers.

In such a situation, Mardian wouldn’t have the time to pay attention to me as she did before.

“…You seem quite interested in the Saintess?”

Mardian looked at me with narrowed eyes.

I smiled softly and replied.

“Yes, it’s the Saintess who appeared after 500 years!”

I took Mardian’s hand and headed toward the terrace railing.

After briefly gazing at the vast night sky, I glanced toward the banquet entrance.

‘Found her.’

There was no need to search hard; I could recognize her at a glance.

Her pink hair, clearly visible even from a distance, had a lovely glow. Her skin, whiter than my face, seemed to evoke a protective instinct.

The white dress she wore evoked the purity and serenity of an angel, like a beautiful flower blooming under the endless night sky.

‘…She really is pretty.’

Her delicate features, as if sculpted by a god, were complemented by a shy smile.

Lillian Eldoria.

Finally, the second protagonist had made her appearance in the social circle.

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