I Possessed the Villain’s Daughter – Chapter 71

Alteo was walking out of the banquet hall.

The imperial corridors, adorned with gold, silver, silk, and all manner of precious treasures, were artworks in themselves.

He was lost in silence, replaying the events that had just occurred.

Even he thought his behavior had been uncharacteristic. Perhaps it was simply that he, too, still retained some human sentimentality.

A single knight walked beside him as his escort. The knight, well attuned to his lord’s mood, did not speak but quietly accompanied him.

Thanks to his perceptive escort, Alteo was able to reflect on various moments from the past.

He recalled what he had witnessed at imperial banquets since he was very young.

The green eyes he once thought beautiful had, over time, grown increasingly hostile toward him. And yet, in contrast, her silver hair had seemed to shine all the more brilliantly with each passing year—like light itself.

Alteo lowered his gaze.

Without a doubt, she had been dazzling in his life.

His mind was a mess, filled entirely with thoughts of the engagement. Alteo spoke briefly to his escort.

“Let’s return straight to my chambers.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The knight’s heavy voice sank low.

At that moment—

A tearful, trembling voice echoed from ahead.

“Wh-where am I…?!”

…A stranger’s voice.

Alteo and his escort exchanged glances.

This was the passage leading to Alteo’s private palace—an area secluded and intimate. The fact that someone had trespassed upon such a place filled Alteo with displeasure.

He quickened his pace, intending to drive out the intruder at once.

From the sound of it, it seemed to be a young lady who had lost her way.

Surely she wasn’t some woman pretending innocence, hoping to spend the night with him? If that was her plan, then tonight of all nights, he was far too tired.

He resolved to don his polite social mask and see her off.

Turning the corner, he found her standing there. Her back was turned, so her identity was unclear.

But he was certain he had never seen her before. Her dark violet hair was tied up high, and under the chandelier light, her pale nape shone brilliantly.

She turned her head.

“Ah…”

Her round eyes widened in surprise, their rims tinged red like a startled rabbit’s.

Alteo thought dispassionately:

She’s rather pretty.

But that was all. She was attractive, but a little ordinary.

In terms of beauty, she couldn’t compare to Eveharun or Laila, who had both been present in the banquet hall earlier. Those two were famed as the twin roses of the Empire, lauded for their unrivaled beauty.

Unlike those women, who treated Alteo coldly, this girl looked overjoyed to have found him.

It was no wonder. This corridor led only to Alteo’s palace, where he kept few attendants—he disliked noise and bustle. If she had been wandering alone for some time, of course she would be relieved to finally encounter someone.

“Um, um… excuse me…”

Though trembling, she approached him.

His escort’s hand instinctively went to his sword. Alteo silently lifted his hand to stop him. The young lady posed no threat whatsoever. If she was his subject, there was no need to leave a bad impression.

That was his thought, but what happened next caught even Alteo off guard.

From the start, her high-heeled shoes had seemed uncomfortable. Her steps had already been unsteady, and as she hurried toward him, she twisted her ankle on the flat marble floor.

Why was it…

Before he realized it, Alteo’s hand had shot out.

His body moved on its own.

Luckily, his timing was perfect—rather than falling onto the hard marble, she collapsed into his arms.

Her violet hair fluttered in the air, and the sweet scent of her perfume rose around him, like she herself was a bouquet of flowers.

She blinked up at him.

A ripple spread through his heart, round and overlapping. Alteo found himself at a loss for words.

The next instant, realizing she was in the arms of a strange man, she jolted upright in shock.

“I-I’m so sorry! I’m terribly clumsy…!”

Her face was flushed red. Normally, he would have just given a polite smile and moved on, but something in him felt strange—he couldn’t stop himself from asking:

“…Who are you?”

He was certain he had never seen her before. If he had, he would not have forgotten such unique violet hair.

She hesitated, then answered.

“Elia. Elia Emon.”

“Emon… the northern House of Emon?”

“Yes…”

Elia seemed curious about his name, but since he showed no intention of revealing it, she did not press further. She only glanced at him shyly. Her round eyes reminded him of a small animal, and he found it… a little endearing.

Elia carefully asked,

“Um, I’m sorry, but… could you tell me the way back to the banquet hall?”

“…Walk straight down this corridor, and at the fork, take the left.”

“Ah, thank you. You’re very kind.”

She smiled brightly at him. That expression made him blurt out another needless question.

“Is your ankle all right?”

“I-I’m fine. Truly, thank you…”

He had only asked because she had twisted it earlier and might be hurt, but Elia quickly shook her head. Every one of her reactions felt so fresh. After giving her thanks, she scurried off down the corridor.

Alteo stared after her, then finally resumed walking.

…It had only been a small incident.

He returned to his chambers.

“What course of action shall we take now?”

His escort asked politely, considerate of his master’s mood. After all, Alteo had just failed to win over Lady Laila—surely he would be in poor spirits.

But there was something odd.

Alteo did not feel particularly upset. That puzzled even him.

“…Proceed with the engagement as planned.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

His loyal knight bowed his head. Alteo’s men would see the matter resolved in the direction he desired.

And he, seated on this throne, needed only to watch. Soon, everything would fall into his hands.

Absentmindedly, Alteo looked down at his hand.

It seemed as though a floral fragrance lingered there.

I was idly passing time, sipping a cocktail. Then, a familiar face appeared before me.

“…Prince Thearoha?”

When I called his name, he smiled at me.

My heart skipped a beat at that smile.

He was nineteen now, long past his coming-of-age ceremony.

Over the past three years, Thea had grown even more handsome.

No longer a boy, the word “young man” suited him better now. And whenever his deep gaze turned toward me, it always softened with warmth.

People said no magician could rival him anymore—that only the great sages of antiquity could compare. Whether true or not, it meant his power was beyond extraordinary.

“Could you spare me a moment?”

Thea asked if we might talk on the terrace.

Strange, I’ve been visiting the terrace a lot today.

I chuckled to myself and went with him.

Though I had been there earlier, being at his side changed the feeling completely. Thea smiled gently.

“Next year, you’ll be graduating from the academy, won’t you?”

“Mm. I’m so busy with my thesis, I can barely breathe.”

I stretched and answered playfully. Such casual behavior might have been improper outside of family, but Thea and I had been close for so long we no longer cared.

“A court magician, huh…”

“Oh, right—didn’t the court magicians get reassigned under your command recently?”

The thought suddenly came to me, and I spoke it aloud.

“If I became a court magician, I’d technically be under your jurisdiction, wouldn’t I?”

I laughed lightly at the thought, but Thea’s face was surprisingly serious.

“Under my command…”

He stroked his chin, then looked at me.

“For some reason, I like the sound of that.”

“……”

His response made me stammer. Heat rushed to my face, and I turned away quickly.

“T-Thea, really…”

From behind me, as I gazed out over the imperial gardens, his amused voice came.

“By the way, next year you’ll be of age too, Lara.”

That’s right. Time had flown so quickly.

I was struck with sudden nostalgia.

My thirteenth birthday banquet—back then, there had been a boy with black hair standing hidden in the shadows of the garden.

I had thought him such a strange child. How had we come to be this close?

So much has happened since then.

The imperial hunting tournament, the Rose Festival, even small things like the Winter Strawberry gathering…

Whenever I was struggling, we would speak through the magic-stone necklace.

Thea had been one of my greatest supports in this world.

If not for him, could I have adapted so well here?

Thea remained silent. Embarrassed, I felt a sudden urge to thank him sincerely. I turned my head.

And realized—the reason he had been quiet all this time was because he had been watching me.

The moment I turned, my eyes met his. He was only a few steps behind me.

Closer than I had expected—close enough that we both froze.

“…Thea.”

I called his name, bewildered.

All around us was silence. The terrace doors were firmly shut, with only faint strains of festive music seeping through, reminding us faintly we were still within the palace walls.

But all that felt far away.

What was closest now was Thea—his golden eyes.

Once, I had been fooled into thinking his eyes were black.

But now, revealed in full, the imperial golden eyes were dazzling.

They shone like the full moon hanging in the night sky, like the hue of the finest magic stone, like the glow of his warm golden magic.

My reflection shimmered in his eyes.

What was he thinking of me, right now?

My lips parted.

I wanted to know his heart.

Perhaps because of that wish,

I found my eyes fluttering shut.

Thea’s hand slowly rose to rest on my shoulder.

And then—