When The Villainess Loves

“What?”

For a moment, his strangely tense face showed relieve on it. I smiled inwardly at the strange face.

“Holding hands.”

There was a complex look an his face, a mixture of feelings of “Just?” and “Not this woman too?!”.
I smiled and said to him: “Sir, I like you, but it’s not really the feeling between a man and a woman. If you felt pressured by that thought, don’t do it. I’m, like, a friend… I want to be a friend to you….”

Eugene looked at me with a subtle expression after at my words.

“I see.”

“Yes.”

And a long time later, thoughtless and silent, he spoke politely: “Your Highness, you even if you don’t ask me to, I’ll protect you. At least while I’m at the palace. I swear on my honor.”

I hesitated. A declaration of return? No. No, I don’t think that was the case. Because he said  while he’s at the palace. Anyway, I feel really thankful for it.

“Oh, thank you very much, Lord Bolton!”

Eugene, who was about to say more, didn’t say what he was about to saying. Instead he answered chicly: “It’s not something to be grateful for. Well, please be careful on your way home.”

Wow, really.

He seemed to smile without much thought, but his face, with a smile on his red-lips the even reached his eyes, he gave me another shock. Even if he didn’t really want to be a Casanova, the people around him have no other choice but to think of him as one!

Just nodding my head to him I turned around, pretending to be calm. I patted my chest while thinking of his soft and polite words. You’ve worked hard today, heart.

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Eugene De Bolton was accustomed to get liked by the people around him. In fact, he didn’t even need put in extra effort. This is because he was born with such an inevitable charm. He knew it, too.

But it was a little different with the Princess. He could feel that she was genuinely interested in him, no matter why. But it wasn’t natural.

At first, he he was puzzled. It is not because of his appearance, but when she first saw him, she behaved indifferently, almost as if she’s not interested. But why did she meet up with him again and again then? With such doubts he began to go with her flow.

“Everyone said they wanted to leave, so I told them to leave.”

“Aha.”

However, the conversation we had at the space that her maid of honor recommend was impressive in many ways. The princess seemed relieved and lonely, perhaps just because of her mood.

Eugene asked with a grain of salt: “Then if I say that I’d like to leave, will you let me go as well?”

“Of course.”

And I was a little embarrassed by her answer that came out without any hesitation. The words that followed were even more embarrassing. It was no different to tell them to leave and to not come back. I feel like I’m being kicked out as I had hoped, but it’s not like that.

Oh, yeah. I felt strange because it was the first time I had ever seen a person who offered to release a free knight without any hesitation.

“Well, do you mean you’ve brought me here to tell me that?”

“Yes.”

She smiled brightly.

“But I would be very sad.”

It was true that there was regret, but it was a pure feeling without any hidden motive. In fact, the time the had spent together was more comfortable than he’d have thought. So Eugene decided to reconsider about the Princess a little bit. He kept being mindful of her possible other intentions, but that attitude of his didn’t last long.

“Nevertheless, I still like you, Sir Bolton. Even if you hate me.”

This Princess.

“It’s not a big deal, Sir. After sending out a lot of people, I suddenly thought of it.”

Was this the truth?

The gentle words spoken by her with a soft smile were elegant and also unpretentious.

‘But…’

He couldn’t believe her. Everyone wanted Eugene physically unless they felt particularly indifferent about him, like Princess Leticia. So he was still on guard.

“There’s no way that she truly only wants me to hold her sleeve.”’

Everyone wants me to hug them and touch them, but that’s her wish? In fact, even then, he couldn’t believe it. So he thought about it and now she wants to hold hands. He was out of his mind when he herd it.

Then she told him: ” Sir, I like you, but it’s not really the feeling between a man and a woman. If you felt pressured by that thought, don’t do it. I’m, like, a friend… I want to be a friend to you….”

A smiling face came, and it was clear again. Noticing the sincerity of her answer, which differ strongly from the other women, made the soaring vigilance inside him disappear as if it had never existed in the first place. He couldn’t tell if she had changed or if he had misunderstood her because of the many rumors about her.

But one thing was for certain. That she really is a weird one. After seeing him, she didn’t want anything sexual, all she wanted instead was him to hold her sleeve or to hold hands with him. How can someone’s way to like be so pure?

“I see.”

“Yes.”

It was the first time that it felt pointless to be vigilant.

‚I’ve never been friends with a woman before.‘

He thought that maybe it won’t be that bad.

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

The doctor felt sorry for himself for a while, but he left behind a message to let him know without delay if Cain knew was any information. Cain looked at the back of his head and rubbed his eyes as the door closed. He got pretty tired suddenly.

‘Did he say Raphaelis?’

It was ridiculous to think of the doctor who cried and went into detail. He felt sorry that they were so desperate. But thanks to the doctor, he found out about something, that he didn’t know.

Something happened that shouldn’t have happened.

They probably couldn’t afford to think of anything else. Unfortunately, however, the problem was that she heard the conversation herself.

“Princess Leticia.”

She seemed different from the rumor. The Princess he had seen through the half-open door, was not in line with rumors saying that she was the reincarnation of a winter witch made of ice. When he first saw her, she even smiled brightly. Her smile reminded him of the moonlight.

Her brightness clouded once she heard the words of the doctor.

“I can’t concentrate.”

He arranged the documents unusually early. Even though he was not acquainted with her, he wasn’t hash enough to be entirely unaffected by the tragedy that befalls someone else. He was a little sorry because he felt like he had discouraged them earlier. Suddenly he glanced down at his big, long hand. The white gloved hand was objectively elegant and beautiful, but they looked bloody in his eyes. But maybe…

……no. Let’s not waste my time with useless thoughts.

As soon as he got up after organizing all the documents, he heard a knock.

“……?”

At the first knock he had heard in a long time, the Duke greeted the incoming person with his back straightened.

“Oh. Are you going home?”

“Who are you?”

“It’s my first time greeting you in person. Nice to meet you. Please call me Bolton.”

Why the hell did he knock? A silver-haired knight leaned against the wide-open door of the office. Cain tilted his head as the knight approached without a hint and smiled lightly.

“What business do you have with me?”

“You’re as tough as the rumors say. May I call you sir?”

“Do as you please. What’s the deal?

Eugene smirked at Cain, who was coming closer with an indifferent face. The tone is the same as between a middle-aged men and a young men, but the Duke was about the same age as him. The two quickly figured out that they were different beings in every imaginable aspect. There was an unnatural silence. After a while,

Eugene opened his mouth first: “The doctor from earlier… May you tell me his name? And his details, if possible.”

That was obvious that he was asking for confirmation. But Cain just answered: “He’s a doctor of the Imperial Palace. You’ll be able to meet him since he belongs to the palace of the Imperial Princess.”

“Aha. Thank you for letting me know. By the way, did you just send him away?”

Cain paused at Eugene’s words. At the moment he stared at him, Eugene lightly expressed his admiration. This is because he had never seen someone’s appearance as eye-catching as he has.

[T/N: the heck?! we’re all the sudden talking about appearance? Why?]

“Oh, I see. You’re here to warn me, aren’t you?

“That’s right.”

“Not only the physician! but me as well… and furthermore…….”

To the Emperor.

Knowing the unspoken words, Eugene smiled softly and said with a sweet voice: “Now I’m working as her escort knight. Am I not supposed to protect my master, am I?”

He was here on his own accord and spoke smoothly. Cain, who watched his laid-back appearance, continued to gather the documents and answered: “It would be meaningless though. If he was careful to not create any rumors in the first place, he would have taken this information to the grave. Secrets are impossible to protect in the Imperial Palace.”

“That… .”

He can’t deny it, even though he’d rather have the doctor researching all by himself.

When Eugene sighed, Cain opened his mouth: “It’s not something to blame yourself for. The doctor said he spoke privately to only those who his Majesty the Emperor had approved of. His Majesty didn’t mean to keep it a secret in the first place.”

“I see.”

Eugene nodded with a look of disapproval. If the Emperor’s decision is involved, there is nothing to say about it.

“It wouldn’t have spread as much as it did if the doctor had been more careful. The situation earlier was unfortunate.”

“You should hope so. All right, then I’ll be taking my leave.”

Unlike when he came in, he turned around  elegantly with a polite farewell.

He’s  said to be a simple guy in many ways. Cain shook his head lightly. The rumours about Lord Bolton, the Free Knight, also seemed disbelievable. The abilities also seems to be significantly higher than is known.

“The rumor that he hates Princess Leticia were also complete nonsense.”

Cain quickly erased the platinum-haired lady that came to mind from his thoughts. Cain, however, stood still. Yeah, if it’s just helping a little it should be okay… . Cain, who clasped one hand carefully, soon headed towards the Emperor’s place.