When the Villains Unite - Chapter 5; Part 2

“Ugh… I’m nervous to go inside…”

The parties I know are more like clubs, so I’m not used to servants shouting my name as I enter to announce my arrival. Still, I’m not worried because I know I’ll have the Orca brothers next to me. I was reassured by their tight grip on my hands.

“Sis, are you nervous?”

“Yeah… a little.”

“That’s cute.”

Isn’t this usually the time to encourage or reassure someone to not be nervous?

Damian laughed at the idea of someone being nervous, and all the tension that was building in me was washed away.

“I’m not nervous. What does it even mean to be nervous?”

“Pfft… Shall we go in now?”

Even Bellamy laughed at me and I couldn’t help but sulk. I was a little displeased, but it was too late, so I held their hands and entered the hall.

As the door was opened, I squinted at the sudden flood of light. However, my eyes quickly adjusted.

At our appearance, the servant standing by the door loudly announced our presence.

“Duke Bellamy von Orca, Princess Rose von Orca, and Lord Damian von Orca of the Duchy of Orca have entered!”

Wow… he must have eaten a plate of raw eggs for breakfast since his voice is so strong. My ears split as I listened to his shout.

His exclamation nearly silenced the banquet hall. I was slightly embarrassed by the unexpectedly quiet atmosphere. I chuckled a little at the awkwardness, and a slight hiccup appeared and disappeared.

Oh, this is it.

I patted Damian’s arm and whispered in a small voice, “Damian, smile for once.”

He looked at me with a question in his eyes, but then his usual, angelic smile appeared. I had a bit of anxiety still, but that was all it took. After that, as you might expect…

“Gyahhh! He’s so handsome!”

“Is he a doll? Or an angel? Could a person be both?”

Then, a commotion started. Of course, we were the cause of the commotion. After all, the Orca siblings have an unmistakable beauty about them.

I let out a sigh of relief, but neither Bellamy nor Damian seemed to mind the attention as they escorted me to the center of the ballroom. People were strangely moving out of our way, every step of the way.

As we moved close to the center of the spacious ballroom, I saw a pair of bright, silver hairs, one male and one female…

In the novel, the only people with silver hair were the children of the Duke of Euassis.

“No way…”

My voice made them turn around, and for a moment, I felt like I was stabbed in the eye and blinded.

Aria, who was even prettier than her illustration, stood before me, wearing a mauve dress that matched her purple eyes. Her partner, Duke Ashik, wore a black suit and mauve handkerchief.

What are Bellamy’s and Damian’s reactions?

I wonder if they are staring at Aria in a daze, but when I snuck a glance at them, I realized they are only looking at me.

What? Why are you looking at me?

They misinterpreted my eye contact as discomfort and spoke up.

“Rose, are your feet uncomfortable? Do you need to rest?”

“Sis, you’re not still nervous, are you? Don’t worry, you got this.”

“No… that’s not what I meant…”

That’s not close to what I was thinking. Have you seen Aria yet? And why is Damian already in a fighting stance?

Just then, Aria and Ashik recognized us and approached. The Orca brothers looked the duo up and down, and their reactions were more muted than anticipated.

Ashik looked at Bellamy and tilted his head with his trademark, sophisticated expression.

“You haven’t shown your face since you returned to the Duchy, and yet you attended the New Year’s party.”

“Oh, my brother…”

Aria was taken aback by Ashik’s cold demeanor towards Bellamy. I thought it was cute to see her so embarrassed. After all, a heroine is a heroine. However, I was just as flustered as Aria. It shouldn’t be this way at the beginning…

Bellamy responded as if he wasn’t going to lose.

“I can’t believe this sniveling, little brat who cries at every turn is now a Duke… The future of the Empire is pretty bleak.”

What? Did Ashik have a past like that?

I looked at Damian, hoping for some answers, but he shrugged as if he didn’t know.

Isn’t this going to end up in a fight? The way you two are looking at each right now, it’s not looking very good…

It didn’t take long to realize that my worries were for naught. They coldly stared at one another before simultaneously bursting into laughter. Then, they started to give their greetings.

That’s when I realized. I’ve been misled…

As the heirs of the two dukedoms, they must have known each other as children.

At the sight of them, Damian spoke up, his voice filled with displeasure.

“It’s nice of you two to say hello, but you’re freaking out my sister.”

Aria and the two men turned their heads toward me, the tension dissipating just as quickly as mine. Noticing their stares, Bellamy introduced me.

“This is our sister, Rose. This is her first official function, so please introduce yourself.”

I turned to Ashik and Aria and gave them the greeting I’d been practicing.

“I’m Rose von Orca, of the House of Orca.”

I tugged at my skirt and curtsied, my indigo hair bouncing. I gave a big smile to the two, and for a moment, I felt the air around me grow quiet.

Did I do something wrong?

The mood was quickly interrupted by Ashik.

“I should have greeted you beforehand, but I forgot. Will you graciously forgive my mistake, young lady?”

“It’s not your mistake, Duke. Rather, I believe I have interrupted your greeting.”

He politely asked for forgiveness. He apologized, as one might expect after getting excited about seeing a friend following eight years, but he was a man of extraordinary humility.

There was a time when I thought the “duchess” that Count Wright was referring to would be his wife, which, in hindsight, was absurd.

“It is kind of you to say so. It may be late, but I am Ashik von Euassis, and this is my sister.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, I’m Aria of the house of Euassis.”

Aria gracefully bowed her head, and there was a collective gasp in the ballroom as if everyone had been struck by the heroine’s beauty. Part of me wanted to paint a portrait of them and hang it in my room. Somehow, I knew that the Orca brothers would give me the cold shoulder if I did, so I stopped thinking about it.

“Since Aria doesn’t have any friends her age, I was wondering if you would be willing to be her friend if you don’t mind?”

At Ashik’s question, Aria suddenly looked at me with a twinkle in her eyes.

What a lucky thing it is to befriend the heroine of a novel.

I looked into her eyes and smiled. Aria blushed in response.

“I’ve been lonely since I came to the Duchy as well, so I’d be happy if Lady Euassis became my friend.”

“I would love that too, Princess!”

Her innocent joy in my words was lovely. No wonder all the men fall in love with her.

Even I could feel the stress of the last eight years of my frustrating life melting away, but the Orca brothers… No, it shouldn’t be any different.

Why are they looking at me with a look of pride on their faces, like a parent who has just seen their child take its first step? No, it’s not me. It’s Aria.

“His Majesty, Emperor Brans Lenti, Sun of the Kevit Empire, and His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Kane Lenti!”

While I was having a pleasant chat with them, the final boss entered. Crown Prince Kane had black hair and golden eyes; he reminded me of a panther.

With looks that could never be matched by the men of the two ducal families, he was also the final boss to win Aria.

The moment he appeared with the Emperor, all the nobles bowed their heads with a hand over their heart. I followed suit with the Orca brothers.

When the Emperor looked, he ordered us to raise our heads, and he began his speech.

The Emperor’s speech was important because it was the New Year. His speech could change the course of the year’s politics. There had been years when the Duke of Orca, the Imperial Sword, was unable to do his job, so it was easy to predict what it would be about.

“The demons of the North are stirring. As you all know, a few weeks ago, an unaccounted-for goblin killed a woman in the Shakran realm, right next to the Empire. I’m putting together an expedition, and I hope you’ll join us.”

The nobles cowered as the Emperor’s eyes seemed to say that if they didn’t volunteer to participate, he would kill them. No matter how old he was, the energy he exudes was no joke. The Crown Prince, Kane, also exuded the same, coercive aura. The genetics in the royal family must be strong.

Prince Kane’s gaze never left Aria, though. Did he really fall in love at first sight?

The Emperor continued to say a few more things, then his focus shifted to me.

I flinched when I noticed his eyes. Bellamy noticed and put a hand on my shoulder to calm me.

“The Sword of the Yellow House will finally find its place.”

“…”

“Bellamy von Orca, the eldest son of Orca, come up and take up my sword.”

The moment we had been waiting for had arrived. It was an emotional scene for those of us who knew the tragedy of the Duke of Orca, and a tale untold, but not without tears.

Bellamy approached the Emperor and knelt down on one knee before him.

The Emperor picked up the golden sword by the handle and gently lowered it onto each of Bellamy’s shoulders. The Duke was being knighted, becoming the knight of the Imperial Family.

“I appoint you, Duke of Orca, Sword of the Kevit Empire.”

The Emperor’s words were met with cheers and applause from all around. He was presented with the sword by the Emperor.

During that moment, my heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t like the way my heart usually races when I look at Bellamy. It was like a stab of fear pierced the pit of my stomach and felt something I shouldn’t have… towards him.

I reached for Damian’s hand, hoping it would go away. But, his warmth only made the pounding worse, not better.

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