When the Villains Unite - Volume 1 - Chapter 9; Part 6

The Marquis de Connor is afraid that his career will be hindered by the disgraceful act of killing a nobleman, so he covers it up. The Marquis, therefore, opposes his daughter’s marriage to the new Count Opal, Cesare.

Daisy searches her father’s library to find out why he opposed their marriage. She finds papers relating to the death of the previous Count Opal and realizes her father killed Cesare’s father.

“Cesare, I can’t be with you. I’m the daughter of a… murderer.”

“So, you’re saying that the Marquis de Connor killed my father? Hah… Give me time to think about this.”

But can this really end in a happy ending?

Relationships that are broken from the start are bound to shake, no matter how much they’re bandaged in happiness.

Parental enemies? It’s basically hopeless.

The plot piqued my interest, but now that I was seeing it, I couldn’t care less. In fact, what happens in my own forbidden love story is more fascinating than Daisy’s. I watch as Cesare looked at Daisy with shaking eyes as he learned about the tragedy, then I thought about Damian.

I wondered what his feelings were when I confessed my heart to them. At the time, I thought that if they knew, they would be at least as confused or disappointed in me as Cesare was. How could they accept my feelings so nonchalantly, as if they didn’t care what others thought?

“It’s similar to when sister tried to run away.”

It was a crucial moment in the play, but Damian wasn’t paying attention and played with a strand of my hair, as if he was bored. I guess he wasn’t really interested. Plus, the look in his eyes told me he could fall asleep at any moment.

“Damian.”

“Yes.”

I called out to him and he opened his eyes, glazed over with sleep.

“It’s nothing… just… about the New Year’s party.”

“Go on.”

“Um… I was just wondering how you felt when I confessed.”

I met his eyes as he thought about my question, then smirked.

“Well, I was kind of annoyed.”

“Annoyed?”

“I mean, I liked you before you liked me, yet you kissed him first. It would be weird if I wasn’t annoyed.”

“… What?”

I wasn’t expecting that answer.

He was thinking about that?

I remembered him trying to kiss me every night before Bellamy could.

Damian, you have been holding that grudge longer than I thought, haven’t you?

“Well, at least… that is where I firs-”

“Ew! Shut up!”

Don’t say that in the theater!

I pulled away from Damian and covered his mouth so he couldn’t speak. Of course, we were in a soundproof box, but it still made me nervous.

He rolled his eyes at me, then ran his tongue over my palm. I pulled my hand away, feeling the hairs on my body stand up. He grabbed my hand again and kissed the back of it.

I opened my mouth to speak as his lips trailed the back of my hand.

“Tell me. Why did you take me in when you have to give up everything?”

“Give up what?”

“I don’t know… status, honor…”

At my words, he frowned and bit my hand.

“Ah…!”

Does he really think he’s a puppy? He usually followed me with his ever-present wagging tail, but this time he didn’t like it so he bit.

When I questioned him, he kept the same scowl on his face.

“We’re talking about different things.”

“…”

“For us, giving up meant letting go of your hand. At least for me, you’re my world. And you want me to give up my world for fame, status, and other such vain things?”

“Who is your world…”

I felt my face flush as he spoke those words without hesitation.

I had already felt their love for me, but hearing it, in the middle of the day, at a theater with hundreds of other people around was something else entirely. Maybe it was the lights and being the center of the audience, but I felt like I was being proposed to.

“Me too… You and Bellamy are all I have in my world, so…”

“…”

“I love you, Damian.”

I felt like I could say anything in this heartfelt atmosphere.

He stiffened for a moment as I smiled at him, as if he had heard something he never thought he would. Then, he smiled, and it was the most beautiful, genuine, and happy smile I had ever seen spread across his face. It was so beautiful I wished time would stop, just for this moment.

It was like we were the main characters in the middle of our story on stage; with blue lights shining on us, we were as still as a ship on a calm sea. It was only us two in the world and nothing else bothered us.

Damian brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and cupped my cheek.

“I love you, too. You mean more to me than anything in this world.”

“And… What about Bellamy?”

“That’s a different kind.”

He lowered his head to kiss me, rubbing my earlobe with his fingers. He carefully moved his tongue in my mouth, wanting to feel me completely. The movements were so gentle, unlike the usual rough kisses in our excitement. Somehow, this kiss made me breathe fast.

I put my hand on his chest and gave a light push causing him to pull his head slightly away and look down at me. His gaze was loving and it felt so good to be looked at that way by my brother.

It didn’t matter what happened in the play after that. Damian never showed interest in it from the beginning. I snuggled into him, listening to the hero and heroine whisper their love every now and then.

Damian and I talked, locked eyes again, held each other and kissed a few times. As we continued to express our love for one another, the storyline of the play was nearing its end.

“But was a happy ending possible because there were no lies between them?”

The heroine has been true to the hero from beginning to end, but out of a sense of debt to Cesare’s misfortune caused by her father’s sins, she abandons her family and leaves. Cesare catches her and promises to forget the past to be with her. They went to the cathedral to get married, both seemingly overjoyed.

At my questions, Damian gives a puzzled look, then asks another question.

“What if there is still a lie?”

“Well it would be betrayal of trust, and that relationship is worse than no relationship…”

“But there is such a thing as a good faith lie.”

“Well, at least in this one, it’s not a good faith lie… But why are you asking me these questions all of a sudden? Are you hiding something?”

I smirked and looked at him, and he smiled as he looked at me. I wondered if it was just my imagination or if he really was acting awkward.

“Of course not.”

On this day, I should have known what that fake smile meant. Damian, or rather, the Orca brothers, were hiding something from me.

and the foreshadowing…

however, i’d appreciate it if you would donate to my Kofi