← Previous Chapter | Chapter Index | Next Chapter →

The Villainess and the Nefarious Magus Lord

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

「Wellmy. Isn't it about time you attended an evening party?」

「Fueh...?」

The words came out of nowhere. As usual, Wellmy was sitting on Eides’s lap in the bedroom while he combed through her hair with his fingers and teased the nape of her neck. She had been desperately trying to endure his doting—which always bordered on the mischievous—when he made the suggestion.

Because she had been in a daze, Wellmy let out a rather pathetic squeak of a reply. Eides peered into her face from behind with an amused expression. When his peerless features and those blue-tinted violet eyes suddenly entered her field of vision, her cheeks burned even hotter.

「A-A-An evening party?」

As Wellmy frantically repeated his words to hide her fluster, Eides shifted her into a bridal carry, his smile shifting into something a touch more sadistic.

「My dear fiancée seems to have become remarkably spineless lately. To think you’ve melted so much that you can’t even react to my words instantly. Do you really love me that much, Wellmy?」

「Ngh... Th-That’s just conceit! I was just spacing out for a second!」

「Oh? What a bad girl, Wellmy... No matter how many times I command you not to wear a mask in my presence, it seems you simply cannot learn. Do you require a punishment?」

Wellmy instinctively tried to look away, but he gently hooked his right index finger under her chin and tilted her face upward. With his face looming close and his left hand stroking her collarbone as if embracing her shoulder, a shiver of intense sensation ran through her body.

「E-Eides...! Ah...!」

「You were dazed because you love me, weren't you? Isn't that right?」

「Uuugh... Y-Yes... it is, so stop...!」

She squeezed her eyes shut, shrinking back in embarrassment, only for Eides to press his cheek against hers as he continued his interrogation.

「Who said you could close your eyes? Open them and look at me.」

「But... but Eides, you’re...!」

「Wellmy. Didn't you say you'd do anything I say?」

「~~~gh!」

Eides was always so unfair. When she opened her eyes just a crack, he nodded with satisfaction and finally ceased his teasing, pulling his face back slightly.

「Good girl, Wellmy. Though it’s almost a shame to think you’ll eventually get used to this.」

(I want to get used to it as soon as possible...)

Even though she knew his physical affection was just a mean-spirited way to enjoy her reactions, she couldn't help the overwhelming embarrassment whenever he touched her.

(I would never act like this with anyone else!)

Frustrated by the fact that she was the only one being made to feel ashamed, Wellmy glared up at Eides. He let out a low chuckle.

「Glaring at me with such moist eyes only makes it look like you’re inviting me. And yet, you fall fast asleep the moment we're in bed. For someone so defenseless, you certainly excel at being a tease.」

「I-I do not engage in such unladylike behavior!」

「On the contrary, it’s practically your specialty. Assuming it's an act, that is.」

Wellmy had no retort for that.

It was common knowledge at the Academy that she could act suggestively toward anyone she didn't care for, and that playing the part of a villainess was second nature to her.

She had heard that because so many gossip-loving young ladies from the Academy had attended the engagement party, the rumors spreading in the outside world had reached absurd proportions.

According to some: She had cast aside Irvine—whom she’d stolen from her sister—and had now ensnared a new fiancé, Eides.

According to others: Iola, having had her fiancé stolen by her sister twice, was now brazenly pursuing the Crown Prince, who had been her secret lover at the Academy.

Some said: Wellmy’s true target this time was actually the Crown Prince.

Other rumors claimed: The Crown Prince and the Magus Lord were actually putting on an act to punish the presumptuous, man-crazy, villainous sisters.

Some whispered: The younger sister had already fallen into the Magus Lord's trap and was being treated like a slave, which was why she hadn't appeared at any parties.

And others claimed: The older sister had been appointed a Countess specifically to stop her from stalking the Crown Prince, and being incompetent, she was currently buried in work and unable to move...

(On the surface, nothing is technically wrong, but they've certainly added dorsal, tail, and even pectoral fins to the story.)

Among those who actually witnessed their interactions, the sensible people were likely trying to spread the truth of what happened that day.

However, the noble society was teeming with monsters in human form—people driven by envy, jealousy, spite, and a lust for power and political intrigue. When the high-ranking gentlemen they had been targeting were snatched away by the sisters of a fallen Earldom, it was no surprise the rumors took such a turn.

On the other hand, among those with no interest in such things, it was apparently being told as a grand romance: "The Great Magus Lord was struck by the purity of the younger sister who tried to save her elder sister, and desired her as his mate."

(That version is also incredibly embarrassing in its own way.)

Wellmy didn't possess such a pure spirit; she was a calculating person who had used an act to entrap Irvine and frame her parents.

Incidentally, that "calculated" version of the story was apparently spreading among the merchant-minded factions—like those associated with Carla’s Viscounty—and among people who already had fiancés and were indifferent to the drama. Since Wellmy rarely interacted with either the highly competent or the blissfully naive, she learned about those rumors mostly through Carla and her sister.

「...U-Um. So, why an evening party?」

When Wellmy finally brought the conversation back on track, Eides said something outrageous.

「I’m thinking of having you ensnare Leo, just like the rumors say.」

「Haah!?」

Wellmy’s eyes went wide.

「Y-You can’t be serious! Why would I do anything with someone like Leo!?」

Though she had acknowledged their relationship, she and Leo still clashed over her sister; they were simply not compatible. Why on earth would she need to "ensnare" him?

「It’s for Iola’s sake.」

「Then I’ll do it!」

Wellmy agreed before even hearing the details.

She didn't have the slightest clue why ensnaring Leo would help her sister, but if Eides said so, there had to be a reason.

Even Wellmy could tell by now—given how much he doted on her—that he wasn't being entirely serious... probably. But a tiny, tiny sliver of anxiety gripped her, and she asked one question.

「...You didn't... you didn't dote on me just to make me do this, right...?」

The idea of using feminine charms to manipulate someone was a bit too familiar to her.

Eides chuckled again and this time gently stroked her head.

「Just how heartless of a man do you think your fiancé is?」

「You are very famous in social circles as the Nefarious Magus Lord, Excellency.」

That was their usual banter. In reality, when it came to plotting, Eides possessed a mind that allowed no one to overtake him.

Wellmy looked at the amused man and, with a smirk of her own, asked:

「---So? What kind of mask should I wear this time?」

*****

Thank you for reading. If you want to help my hobby please download and install LDP9 with my link down below. Just Click the small yellow LDPlayer Banner.