I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 73

The world beyond the doors was nothing short of a paradise.

If one could give "luxury" a tangible form, it would be this place.

I kept my posture as straight as my family did, but it was difficult to keep my eyes fixed on just one spot while trying to take everything in.

"Are you really alright?"

Lukas whispered quietly, catching me in the middle of subtly glancing around.

I stiffened slightly and looked up at him.

Was he asking because I had been looking around too much?

Did he think something was wrong with me because my eyes kept darting everywhere? That would be... a little embarrassing.

"You don’t like crowded places, Selina."

Ah. So that was why.

I calmly nodded.

"Yes. I’m fine."

Thinking about it, he was right. I didn’t like crowds.

But today, the excessive grandeur of the place had distracted me so much that I hadn’t even considered the number of people present.

Gold here, gold there.

Intricately carved glass flowers, expensive-looking sculptures and porcelain.

Pillars encrusted with jewels and fresh flowers arranged so densely it was as if an entire garden had been transported inside.

I could practically feel the blood, sweat, and tears of those who decorated this place.

With all this extravagance, how could I even notice the people?

"If you feel unwell, let me know."

Lukas looked at me sincerely, as if he genuinely cared.

I nodded again.

He stared at me for a moment before flashing a slow smile and turning away.

I had no idea how much time had passed since we entered, but by the time I had somewhat adjusted to the dazzling surroundings, our family decided to split up.

Each of them had people they needed to speak with.

Before leaving, they reminded me to call for them immediately if I ever felt overwhelmed.

Aiden, for now, would stay by my side, but my brother planned to introduce him to certain people later.

And so, I was left with Lukas and Aiden.

"Let’s go."

Saying that, I began walking... toward a small, inconspicuous corner.

I had scouted it out earlier, and it was the perfect spot.

My goal was to sink into that corner and become invisible.

But there was a significant obstacle in my plan—

The two men beside me.

They stood out far too much.

And that wasn’t the only problem.

Aiden, to the nobles, was a complete unknown in social circles.

Meanwhile, Lukas was practically a celebrity among the aristocracy.

Both of them were bound to draw attention.

Which meant, inevitably, I was going to attract people’s gazes as well.

Well, if that was unavoidable, then at the very least, I should avoid making eye contact with anyone.

Because if I made eye contact, I’d have to greet them.

But of course, life was just one hardship after another.

The very moment I resolved not to °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° meet anyone’s gaze—

Snap.

My eyes locked directly onto someone else's.

And it wasn’t a fleeting glance, either.

Our eyes were locked so firmly that looking away would have been impossible without making it obvious.

Well, at least the person wasn’t a complete stranger.

Or rather, maybe that made it worse.

The other person seemed just as caught off guard as I was.

She stood frozen, blinking, clearly not expecting this encounter.

We stood there, motionless, simply staring at each other.

Silent. Rooted in place. Just looking.

This wasn’t some tragic love story like Romeo and Juliet or The Fairy and the Woodcutter...

"Mia."

In the end, out of sheer social obligation, I broke the silence.

At the sound of her name, Mia flinched, her shoulders jerking before she forced an awkward smile.

Her trademark red lips curled into a twisted arc, as striking as her bright crimson hair.

"Selina."

My name escaped her lips like a sigh.

Now that we had exchanged names, there was no escape.

At the very least, we had to exchange a few polite words before parting ways.

We took a few steps toward each other, just close enough that we could have shaken hands.

But we weren’t on such affectionate terms, so we settled for a verbal greeting.

"Have you been well, Lady Selina?"

"Thanks to you. And you, Lady Mia?"

Mia pursed her lips tightly.

Her shoulders twitched slightly as if she was holding back some kind of reaction.

Good job, Mia.

Her lips curled inward slightly, as if she were biting down on her teeth.

"...Yes, thanks to you... I’ve been very well."

Hmm. I doubt that.

The vein on her forehead looked ready to pop.

For the sake of Mia’s blood pressure, I decided to let her go as soon as possible.

For some reason, she seemed incredibly irritated just by looking at me.

This was our first meeting since the last time we had seen each other at the salon.

Even back then, she had seemed wary and annoyed with me, but not to this extent.

What did I even do?

I felt slightly wronged, but... oh well.

Not like I cared enough to ask.

Finding out would only make things more annoying.

"That’s good to hear. I hope you enjoy the party, Lady Mia."

"...Yes. You too, Lady Selina."

And with that, we exchanged the absolute bare minimum of pleasantries before parting ways.

I watched Mia’s retreating back before slowly turning away myself.

Goodbye, Mia.

Without looking back once, Mia walked away with the same sharp, clicking steps she had approached me with.

There are few things worse than having to exchange forced pleasantries with someone you didn’t want to see.

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

“Mia.”

At the flat tone of her name, Mia clenched her fists.

Only when her sharp, well-manicured nails pricked her skin did she finally release her grip.

“Selina.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

No matter how tightly she clenched her fists to suppress her emotions, there was no stopping the tremor in her voice.

A mix of anger and fear.

Her voice wavered with such an unnatural imbalance of emotions that even she found it strange.

Damn it. Damn it!

Cursing internally, Mia forced a brittle smile.

“How have you been, Lady Selina?”

She wanted to appear composed, so she was the first to offer a greeting.

“Thanks to you. And you, Lady Mia?”

But no matter how much one tried to act indifferent, their true emotions always found a way to slip through.

And right now, Mia’s emotions were completely upturned.

The forced greeting only made her voice sound even more awkward.

“...I’ve been... very well... thanks to you.”

As if.

Mia thought to herself that she had never struggled more to maintain a facade.

Selina, with that usual unreadable, unsettling expression, simply scanned her from head to toe.

Gulp.

Mia’s throat went dry as she swallowed.

“I’m glad to hear that. Enjoy the party, Lady Mia.”

“...Yes. You too, Lady Selina.”

Mia quickly turned around, yanking her lips into a wide, exaggerated smile.

Any longer, and her expression would have twisted into something truly ugly.

There was nothing about this woman that she liked.

Before losing her memories, Selina had at least been useful in her foolishness, but now...

Now, that eerie, unreadable face of hers was terrifying and infuriating.

And worst of all, Selina was persistently obstructing her father’s plans.

Whether intentional or not, she was becoming an increasingly frustrating obstacle.

Well, to be precise, it wasn’t just Selina.

It was her entire household.

Mia’s heels clicked sharply against the floor, each step landing with more force than usual.

“Just wait and see... In the end, everything will be ours. And when that time comes, you’ll all be finished...”

Her anger boiled over into muttered words she hadn’t meant to say out loud.

As Mia walked past, a petite woman overheard her murmuring.

Mia Lascelle...? And what was that she just said...?

Vivian, who had been watching Mia’s retreating figure, narrowed her eyes in thought.

She felt like she had just overheard something very unsettling.

After my not-so-cordial exchange with Mia, I finally reached my intended hiding spot.

Thankfully, I encountered no one else.

Well, technically, I avoided eye contact with everyone and kept my head down the entire way, but still—

A win is a win.

There were about ten minutes left before the ball officially began.

From my darkened corner, I watched the groups of people gathered in the well-lit center of the hall.

“Selina, are you planning to stay here all night?”

At Lukas’ question, I blinked at him.

Honestly, I wanted to say, Yes, I’d like to hide here until I can go home, but I had a feeling that answer would earn me a lecture.

“...No. I’ll stay in the center for about ten minutes.”

I was making a huge compromise here.

Lukas sighed dramatically, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head.

I had no idea why he even asked when he knew me so well.

“This is a major event, so try talking to a few people.”

“What if I say something inappropriate?”

This time, he didn’t even bother sighing.

Instead, he dropped his hand from his hair and simply stared at me.

Then, he slowly turned his gaze toward the central hall.

The silence that followed almost felt like an implicit agreement.

Well, at least that meant no more nagging.

Still... it was becoming painfully clear that my reputation had some serious issues.

I sipped the orange juice Aiden had handed me and continued observing the crowd.

Everyone was brimming with excitement, their eyes shining with anticipation.

Desire, ambition, and longing.

All things that felt completely foreign to me.

I took another sip of juice.

At that moment, the grand trumpet fanfare from earlier was followed by an even more majestic orchestral performance.

As soon as the music began, the crowd fell silent and collectively turned toward a single point.

The stairs.

At the top of the grand staircase, a crimson carpet cascaded downward like flowing waves.

And then, a man appeared.

A middle-aged man, standing tall with his back straight, wearing a crown nearly the size of his head.

His round, slightly drooping eyes contrasted with the firm, tightly pressed lips and the prominent, dignified nose at the center of his face.

A man who carried an undeniable air of authority.

As he descended, Princess Ariel and the Crown Prince, who had been conversing with my brother and parents, slowly walked up the steps toward him.

Gone was the usual lightheartedness they displayed in casual settings.

They now carried themselves as the proud royals of the empire.

Wow.

The two halted at the midpoint of the staircase and bowed deeply to the man.

“We greet Your Majesty.”

Their voices were solemn and reverent.

At their greeting, the entire hall followed suit, bowing in unison.

Naturally, I followed suit as well, ensuring I wasn’t late.

However, I had no idea when exactly I was supposed to rise again.

So I kept my head down, discreetly rolling my eyes from side to side, searching for clues.

“Raise your heads!”

The emperor’s booming voice rang through the hall.

It almost echoed, despite not being inside a cavern.

A perfectly timed command—especially for someone like me who had been anxiously wondering when to stand.

The emperor slowly scanned the assembled nobility.

His gaze swept across the room, from one end to the other.

Then, he smiled slightly.

His next words carried a warmth that hadn’t been present before.

“I extend my deepest gratitude to all who have gathered here for the Founding Ball. May you enjoy this evening in remembrance of the ancestors who devoted themselves to the empire.”

“Waaaah.”

Someone let out an excited cheer, and the nobility responded with resounding applause.

The emperor nodded in satisfaction before descending the stairs alongside the princess and the crown prince.

The ball had officially begun.