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Chapter Two: Wellmy’s Return
One day, three months before the crown prince would reveal his fiancée to the world, Wellmy sat on Aides’s lap while the man ran his fingers through her platinum blonde hair. The occasional playful brush of his lips against her neck made her blush. She still wasn’t used to such intimacy.
Wellmy had planned for her life to end following what noble society now called the Banquet of Condemnation, organized by the marquis. But things hadn’t gone to plan. Instead of meeting her own doom in exchange for her sister’s freedom, she had ended up engaged to Aides. Not only that, but she had also promised to do anything her new fiancé asked of her.
Six months had passed since that fateful night, and Wellmy almost never left Aides’s secondary residence unless she needed to. Aides had suggested that she remain in hiding until things blew over.
This is a lot less inconvenient than I expected. Life here is more than satisfactory.
“Should we have you make your return to high society soon?” Aides suggested.
Е̊n.um а. і ď
A goofy “Wuh?” was all Wellmy could manage in response. She had been so lost in her thoughts, reminiscing about the past half year, that she hadn’t expected her fiancé to speak up.
Aides leaned closer to peer at Wellmy’s face, an amused smile on his lips. The sudden sight of his bluish-purple eyes and gorgeous features entering her field of vision made Wellmy’s cheeks grow even warmer.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“H-H-High society, you say?” she stammered in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
Aides readjusted his hold on her so that she would be lying horizontally across his lap.
“My fiancée seems to have grown quite defenseless lately,” he said, his smile turning into a sadistic smirk as he gently pressed a finger to Wellmy’s chin. “I must say, I’m delighted to see you let your guard down so completely around me.”
“D-Don’t get cocky! I-I was just lost in thought for a bit, is all!” Wellmy retorted.
Е̃ ň u m̌ а .і d̄
“Oh?”
Aides’s eyes narrowed, and Wellmy quickly averted her gaze, realizing she had made a mistake.
She knew that Aides was just teasing her, but for some reason, she constantly felt the need to snap back whenever he did...even though it always made the situation worse.
“How many times do I need to tell you not to lie in front of me before you understand? Do I need to punish you, is that it?”
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Wellmy tried to turn her face away, but the finger Aides had been resting on her chin pressed up, forcing her to meet his gaze. As her fiancé observed her expression, he began gently stroking her collarbone with his other hand, and a shudder coursed through her body.
“A-Aides! Ah...!”
Ѐ n̂ u m̊ ȧ .ï d̄
“I will tell you what happened: You enjoyed my touch so much that you were lost in pleasure. Am I right?”
A frustrated groan left Wellmy. “Y-Yes! You’re right, so stop...!” She curled up on herself in embarrassment, squeezing her eyes shut.
But Aides wasn’t done yet. “Who told you you could close your eyes? Look at me, Wellmy.”
“But you... You...!”
“Wellmy. You’re supposed to do everything I say, aren’t you?”
Wellmy let out another groan. Aides never played fair.
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She cracked her eyes open and her fiancé nodded, visibly satisfied. He finally stopped teasing her.
“That’s a good girl. It almost saddens me to think that you will get used to this eventually.”
I hope I get used to it soon...
She was aware that Aides just enjoyed seeing her reactions when he teased her, but it was still way too embarrassing. The worst part was that she would never get into such a state if it were anyone else doing it.
Frustrated to be the only one feeling ashamed, she glanced upward at Aides and glared at him. However, that didn’t seem to discourage him. In fact, he chuckled at her intimidation attempt.
“If you glare at me like that, with your eyes full of tears, it only looks like you’re trying to seduce me. Yet, every night when we go to bed, you always fall asleep immediately. For someone so defenseless, you’re very good at teasing.”
È n̂û mа
“I-I would never behave in such a vulgar way!”
“But if you were told to pretend to do it, you would. In fact, you’re quite good at it, aren’t you?”
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Wellmy couldn’t refute his claims. It was a fact that she excelled at playing the villainess. In fact, many still believed she was a villainess, as most people didn’t know the truth behind her actions. The rumors of what had happened after Aides’s party had grown downright ridiculous.
Some said that the crown had exiled her and Arvine, the fiancé she had stolen from her sister, to a remote region of the kingdom.
Some said that she had fallen into the lord of magic’s trap, and that she was currently being worked to the bone like a slave.
Some said that Iora still hadn’t learned her lesson and that, despite having had her fiancés stolen by her younger sister twice, she was now pursuing the crown prince.
W̌е̂ b ñ о̃v́ е́l Е̌n u m̆ а̀
Some said that Iora had disappeared from high society because she was too incompetent to properly do her job as the new Countess Ernest, leaving her swamped with work.
Et cetera, et cetera.
At this point, people are stretching the truth so thin, there’s barely any truth left to speak of.
Of course, the people who had attended Aides’s party knew the truth. But the smart ones were aware it was best to hold their tongues. After all, both the Marquis of Ormirage, rumored to be as powerful as the royal family itself, and the crown prince were involved in this affair. They knew that being careless about the topic might incur the marquis’ and crown prince’s displeasure, which would put their own positions in danger.
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The reason those rumors had gotten so blown out of proportion was jealous ladies like the ones Wellmy had surrounded herself with at the noble academy, who “secretly” told their friends what they’d heard—all while ensuring to add their own little embellishments to the story.
There were some positive rumors as well, most of which had either stemmed from the play Aides had written or circulated among nobles who had nothing to do with the situation. Wellmy had heard about those from Iora, and most of them were something along the lines of: “Seeing Wellmy’s pure heart as she did everything in her power to save her sister struck a chord with the cold and cruel lord of magic, prompting him to ask for her hand.” According to them, Wellmy and Aides’s relationship was a once-in-a-generation love story.
W̊ е bn ò v е̂ l E ň ûm̄ а̇
These rumors are incredibly embarrassing too, in their own way.
Wellmy’s heart wasn’t as pure and honest as it was portrayed in that play. In reality, she was a malicious, scheming villainess who had ensnared Aides with her temptress act and deceived her own parents. That was who she truly was.
“So, um... Why do you think I should return to high society now?” she asked, redirecting the conversation at last.
The words that came out of Aides’s mouth next were absolutely outrageous.
“I’m thinking of having you seduce Leo.”
Wellmy paused. “What do you mean?” she asked, involuntarily knitting her brows. Even as a joke, the idea of seducing Leo of all people was nothing short of repulsive. Why would Aides even suggest it?
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“It’s for Iora.”
“Oh! Then I’ll do it!” she agreed, not needing any other explanation to change her attitude. She didn’t see how seducing Leo could help her sister, but if Aides was saying it would, he must’ve had a plan in mind.
Of course, he didn’t want her to get into an actual relationship with Leo. Considering how sticky-sweet Aides was with Wellmy, even she could tell that he didn’t mean it like that.
But... It still made her just the tiniest bit uneasy, so she asked, “Don’t tell me the reason you were all over me like that was to make me agree to your plan... That’s not it, right?” She was all-too-familiar with the concept of using one’s charms to manipulate others into doing one’s bidding, so that was the first thought that had come to her mind.
But Aides simply chuckled and gently stroked her head. “Do you truly believe your fiancé to be such a ruthless man?” he asked.
“Well, the mighty Archmage is renowned through high society for his cruel tendencies,” replied Wellmy without missing a beat.
Е n ū m̀а̊
This exchange was a well-practiced banter between them. After all, there wasn’t a single individual more cunning than Aides in this kingdom.
Seeing the amused expression on her fiancé’s face, Wellmy smirked. “So? What mask will I need to wear this time?”
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※※※
“I’m against it.”
A small group was gathered for tea in the gardens of the queen’s personal palace. Wellmy had just told the others about Aides’s plan for her to act as a decoy, and the one who had voiced her disapproval was none other than Iora herself.
“Why does my little sister have to act as a decoy for me?” she added.
W̊е b̌ňo v̀_е l̈ Еnu m̌а̂
“Lady Wellmy Liroud excels at navigating high society. She knows how to keep some people away and cozy up to others. Not only that, but she also has a good eye for character and can tell when one has malicious intentions,” Leo said with a shrug of his shoulders.
For once, he had called Wellmy by her full name, but it wasn’t out of respect or anything similar. It was simply because his parents, the king and queen, were there.
“There’s no one more suitable to catch the attention of our enemies until we have made our engagement public,” he added.
Iora glared at him, her gaze cold. “I refuse to push this burden on Wellmy, knowing that it will expose her to danger.”
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“Iora, gossip is one thing, but some women will stop at nothing to become queen,” Wellmy interjected. “Besides, why would you waste your precious time attending banquets and tea parties when you’re so busy?”
Despite being countess, Iora had almost no backing to speak of and lacked the achievements to prove that she would be an asset to the crown and the kingdom. As such, she was in the process of making her worth known to all. Furthermore, both of her fiancés had broken up with her publicly. While it had been necessary in both cases, it had left a stain on her reputation.
Е̂ nũ m̆ ӑ .і̆ d
Wellmy would only play the decoy until Iora had managed to prove her worth to the public. It was a solid plan, but...
“If it goes further than gossip, then I absolutely cannot let you do it, Wellmy,” Iora insisted. “Besides, attending all of those events would take up your time as well.”
How stubborn. But I love this side of her too.
“I have quite a lot of free time at the moment,” Wellmy said. “Besides, Aides will protect me...and I suppose your beloved Prince Leoniel will look out for me too.”
A faint blush crept across Iora’s cheeks at her sister’s emphasis on “beloved.”
Leo narrowed his eyes and, with a dry look on his face, turned to Wellmy. “How prickly. Was that a roundabout way of saying you have no trust or hope in me?”
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“Dear me, I would never!” Wellmy exclaimed dramatically. “You are being a little paranoid, Your Highness.”
“Liar,” Leo spat.
“Although I suppose it is true that I cannot trust or expect as much from you as I do from Aides. Unless you are suggesting that you can treat me better than he can?” Wellmy said, punctuating her sentence with a perfect villainess laugh and covering her mouth with her hand.
Leo’s response died in his throat.
Pish! As if I would ever choose to rely on the man who stole my sister from me!
The king, who had been observing their exchange with an amused smile, turned to his wife. “I still can’t believe Leo made a friend he can be so relaxed around.”
W_ẽ b nо v̊ёĺ Еnum а
“Me either,” the queen replied.
“Who’s friends with whom?” Wellmy and Leo retorted at the same time before shooting daggers at each other.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The king chuckled at the sight before a grave expression took over his face. “All jokes aside, we need you to accept your sister’s proposal, Countess Ernest. We could have another young lady who knows nothing of the situation make public appearances with Leo, but that would only lead to misunderstandings. And it cannot be you either, as you need time to focus on your research, just as Lady Wellmy Liroud said.”
“But...” Iora tried to argue, but the king interrupted her.
“Your research’s success is important for our society. And, personally, I wish you could make it a reality as soon as possible.”
The pained expression on the king’s face made them all uneasy.
Ẃ ѐ b́ ň о́ v е̃ l Е nù.m а
Wellmy nonchalantly glanced at the queen. A thin veil covered her face, and she hadn’t removed it since arriving.
It was to keep her skin hidden.
Three years ago, she had contracted a rare illness that affected those with strong magical potential. It had left her skin raw and inflamed.
Back then, Iora had still been at the noble academy. When Leo had told her of his mother’s symptoms, she had immediately started researching them, hoping to develop a medicine or magic item to cure the illness. Her graduation thesis on methods to reduce the strain of magic was a byproduct of that research. The spell she had developed to tone down her beauty was also a result of it, as she had been looking for a way for the queen to “hide” her inflamed skin, at least during public appearances.
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This was one of the reasons the king and the queen had so easily accepted Iora and Leo’s engagement.
Such a successful research project would become an incredible asset to Iora. If she managed to develop the medicine she had theorized, she would earn the qualifications of Elite International Mage. That position was equivalent to the title of Archmage in the Lionel Kingdom and was granted only to those who had achieved remarkable intellectual feats or made substantial contributions to the field of magic.
Ŵ еb̄ṅo v̇ е̊l Ë n̄u̇ḿ ӓ
As a sidenote, Aides had both earned the title of Archmage and the qualifications of Elite International Mage. Wellmy’s fiancé was an absolute monster.
“I agree with you, Your Majesty, but those two matters seem unrelated to me...” Iora said, her brow drooping.
The queen chuckled at her response. “Do not worry, Countess Ernest. We are not trying to rush you into completing your research, nor are we planning to put your sister in danger. But by supporting her, we will earn the cooperation of House Ormirage, which will make it easier to deal with those who conspire in the shadows. That is all there is to it.”
Behind closed doors, the queen held more influence than the king, so all Iora could do was nod and begrudgingly accept the situation.
Aides, who had remained silent so far, took a sip of tea before suddenly looking at Wellmy, the corners of his mouth curling up. A bad feeling crept over Wellmy, but she had no time to think about it before Aides spoke up.
“Rest assured, Countess Ernest. I am prepared to crush anyone who tries to hurt my beloved Wellmy, even without the crown’s help.”
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Wellmy’s cheeks flushed at once. As an echo of her earlier needling, Aides had emphasized the word “beloved.”
The king gaped at Aides while the queen’s shoulders began to shake, as if she could barely hold back her laughter. “How passionate,” she said.
“I never thought I’d see the day when the Aides Ormirage would call someone his ‘beloved,’” the king added.
Unable to endure the humiliation, Wellmy curled up on herself.
Several days later, she attended her first ball of the season.
At the time, she was carefree, truly believing that she would just act as a decoy for her sister until she and Leo could get officially engaged.
Ė n̆ û m_а̊
