I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand

I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand Chapter 80

Translated by Niks

Edited by

✿

“Teren?”

Merria followed the voice and turned her head.

There stood a woman whose face had turned pale.

An unfamiliar woman who appears to be acquainted with the man who has fallen at her feet.

And the woman’s outfit was a wine-colored dress and bright blonde hair, which looked very similar to Merria at first glance.

“Reㅡ Reina…”

The man’s eyes shook violently as if he had figured out the situation only then.

Merria, who was staring at the person standing in the hallway and the man in the room, burst out laughing.

‘Perhaps that woman named Reina was this man’s lover, or fiance.’

A man named Teren was drunk and excited tonight and almost lost his fidelity.

But when he saw Merria, who had just come to rest, he was confused and mistook it for Reina.

Feeling embarrassed, he tried to cover it up, but ended up showing all of it to the real Reina.

‘What’s this?’

Merria shook her head and shook off Teren’s hand.

I’ve said this several times before, but the social circle in the capital was quite open.

That said, things often happen that aren’t that clear and clean.

Since the Imperial family, who should set an example, changes their partners every day, wouldn’t they not want to do that as a noble?

Especially in places where a lot of aristocrats of the same age are attending, like today.

According to Lilith, in the case of a masquerade, there’s a time when lovers from different lounges ran into each other at dawn and made loud noises in the hallway.

Compared to that, can this current situation be called much better?

However, this time it seems to be one sided.

It was time that I accept the situation, and act according to the disrespect made.

“You… What are you doing right now?”

Reina, who was still in shock and was standing in the middle of the hallway, asked in a trembling voice.

There was lipstick on Teren’s lips, with his shirt ripped open, and pupils were shaking violently.

If it weren’t for the lipstick marks, I could have made it look like I was assaulted. But I think that’s too much.

When Merria burst into a small laugh, Reina’s gaze reached her.

Feeling the hostile gaze, Merria frowned.

‘Hey, you picked the wrong person.’

Merra decided to kindly explain her reason for coming in the lounge to Reina, considering that she wasn’t in good condition.

“I’m just a good witness. And if you want to talk, I recommend doing it inside. Although it seems quiet around here, all rooms are crowded.” Merria tilted her head and spoke quietly.

Reina clenched her fists, feeling both anger and shame at the same time.

She glared at Teren, and turned away immediately.

“Ah…”

Teren, who was preparing to accept Reina’s anger, made a muffled sound.

He acted like a broken clock for a moment, but Teren abruptly got up and followed Reina.

Merria was looking at it pitifully.

“Would you mind closing the door?”

At the Request of the woman behind, Merria slightly turned her head.

Seeing this, they didn’t even get embarrassed, I thought she was a really great woman.

She closed the door without erasing the frown on her face.

Thud~

Merria, who got in trouble while trying to take a rest, left without delay.

Walking slowly again in the quiet lounge. The hem of the dress brushes along the floor.

When the nearby candle was lit, the view brightened.

After sitting on the sofa again, Shannon’s face was clearly visible.

She lifted the glass from the table. The red wine flowed smoothly through the slightly smudged lipstick.

Something caught Shannon’s eyes as she looked towards a door as if waiting for someone.

On the soft carpet, there was something glittering.

“Did the princess drop it?” Shannon muttered softly.

Knock, knock~

After a while, someone knocked on the door.

It was to inform them that someone came, but the knock didn’t come from outside.

The man who appeared silently, wearing a dark cloak, bowed his head briefly.

Instead of being surprised, Shannon pointed toward the door and said.

“Something fell under your feet as you came. It’s probably an ornament.”

The man looked down and stared at his feet, but there was no accessory that could be seen there.

“There’s nothing here?” The man asks as if curious.

“What are you talking about? It’s right in front of you… ”

Shannon answered with a frown, and blurted the end of her words. She walked to a place where the shiny thing was.

Shannon leaned down and picked something up on the carpet.

‘A thin gold ring.’

The letters written above the ring were quite familiar to her.

In addition, the two opposing powers could be felt in the ring.

Doubts arose in Shannon’s eyes.

The man standing next to her asked Shannon, who was staring at something.

“What’s in there?”

“Did someone put stealth magic on it?”

Shannon’s lips smiled gracefully.

“The princess gave me an interesting gift.”

A blue energy filled her pale pink eyes, and soon subsided deeply.

✿

Meanwhile, Reukis was on the terrace of Pierre Hall.

It was already past midnight as I was frantically swarming among the crowd.

Thanks to his unexpected long stay, greetings from those who tried to get acquainted with him were a bit successful.

Even after leaving the crowd, the voice calling him was still humming in his ears. He shook his head feeling the intense mental exhaustion.

Now, Reukis was looking for Merria.

After we danced, I hadn’t really met her since.

She was not even in the banquet hall, so I was looking for her on the terrace.

To others, it would seem like I might just be looking for something, but I’m actually checking where I really needed first.

This terrace was also where Merria came out for a while earlier.

Unfortunately, however, Merria was not here.

Reukis turned to look around the remaining places.

“Your Highness.” Karina, who found such Reukis, approached him.

When Reukis turned around and looked at her, Karina smiled at him.

She must have been smiling since the banquet started.

Karina, who still manages her facial expression smoothly, looked amazing.

While Leukis admired something else, Karina steadily played her part.

“Merria said she was going to the lounge earlier, and asked me to deliver it when I saw His Highness the Grand Duke.”

“Ah.”

Reukis nodded briefly and headed straight toward the lounge.

If it were her, she would have marked the door so Reukis could recognize it.

But, overshadowing what he thought, Reukis could not find her.

I could feel that there were people in each room. I couldn’t feel any signs of Merria in it.

Reukis, who reached the end of the hallway, stopped there and looked around.

‘Where did she go?’

Karina said she headed to the lounge, so she would have gone through this way.

The question was which direction to go from here.

Reukis, who had been thinking more carefully than ever, suddenly raised his head.

It was because Merria’s power felt close. Merria could be felt clearly going towards the garden.

Normally, I would only feel it when I touched Merria.

Thinking that Reukis was puzzled, he went straight to chase her steps.

The knight, rounding as a guard, turned his head towards the Reukis, who suddenly popped out.

Soon, he recognized Reukis’ and briefly saluted him and left.

At the entrance of the garden, Reukis’ feet stopped.

Except for the direction Reukis had walked, there were two main paths that could be reached from this place.

He swept his hair back and guessed where Merria might have gone.

Swish~

As I followed Merria’s power again, I reached the front of the strange maze garden.

It may be a maze made for a little fun, but it was the Imperial Palace garden.

It wouldn’t have made someone feel like being really trapped in a place like this where many important guests were served.

I strode into the maze garden and looked around. Soon after, I felt a familiar feeling getting closer.

It was the power of Merria that was calm and I longed for.

Reukis hastened his steps with a faint smile.

Rustle~

She finally appeared in front of Reukis, who had been guided by the energy of her power.

Reukis reached out to catch Merria, who disappeared beyond the corner.

“Mer…”

Reukis tried to call her happily with his whole heart.

Thump~

His words were not finished. It was because she coldly struck Reukis’ hand.

Reukis’ hand stopped in mid air as it was thrown out.

He stared at the woman standing in front him in confusion.

It was not Merria that Reukis, who had been following through the maze, faced.

“Your Highness?”

Reukis looked back at Shannon, who was standing in the moonlight.

Since I came here after following the power of Merria, I had no doubt that it was Merria who was nearby.

However, no matter how much I looked, Meria was nowhere to be seen.

Merria was felt in the space itself, but it was like finding an invisible person that couldn’t be seen.

Reukis tilted his head to wonder.

Shannon stared intently at him as he appeared out of nowhere and seemed to be looking for something.

As Shannon approached closer, Reukis turned his head.

I felt a familiar power from a stranger. From Shannon, Merria’s power could be felt, but…

“Why…”

Was it because I’m tired, why do I feel the same power of my lover in that woman?

Reukis’ brows furrowed even more.