The Villainous Family Loves Me Too Much!

Seemingly conscious of the staff unaware of my true identity, Madam Huron approached me by the name Roati.

She was that kind of person – perceptive, swiftly grasping and adapting to others’ needs.

With her discernment, I could likely entrust this matter to her.

“I plan to request noble ladies as fashion show models. I’ll recruit influential socialites.”

“Don’t worry. If it’s a collaborative Roati fashion show, they’ll all clamor to participate.”

Day after day… I spent every waking moment frenetically working at the office.

Meals, staff meetings, even gatherings with noble ladies – all took place within the building of ‘Roati Company’.

Only after a full week could I finally remove my mask and properly return to the palace.

Though unintentional, having made no contact with Lucian that entire week, our relationship remained frozen at that night of the ‘bonding ceremony’.

‘He’s probably still asleep.’

Assuming Lucian was still sleeping, I tiptoed quietly into the room.

But the bed was empty.

‘Did he leave early? Where could he be?’

Relaxing at the thought of enjoying a proper bath for the first time in a week, I flung open the bathroom door only to collide with something.

It was Lucian, having just finished showering and wrapped in a towel as he exited.

“Long time no see.”

“Oh, uhh. Sorry about that.”

Flustered from stumbling right into Lucian’s chest, I instinctively backed away.

But then he suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.

“I missed you.”

Hold on, that’s cheating. Spouting such lines without sincerity.

-The more sincerely the two undergo the bonding of their hearts, the greater its power grows.

Recalling Gebino’s previous words, an unexpected lump formed in my throat as I forcefully pushed Lucian away.

“Don’t lie. You weren’t sincere about it, were you?”

“What in the world are you talking about?”

“The prophecy… The prophecy’s ending didn’t change!”

Lucian looked at me as if I were speaking nonsense.

“If our kiss was the true bonding ceremony, the prophecy’s contents should have changed!”

“Says who?”

“Don’t you remember? ‘If those with the power of light, magic power, or a piece of God’s power cannot combine their abilities, the entire continent will be destroyed.’ And ‘The more sincerely the two undergo the bonding of their hearts, the greater its power grows’ – that’s a prerequisite condition. So that means-“

Hearing me out, Lucian suddenly closed his mouth and silently gazed into my face.

“Are you even listening to me right now?”

He seemed to have drifted into other thoughts triggered by my words.

“Lucian!”

“…Hold on. So who exactly possesses this piece of God?”

Caught off guard by his tangential question, I was dumbfounded.

“Why is that important right now? Even if we underwent the bonding ceremony, the prophecy ending didn’t change, so-“

“Oh, so you basically will end up kissing that brat, is that it?”

“Why are you changing the subject? I’m telling you that you weren’t sincere with me, and…”

“This isn’t sincerity? Don’t you get it by now why I’m acting this way?”

His face flushed crimson with embarrassment, Lucian drew increasingly closer.

“Are you being dense?”

“What do you mean?!”

It was at that moment.

“Brother! Sister! Wake up already!”

The one interrupting our first quarrel was Sylonne.

Pounding furiously on the door, she shouted loudly.

“Alright, alright, stop knocking!”

“What’s wrong, Sylonne? What is it?”

Perhaps due to past awkward experiences, Sylonne no longer barged in recklessly.

But oddly, this time her voice held not a hint of playfulness.

“Gebino was attacked! He just arrived at the Felosite palace badly wounded!”

* * *

Hours before returning to the Felosite palace, inside a carriage headed for the Julius Altar.

Gebino Augusto let out a long, wistful sigh, as if something weighed heavily on his mind.

It had been quite a while since traveling by horse-drawn carriage. The rough mountain path made for a terribly bumpy ride.

The jarring noises would normally feel grating, but engrossed in thoughts of Princess Karena, they didn’t particularly bother him.

‘I couldn’t even properly greet Her Highness before leaving.’

As he did annually, it was simply time for a respite from his Sir Conrad persona.

Yet strangely, Gebino’s expression resembled one departing his hometown, never to return.

After the Great Demon Beast attack that left him wounded, needing recovery and taking charge of Jonathan’s training had forced an extended stay at the Kenoch County.

And so time had swiftly slipped by in that manner.

Of course, he was immensely grateful for the opportunity to properly train Jonathan, Princess Karena’s maternal cousin, as a healer and priest.

It was also a way to repay the debt to the Princess who had saved his life.

But living among those resembling her while unable to see her felt like torment.

Fortunately, with Jonathan residing at the palace, Gebino could return as well. Yet knightly duties repeatedly called him away.

No sooner did he complete one mission than it was time to depart again like this.

He had hoped to catch at least a glimpse of the Princess during his brief palace visit, but she was away.

According to the Archduke, the Princess hadn’t returned to the palace for over a week due to company’s affairs.

‘Well, in a way, that exemplary dedication is indeed Her Highness’s true self.’

Recalling Princess Karena’s image instantly brought a smile to Gebino’s face.

Even in their childhood days together at the palace, she had been one to diligently devote herself fully to any and all studies.

To the extent of staking everything on another’s wedding ceremony unrelated to her.

-Please feel free to call upon me for any assistance you require, Your Highness.

-Assistance? Just keep an eye on me as the priest instead.

-Then I will come running whenever you summon me, Your Highness.

-That will likely never happen.

That was their final exchange before his departure – Gebino’s modest defiance after simply saying ‘yes’ to the Archduke all this time.

‘The two of them seemed rather close.’

He vividly recalled the affectionate interactions between the Archduke and Princess he had witnessed at the Baron Fenris’s Estate.

Gebino unconsciously clenched his fist tightly.

‘Hoo, what am I even thinking?’

Turning to clear his head, he noticed the surroundings had already grown dark outside.

As the northern Julius Altar was an extremely remote, treacherous destination, the landscape transformed drastically the farther they traveled.

“Sir Priest, it seems we’ll have to lodge at that inn tonight. It’s grown too late, and the weather looks unfavorable as well.”

The inn the coachman pointed to looked unsettlingly haunted, but their current circumstances left little choice.

Entering the dimly lit room, Gebino first lit a lamp.

Unlike Felosite with 24-hour mana-powered electricity, this imperial territory remained quite underdeveloped.

A musty odor permeated the inn’s guest room, likely unoccupied for some time.

‘Seems I’ve grown quite accustomed to comfortable living.’

Gebino’s sole luggage was a small carry-bag – minimalist packing indeed.

Setting the bag on the sofa, he removed his uniform coat.

“I’m a little tired.”

At that moment, a dull thud came from the door closing behind him.

“Who’s there?”

Sensing a chilling presence, Gebino instinctively whirled around, adopting a combat stance.

“You remember me, don’t you?”

An unwelcome yet familiar face greeted him.