Even if the Villain's Daughter Regresses

 

“…Did Sir Taylor call for you?”

“Yeah.”

“Did he also give you the clothes and wig?”

“That’s right.”

“Where did he go?”

“I don’t know.”

He sounded truly uninterested. At that last answer, Sion lifted his bowed head.

Taking half a step back, Sion looked down at Laila. Feeling his gaze, Laila spun around in place as if to show off. The hem of her dress flared out in a circle.

“How do I look?”

Sion observed Laila closely, then hooked his fingers on his mask and pulled it down to just below his lips. He mouthed the words:

Beautiful.

Laila paused. Although she heard the answer she expected, for some reason, she felt momentarily lost, as if she had nowhere to go.

Laila rolled her eyes and suddenly opened her mouth.

“What did you say?”

Even though she understood perfectly, she pretended not to. She couldn’t understand why she was acting so childish.

Sion quietly watched Laila before moving his lips again.

Let’s go.

Laila, unknowingly staring blankly at Sion’s moving lips, nodded in response.

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

When Kidon reunited with the grown-up Laila, he was certain.

He was still deeply infatuated with her.

It wasn’t that Kidon couldn’t bear to be apart from Laila during his studies abroad. On the contrary, Kidon had almost forgotten about her while he was abroad.

However, as soon as he returned to his homeland, Laila Hildegarde was the first person that came to mind.

He was curious.

How had Laila Hildegarde changed during the time they hadn’t seen each other?

How would she react when they met again?

Thinking about this made him increasingly eager to see her.

Shortly after arriving back in his home country, Kidon contacted Marquis Hildegarde, stating that he would visit the marquisate soon.

The reply came quickly. It contained the date of Laila Hildegarde’s birthday party.

On Laila’s birthday, Kidon met her again, adorned like a flower.

Laila had grown up to be quite beautiful. Even without a garden on her head, she was pretty enough to naturally draw his attention. She exceeded his expectations.

However…

“Does she want to rebel against her father?”

Kidon muttered as he leaned against the terrace railing.

He recalled Laila, who had looked him straight in the eye and said she didn’t like him.

That his face, voice, and name weren’t to her taste…

The name was one thing, but when she mentioned his face and voice, Kidon almost laughed.

In particular, the remark about his face not being to her taste was among the most ridiculous things he had ever heard from anyone in his life.

Lies should have some limits.

He had never seen anyone as handsome as himself since he was born. And yet, she said he wasn’t to her taste…

There are only two possibilities.

Either Laila Hildegarde’s taste was far outside the norm, or her resentment towards his father was so great that she would even reject a strikingly handsome man.

Kidon leaned towards the latter. Anyone else would have felt the same way.

Marquis Hildegarde… well, he didn’t seem like a very good father. He might be a capable businessman, though.

“Rebelling won’t change anything.”

Kidon smirked slightly. The situation amused him. Being rejected twice by the same person. To be precise, he was almost rejected at the first attempt.

Kidon wondered how long Laila Hildegarde would keep pushing him away. She wouldn’t be able to pretend for long. It’s hard for humans to go against their instincts.

Being attracted to beauty is instinctual. Within the week that he stayed on the estate, Laila would likely retract her words.

Kidon paused. He straightened his body, which had been leaning against the railing. He uncrossed his arms and stared beyond the railing.

Laila Hildegarde, who had said she would take a break, was entering the garden. That wasn’t a problem.

However, the person standing next to Laila. That figure was the issue.

“A servant?”

As she entered the garden with a mere servant, Laila Hildegarde was smiling.

Then, Laila and the boy dressed as a servant—though he was too tall for a servant, he certainly gave off that impression—passed through the entrance of the garden side by side. The two gradually disappeared from Kidon’s sight.

Kidon stood still for a moment, then let out a hollow laugh.

Servant.

A servant.

Ah, really. Is that it? Is she using this method to rebel against her father, who treats her like a commodity?

Indeed, it was the sort of childish method a noble lady, unaware of the realities of life, might come up with.

Kidon gripped the railing with one hand. He tightened his grip; the veins on the back of his hand stood out.

Then he let go of the railing and turned around. His expression was cold and hardened.

Exiting the terrace, Kidon headed straight for where Marquis Hildegarde was.

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

Laila spent time with Sion in the inner part of the garden until nightfall. They didn’t do anything in particular, yet several hours passed quickly.

“Let’s go inside.”

Sion spoke first to Laila, who was sitting on a bench and kicking her feet. Laila pushed aside her disappointment and stood up.

They left the garden and entered inside. Numerous gazes followed them as they walked across the first floor and up the stairs to the bedroom.

As Laila stepped on the stairs, she looked at Sion, who was walking slightly ahead of her. Sion had taken off his wig and mask.

… It struck her again how stunningly beautiful Sion was. Really, even more so.

Moreover, Sion hadn’t even fully grown yet. Which meant he had the potential to become even more handsome.

Perhaps “radiant” was a better word than “handsome.” In the future, someone may even describe him as “dazzling.” Dazzling. Well, that didn’t seem entirely incorrect either…

Lost in thought, Laila walked down the hallway. Then, unexpectedly, Sion abruptly stopped and blocked her path.

Naturally, Laila stopped as well.

“Sion?”

The response came not from Sion but from beyond him.

“Ah, Sion…”

It was more of a mutter than a proper response. Still, it was clearly a reaction to Laila’s words.

Laila felt her heart drop slightly. It was a voice she recognized.

Could it be…

Hoping her suspicion was wrong, Laila glanced past Sion. She soon bit her lip.

“…Lord Reisic.”

Laila barely managed to say his name. He was truly an unwelcome figure.

Why is he standing right in front of her bedroom at this hour?

When he heard his name, Kidon looked at Laila. No; his gaze remained fixed on Sion.

Kidon’s mouth opened again.

“You’re calling him by name. A slave.”

“….”

“He’s not even a servant, but a slave…”

Kidon muttered to himself, and then, as if he found something amusing, he started to shake his shoulders. Kidon laughed silently, never making a sound.

Laila clenched her fists tightly. For some reason, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Kidon stopped laughing. His expression returned to its usual calm state, but it seemed even colder than before.

Kidon didn’t look handsome in the classical sense, but rather, his face was like a statue, devoid of any emotions.

Kidon took a step forward. When Laila flinched involuntarily, Sion instinctively shielded her with his body.

Laila stared at Sion’s back, which filled her entire field of vision.

A memory flashed through her mind.

Back then, Sion was significantly smaller.

But even then, Sion’s back had seemed enormous to her.

While Laila was partially lost in the memory of Sion’s back, Kidon’s voice broke the silence.

“I will give you a week to repent for your mistakes and come to me to atone.”