Since When Were You The Villain?

Chapter 118

“Is it because you want that necklace that you’re acting like this? Honestly, how childish…!”

In the end, Sophia managed to keep Labrert’s necklace safe.

“Anyone seeing this would think I’ve stolen the countess’s necklace…!”

Childish? Who’s being childish here?

Sophia carefully stored the necklace in a drawer with a lock.

She wasted her energy on unnecessary things.

“The necklace isn’t important right now!”

Sophia took out the tea party invitation again.

Although she couldn’t see it properly earlier due to the struggle with the count and countess, it clearly stated…

“[It seems you’re friendly with Lady Estelle. Lady Estelle is also invited. Besides, Lady Estelle went through a lot that day.]”

The Empress invited Estelle.

Perhaps inviting Sophia was just an excuse to bring Estelle.

“At least I should talk to Kilian first.” Kilian had been very worried when Sophia and Estelle went into the palace alone last time.

If he found out later without saying anything, he’d be furious.

As an excuse, Sophia headed to the Duke’s mansion to see Kilian’s face and ask about Rosarphi.

But…

“I’ve been invited too.”

“Yes…?”

Sophia blinks her round eyes.

“It’s mentioned that you and Lady Estelle are also invited.”

Kilian showed Sophia his own invitation as he sat down next to her. It was the same invitation Sophia had received.

“Is it just Estelle and us who are invited?”

“I’m not sure. Anyway, it won’t be a large party. The Empress doesn’t like gatherings with too many people unless it’s a major event like Foundation Day, she prefers gatherings where the conversation can be more focused.”

Kilian mentioned that Beatrice likes to invite only enough people to fit around one table so she can focus on the conversation. Perhaps she wanted to confirm something by inviting Kilian and Sophia.

“Will you be attending?”

Sophia asked, and Kilian nodded his head once.

“It’s not like I have a reason to refuse, knowing that I’m well enough for everyday life and there’s no work assigned to me for the time being,” Kilian remarked.

With no military police duties, he couldn’t even pretend to be busy.

“And… if Estelle Young Lady is invited, I’m worried too.”

“I feel the same.”

They had no intention of avoiding it, despite not knowing why the Empress invited them.

“By the way, Your Excellency, I heard something strange recently.”

“Strange?”

“Ian was talking to Father, mentioning something about ‘Rosarphi’ being related to the Black Moon…”

A shadow crossed Kilian’s face at Sophia’s inquiry, then he nodded.

“Indeed. Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“I didn’t think it necessary to explain all the details. It’s not important.”

“If it’s a trace left by the Black Moon, it seems very important.”

Sophia opened her eyes wide, pressing him with her gaze.

“Why didn’t you mention such an important thing?”

“It’s not my trace, it’s related to the Empress.”

Kilian admitted it truthfully.

Those who had been hiding the truth about the illegitimate child had Rosarphi.

“If it’s not for investigating the case, it’s not important…”

“It is important! You deliberately hid it, didn’t you?”

Sophia’s eyes sharpened.

She knew from before that Kilian didn’t want to involve her deeply in this matter.

Kilian silently stared at her.

“Sophie, this is my affair.”

He only used the endearment when he was being cowardly.

“You don’t need to be involved in everything. I’ll ask for your help when I need it. So don’t worry too much.”

Kilian’s voice was calm and gentle.

Just hearing his voice made the Black Moon incident seem like nothing.

But after receiving Labrert’s necklace, Sophia remembered the last words of Kilian from the original work, which she had momentarily forgotten.
If Kilian had a bad habit, it was that he always tried to shoulder everything himself.

Just like how he endured the chains of villainy rather than mustering the courage to tell Mikhail the truth.

He was the kind of person who would rather stab his own heart than make his loved one cry.

Perhaps it was natural for him to have such a personality.

Having lost his parents in a terrible accident at a young age, he had always carried everything alone.

Without telling anyone, he bore all those memories and scars alone. Maybe that’s why? He wanted to protect his precious person more desperately than anyone else.

“I don’t want to worry about it either, but Ian is investigating that matter.”

“…I know.”

“And it’s said that only our family can bring in Rosarphi.”

“That’s correct through official channels.”

“Did the Empress smuggle in Rosarphi?”

“It’s possible.”

“Then did the Empress just kindly arrange our engagement, considering me, who was once a maid in Fraus’s attic, and you?”

“… ”

When Sophia asked a piercing question, Kilian couldn’t answer.

Their engagement was originally the Empress’s decision. It also implied some kind of deal between the Empress and the Fraus family.

The clever Empress wouldn’t have just randomly chosen any lady-in-waiting to be by Kilian’s side.

“I think our family might have been involved in the Rosarphi affair. Even if it’s just a little.”

“Sophia, that’s enough.”

Kilian interrupted Sophia’s words.

Sophia realised this in that moment as she met Kilian’s eyes.

You knew too. There’s no way you wouldn’t. You must have doubted this engagement before anyone else.

Why did the Empress attach me to you? Why did it have to be the Fraus family?

Then Kilian tilted his head slightly and lightly brushed his lips against hers. Sophia’s heart raced uncontrollably at the brief touch of his lips, which lightly met and then separated.

The conversation topic seemed awkward, like he was trying to change the subject to something more flirtatious.

Before Sophia could even be wary, his fingers slipped through the gap between their intertwined hands.

“I missed you,” he said, his other hand wrapping around Sophia’s waist.

“Or, I thought of you yesterday,” he continued.

Because they were so close, their legs intertwined as if they were overlapping.

“Or, today feels unusually hot,” he added.

In an instant, his gaze turned intense, causing Sophia to swallow nervously.

Indeed, today felt unusually hot. Her face felt flushed, and her chest was warm to the point of suffocation.

It wasn’t even summer yet.

Kilian’s eyes, as red as the sun, descended upon Sophia.

And then his lips approached hers again, closer to her this time.

“Or, perhaps, I love you,” he whispered as his lips pressed against hers once more.

As Sophia’s hand tensed with nervousness, Kilian firmly held onto their intertwined hands.

“I think I need to express such feelings a bit more,” he said before his lips delved deeper into Sophia’s.

Their lips met, their breaths mingling together.

His long legs wrapped around hers, holding her tightly.

Sophia tried to pull her legs back in surprise, but Kilian didn’t let her go.

“K…Kilian, the wound…” Sophia managed to murmur between their slightly ragged breaths.

She was concerned about his injured thigh.

But…

“It doesn’t matter,” Kilian said before kissing her again.

To be continued….

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