Since When Were You The Villain?

Chapter 82.

 

As Killian approached Sophia, he used his fingers to gently wipe away the smudged lipstick on her lips and tidied up her dishevelled hair, tucking it neatly behind her ear.

Sophia held her breath as his fingers lightly grazed her, averting her gaze.

“Turn around, Sophia,” Killian said.

As if asking why, Sophia raised her eyes and looked at him.

“Because you can’t go out like this either.”

He had Sophia turn around, and he began to undo the loosely tied ribbon at her waist, which had become slightly snugger given the discomfort of tying it by herself.

She could feel his touch on her back.

He handled her ribbon with even more care and gentleness than Jenny did.

He started from the top, working his way down her back to her waist, and finally just above her tailbone.

Sophia swallowed her nervous breath as the ribbon gradually tightened from top to bottom.

Lastly, he lifted the fallen dress strap, elegantly arranging her hair behind her back as if smoothing silk.

“There we go.”

Although not as perfectly done as it had been initially, the dishevelled appearance Sophia had presented to Mikhail had been neatly organized.

“Thank you, Killian.”

Sophia met his gaze.

In not the time like this, but her heart beats without notice.

Sophia calmed down and turned to face him.

Sweat trickled down his forehead, and bloodless lips caught his eye.

“If you go out with that expression, everyone will know you’re unwell,” Sophia pointed out, observing his pale face.

Killian glanced in the mirror.

Even if he tried to pretend to be okay, he couldn’t completely hide his pale complexion.

In that moment, a gentle touch came to his forehead. She was using a hand towel to wipe away the cool droplets of sweat.

“Try to conceal it at least a bit when you go out,” Sophia advised.

She rummaged through the basic cosmetics temporarily placed in the lounge. There weren’t many, but there were a few luxurious skincare products, like those found in high-end hotels.

Sophia picked up a lipstick from the selection and applied a thin layer of red to his lips.

“Just a moment.”

After applying the lipstick, Sophia gently dabbed her pinky finger against his lips.

Killian held his breath, averting his eyes at the gentle touch of his lips.

Sophia rubbed the excessive red naturally and spread it evenly over his lips.

His bloodless lips were brought back to life with her fingertips.

“Just one more thing.”

Thinking it was over, Killian moved, but Sophia held onto him.

She took a bit of lipstick on her pinky finger and gently applied it to his pale cheek.

Killian flinched as her finger brushed against his cheek.

“It’s because you’re so pale. Unfortunately, there’s no blush available. When in a hurry, this will have to do.”

Sophia lightly added a touch of red to his cheek, skilfully giving his face a natural flush. Killian’s complexion had improved noticeably.

Killian was impressed by Sophia’s unexpected talent as he looked at himself in the mirror.

“You shouldn’t eat or drink anything that might smudge the lipstick. Be cautious when drinking alcohol or water, and try not to bite your lips. Actually, just refrain from drinking alcohol altogether.”

Sophia cautioned him as she organized the makeup items.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door of the lounge.

“Is anyone in here?”

It was a different female voice compared to the servant who had come earlier.

Sophia glanced at the door, curious about what was happening, but Killian reacted differently.

He had a sense of what the maid who had come to the lounge would talk about.

“May I open the door?”

Sophia asked for his permission, and Killian nodded without looking directly at her.

His face, which had briefly relaxed, was now shadowed again.

He couldn’t be sure if everything was okay, but they had to open the door eventually to address the voices from outside.

Outside the door were palace maids and palace guards, all in uniform. The imposing presence of the armed guards made Sophia uneasy.

The maid spoke as Sophia looked puzzled: “Her Majesty the Queen has ordered that everyone who attended the ball should gather in the ballroom.”

It wasn’t likely for a special event to be on the schedule, and the presence of the palace guards was unsettling.

“I understand. Let’s go,” Killian responded calmly in the midst of Sophia’s confusion.

He quietly extended his arm to Sophia, seemingly aware of the reason why the Queen was summoning everyone.

Sophia obediently linked her arm with Killian’s.

The two of them followed the maid and the palace guards, making their way to the ballroom.

Not only them but also others who had been resting in different lounges, as well as those who had been enjoying the garden, were all gathering in the ballroom.

“What’s going on?” Sophia asked the guard walking in front of her, inquiring about the stern atmosphere.

“You will find out when you get there,” the guard replied sharply, silencing Sophia.

As Sophia thought about whether such a scene existed in the original work, she couldn’t recall any memories of it.

‘Wouldn’t I remember such a scene if it existed?’

This ball was the beginning of the novel, so even if she had skimmed through it, she should have some recollection.

‘Is this a different development from the original?’

Sophia has done something in the meantime, so it’s not strange if something different from the original story happens.

‘But what did I do to cause such a serious situation?’

This is something called the butterfly effect; causing something this significant was beyond her capabilities.

As they entered the ballroom, people began to murmur and whisper.

The situation in the ballroom was tense.

Even Count Fraus, Rubisella, Ian, and Lady Chanelia were also forcibly summoned to this gathering.

But no one seemed to know why they were here.

Despite Sophia and Killian’s arrival, the palace guards continued to bring in those who had been in various corners, seemingly cross-referencing the guest list to make sure no one was left out. Occasionally, soldiers could be seen verifying who was present and who wasn’t by calling out names and searching for individuals. However, the Empress herself had not appeared.

Feeling uneasy due to the peculiar atmosphere, Sophia tightly grasped the hem of Killian’s clothes.

She had a hunch that Killian’s recent injury might be somehow related to this situation.

‘What if they find out he’s the Black Moon?’

Worried, she looked up at Killian.

But Killian’s gaze remained fixed on something, not dropping to meet her eyes.

Following his gaze, Sophia saw Estelle, who had returned home during the party under the Empress’s orders and was now standing at the entrance of the hall, looking around as if she had just arrived.

“It seems like those who left in the middle are returning,” Sophia whispered to Killian, surprised by the turn of events.

Estelle’s pink hair still had some dampness at the ends, indicating that she hadn’t finished drying it.

She had changed into comfortable clothing, which didn’t quite fit the formal setting of the ballroom, and there wasn’t even time to dress properly.

However, despite her dishevelled appearance, she remained a charming leading lady.

“I guess Lady Estelle doesn’t know why she came either.”

Sophia whispered while observing Estelle, who was brought here against her will and wore a somewhat disgruntled expression.

However, Killian continued to gaze at Estelle, seemingly oblivious to Sophia’s words.

“Your Grace…?”

After Sophia tugged on his sleeve, Killian finally tore his eyes away from Estelle. Once again, it appeared that he hadn’t heard what Sophia said.

“What are you looking at like that?”

“Nothing at all,” he said while shaking his head, but his gaze returned to Estelle.

And just at that moment, Estelle noticed them too.

“Sophia!”

After making eye contact with Killian, Estelle swiftly made her way through the crowd towards them.

“Greetings to His Excellency.”

Estelle greeted Sophia first, and then she knelt down to greet Killian as well.

Killian stared at Estelle intently as she paid her respects, not saying a word.

Meanwhile, Sophia asked Estelle, “Estelle, how did you manage to come back?”

“Oh, I arrived home and wanted to take a bath and change clothes, but soldiers from the imperial palace came.”

Estelle replied, avoiding Killian’s persistent gaze.

She explained that she didn’t have time to put on a dress properly and had chosen the most formal and modest attire she could find, a velvet dress, to wear in haste.

“Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be related to any personal mistake of mine,” she continued, laughing at her surprise over the soldiers’ visit.

She mentioned that she had just arrived and didn’t hear the details clearly, so she wasn’t sure why they were called to the palace.

Sophia shrugged her shoulders and lowered her head, admitting that she had no idea either.

Then, Killian, who had been watching them casually chat, asked, “You two, were you always this close?”

“Because I was so grateful to Sophie earlier, I asked to be friends with her.”

Estelle answered, grinning as she playfully bumped her fist against Sophia’s.

Upon hearing this, a subtle change in Killian’s expression passed, though it was hard to pin down exactly what it meant.

“Oh, by the way, I never properly thanked you for helping earlier,” Estelle said, realizing she had missed expressing her gratitude.

While Sophia had the chance to thank Killian in the lounge for his assistance, Killian had gone straight to the queen earlier, so he hadn’t had a chance to personally speak with her.

“If it weren’t for the two of you, I might have been unjustly accused. Someday, I really want to express my heartfelt gratitude to both of you,” Estelle insisted.

“No need for that, Estelle.” (Sophia)

“No, I’m the type who can’t stand being in debt. My father always emphasized that when I was younger.”

Estelle’s gratitude was genuine, and it seemed like she genuinely wanted to show her appreciation to both Sophia and Killian.

 

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TRANSLATOR:

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