I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand

 

✿

 

Time flew by, and the morning of the Victory Banquet was bright.

 

It was the day when the original story would begin and the day when Merria had to find a fiance.

 

Merria prepared early because it was an absolutely important day. 

Lexie and a maid carefully washed Merria’s face, then they massage and rinsed her balm-oiled hair.

 

Her platinum hair, which was touched and dried more carefully than usual in a cold breeze, with an added volume from a heated tool, curled beautifully. Her dress was gorgeous, so only half of her hair was tied and a few small pearl pins were added as decorations.

 

Merria’s white cheeks and thick lips looked covetous.

 

When she put on the dress, the maid applied a jeweled powder to the exposed part of her clavicle.

 

Finally, Lexie brought the light purple dress and jewelry box that she had left in the dressing room.

 

While the maid skillfully groomed the dress, Lexie opened the jewelry box and began her explanations, showing the jewelry one by one.

 

“This has a design that feels similar to the dress, and this one has a bold design, so I think it would be its point, and this one…”

 

As Meria was struggling to choose the necklace that would best match her today’s outfit, Serinia came to see her.

 

Serinia had also done her preparations. Serinia wore a pale pink silk dress close to white and let down her long straight hair.

 

The hair flowing down both sides was fixed with emerald pins, making it look almost like a goddess.

 

“Are you out of your mind to come back on the day before the banquet, was it not enough to go all the way to Horben to buy herbs yourself?” Merria sarcastically mocked the troublemaker with a reproach.

 

Serinia laughed frantically with a casual face. “I mistook the date. What? It was so peaceful there that time flew before I knew it.”

 

Even with Merria’s bruises, Serinia walked across her without hesitation.

 

Merria looked very beautiful in the eyes of Serenia, who was not interested in things like dresses.

 

A heartwarming smile appeared on Serinia’s face.

 

As she was receiving the gaze, Merria, who became embarrassed for no reason, turned her attention.

 

“Rather, were you bored with all the preparations?”

 

“Oh, do you have the emerald necklace that you received as a birthday present? I want to borrow it.”

 

“Was your concept of today to be a walking human emerald?”

 

“Because Miles gave me an emerald pin as a gift, it’s pretty good to match it in line with the necklace.”

 

Serinia replied, pointing her hand at the pin on her head.

 

As Merria remembers, Serinia prefers other jewels to emeralds, but her jewelry box had a lot of extraordinary emerald trinkets.

 

Most of them were gifts from Miles, Serenia’s fiancé.

 

Serinia replied as if waiting for Merria’s question about why Miles only gave emeralds.

 

Miles said before, ‘Because it resembles his eye color, I want her to remember me every time she saw it.”

 

As I imagined Miles shyly shining through with his clear green eyes and uttering tickling words to Serinia, a bitter smile appeared on her mouth.

 

Merria shook her head and glanced at Lexie. Lexie quickly found her emerald necklace and hung it around Serinia’s neck.

 

Merria wore a necklace with aquamarine and diamonds, unanimously chosen by Lexie, her maid, and Serinia.

 

After finishing their preparations, Merria descended to the ground floor with Serinia, and soon Themis and Raven also arrived at the main entrance.

 

Two carriages of the Rackester family with the emblem of an eagle flying in the sky stood at the entrance of the mansion.

 

Serinia and Merria rode in the carriage in front, then the Duke couple rode the next carriage.

 

As expected, the coachman, who was also dressed in his shoes, began to manage the carriage.

 

“What about Miles?”

 

“Oh, He still has something to do, so I’m meeting him in front of the banquet hall.”

 

“He would love it when he sees the emerald I’m wearing today.”

 

“Because he likes this kind of stuff and I feel like a child when I’m with him.”

 

It was a brutal tone, but I felt a lot of love for Miles in Serinia’s words.

 

Merria thought suddenly and asked Serinia.

 

“What made you think about marrying Miles?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

When asked out of the blue, Serinia tilted her head and asked back Merria.

 

It was about engagement and marriage that recently occupied a part of Merria’s mind.

 

Nevertheless, she only felt like it was a distant thing for her, so she needed advice from someone experienced.

 

Serinia, who was looking at Merria, burst into laughter at the sudden thought.

 

“Was it because our mother asked you to find a fiance?”

 

Merria nodded with a sobbing voice.

 

Raven seems to have secretly talked to Merria, who has never been in a relationship before, to find a lover for her.

 

Her naive younger sister looked confused at the thought of finding a fiancé.

 

It was not common for Merria, who was good at everything, to worry this much.

 

She felt like she knew why Raven hadn’t explained in detail.

 

‘I’m wondering how good your partner would be.’

 

The playful Serinia replied with a bright smile.

 

“Because Miles was a good person. He’s there, and he’s the one I like.”

 

As Serinia said, Miles Butler was a good man.

 

Born as the second son of a local count, Miles was intelligent enough to graduate from the Academy at the top of his class.

 

After that, he was intelligent enough to become an apprentice professor at the Academy.

 

In addition, he has a gentle personality and a neat appearance.

 

Serinia, who has a lot of things to do, and Miles, who was good and capable, were quite a match.

 

“Besides, father readily accepted Miles as a son-in-law, so he’s quite responsible for it.’

 

Serinia said with a proud face. Merria realized that the two were going to get married soon.

 

When Serinia first said she would introduce her lover, everyone in the family was worried. Serinia was smart, but there were a lot of sloppy corners around her.

 

When she said that, she invited Miles to our dinner, Themis and Raven acted as strict and sober parents.

 

It was to find out whether he approached Serinia for the title of Duke.

 

But Miles was a very gentle and transparent person, contrary to the concerns of the family.

 

His eyelashes shook as he ate the food, perhaps because his dark brown hair, made him look like a deer in the forest.

 

Even though he was relaxed and was treated comfortably, he was consistently like a herbivorous animal, and all of the family soon accepted him as the future Miles Rackester.

 

“A good man…”

 

Merria picked up Serinia’s answer and again turned her gaze out of the window.

 

The fast-running carriage slowed down completely when it was near the Imperial Palace.

 

The entrance was full of wagons waiting for entry

 

Fortunately, the knights of the Imperial Palace who were inspecting recognized the carriage of the Rackester family and let it pass right away.

 

Two carriages quickly escaped from the traffic jam of wagons and soon stopped in front of the banquet hall.

 

Merria got off the wagon under the escort of a knight who came with her.

 

Even in the dark evening, I could see the ‘Aether Hall’ lights flashing as if it had gathered all the lights of the world

 

A large Chandelier, shaking brilliantly inside, could be caught at a glance from a distance.

 

“Serinia.”

 

I turned my head to the familiar voice and Miles stood with a soft smile.

 

Serinia headed straight to Miles.

“Miles, have you been waiting for a long time?”

 

“No.”

 

Miles naturally took her hand and escorted Serinia.

 

“Sister, I’ll go in first.”

 

Merria, who was looking at the scene, gave Miles a light-eye greeting and moved inside.

 

It was not too late to attend the banquet, but many nobles were already filling the banquet hall.

 

Merria suddenly felt her hands turn cold as she approached the banquet lights.

 

It was because she started to realize that it was her first official social appearance since her debutant.

 

‘Urgh… I feel like throwing up.’

 

She wiped the sweat off her hands, praising herself for not eating anything as Lexie said.

 

At the order of the Emperor, all the royal and noble families had to attend this victory banquet.

 

Thanks to this, the cumbersome act of telling the attendant, ‘Someone from a Rackester family has arrived’, was omitted when entering.

 

It was good news for Merria, who wanted to avoid entering the building with everyone’s eyes.

 

‘Finally, I got here safely.’

 

She was somewhat overwhelmed.

After Altheon meets Shannon today, Merria would no longer have to avoid socializing in society.

 

She would rather have to actively seek out a fiancé.

 

When she thought about enjoying the banquet for the first time in her life, Merria’s face, which had been stiffened by tension, softened.

 

✿

 

As they entered the banquet hall, which was lit in all directions, the Duke and his wife were surrounded by nobles and ladies, respectively.

 

Soon after, Serenia and Miles also started talking to the people from the Academy.

 

She thanked the knight of the family that came with her for her escort, and Merria, who went to the wall, accepted a glass of champagne from a passing servant.

 

“Was that the Lady Rackester?”

 

“Looking at the Duke and his wife together earlier entering, I think it was her, right? Oh, my…”

 

“You said she was gloomy?”

 

“You’re right. But I don’t think that’s what she feels like…”

 

As the surroundings got quieter, it seemed that a group of young nobles talking could be heard better from a distance.

 

This level of attention was natural as the second child of Duke Rackester, who has not been in society for several years.

 

‘Speak up to your heart’s content’.

 

I already expected something like this to happen.

 

Merria sipped champagne with no expression and waited for her family to return.

 

There was a mysterious atmosphere in Merria’s appearance. The nobles were looking for an opportunity to talk to her from afar.

 

Merria was thinking about asking Karina to introduce her to a decent young aristocrat.

 

“Merria.”

 

At the same time, while thinking about that, Karina appeared in front of her.

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