I Want a Happy Ending Even as a Villainess

Chapter 22

Calix led me to the second-floor balcony. He came over holding two glasses of wine that a servant had brought and handed one to me.

As I accepted the glass, Calix leaned against the railing with the other one. I found this whole situation bewildering, and seeing him so calm made it all the more annoying.

The Duke of Crescent had not publicly expressed support for either of the two princes, but it was a well-known fact that Lillith favored the second prince, Leschel. Calix surely knew that.

And yet, he’s acting all friendly with me in front of everyone? Moreover, anyone looking at this situation would think it’s a secret rendezvous—exactly that, a rendezvous.

Does he really not care about rumors? Even if he doesn’t, shouldn’t he at least be concerned about mine?

‘Is he doing this on purpose? To mess with me?’

That conclusion seemed fairly plausible.

‘If this is really revenge, it’s pretty pathetic.’

I glared at Calix with sharp eyes. My piercing gaze should’ve at least made him flinch, but he remained unbothered.

“Do you have something to say?”

“No, not really.”

I was so taken aback by his immediate response that I let out a dry laugh.

“Then why did you drag me out here?”

Calix pondered my question, dragging out a thoughtful “hmm.” The glass he was holding tilted slightly in his hand, almost spilling its contents before he caught it just in time.

“To keep you away from that guy.”

At that, I laughed again, incredulously.

“Didn’t I already tell you I’m not like that with Tain?”

As soon as I finished speaking, he turned his gaze from outside to me.

“I heard you’re trembling with fear about future consequences.”

His eyes were serious. Was he talking about what I mentioned at the tea party? I couldn’t fathom how those words had made their way to Calix.

“Do you actually believe that?”

“Why else would I have come here?”

Calix, still leaning on the railing, crossed his arms confidently as he replied.

“How did you even know I’d be here? Did you spy on me?”

It’s not like Lady Espand would have gone around announcing who accepted her invitation. With all the banquets held every week, how could he have known to come here?

“Spy on you? How hurtful.”

Despite his words, Calix flashed a sly grin.

“It’s the duty of a prince to keep an ear out for even the smallest of rumors, wouldn’t you say?”

He walked toward me with that same shameless smile.

“In a position like mine, you hear all sorts of things, like, for example…”

He leaned in close, lowering his head to meet my eye level. His two crimson eyes stared into mine sharply.

“…how a few nights ago, my brother briefly left the royal palace before returning.”

His lips still carried a smile, but his eyes were the same as they had been in the garden—burning with anger. Startled, I took a step back from him.

Calix straightened up, still smiling, though his eyes didn’t reflect the smile. His cold gaze slowly swept over me from head to toe as he muttered softly.

“You look perfectly fine.”

With that, Calix raised his wine glass towards me.

I had no desire to make a toast, but it was clear he wouldn’t back down until I raised my glass. With a reluctant expression, I lightly tapped my glass against his. The clear sound of clinking glass echoed between us.

Satisfied, Calix brought the glass to his lips, took a short sip, and swallowed. Then, with a nonchalant expression, he spoke again.

“The Marquis of Brock comes from a family of great mages, so it wouldn’t be easy to touch him. The Duke of Crescent would struggle to deal with him, too.”

I bit back the sarcastic response that almost escaped me. I wasn’t going to ask the duke to handle it, anyway.

“But it’s not like there’s no way.”

He smiled again as he said that.

“What do you think?”

Even though he hadn’t said it explicitly, I had a pretty good idea of what he meant. He was probably suggesting some illegal means to take him down.

Now that I thought about it, Leschel had said something similar when he visited the other night. Brothers, indeed. Their personalities might be extreme in opposite ways, but when it came to this, they were eerily alike.

“No thanks. Honestly, you two brothers…”

“Brothers?”

He suddenly leaned in, his face close to mine. What was with these brothers and their habit of invading personal space? They weren’t even twins; did they really need to be so alike?

“Creepy alike.”

I grimaced, and Calix finally backed off. His face showed clear dissatisfaction.

“It is strange. That he’s been quiet all this time.”

His voice was laced with mockery.

“If it were up to him, Tain would’ve already been smashed to bits for treason by now.”

It was clear that Calix had no intention of stopping his sneering remarks about Leschel. But this wasn’t just aimed at Leschel…

Calix surely knew that Leschel’s actions were for Lillith’s sake. So, these remarks were actually directed at me.

“That’s not going to happen anymore.”

“How ridiculous.”

He scoffed. Though it made sense for Calix to react this way, considering his character in the original story, it didn’t feel good to be on the receiving end, especially when it wasn’t even something I’d done.

Maybe that’s why the silence lingered afterward. I didn’t have anything else to say to him, and he seemed to feel the same.

Logically, my relationship with Calix should be like that of enemies meeting on a thorny cliff path. But his attitude was completely different from what I expected.

Sometimes, he’d be kind and worried, other times he’d threaten to kill, and then he’d be cold again. I couldn’t make sense of his feelings.

I hadn’t touched my glass since receiving it, not in the mood to drink. Calix’s glass, on the other hand, had been empty for a while, but he showed no signs of leaving.

Before I knew it, night had fallen, and the moon shone brightly. Its light shimmered above Calix’s dark hair, as if illuminating him alone. The silver moon looked like a spotlight just for him.

Calix had always been compared to the moon in the original story. He wasn’t as blinding as the sun, but he shone with a cool, brilliant light that couldn’t be compared to the stars.

It suited him, someone who had spent his childhood in darkness, only to emerge and show his true self as an adult.

“And…”

The true protagonist of the original story, Knox.

Knox was like the pitch-black night that could devour even the brilliantly shining moon.

His black hair, which absorbed the moonlight that lit up the world, did not reflect any light. His dark eyes seemed devoid of any human emotion.

He wasn’t glaring at me or reacting in any way, but the final moment I had faced in my dreams overlapped with the present, making it unbearable.

Just recalling that moment for a brief second caused my arms to tremble. Even though a lot of time had passed since I last faced him, I was still this weak.

“You.”

Calix’s voice snapped me back to attention.

“Why are you shaking?”

He approached swiftly and grabbed my hand tightly. Just a moment ago, he had been looking outside—when did he even notice me? Perhaps it was due to the warmth of his hand, but the trembling subsided.

“I’m cold.”

I replied, though Calix frowned, clearly annoyed.

It wasn’t entirely a lie. It was spring, but we were outside, and it was night.

“Let’s go inside.”

Calix tugged my hand inward. I resisted, tightening my grip to stop him.

“No, you’re busy, so just go ahead.”

“Why?”

Why? Was he seriously asking because he didn’t know? I glared at him, but he remained indifferent.

“You’re busy.”

“I’m not.”

“How long are you planning to stay?”

“Until you leave.”

“I’m going to hang out with my friends outside, so don’t follow me and stay out of my way.”

“I won’t be a bother.”

He was more persistent than I expected. If beating around the bush didn’t work, I only had one option left: being straightforward.

“I don’t want to be tied to you any more through rumors, so just leave me alone.”

For the first time, Calix didn’t respond immediately and fell silent, seemingly contemplating.

“Alright, if that’s how it is.”

He answered slowly, sounding slightly dejected. Had I been too blunt? Even though he was just concerned, had I gone too far? Would he be upset?

“I won’t say anything. I’ll just wait from afar until you’re ready to leave, and I’ll come with you.”

I closed my eyes tightly. Why was he acting like this? I wanted to tear my hair out in frustration.

* * *

By the time I finally returned to the banquet hall and rejoined the other ladies, I had already become the center of envy and admiration. After all, it wasn’t every day one saw a prince of the empire attend a regular banquet, let alone display such closeness with a particular lady…

The other ladies seemed to think I was the protagonist of a romantic story, beloved by both imperial princes. But the reality was far from that.

Their soft questions, full of envy, all circled around my relationship with Calix. Because of this, I couldn’t even tell if the food I was eating was going down my throat or up my nose. Overwhelmed, I had no choice but to make an early exit from the party.

I just wanted to get back to the Crescent Duke’s mansion as soon as possible rather than forcing myself to stay.

After bidding farewell to the other ladies and Lady Espand, I left the banquet hall, only to find Calix following me from somewhere, seemingly having been waiting.

“What is this?”

As we entered the garden, I couldn’t help but blurt out in confusion.

“Where’s my carriage? And the Crescent family’s knights? Where did they all go?”

The garden was filled with carriages bearing the crests of various noble families, but none from the Crescent family. Where I had originally been dropped off was now occupied by royal palace carriages and the horses of the royal guards.

“If you’re looking for your carriage, I sent it back.”

Calix explained calmly.

“…Why?”

“So I could take you with me.”

“Wow…”

So, he knew I wouldn’t get in if he just asked, and did this on purpose? I had no choice but to be impressed by his meticulousness. Though, of course, it was a negative kind of admiration.