I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 74

The ballroom, now in full swing, was filled with the soft strains of music. Laughter and voices echoed throughout, their owners indistinct.

In the distance, where the crowd was densest, I spotted my brother.

Whoever’s brother he was, he was certainly outstanding.

As if sensing my gaze from afar, my brother turned his head toward me. He greeted me with a bright smile.

We had only just parted moments ago, yet he looked as though he were seeing me for the first time in years.

My family had always treated me that way.

Always welcoming, always delighted.

When I gave a small wave in response to his smile, my brother's grin widened even further, like someone absolutely thrilled.

Laughing so freely while speaking with another noble... It was both unlike him and yet so very like him.

He said something to his conversation partner, then turned to me again. This time, he waved his hand as if trying to convey a message... What?

I wasn’t particularly talented at interpreting hand signals. When it became clear I wasn’t going to decipher whatever he was trying to say, my brother eventually gave up and instead called over a nearby waiter.

The waiter nodded at his words and immediately walked toward me.

With a flawless smile, he approached and bowed politely.

“The young master requests Aiden’s presence.”

Both Lukas and I turned to the waiter at the same time.

It seemed my brother wanted to introduce Aiden to the noble he was speaking with.

At the mention of his name, Aiden’s shoulders twitched noticeably.

Of course, he wasn’t actually excited—he was just so nervous that his deep breaths made his chest and shoulders rise.

“Go ahead, Aiden.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Still stiff as a board, Aiden answered.

Good luck, Aiden.

With rigid movements, Aiden stepped away from my side.

He must have been more out of it than I thought—he was moving his right arm and right leg at the same time.

“Aiden.”

I had no choice but to call him back. Just imagining him walking across the ballroom like that was horrifying.

Personally, I didn’t care whether he walked with his right foot and right hand moving together or if he cartwheeled across the room. But the rest of the world didn’t see things the way I did.

Aiden turned back to me, looking puzzled.

Puzzled? Aiden, I just saved you. Or maybe I saved your blanket from getting kicked around in frustration all night.

“Yes, my lady?”

I considered making something up, but if I let him go without pointing it out, he might mess up again. So I decided to just tell him the truth.

“When you walk, move your left arm with your right leg. Right arm with left leg. Got it?”

Aiden blinked and exhaled as he finally realized what he had been doing wrong.

Better to realize now than after arriving.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Thank you, my lady. Ah, and if you need anything, please call for me.”

Maybe the shock of his near-mistake had helped him relax, because his expression looked much better than before.

I nodded in response. But before I could say anything—

“Don’t worry, Aiden, you can go now.”

...Surprisingly, those words hadn’t come from me.

“Thank you, my lady. Ah, and if you need anything, please call for me.”

“Don’t worry, Aiden, you can go now.”

Before I could even open my mouth, Lukas cut in.

Aiden, who had been looking at me with concern, turned his head toward the one who had answered in my place.

Their gazes locked midair.

To Aiden, what Lukas had just done was a clear provocation. Or maybe... a confirmation.

A confirmation of whether Aiden truly harbored feelings for me. A confirmation of whether he had already realized Lukas’s own emotions.

“Well, I am her assigned guard, after all.”

Matching provocation with provocation, Aiden spoke with firm emphasis on each word.

From the moment he dared to hold affection for the lady of the house—from the moment he decided to become a mage so he could stand proudly by her side—he had no intention of backing down.

Even if the opponent was Sir Lukas, who had been raised as a son of the household.

The only person Aiden was willing to yield to was the one who could truly make the lady happy.

And from what he could see, Lukas was not that person. Not yet.

There was no reason for him to step back.

What truly bothered Aiden, more than the provocation itself, was the fact that Lukas had already realized his own feelings.

If he were being honest, Aiden had hoped Lukas would remain oblivious for a long time.

He had wished that, much later down the line, Lukas would suddenly think, Ah, I guess I liked Selina.

Because even if Lukas wasn’t yet someone Selina loved, he was still a strong candidate.

It was a childish thought, but people always carried at least a bit of childishness in their hearts.

Lukas, staring at Aiden, simply smiled.

So, Aiden had noticed his feelings.

Was it really that obvious?

Maintaining his smile, Lukas rolled his neck with a crack. Like a predator stretching its limbs, the mere sight of him was enough to make someone swallow nervously.

But Aiden neither gulped nor averted his gaze.

He simply curled his lips into a deeper smirk.

“Right. But Aiden, you’ll be busy tonight. And I’m Selina’s partner, so you can take a break from guarding her for the evening.”

Lukas was slightly taller than Aiden, so by simply straightening his posture, he naturally ended up looking down at him.

Authority and dignity.

Selina’s partner for the night, and the mage who had to introduce himself to the noble circle.

Lukas casually placed Selina’s hand on his arm. The motion was so natural that even Selina herself didn’t seem to notice.

But Aiden, standing in front of them, saw everything.

And that was precisely what Lukas wanted.

Shifting his gaze away from Aiden, Lukas glanced past him to see Aaron, standing at the center of the grand ballroom—exactly the kind of place Selina would hate. Aaron was tilting his head, wondering why Aiden wasn’t coming.

“You should hurry to the young master, Aiden.”

“He’s waiting.”

Lukas was right. Aiden couldn’t /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ keep Aaron waiting forever.

After exhaling sharply, Aiden stole a final glance at Selina before giving a brief nod.

“I’ll see you later, my lady.”

“Alright.”

“Take care, Aiden.”

Selina’s voice was followed immediately by Lukas’s.

Disliking the idea of seeing the victorious grin that was undoubtedly on Lukas’s face, Aiden turned away without responding.

"Why are you acting like that?"

"What do you mean?"

Among the two of us watching Aiden’s retreating figure, I was the first to break the silence.

"Aiden and Sir Lukas."

Even someone utterly oblivious could tell that sparks had flown between the two just now.

It was a simple, genuine question.

As far as I knew, there was no real reason for the two of them to be at odds, yet the way they spoke was charged with tension. It felt strange.

Lukas remained silent, simply looking down at me. Though we stood in a shaded area, away from the light, his eyes gleamed with clarity as he gazed at me.

"Because I’m jealous."

Before I could pull my eyes away from his, Lukas tossed out the words as if discarding them, then turned his head away.

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"You... are jealous of Aiden?"

What in the world did Lukas have to be jealous of when it came to Aiden?

No matter how I looked at it, there was nothing.

Lukas was a main character, and Aiden was just a supporting role.

Well, I suppose this world had long since ceased to follow the original novel, but even so... Lukas had always been someone who built his foundation carefully, solidifying his position with certainty. He was widely recognized, admired by many. He had looks, wealth, and—at least in the public eye—even a good personality.

A man who had everything, jealous of Aiden?

Finding no answer, I stared at Lukas as if trying to bore a hole through him, but after turning away once, he refused to meet my eyes again. He only maintained that ever-carefree smile while staring straight ahead.

That was his way of saying he wouldn’t explain.

Well... I suppose something must have happened between them that I wasn’t aware of. I wasn’t always around the two of them.

Resigning myself to that conclusion, I also turned my gaze forward.

Aiden stood beside my brother, exchanging greetings with a noble across from them.

The scene must have been quite interesting, as more people gradually gathered around them. His well-practiced servant’s smile, honed through years of work, seemed to be shining.

By the time Aiden was completely obscured by the crowd, I turned my head away.

Come to think of it, shouldn’t I make an appearance in the ballroom center soon?

I had no intention of staying for long, but as I told Lukas, I should at least show my face and exchange greetings for ten minutes.

I didn’t want to hole myself up in a corner all night and end up the subject of some ridiculous rumor.

Just as I made up my mind and was about to move, a familiar lively voice called out my name.

"Lady Selina!"

"Lady Vivian."

Vivian, as energetic as ever, quickly scurried over to me despite her high heels.

"I’ve been looking for you! So this is where you were!"

Clapping her hands together, she beamed.

Apparently, just clapping wasn’t enough—she immediately grabbed both of my hands and started shaking them up and down. My hands lost all autonomy, moving excitedly at Vivian’s command.

"Oh my, Sir Lukas is here too."

Only after finishing her enthusiastic handshake did she seem to notice Lukas standing beside me.

After offering him a brief greeting, she turned back to me.

"There are so many delicious desserts over there! Come with me, Lady Selina."

"Ah, alright."

I had planned to leave this corner anyway, and tagging along with Vivian seemed far preferable to forcing small talk with strangers.

As soon as I agreed, Vivian wasted no time linking her arm with mine, practically radiating excitement. If she had a tail, it would be wagging.

Well, there was no harm in this.

Leisurely, I followed her toward the center of the hall. The dazzling lights above shone down on the crowd, momentarily blinding me—but soon, I adjusted.