The gazes pouring in from all sides felt like piercing arrows.
Taking a step forward, Bianca felt her body tense up for the first time in a while.
Although bewildered, she was quite familiar with situations like this.
“Isn’t that Princess Bianca?”
“Ah? She’s in the ballroom without an escort?”
As soon as she made her entrance, whispers tinged with malice spread more frequently than chirping crickets.
The royal family was always an untouchable, sacred territory, but Bianca was the exception.
People didn’t miss the special opportunity to tear down nobility.
Why would hyenas ever ignore arranged prey?
Even this was a thrilling game sanctioned by the Emperor, approved by the royal family itself.
Bianca had to survive alone amidst a sea of sharpened claws.
It had always been like this.
But now, unlike before, she had at least three people she could call ‘on her side.’
“It’s okay.”
Calming her turbulent emotions, Bianca showcased an elegant and lovely smile for all to see.
There was no trace of tension on her face, her eyes narrowed and lips curved smoothly.
“There are many guests today.”
Crossing the ballroom and exchanging greetings as before, Bianca stood tall.
“I called you today to introduce someone.”
Gillian, rising from his seat, approached and softly wrapped his hand around hers.
It was cruel not to warn her beforehand, but seeing Gillian genuinely happy, even her budding resentment vanished.
“Was it too sudden?”
“A bit.”
She chuckled briefly at the warmth encircling her waist.
As she looked at him, her cheeks became flushed from the many eyes glued to her.
“I thought it’d be good to notify in advance if I wanted to invite you in the spring. Fortunately, all the generals are here today.”
Her polite explanation elicited a fleeting smile from Bianca.
Lies.
What kind of man he was.
A weak man.
She remembered clearly how he had wiped away her tears in various ways.
Some days with a cheeky face, some days with clever words, and yet other days with a face sadder than hers, he always managed to wipe away her tears.
Without ever tiring of it.
So now, such a meticulous man hastily arranged this meeting?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Her eyes nearly spinning in their sockets, Bianca laughed heartily.
It was no effort to scan the attendees rapidly behind her thick eyelashes.
Six people were seated at the dining table.
Adding Gillian and herself made eight.
Hailey and Kreta.
And seeing Elizabeth, who was mentioned as a sixstar general, it seemed they were all either close confidants or righthand men of the Barlocks.
So why suddenly arrange this gathering for introductions?
“Wouldn’t it be better to reveal who the bride is in due time, even if wedding preparations are done leisurely?”
Clang.
A fork dropped suddenly.
That’s when Bianca realized the purpose of this gathering.
This wasn’t an introduction; it was a warning.
Suddenly, Elizabeth’s face turned pale.
The atmosphere remained eerie throughout.
Gillian offered a gentle smile whenever their eyes met, but whenever his gaze drifted, his expression turned stonecold.
His rigid face was unfamiliar.
Yet, Bianca did not find it frightening or ominous.
Rather, it appeared strong and reliable.
He was Duke Barlock.
His tender inclinations did not suit this setting.
The silent dinner was eerie.
However, it shattered when dessert, the final course, arrived.
“May I speak now?”
His single face showed no signs of tension.
It was comfortable, almost too comfortable to believe he had held back till now.
Interpreting Gillian’s silence as permission, he grinned and locked eyes with Bianca.
“Hello, I am Blat, the General of the Seventh Estate.”
“Nice to meet you, Captain Blat.”
Bianca gently responded as she set down her teacup.
That initiated a series of greetings.
Both the chilly Elizabeth and the curt Killian managed to exchange greetings with smiles.
However,
“I am Hailey Armer, the captain of the 4th fortress.”
Hailey, who introduced herself as ‘Captain’ so very formally, failed to elicit any smiles from the stiff crowd.
“Ah.”
A short sound, almost like a moan, was all that came out.
If only there were a fan.
Bianca tried desperately to animate her frozen face, but it wasn’t easy.
“I currently oversee the lordship of our home fortress.”
The formal, stiff greeting suddenly became more cordial.
Indeed, it was a tone Bianca recognized.
She felt as if her head were spinning.
“I am Raymond, the captain of the 3rd fortress. I hold no other offices.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Crehan Barta, the captain of the 2nd fortress.”
My God.
At this point, it became extremely difficult for Bianca to maintain her composure.
A lord with strange speech is the captain of the 4th fortress, and a frail lieutenant is the captain of the 2nd fortress?
Her thoughts were in a tangle.
However, instead of showing her confusion, Bianca simply nodded her head.
As the confusing introductions came to an end, Gillian, who had remained silent all along, spoke up.
“We’ve decided to get married in the spring.”
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.