The Villainess Intends to Have It All - Chapter 92

On the day Barun asked Erina to be his partner, Sandes visited the Medelia mansion before the evening banquet.

“Erina.”

He was dressed more lavishly than at any other banquet.

A dark grey suit with splendid gold embroidery, gold cufflinks studded with amethysts, and a large bouquet filling his arms.

Seeing him even more extravagant than at the founding festival, Erina wondered what day it was today.

It wasn’t Erina’s birthday, nor was it Sandes’.

As Sandes excitedly held out the bouquet, Erina received it in confusion.

“Sandes…?”

“Please accept this.”

Erina received the bouquet with a dazed expression.

The beautifully swaying bouquet of lovely flowers had a scent pleasant enough to make the flustered Erina smile.

As if drawn in, Erina buried her nose in the bouquet to inhale the fragrance and asked:

“Is today a special occasion?”

Sandes showed a dizzying smile, his eyes curved prettily.

It was a seductive smile that made Erina focus on him instead of the flowers.

Suddenly, Sandes held out a box to Erina.

Judging by its not too large size, one could tell at a glance it was a jewelry box.

Surprised by the unexpected gift, Erina glanced between the box and him, asking:

“Sandes?”

Gazing lovingly at Erina, who blinked her eyes as if startled, Sandes said:

“Erina. I heard that in a month, there will be a coronation ceremony in the Kingdom of Smale.”

“Ah, yes. I heard about that.”

“Would you do me the honor of being your partner at the Smale Kingdom’s coronation?”

“…Pardon?”

Sandes clearly thought Erina would readily accept his invitation to be her partner.

He was brimming with confidence.

Until he saw Erina’s seemingly flustered expression.

“Erina. Do you perhaps have an important engagement a month from now?”

“No, it’s not that. I’m already set to go there as well.”

Feeling relieved for a moment, he gently smiled to soothe the bewildered Erina.

“You received an invitation directly from the Smale royalty.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“There should be no issue with accepting my partner request.”

Yet instead of relaxing, Erina looked even more at a loss.

Only then did Sandes sense something was wrong.

“Don’t tell me, Erina. Did you accept someone else’s partner request?”

“Well… Yes, Sandes.”

Erina tried to add something but answered without elaborating, worried it might sound like an excuse.

Sandes’ face instantly stiffened.

“You see, Sandes, it’s because Lord Barun asked me first.”

“Don’t tell me you accepted Barun Emkil’s partner request?”

Erina hesitated briefly before carefully nodding.

Sandes’ stiffened face sank even colder.

“Truly, Barun, Emkil’s, partner request.”

As if shocked by the fact that she accepted Barun, Sandes spoke in broken sentences, unable to even complete them.

“I accepted it knowing you were also invited.”

“He’s your escort anyway, so won’t we be going together regardless?”

As Erina avoided Sandes’ eyes and made excuses that weren’t really excuses, Sandes refuted.

Sandes’ words weren’t wrong.

Barun would be moving together with them anyway to guard Erina.

Sandes seemed unable to come to his senses upon learning Erina had accepted Barun’s partner request.

He remained frozen, one hand still holding out the gift, unable to even think of moving.

Erina was extremely flustered by Sandes’ unfamiliar reaction.

She thought he wouldn’t mind much about the partner since they were going together anyway.

As it was another kingdom’s banquet, those from the empire attending would always stay together.

So she expected him to just nod his head nonchalantly and move on.

“Sandes…”

Erina bowed her head deeply in her fluster.

Sandes found his own anger upon hearing Erina had accepted Barun as her partner unfamiliar.

His eyes were drawn to the top of her head visible above her hair that had slid down as she apologized and bowed.

He couldn’t understand why the sight of her crown, trembling as she gauged his mood, looked so adorable even as he was angry.

He tried to suppress his anger at the sight of her, but he was upset that Barun had coveted his place first.

“Erina.”

“Y-Yes?”

Sandes bit his lip to keep from smiling at Erina, who drew out the end of her words, not knowing what to do at his call.

“Did you really not expect me to ask to be your partner?”

“I thought you wouldn’t mind since we’re going together anyway.”

“Wouldn’t mind?”

Sandes was shocked again by her words.

Wouldn’t mind – how could he not mind?

He pictured and yearned for her every hour, every second. He minded the men around her so much.

“Erina, weren’t we lovers?”

“Yes, we were.”

Sandes, slightly appeased by Erina’s quick affirmation, gripped the box in his hand and asked:

“And yet you didn’t mind?”

Erina fidgeted, unable to give a proper answer, and cautiously looked up at Sandes.

Seeing Sandes in a state of shock, she had no idea how to react.

She had never really paid attention to such aspects, so Erina honestly didn’t know why he was angry.

The partner role was merely a formality.

Once they arrived in the Smale Kingdom, the people from the empire would always be together, and the same would go for Sandes.

Even if they weren’t partners, the fact that they would always be together wouldn’t change.

Erina wondered if he could possibly be jealous of Barun.

“Sandes, don’t tell me…”

“Yes, I’m jealous.”

As if reading Erina’s thoughts, Sandes answered before she could finish her sentence.

Surprised by his words, Erina’s eyes went wide as she froze.

“Of course I’d be jealous to hear that someone took the place beside my lover without my knowledge. How could I not be?”

As Sandes bluntly spoke his mind, Erina was once again flustered.

“Erina, would you be okay with me going as a partner with another woman?”

For a moment, Erina imagined the reverse – him standing with a young lady she didn’t know.

Imagining him entering the banquet hall arm in arm with another woman, affectionately ignoring her presence, made her breath catch in her throat.

“Ah, no.”

Erina’s face rapidly turned gloomy.

Only then did she understand how Sandes had felt and why he had been angry.

“I’m sorry, Sandes…”

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Sandes had no choice but to soften his stiff expression.

Erina’s apologetic look as she showed various expressions in response to his words was so adorable, he almost burst out laughing.

“Erina, I know you accepted Barun’s partner request out of gratitude.”

“Really?”

“But you should have considered me, your lover, first.”

“I’m sorry… I’ll make sure to do that from now on.”

Sandes’ heart melted at the sight of Erina fidgeting and looking apologetic, not knowing what to do.

They were both new to everything and awkward with each other.

Sandes understood that Erina had lived a life where she never needed to worry about such things.

Sandes embraced Erina, who was hugging the bouquet and looking glum.

Afraid the bouquet might get crushed, Erina quickly removed her hand holding it and hugged his back.

Sandes couldn’t help but bury his nose in her hair and laugh at her adorable action.

With each exhale and inhale, a scent more fragrant than the flowers dizzied his mind.

Did Erina know what she was doing to him?

If she knew his depraved desire to possess her from head to toe, she wouldn’t act this way.

“Erina, if you’re sorry…”

When Sandes didn’t finish his sentence, Erina lifted her head from his embrace and looked up at him, puzzled.

Sandes gently kissed the forehead of Erina, who was cutely gazing up at him, and said:

“Would you invite me to be your evening companion?”

Erina could tell from his eyes that he wasn’t simply talking about dinner.

Meeting his deep, profound gaze, she felt a thrilling sensation as if she were falling from the sky.

The dizzying feeling made Erina unconsciously blush beneath her eyes.

As she shyly hunched her shoulders, Sandes raised his hand and gently caressed under her eyes.

His fingertips brushing her skin felt hot.

Every spot touched by his possessiveness felt through his fingertips trembled.

In his warm embrace, under his heated touch, the existence of everything else merely felt distant.

“Erina.”

The captivating smile on his approaching face stole Erina’s senses.

“Hurry and give me your answer.”

His hot breath flowing over his red lips made it impossible to refuse.

“Yes, Sandes.”

Satisfied with Erina’s answer, Sandes softly pulled her waist closer.

At a distance where she could feel his breath, Erina swallowed and tensed up.

“I, will. Come quickly.”

Erina was so nervous that she blurted out words without knowing what she was saying, fixated on Sandes’ lips.

Sandes’ lips curved into an arc at her cute reaction.

Erina’s eyelashes fluttered with tension.

Sandes’ desire to devour her in one gulp surged at the movement like a butterfly’s wings caught in his grasp.

The two were so entranced, lost in sharing each other’s heated breaths, that they couldn’t come to their senses.