I Became the Villain’s Lost Daughter Chapter 81

 

When I hurried back to the banquet hall, the atmosphere was different.

 

The masks were still on, but the liberating atmosphere was gone.

 

“Mrs. Sullivan, I’m looking forward to this new gathering.”

 

“Oho, I’m sure Mrs. Britton would be delighted to have you join us.”

 

Unlike in the old days, when people didn’t assume each other’s identities, here and there people were unmasked and talking.

 

When the effects of the artifact wore off, the banquet was back to normal.

 

As I crossed the room in search of my father and Aaron, I glanced up at the podium.

 

In the center of the podium sat the Emperor, looking somewhat grim. His face looked a little pale somehow.

 

‘…I’ve heard that the Emperor insists on the image of a gentle saint.’

 

The Emperor I knew and the Emperor my father had told me about were quite different.

 

Well, maybe he was just in an unusually bad mood or under the weather today.

 

“Uh, there he is.”

 

It was when I turned away from the Emperor that I spotted my father and Aaron’s dark hair upstairs.

 

The music in the banquet hall stopped, and all eyes turned to the podium.

 

“It looks like everyone is enjoying the banquet.”

 

The Emperor’s voice echoed clearly around the room, as if he had used some sort of amplification magic.

 

As if I had been mistaken in thinking that the Emperor’s appearance earlier was strange, the Emperor smiled benevolently and continued.

 

“First of all, may the glory of the Empire…”

 

As with all leaders, there was a long introduction before the Emperor got down to business. It meant there was a lot of platitudes and nonsense.

 

‘Well, that’s good for now.’

 

I quickly ascended to the second floor, using the skills I had honed in the mansion to avoid bumping into anyone.

 

Glancing down, I saw Callian sitting behind the Emperor, his face stoic. He had apparently returned to the banquet hall just before the Emperor rose.

 

Relieved, I turned to my family, who were in full view of the Emperor.

 

“…Father, brother.”

 

“Erita.”

 

Approaching cautiously, I squeezed between them, and my father and Aaron, without a trace of embarrassment, slid aside to make room for me.

 

“So, what happened down there?”

 

“Um… Yeah.”

 

For the time being. I swallowed the latter part down. I couldn’t say I’d met Callian right here and now.

 

The two men who heard the words exchanged a look of, ‘Alright, okay’, and didn’t bat an eye.

 

‘I thought they’d say a word or two about me being late.’

 

For once, I was relieved, but to be honest, it wasn’t the usual father-son duo.

 

‘Or do they already know I’ve been seeing Callian?’

 

Somehow, I knew Father and Aaron might have done it, I just had a feeling.

 

“Erita, what’s wrong?”

 

Aaron asked sweetly, leaning slightly toward me as if he noticed my suspicious stare.

 

“Nothing, I just can’t wait to get home.”

 

I answered with a slight wave of my head, which ironically made me feel calmer.

 

‘Maybe when I talk to them, I can mention that I met Callian today.’

 

Callian said that they would tell me sooner or later.

 

‘It’ll be late when we get home from the party tonight, so I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to tell them the details.’

 

‘Oh, it’s already past midnight, so maybe this afternoon.’

 

Leaning against the railing with my mind wandering, I was listening to the Emperor.

 

“Listen, everyone.”

 

The Emperor’s solemn voice sounded after his long preamble.

 

I straightened up from my slumped posture. I had to keep an eye on the Emperor’s movements.

 

The Emperor glanced around the room, his eyes serious, then spoke.

 

“When it comes to choosing the next emperor, I will put both princes on the same footing.”

 

No one in the room didn’t understand the Emperor’s words, at least not in this banquet hall.

 

💫

 

“ ….Of the two princes, the one who deserves to sit on the throne will be Crown Prince, so let it be known.”

 

After the Emperor’s bombshell statement, no one spoke easily.

 

That included the Empress and Thesis, who couldn’t hide their outrage, and Callian, who covered his mouth with his hand.

 

‘So this was what… looks like.’

 

Resting his chin on his arm across the armrest, Callian tilted one corner of his mouth up at the predictable turn of events.

 

‘There’s no way the Emperor, wary of Lenosen, was going to make Thesis Crown Prince.’

 

If Thesis was appointed Crown Prince today, Lenosen’s authority would quickly challenge the Emperor’s.

 

‘He’ll never live to see that.’

 

That didn’t mean the Emperor hadn’t thought of Callian and come up with this solution now.

 

Perhaps it was to keep him and Thesis on their toes.

 

Callian turned his head slowly to look at Duke Lenosen, his face furious.

 

Duke Lenosen, who hadn’t noticed his gaze, nodded to the nobles at his side. It was immediately afterward.

 

“Your Majesty, please reconsider what you are about to say! The first Emperor has said that the firstborn should be Crown Prince!”

 

“Yes, please make a wise decision, Your Majesty!”

 

A loud voice broke out among the nobles. They were the nobles who supported the firstborn, the vassals of Lenosen.

 

One of them opened his mouth, and words spilled out in a jumble.

 

Callian watched and mocked the scene.

 

‘After all the Duke has been through, he still doesn’t know the Emperor.’

 

His father, the current Emperor of the Empire, was a greedy man known for his cruelty.

 

There was only one situation in which the Emperor showed his true colors, even in public.

 

“It was the Emperor’s prerogative to appoint a Crown Prince. Do you dare to interfere with that?!”

 

The Emperor raised his voice as he looked around the room with his formidable eyes.

 

“Your Majesty…!”

 

“Enough!”

 

An undeterred nobleman opened his mouth, but when the Emperor’s blood-red eyes fell on him, he quickly shook his head.

 

To be fair, the current Emperor hadn’t won over the nobles with his exceptional talent or natural charisma.

 

However, the Emperor’s power was not far behind that of the nobles, thanks to his military might.

 

Or, more precisely, the strength of his predecessor.

 

‘Although I know it doesn’t seem like it to anyone but Father.’

 

The First Emperor, or Callian’s grandfather, was a powerful monarch who expanded the empire’s territory in his youth through wars with his enemies.

 

Naturally, imperial power based on the military might overwhelm all nobility, and the current Emperor grew up seeing it firsthand.

 

‘But he’s so drunk from the past that he thinks he’s accomplished his father’s work.’

 

It was a power he would not have enjoyed if not for the imperial knights he had raised.

 

Of course, the Emperor’s foolishness had worked in Callian’s favor.

 

Callian stared at the Emperor’s back, his eyes cold and distant.

 

“I hope you all understand that I will not accept any arguments on this matter.”

 

With those words in his gravelly voice, the Emperor left the banquet hall, his chamberlain, and servants trailing behind him.

 

Thud—

 

The Emperor’s figure disappeared through the heavy doors.

 

“This is ridiculous, isn’t this a complete disregard for the Empire’s firstborn inheritance laws!”

 

“That’s right, even you, Emperor, can’t ignore the laws set forth by the first Emperor!”

 

There was no more elegant music in the banquet hall.

 

💫

 

‘…What a situation.’

 

After the Emperor left the banquet hall, I looked down at the commotion below and blinked.

 

Wasn’t this supposed to be announced on the anniversary of the founding of the country?

 

‘In the original, Thesis was supposed to be Crown Prince.’

 

It might not matter much now, but I still got a little nervous when they changed the mold.

 

‘…Still, I’m glad my family was on the same side as Callian’s.’

 

For now, that was my greatest comfort. Tomorrow I would need to have a serious talk with them, but my biggest goal was already halfway accomplished.

 

‘But did Father and my brother already know about my involvement with the Prince?’

 

A glance to the side showed no sign of agitation on the faces of Father and Aaron.

 

If anything, they looked bored. They didn’t seem to be paying any attention to the Emperor’s words.

 

With that thought, I turned my gaze to Callian.

 

And then I realized what I had just thought. The Empress remained expressionless, but not in her usual graceful and dignified manner.

 

Thesis, seated next to her, was also flushed. Callian’s face, however, was calm.

 

‘I guess he knows all the forces that support him.’

 

One might think it was just a facade, but given his relaxed demeanor earlier, it’s safe to assume he already knew.

 

“Erita.”

 

My father’s call interrupted my rambling thoughts.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Was there anyone else you need to see?”

 

His question was blunt, and I shook my head. It was a reflexive response, but I couldn’t think of anyone off the top of my head.

 

My head was spinning from what I’d heard from Callian, and I couldn’t wait to get home.

 

“Then we should probably head back, you look tired.”

 

“Mmm, that would be nice.”

 

So I agreed to my father’s suggestion to head home.

 

Before I walked out the door of the banquet hall, I turned around for a moment and looked back in Callian’s direction.

 

The Emperor’s revelation was a bombshell, but even more surprising to me were Callian’s words.

 

‘…He said we’d meet again soon, so we can talk then.’

 

For now, I decided to settle for the fact that we had cleared the air. I’d been wary of him and avoided him, but whatever.

 

Just as I was about to turn away, I felt my gaze lock with Callian.

 

But his figure was quickly obscured by the people passing in front of me, and I turned away again.

 

‘…Ah. I told Violet I’d see her today.’

 

I was already in the carriage when I remembered.

 

‘…What’s the big deal, it’s a common greeting among the nobility.’

 

It wasn’t until a few days later that I realized that Violet had taken it seriously.