I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 20

‘Damn it. I can’t see.’

Even on the second floor, the view was blocked by layers of people and various decorations, making it impossible to get a clear look. I turned to see if Eleanor knew anything, but she showed no change in expression.

I still had more to say, but I was more concerned about whether the real Lian had arrived. Blaine left her on the terrace and returned alone. Pushing through the crowd, I soon heard a servant’s voice filled with awe.

“L-Lord Sky Fayedra has arrived!”

Blaine was relieved it wasn’t Lian but was soon astonished once again. Sky had not attended a single imperial party since becoming an adult.

‘Why is that man here?’

With rumors swirling that he was a dangerous and unpredictable man, his sudden appearance was unsettling. But unlike Blaine, the party’s atmosphere became even more lively.

“It’s my first time seeing him!”

“Oh my, me too. Let’s go and greet him.”

The arrival of a high-ranking noble renowned for his handsome looks excited everyone. Looking at the giddy young ladies, Blaine pouted.

‘Even so, he’s probably nothing compared to Lian.’

A slight jealousy and pride for her friend swelled within her.

Let’s see how great he really is.

With that thought, Blaine held her ground instead of retreating. Soon, a tall man appeared in the center of the hall. The moment Blaine saw his face, she swallowed hard.

The jewel of a small kingdom, a counterpart to the star of the empire, Lian Floyd Calabria.

Standing in the light of the chandelier, Sky Phaedra was truly breathtaking. He was wearing the traditional dress of the Phaedra Duchy, which, unlike the conservative, skin-covering attire of the Hascatol Empire, was loose, revealing his firm chest and arm muscles. The wildness and sensuality, unbefitting of a nobleman, were to even a man’s eyes. This was the first time since Lian that she had seen a presence so captivating with looks alone.

“He’s going to the Marchioness.”

A noblewoman beside her muttered as if in a trance. Sky slowly approached the hostess of the mansion, the Marchioness Litrael, and greeted her with a bow.

“Thank you for allowing my sudden visit.”

His voice was rich with an exotic accent.

“The honor is all mine.”

As the queen of the social scene, the Marchioness Litrael maintained her elegant composure even as Sky kissed the back of her hand. However, she couldn’t help the blush that spread on her neck, like a raspberry jelly.

“Would you like to go to the private room for a chat?”

The Marchioness Litrael’s private room was famous for only inviting truly special people. However, Sky shook his head.

“With all due respect, I came here to meet someone.”

“Who might that be?”

Everyone at the party held their breath, waiting for the answer. Sky’s impressive voice rang out once more.

“Where is Baroness Eleanor?”

Unaware of the commotion in the bustling hall, Eleanor only wanted to return to her room.

‘I wonder if I can leave now.’

As Eleanor tried to slip away during the commotion, she was startled. A silhouette of a tall man appeared behind the curtain.

‘Who is it this time?’

Before she could guess, the curtain was drawn back. Upon seeing the man’s face, Eleanor was utterly flustered. The man was unbelievably handsome.

“So you are the heroine of the rumors.”

As she stood there in confusion, the man spoke.

‘A foreigner?’

Judging by his accent, he wasn’t from the empire. And his casual use of informal speech suggested he was a high-ranking noble.

“Who are you?”

At Eleanor’s question, the man’s handsome lips curled up as he answered.

“Sky Phaedra.”

As soon as she heard the name, she thought, ‘As expected.’ Sky slowly approached Eleanor, who was swallowing hard.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Baroness Eleanor.”

He took her wrist. Unlike his smooth appearance, his hands were manly with prominent knuckles. He might be quite skilled in swordsmanship. He kissed the back of her hand, a Phaedra-style greeting different from the empire’s.

“You are as beautiful as they say.”

His manner was so charming that it made her heart flutter. Eleanor composed herself. Thinking of this man’s dangerous reputation as the prince of the underworld, now was not the time to be swooning. As if to prove it, Sky’s lips were giving a compliment, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all.

“You are just as the rumors say, Your Grace.”

After returning the dry compliment, Eleanor pulled her wrist back.

“Did you come out for some fresh air?”

She asked, planning to move aside if he said yes. However, Sky shook his head.

“No. I came out to talk to you.”

“To talk to me?”

She glanced around and saw that a crowd of spectators had already gathered by the window. It felt like a déjà vu of the night Lian came looking for her.

“I hear that your time with Count Calabria was just a one-night fling. Is that true?”

She had expected some grand topic, but it was just gossip? However, his gaze was sharp, as if it could pierce her heart, making it feel less like a casual chat.

“If it weren’t true, why would I say that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you just want it to seem that way.”

His tone was full of hidden meaning. It would be a difficult opponent if she were lying, but since it was the truth, she had nothing to hide.

“I will never see Count Calabria again.”

Eleanor answered calmly, then deliberately added something rude.

“I didn’t know that a duke of such high reputation as Fayedra would be interested in gossip that only ladies like.”

She thought this would make him angry enough to stop talking to her. But Sky didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.

“It’s not your story that I’m interested in.”

Just as she was about to ask what it was, Sky took a step closer.

“It’s you.”

What did that mean?

“I’d like to talk to you at length. Could you spare some time?”

Even looking at him up close, it was impossible to read his sea-colored eyes. She had a gut feeling that getting close to him was dangerous. However, it was difficult to dare to refuse a high-ranking noble’s invitation.

“I sincerely thank you for the offer, but I have appointments with several families for a while. If you ever find a time that works, I would be happy to visit.”

With that, she drew a line, a suitable way to keep her distance.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

Eleanor left the terrace, trying not to look like she was hurrying. She could feel Sky’s gaze on her back, burning like a prick. As she left the terrace, the tension, which was close to being oppressive, finally released.

She quickened her steps, walking swiftly toward the stairs to the hall. The moment she turned a corner, Eleanor was startled by a person who suddenly appeared.

“B-Baroness!”

It was a small girl with raven-black hair. The girl held out a glass of wine with her head bowed low, stammering.

“I, I’m a long-time fan of yours… T-this, the wine…”

In the empire, offering a glass of wine to someone you admired was considered an honor. Eleanor had received countless glasses of wine, but it had been a long time since someone was so nervous while giving one. Her hands were trembling so much that the wine was about to spill. Had she secretly followed her and waited until she was alone?

Eleanor couldn’t bring herself to refuse such sincerity from a young girl.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Eleanor took the glass and immediately brought it to her lips. Just as she took a sip, the girl cried out.

“W-Wait…!”

The girl, looking as if she were about to cry, stopped Eleanor. As Eleanor looked at her with a puzzled expression, the girl opened her mouth as if to explain.

And in the next moment, Eleanor got goosebumps all over her body. It was because she heard a bizarre, indescribable sound coming from the girl’s mouth.

“Are you okay? Is there something wrong…?”

At her worried question, the girl shook her head wildly and clutched her throat. It was as if she was trying to force a voice out but couldn’t. Just as Eleanor was about to support her because of her eerie appearance, a young lady who was coming up the stairs happened to spot her.

“Oh my! Baroness Eleanor is here!”

As she was discovered, people from below swarmed toward her. The girl was startled and didn’t know what to do. She seemed to want to run away immediately but was soon surrounded by the crowd and couldn’t move. Eleanor hid the shy girl behind her.

Soon, Blaine and Viscountess Sarangtte appeared in the crowd.

“Baroness. Why is Duke Phaedra looking for you?”

Blaine asked with a suspicious look.

“You should ask him yourself.”

She wanted to ask that herself. When Eleanor avoided answering, Viscountess Sarangtte’s sarcastic voice immediately flew at her.

“If nothing happened, you could just say so. But you’re staying quiet again to look important, just to sell books with no substance.”

Viscountess Sarangtte, not content with just picking a fight with Eleanor, also sneered at the girl in front of them.

“And who is this? A new hidden friend?”

“She’s a fan of my book. Leave her be.”

When Eleanor cut her off, Viscountess Sarangtte’s expression soured even more.

“A fan, you say. Listen, miss. Those kinds of books are no help, so if you’re going to read…”

Viscountess Sarangtte, who was about to grab the book from her, paused upon seeing the girl. Her flustered expression soon turned to one of disgust, then to a sneer.

“Haha. Now I see she’s a perfect fan for the Baroness.”

What did that mean?

In front of the bewildered Eleanor, Viscountess Sarangtte shouted so that others could hear clearly.

“Everyone. Young Lady Vice is an avid fan of Baroness Eleanor!”

At the mention of Young Lady Vice, Eleanor bit her lip.

Biancasta Vice.

The villainess from the original story who would be publicly executed for lèse-majesté six months later. Eleanor had been to countless parties, but she had never met Biancasta, as she only attended gatherings of high-ranking noblewomen, including the princess, and didn’t leave the house.

‘This young girl is the villainess?’

Eleanor had heard much about her infamy, but seeing her in person made it incredibly difficult to believe. She seemed to be nothing more than a frail, much smaller girl than her peers. Rather than being scared, it felt eerie that such a young girl was destined to die soon.

As she was feeling this eerie sensation, Viscountess Sarangtte spoke again.

“Did a fan give you that wine? You should finish it neatly.”

Only then did Eleanor realize she had drunk the wine Biancasta had given her. She felt sick to her stomach, and it might not have just been her imagination. She glanced at Biancasta, who was looking at her as if she were about to cry and subtly shaking her head. Eleanor didn’t know what it meant, but she felt like she shouldn’t have drunk it.

“What are you doing? Your fan is going to cry.”

However, because of Viscountess Sarangtte’s instigation, an atmosphere was created where she had to drink it.

What saved the flustered Eleanor from this sudden meeting with the villainess was a well-resonating, low voice.

“You said you’d be happy to visit if the time was right, didn’t you?”

Sky said, walking out from the terrace.

“In that case, I’d like to invite you tonight.”

Viscountess Sarangtte’s mouth was agape in surprise. What was more concerning was Blaine, whose eyes were shining.

“Surely, you don’t have any plans after this, do you, Baroness Eleanor?”

Sky’s sea-colored eyes, looking at Eleanor, smiled for the first time.

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