Third-Rate Villain Of Fantasy Novel

Knock, knock.

"Elena, may I come in?"

"Yes, you may."

After I heard her answer, I carefully pushed the door open.

The moment the door creaked wide enough for me to peek inside, I froze.

It happened again. That same strange sense of déjà vu washed over me, just like earlier at the Morning Isilia Mansion. No... this time it was even stronger. It felt as if a brighter light had poured straight into my eyes, leaving me momentarily stunned.

I forgot to even step inside. I just stood there, staring.

As always, she shone like a star.

Her pure white dress stood in perfect contrast to the black Kraus family attire I was wearing. The soft fabric seemed to glow under the light, and her hair—flowing so naturally—only made her look more like something unreal, like a star that had descended to earth just for a moment.

For a few seconds... or maybe minutes, I couldn’t tell... neither of us said anything. We just looked at each other.

Then she shifted slightly, breaking the silence.

"Uh... how is it?"

Her voice snapped me back to reality.

My head felt like it had just started spinning again, and only then did I realize how long I had been staring. I quickly looked away, clearing my throat as I tried to compose myself.

"It is very beautiful."

I paused for a moment, then added quietly,

"No... that’s not right. You’re... stunning, Elena."

There was a brief silence.

"Oh... thank goodness," she said, letting out a small breath of relief. "I was worried it might be too much. I thought maybe I overdid it."

"You didn’t," I replied immediately. "Not even a little."

She smiled at that—soft, but genuine.

"Then I’m glad... especially since you’re the one seeing it."

For some reason, that made my chest feel a little tight.

Before I could think too much about it, she reached out and took my hand.

Her fingers were gentle at first, almost hesitant.

The moment her touch reached me, I felt my hand tighten instinctively. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until it was too late.

For a split second, I worried I might have hurt her.

But Elena didn’t pull away.

Instead, she tightened her grip slightly, as if reassuring me.

"It’s okay," she said softly. "I’m not going anywhere."

Her words lingered in my mind longer than they should have.

"...Right," I muttered.

Like that, we began walking side by side through the corridors of the winter castle.

The halls were quiet, illuminated by soft golden lights that reflected off the marble floors. Our footsteps echoed faintly, but somehow, it didn’t feel empty.

Not with her beside me.

As she walked closer, I caught a faint scent.

Lavender.

It was subtle, but unmistakable.

"It suits you," I said without thinking.

She glanced at me. "What does?"

"The scent... lavender."

"Oh," she smiled lightly. "I wasn’t sure if it was noticeable."

"It is," I replied. "But not in a bad way."

She let out a small laugh. "That’s a relief. I’d hate to be remembered as ’too strong perfume girl.’"

"That won’t happen," I said.

There was a brief pause before she spoke again.

"You’re unusually talkative today."

"...Am I?"

"A little," she nodded. "Usually, you just stare and say something short."

I felt slightly embarrassed hearing that.

"I don’t stare that much."

She gave me a look.

"...You were staring a lot just now."

"...That doesn’t count."

She laughed softly again, and the sound echoed gently through the corridor.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

But it wasn’t awkward.

If anything, it felt... comfortable.

I could feel the warmth of her hand, her pulse faint but steady against mine.

Somewhere along the way, the thoughts that had been weighing on my mind earlier completely disappeared.

All I could think about... was her.

About how warm her hand felt.

About how close she was.

About how I didn’t really want this moment to end.

"...Elena."

"Yes?"

I hesitated.

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head lightly. "It’s not important."

She didn’t press further. She just nodded.

But her grip on my hand tightened slightly again.

As we continued walking, a thought crossed my mind.

Rather than heading to the banquet hall...

Why don’t we just keep walking like this?

Just a little longer.

Just the two of us.

Away from everything else.

...But reality didn’t allow that.

The closer we got, the more the distant sounds of the banquet reached us—voices, music, the faint clinking of glasses.

I slowed down slightly without realizing it.

Elena noticed.

"Do you not want to go?" she asked gently.

"It’s not that," I replied.

"...I just think this is better."

She looked at me for a moment, her expression softening.

"...I think so too."

For a brief second, neither of us moved.

Then she smiled faintly.

"But we should go."

"...Yeah."

With that, I forced myself to take another step forward.

Each step toward the banquet hall felt strangely heavy.

And yet...

Her hand was still in mine.

So maybe... it wasn’t so bad after all.

---

Elena POV.

Few minutes earlier....

In the mirror in front of me, a girl dressed in pure white stood quietly.

For a moment, I almost didn’t recognize her.

The soft fabric hugged my figure perfectly, flowing just enough to make every movement feel graceful. The delicate lace around the sleeves and neckline added an elegance I didn’t think I could ever pull off.

"As expected of Madame Charlotte..." I murmured under my breath.

I gently ran my fingers over the dress, careful not to wrinkle it. I had always liked the dresses she made, but this one... this one felt different. It wasn’t just beautiful—it made me feel beautiful.

It wasn’t that I was overly confident in my appearance. I knew my limits. I knew I wasn’t someone who could turn heads effortlessly.

But today... with this dress...

Today, I felt like I could.

I took a slow breath, trying to calm the strange fluttering in my chest.

If it’s like this... I can do it.

If it’s like this, I can definitely capture his heart today.

Behind me, Hailey let out a small sigh of satisfaction.

"All done," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "Honestly, Elena... you look perfect. Even I’m a little jealous."

I let out a small, awkward laugh. "You’re exaggerating."

"I’m not," she replied immediately, stepping closer and adjusting a loose strand of my hair. "If he doesn’t fall for you today, then he’s either blind or stupid."

"That’s a bit harsh..." I muttered, but I couldn’t stop the faint smile forming on my lips.

Still... her words gave me courage.

After all, Hailey had spent hours working on my appearance. From my hair to the smallest detail of my makeup, everything had been carefully done.

Looking at my reflection again, I couldn’t find a single flaw.

It was flawless. Perfect beyond belief.

Then—

"Elena, may I come in now?"

The moment I heard his voice from outside the door, my heart skipped a beat.

I straightened instinctively, my hands tightening slightly at my sides.

Why am I so nervous...?

"It’s fine, come in!" I called out, trying to sound calm.

The door opened slowly.

And there he was.

Just looking at him, I can tell that without a doubts I had already fallen for him for a long time.