Villain, Let Me Touch You! - Chapter 98
Thankfully, Helios, standing beside me, caught my hand before disaster struck.
“Impressive,” I murmured, “in more ways than one.”
Priscilla’s hair, puffed up with air and God knows what else, was a good 30 centimeters above her head.
And that dress — I had no idea what she had done to it, but the skirt extended so far out that no one could get within a meter of her.
If someone wanted to kiss her hand, they’d have to awkwardly lean forward, sticking their rear out just to reach her.
It was a dress designed to make whoever greeted her look ridiculous.
“She believes bigger and flashier is always better,” Helios remarked.
Even as he looked at Priscilla, his face remained unreadable, his entire presence cooling like frost settling over the ballroom.
“Your Highness, smile,” I whispered.
Because Priscilla was headed straight for us.
Tension coiled in my chest. I knew Helios and Priscilla didn’t get along.
“It’s been a while, Helios.” Priscilla’s voice was sweet as poisoned honey. “You look… well. And yet, you’re still dragging around your physician. Are you ill?”
The way she said it, she almost sounded hopeful.
“Thanks to your concern, I’m in excellent health.”
“Is that so? What a shame. I had a special tonic prepared just for you.”
I clenched my lips tightly. If I hadn’t, I might have shouted in disbelief. The sheer audacity of this woman—!
A “tonic” from Priscilla could mean one of two things: poison, or something so vile that it might as well be.
And I would know. She had done it before.
That time, she personally procured the “rare and beneficial” ingredients and had them specially prepared by a chef.
I, or at the least the novel’s old Rienna Harris, was the one who almost died after taking a sip.
The aftermath? Priscilla lost a favored attendant and the chef who made the dish.
For an attempted crown prince poisoning, the punishment was laughably mild. But given Helios’s lack of strong backing, it was a miracle there had been any consequences at all.
More than anything, the case had been easy to sweep under the rug . After all, it was a lowly physician who suffered from it, not Helios.
Even now, the memory burned fresh in my mind.
So, for her to bring up “tonics” again — was this a declaration of war?
She’s definitely plotting something again.
“Regardless, I appreciate you coming.”
“I didn’t come to celebrate your birthday, but I suppose it’s not unpleasant to be welcomed.”
Her gaze flickered to me.
“So the rumors were true. Even as a prince, you keep company with a street-born girl…”
She let out a small, condescending laugh.
Helios’s expression, which had been calm until now, darkened.
“Do you intend to ruin this extravagant banquet you paid for with borrowed money?” His voice was deadly quiet. “If that’s what you want, you’ve picked the perfect person to provoke.”
“…What?”
“This banquet — I could bring it crashing down at any moment.”
“And you think you’d walk away unscathed?”
“Oh, please. You’ve never wanted me unscathed to begin with, have you?”
Sparks crackled between them, the tension palpable.
As merely his physician, I had no place in this battle.
The only thing I could do was tug at Helios’s sleeve, a silent plea for restraint.
“Your Highness, please… There are too many eyes on you.”
Under normal circumstances, he would have quickly picked up on my desperate plea. But this time, Helios ignored me completely.
Priscilla’s face grew redder and redder — so much so that it even broke through her thick layers of makeup. She was furious, beyond a doubt.
I had hoped that one of them would remember they were at a ball and back down. But that hope was a lost cause.
It would be better to get out of here before I ended up as collateral damage in this clash of titans.
I made my decision and started inching away.
Luckily, avoiding their locked gazes — so intense they might as well have been trying to devour each other — was easier than expected.
But my escape was doomed to failure.
“Rienna, where do you think you’re going? It’s your turn to take center stage now.”
A fan landed lightly on my shoulder, the attached feather tickling my cheek.
“Your Majesty, where have you been?”
I was relieved to see her — immensely so.
In this chaotic banquet, she was the only person capable of cutting through the suffocating tension between Helios and Priscilla with a single stroke.
As I stuck closely to Demyr’s side, I noticed her brows twitching slightly.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ve been waiting for you, Your Majesty.”
“For me? You? Why?”
Demyr twisted her body slightly, as if uncomfortable with my arm around her, but she didn’t pull away.
“Well…”
If I said, please get rid of Priscilla, it would make me look like a child challenging the throne.
If I said, please get Helios away, it would hurt his pride.
“Because I missed you.”
Even I found my own answer ridiculous. I expected a cold glance from Demyr.
“Tsk, it’s like I’m leaving a child by the water’s edge. Why don’t we leave the prince alone for a while? Once the introductions are over, follow me. It’s less bothersome than seeing you look like you’re about to cry.”
Demyr clicked her tongue, but when I thought about it carefully, her words were full of affection.
What? Why is she looking out for me…?
Has she really accepted me as her ally? Just because I cured her nephew?
Demyr was so easily swayed that it was almost frightening.
“Happy birthday, Priscilla.”
“Your Majesty, how could someone so humble… oh, I mean, I misspoke.”
Priscilla laughed, as if she had made a grand joke, dramatically sweeping her dress down.
On the other hand, the surroundings were completely frozen.
I thought to myself:
Is she out of her mind?
