the Villainess they took for granted

”You had better prepare yourself.”

Marian looked at Clara.

”For what?”

”Your first ball.”

Marian laughed.

”I’ve attended balls before.”

”Not like this.”

Several of the women exchanged amused looks.

Marian understood.

Before, there had always been something defining her position. She had attended the Season as the Crown Prince’s intended. Even after her engagement to Adrian ended, she had never truly entered society as an unmarried woman looking for a husband.

This time, she would.

Clara reached for her teacup.

”The opening ball has already been confirmed.”

”Has it?”

”My mother heard it from one of the Imperial household’s ladies,” another woman said.

”The invitations haven’t been sent yet,” Clara added, ”but apparently the arrangements are settled.”

”When?”

”The first Saturday of the Season.”

Marian nodded.

The opening ball was traditionally held under the patronage of the Imperial household. It also marked the formal beginning of the Season and provided the occasion for the presentation of the year’s debutantes.

Usually, the Empress would receive them.

But Adrian had no Empress.

No mother.

No wife.

No sister to take her place.

”The Emperor will receive the debutantes himself,” Clara said.

Marian smiled.

”He will?”

”Who else?”

The women laughed.

Marian could already imagine it.

One young lady after another would be announced, walk forward, curtsy, and be formally presented to Adrian.

And everyone would know exactly why those families were so eager for their daughters to be standing there.

”It must be rather entertaining,” Marian said.

”Entertaining?” Clara repeated.

”A little.”

”Imagine being in his position,” one of the women said.

”I would rather not.”

”Why?”

”Because I would have to sit there while every family in the Empire quietly wondered whether I liked their daughter.”

The room erupted in laughter.

Marian smiled into her tea.

There was something undeniably amusing about it.

The traditional purpose was to introduce the new ladies of society to the Imperial household.

This year, however, the Emperor himself was unmarried.

Every mother would be watching him.

Every debutante would be wondering whether he had noticed her.

And every family would be wondering whether she might be the one.

Clara tilted her head.

”And you’ll be there too.”

”Of course.”

Marian gave her an incredulous look.

”I’ve only just returned. I’m hardly going to miss the opening ball.”

One of the women smiled.

”Then you’ll have an excellent view.”

”Of what?”

”The competition.”

Marian frowned.

”The competition?”

The women exchanged glances.

Then one of them smiled.

”Well, we were wondering whether you might find it uncomfortable.”

”Why would I?”

”Watching all those young ladies being presented to His Majesty.”

Marian stared at her for a moment.

Then she laughed.

”Oh.”

Clara’s smile widened.

”People have been wondering.”

”About me?”

”About why you came back.”

Marian raised a brow.

”That seems rather presumptuous.”

”It does,” another woman agreed. ”But you can hardly blame them.”

Marian knew what they meant.

She had returned after eighteen months.

Adrian was unmarried.

Elena Hart was no longer in the capital.

And Cassian was presumed dead.

To most of society, the story was simple enough. Marian had broken her engagement to Adrian because of Elena. Then she had become engaged to Cassian, only for that marriage to never take place.

Now she was unmarried again.

And so was Adrian.

It wasn’t difficult to see why people had begun making assumptions.

Marian laughed softly.

The women laughed with her.

”We’re only saying that people will wonder.”

”Let them wonder.”

”We are wondering too.”

Marian raised a brow.

”You too?”

”We’re your friends. We’re allowed to be curious.”

Marian shook her head, amused.

”Fine. What exactly are you curious about?”

One of the women exchanged a look with the others.

Then she smiled.

”Whether you might still consider him.”

Marian went still.

”Adrian?”

”Who else?”

The room broke into laughter again.

Marian stared at them before laughing herself.

”You’re actually serious.”

”Why shouldn’t we be?”

Marian shook her head.

”Because you all know what happened.”

”We do.”

”I chose Cassian.”

”We know.”

”And I was the one who ended things with Adrian.”

”We know that too.”

Marian looked around at them.

They weren’t judging her.

If anything, they looked almost hopeful.

That made her laugh again.

”You’re all very bold.”

”We’re your friends.”

”That seems to be your excuse for everything.”

”It works.”

Marian laughed.

She looked around at them, shaking her head.

”All right.”

The women immediately became more attentive.

”Suppose I do consider him.”

Clara’s brows rose.

”Suppose?”

”Suppose,” Marian repeated, smiling. ”For the sake of argument.”

”And?”

Marian leaned back in her chair.

She allowed herself to consider it properly.

And the more she did, the more difficult it became to dismiss.

Adrian Aurelius was, quite simply, an extraordinarily suitable match.

He was the Emperor.

His position was unquestionable, his wealth more than sufficient, and unlike most men she might meet during the Season, he could offer House Valmont something far more valuable than a respectable marriage.

He had the means to stand beside her without becoming another financial responsibility for her family.

His position would also give Valmont a level of security that no ordinary marriage could provide.

And then there was the matter of knowing him.

Adrian wasn’t a stranger whose character Marian would have to spend months uncovering. She already knew his temperament. She knew his habits, his strengths, his faults, and the sort of life that came with him.

She knew enough to understand what it might be like to live beside him.

If she was going to consider marriage practically, Adrian checked nearly every box.

In fact, he checked more than nearly every box.

That was the problem.

Because if she could find all of that in Adrian, why would she spend months putting the same effort into a stranger before even considering him?

Love was another matter.

Marian had already learned that love could not be guaranteed simply because two people chose one another.

But compatibility, security, wealth, position, and the ability to build a stable life together—

Those things could be considered.

Adrian had them all.

Marian looked at Clara.

”The real question is whether he would consider me.”

The problem was that Adrian knew exactly what had happened.

Society might have believed Elena Hart was the reason, but Adrian knew better.

Marian had been the one to tell him that she had chosen Cassian.

Now Cassian was presumed dead.

And she was back.

She could consider Adrian all she wanted.

Whether the Emperor would consider her in return was an entirely different matter.

Marian smiled faintly.

”So perhaps that’s the more interesting question.”

Clara studied her.

Then her smile slowly returned.

”I suppose you’ll have to find out.”

Marian laughed.

”Perhaps.”

--

Tbc