The Return Of The Exiled Villain

Seraph’s expression stiffened at Maeli’s words, but she remained silent, choosing not to escalate the situation further. Maelis, however, was far from done.

She hugged Gray’s arm tighter, pressing herself against him as if trying to physically block Seraph from his view.

”Brother, please... You promised you’d spend more time with me. The banquet is the perfect chance. Don’t ruin it by going with someone who’s already promised to another man. It’s not fair to me... and it’s definitely not fair to you.”

Her voice cracked slightly at the end, containing a mix of genuine jealousy and spoiled affection.

”Haah...” Gray let out a soft sigh, gently placing his free hand on top of Maelis’s head, stroking her black hair in a calming manner.

”Maelis, calm down,” he tapped her head a few times.

”You don’t need to get that defensive. I’m just accompanying Seraph to the banquet. Nothing more than that.”

Maelis puffed her cheeks, refusing to be soothed so easily. She hugged his arm even tighter, pressing her body against him as if trying to merge with him.

”But why her?!” she protested, her voice rising with clear jealousy.

”She’s already engaged! Everyone will talk if you show up as her partner. They’ll say you’re trying to steal the princess away from the elves! And what about me? I’m your sister! I should be the one standing beside you at important events like this!”

She turned her head and shot Seraph another sharp glare before looking back at Gray with watery, spoiled eyes.

”Brother, you’re being unfair... You know how much I’ve missed you, and you still want to spend the banquet with her? What if she tries to use you? Or what if the Emperor gets angry and causes trouble for our family again? I don’t trust her. I only trust you and Elder Sister.”

Seraph’s expression remained mostly calm, but her fingers tightened around her teacup. She stayed silent, choosing not to fuel the fire.

Maelis, however, was far from finished. She nuzzled her face against Gray’s shoulder, speaking in a spoiled, almost whining tone.

”Please, Brother... Just take me instead. I’ll behave. I’ll wear the most beautiful dress. I’ll even let you dance with me the whole night. You don’t need to get involved with the princess’s mess. She has her own problems. You should stay away from royal entanglements... especially after what Father did to you.”

She lifted her head, looking at him with big, pleading eyes.

”Or... are you really planning to do something with her? Like you teased earlier? You can’t be serious about that, right? She’s engaged! And I’m right here... your own sister who has always been by your side...”

”Pffft...”

Seraph, who had been maintaining her elegant silence, suddenly scoffed. The sound was soft but sharp, cutting through Maelis’s words like a blade.

”For someone who had a part in Gray’s exile to say those words... tsk tsk tsk.”

The table fell into a tense silence for half a second.

Maelis’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she turned her head toward Seraph, her sweet expression cracking.

”Excuse me?” she said coldly.

”What exactly are you implying, Princess?”

Seraph met her gaze calmly, though there was a cold glint in her eyes.

”I’m not implying anything. I’m stating a fact. You and your father were the ones who stood by and watched as Gray was thrown out of the family like trash. And now you’re acting like the devoted little sister who has ’always been by his side’? How convenient.”

Maelis’s grip on Gray’s arm tightened possessively, her cheeks flushing with anger.

”You don’t know anything about our family matters,” she hissed.

”I was against it from the beginning! But unlike you, I didn’t have the power to stop Father back then, so I went along with it! At least I never pretended to be some noble savior while secretly benefiting from Gray’s suffering.”

Seraph’s lips curled into a cold smile.

”Benefiting? I was a child too. But unlike you, I never turned my back on him after he was exiled. I searched for him. I worried about him. While you were busy enjoying your comfortable life in the ducal mansion.”

Maelis laughed mockingly, pressing herself even closer to Gray.

”Oh please. You only started caring after he became strong and handsome. Don’t act like some pure-hearted childhood friend. You just want him because he’s useful now, just like everyone else.”

Seraph’s eyes flashed with rare anger.

”And you? You only cling to him because you’re scared he’ll leave you behind again. The ’devoted sister’ act is getting old, Maelis. Everyone can see how jealous you are.”

The two girls glared at each other across the table, the air between them crackling with hostility.

”Sluuurp...”

Gray sat in the middle, calmly sipping his coffee as if he were watching an interesting theater performance rather than being the center of a sibling-princess rivalry.

Maelis huffed and turned her face back to Gray, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder again.

”Brother, tell her to stop saying such mean things. She’s clearly trying to drive a wedge between us.”

Seraph smiled elegantly, though her eyes were sharp.

”Gray knows the truth. He doesn’t need me to tell him anything.”

Gray watched the exchange for a few more seconds, finding the back-and-forth mildly entertaining at first.

However, even he eventually grew a little tired of the escalating tension. He let out a soft sigh and finally intervened.

”Enough.”

His voice was calm but carried undeniable authority. Both girls instantly fell silent, turning their attention to him.

Gray looked at them with a neutral expression.

”I’ll be Seraph’s partner for the banquet,” he stated plainly, leaving no room for argument.

Maelis’s eyes widened in shock and betrayal.

”Brother?!” she started, ready to protest loudly.

Gray raised a hand to stop her, then leaned in close to her ear, whispering so only she could hear.

”I’ll be with you for a whole day, without even getting out of your sight. How about that? I’ll also do anything you want...”

Maelis froze.

Her brain seemed to short-circuit on the spot.

A deep blush rapidly spread across her cheeks, all the way to her ears and neck.

Her eyes went wide and unfocused as she processed his words... the promise of an entire day alone with him, plus ”anything she wanted.”

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

After a few seconds of internal struggle, she lowered her flushed face, staring down at the table with a rare, embarrassed expression.

”...Fine,” she mumbled quietly, voice barely audible.

”But you promised...”

Gray nodded slightly, acknowledging her words without making a big deal out of it.

The constant bickering between the two girls had gone on long enough, and it had left him genuinely hungry.

He raised his hand, signaling the nearby waiter.

”Bring us some more food,” he said calmly. ”Whatever is popular. Make it quick.”

The waiter nodded and hurried off. Gray leaned back in his chair, hoping the arrival of actual food would calm the atmosphere.

He was wrong.

The moment the waiter returned with a large tray of fresh dishes that showed warm pastries, sliced spirit fruits, delicate cakes, and savory finger foods, both Seraph and Maelis seemed to have the same idea at the exact same time.

Seraph picked up a small fork, speared a piece of honey-glazed fruit, and brought it toward Gray’s mouth with a gentle smile.

”Here, Gray. Try this one. It’s sweet but not too heavy.”

Almost simultaneously, Maelis grabbed a different fork and stabbed a piece of creamy pastry, pushing it toward Gray from the other side.

”No, Brother! You should eat this instead. It’s your favorite from when we were kids. Open wide~”

The two forks hovered in front of Gray’s face, inches apart, both girls staring at him expectantly,and at each other with clear rivalry.

Gray stared at the two forks for a second, then let out a long, heavy sigh.

”...Seriously?”

Seraph spoke first, her voice soft but firm.

”Gray should eat what he wants. I know his tastes better than you do, Maelis.”

Maelis immediately shot back, refusing to back down.

”You’ve barely spent any real time with him lately. I grew up with him. I know exactly what he likes. Move your fork, Princess.”

Seraph’s eyes narrowed elegantly.

”Childhood memories don’t mean you know him now. I’ve been paying attention to what he enjoys these days.”

Maelis huffed, leaning closer to Gray while still holding the fork out.

”Paying attention? You mean staring at him like a lovesick puppy? How cute. But I’m his sister. Blood is thicker than whatever fleeting crush you have.”

”Fake blood, you mean?”

”And? That just means that we can legally get married!”

”YOUUUU!!!”

The two continued bickering while still trying to feed him, their forks moving closer and closer to his mouth as if it were a competition.

Gray sighed again, much louder this time.

He eventually opened his mouth and accepted the piece from Seraph first, then Maelis, just to stop the immediate fighting.

Both girls lit up with satisfaction for a brief moment before glaring at each other again.

”See? He liked mine better,” Seraph said softly.

”He ate mine faster!” Maelis countered.

Gray rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on as the two continued their petty war over who got to feed him the next bite.

’...They really have to find something to fight over me, huh?’