'Bingo,' Theos said to himself as he recognized the lone girl standing apart from the other young men.
She was about his age, with hair as completely black as his own, but her eyes were as blue as the sky—so clear and beautiful that any boy would be mesmerized. The problem with those eyes was the bags beneath them, making them droop and appear weak and tired, robbing them of their natural light.
Her skin was as white as snow, seeming soft and almost gelatinous to the touch—practically flawless. Her face was absolutely beautiful, featuring red lips, a small nose, thin eyebrows, and long eyelashes. Though her figure couldn't be fully judged while seated, it was clear she was beautiful.
With Alice's hands still clasped in his, Theos approached the young woman, who remained seated at the table. "Hi, it's nice to meet you," Theos greeted her with a slight smile.
As she raised her head, the girl's gaze met Theos' handsome face and half-smile. She looked both bored and captivated at the same time—a strange juxtaposition. She seemed naturally indifferent, as if she didn't care about anything; however, an outstanding appearance was always appreciated and, in some cases, even admired.
"Who are you?" she asked directly, bypassing any niceties after assessing his face. She had to admit that the man in front of her was extremely handsome, but so what? She couldn't judge someone based solely on looks.
"Oh, me? You can call me Ark. Nice to meet you," Theos introduced himself, using his name from the past. His half-smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a colder expression. "And the politeness? Where did that go?" he asked, his tone revealing his annoyance at her lack of courtesy.
The girl frowned, somewhat alarmed. 'His expression has completely changed. It's kind of creepy...' she thought, a shiver running down her spine, but she still held her ground. "I'm Luna. Nice to meet you, Ark."
"Luna, huh? Nice name," Theos complimented honestly.
"Thank you," Luna replied, her response terse.
'Luna... Luna Roy,' Theos remembered the full name of the person in front of him. 'She is the sister of the protagonist and one of the villains in the novel, a powerful mid-level mage in the Path of Shadows. She is one of the most important characters in the story.'
'She was jealous of her brother, who always stole the attention of their family and loved ones. As if that weren't enough, he completely ignored her and barely spoke to her. This caused deep resentment and jealousy, leading her to attack the protagonist at every opportunity.'
'In the end, she joined Theos of the novel to gain more power, which she did, and with that, she challenged her brother, whom she ultimately defeated. It was the second time the protagonist was defeated in the entire story, but the harem attacked Luna afterward, killing her before she could do anything. She didn't even want to kill her brother; she merely wanted to prove that she could be better than him... But they misunderstood her, and Alan, who had no feelings for her, didn't stop her from dying.'
Thinking about this, Theos felt a pang of guilt. 'She could be considered my subordinate... I couldn't save her, unfortunately,' he thought, but soon withdrew those thoughts, changing his mind.
'I can't feel guilt! I'm a villain. Besides, it was her fault, but since she was my first subordinate and extremely talented, I'll save her from this tragic future,' Theos concluded inwardly.
He had planned many things, but not how he would approach her. After all, it was something extremely awkward and strange.
"Hi, I'm Alice." Fortunately, Alice's sweet, pretty voice eased the tense atmosphere. As Theos' partner for this gathering, she felt it was her duty to introduce herself properly. She had refrained from doing so with Alan, whose contemptuous voice had displeased her, so she decided to extend her courtesy to Luna instead.
Although Luna didn't seem particularly polite, at least she was better than Alan. If she thought about it, Luna had her reasons for her bluntness; after all, no one knew that Theos was the young Master Fallen, and it was unusual for him to approach her.
"Um, hi, I'm Luna. Nice to meet you too," Luna replied politely, unlike Theos. Alice felt much nicer and more innocent, so she didn't let her guard down completely.
"Thank you, Alice," Theos said, contemplating his next move.
'I need to ask for her shadows' help in locating the cult that, in the original novel, attacked the king and princes right at the entrance, just after the dukes arrived...' Thinking about it made Theos a little uncomfortable.
His fiancée was the daughter of some of the leading dukes of the Kingdom of Hydronia, renowned geniuses of the last generation.
'Tsk, forget it,' he pushed those thoughts aside and refocused on Luna. "I'm going to be honest with you: I want you to do something for me. Don't worry; there will be benefits for you. If you want to talk, please signal me to sit next to you," Theos said directly, locking his gaze on her.
She considered his words for a moment. 'No doubt, the other party is not ordinary. With his elegance, appearance, and aura, it's clear he's a high-ranking noble. I can't afford to insult him. Besides, he said he would offer me benefits,' she thought. After weighing her options for a second, she stepped aside to allow Theos and his companions to sit down.
"Great," he said, sitting down next to her.
~