The Queen of Villains

On the first day of their aristocratic culture lessons, the chosen educational venue was a theater hosting an opera. Emily made this decision because she believed that for Killian to participate in conversations among nobles at gatherings, he needed to understand and share their interests.

However, it seemed that it was Emily who needed behavioral education, not Killian.

It hadn’t been long since the opera started, but she couldn’t bear the boredom. On the contrary, Killian was quite familiar with opera.

In fact, he owned one of the two theaters with over 3,000 seats in the capital of Fortua. He had attended numerous performances and was acquainted with many of the actors.

‘What a disgrace this is.’

Emily, who had initially discussed the performance with him, was surprised by his extensive knowledge and fell silent.

Furthermore, her interest in the performance waned, and she started using opera glasses to observe the people offstage.

Upon seeing this, Killian leaned towards Emily and spoke to her.

“Is the opera boring?”

“That scared me.”

Emily let out a low scream and dropped what she was holding in her hand. Fortunately, her scream was drowned out by the crescendo of the heroine’s solo.

“Here you go.”

Killian picked up the opera glasses instead.

“Thank you,” Emily responded with a forced expression and answered Killian’s question.

“I would have been more grateful if you had told me in advance that this theater belongs to you and that you are an expert in opera.”

“It’s a well-known fact, so I didn’t feel the need to mention it.”

“Yes, thanks to that, I felt embarrassed.”

Even after hearing her words, Killian looked at Emily with a smirk, causing her to roll her eyes.

“How long are you going to keep laughing at me like that?”

“Was I smiling?” Killian, touching his mouth, realized that the corners of his mouth were indeed upturned, as Emily had pointed out.

“Well, as an apology, let me introduce you to Roger Goldwyn.”

“What? Do you know Roger Goldwyn?”

As Killian expected, Emily’s expression brightened as soon as she mentioned him. Roger was not only handsome but also a talented actor, currently at the peak of his popularity.

“Do you have paper and a pen?”

“Are you planning to get his autograph?”

Killian frowned disapprovingly, not pleased with the situation, but he changed his mind when he saw Emily, brimming with anticipation.

Soon, he asked Giovanni, who was nearby, to bring paper and a pen.

“Thank you.”

This time, excited to see the actor, Emily took out her hand mirror and checked her hair and makeup. Killian, who was watching it from the side, watched the rest of the opera performance with a bitter expression, while resting his fist on his cheek.

No matter how much he thought about it, he felt like he shouldn’t have brought it up.

Finally, the performance, which had been very long for Emily, came to an end, and the two of them headed to the actors’ waiting room as planned to meet Roger Goldwyn.

“I’ll bring him out in a minute,” said Killian, and the troupe leader went to call Roger.

Emily brushed out the wrinkles of her dress.

“Do I look okay?”

Only then did Killian take a closer look at Emily. Her voluminous hair was twisted upward, revealing a slender neckline, and her charming hair gracefully framed her slightly downturned, angular jawline.

She wore a luxurious green silk dress, decorated with layers of light, thin lace. The sleeves were made of transparent fabric, matching the material of the skirt.

Killian thought of numerous words to compliment her, but he could only manage to utter a single word.

“…Perfect.”

“Thank you.”

While they were talking, the troupe moved quickly, and soon Roger appeared.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

Roger had thick, distinct eyebrows, and beneath them, his blue eyes sparkled with intelligence. He was a handsome man who exuded both pride and stubbornness, with a slightly protruding chin and alluring lips.

A flush crept over Emily’s cheeks as she saw Roger up close.

“It’s been a while, Roger,” Killian called him by name, as if it were not a lie that he was close to him.

“I hope you’ve been well.”

Roger warmly greeted them.

“And if I’m correct, the lady next to you must be Lady Starr?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Emily replied, nodding her head without making eye contact with him. Killian felt uncomfortable with the shy attitude she had never shown in front of him.

A promise was a promise, so… Killian sighed and opened his mouth.

“My wife would like your…”

“My maid!” Emily quickly intercepted Killian’s words. “My maid is your fan. So I’d like to get your autograph for her.”

It was considered quite inappropriate for a married lady to ask for an actor’s autograph. Emily quietly pressured Killian to be quiet and took out a piece of paper from her bag.

“Here.”

Roger received the pen and paper from Emily. “What’s your maid’s name?”

Emily glanced briefly at Killian, seemingly embarrassed, and answered in a lowered voice. 

“…Emily.”

Killian gave a false laugh as if she were absurd.

“Your Ladyship, your heart is even more angelic than your appearance.”

Roger, who had not noticed this, gave his autograph with a nice smile. Emily’s red face drooped down.

“Thank you.”

Emily said goodbye to Roger, holding the paper in her arms preciously. Her steps out of the theater seemed lighter than ever.

“Are you hungry? Shall we eat while we’re out?” Emily asked, perhaps for the simple reason of making it easy to get the autograph of the famous Roger, Emily felt like she was getting closer to Killian.

“Sure,” Killian replied sourly, but Emily, who was in a good mood, didn’t pay much attention to his tone of voice.

Emily headed to the nearby Lionel restaurant.

It was a popular restaurant not only among celebrities but also among aristocrats. It was often said that famous actress Annabelle Shore enjoyed meals there.

“You can brag for an hour at an imperial party just because you ate here,” Emily even hummed and confidently took Killian into the restaurant.

“Did you make a reservation?” the staff asked, checking the list at the entrance.

“I didn’t make a reservation, but are there any seats available?”

“I apologize, but we don’t accommodate those without reservations… Please come in! Mr. Killian, we will arrange a table for you shortly.”

Emily looked at Killian in bewilderment.

“Does this belong to you, too?”

In fact, Fortuna District 3, where his theater was located, was no better than the home of the Starr family. All the inhabitants here knew Killian, and at the same time feared and admired him. This was because they could do commercial activities to their heart’s content, thanks to the protection of the Starr Family. Thanks to this, robbers and gangsters dared not to mess around the 3rd district. The saying that the mafia is better than the security forces started here.

“I’ve only been here a few times.”

“A few times? Judging by the manager’s attitude, it seems like you’ve been here a thousand times.”

Killian shrugged instead of answering. The disheartened Emily followed the waiter who led them to their table. Killian stifled his laughter and followed behind her. He felt like he would receive another scolding for laughing.

“Then take your time to look at the menu and call me,” the waiter said, standing at a distance that was not burdensome.

“Do you have any recommendations?” Emily asked, handing over the menu selection entirely to Killian.

“I’ve been here a few times, so please choose for me.”

While it was true that she had only visited once, she felt embarrassed to say such a thing and pretended to seriously read through the menu.

“Oh, this one!” After a moment, Emily confidently pointed to a menu item.

“Shall we just have a six-course lunch?” It was a simple decision after serious consideration.

“Very well,” Killian approved. They finished placing their orders, and soon, an appetizer of soup was served. One sip instantly relieved fatigue and whetted their appetites.

“How did you live when you were young?” Emily thought that someone who seemed knowledgeable in etiquette like Killian would not be an ordinary commoner. At the very least, he would be like the son of a very wealthy merchant. If Daniel had been on good terms with his father, Killian in the original story, the information about him would not have been this shallow.

“It was just normal. My parents died early, so I worked in a leather factory, and I got a small room in the slum, and that’s all.”

“I see.” Although it might not be ordinary from Emily’s perspective, it was a common occurrence for commoners. She knew that too, so she tried to react calmly.

As they enjoyed their appetizers, foie gras and salmon dishes were served. Killian ate the food with impeccable etiquette, leaving nothing to be desired.

“I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time, where did you learn such etiquette?”

“Did I get it wrong?”

“No, it’s flawless.”

“That’s a relief. There’s someone among our members who comes from a noble background. I learned from that person.”

“What do you mean, a noble in the mafia?” Emily’s eyes widened slightly at the interesting story.

“Is it someone from a family I might know?”

“The Clive family.”

“Hmm, I’m not familiar with that family.” She sliced her food with an awkward expression.

“Greetings, Mr. Killian.” When Emily opened her mouth to take a bite, someone came to Killian to greet him.