The Villianess story: A 100 ways to kill your husband
Chapter 147: A messy drama

Chapter 147: A messy drama

The banquet hall was grand, with tall white columns and golden chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. The long dining table, covered in fine blue silk, stretched across the room, set with golden plates, crystal goblets, and tall silver candelabras. A row of white roses and blue lilies ran down the centre, their sweet scent mixing with the rich aroma of roasted meats and spiced wine.

Seated at the table were only the royal family and two foreign royals, a prince and a princess from a neighbouring kingdom. The conversation was light, but the air was thick with unspoken words, especially from the queen, who sat at the head of the table, dressed in the finest silks, her sharp eyes scanning the room for anything to criticize.

The room was rather harmonized except for Abrielle, who was not particularly enjoying the dinner. Cedric sensed her discomfort, but unfortunately, they couldn’t leave now. The main meal was yet to start since Lucian was yet to arrive, and Princess Sapphire’s words created a sense of tension.

Then, the grand doors swung open announcing the arrival of Lucian.

The crown prince walked in, his deep-blue coat embroidered with silver, his every step strong and confident. But what stole the breath from the room was Callista, walking beside him in a flowing sapphire gown, her silver hair shining under the candlelight.

A heavy silence fell over the table. Queen Eleanora looked extremely vexed seeing Lucian with Callista in a dinner dress. The most annoying part was that they were both dressed in blue, and Callista looked very stunning, more than even Princess Sapphire.

The guests were puzzled by this; Lucian made his way in with his date into the banquet hall. Callista gripped Lucian’s hand, her hold slightly trembling, knowing this was going to be a bad idea.

The foreign princess gasped softly. The foreign prince raised a brow in mild amusement. The king stilled, unreadable. And the queen’s face twisted in sheer disbelief, her fingers tightening around her glass.

Lucian was supposed to return alone Yet here he was, bringing a priestess as his date.

Abrielle, however, was not stunned. No, she saw this for what it was the start of a grand mess. Her lips curled slightly as she took a slow sip of wine, her eyes glimmering with mischief. Cedric, on seeing her change in mood, was amused by her behaviour. It was rather cute that she found amusement in this. His gaze was calm when he saw Callista walk in.

Their eyes met briefly, and something flickered in Callista’s gaze, which didn’t skip Abrielle. Her mood was almost ruined, but then she reminded her that this was how it was meant to be. Cedric was meant to be jealous, and she should not care because she didn’t care about Cedric.

"It doesn’t matter." She muttered under her breath, which normally no one would get, but it didn’t skip Cedric’s attention as his eyes drew from his stepbrother. His brows were furrowed wondering what was the cause of the shift.

After getting herself together, a soft smile graced her lips. "Oh," she said on a low to herself, barely holding back a smirk, "this is going to be fun to watch."

The fact was simple: from Queen Eleanora’s point of view, Callista was not meant to be here. She wasn’t part of the royal family nor was she Lucian’s lover. Callista knew this and didn’t want to go either but Lucian made her. There was no way she could say no to her saviour.

According to the book plot, Lucian had not yet verified his feelings for Callista at this point and was just as fond of her as most would describe it because of how important she was for succession to the throne. To him, Callista was a weapon to fight against his brother, who he always subconsciously compared himself to.

Callista was well aware of the food shortage as she was the one who discovered it, so she knew how important this banquet was, but Lucian didn’t want to go because he knew what might happen to her. After being persuaded by Callista, who had a virtuous heart, he finally relented on the agreement she would come with him.

Lucian walked up to Queen Eleanore and his father, King Kaiden, then curtseyed with Callista as they said their greetings. "We greet the sun and moon of the great kingdom of Darconia and every other guest. It is a pleasure to be in your presence."

"Welcome; I thought you wouldn’t be able to make it "King Kaiden accepted his greeting despite his hesitance. "We are glad you saw here to honour the guests. Please take a seat, dear." Eleanor chirped in with a scenery expression that perfectly masked her true intentions and inhibitions.

Abrielle knew what Eleanor felt at this moment and, for the first time, was proud of how she actually designed the character, always composed, making her The most dangerous person in the harem.

Callista and Lucian sat side by side on the table. She did her best to hide her presence, but when you are stunning, it isn’t possible. Princess Sapphire’s eyes were on her the entire time; Ryker felt this was going to be a hassle.

"Since everyone is here, please let’s feast and enjoy what the winter can offer." The king raised his glass to a toast. Normally, he and the queen used a goblet, but they didn’t since this arrangement is a bit informal. Everyone raised their glasses to cheer, including the younger children who were served non-alcoholic wine.

Alfonso, who had been watching from the sideline, could not help but light things up, sensing the stiff atmosphere. He tilted his glass to his lips for a sip when he casually mentioned. "Lucian, I was just wondering why Callista is here. We are grateful for her support to the kingdom but she isn’t a part of this family." He chimed trying to instigate Lucian.

The room stilled; Lucian sighed, his eyes on Alfonso, "She has every right to be here, Alfonso; Callista and I are engaged." Lucian lied, which was an important part of his plan.

Next followed the sound of shattering glass, Abrielle’s smile grew wider. Callista almost lost her composure to what Lucian was saying.