The Villain’S Daughter-In-Law Is Inherently Powerful [EN]: Chapter 117

“The carriage has arrived!”

“The Little Madam is here!”

It was then.

A tremendous commotion arose from the entrance.

The employees who had rushed out were lined up, preparing to bow, and Dante, unable to hide his anticipation, stepped forward.

Click.

The carriage door opened, and as the silver-haired woman appeared, a huge cheer that seemed to shake the mansion echoed.

* * *

‘Ugh, I almost went deaf!’

It was none other than Father who suggested taking a carriage after getting off the airship.

I wondered why we had to take a carriage when we could just teleport to the Driblja mansion with magic, but it was to give them time to prepare a welcoming party.

I wondered how grand it would be, but I was surprised when I got out of the carriage.

The loud greetings made me think the ground was really shaking.

“Little Madam…!”

“Welcome back. We’re so glad you’re back.”

At the very front were the nanny and Linda. Seeing them both looking older than I remembered, a wave of emotion suddenly welled up inside me.

I had seen their faces with magic from time to time, but meeting them in person like this felt different.

“You still look like a meatball.”

Nina was behind them.

Overcome with emotion, I hugged all three of them tightly at the same time.

“I missed you all so much. Have you all been well?”

In addition, I shook hands with the familiar-looking gardener, the chef, and the kitchen staff one by one.

I should call the unfamiliar faces later to ask their names and find out when they started working at Driblja.

As I walked to the front, receiving cheers and joyful looks, there….

‘Dante.’

Grandfather, Inanna, and my stepmother were also there. So was Belladi with her orange hair.

But the first one I saw was Dante.

A handsome face that seemed to have matured, yet still held that youthful charm. Contrasting with that was a sturdy-looking body, clearly the result of dedicated training.

Dante, dressed in a green uniform, was staring at me with a flushed expression. His gaze was so intense that it felt like I would be burned by his eyes.

Feeling embarrassed for some reason, I couldn’t look at Dante straight and subtly avoided his gaze, greeting Grandfather.

“It’s been a while. I’m back!”

“You look healthy. That’s a relief. You’ve become quite the lady now.”

“Are you healthy too, Grandfather? You have to be healthy. Inanna too… it’s been a long time.”

It was a bit awkward, but I knew that I had to approach them first in times like this.

“Mother… I missed you so much too.”

Hugging my stepmother tightly, I soon took Inanna’s hand as well.

In the meantime, I had become an adult, and those who were adults had become even older.

Dad, Hwairan, and the owners of each island didn’t age much, so I didn’t feel the passage of time when I was in Arkalik, but coming here made me realize that time had indeed passed.

‘Especially Dante, what did he eat to grow up so much on his own?’

The persistent gaze made me feel hot, so I couldn’t turn around to look at Dante. But Dante stubbornly stared at the back of my head.

“Everyone has prepared a party together. Shall we go in?”

“Yes, Inanna!”

“Tell me in detail how you’ve been. There’s so much I want to hear.”

Inanna patted the back of my hand.

Everyone was happy that I had returned, so my nose tingled, and I tried hard not to cry. It felt like I had returned to my hometown after being away for a long time.

But there was one thing-

‘But where is Ian?’

* * *

The afternoon passed in a daze, laughing and chatting about what had happened.

Now that I was an adult, I could drink champagne made from green grapes, so after sipping a few glasses, my face flushed.

The slight awkwardness disappeared with the champagne bubbles, and all that remained was the sense of security that ‘I have finally come to a place to return to.’

But Ian didn’t show up even after a long time. He’s the Crown Prince of Yuria, so he can’t come out easily for personal matters, but….

“Hey, stop drinking. You’re getting dizzy.”

“I’m not!”

Was it after seven glasses, or eight? Dante, who had been silent until now, came to me and took my champagne glass.

It was a moment when Grandfather and Inanna had gone in first, and the remaining people were exchanging glasses and sharing stories.

“You are. You’re as red as if you’re stained with strawberries.”

Dante scoffed and moved the glass away.

It’s not like I can’t drink it anyway, but I should refrain from drinking too much since I’ve definitely had a lot.

‘I guess it was because I was happy but also upset.’

One glass because I was happy that everyone welcomed me.

One glass because I was upset that Ian wasn’t here.

One glass because I was happy that Belladi had grown up so wonderfully.

Another glass because I was anxious that Ian was still not visible.

That’s how I got to this point.

“Let’s go out for a walk.”

“……Okay. I’ll be back in a bit, Belladi.”

I thanked Belladi, who had been with me until late, before getting up from my chair.

Dante, who was already at the entrance, clearing his throat and waiting, took off his cloak and covered my head when I got closer.

“It’s cold at night.”

“I feel hot, so it doesn’t feel that cold.”

“You’ll get cold soon and catch a cold.”

Dante rubbed the bottom of his nose, embarrassed, and looked away.

I stared at Dante like that and wrapped the cloak around my shoulders.

‘It’s big.’

Was Dante’s embrace this generous?

I wasn’t being hugged, but his cloak alone was enough to gauge the breadth of his shoulders and chest.

Besides… I could estimate Dante’s physique just by glancing at him.

“You must have trained hard.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I did.”

“You’re the Vice Commander, right? Congratulations.”

“Ah… well, it just happened that way.”

As Dante said, even though it was spring, the night temperature was cool. And as much as that temperature, the atmosphere between us was awkward.

I’m sure I used to chatter naturally when I was young, but now, whenever I try to say something, it gets stuck at the end of my throat.

I’m the same me, and Dante is the same Dante, but… the fact that we’ve both grown up seems to have built a barrier between us.

I was communicating well in letters until right before I came down [arrived].

“Ahem.”

Dante also seemed to feel that way, as he suddenly stopped and cleared his throat.

“Hey. Donggeul [term of endearment].”

“……?”

“What… do you think of me?”

I could immediately tell what he was asking.

Whether I see him as a man or not.

“What about you…?”

“What? Why are you asking the obvious?”

“What’s obvious…….”

Ah, why is this so embarrassing!

I trailed off and looked up at the night sky for no reason. And today, of all days, the moon wasn’t visible.

“You don’t have to rush too much. But, still, I’ve become a pretty decent guy. Uh, I’m strong… and popular too.”

Dante started rambling.

He seemed to be as embarrassed as I was. When I glanced at him, I could see that Dante’s neck and earlobes were red.

“But I only thought about you. Really. And seeing you again… my heart.”

“Your heart……?”

Dante’s behavior made my face flush too.

It’s probably mostly because of the champagne, but my heart has been pounding since earlier.

Maybe it’s the alcohol. Or maybe it’s because of the tension…….

Then, Dante very carefully took my hand and placed it on his chest.

“……Ah.”

The frantic heartbeat is clear.

Thump. Thump, thump, thump. Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Dante’s heart was beating so violently that it felt like it would break his ribs and burst out.

It’s clearly different from my heart right now. It’s like it’s about to go on a rampage……. Dante’s unfinished words are full of it.

So I had no choice but to pull my hand away as if I had been burned.