i became the villainess twin sister

Part 17

Alberu Crossman was having a queer evening.

For starters, he'd been more or less kidnapped by a crazy drunkard and two cats. Of course, he was familiar with the drunkard and the cats were friendly and cute but he hadn't really been prepared to start his evening out getting kidnapped.

There was also someone or something using mana nearby which tickled his senses in a way he couldn't quite put his finger on. He thought that perhaps it was coming from Cale but sometimes it didn't feel like that at all.

It caused him to be cautious but curious. And a compliant kidnapping victim. One cat perched threateningly on his head and the other held its nails to his calf while the one and only Cale Henituse held a hand over his mouth and glared off into the crowd.

"Alright." She said gruffly, releasing him. "They're gone."

Alberu, putting together the context clues, watched the infamous lush with amusement as she glared out in the crowds. He could just about figure out the intentions of the Henituse twins even if he couldn't understand them.

He hadn't let go of some suspicions about them but he was intrigued to see where this strange acquaintance was leading.

The cats were practically prancing around as though achieving some sort of victory, the one on his head hopping to the ground to join in. Alberu also sensed magic but... it wasn't similar to dark elf magic per say but that was the closest approximation he could make of it.

"Are you one of us?" He blurted out before he could help himself, feeling foolish even as he said it. It was just that the idea of another noble of dark lineage pretending to be 'normal' was too tempting a prospect. Someone else who might understand...

Cale fixed him with a wry look that ate up his thoughts. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

The enthusiasm left Alberu's shoulders as he shook his head, attempting to hide his own embarrassment and a spike of fear. "No... it's nothing."

Cale clicked her tongue reproachfully, pulling away from him and turning to the cats. "Alright, what do you want to..." Cale paused as though listening to something, scrunching up her face in confusion and shooting Alberu a confused look before turning back to the cats. "Actually, change of plans. You three go enjoy yourselves. Ron's definitely lurking nearby so hunt him down and force him to escort you."

Three was a strange number to attach to two cat's. It was also strange to talk to cats like they could understand entirely. Alberu strained his senses to find a third presence as he accepted that the cats were most likely beast people.

Confirming his suspicion, one of the cat's piped up. "We'll give you privacy, nya!"

"That's not the–" Cale cursed as the kittens ran out into the street and ran a frustrated hand through her hair. She let out a disgruntled sigh and shook her head before turning back to the crown prince with a sinister gleam in her eyes.

Some people upon learning information that was better kept hidden or unknown might think I don't want to know that or pretend that they didn't actually know anything. Some people were opportunistic and would utilize that information as leverage to get what they desired.

And some people were nosy and nasty.

Alberu nearly took a step back upon reading the look on Cale's face. The eldest Henituse had gone out of her way to avoid him up until now and when he had seen her she was always stirring up trouble. Drunken and angry and fascinating.

He was entirely unprepared for the elegant smile that sharpened her features handsomely. He definitely wasn't prepared for her piercing eyes that appeared to see far more than he was prepared to show.

"You wanted to escort me to the ball previously." Cale began, holding out an arm for him. "I think it's time that I allowed you to escort me."

Trap was a word that easily aligned itself with Cale's everything but Alberu still accepted her offer as though bewitched. He couldn't quite help himself. He took her hand and kissed it politely, noting privately that the dingy alleyway somehow made the simple act of etiquette feel strange and intimate, before he took her up on the offer. "And where am I escorting you to?"

Cale's petite hands tapped thoughtfully against his arm, a nasty inclination filling the villainess. She was the villainess for a reason. Cale was far from a saint. "I'd like to know where the crown prince would like to go." She said sweetly, annunciating his station in life with a strange emphasis. "I'd like to learn more about you."

The chill that ran up Alberu's spine was met with the tingles from the feel of her hand touching him gently and the conflicting sensations went to war inside of him. There was something to the implication of Cale's words that made his heart beat anxiously in his chest.

"You didn't have any interest previously." Alberu noted as nonchalantly as possible. "What changed?"

"I learned that there's more to you than meets the eyes." Cale answered evasively, a devilish hint to her words. "Doesn't this suit you fine? You wanted to escort me before."

Alberu felt a strange thrill rushing through his veins despite the anxiety that Cale's words created inside of him. What could have changed in mere seconds for her to change her perception of him? Had she understood his question for its actual meaning? It was an ambiguous and strange question, the likeliness of such a thing telling her anything meaningful at all was unlikely at best.

And yet, he had the unnerving feeling that she knew something that she ought not to.

He quirked a smirk. Perhaps he'd spent too much of his life dancing with danger, he didn't mind the anxious thrill she presented. "I suppose I can understand that. I wanted to meet with you to begin with because of that very same fact."

Cale stiffened at his side before masterfully hiding her reaction. If he hadn't been analyzing her so closely he would have missed it completely. "What do you mean by that, your highness?"

"Most people have a very specific opinion of young lady Cale." Alberu answered elusively, humming softly. "I wonder... why do you want to inspire that reaction?"

"You make a lot of assumptions about my intentions." Cale replied coldly, danger flickering in her eyes. Alberu had a premonition that he would experience just how trashy the young lady of the Henituse family could be if he pressed his inquiry any further.

Her reaction was telling though.

Cale Henituse truly didn't want anyone to presume anything but the worst of her.

"You're right, of course." He smiled back deceptively, meeting her false persona of arrogance with his own persona of affability. The pair of them might have made quite a sight for anyone privy to their inner thoughts.

It was sure to develop into an interesting evening with each attempting to unmask the other one first.