Reincarned with a deities Harem (Tome 1)

Are you so desperate?

I raised an eyebrow; so she was Frederik's sister... In the memories of the old Mylène, she hadn't had the opportunity to meet her very often, but more importantly, when she married the old count, Marion was no longer there, so I absolutely wouldn't have recognized this young woman.

“Yes, hello, Lady Marion De Solsten.”

Marion nodded, staring at the seat opposite me before tightening her dress.

“May I please sit at your table?”

“Do as you wish.”

I looked away from her, really not wanting to pay her much attention. She was the Duke of Venstein's fiancée, and if I so desired, he could eat in the palm of my hand; so I didn't have to coax the young girl, even for her brother... Although... That would depend on why she had come to see me and also on how things played out.

“Thank you…”

I saw her struggle to take a seat, wondering why the women here put themselves through this. These cages were abominations.

“I don't really remember us seeing each other much lately. How did you recognize me?”

She bit her lip. Something had changed since the last time. Mylène was shy and reserved, unable to hold anyone's gaze, but now, she exuded a kind of charisma, power, and danger.  She swallowed before speaking honestly.

“It's easy after so much talk about you.”

“So people are talking about me?”

I had stopped digging into my cake and was now looking at Marion critically.
She lowered her head, seeming to have been caught in the act. As if Mylène was accusing her of talking behind her back and she had to defend herself. She didn't want to have a reputation as a gossip in high society, even though it was a fairly common practice.

“I got information about you from my brother, your sister, and my fiancé,” she stammered.

“That's a lot of people…”

Marion stiffened. There was an oppressive aura about Mylène that gave her the impression that this woman could cause her harm and, therefore, that she should be wary.

She had been on her way to her usual teahouse when she saw her through the blinds of this teahouse. Flaming red hair, eyes of an unusual but unique color, an arrogant gaze, and more, a cold and terrifying expression.
She hadn't needed to meet her recently to recognize her.

When she looked closely, far from Mylène's frightening side, she understood Gabrielle's concern and the fact that her brother and the second prince were so obsessed with this woman.
She was extremely beautiful, not a charming and pure beauty like the Princess of Selafon—whose beauty is said to be renowned throughout the continent—no, Mylène had a striking, indomitable, and captivating beauty that left no one indifferent.
Whether men or women, they were seduced by the mysterious aura around her, wanting to discover and grasp her.
She couldn't remember Mylène ever being like this.  Was it the fact that the last time she saw Mylène, they were still children, and now that they were women, Mylène had become a different person?

She shook her head before speaking.

“Well... it's just that...”

“Never mind... What can I do for you, Lady Marion?”

Marion De Solsten jumped before clutching her dress and lowering her head. She hadn't even given her the chance to explain. As if Mylène were some kind of authority figure—even though she had to acknowledge that her status as a duke's daughter placed Mylène above her—Marion answered automatically.

“I... I wanted to know if... What do you think of the second prince?”

“Nothing in particular, why?”

I noticed Marion's embarrassed face and smiled.  I placed my hands under my chin and began to stroke the bracelet Ifnir had given me.

“What is it, Ifnir?”

“A little gift to help you teach a lesson to those who can't shut up…”

I sat more comfortably and decided to give this woman the attention she came for.

I noticed Marion wasn't looking at me, and that gave me food for thought. The second prince was a shameless, immoral, and fickle man, and this woman had the face of a woman in love who had been disappointed... hmm, interesting.

“The second prince is someone very special to me…”

At that moment, Marion raised her face and immediately met my gaze. Then, Marion seemed to tremble, as if she were holding back tears.

“Tell me the truth, Lady Mylène Von Hosten, are you in love with the second prince?”

“And you? Are you?”

“Yes, I am in love with the second prince... I love him like no one else, and my future marriage to the Duke of Venstein causes me great pain, but I have no choice because the prince seems to care about you... and he's not the only one…”

“You are very miserable, my dear. Why do you think he loves me? You know the prince's reputation well, you who are so present in high society circles.”

Marion bit her lip. She knew it very well, but she had thought it would have been different with her.

“I thought I would be different…”

I snickered.

“You're just a woman in his eyes, and he knows he can have as many as he wants. Didn't you understand that with his past conquests?”

“No… I thought…”

Marion bit her lip. She thought that if she played hard to get for a few months, unlike the others, he'd fall in love with her.

“It's just… with you, it's different.”

“Because I don't let myself be overwhelmed by those kinds of emotions.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think those girls who threw themselves into the prince's arms, giving him their virginity, still had their wits about them?”

Marion retracted, lowering her head as if caught in the act before biting her lip hard. I immediately read those expressions, both embarrassed and ashamed, and my eyes widened.  No, that wasn't what I imagined? I decided to push her a bit.

“Giving your body to such an immoral man is truly stupid. I pity the poor idiots who indulge in this kind of nonsense.”

“How dare you look down on me? I was in love, do you understand? I would have done anything to keep him, and I don't regret it because, at least for a few minutes, he was mine…”