Villain Steal the Heroines

Despite the fact that my mind was engaged in nefarious plotting, my exterior demeanour remained unchanged as I popped one meat-cheese ball after another into my mouth and slowly savoured their flavour.

Do I even need to explain how melty, cheesy, and gooey these balls with a cheese filling that was flavoured with garlic and Italian seasoning were?

All of this makes them really tasty!

Some well-known dancers and singers from the royal capital, who had been booked especially for this night, took the stage and began their performance, adding to the evening's entertainment as the crowd got into the festive spirit, moving their bodies to the beat of the music and devouring the food with great gusto.

However, the clear and crisp female voice that entered my ears from behind me captured my attention more than the performers on the stage or the cheese balls I was munching.

"Chloé, you are looking more beautiful than ever tonight."

When I turned my head in the direction of the voice, I saw a stunningly beautiful woman with pink hair wearing a sophisticated green off-the-shoulder dress.

She was greeting my mother, who had just gotten free after talking to some guests.

The woman who was wearing the green dress was not alone; there were two other women, an elderly butler, a young girl, and an adult young man who was probably in his late twenties standing behind her.

You guessed it right.

The woman with the pink hair was Stacey Greenberg, and the people standing behind her were other members of the Greenberg family.

Since Stacey was obviously not genetically of the Greenberg family and was married into it from another family, it's reasonable that she didn't have the characteristic green hair or eyes of the Greenberg family.

But I despise pink-haired women more than green-haired ones because, in the novels and anime I've read and watched, almost all of them have a history of being b*tches.

Of course, a certain pink girl isn't included in this list, as she is my favourite.

She's the one who will run after you with a knife if you don't make love with her, but she's also the one who can fight the world for you and who, even in death, will never leave your side.

The best Yandere of all time?

HAHAHAH

Jokes aside, I know that these are just fictional portrayals and should not be applied to real life.

It's unfair and untrue to judge someone solely based on their hair colour or any other physical characteristic.

But I suppose the majority rules, and people must learn to predict from patterns because even in this world, this pink hair is also a b*tch.

"F*cking Pink Teng!"

Anyway, the reason I thought Stacey's presence tonight was strange at first was because both of Selina's parents should have been here instead of Stacey alone.

There wasn't a rule or anything like that, but it was just common courtesy that they should have been there, given how close the relationship between the two families is.

But after glancing at the young man standing behind Stacey, I suppose I can understand why the Cuc- Ahem! I mean, the count wasn't present.

Also, he seemed to be somewhat overcautious and might have certainly preferred to remain off the main stage so that, should something go wrong, he would have the time and freedom to flee.

Among the Greenbergs present here, except for Stacey, I only gave notice to two other people: Selina and the young man with the characteristic hair and eyes of the Greenberg family I was just mentioning.

The remaining three people were most likely from their branch family and were here to assist Stacey just like servants, not worthy of my attention at all.

Forgetting about the servants for a moment, as I surveyed the Greenbergs, my eyes lingered briefly on the young man dressed in a green royal suit who I was certain was the male voice, the uncle of Selina, in their earlier conversation.

Though my gaze only paused for a second, not letting anyone find any abnormality,

When I first walked into the hallway, I had the feeling that I had seen this man before.

When I heard their conversation, the feeling grew stronger, and only now that I clearly saw his face and remembered the conversation am I certain that he was indeed the same person that I assumed he was in my mind.

'Roy Greenberg! Hehehe, it's really fun.'

Recalling the plot in the original novel that was related to him, I couldn't help but have an intriguing smile on my face, and it was also at this time that my mother noticed the Greenberg's group and greeted Stacey.

"Oh, Stacey, it's been a while, and thank you for the compliment; you're not looking too bad yourself."

My mother spoke, and as she approached Stacey, her eyes lit up as they exchanged greeting hugs.

Hearing my mother's words and leaving the hug, Stacey couldn't help but give my mother a pouty look while replying.

"Oh, you lied, Chloé, can't you see I have to put so much effort now days, as compared to those days when even without making a... "

Ahem! Ahem!

With an oval face that gives her a sharp appearance and her bright pink eyes, which give her face a unique cheerfulness, Stacey acted as if she seemed to have spoken too enthusiastically, so she faked a cough and instantly changed the topic, as if embarrassed.

"I am sorry, I got too excited there; anyway, meet my daughter, Selina... Selina, come on; don't be shy. Say hello."

Stacey spoke while pushing Selina out in front from her side.

Even I had to say that Stacey was indeed a difficult woman to read with just her appearance, and her acting skills were certainly comparable to some award winning actors in my previous life.

I had to say that some women are indeed creatures born with the talent for acting.

"Hello, Mrs. Steeline."

"Oh, hello, my dear, you look so lovely, and please don't address me so formally; just call me Auntie Chloé."

"Aunty Chloé!"

"Good girl." My mother nodded in satisfaction towards Selina, who was surprisingly behaving quite well as compared to just a few minutes ago, when she was throwing tantrums and acting conceitedly with her mother.

'Truly a sly b*tch, even as a kid.'

Well, at least she has the self-knowledge of how to act in front of others and not always be a b*tch.

There wasn't much to Selina's appearance; she was still a six year old girl, who will soon turn seven in a month or two, wearing a cute purple and white long-net frock with a white hairband on her head that had a beautiful white rose attached to it.

And if one were to disregard her repulsive personality, she was indeed adorable, and my adult mind could almost not resist the urge to pick her up and pinch her tender white cheeks.

Obviously, it was impossible for me to treat her like a child because, in addition to the fact that I wasn't old enough to treat her that way, I also hadn't forgotten why she had come here or what she had originally done in the novel.

Behind that seemingly adorable face was a disgustingly rotten witch.

Thankfully, at least she was dressed differently, because other than her, all the Greenberg family members were dressed in green; even their butler had a white and green suit.

"Ah, these green bastards would surely make me hate the colour green one day." I murmured, whining to myself.

Well, actually, the colour green itself wasn't bad, and to be honest, they all look good.

It's just that I can't stand their aloofness and obsession with it, and I suppose you could say that my negative perception of them makes everything associated with them appear negative to me.

Anyway, I had to say that these Greenbergs really like the colour green.

It was actually quite common for aristocratic families to dress in similar clothing or have traditions that resembled their family names.

just like our Steeline family, who place great importance on the product made from steel, even having various rituals related to it.

Nevertheless, it was a talk for later.

Coming back to the present, after my mother nodded her head in satisfaction, she turned her gaze towards the remaining Greenberg family members.

"They are...."

She pointed with her eyes, and as soon as Stacey saw that my mother had questions, she moved to the side and started introducing them.

"As you already know, this is my brother-in-law, Roy, and these are from our branch families." One by one, Stacey introduced them to my mother, who just nodded at them.

After which, my mother turned towards me and, with a doting smile, motioned for me to come to her.

"Let me introduce you to my son."

My mother introduced me as I got up from the chair and stood by her side, after which she explained the Greeneberg family members' identities to me.

"Luke, this is your aunt Stacey I once told you about, and meet Selina; she's your aunt Stacey's daughter and the little pearl of the Greenberg family, almost the same age as you."

Although introductions weren't necessary as everyone knew everyone else in the circle except some newcomers, but since formality was formality, one had to show some basic courtesy anyway.

So, I put on a charming and sweet smile and enthusiastically greeted everyone, even though I felt disgusted at their sight on the inside.

"Hello, Aunty Stacey; hello, Selina; it's a pleasure to meet such a lovely mother and daughter duo, and aunt Stacey, if my mother hadn't just told me about your relationship, I would have mistaken you for Selina's older sister."

"Ara! Ara! You silver-tongued boy really know how to win a woman's heart; it looks like your peach blossom luck would be pretty good in the future."

After hearing my words, she gave me a flirtatious look and then replied as if teasing me, though I understood that her words were cleverly spoken because I was aware of how and what topic she was trying to bring up.

Still, I listened to what she said with amusement, rubbed my head shyly, and talked arrogantly like a child showing off, while holding my mother's hand.

"It doesn't matter what my luck is; unless it's someone my mother agrees to, no girl has a chance with me, because no matter how many flowers come, they won't even compare to my garden's weed."

Although I acted cutely, my words were sharp, and they struck Stacey quite deeply because they hit her at the right spot.

Stacey's and Roy's eyes instantly narrowed for a millisecond at my words, and if it weren't for me keeping a close eye on them, I might have really missed the change.

To others, I was a mama's boy who wanted to show off in front of her mother, but to Stacey, who was trying to indirectly bring up her daughter's matter, it was as if I were saying that her daughter was worse than the weed in my garden.

Even my mother understood what I was saying, but because she did not know Stacey's inner thoughts, she assumed I was again boasting in front of others, so she rubbed my head roughly and messed up my hair.

"You kid, will you leave your mother's lap and grow up?"

Her tone was a little reprimanding, but to me it was more like a mother's way of showing affection, because I was certain that she was undoubtedly smiling in her heart.

'Mother, you're a Tsundere too. Humph!'

Toward my words and my mother's act of showing affection to me, Stacey and Roy swallowed their displeasure and forcefully smiled amicably, but there was another person beside them who wasn't able to hold back her emotions and who also understood what her mother was referring to and what my words meant in conjunction with that.

"Hmph! What do you know? I am much more beautiful... ouch! mother." Coming forward and putting her hands on her waist, Selina spoke cockily in a rude manner while blatantly showing her displeasure.

However, before Selina could complete her sentence, she was instantly stopped by Stacey, who closed her mouth and instantly explained Selina's behaviour.

"Please don't take this girl's words seriously; she is a spoiled child with a sharp tongue."

Nevermind my earlier statement when I said that Selina was behaving quite well and at least has the self-knowledge to know how to act in front of people.

I take it all back.

Because no matter how many times a rat's tail is dipped in sewage water, it will never become straight. And this b*tch was just that rat's tail.

"It's alright, Stacey; they're still children. Back when we were young, you weren't any different."

One has to understand that my mother is not only the eldest daughter of Duke Jonas Spade in the north but also the only wife of Duke Brandon Steeline, and her status is not something that a mere daughter of a count could speak back to.

Even if the girl was a child and her words were a child's whine, it makes no difference.

Nevertheless, although my mother is a ruthless woman, for her own people, she is a very kindhearted and rational person.

In addition, since Stacey and my mother were childhood friends, it was Selina's good luck that nothing happened to her, and my mother didn't even take her behaviour to heart.

Otherwise, as far as I know, if it were the Duchess of South, she would have instantly slapped Selina and thrown the whole Greenberg family out of the party.

It was indeed excessive, but it just goes to show how great the difference in status was and how eccentric and unreasonable some people are in this world.

That's why now I am more certain than ever that there was indeed someone behind the Greenberg family who was pulling the strings.

Unfortunately, this force wasn't mentioned in the book because it was written from the point of view of the main character, who had already grown to a certain point and had the support of many noble families and the Academy by the time the Steeline family was destroyed.

And now I really want to curse that dead dog author who died and took all the background information with him to his grave.

Bastard! Don't let me find you.

In any case, Stacey and Roy were relieved when my mom didn't respond to Selina's disruptive and rude behaviour, and Stacey immediately changed the subject after letting out a laugh to defuse the tension.

"HAHAHA, you're right, Chloe, and even though you say it now, Luke, you'll be the first to leave your mother's shadow when you find that right girl."

"With all due respect, aunt Stacey, what you said may apply to millions of children, but it will never apply to me. For me, my mother comes before everything else, no matter if it's a girl I love or the life I cherish."

My eyes were filled with an overwhelming love for my mother, who was the first person in both of my lives to love me without conditions and value my existence more than she valued her own.

Even my girlfriend in my previous life didn't love me as much as my mother does, and since my girlfriend and I were only together for a few years before she died, even her memories are a little fuzzy in my mind now that so much time has passed.

My straightforward words made my mother shy, who couldn't help but feel embarassed but also proud at the same time.

But in the end, she still sent me away quickly, thinking that if I stayed here anymore, I might say some embarrassing things in front of others.

"Alright, alright, you grown up kid, speaking like that, who taught you these tricks of making your mother embarrassed? If you love someone, don't worry about anything; your mother's not stingy to stop your love. Now you go, play with Selina for a bit while I and your aunt recount old memories and catch up with the present."

Well, her order was also something I desired, as I was eager to have some alone time with this b*tch in order to teach her a lesson and also to find out what kind of drinks she intended to force me to consume.

As I contemplated finally teaching this b*tch a lesson, my mouth couldn't help but curl into an involuntary grin.