The Return Of The Exiled Villain

”Hmm...”

Gloria leaned a little closer to Gray as they stood in the corner.

”You know,” she said calmly, eyes scanning the room, ”events like this are always the same. Too many smiles, too many lies, and far too many people pretending to like each other.”

Gray gave a quiet hum, his gaze drifting across the nobles.

”Makes sense. Everyone here looks like they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing.”

She let out a soft laugh.

”That fear is what keeps this place standing. One wrong word can ruin a family, a single wrong move can cost a head.”

Gray simply nodded at her words.

As a Fallen Noble, he knew exactly how the nobility functioned.

And to him, the nobility was nothing more than a battlefield without blood on the floor.

Every smile here hid a blade. Every toast was a test. Families didn’t compete to rise; they competed to survive.

When one house grew too fast, the others didn’t wait for it to become a threat. They crushed it early, cut the roots, burned the soil, and made sure nothing could ever grow again.

That was how the great families stayed great.

They didn’t fear war, but they feared the future.

Gray knew about this too well.

Back then, when his talent first bloomed, when his name began to spread, eyes had turned toward him from every direction.

At first, it was praise, then it became interesting, and finally suspicion.

After that came attempts.

Accidents, poisoned gifts, and even ”Friendly” duels meant to cripple him. Rumors meant to isolate him. People smiled in his face while calculating how to erase him from the board.

They didn’t want him dead because of hatred.

They wanted him dead because he was a problem that hadn’t fully grown yet.

A genius was dangerous, but a mature genius was a disaster.

So they aimed early, but Gray had survived.

Not because he was kind or because he trusted anyone.

He survived because he understood one rule faster than they expected.

If you hesitate, you die.

He struck first when he had to, he endured when he couldn’t, and learned who could be used, who could be ignored, and who had to be erased completely.

In the end, he was still standing, until... his talent was stolen, causing him to lose his entire cultivation.

But now... he’s much stronger than before.

Screeeeech.

Suddenly, the massive doors at the far end of the hallway, which had been sealed shut moments ago, creaked open.

The sound cut through every conversation like a blade, including Gray’s thoughts.

All chatter died down at once.

Footsteps echoed from beyond the doors, slow and steady, each step heavy enough to command silence.

Then a loud voice rang out, deep and formal, filled with authority.

”Hear ye, hear ye.”

The man’s voice carried through the entire hall.

”By decree of the crown, and under the witness of the stars above, Her Grace of the Northern Lands now enters this sacred hall.”

A pause.

”The Frostbound Duchess, Warden of the Northern Sea, last pure blood of the merfolk line.”

Another pause, longer this time.

”Duchess Evelyn of the North.”

The moment the name was spoken, murmurs exploded across the hall like a wave.

”Duchess Evelyn... she’s here in person?”

”So it’s true... she really came.”

”I heard she hasn’t attended a ball in years.”

”They say she’s even more beautiful than the rumors.”

”Of course she is. She’s a mermaid. The last pure one, no less.”

”No wonder she holds the North. Even the sea listens to her.”

”Most beautiful woman in the nation... that title wasn’t given lightly.”

Gray’s eyes shifted toward the entrance, and strangely, even Gloria straightened a little beside him, her expression turning sharper than before.

From beyond the doors, a figure stepped inside.

The air itself seemed to cool.

Click, click...

Evelyn calmly walked forward, standing tall with her chin slightly lifted. And that was when Gray finally took a look at her legendary appearance.

Her face was slender and well-shaped, with soft lines that flowed naturally, not a single angle too harsh.

Her nose was straight and delicate, small enough to look gentle, yet perfectly placed.

Her lips were pale pink, full but not exaggerated, resting in a neutral line that gave her a quiet, unreadable expression.

When she spoke or smiled, if she ever did, it would surely be the kind that lingered in one’s mind long after.

Her eyebrows were thin and smooth, slightly arched, giving her a naturally composed look, as if she were always in control of her emotions.

Beneath them, her eyes stood out the most.

Deep ocean blue.

They were clear and bright, yet cold, carrying the depth of something ancient.

Looking into them felt like staring into deep water, beautiful, but dangerous if you stayed too long.

There was no warmth in that gaze, only calm awareness, as if she could see straight through people and had already judged them.

Her skin was flawless, fair like untouched snow, with a faint glow that made her seem unreal. No blemishes, no signs of age.

Time clearly treated her differently.

Her long silver hair framed her face perfectly, falling down her shoulders in smooth waves, catching the light with every step.

It moved softly, almost like water flowing with a current, only it could feel.

She didn’t need makeup, but there was a faint touch of it, just enough to deepen her eyes and give her lips a natural shine.

She wore a gown of deep northern blue, woven with fine threads that looked like frost under light.

The fabric hugged her figure without being vulgar, elegant and noble, flowing down like calm waves. Tiny crystals lined the edges of her dress, catching the light with every step.

No jewelry weighed her down as she needed none.

’So... that’s Selene’s mother, huh?’

The thought silently crossed his mind.

The nobles parted for her without being told, forming a path as she walked forward.

”She really looks like she doesn’t belong to this world...”

”I feel like I’d freeze if I got too close.”

”They say mermaids can charm hearts without even trying.”

”I believe it now.”

Gloria crossed her arms loosely, eyes following Evelyn as the duchess moved deeper into the hall.

”She looks the same as always,” Gloria said in a calm tone. ”Cold, and distant... just like the sea in winter.”

She let out a small chuckle, clearly amused.

”And yet,” she added, lowering her voice, ”did you hear the rumors on the way here? They say she finally found herself a young man to warm her bed. Apparently, even ice gets lonely.”

Her lips curved in quiet mischief.

Gray didn’t react to her childish gossip.

Instead, he lifted his wrist and checked the time.

Exactly 9:00 PM.

BWOOOOOOO!

BWAAAAAA!

The deep roar of trumpets thundered through the hall, sharp and commanding, their echo rolling off the marble walls and soaring toward the high ceiling.

Every noble froze.

Conversations died mid-breath.

Chairs scraped as people moved in a rush.

Then a voice rang out, loud, clear, and heavy with authority, carried by mana so that every soul in the hall could hear it.

”Hearken, all gathered beneath the stars and stone of this sacred hall!”

The speaker stood tall near the grand doors, clad in ceremonial attire, staff struck once against the floor.

”By the will of the heavens, and under the eternal gaze of the empire’s ancestors...”

”Make way.”

”Lower thy heads.”

”Still thy tongues.”

”For His Royal Highness now enters the ballroom.”

The trumpets sounded again.

BWOOOO!

BWOOOO!

Every noble bowed at once.

Some lowered themselves deeply, backs bent in perfect form. Others dropped to one knee, heads bowed so low their foreheads nearly touched the floor.

Even the powerful dukes and duchesses showed respect.

Only Gloria inclined her head slightly, measured and dignified.

Gray followed her lead, calm and unhurried.

From beyond the doors, footsteps echoed.

Step...

Step..

Step.

The doors opened wide.

Light spilled in from behind the figure walking forward.

He was alone, with no guards or attendants.

His presence alone was enough.

The middle-aged man wore royal robes of white and gold, trimmed with crimson patterns that marked the imperial bloodline.

His posture was straight, his gaze forward, calm and firm.

His expression held authority without arrogance.

The hall remained silent as one dared breathe too loudly.

Then, the king stepped forward until he stood at the center of the hall. He raised one hand, slow and steady.

At once, the trumpets fell silent.

The echoes faded, leaving only the soft crackle of torches and the quiet breath of hundreds of nobles.

The king looked around the hall.

His hair was touched with gray, his face marked by time, yet his eyes were sharp and clear, like a man who had ruled not by luck, but by will.

He spoke.

”Lords and ladies of the empire,” his voice carried easily, deep and steady, ”nobles of high house and low, honored guests from near and far.”

”I welcome you all to this year’s Seven Stars Ball.”

He paused, letting his words sink in.

”This gathering is not merely a night of music and dance,” he continued. ”It is a symbol of peace within our lands, of bonds between houses, and of trust that has been built through blood, sweat, and years of rule.”

Many nobles bowed their heads again.

”This year has been a heavy one,” the king said honestly. ”Borders have been tested, ambitions have stirred, and many young talents have risen from the academy that bears the pride of our future.”

His gaze briefly swept over the students present.

”But tonight,” he went on, ”we set aside blades and burdens alike.”

”Tonight, we celebrate.”

A faint smile touched his lips.

”Eat well. Drink freely. Speak honestly, if only for a few hours.”

”Let laughter echo louder than schemes, and let this hall remember joy before it remembers war.”

He lifted his hand once more.

”By the authority of the imperial crown, I declare the Seven Stars Ball...”

”Begun.”

The trumpets sounded again, bright and lively this time.

BWAA!

BWAA!

Music rose from the far end of the hall as musicians took their cue. Servants began moving, carrying trays of food and crystal glasses filled with wine.

The frozen tension melted away in an instant.

Conversations sparked back to life.

Laughter followed.

The king lowered his hand and turned, and just as Gloria had said, his path led not to the crowd, but straight toward her.

Gray noticed it at once.

Gloria lifted her chin slightly, her posture flawless, a polite smile forming on her lips as she prepared to receive him.

’...He might recognize me, no?’

Gray thought.

But even if the king did, he probably wouldn’t say anything, so he remained calm and slowly waited until the king reached their corner.