I Became Close to the Villain - Chapter 23-2

“At the time, it was just a consolation and a joke. Lady, now I beg you with all my heart.”

The knight said he was the younger brother of a previous saint. He said he clearly watched his sister die miserably. He also said he didn’t want any more people to be sacrificed like that.

 “I am about to knock down the tower.  I am trying to break it so that no more living barriers would exist.”

“…….”

“To do that, the last princess must jump.”

 The knight said that I should cut off the line of succession.

He was a very cool knight who sometimes smiled.

That person probably didn’t know. In fact, the previous saint and the saint a long time ago have the same soul as me.

There was only one soul all along. I just changed my body and repeated reincarnation, so I couldn’t remember my previous life, but I was definitely the same person. That’s why I agreed with the knight a little more easily.

Severing the life of a saint now will ultimately be for the sake of my future self.

“If the saint dies before the birth of the successor, the successor will not be born forever according to the oracle.”

 Succession has always been well done, but I decided to break it.

 “…I know what you mean. I will be the last.”

 I, the 91st ‘living barrier’ and a saint born in a nameless slum with a dazzling explosion of light.

In my previous life, I was also the knight’s older sister.

In the end, I abandoned my duties.

 “Kill me.”

 The knight cried. He wept more clearly than the sound of rain.

 “…Be comfortable now.”

“Yes, forget everything…”

Instead of jumping, I was stabbed by a fake warrior’s sword.

So I closed my eyes

And was reborn as Vianne Astahilt.

What if I was born again? I have to live, if possible, better than last time.

And I’ve forgotten most of my life. 

I only remembered some things again that Siezion pulled out.

“…Vianne.”

“Meow.”

Siezion got out of my arms and jumped to the floor.

I also noticed Idris’s hand brushing my cheek.

I looked up at Idris. My blurry eyes became clear again when the tears dropped. He was looking at me with calm eyes.

“I don’t know what to do.”

Idris said to me quietly.

“I don’t think you cried because you find Siezion pitiful.”

He didn’t know what to say to me.  

“…I thought of something sad.”

“Really?”

“You haven’t seen me in 10 years.”

“Yes.”

 “In the meantime, I sometimes thought of you and cried. It’s something like that.”

“I know that, Vianne. It’s a feeling I know.”

Idris seemed to understand me.

He slowly grabbed me and put me in his arms.

He had a subtle scent that relaxed my mind, not a faint smell of blood on a desolate battlefield.

I leaned on him, holding back tears that I had not yet been able to control. My sadness slowly subsided.

It was nice of him to hug me. Even after 10 years, he remained the sweet Idris.

There were very few people I could turn to when I was sick. So he felt special.

“……You know, Idris. Did you cry because you thought of me too?”

I asked the question even though I knew it was a silly question.

 “No.”

He answered briefly. The answer made me sad for some reason. It was strange.

“You’re brave. The eleven years old you was brave.”

I pretended to be okay, but Idris continued to answer.

“I was thinking instead.”

“……What?”

“A way to see you again.”

Idris said firmly.

I was surprised and thought about what to say. I barely came up with a word.

“Great job.”

He didn’t respond. He just added some strength to the arm that was holding me.

That’s how I knew he was listening to me.

***

The next morning, it was still raining.

Yesterday, Idris sat next to me until I fell asleep. But when I woke up, I was alone.

Siezion, who looked like a white and small bird, gave a wet towel to me.

‘What? Where did you get it from? He probably didn’t get it from the water in the tank he lives in.’

Looking at him with suspicious eyes, Siezion turned into a fish again.

“Idris must have prepared it!”

“…Believe what you want.”

I had no choice but to wipe my face with it.

When I opened the door in the corner of the room, a small attached room appeared.  There were basic toiletries and water. 

There, I did a quick morning make-up.

There was also a new outfit that seemed to be prepared for me, so I changed it. It was a comfortable sky blue dress that came to the ankles.

Then I sat back on the bed.

……I had nothing to do.

‘Where did Idris go? He didn’t even let me take a look around the house.’

Just as I was about to grumble, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

“Master, are you there?”

Master? Ah, yesterday, Eustave called Idris master.

“He’s not here.”

“…….”

When I answered instead, the person outside the room suddenly became silent. Then he asked me.

“Who are you?”

Oh, it was hard to explain.

“Idris is my friend.”

“He has no friends.”

“Really?”

I hurriedly opened the door.

A mage with long turquoise hair was outside.

Seeing this person for the first time, I was about to ask who he was, but the mage was surprised and reflexively used magic.

So I was surprised too.

At that moment, the cold-faced Idris intervened between this mage and me.

“Camellia.”

The blade-like magic of Idris ripped the magic of a mage named Camelia.

“Master…!”

“Did you not receive the news?”

Idris asked Camellia as he stood still.

“…Is this that person?”

“…….”

“I’m sorry, master. I never thought you’d let her stay in the master’s room.”

I stared at Camelia.

The sleek shape of the robe with a gold rim on a black background stood out.

Camellia wore a red cape over it.

For some reason, he seemed to be in a higher position than Eustave. Maybe it’s because Eustave has a long black cape and casual clothes.

“What’s the problem?”

“I have something to report.”

Idris turned and looked at me.

“Vianne, I’ll be back for a while, so stay with Eustave.”

“Oh, come on. But Eustave isn’t here?”

“Sadly he is here, Vianne.”

A voice was heard from across the hallway.

It was Eustave.

“How?”

“I have been summoned by my esteemed master.”