I’m a Villainess, Can I Die? - Chapter 68

There were only five days left until the day of the ball, and Aiden did not return to the mansion. As expected, it was going to take quite a while. By the way, it was a little sad that there wasn’t a single letter. However, in the meantime, I had a feeling.

I pushed the chocolate cake in front of Jane.

“I’m getting fat…”

Seeing Jane happily eating the cake reminded me of the time I had with Aiden.

“In the end, I will leave the escort to Sir Lucas.”

“Yes, it should be.”

As I responded by tapping my toes, Jane, who had a fork in her lips, glanced at me.

“Say it.”

She quickly smiled bashfully and lowered her fork.

“Why did you ask Aiden to escort you?”

Oh, that was a more personal question than I thought. Jane seemed comfortable with me. I wished she could only ask this question to me. Even though the kinds of questions were personal, my answer was very public.

“Aiden was a servant. It would be better to announce the change of status in such a big way, and it would be better to be the princess’ partner in that way.”

“Do wizards change their status?”

With her reply, I closed my eyes and recalled the contents of the book.

Yes, obviously, Aiden’s treatment had changed since he got the position of a wizard. The exact location of the wizard was not described, but… Still, it was a good location, so the treatment must have changed.

I didn’t think his treatment improved just because the villainess contributed to it.

I tried to erase the ominous thoughts and replied, ‘Well.’ Jane rubbed her lips though that was all. I didn’t even bother to answer any further.

A week ago, Madame visited again for a final fitting, and the finished dress arrived yesterday.

In the end, I thought for a moment that I had Aiden’s made for no reason. Still, there was a party he had to attend later, and he would still need clothes… After tea time with Jane, I leaned on the bed and sat down.

Today, the empty room felt quiet.

I closed my eyes at the rushing silence and thought about going to sleep, but there was a bit of a commotion outside. When I opened my eyes again and glanced out the window, some of the employees were going towards the front door.

Who came…?

Well, I didn’t hear anything, so even if a guest came, it wouldn’t be my guest. As I slowly closed my eyes again, I heard a loud bang, and someone knocked on the door.

“Miss!”

It was Jane’s voice that was louder than usual.

“Come in.”

The door swung open, and my body trembled at that show of strength. What was wrong with her all of a sudden? Was the cake she ate wrong? Perhaps, I got sick as well…?

I raised my hand and patted my stomach. There was nothing strange about it.

“Miss, he’s here!”

Excited, Jane spat out words without context. When I tilted my head, she even rolled her feet in frustration.

“It’s Aiden! Aiden is back!”

…Aiden?

The unexpected name that came out of Jane’s mouth shook my head for a moment.

Was Aiden here now…?

As I turned my head to look out the window, the garden was quiet again. It seemed that the guest had already entered the mansion. And according to Jane, the guest was Aiden.

I slowly got up.

The one who claimed to be my faithful henchman has returned, so I would have to go out with kindness. I roughly straightened my messy hair and clothes and left the room. When I was walking down the hallway with Jane, Lucas was standing in front of the central staircase.

“Sir Lucas?”

“…Aiden is back.”

“Yes, he is.”

“So, that’s you came out, Selina.”

He was right, so I nodded my head. I couldn’t figure out why he was holding on to me and talking like this.

“I’m just going to go down, do you have anything more to say?”

As a person with a purpose, I had no intention of standing here and continuing a meaningless conversation. Still, I asked if Lucas had something else to say so I wondered if he was waiting for me, but he shook his head as if he had nothing to say.

What…?

I bowed my head slightly to say my greetings and turned again. Lucas was still standing on the stairs, and I stepped down the stairs.

One step, two steps, three steps.

When I took only three steps down,

“Selina.”

Lucas’ voice called me again. It looked like he had something to say, so I waited. Why was he hesitating and not answering…?

I let Jane down first, who was standing shyly around me, then turned my head to look at Lucas.

He was looking at me without coming down the stairs. Didn’t he have to come down to have a conversation? I couldn’t help but lift my head up and look up at him, and Lucas’s closed lips were opened.

“I will escort Selina.”

“What?”

When I asked, Lucas took one step down the stairs. As I blinked my eyes at the closer gaze, he smiled bitterly.

“Don’t take the partner position away from me.”

I closed my eyes without answering. I couldn’t understand why this man was suddenly so obsessed with being my escort. The last time I saw him, he wasn’t very nice to me… I still haven’t forgotten Lucas, who looked at me from the corner and raised a glass.

Lucas had come down one more step before I knew it. Now the distance between me and him was too close. When I got closer, I had to raise my head higher, and his gaze turned to me from a high place. I felt like a small animal in front of a big beast…

For example, crocodiles and a bird. Huh? Was this even correct?

He looked down at me, raised his head, passed me, and went down the stairs. Lucas, who went down two steps more than me, looked up at me again. As I remained silent over his incomprehensible behavior, Lucas burst into laughter.

Seeing that people weren’t in their correct mind today… The air seemed a bit bad.

Lucas put his hand to me with a smile on his face. I gazed down at his long, callused fingers and gently placed my hand on it. He seemed to have asked me to hold it, and he seemed to be in a bad mood today, so I just listened to what he wanted.

Lucas strengthened his hand and grabbed my hand.

“Let’s go, Lady.”

* * *

As soon as Aiden entered the mansion, he rolled his eyes and looked for someone. The Miss he had been missing for a month. However, disappointingly, she was nowhere to be seen. Well, he came back earlier than the letter when he said he was going to return, so it was obvious.

“Aiden.”

It was Aaron who greeted Aiden before Selina. He came down after hearing that Aiden had arrived from the butler. For Aaron, Aiden was the closest survivor to Selina’s temper in the past, and later was a lifesaver who even saved Selina’s life.

As he gladly welcomed Aiden’s return, Aiden bowed his head politely.

“I greet you, Lord.”

“What happened? You got back at this time?”

“Yes. I sent a letter, but I think I arrived first.”

Aiden spoke, a little embarrassed. Aaron noticed his tension and patted his arm to relieve the tension.

“Did you pass the exam within a month and even registered as a full-time wizard?”

“I was lucky.”

Aiden replied modestly. However, contrary to his humility, his achievements were not very humble.

“Luck is also a skill.”

Aaron knew that, too, but it seemed rude to continue to put a burden on someone who was envious and humble, and smiled as if he didn’t know.

The magic tower…

It boasted outstanding majesty as a tall tower to which the wizards belonged.

For that reason, the first. Most of the high-ranking wizards in the tower were of noble origin. Those who built the tower in the past obtained the title of nobility as a result of their achievements, and the descendants who inherited their abilities since then continued the tower.

Thanks to this, rumors circulated that high-ranking wizards were rejecting words from commoners, but that was only a rumor.

Although the high-ranking wizards were sassy, ​​they were busy with their own abilities, so they didn’t care about other people, whether they were commoners or nobles.

Second, there were few wizards. The number of wizards in the Empire was not that many.

…Maybe, a hundred people at most? This was because the number decreased over time. The tower was worried about this phenomenon, but the worry soon ceased to be a concern.

When food was limited, as the number of people decreased, the amount of food distributed to each increased, so the level of ability of the remaining wizards or newly born wizards increased. The hundred or so wizards had the same abilities as the previous generation’s five hundred wizards.

Well, for these reasons, the treatment of wizards was very good.

Even magicians from commoners were treated like nobles. Of course, not all wizards were treated equally. Those with lesser skills had to deal with the errands of the tower, or if they didn’t, they had to live with their magic licenses deprived.

That was the life of the ‘talentless wizard’ that Aiden was worried about.

To become a proper wizard, he had to pass a test.

Through this test, it would be decided whether to become a wizard of the lowest position or a wizard who was treated as a noble. The wizard test was getting more and more difficult. With the level of the magical power of the old wizards, it was impossible to give them the title of ‘wizard.’

Usually, the course of the test starts with learning about magic operations from a teacher appointed by high-ranking wizards for about one to three months. Those who lightly learned from basics to operation take the first test within a month.

Most of them fail this exam.

Passed on the first test? That meant great talent, that was, genius talent.

…And, Aiden was a man of genius talent.

‘Do you really go back to the Duchy? I want you to stay here and do research with me…’

The master who had taught him, Archwizard Allogen, wanted to hold on to Aiden, who was about to leave. Aiden was able to leave the tower only after giving the clingy Allogen after rejecting him about one hundred and twenty-five times.