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Chapter : 04
I Wanted to Become a Villain (4)
“Huh?”
My mouth fell open at the completely unexpected offer.
Not only were they repaying me for saving her life, but they were even going to pay me for the dream-butterfly powder I’d lost?
What is this—are you really a saint?
Ah… somehow it feels like there’s a halo shining behind that person…!
Even Linette, the saintess in the original story, wasn’t this kind.
You’re more of a saint than someone who spent all her time worrying about quitting sainthood and then, by sheer chance, inherited the title of grand duchess. You’re the real saint, nameless person!
“Well, you really don’t have to go that far. But if it’ll put your mind at ease, I’ll gladly accept.”
From beneath the hood that hid half her face, golden eyes glimmered.
They sparkled just like gold coins.
I can’t believe it. Is my life finally getting some sunshine?
That’s it. Forget being a villain.
What scam? People are supposed to live honestly!
Yeah, that kind of thing just doesn’t suit me anyway!
A day and a half later.
A dazzling carriage arrived in front of my utterly shabby house.
“Elcy Blumhire, please come with us.”
Escorted by a man dressed in a formal suit, I climbed into the carriage.
The neighbors watching the scene stared at me with nothing but envy.
Everyone, I’m heading out first. You too, rack up some good deeds and turn your lives around in one shot!
I glanced down at my pitiful clothes in contrast to the luxurious carriage.
Farewell to this old robe that was practically rags, and to the pointed hat with its frayed brim and loose threads sticking out.
I’ll be able to buy myself a pretty dress now, right? I’m sick of these gloomy robes.
Dreaming of the smooth, golden road my life was about to take, I leaned back in the carriage.
But then—
“Huh?”
The place we arrived at felt strangely familiar.
That was odd. There was no way I’d ever been to such a grand mansion before.
Why does it feel familiar?
Just as I was puzzling over the sense of déjà vu in a place I’d supposedly never visited—
“Wait a second. Where is this—huh?”
I saw them. Two guards standing at the entrance of the mansion.
No, not guards.
Two thugs pretending to be guards!
“Why are those bastards here?”
I couldn’t believe it.
How were they here? And they were even standing guard like they belonged there?
No, this is bad. Those guys are seriously dangerous!
Having instantly grasped the situation, I pressed myself against the carriage window and shouted at the top of my lungs.
“Hey! You two!”
Bang! Bang!
I pounded the glass with my tightly clenched fists.
“You thought you’d get away safely after running off like that? Before that, do you even have a conscience? You dared to threaten the young lady you were supposed to serve? You pieces of trash! Are you even human?”
“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Please calm down.”
“Does this look like a situation where I can calm down? Those guys pulled a knife on the young lady of this house, I’m telling you!”
Ignoring the scolding from the man who looked like a butler, I shouted even louder.
“There are limits to moonlighting! How can guards threaten their own employer?!”
“Please, calm down!”
“Wait, let go of me for a second. I really need to settle things with those guys! Hey! Can’t you hear me?! Hey!”
Perhaps they noticed the commotion inside.
Footsteps approached outside the carriage as it came to a brief stop, and someone knocked on the door.
“Sir Silbern, is something the matter?”
“It’s nothing! Just let them in already!”
Wait—that voice was definitely one of those thugs from back then.
When I turned my head, I locked eyes with the guard standing on the opposite side—no, the moonlighting thug.
“Hey, you!”
“Gah!”
The thug stared at me, his face drained of color.
See? I knew it! He freaked out the moment he saw my face!
I tried to justify myself to the man called Silbern.
“Excuse me, but I have some unfinished business with that man. So please let me go, okay?”
“I can’t.”
“What? Why not? I just explained everything! The person I saved two days ago was actually the young lady of this house, and those guys over there were the ones who threatened her!”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“Of course you should! That’s exactly why I’m here!”
“Even so, I can’t allow it.”
“How can you say that?!”
I glared with blazing eyes at the thugs being led farther away.
This was bad. I had to finish them off.
I couldn’t let such dangerous people stay in the same space as that girl.
Staring at Silbern, who was blocking the carriage door with his entire body, I made up my mind.
“Fine. I didn’t want to do this.”
If I wanted to get out of this carriage, I’d have to use magic.
I gathered mana in my palm and blasted the wall behind me.
I definitely blasted it—
“…Huh?”
Nothing changed inside the carriage.
Silbern, looking down at my bewildered face, let out a deep sigh.
“You cannot use mana inside this carriage.”
“What?”
“So please, just behave yourself.”
“Whaaat…?”
This was insane. Something like that actually existed? Without magic, I was like a steamed bun with no filling…
Moments ago, I’d been raging like a feral dog that didn’t even recognize its owner. Now I instantly became a well-trained, docile retriever.
After the carriage came to a complete stop, the door opened and a servant holding a rope tied my wrists.
“Wait a second. Why are you tying my arms?”
“Please, just stay calm.”
“Do you think you’d stay calm if someone tied up your arms, Mr. Silbern?”
“If it were me, I would. Resisting only scrapes the skin and hurts.”
…That actually makes sense.
And so, bound without resistance, I was escorted somewhere amid a crowd of people.
“What is this…?”
I’d come here to receive a reward for saving a noble lady’s life.
So how did I end up being dragged along with my wrists tied?
“Mr. Silbern, this is so unfair. I was just trying to take down some bad guys.”
“……”
“Mr. Silbern, where are we going?”
“……”
“You’re mean. You won’t even answer me.”
The rope binding my wrists also seemed to be some kind of mana-sealing device.
No matter how hard I tried to gather mana, I couldn’t muster even a grain of it.
“We’ve arrived.”
I stared straight ahead with a sulky expression.
“Just one last question, Mr. Silbern.”
I asked the question that had been bothering me the whole time.
“Where exactly is this place?”
At the same time as my question, the door blocking my view swung wide open.
And inside—
No way. Why is he here?
There stood Eclipse, the final villain of the original story—and my (former) scam target.
He looks even more handsome in the light.
Forced to face Eclipse head-on, I took my time appreciating his face.
His features under the moonlight had already been insane, but under bright natural light, he looked even more striking.
It’s been about five minutes since I came in, but he hasn’t said a single word.
For some reason, Eclipse hadn’t called out to me or even looked at me once.
He was just sitting at his desk in the study, staring intently at what looked like paperwork.
Ugh, please, just say something.
There was no doubt about it. That man was a complete workaholic.
Otherwise, how could he ignore a guest right in front of him and focus on documents like that?
He was like that that night too. Working nonstop even at such a late hour.
And thanks to that, everything had gotten tangled up.
I tried to make sense of this sudden situation.
But seriously, what is going on? And why is this sofa so ridiculously soft?
Is this thing secretly a bed?
Sinking into the unnecessarily plush sofa, I thought carefully.
I definitely came here in a carriage sent by the girl I saved. So why is the Grand Duke of Rédair…
Wait. Hold on.
Was it really a carriage sent by that girl?
Come to think of it, I don’t think I even checked who sent it before hopping in.
Gasp. Don’t tell me…
The back of my neck stiffened.
A carriage arriving out of nowhere at my house, and the Grand Duke of Rédair—there was only one possible connection between the two.
Did he find out that I snuck in here before? Is that why I was brought here?
Otherwise, there’d be no reason for Eclipse to look for me.
Me, an obscure extra from the outskirts with zero notoriety!
I’m screwed.
