I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Following the unexpected arrival of the Duke of Crowford, Serial received a message from the princess. 

“He said he wanted to meet me?”

“…Are you sure it’s okay to leave things as they are?”

Her trembling in fear, worried that Lily Devlanc might become the crown princess, was pathetic.

“That kind of thing doesn’t matter to me.”

What a foolish woman. Lily Devlanc becoming the crown princess was already a predetermined future.  

As a sister-in-law, Lily Devlanc will become a hostess at the palace, helping Wilfred immensely in his rise to power, but also playing a crucial role in his downfall.

She was too useful a piece to be discarded lightly.

Unlike… someone else.

“Do what you must.”  

“Don’t touch me!”

As he shook her off in disgust, the Princess Hyacinth bit her lip.

After leaving the princess’s quarters, Serial mulled over the “future” he knew so well.

“…Freesia Devlanc.”

Even though their marriage had been one of obligation, the two harbored genuine affection for each other. Yet they never reached an agreement about having children. 

The duchess wanted children, while the duke did not. 

The timid wife anxiously sought her husband’s approval, and the husband, who didn’t know how to show affection, grew furious at her behavior.  

“My master knew nothing.”

In the end, everything crumbled.

Watching his master fall apart in endless self-reproach had been unbearable. He even ruined his cherished right-hand man, cornering himself as if there were no tomorrow.

One tragedy was enough.

Serial climbed the bell tower, gazing at the distant silhouette of the Duke of Crowford’s estate. The scenery sparkled under the setting sun, unbearably beautiful. 

“I have no regrets.”

Serial, born as a homunculus by the hands of magicians, had been discarded in an abominable state.

It was only Wilfred who had recognized him when he desperately reached out from the filthy pit.  

To live as a human, a homunculus like him needed an original source. For Seriel’s sake, Wilfred willingly cut his finger, shedding his blood.

‘How amusing. I no longer have any blood brothers left.’

Only later did Serial understand what that meant.

Just as a baby views its parents as its entire world, Seriel’s very existence revolved around his master.

Up close, he witnessed the disintegration of his master.

Where had it all gone wrong? Even though the memories embedded within his embryonic form remained vivid, history had been rewritten.

His master would never know. She’s the one he loves and cherishes so much, and she’s already helped him many times.

“They’ll surely come together for the engagement announcement. This time, I’ll see to it they’re thoroughly humiliated.”

Watching her seethe with venomous anger, Seriel let out a bitter smile.

If the person who caused the discord between the two had been found earlier, none of this tragedy would have unfolded.

Curled up like an abandoned child, Serial continued his lonely battle. Only one person knew what he was thinking and why.

“Looks like Wilfred is finally catching on.”

“Madame Benoit.”

Without a sound, Madame Benoit climbed the bell tower, gently patting Seriel’s drooping shoulders.

“Be careful. Changing a predetermined fate is no small feat.”

It didn’t matter if no one acknowledged him. As long as his master could be happy, that was enough.

There had been times when Seriel resented Freesia. He thought that if he got rid of her before they developed genuine feelings for each other, the unhappy future would never come to pass.

“My master truly doesn’t know me. How could I ever kill her, seeing the way he looks at her?”

“Seriel.”

“No child wants their parents to be unhappy.”

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t envious of Luca, who smiled brightly between the two of them. Yet he had no intention of harming Luca.

“If siblings hate each other, it would only make him sad.”

“…Siblings, huh. That’s one way to look at it.”

Even an abandoned beast follows the one who saved it out of gratitude. Only humans repay kindness with betrayal. The princess was no exception in this regard.

“The one truly responsible for driving them apart was someone else.”

A single, trivial fragment of malice had led everyone to ruin.

Madame Benoit fixed her gaze on the distant princess.

“Still, you should have faith. Freesia has grown much sharper now.”

“Do you really think so?”

“You’ll know if you wait and see.”

As the crown princess was decided and the engagement announcement neared, the princess would undoubtedly hatch another scheme.

“I hope for their happiness too.”

Madame Benoit gave Seriel’s drooping shoulders another comforting pat.

Even the most earnest wish requires effort to become a miracle.

“Make the right choice, Wilfred. This is your last chance.”

Would he reach the truth in time? With a mother’s heart, Madame Benoit resolved to watch over everything.

—

Unlike Freesia, who always overslept, Wilfred often woke early at dawn.

Feeling the chilly morning air, the first thing he noticed was the warmth pressed against his arm.

“The weather’s gotten cold.”

Freesia, her nightclothes loosened and disheveled, instinctively sought the warmth of his embrace. It was a rare sight, one he would miss if he didn’t wake first.

Watching Freesia cling to him like a child, Wilfred couldn’t help but smile.

“Adorable.”

Her relaxed, vulnerable state made her even more endearing. At this moment, she looked especially youthful, reminding him of what Rashita and Ada had mentioned.

They had asked how he would feel about having a daughter who resembled Freesia.

Freesia must have been a charming child, he thought, grinning foolishly at the image of her with chubby cheeks and a sweet smile.

“Boys had different tastes.”

Though he found Lily Devlanc’s arrogance annoying, she did remind him of Freesia. She put on a bold front, but no matter how hard she tried to hide it, her trembling hands betrayed her fear.

If he hadn’t accompanied her, the prominent noblewomen would surely have torn Lily to shreds for lacking any powerful backing. Even if Freesia had been with her, it wouldn’t have made much difference.  

The fact that those women were silent in front of him only made it clearer why Lily was so desperate for power. 

Dreaming big is never a bad thing. He wondered if this was what it would feel like to have a younger sister.  

She was always cheeky and infuriating around him, but the thought of anyone else bullying her was unbearable.  

So this is what it feels like to be a father with a daughter, he mused. On top of that, Freesia’s parents’ issues were now a shared challenge for both of them to solve together.  

“Hmm… Are you awake?”  

“It’s still early. You can sleep a bit longer.”  

“I’m so tired…”  

As Freesia grumbled and clung to him, he offered her his shoulder, lost in serious thought.  

He had never wanted children. But Freesia did.  

Maybe now…  

Maybe the man he had become could be a proper father, healing from past wounds.  

“Do you want a child?”  

“Yes. I think a boy who looks like you would be adorable.”  

“…If he looks like me, he won’t be anywhere close to adorable.”  

“You’re adorable. My husband is the cutest in the world.”  

Freesia wriggled closer, planting a kiss on his cheek. It was embarrassing and made him squirm, but it didn’t feel bad. In fact, it felt… really good.  

With a soft chuckle, Wilfred pulled the sheet over Freesia’s sleepy form. She was so endearing when she acted like this that there was no way he could stay annoyed.  

Though the matter of Serial still nagged at him, it only made him more determined to stay by Freesia’s side.  

“What do you think will happen to <The Plum Family’s Second Daughter>?”

“It’ll end happily, of course. And they lived happily ever after.”  

“What if one of them dies?”  

“Even the author wouldn’t get away with that!”  

Her sharp frown made him burst into laughter.  

This would likely be the last story he’d write, and that made it even more important for it to have a happy ending. He’d never imagined he’d be the type to write such a soft romance.  

When he woke early at dawn, fragments of his dreams lingered — memories of a world unfamiliar to him.  

He was certain they had met before, in that strange world.  

—

His journey as a writer began at the recommendation of a senior colleague.  

Around the time he started serializing his fifth story, he was also asked to work on a game script.  

That was where he met her. Every morning, he’d see her in the elevator on her way to work, engrossed in the latest chapter he had posted the night before.  

“Isn’t that from Leveling Up Because of the Antagonist?”  

The moment he spoke to her, her expression twisted with embarrassment. Their first encounter had been disastrous, and since then, she actively avoided him.  

Through a few planted informants, he learned that she was a devoted reader of his. But he couldn’t reveal his identity, not when she refused to meet his gaze and even snapped at him during team gatherings.  

Determined not to repeat his past mistakes, he gave it time, believing that with enough patience, he could win her over.  

He truly thought they could overcome everything back then.  

—

“Did you hear about the employee from Team 3 who passed away?”  

“Yeah… All that overtime before the launch. And since she didn’t have any family, there wasn’t even a proper workplace injury claim.”  

The news of the unexpected death left him stunned.

The police ruled it an accidental death.

The wake, arranged by a few friends and the deceased’s manager, was pitifully modest.  

When he arrived at the wake, the manager — who had essentially taken on the role of the chief mourner — greeted him warmly.  

“She didn’t dislike you at first, you know. In fact, every time she visited the scenario team, she’d say you reminded him of his favorite character.”  

“His favorite character?”  

“You know, that character he loved from that novel… <Leveling Up Because of the Antagonist>, right? She kept saying you looked just like the villain in that story.”

The deceased probably thought no one knew, but everyone in the team had been aware. And the manager had known all along that he was the author.  

“I was planning to arrange a meeting between the two of you when the time was right. But life can be so unforgiving.”  

Standing in front of the deceased, he found himself speechless, clenching his fists tightly.  

Unable to say anything.