I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 100

I expected it ever since I recalled those old memories I didn’t want to think about. No, actually, I anticipated it when I saw that nothing was placed on the tree stump that was revealed after the vines were cleared away.

“Prim must have taken that position.”

“……”

His silence confirmed it. Staring at the high ceiling with an empty gaze, I let out a hollow laugh.

What was I struggling so hard for?

“Really… I worked so hard for nothing.”

“That’s why I like you, Du.”

Ignoring my futile question, a low voice interjected.

“Struggling so desperately, it’s cute.”

“……”

I couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or teasing. But I didn’t have the energy to get angry, so I chose to close my eyes in silence.

Yeah, it was always going to end up like this. I knew everything was predetermined.

“How did you get in here?”

With my eyes closed, I asked what I had been curious about earlier. Even for someone as capable as Keene, who could come and go from the Grand Temple as if it were his own home, it must have been difficult to get in here. Considering the holy relic was present and both candidates were connected to it, the security must have been tight.

Or maybe Prim had already left, and there was no one guarding the prayer room.

“With the help of an insider.”

“…Another spy?”

“It’s someone you know, Du.”

Surprised by his sudden words, I opened my eyes and looked at him blankly. Keene chuckled and brushed my hair off my forehead.

“You had a magic suppression spell cast on you. The reason you couldn’t wake up for eight days was largely because of that.”

“…A suppression spell?”

“It could be one of the protective spells of the holy relic, or it could be someone’s intention.”

The unexpected revelation overloaded my already sluggish brain. Perhaps due to my prejudice against Prim, my suspicions kept leaning towards the latter. But it made sense; if it were the holy relic’s protective spell, Prim would have been affected too, so why was I the only one who remained unconscious?

“On the fifth day, they must have thought it was hopeless and let me in. Even Peidos realized they needed an expert’s help.”

I let out a chuckle at his arrogant statement. No matter how skilled the Magic Tower was, they couldn’t surpass the priests of the Grand Temple in healing magic.

But on the other hand, considering that touching a candidate connected to the holy relic was taboo, it made sense that none of the priests would break that taboo.

The fact that the rigid Peidos took such a step must have meant they truly believed I was on the verge of crossing the River Jordan.

“Peidos asked me to convey a message if you woke up when he wasn’t around. He said thank you for your hard work until the end.”

“……”

“And he’s sorry for having to leave.”

I could picture Peidos’ disappointed face. Having proposed to me, he would have wanted me to become the Great Saint more than anyone.

Now that it was proven we couldn’t defy the main storyline, would this engagement still hold any weight? But breaking it off immediately seemed unwise; was there another way to save myself from sinking into the mire of being a supporting character?

With a weary sigh, I closed my eyes again. Everything in reality felt so distant and unreachable in my drained state.

“When did Prim wake up?”

“It was on the second day.”

A sigh escaped me. This makes it too much of a comparison.

“……At this rate, they must have already completed the connection ceremony.”

“Probably not. The entire temple is in an uproar over a new oracle.”

“Oracle?”

I muttered to myself, and an unexpected response made my eyes pop open. Surprised, I instinctively sat up, only to be met with a jolt of pain in my back and a wave of dizziness.

As my vision was filled with flickering gray stars and I swayed, Keene supported my back with his arm and asked,

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. No, more importantly, an oracle? What kind of oracle?”

At most, it’s probably something like being chosen by the gods, right? Would the entire temple be turned upside down for something like that?

“They say the Aire Lake will turn into a black lake.”

“What? Then that’s a big deal!”

“It’s a big deal.”

His expression was no different from hearing about a dog dying in the neighboring town, which left me speechless.

Aire Lake is a colossal lake comparable to the sea. It spans Lucan and the Holy Kingdom, serving as the drinking water source for both nations, and is close to bustling areas. If Aire Lake turns into a black lake, the impact would be enormous.

“So, that prophecy was the oracle?”

“Something like that.”

For Prim, it was practically her first mission as the Great Saint.

Come to think of it, the transformation of Aire Lake into a black lake was also mentioned in the original story. Although it happened just before Prim became the Great Saint, considering the timeline had shifted due to various changes in the story, it was understandable.

Since it was an event from the original story, it would undoubtedly happen.

“…So they really did hear an oracle.”

“Duna!”

Just as I was muttering to myself in disbelief, the prayer room door burst open, and someone came running in. Peidos, who usually looked composed, was now a mess, having rushed over. He knelt beside me and checked on me.

“You’re awake! How are you? Are you in pain?”

Of course, lying on a hard floor for so long meant there wasn’t a part of me that didn’t hurt. Even if healing magic had provided enough moisture to survive, I hadn’t eaten anything, so my energy was in the negatives.

But what concerned me more than my current physical state was…

“Don’t worry, Du. I used the cleansing magic you like earlier.”

“…….”

The man, who read my mind like a ghost, whispered in my ear.

Embarrassed, my face heated up. To justify myself, after assessing the situation, my attention naturally shifted to less important, supplementary matters. Moreover, Peidos sitting so close to me played a part.

“Keene, is Duna okay?”

“As long as you don’t act frantically like now, probably.”

“…….”

Seeing the harmless-looking green eyes turn sharp, I cleared my throat to draw his attention. Having likely waited a long time for me to wake up, I needed to reassure him.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“I thought you wouldn’t wake up. If that had happened, I…”

Peidos, who didn’t even want to imagine it, rubbed his face roughly with his hand. Seeing the distress he had gone through made me feel unnecessarily sorry.

With the sound of clothes rustling, the man behind me stood up. Raising my head to look at Keene, who had suddenly risen, he smiled and said,

“I’ll give you some space. See you later.”

“…….”

He used to come to my house in Liche to interrupt me, but now he was stepping back so gracefully?

The heavy sound of his boots receded. As I watched him close the door and disappear, I felt Peidos take my hand, and I turned my gaze to him.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“…….”

As he gently stroked the back of my hand with his thumb, I lowered my head. Even though I knew there was nothing to apologize for, I couldn’t help but feel sorry. It was as if he felt guilty for me risking myself in danger to compete.

Is this feeling contagious too?

“Because of me…”

“If I apologize, will you feel more guilty?”

Peidos’ eyes widened at my question, cutting off his words.

“What do you mean… You have nothing to be sorry for…”

“Because I produced disappointing results.”

“Disappointing? Why would you think that…”

“That’s why, don’t do it.”

Staring directly into his troubled green eyes, I spoke firmly.

“Let’s not feel sorry for each other. We did our best.”

“…….”

He looked at me as if struck, then soon let out a sigh and smiled. Stroking my cheek softly, he replied,

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

His hand, which had been caressing my cheek, brushed my lips as if by mistake. For a moment, his fingers froze, then gently cupped my chin, and his thumb slowly traced my lower lip.

An awkward silence filled the space. His face was so close that our noses could almost touch. The pounding in my ears grew louder, making all the hairs on my body stand on end. My eyelashes quivered anxiously.

Just before our breaths mingled, I quickly turned my head and buried my forehead in his shoulder.

“…….”

Through his tensed trapezius muscle, I could tell his body had stiffened. Unsure of what to say, or if explaining why I avoided the kiss would make it sound even stranger, I stayed like that for a while.

As I remained awkwardly silent, feeling increasingly uneasy,

Growl.

“…….”

“…….”

A thunderous rumble from my stomach announced humiliatingly loud information.

“Oh.”

Peidos tried to pull away from me with a sigh, but I held on firmly. There was no way I could look at his face right now.

“I’m sorry. I forgot you just woke up.”

“……”

“I’ll take you to the hospital. Let’s get you some porridge.”

“……Yes.”

I answered in a voice barely louder than a mosquito and internally swallowed a sigh. I couldn’t decide whether to be grateful that he had diffused the awkward atmosphere or to be angry at the new kind of awkwardness he had introduced.

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