I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 3 Part 7
Did I look so strange? His gaze made me feel a bit awkward, like he was looking at some strange creature. No, it’s just because it’s my first time experiencing something like floating in mid-air. As I awkwardly cleared my throat and averted my gaze, he softly smiled and made another suggestion.
“Do you want to try something even more fun?”
“Something even more fun?”
My eyes widened, and he extended his hand, asking me to take it.
“Let’s take a walk.”
Without thinking, I placed my hand on top of his palm, and he gently closed his fingers around mine. Keene started walking, leading me step by step, just like a gentleman escorting a lady at a ball.
“Um….”
“It’s okay. Don’t be afraid.”
Calming my fears, he shifted the hand he was holding, fixing my left hand with his opposite hand, and he came up behind me. Then, with his other hand, he grasped my right arm. It felt like he was supporting me from behind.
“I’ll hold you, so walk slowly.”
“……”
Standing still and observing the scenery was completely different from taking steps forward. With the moon hanging above my head, I focused my gaze solely on the ground. Keene, realizing that it was the flight, not the view, that got me hooked in the first place, no longer mentioned the moon.
As I realized that the transparent barrier was spreading below me to match my speed, I gained some confidence in lifting my feet. Unlike a while ago when I could hardly move, Keene happily praised me as I took slow steps.
“Right. You’re doing well now.”
“……”
“So, how about it? It’s more fun than earlier, right?”
It was a far cry from the free flight I had imagined at first. But I couldn’t deny that this was closer to the childhood fantasy I had.
“Just now, you were kind of, like, my first love.”
“First love?”
“Yes, my approximately one million, five thousand, and two hundredth first love.”
“…You’ve had a lot of first loves.”
Of course, I was referring to one of the 2D first loves from my past life. That handsome magician who strolled over town in the middle of the day with a hat shop employee, to put it simply.
Now, as I recalled the dim memories and giggled, he seemed to be okay with it. The hand that was holding my right arm slowly descended and settled under my hand. With his fingers curled around mine, which had become cold due to the night air, he leaned close to my ear and whispered.
“Do you feel a little better now?”
“……”
At that moment, my heart, which had been reminded of my first attempt at aerial walking, froze. So that was the reason he brought me here, saying he would comfort me.
What a funny man. I couldn’t figure out where to start with him.1it actually said “??? ???” (literally translates to ‘matching the rhythm’ or ‘adjusting to the beat’) which is often used figuratively to convey the idea of adapting or aligning oneself with a situation or someone else’s preferences
“How can I feel better when I’m with a despicable blackmailer?”
“We’ve traveled all the way to Rosenwood, and you don’t even appreciate it. That’s too much.”
“Rosenwood?”
My eyes widened at the name of the region that would take at least three hours of carriage ride from the capital. Even after teleporting all the way here, he still has an abundance of magic. This man is truly a dangerous person.
No, it’s still too early to feel safe. If he’s showing off in the sky.
“Well, is there any chance that your magic will weaken or something like that…?”
“My Du has so much will to live, it’s really amazing.”
I scowled at him as he tried to cover up my very realistic concerns with his casual remarks. But he met my gaze confidently with an expression that said he meant it.
“Why do you want to live like that?”
“What are you saying….”
“You think it’s all pointless.”
His eyes weren’t smiling, something I hadn’t seen in a long time. My neck ached like it was going to snap trying to make eye contact with someone so tall, but I couldn’t look away.
“You said this is an unfair world where everything is predetermined from birth.”
“…….”
“If it’s a world created by a god, that’s as useless as dog shit, isn’t it?”
My memory was fuzzy, but I had a vague feeling that those were words I had said before. On the day I drank heavily and poured out my troubled heart to a man I didn’t even know, shortly before the original story began.
[It’s all been decided from the start.]
[You are the protagonist! I am an extra.]
[Some walk the flower path laid out by the heavens, while others are forever classified as second-rate even after getting reborn.]
“…That’s right.”
I weakly agreed.
“It’s all been decided. Like dog shit.”
No matter how many levels of beads I purify, there will always be a gap between me and the protagonist, Prim, who will always be steps ahead. Even if I met him first and held him in my heart, I could never have the male lead, Peidos Carmel, by my side.
“Still, there are so many things I haven’t done yet. I haven’t even been to the Mattnum Possun Tea House, or seen the Le-Ten Museum in Parencia. I want to go to a splendid ball at least once, and get married…”
“Are those things really that important?”
For some reason, his tone made me feel inexplicably anxious, as if I truly didn’t understand what was going on. I felt like I had to convincingly present the reasons why I shouldn’t die so that the man in front of me would spare my life.
“If I die, m-my family will be sad too!”
“That’s right, but it’ll just be for a moment.”
“Eyy, if my family dies, how would that be…”
But his expression, when he completely turned his body to face me, was colder than the chilling night breeze. As I looked at his eyes, which seemed to sink like the dark energy in the sky, I couldn’t help but keep my mouth shut.
“Even if a family member dies, they’ll live each day as if they’ve forgotten everything. Because that’s how we’re designed, humans.”
“……”
“So what’s the point.”
It was a bitter discussion. However, at that moment, it felt like I caught a glimpse of other emotions lurking beneath his sarcasm. As if what lay at the foundation of his cynicism was not just a lack of enthusiasm but rather some kind of pain.
“Perhaps…”
I started to say, then stopped.
I don’t want to understand. I must not understand.
It’s better for a bad person to remain just that.
Unable to say anything in response, Keene regained his usual smile. With his cheeks slightly swollen due to the cold air, he lowered his head to meet my gaze.
“Shall we go inside now? We shouldn’t strain ourselves unnecessarily and risk getting sick.”
“……”
After nodding silently, he lightly embraced me and activated teleportation. A bright light enveloped us, and in the blink of an eye, we were back in my room, as if we had flown from Rosenwood at some point.
“That thing you mentioned earlier, Du.”
He began to speak as he slowly guided me to sit on the bed. His face, which had a hint of a sneer, held a warmth contrasting with his affectionate tone. Even the subsequent chuckle was equally chilling.
“I’ve never been loved by a god.”
“……”
“Besides, god is already dead.”
[You’re so fortunate. A pagan loved by god.]
His retort negated my previous statement and was definitely outright blasphemy. But as someone who caught a glimpse of this man’s depths in a fleeting moment, I couldn’t bring myself to retort to that incomprehensible remark.
As I remained silent, he chuckled and patted my shoulder. Then he took a step back and calmly opened his mouth.
“I’ll come back for the key next time. Take care until then.”
“……”
Due to my unfocused eyes, my vision was blurry. For a moment, I absent-mindedly gazed up at his face, and then, a beat later, the meaning of his words finally registered in my mind.
Ah, the key.
“Aah!”
At that moment, a forgotten fact flashed through my mind like lightning.
Crazy! How could I forget that?
All distractions vanished in an instant, and anxiety rushed in like a tsunami. Desperate, I firmly grabbed his arm and shouted.
“Please, please, extend the deadline for me. I really need an extension!”
He raised an eyebrow high. In my urgency, I stood up unsteadily and held onto his hand tightly.
“There’s a reason. Once you hear it, you’ll have no choice but to acknowledge it.”
“What is it?”
“In a few days, I have to leave for a purification mission in Luticia. I won’t be in the temple for a whole week.”
Luticia was already a village swept away by demons, turning into ruins. There, I was scheduled to assist the healing priests, take care of the sick, and cleanse the areas tainted with dark magic alongside the knights.
I’d heard about this today, but I forgot about it due to my depressed thoughts about Prim. I only remembered it now, at this very moment.
“Luticia?”
“Yes. You know right, Keene? It’s very far from here.”
It was uncertain whether there would be a magic circle in such a small village. Even if there were, it would likely take a long time to travel.
Keene rolled his contemplative eyes upward. Filled with anxiety, I grasped his sleeve and shook it gently, sending him the most earnest gaze.
Even for a lunatic, you should consider the circumstances, right?
“Hmm, since Du looks this cute begging, my heart softens a little.”
“Right? I think I need at least two weeks.”
“But earlier, you said a week.”
“…I didn’t include the travel time.”
He chuckled. Apparently, he noticed my intention to secretly extend the schedule.
Of all the things to say, why did I honestly say a week.
Just as I was about to curse my past self for being so stupid, he replied with a refreshing tone.
“Alright, I understand.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes.”
For the first time, that handsome face lit up with a smile. But as I watched him, he suddenly reached out his hand.
“But there’s a condition.”
“…A condition?”
His large hand touched me just above my throat. Starting from there, his hand gently caressed the back of my head, and from somewhere other than my head, a faint warmth emerged.
Thump, thump. The sound of my heart pounding echoed in my ears.
Perhaps due to uneasiness or something else, a moment of confusion washed over me.
“Don’t get hurt.”
“….”
“That’s my condition.”
There was nothing I could do but freeze.
Why is this wicked blackmailer so affectionate?
Recalling my thoughts from earlier, I slowly averted my gaze. His eyes, resembling amethyst, were so dazzling that it was burdensome to constantly meet them. My heart became even more tangled.
“You seem very tired, so please rest. I won’t disturb you today.”
“….”
After leaving those words, Keene immediately cast a teleportation spell. Following the disappearing figure that turned into a pile of light, I plopped down onto the blanket.
The unfamiliar silence that filled the room felt strange for some reason.
“…It’s natural for me to sleep alone.”
To feel consideration even for that kind of thing, it seemed like my mind was truly going mad.
- 1it actually said “??? ???” (literally translates to ‘matching the rhythm’ or ‘adjusting to the beat’) which is often used figuratively to convey the idea of adapting or aligning oneself with a situation or someone else’s preferences