I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 49

“Wow, the view is amazing.”

I took a bite of the crepe while sitting on the roof of the White Wood mansion, which was once a noble’s villa but now served as a museum. From this height, where the entire marketplace was visible, the sunset and the delicious snack simultaneously soothed my eyes and mouth, making it feel like heaven.

“Are you sure you don’t want to see your parents? You must be eager to brag.”

“I snuck out, so I can’t. Instead of getting praised, I’d probably just get scolded.”

The place I chose as my destination was none other than my hometown, Liche. The familiar scenery of the village I hadn’t seen in a long time made my heart feel light and fluffy like a cloud.

“Just eating Sandrene’s butter crepe is enough for me. I even dreamed about it. I missed it so much!”

“It is delicious.”

“Right?”

Sandrene’s crepe shop, located between the small chapel and the school, made the best crepes I had ever eaten. I didn’t think any of the renowned cafes in the capital could match Sandrene’s perfect thinness and sweetness.

Moreover, unlike the usual type that required a fork and knife, Sandrene’s crepes were wrapped in triangular paper. It was very convenient, similar to the folded hotteok I had eaten in my previous life, making it easy to grab and eat anywhere.

“When I was a kid, I used to play in that alley a lot.”

I pointed proudly to a narrow street where two children had just run out to play. When Con was young and at his cutest, we often played tag down there.

“Do you see the apple seller with the red flag over there? That’s Mr. Totom. He looks gruff, but he’s really kind. He always helps kids playing hide-and-seek. I used to hide behind his cart a lot when I was little.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it was really fun back then. Oh, you see that place where the blond boy just ran in? It used to be a house but was converted into a restaurant. It’s only open during the day sometimes, and the owner is quite a beauty. She used to be a theater actress. No wonder her voice is so pretty.”

Seeing one thing led to remembering another. Excited by the memories I hadn’t recalled in a long time, I began pointing here and there, talking enthusiastically.

“Do you see the green building back there? That’s my favorite ice dessert shop. They shave the ice finely and add milk, fruit, and even fresh honey. It’s amazing! I asked the owner how they make it so delicious, and they said the secret is the honey they get from their cousin who is a beekeeper. I want to buy just the honey next time I go.”

“……”

“Under the bridge next to it, there are often street performances. There’s a violinist who plays every Sunday, and she’s really good, but it’s a shame she’s not here today. She always wears stylish hats too.”

“……”

“Oh, and the statue in front of the small chapel over there. It’s supposed to be of an angel, and every winter, someone wraps a scarf around it to keep it warm. Aren’t the people in our village cute? But the statue looks incredibly sad. When it has an old scarf wrapped around it, you can almost imagine a sorrowful story. Have you seen it up close? I’m curious if outsiders feel the same way…”

When I asked for his opinion and met his eyes, he had a truly unfamiliar expression.

He seemed to be in a daze, as if he’d lost his mind. Even his usually sharp purple eyes, which always seemed to be finely honed, were relaxed and soft. However, his focus remained steadily on me, and as I continued to look at him, his eyes, which held a familiar silhouette, subtly sparkled.

No, on second thought, it didn’t seem so unfamiliar. It was similar to the expression he had when I hugged him after seeing the noticeboard about my top score. A smile that was half there, half not, ambiguously hanging on his lips.

Even now, as I stopped talking and stared at him in bewilderment, he didn’t take his eyes off me.

“W-why are you looking at me like that?”

Feeling awkward, I rolled my eyes nervously.

Did I seem too excited? Come to think of it, I might have talked a bit too much.

It’s normal to be excited after coming back to my hometown after such a long time.

“What is it? You’re not even answering. Are you listening to me?”

“…Just.”

I thought he might have been lost in thought all this time since he wasn’t responding, but a delayed answer came back. So he was listening after all.

I expected him to brush it off with some half-hearted remark as he usually did. But today, his response didn’t come out as clearly as usual. As I sent him a surprised look at his prolonged hesitation, he finally opened his mouth.

“If attacking Luticia again was the best way to reduce casualties, would you believe me?”

“…What?”

What is he suddenly talking about?

Both the timing and the content were so out of the blue that I made a bewildered face. He shook his head slightly, then let out a small laugh and looked away.

“…Never mind. I must be out of my mind. I suddenly feel like making excuses.”

“What are you talking about since earlier?”

As I muttered to myself in confusion, Keene smiled. He slowly turned his head to look at the village I had been eagerly watching and spoke as if to himself.

“When I first met you, I thought you were someone similar to me.”

“…Who? Me?”

This is starting to feel insulting. In what way are we similar?

“But you’re different.”

“Well, of course!”

“You’re similar, but strangely different…”

He stopped mid-sentence and suddenly stared at me. Reflexively leaning back from his intense gaze, he slowly reached out his hand toward me.

His long fingers wrapped around my ear and temple. His thumb, which had been gently caressing my cheek, now swept up along my eye as if to lick it.

“Do you know how beautiful your eyes are, Du?”

“……”

It wasn’t just a simple flirtation; the atmosphere was too calm, and there was no hint of playfulness. But I couldn’t bring myself to ask what he meant. Staring into his eyes at that moment, I felt like a fish skewered on a spear.

As I stood there, unable to move, staring at him endlessly, he finally spoke in a low, half-asleep voice.

“That’s why I’m greedy. Because they’re so beautiful.”

How beautiful must the world you see be?

He whispered softly, smiling gently.

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chapter b. the truth of that day

“Why is this suddenly breaking down now, of all times? It should’ve broken down after everything was done.”

Priest Drok clicked his tongue as he knelt on the altar floor.

Measuring holy power is an extremely stressful task that could make one lose their appetite. Thinking of the novitiate who had been tense all day, only to have to go through the process again, made him feel sorry.

“What was their name again? Was it Duna? How unfortunate.”

Saying so, he placed his hand on the altar. When he infused holy power into the sensing device embedded in the floor, the altar would light up brightly and transmit the holy power measurement to a remote device.

But when he poured out his holy power without adjusting anything for inspection, the engraved lines on the white stone lit up brightly and functioned properly. The measuring device also displayed the correct values.

Drok widened his eyes and removed his hand from the altar.

“Oh? It’s working fine? What’s going on?”

“It’s not broken.”

The answer came from Elexi, who had been silent. She looked down at the measuring device with an unreadable expression and spoke quietly.

“A similar thing happened fifteen years ago.”

Fifteen years ago, Drok had been busy with his training, so he didn’t understand what she meant. Elexi slowly bent down and placed her hand on the altar.

“When we measured Ren’s holy power back then…”

The altar slowly lit up, filling the entire measurement room with bright light. The light was so bright it was almost blinding, and after a few seconds, it started flickering as if it couldn’t hold on any longer. Elexi, watching the flickering lines, slowly removed her hand.

“The light went out shortly after. Because the holy power exceeded the measurement limit.”

“Wow, truly befitting a Great Saint.”

As Drok marveled, he suddenly remembered something he had forgotten and opened his eyes wide.

“So, that means…”

“That child might have been born with more holy power than Ren.”

Ren Lione, the 33rd Great Saint, possessed an outstanding amount of holy power among the Great Saints. Despite her unfortunate end, she was still considered a precious figure in the temple.

If someone with comparable power to Ren had emerged in the current generation, it would be a monumental event. However, Elexi, who mentioned this possibility, didn’t look pleased at all.

“Keep this to yourself for now. Especially don’t tell Chelin Sniter. You know why, right?”

“…Sister Elexi.”

Drok, who had been watching Elexi as she turned to leave, cautiously spoke up.

“Do you really think Lady Chelin is involved in that matter?”

“……”

Elexi’s steps halted abruptly just in front of the exit. She stood silently for a moment, then without answering, she opened the door and left the measurement room.