The Villain is Being Suspiciously Kind - Chapter 103

Chapter 103

In a matter of hours, Citrina created the peridot necklace.
Of course, Gemma helped. The necklace turned out quite sophisticated. It is a little more shiny and a bit more fitted. The green color of the peridots shone brilliantly.
Citrina unclasped the pendant necklace that Gemma was holding. For the first time in a long time, she wore a peridot necklace around her neck. She felt lighter and more carefree.
‘Wearing it, I feel like I’m returning to my roots.’
That’s because it was the same design as the first necklace she made.
Citrina thought deeply. Gemma glanced at Citrina, then ducked into one of the peridot stones.

-I’ll go in here!
-Yeah, alright.
Gemma then tried to call out to Desian’s knights, who were stationed outside.
-Don’t you want to try this on?
Then Gemma talked about the rose-shaped magic instrument.
-For the first time…I’ll try it.
Citrina glanced at it.
Citrina slowly turned on the rose-shaped magic instrument. It made a clicking sound as she felt the light slowly enter it.
She couldn’t see his face, so she didn’t know if the connection was working.

[Rina?]
But she could hear his breathing, and above all, he spoke.
“Del.”
Citrina whispered in a low voice.
“I miss you. Even though I saw you yesterday.”
She omitted the words, “I miss you once more”.
[Me too.]
“I’ll go over.”
Citrina said quickly. There was a faint laugh coming from the magic instrument. He seemed happy all the time these days and Citrina liked a happy Desian.
The short call ended. From that point, things moved quickly.
Desian sent a carriage to the gates of her mansion. Citrina found Desian very easily. He was outside his office. He was impeccably dressed as if he had just returned home.

As they walked together down the ducal hallway, Citrina spoke with a smile.
“Hi, Del?”
Citrina realized something as she observed Desian. The corners of Desian’s mouth slightly lifted at her arrival. The shadow of a smile played lightly over his red lips. It was quite charming, the kind of smile you wanted to linger on.
“I think we see each other every day.”
Citrina was amused. So she purposefully greeted him again cheekily.
“Yeah. Every day…it seems like we see each other.”
Desian’s slow, husky voice reached her ears. He paused in his steps. Citrina turned to face him in the hallway.
Desian was looking at her. His fingertips swept away hair lightly.
It was a gentle touch.

Citrina and Desian’s eyes met in the air. His lips approached and she instinctively lowered her eyes. Several ticklish kisses landed on the corners of her eyes.
Affectionate, he was a man who fit that word better than anyone else.
It was very unexpected to come from this person.
But her heart kept tickling.
Citrina felt his lips slowly move away from her eyes. She opened her eyes after a moment. His eyes were on the back of her neck.
“That’s something I haven’t seen before.”
He tried to ask casually. Citrina couldn’t detect a tremor anywhere in his voice. But…”
His hand traced the line of her neck. She thought there was a certain persistence to it.
Citrina winked, trying to dismiss it.
“It’s the peridot necklace I worked on earlier. Isn’t it pretty?”
It was the same design that he had, but a little more refined. Desian couldn’t be ignorant. His hand came to rest lazily on the nape of her neck. The gentle stroking held a hint of sexuality.

“Yeah. It’s pretty. Just…like you.”
“It’s the same design as the first necklace I ever made.”
Citrina tapped her foot cheerfully on the floor.
“I originally wanted to give you my first necklace, but…”
Citrina cut her words short.
“You already have it.”
“…Yeah.”
Desian’s voice echoed down the hallway.
Citrina chuckled since he was so cute in this rare sight.
“If I make something similar, it looks like it’s for a couple. Right?”
Both were made by her, so Citrina continued.

“It’s a couple pair, but you should just hold onto it. Because…I can’t imagine you wearing a necklace.”
She heard a low laugh.
“It always feels like I’m getting a gift from you.”
Even though she hadn’t given it to him, Desian said that. He slowly removed his hand from the nape of her neck.
With a new feeling sprouting, his voice reached her ear a bit clumsily.
“I feel like we’re connected, even when I’m not with you, Rina.”
“…Yeah, I think so.”
Citrina affirmed.
Even if they weren’t holding hands, they thought of each other.
Desian answered her simply.

“I wish I could be with you forever.”
It sounded like he was whispering to himself.
Desian’s gaze seemed to deepen.
Citrina blinked and ever so slowly turned her eyes away from him.
They were still in the hallway.
Servants could still pass by, so she looked ahead as she walked step by step.
Citrina’s worry that servants could pass by was irrelevant. They were the only ones in the area. It was as if someone had this place under their complete control.
So Citrina opened her mouth again.
“I have something to say.”
“What is it?”
Desian noticed Citrina’s small voice. His tone remained friendly, but there was a hint of tension.

“Elaina contacted me.”
Citrina was looking at the end of the road without much thought.
But the moment he heard those words, Desian felt the space between them.
He had never been afraid of anything before not even in his abusive childhood and not even now.
But at this moment, he was afraid of Citrina’s next words. What Elaina Foluin had done, he couldn’t clearly tell.
“She’s still breathing.”
He faked a casual tone. Yet he didn’t seem to realize that the sentence he’s just said hinted at murder. It was a mistake Desian made in front of Citrina from time to time.
‘You can’t tell me that what you said just now isn’t awfully villainous.’
Citrina bit her lip. It would be rude to point it out. Desian was desperate to keep his other side a secret from her.
“Del.
Mm…it’s still the same, I suppose. She almost cursed me. It isn’t a big deal, Del.”
“…What did she say, Lina?”
Desian asked.
“Um…I don’t know where to begin.”

He didn’t know what Elaina Foluin had said. But Citrina didn’t seem crushed by it.
Desian looked at the side of Citrina’s face. As if sensing his gaze, she opened her mouth to speak.
It was a bit off-topic.
“You are mine.”
She spoke with emphasis once more.
“I said I’d do everything I had to do, right?”
Citrina smiled beautifully as she said that. The brilliant sunlight played with her brown hair.
Desian suddenly thought.
Every time she smiled, it was like the sun came up.
So he opened his mouth slowly.
“I completely agree, Rina.”

And then, as if mesmerized, he kissed Citrina’s lips slowly. It was a gentle kiss.
The heat from her lips was so warm it was as if it would never cool down.
It was Desian who initiated the kiss, but Citrina pressed their tongues together and deepened the kiss.
“So I’m not going to pay attention to Elaina’s letter.”
Citrina thought sincerely. [T.L. Note: Citrina is thinking out loud.]
Citrina didn’t answer Elaina’s letter. It didn’t matter what Elaina thought.
Although Desian didn’t know where her words originated from.
“You don’t have to care about anything, Rina.”
Desian murmured. And he added again.
“It’s going to be over soon.”
Citrina stuck out her tongue and licked her slightly puffy lips.
Elaina wanted to kill her.
Despite the absence of any nervousness or anxiety, she trembled a little. And Desian noticed her hand trembling. He gripped her hand tightly so that it would no longer tremble.

They stood before Duke Pietro’s conference room. Desian opened the door. Desian seemed to want to show her something.
‘So this is what the conference room looks like on the inside.’
She had been to Duke Pietro’s residence many times before, but this was her first time in the conference room.
Following Desian’s escort inside, Citrina saw the sword lying on top of a circular table. The magic sword that had been Desian’s symbol in the past lay unguarded.
‘I wonder why the magic sword is just lying there.’
The sword looked old and dark, but it was clearly glowing.
Citrina walked over to it, squinting. Desian helped her sit in a chair right next to the table.
Soon, Desian and Citrina sat across from each other with the table and the magic sword between them. Desian looked at her and spoke.
“Luckily, the analysis was finished quickly, Rina.”
Listening to Desian’s languid voice, Citrina stared at the sword.
Her first thought upon looking at the sword was that it had certainly taken a beating.

And-
This sword, was it really reliable?
Perhaps…it wasn’t going to try and pull a fast one, was it?
…and then she started to think that might be true.
Because this wasn’t a magic sword that should be trusted so easily.
Citrina stared at the sword in doubt for a long moment. The sword seemed to have furtively moved about a centimeter away. Just a nudge.
‘Why does it look like it wants to get away from me?’
Citrina squinted her eyes.
But it might have been her optical illusion, for a wisp of white smoke hovered above the scabbard’s head. It was almost like a fog, clouding Citrina’s vision.

‘I wonder what awaits us?’
Beyond the haze, Desian’s jaw was set and his gaze was languid. As if this situation wasn’t serious enough.
Did he notice that Citrina’s gaze had met his own?
Desian’s mouth curved playfully. He was more concerned with Citrina than the situation.
Then, with brilliant timing, the sword spoke.

-The souls are slaves to the sword, and they are blackened. They are plotting the destruction of the other species [dwarves, spirits, elves, etc.].
It spoke quickly.
The voice was husky, but not unwelcome, and it rang in her ears. Citrina could also hear the sword now.
Elaina was just a leaf, but there were roots attached to her that needed to be destroyed.
-The Order of Ellon is a private organization that’s part of the Holy Kingdom. However, it had become a splintered organization since the death of its leaders, the Archmage Toloji and the Paladin Genfiros. Yet the remnants of the organization are attempting to rise up again.
“Archmage Toloji and Paladin Genfiros.”
Citrina whispered those names. She felt like she had accidentally made contact with the shadows of this world.
“Those names sound familiar.”
Desian said expressionlessly.
All of this was outside of the original work of <Elaina’s Flower Garden>. Apparently, the original story had a happy ending, but there was a darker side to it.

-Citrina.
As if noticing Citrina’s trembling, Gemma mustered up the courage to speak. Gemma was still contained in the peridot jewel.
-Can you do it, Citrina?
Citrina nodded. She looked at the magic sword with determination.
“Are you done?”
This time, the sword visible flinched.
-Almost. It will be done soon.
Citrina placed her hands slowly on the table.
“Del, I don’t think that was a good thing.”
Citrina spoke softly to herself.
“I’ll protect you.”
Desian spoke wholeheartedly.
Their world would be protected like a beautiful glass greenhouse. Desian’s gaze flicked absentmindedly to the necklace around Citrina’s white neck.
The peridot necklace.
It was a beautiful thing made by Citrina while thinking of him.
However, he wasn’t interested in the spirit within the necklace. The spirit that Citrina loved was nothing but a tool to him.

“It’s simple if you handle everything.”
Citrina cut to the chase.
“And by handling it, you mean kill them, right?”
Desian’s mouth tightened. He seemed to be thinking for a long moment. The words slowly came out of his mouth.
“…You don’t like it?”
As the words came out of his mouth, he studied her face. If Elaina died, Citrina would doubt him. Desian didn’t want things to progress that way.
Genfiros was a stranger to Citrina. He was a powerful danger, and he had to be eliminated, even if it meant raising suspicion.
But that wasn’t the case with Elaina.
He couldn’t kill or manipulate her as he pleased.
Desian didn’t know what normal people felt for their family members.
“Um…you don’t like it?”
“Yeah. I’m asking if you didn’t like it.”
Desian spoke again with a grave expression that didn’t seem at all serious.

Citrina bit her lip. She had to keep her face from showing emotion, given the seriousness of the circumstances. It was curious how Desian was still pretending to have morals like a normal human being.
‘You don’t want to be found out as such a villain.’
However, Citrina held the reins of Desian’s heart. She was not a passenger at Desian’s whim, but the conductor. She looked him in the eye and whispered like she was casting a spell.
“You can’t…kill them all. Normal people don’t do that. Got it?”
Although there were special circumstances, of course.
Citrina knew an effective way to deal with Elaina. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head at a slight angle.
Watching her gaze and glistening lips, Desian spoke.
“Yeah, I understand. I won’t kill them all.”
He had a stoic demeanor.
Citrina gave a small smile. Now it was time for the carrot. She lifted her hand and patted the back of Desian’s hand.

“Good job.”
Anyway…
This sudden romantic mood didn’t seem to suit the magic sword.
-What are you doing now…?
The magic sword coughed before speaking.
-It didn’t matter if they were killed or not. First, there was Genfiros and Toloji, but Desian took care-
The magic sword didn’t finish its sentence. It sounded like it was choking.
“Are you trying to tell me that Desian killed both Genphyros and Toloji?
Citrina didn’t care if those two jerks were dead. She wasn’t that nice to begin with.
“So Genfiros and Toloji are dead?”
Citrina had no such mercy, but somehow Desian seemed to think she despised and abhorred murder. Citrina defused the situation lightly.
“So what’s your next point?”
Desian’s eyes met hers for a moment. Soon enough, the voice of the magic sword flowed out again.
-Ha, ha. Anyway, I’ve seen through the ruse, and it’s falling apart.
Everyone is in the mood to withdraw, except for Elaina, but she’s weird.
The sword’s tone reminded her of Gemma in its eagerness to be complimented. Citrina was thinking of the spirit inside her necklace.

“Withdrawal?”
Desian smiled brilliantly. The dark fog that the magic sword had called forth started to fade, bit by bit. So his smile became all the more clear.
“Who wants to withdraw?”
“…Well, leaving without punishment is problematic.”
Elaina’s most appropriate punishment would be to become a normal person. But just as Citrina was about to say that, Desian spoke up.
“Then…shall we take away her powers and banish her?”
Desian asked.
To Citrina, it seemed like a cautious question.
It wasn’t as if he was trying to learn something little by little. His demeanor would change depending on whether Citrina liked it or not.
Citrina grabbed hold of the small bait.
“…Yeah. Killing is…bad, right?”
“Yeah.”
The way he said it so firmly, Citrina didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Desian seemed to be choosing his next words carefully. Citrina looked at him in expectation of what he would say next.
“…So I’ll dispose of her without killing.”

Citrina bit her lip.
It looked as if no matter how hard he tried to hide his true nature, it showed through. Didn’t Desian know that the word ‘dispose’ made her feel uncomfortable?
Still, so far, so good.
“Yeah. So let’s do it that way.’
If they were to seal her powers and banish her, they would never see her again. Elaina obviously wouldn’t be able to handle a life where she wasn’t special. She might even try to kill herself because that’s the Elaina she knew.
All of that was the least Citrina could do for Elaina, who had tried to kill her.
“What can we do to banish her? The story hasn’t surfaced yet.”
Should they wait? Perform an undercover investigation?

“I have proof.”
“Proof?”
Citrina’s eyes narrowed.
“We just have to decide when to detonate it.”
Desian’s tone was calm.
Nevertheless, it would be like a bomb.
Citrina closed her eyes. Unlike Desian, she wasn’t calm.
She trembled a little. But at some point, she would have to handle this completely.
“I hope it’s over soon. I want to rest.”
Desian didn’t nod his head. Instead, he pushed himself out of the chair.
The mist that the sword emitted had cleared. The magic sword spoke no more.
Desian walked over to her chair and gently stroked her hair.

“Let’s rest.”
Desian clasped her hand slowly. His fingers lightly stroked her wrist. It was where Aaron’s bracelet was.
“I’ll end it quickly.”
He wasn’t determined, nor was he nonchalant.
His voice was just relaxed enough to ease Citrina’s anxiety.
Citrina leaned into his hand and pulled herself up. Somehow she caught a glimpse of the blackness, and somehow she saw their deaths, their wreckage. [T.L. Note: I think Citrina is talking about Elaina’s group’s destruction.]
She couldn’t see the whole future. But one thing was clear to her.
“You don’t need to put my dangers on your shoulders.”
“…Rina.”
Desian called her name once.
But he didn’t answer her.
Citrina didn’t want to be a nuisance. So she crouched down and peeked up.
But she was the person directly involved.
She had also heard the words of the magic sword and received the warning and gifts of the dwarf. She fiddled with the peridot earrings in her ears for a moment.
Would it be the end of everything if she parted ways with Elaina?
Citrina thought briefly of the sentence that wrapped up most fairy tales, “and they lived happily ever after”.
But this was not a fairy tale, this was a stark reality.
Could she reach her happily ever after?