The Villain is Being Suspiciously Kind - Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Clouds hung over the green grass. It wasn’t the tallest mountain under the sky, but it was just the sort of ordinary hill Citrina had dreamed of. Seeing the beautiful nature purified her mind.
An attendant trailed behind carrying a box of sandwiches. Citrina and Desian walked ahead, just the two of them.
“So there are places like this in the capital?”
“That’s right.”
Citrina looked at the blue sky.
-That monster just purchased this place.
-How do you know that?
Gemma’s speech dwindled rapidly. Citrina wondered if being an advanced spirit had improved her deductive ability.

“Hi?”
“Yes. Good day.” A blush the color of strawberry jam bloomed on the shepherd boy’s face. His fluffy hair was dotted cutely with sheep wool here and there.
“Are you a shepherd?”
“Yes. I chase the big wolves away.”
The child chirped. Desian was silent. His eyes were numb to the boy’s cuteness.
Citrina looked at the boy and gave him a thumbs up.
“That’s amazing.”
“Yes! Then I’ll get going!”
Desian didn’t threaten or drive the boy away. It didn’t seem like it was worth it.

“He was cute, wasn’t he?”
“…I didn’t look at him properly.”
There was a thorn in his nonchalant tone. It almost sounded like he was whining for attention.
Citrina giggled.
How could she not love him?
“Well, I think you’re cuter.”
Desian looked speechless at her words.
“Why, don’t you know?”
“I…never thought I was cute.”
A slight flush of color crept into his pale cheeks.

Instead of answering him, Citrina sat down on the wide picnic mat that the servant had set out and patted the spot next to her.
“Sit here.”
Desian did as she told. Citrina looked over the hilltop. His gaze stuck to her the whole time.
And whenever someone approached her, he bared his sharp teeth as if he was protecting a baby bird.
He was like a beast who had imprinted on the first creature he saw.
Ah, it shouldn’t be so cute.

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“Del, do you want to eat a sandwich?”
“Yeah.”
An attendant pulled a sandwich out of the picnic basket and handed it to her. Today, the white sandals she wore were stained with blue-green grass.
They were pretty just as they were.

“Del.”
“Yeah?”
“Genfiros is missing.”
“That’s right.”
“Genfiros, is he dead?”
She wondered if he heard the tremor in her voice. Desian replied shortly.
“Yeah.”
Meaningless words passed between them. Before biting into her sweet-smelling sandwich, Citrina replied slowly.
She wasn’t looking at him.
“I like you the way you are.”
“…”
Desian was silent. But Citrina expected, or hoped, that he understood the unspoken part of her words.
A small breeze blew by.
“Is that true, Rina?”
His impish voice permeated her ear with the wind. Citrina leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Yeah, I mean it.”
Citrina replied quietly. What she meant was that it was okay for him to show her his true face.
She wondered if he understood this.
Perhaps he didn’t, because she hadn’t stated it clearly.
For a moment, Desian was speechless. He seemed to be weighing the sincerity of Citrina’s words.
After all, it was a confession of love.

“…you should only see beautiful things.”

Desian’s firm hand slowly closed around her shoulder. Citrina turned her head, looking up at him. Desian was looking straight at her.
Their gazes met in the middle.
And his face slowly lowered towards hers.
This time, Desian made the first move.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

It was a kiss.
However, it wasn’t a strongly possessive kiss. It was a bird kiss, a gentle sharing of warmth.
Their noses touched first, then their lips gently pressed together.
It was a soothing, gentle kiss. It wasn’t an electrifying, mind-numbing kiss, but rather the warmth of knowing he was there.
She wondered it this was what Desian intended.
Citrina reached out and pushed his firm shoulders away.
Desian obediently moved back.

He closed his eyes and laughed pleasantly. It was so harmless that there was no telling who might have heard it.
At that moment, someone came running up quickly from the distance. He was wearing some kind of white helmet. She strangely felt nothing about him while looking at him.

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‘Who is it?’
Citrina wondered briefly. However, her curiosity didn’t last long. The man opened his mouth hastily.
“I am Paval, sent by His Majesty. An emissary from the Holy Kingdom has been sent. He has come unusually quickly and asks that you come to the palace at once.
Citrina snuck a sideways glance at Desian. He looked at the man with a blank expression.

“That’s not important.”
His voice was as easygoing as ever. The helmeted man flinched at his casual demeanor.
“Why are you surprised?”
“It’s just….”

The man fumbled for words. Given that there were several knights off in the distance, they must have pushed off all the dirty work onto this daft Paval.
“I, I came prepared to risk my life-“
With his eyes closed, Desian snapped at the man.
“It’s natural that I am friendly.”
It was a veiled threat.
Citrina knew this was his mask as she knew about the real him.

“Yes. Y, you’re kind.”
The helmeted Paval glanced at Citrina and looked horrified.
‘Now you’re scared of me as well as Desian since I’m by his side.’
She felt like a fox riding on the back of a tiger, but things were becoming interesting.
Desian rose to his feet.

“I also know that.”
At his words, Paval shrank to nothing. He twitched and backed away as if threatened.

“What’s your first name?”
“Sergei, Your Grace.”
“I’ll remember that. Thank you.”
Desian’s brow twitched as he spoke the words ‘thank you’.
It was probably the first time he had said it to anyone other than Citrina.
“Thank you for what?”
As he spoke, Citrina looked between the two of them.

“…It’s only.”
Desian spat out the words. The situation seemed unfamiliar to him.
Citrina was now in the position of spectator, rather than having to doubt Desian’s actions.
And now that she was the perfect audience, she kind of got it.
No, why hadn’t she realized it before?

‘This pretend kindness…it’ ‘s so awkward, Del.’
She stifled the laughter that almost slipped out.
Aaron had done the same thing numerous times during Desian’s acting.
Desian’s affection towards Citrina was real.
Citrina had never doubted Desian’s love for her. But she understood what he was doing now.
Desian’s empty kindness that he used on those he didn’t care for was so awkward and artificial.

Citrina spoke up.
“Del, are you going to reward him?”
“Of course, I’ll give him a reward.”
The gaze directed at Citrina was soft. Though she could hear him grinding his teeth.
She would normally think it was an illusion, but Citrina knew it was real.
Desian seemed a bit angry at Pavel for interrupting their peaceful time together.
‘He’s angry, but he can’t show, so he tries to pretend to be nice…’
Ah, when should she tell him that he doesn’t have to play nice?
‘But…this is pretty fun too, right?’
Desian pretending to be nice, to be sweet, to be as gentle as a lamb.
Citrina looked up, pretending not to notice his attitude.

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“Shall we go now?”
The picnic couldn’t have been more enjoyable. Sheep were idly moving about from afar. It looked like a huge sheep farm.
“I’ll take you somewhere better next time.”
Citrina briefly assured him. A small grin tugged at his mouth in response. There was a small dimple below his cheek. In all the years she had known him, it was the first time she noticed it.
Little by little, she was getting to know him better.
Citrina tilted her head up to look at him and held out her hand.

“Help me up, Del.”
“With pleasure.”
Desian took her hand and lightly squeezed it.
The soldiers sent by the emperor were walking down the path behind them. She didn’t need to see their expressions to tell they were bemused.
As they descended, Desian’s hand in hers, Citrina wondered.
“Today was fun. I had an even better time because it was short.”
“That’s a relief.”
“So you can’t hate him.”
She decided to lightly apply to breaks and pretend to be unaware for now.
There was something cute about the innocent side of a villainous man.
So…

“You can’t hate anyone without my permission.”
Citrina winked briefly at him.
Slowly, she realized she might as well put a leash on him.
“If that’s what you want.”
Desian smiled picturesquely.

A brief push and pull, to deceive and be deceived, began.
Desian left the picnic and arrived at the Imperial Palace.
The struggle at the imperial palace was going just as he had expected.