I'm in Love with the Villainess!-Chapter 227: Right... The Academy Still Exists...

*** Third Person

"Mmm..."

Evelina shifted in her sleep as sunlight slipped through the window and warmed her face. She blinked against the brightness, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before slowly pushing herself upright.

"What time is it?"

Her voice came out soft, still heavy with sleep.

For a moment, she just sat there, letting the quiet settle around her. The storm from last night was gone—completely. No thunder, no rain tapping against the glass. Just stillness, broken only by the faint sounds of the city waking up in the distance.

That alone made her pause.

"...Strange."

She swung her legs off the bed, bare feet brushing against the cool floor as she stood. A slight sway hit her the moment she put her weight down, her brows knitting together.

"...Why do I feel so tired?"

It wasn’t the normal kind of fatigue. It lingered deeper, like something had been tugging at her while she slept—something she couldn’t quite remember.

Her gaze drifted toward the door.

Closed.

Then to the window.

Intact.

Everything looked normal.

Too normal.

Evelina frowned faintly, pressing a hand to her chest as she tried to trace that uneasy feeling curling at the edge of her thoughts. There was something missing.

She was sure of it.

"...Cael?"

She called out softly, testing the silence.

No answer.

Her frown deepened.

That wasn’t unusual on its own—but for some reason, it bothered her more than it should have.

Pushing the thought aside, she walked over to the mirror, fingers combing through her slightly tangled hair. Her reflection stared back at her, composed as always, but her eyes lingered just a second too long, searching for something she couldn’t name.

"...I swear there’s something wrong..."

*** First Person

CREAK.

"Morning. Sleep okay?"

I stepped into the room with the same gentle smile I always wore when she woke up. For her, this was just another morning. But the way she was staring at me now... yeah, she definitely knew something was off.

"You did something dumb, didn’t you?"

She figured it out that fast!?

"Y-yeah..."

No point trying to hide it. I was going to tell her anyway once I found a better moment, but... guess that’s out the window.

[Succubus Link]

Something nudged at the back of my mind—her presence, probing at my memories. She just stared at me, expression flat, then let out a slow breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"S-seriously?"

"I just couldn’t help myself, okay? And... it didn’t seem to have any downsides. I made sure it wouldn’t mess with our operations..."

Evelina folded her arms and watched me in silence for a few more seconds. Then, to my surprise, she smiled and just... burst into a light laugh.

"Eh...?"

"What’s with that face? Did you really think I’d be mad at you over that? Please. You’re allowed to have some fun."

She tapped a finger against her choker. Succubus energy pulsed outward from her chest, washing over her. Her skin smoothed, her hair straightened and shone, like she’d just stepped out of an hour-long bath instead of a bed.

"Besides," she added, amusement flickering in her eyes, "I had fun watching you go all barbaric like that. And you’re right—what you did doesn’t really have any downsides."

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

Huh?

"Looks like someone’s knocking, can you get that real quick while I change?"

"Sure."

***

I opened the door and found a man in an academy uniform standing there. A professor, judging by the clothes, but definitely not anyone I remembered from the faculty list.

Maybe a new hire?

"Here are your assignments and learning materials from Master Azrael. There’s also a letter inside. Is there anything else you’d like me to relay to him before I go?"

Straight to the point, he’ll definitely last long.

"No, that’s fine. Thanks."

I took the stack of documents from his hands and flipped it open. It was... thick. The kind of thick that could pass for an entire textbook on its own.

Right. Academy assignments. Of course.

"Master Azrael sends his regards," the professor added.

He turned and walked away, heading toward what looked like a vintage car flanked by several armored vehicles. The little convoy instantly drew a crowd.

Looked like the academy wasn’t slacking off on security after the elven attack.

"Did I miss anything important?"

Evelina’s voice came from above. She was leaning on the second-floor railing, clearly just done changing and getting ready for the day.

"Nothing much. Just the academy dumping more work on us."

"Really? As if we’re not busy enough already."

She sighed and teleported down in front of me, peering over my shoulder at the documents. Her gaze landed on a particular line, and her expression tightened.

The academy’s second semi-monthly exam was coming up.

This time, without the hunt.

"It’s almost exam time already?" I asked.

"I had the exact same reaction. I didn’t even notice... I guess I got distracted by how domestic everything felt."

I couldn’t help but smile at her words.

"You mean you really thought we were a married couple?" I shot back.

"You really like making me say embarrassing things, don’t you?"

"I prefer to call it cute," I said.

"Whatever, Cael."

Evelina rolled her eyes in that playful way of hers, then headed upstairs to the study, already thinking about how to juggle running things and getting ready for our return to the academy for exams.

"I’ll try to automate what I can for now. Just leave the documents by the foyer, I’ll handle them," she said.

"And me?" I asked.

"Go check on the G-32 units for me. Let them know we’ll need them earlier than scheduled."

"Got it. But before I go..."

She glanced back. "Something on your mind?"

"How about I call you Evelyn?" I asked.

"Evelyn?" She raised a brow, then gave a small shrug and let out a soft chuckle. "I like it. Go for it."

And just like that, she walked off.

S-Seriously!?

That’s it? That’s all I get?

I guess she really is getting used to my teasing.

...Looks like I’ll have to step up my game.