The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 262: The word "Death"

Elicia wiped her mouth and screamed at me.

“Stay away!”

She reacted with terror, as if she had seen a demon, flinching at even the slightest of my movements as I stepped closer.

“I said stay away...” “...” “You’re not human.” “Pardon?” “You’re... not human.”

I was taken aback by the fragile appearance of Elicia. Though she was known as the most sensitive among the Apostles, she was still a pillar of her heretical faith.

Seeing her in such a vulnerable state actually made me more tense.

With a trembling voice, Elicia questioned me. She didn’t seem to expect me to provide any answers, as she slowly backed away on shaky legs.

“Why?” “...” “Why can you stand there so normally?” “What do you mean? I—” “You’re rotting from a cursed fate! How... how can you still be alive?!”

I couldn’t respond to Elicia’s angry questions. Asking a living person why they are alive seemed absurd—especially to someone who was living happily.

“...”

Although the Apostle herself had asked the question, I remained silent, merely adjusting my grip on my sword and catching my breath.

Two key words echoed in my mind:

One was ‘death.’ The other, ‘a person who shouldn’t be alive.’

While Elicia’s ability to see into people’s inner selves was well known, this was the first time I had heard her speak about someone’s existence like this. And the first time I saw her afraid of another human being.

This was the same woman who didn’t even flinch before the Pope, and yet I had no idea how to handle her now.

One thing was certain: I wasn’t a regressor. Even though Elicia’s words suggested ‘regression,’ unfortunately for her, I was simply someone who had transmigrated into this world, not someone who had lived through multiple timelines. Besides, that kind of ability wasn’t something I desired.

I shrugged off the unsolvable mystery, deciding not to dwell on it. After all, Apostles were known for their cryptic nonsense.

I figured it had something to do with my resistance to black magic or mental magic. Focusing my attention back on Elicia, I watched her movements closely.

“No...”

Elicia clutched her head, breathing heavily.

“This can’t be happening. I must be mistaken...” “...” “Ugh...”

What Elicia was seeing was something else.

The emotions a person feels when facing death.

The hopelessness before an execution. The injustice of dying in battle. The regret of failing to protect a loved one.

And...

“Ugh...! Cough... cough...!”

Elicia was overwhelmed by the weight of countless regrets and emotions emanating from me.

She extended her hand toward me, disgusted and terrified, yet also drawn to the strange emotions that begged to be understood.

-Swoosh!

But just as she reached out—

“Enough.”

The cold voice stopped her in her tracks, and she let her hand drop.

Elicia looked up, her gaze meeting the eyes of the man who had spoken.

She saw the color of regret—gray. The color of resentment—violet. And the color of confidence—gold, radiating from him.

“...Ha.”

Elicia clicked her tongue as she looked at Rowan.

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Seeing such intense emotions glowing so brightly felt like it was staining her own colors.

“The false hero has appeared.”

She was disgusted.

The ground trembled. The wind howled as the two monsters locked eyes, and the entire mountain seemed to echo their confrontation.

I gently whispered to myself as I held the unconscious Shartia and Hanna in my arms.

“Time to bail.”

I decided to leave the rest to them.

The mountain vanished from the map, and peace returned.

After laying the unconscious students down in the village, I exhaled a long breath.

“Whew... why is this guy so heavy?”

I sighed deeply, especially at the sight of Ruin, who had passed out with foam at his mouth.

Kicking him lightly in the side, I shook my head. He was supposed to be a secondary male lead, but seeing him in such a pitiful state made me feel a little sorry for him.

“Idiot.” “Ahh! Don’t come any closer!” “Even your sleep talking is loud.”

I shook my head.

On a nearby bench sat the students who had somewhat regained their senses—Yuria, Mikhail, Shartia, the Crown Prince, and others. Among them, the one in the best condition was, of course, Hanna. She was the strongest and mentally toughest of the group.

I cast a glance at Hanna, who was sternly reporting to Rowan, and let out a wry smile.

“Maybe I should’ve just claimed ignorance.”

-Initial count was 24. -No casualties. -I see. Then...

I had tried to avoid getting involved, but watching Hanna converse with Rowan left me with a strange feeling.

‘Still, she’s impressive.’

Despite disliking Rowan, Hanna was managing to keep her personal and professional feelings separate. She really was her brother’s sister.

-That’s all. -... -If you need more details, you can visit the Academy later. -Hanna. -... -Can we talk for a moment? -No, Count.

It didn’t seem like their conversation would end anytime soon.

I carefully moved over to where Shartia sat, drenched in cold sweat.

“Your Highness.” “...” “You’ve been through quite the ordeal.” “Haa...” “Are you alright?” “...”

Shartia remained silent, running her dry hands over her face. She didn’t seem interested in responding to my attempt at reassurance, despite my efforts to offer some comforting words.

‘This is awkward...’

It was her first time encountering an Apostle, and it seemed to have drained her emotionally. From personal experience, I knew that in moments like this, the flirtations of a handsome man could provide great comfort. With that thought in mind, I awkwardly sat down next to her.

After all, she had helped me through my own crisis.

-You almost died, Ricardo!

Though, in her case, there wasn’t much to learn from.

“Hmmph.”

A true gentleman wouldn’t say anything and would simply stay by her side, so I kept my mouth shut and waited for Shartia to regain her composure.

After about three minutes, Shartia sighed deeply and finally raised her head. She seemed to have sorted through her complicated thoughts, and after exhaling calmly, she accepted the cup of water I offered and sipped it carefully.

-Sip.

“You.” “Yes?” “Who exactly are you?”

Shartia looked at me with suspicious eyes.

“You always seem to be around when something happens... Do you have the ability to see the future or something?”

It was an astute question, and I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. As expected, she was the sharp student council president.

Shartia sighed, her face filled with concern.

“No matter how I think about it, it’s strange. This situation, what happened at the Academy... everything is just too strange.” “It’s understandable to think that.” “Huh?” “I mean, I’m just that amazing.” “...Don’t joke around.”

I gave her a vague smile, teasing her lightly. People with sharp instincts tend to get even more confused when they receive ambiguous answers.

“Heh...”

I chuckled quietly, further complicating Shartia’s thoughts.

“If I really could see the future...” “Gulp.” “I wouldn’t still be hanging around the Academy, would I?” “That’s... true.”

Shartia nodded, accepting the absurdity of her suspicions. She stared into the rippling water in her cup and murmured.

“Thank you.” “...” “Thanks for helping. If it weren’t for you, we all... would’ve died.” “If you want to repay me with a generous sum of money...” “...” “Just kidding.”

Shartia clenched her cup tightly, her voice strained as she spoke.

“This was largely my fault. I didn’t make the right decisions, and I foolishly tried to handle everything ourselves.” “Well, that’s true.”

I nodded in agreement and offered her a bit of consolation.

“But in that situation, anyone would have done the same.” “Huh?” “This whole thing had been planned for a long time. It’ll be tough to sort everything out once we get back, but... well, I think we came out with some important gains.”

I looked toward the place where the church had stood and raised my cup.

“All in all, it didn’t turn out too badly.”

“You... really.”

I flashed a meaningful smile and got to my feet. Casually putting my hands in my pockets, I began walking away.

“Thoughts are free, after a—Ah!”

And promptly tripped on a rock.

“Pfft...”

Shartia let out a small, amused snort and shook her head. Muttering to herself, "I must be crazy," she sighed as she watched me walk away.

“Thank you.”

I waved my hand as I continued walking.

I checked on Mikhail’s condition.

“Are you alright?” “How did you...!” “I wanted to see you. Though, I wasn’t really here to see you.” “...”

I soothed Yuria, who was struggling to catch her breath.

“Huff... huff... Ricardo!” “Whoa... Are you hugging me ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) a bit too closely? You’re touching my chest.” “Thank goodness... thank goodness you’re okay!!” “Not that I mind, of course.”

I walked for a while.

And then...

“...Butler.”

I saw Hanna, wearing a heavy expression.

She seemed lost in thought. Having witnessed Rowan’s overwhelming strength and received his help, it made sense that her thoughts were in turmoil.

Hanna, like all swordsmen, must have felt a sense of inadequacy when compared to someone like Rowan, who embodied the pinnacle of what they all strive for.

I smiled softly and looked at Hanna.

“Why are you calling me?” “I...”

Hanna clenched her fists tightly and lowered her head.

“I think I heard something I wasn’t supposed to.” “What? What do you mean...?” “Butler.” “Yes?”

Hanna looked me straight in the eye and asked,

“Are you married?”

“...?”

“No, seriously. That woman said your life was tangled with many connections.” “...?”

I blinked in confusion and let out a small laugh.

“I’ve never been married. I haven’t even dated anyone.” “What?” “Really.” “Oh... really?”

Hanna stared at me intently, exhaling through her nose.

“Seriously?!” “Yes.” “Are you sulking over that?! Because of that?” “Well, it's not just ‘that.’ It’s... motivating.” “What?” “Never mind.”

Hanna and I laughed and continued chatting.

Meanwhile, in her thoughts, Hanna couldn’t shake the words.

-How many times have you died...?

The word ‘death’ lingered in her mind.