How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 111

“Whaaat?”

 

Yves Leblanc’s heart, which had barely calmed down, began to churn again at Xenon’s words.

 

‘This is the remainder of Huluppu’s life…’

 

Tears welled up in his eyes on their own.

 

It was too small a hope to call reassuring.

 

“Wait, are you crying?”

 

Surprisingly, Xenon—who had been oblivious until now—quickly picked up on Yves’ state.

 

‘It’s not like tears were welling up; it was just a slight glisten. Unless someone was paying close attention, they wouldn’t notice.’

 

Watching Xenon bend down to scrutinize his expression, Yves suddenly wondered if the man wasn’t actually oblivious—just the type who chose not to pay attention.

 

Though it didn’t suit the gravity of the situation, seeing Xenon look genuinely startled made Yves’ mind wander off-topic.

 

‘Still, this is a bit uncomfortable.’

 

He understood Xenon was adjusting to eye level to look at his face, but the distance was uncomfortably close.

 

Aside from Laura Laurus, Yves rarely had anyone’s face this close to his, so he instinctively stepped back in discomfort.

 

“Sigh… Xenon, it’d be wise to choose your words more carefully from now on.”

 

Endymion let out a deep sigh, pulling Xenon back by the shoulder to scold him.

 

He reminded Xenon of the responsibilities that came with being the sole ducal family of the Babylonian Empire, adding that a single misspoken word could escalate into a major diplomatic issue.

 

“Hmm, normally I’d let this kind of nagging go in one ear and out the other, but I can’t even argue right now.”

 

Even Xenon conceded without protest, and Yves’ unsettled heart finally calmed a little.

 

Just moments ago, the fear that Huluppu might die at any second had crashed over him like a wave, paralyzing his reason. 

 

But watching these two bicker in a way that slightly defused the tension, Yves suddenly felt that, for now at least, things would be okay.

 

I stroked my chilled fingertips and let go of the sudden surge of unease that welled up inside me.

 

As my wavering emotions settled into calm, I realized that all the negative thoughts occupying my mind were about things that hadn’t even happened yet.

 

‘Right. I’m still alive, after all. No need to worry about Huluppu’s death already.’

 

Having regained my composure, I spoke to Endymion and Xenon, who were still bickering.

 

“Whew, thanks to you two, I managed to pull myself together.”

 

As I spoke in a much calmer tone after a deep breath, two pairs of eyes turned toward me at once.

 

Their gazes were filled with disbelief, as if asking, ‘What part of our conversation just now helped you pull yourself together?’

 

Still, though my mind was steadier, I wasn’t composed enough to answer their unspoken question, so I changed the subject instead.

 

“More importantly, please continue explaining what happened.”

 

As I resumed walking and asked, the two, who had been lightly arguing, also began moving at my pace.

 

Soon, Endymion, having regained his usual coolness, started speaking.

 

“First, let me explain the sequence of events.”

 

His explanation was methodical.

 

After finishing lunch, Selene had sensed something unsettling and followed the presence, leading her to the divine tree behind Astarte’s temple.

 

Worried that something might be wrong with the sacred tree, she attempted to purify it.

 

But then, unexpectedly, an enormous amount of divine power began to be absorbed.

 

“Selene lost consciousness from the overwhelming surge of divine energy, and when she woke up, the divine tree was gone.”

 

Before Endymion could even finish, Xenon immediately countered.

 

“But that’s just Selene’s testimony. She could’ve killed Huluppu intentionally and then fabricated an excuse.”

 

“I don’t believe she’s lying. Selene has no reason to destroy Lady Astarte’s divine tree.”

 

“No one can be sure of that. There might be a reason you don’t know… or maybe you’re involved too.”

 

When Xenon subtly probed Endymion, his gaze instantly sharpened.

 

“You don’t trust me?”

 

“Well, suspicion is natural. You abandoned your kingdom for Selene, after all.”

 

“…”

 

Endymion fell silent at Xenon’s pointed remark, and in the heavy stillness, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

 

Caught unintentionally between the two, I held my breath, darting my eyes before cautiously speaking up.

 

“Ah, so you came to find me because I have Huluppu’s branch, to verify whether the story about Selene is true. Right?”

 

Hoping to lighten the increasingly oppressive mood, I deliberately kept my tone casual as I confirmed my understanding of the situation.

 

“Yes. We heard you possessed a branch of the divine tree and hurried here to retrieve you.”

 

At that, Endymion—who had been glaring at Xenon as if ready to fight at any moment—eased his aggressive stance slightly and answered.

 

True to his nature as someone once obsessed with being the perfect king, he quickly suppressed his anger and regained his composure.

 

Relieved that the explosive tension had dissipated, I turned to Xenon this time. I wanted to change the subject entirely before he provoked Endymion again.

 

“Also, I’ve been curious—did you know Huluppu as well, Xenon?”

 

It was a genuine question, to some extent.

 

Most people, like Endymion, only referred to her as the divine tree of the goddess Astarte or the World Tree.

 

‘Since no one had actually spoken with Huluppu, it seemed no one knew her real name.’

 

But Xenon had casually called her by name from the start, and as Fenrir’s contractor, it was possible he had visited Huluppu’s realm too—which was why I asked.

 

“No. Just heard it from Fenrir a few times.”

 

“Ah… Speaking of which, where is Fenrir? Does he know about this news?”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

It was a casually asked question, but the surrounding air seemed to freeze at those words.

 

“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Lord Fenrir too?”

 

Pressed by her own restless anxiety, Xenon let out a deep sigh.

 

“Nothing you need to worry about. It’s just…”

 

Why trail off like that after saying everything was fine?

 

‘I’m already stressed enough as it is.’

 

Just as I was about to press Xenon again, Endymion answered in his place.

 

“Actually, something happened to Selene.”

 

“Huh?”

 

At that moment, Xenon, who had been silent until now, roughly ran a hand through his hair and grumbled.

 

“Fenrir found out that Huluppu absorbed all of Selene’s divine power, and now he’s in an uncontrollable rage, trying to kill her.”

 

Trying to kill her?

 

‘The present continuous tense feels oddly unsettling.’

 

Unfortunately, my suspicions weren’t misplaced.

 

“Normally, as his contractor, I could keep him somewhat under control, but he’s completely lost his reason—it’s like he’s gone berserk. I can’t rein him in anymore.”

 

“Good grief…”

 

Though the exclamation slipped out, I also began to understand why they had come to me in such an unfamiliar combination.

 

Selene, who had already caused trouble, and Fenrir, who was about to.

 

As it turned out, these two were the closest to the central figures of this incident.

 

Having roughly grasped the situation, I quickened my pace to reach the scene as soon as possible. Meanwhile, another question suddenly surfaced.

 

“But then, who’s holding Fenrir back right now?”

 

I couldn’t help but wonder how Xenon had managed to restrain an out-of-control Fenrir.

 

‘Judging by their demeanor, it doesn’t seem like Fenrir has attacked Selene in his frenzied state.’

 

If the situation were truly as dire as it sounded, the two who came to fetch me would’ve been far more frantic.

 

Maybe it wasn’t them at all—someone else might have come instead.

 

I was lost in thought when Endymion mentioned a name I never expected to hear.

 

“Right now, the high priests of the Seven Temples and Yves Leblanc are holding Fenrir back.”

 

“Huh? Master Yves?”

 

I was genuinely shocked, but for some reason, Endymion looked even more flustered as he asked in return.

 

“You didn’t know?”

 

“Of course not. No one told me—how could I have known?”

 

At that, Xenon, who had been scowling, relaxed his expression and replied in a teasing tone.

 

“Considering how overprotective he is of you, and the fact that he hasn’t shown up yet, I thought you’d have figured it out by now.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Now that I thought about it, Yves had an uncanny ability to detect even Fenrir’s hidden barriers.

 

So of course he would have noticed this commotion.

 

“In fact, it was Yves who first told us that you had a branch of the Divine Tree.”

 

“I see.”

 

I nodded as if in agreement, but in truth, I was drowning in self-reproach.

 

‘Looks like I really was the only one who knew nothing, just napping away.’

 

Even if I had my own reasons, on the surface, it must have seemed like I was the only one carefreely resting.