How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 15

 

“Okay, this time I’m going to make it work!

 

Although I tried with all my might, nothing changed in the silent room.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

Sigh…

 

I strained to my toes and tried to squeeze out the divine power somewhere in my body.

 

It seems I’ve failed again today.

 

“You’re using too much unnecessary force. As I’ve explained to you many times, it’s not something you have to force yourself to create, it comes naturally when you recognize that you have divine power in your body and decide to use it.”

 

It was enough to make my ears scab over.

 

“Like I said, I’m trying to do the same thing.” 

 

I mimicked his words and fired back with a grunt. I felt the same frustration.

 

‘I just want to learn it, so I can stop seeing him.’

 

To avoid getting caught up in the original plot, it was best not to get involved with the target.

 

Honestly, if I had learned anything, I’d have been able to claim that I’d mastered one of the ‘methods of manipulating divine power’ as stated in the contract, and would have stopped attending classes.

 

However, I couldn’t even use that excuse because I didn’t make any progress.

 

“Maybe… is my lack of faith again.”

 

The words came out of my mouth, which were out of place coming from someone who was irreligious in a previous life.

 

It was because I understood in my head that there might be divine powers in my possession, but deep down inside, I wondered if I couldn’t even manifest them because I didn’t believe in them.

 

The doubts that followed soon led me to a more fundamental question, which was almost a question of who am I.

 

‘What is the definition of faith?’

 

It was such an obvious and basic concept, but for some reason, I couldn’t figure it out.

 

Not in the dictionary sense, of course.

 

Faith means just believing.

 

But when I didn’t see any progress despite my persistent efforts, I began to wonder, ‘Did I really believe I had divine powers?’

 

I became unsure whether I really believed and my faith began to waver due to repeated failures, or whether I never believed in the first place and just didn’t recognize it.

 

‘Because even that certainty is a kind of belief.’

 

It was a difficult question for me to ask, having lived a life where words like religion, philosophy, and faith were more familiar to me than year-end bills and life insurance.

 

I let out a small sigh of frustration, and unexpectedly, Yves offered comfort.

 

“Don’t be so impatient, you’ll be able to handle the divine power if you keep practicing.”

 

“Well, my concentration is broken, should we call it a day?”

 

Apart from that, I was now brazen enough to take the initiative and ask to finish the lesson.

 

Yves let out a short laugh in response, but quickly nodded with a look of resignation as if he too had decided it was too much to ask.

 

As for me, I pushed aside the complicated thoughts that were filling my head as the class ended.

 

‘Okay. Yves was right, we should take our time and think about it.’

 

After all, divine power was just an incidental tool, something that might come in handy later, but I didn’t care if I didn’t have it.

 

As someone who believes the divine pattern was created by possession, I wouldn’t have been interested in divine power in the first place if it weren’t a condition of the contract.

 

‘I have no desire to use it to gain a place as a heroine.’

 

Although I was nervous about finalizing my relationship with Yves before Viscount Oannes’s party, wanting to stay away from the original story, I decided to take an ‘if not now, then never!’ attitude.

 

With my new resolve in place, I felt more relaxed and comfortable.

 

I leaned back against the back of the sofa to relax…

 

Yves dropped a bombshell without warning.

 

“Lady Laurus, would you mind showing me the inside of your mouth for a moment?”

 

“I want to double-check the divine pattern that you have on you.”

 

“What?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m not suspecting anything, I’m just trying to see if I can find anything similar in the ancient texts we keep in the temple.”

 

That wasn’t the issue I was concerned about.

 

It was the fact that the palate wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing part of the mouth.

 

I thought, ‘I don’t want to show my palate to someone who isn’t a dentist.’

 

Plus, to see the palate, one must look up from below. It was an angle that emphasized the chin and nostrils, which are the ugliest parts of the face.

 

‘If it was a tongue, I would have said yes.’

 

I was deep in my thoughts. I didn’t even recognize his voice until he waved his hand in front of my eyes and spoke.

 

“Lady Laurus, are you there?”

 

“Yes?” I asked, snapping back to reality.

 

“If it’s too much for you, please let me put my finger in it.”

 

“Put what where?”

 

“My finger in your mouth.”

 

I hoped my ears were in the wrong place, but alas, I was hearing straight. I stiffened in disbelief, but he didn’t seem to mind and added an afterword.

 

“I recently learned that the divine marks react to divine power in a very faint way.”

 

“So…”

 

“However, the reaction is so faint that it requires direct contact with the palate to recognize it.”

 

I attempted to rebut his assertion but was cut off before I could get my words out.

 

The silver eyes showed no sign of backing down. 

 

“I’d like you to pick one of the possible methods.”

 

Normally, I would have blinked and complied, but today, I shook my head.

 

“I’ll decline.”

 

My reasoning was based on the fact that now that our relationship was somewhat repaired, I didn’t need to cater to him.

 

“…”

 

Yves’s eyes widened slightly.

 

As if he hadn’t expected such a firm refusal.

 

‘If you think I’m always going to bend, you’re wrong.’

 

When she showed her determination, he relented, as expected.

 

“Very well, if Lady Laurus refuses, I won’t force her to do it.”

 

And again…

 

‘I thought Yves would be gentler than he was in the game, with less of Laura’s evil influence!’

 

I’m pleased that my prediction was correct.

 

Yves gives me a rueful look, eyebrows slightly arched.

 

“I’m afraid I have no choice but to inform the Holy Father of the existence of Lady Laurus.”

 

“What, the Pope in the Holy Kingdom, you’re going to break the contract?”

 

“Of course not. Our contract was to notify the temple, not the Holy Father of the Holy Kingdom.”

 

“No, wait!”

 

“This is why you have to be very careful with any contract you write.”

 

This was not the advice Laura wanted to hear from Yves, who had been tricked into slavery by Laura, if not anyone else.

 

Yves’s brazenness made irritation bubble up inside her, but she calmed herself as best she could and asked.

 

“But why do you suddenly want to inform the Holy Father?”

 

“Because my divine powers are on par with his, but my knowledge is limited.”

 

It made sense.

 

In essence, paladins and priests were the equivalent of military officers and courtiers.

 

Just as a paladin’s position was determined by his swordsmanship, a priest could rise to a higher rank by studying and researching theology and passing various exams.

 

Perhaps by the time they reach the rank of High Priest, they have such a vast knowledge of the divine that they know almost nothing about it.

 

‘But, this is not the point.’

 

I interrupted him, stopping my train of thought from going off on a tangent.

 

“So?”

 

“My knowledge is insufficient to determine which god the symbol you have belongs to, so I will need the help of the Holy Father.”

 

“Is that necessary?”

 

“If Lady Laurus can’t use her divine powers, it might have something to do with your god.”

 

“Really?”

 

Ugh…

 

Despite my resolve to not tell the temple, no matter the reason, I found myself reacting to the interesting story.

 

“Yes. They have the same ability to heal wounds and diseases and purify curses, but the nature of their divine power varies slightly depending on the god they worship.”

 

As I listened to his explanation, an episode came to mind.

 

An incident where she borrowed Nanna’s power to restore an entire city in ruins, proving once again that she was a saint.

 

‘If I can find out what kind of god it is, can I use some of its powers like the heroine?’

 

The question was born of curiosity, but it was quickly followed by the thought that this might be Yves’s bait.

 

Perhaps he sensed my momentary wavering, and with a sheepish grin, he rambled on.

 

“It’s a shame we were so close, but those are the only three choices I can give you.”

 

“That’s blackmail!”

 

“Of course not, I’m just asking.”

 

I was frustrated, but I had no choice.

 

With only a few days left until the heroine’s appearance, I didn’t want anyone to know that I had a divine pattern on me.

 

‘I really shouldn’t sign anything,’ I thought.

 

I never expected Yves to blackmail me, much less to find a loophole in the contract, but it’s too late for regrets.

 

In the end, there was only one choice I could make from the options he presented.

 

The next thing I know, I feel a smooth glove on the roof of my mouth.

 

“Please finish this as quickly as possible.”

 

“I’ll try.”

 

Yves’s finger slipped into my mouth.

 

‘Let’s relax. It’s not hard, and all I have to do is hold still.’

 

I just need to keep my tongue still and make sure it doesn’t drip.

 

But my resolve was quickly broken.

 

The moment Yves’s fingers traced the symbols and channeled the divine power, it felt more ticklish and strange than I had imagined.

 

‘It tastes like death.’

 

Trying to breathe through her nose made her snort, and since she couldn’t breathe through her mouth, she tried to distract herself by breathing through her nose.