How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 150

“Wait a minute. So Sir Fenrir knew exactly where Sir Yves was the whole time and deliberately pretended not to know?”

 

Feeling a huge sense of betrayal from Fenrir’s statement, I asked back in a shocked voice.

 

Startled by the unexpected accusation, he firmly denied it.

 

[No! While I was distracted talking to you, this guy’s presence completely disappeared.]

 

Fenrir narrowed his brows and made a long, detailed excuse as if pleading his innocence.

 

He explained that detecting human presence required quite a bit of focused attention, and while he was conversing with me, Yves’s presence had vanished without a trace.

 

Moreover, the Pope’s office was protected by a powerful warding barrier that blocked any external detection of the interior.

 

[That’s why I didn’t notice even though he was right next door!]

 

Sensing the sincerity in his resounding mental shout, I smiled awkwardly and apologized.

 

“I thought Sir Fenrir was trying to trick me on purpose just to mess with me. Sorry for misunderstanding.”

 

Only then did Fenrir seem relieved. He opened his long snout and let out a rough breath.

 

Once the small squabble between me and Fenrir had died down, Endymion, who had been quietly reading the atmosphere, didn’t miss the opportunity and spoke up.

 

“Since my business here is finished for now, I’ll take my leave first.”

 

Without waiting for our reply, he quickly walked out of the corridor.

 

The conversation seemed to be wrapping up anyway, and he must have judged that staying here any longer would only put him at a disadvantage.

 

[ Ahem, I’ve achieved my original goal, so I’ll head back for today. ]

 

Even Fenrir awkwardly cleared his throat and left the area.

 

Once Endymion and Fenrir had both departed, the wide corridor instantly fell silent. Left standing alone in that silence, I swallowed a hollow laugh.

 

Somehow, I had ended up taking on the unwanted role of matchmaker.

 

‘Well, Endymion brought it on himself, so even if I had ten mouths, I’d have nothing to say about that.’

 

The real problem was that I had provoked Fenrir out of wounded pride and ended up unintentionally awakening his unconscious feelings of love.

 

‘The silver lining is that he still hasn’t fully realized his own emotions.’

 

Although the time I had known Fenrir was short, judging from the personality I had seen so far, it was easy to predict.

 

If he ever became fully aware of his love, the person who would suffer the most would undoubtedly be me.

 

Because I was the only one who could properly mediate between Fenrir and Huluppu and comfortably listen to his consultations.

 

‘Just the thought of properly hearing Fenrir’s love advice already gives me a headache.’

 

As I unconsciously let out a deep sigh at the clearly foreseeable future, Yves’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

 

“Shall we head back to the room now?”

 

“Yes.”

 

I swallowed the sigh that had risen to my throat and agreed to his suggestion.

 

There was no reason to linger in the empty corridor any longer, and after standing for so long, my legs were starting to ache.

 

“By the way, have you eaten?”

 

“No. I’ve been distracted by one thing after another.”

 

Fenrir’s chatter, which had started early in the morning, had dragged on for so long that I hadn’t had time to eat.

 

‘By the time I realized it was almost lunchtime, I noticed Sir Yves was missing from the room and panicked.’

 

On top of that, Endymion’s sudden appearance had left me no room to even feel hungry.

 

“Then Laura, you go inside and rest. I’ll bring some food.”

 

“Let’s go together. I don’t have anything else to do anyway.”

 

Normally it would have been time for apprentice priest lessons, but since I had been confirmed as the Saint, I would now receive separate classes from the apprentice priests.

 

The knowledge, etiquette, and culture a Saint needed to know were quite different from what ordinary priests learned.

 

However, all of that would begin after the appointment ceremony, once I was officially announced as the Saint to the continent.

 

Therefore, my schedule until then was practically empty.

 

“You look tired. Are you sure you’re okay?”

 

“Of course. Look, I’m perfectly fine.”

 

To emphasize that there was nothing physically wrong with me, I answered in a lively tone while taking wider strides.

 

“If you’re just bored being alone in the room, I won’t stop you, but please don’t overdo it.”

 

Yves seemed to think I was following him because I was bored.

 

‘Actually, it’s a little different from that.’

 

Mentally, I was exhausted and wanted to lie down in bed right away.

 

However, the stronger feeling right now was that I didn’t want to be separated from Yves.

 

It was because the shock of him disappearing without a word earlier had not completely faded.

 

“You don’t need to worry. Besides, I’m hungry, so let’s go quickly.”

 

Instead of correcting Yves’s mistaken assumption, I gently took his wrist and led him.

 

Fortunately, Yves followed along without much question, matching his pace to mine.

 

And so, we walked side by side toward the dining hall.

 

Our current destination was the dining hall reserved for high-ranking priests, so there were almost no signs of people during the walk.

 

‘Spring has truly arrived now.’

 

Feeling the warm sunlight streaming through the large windows, I sensed the change of seasons.

 

It was already spring.

 

‘According to the original story, the ending should be coming soon.’

 

In reality, Selene said she regressed every five years, but the time limit given to the player in the game was one year.

 

Within that one year, an ending was always decided, and afterward it was simply described as a single epilogue scene.

 

That end was approaching.

 

‘Will we really be able to reach a new conclusion?’

 

Behind the question that suddenly flashed through my mind, negative thoughts followed one after another.

 

Failing to stop Selene’s regression, or perhaps incurring the wrath of the gods and receiving a curse.

 

All kinds of worries began to flood my head. To calm my troubled heart, I took a deep breath.

 

As my sigh joined the sound of our two pairs of footsteps echoing in the quiet corridor, Yves, who had been walking silently, turned his gaze toward me.

 

“Is something worrying you?”

 

“…No.”

 

Even though I knew lies would never work on Yves, the words didn’t come out easily.

 

It was because I still hadn’t been able to tell him the secret that the world’s time was repeating and that Selene was at its center.

 

‘I can’t keep hiding it forever…’

 

I had already made up my mind long ago to confess to Yves that I had possessed this body. But whenever I tried to bring it up, I kept putting it off.

 

I had rationalized many times that the story was so absurd and ridiculous that the logical and rational Yves probably wouldn’t believe it.

 

At the time, I had brushed it off without realizing it was self-justification, but recently I had finally understood clearly.

 

The truth was that I was afraid to reveal my secret to Yves.

 

I was worried that if he found out I wasn’t actually a person from this world, he might be disappointed.

 

‘Sir Yves would probably believe me no matter what nonsense I said.’

 

Even so, the seed of anxiety that had taken root in a corner of my heart refused to disappear. Because there was always the possibility of the worst-case scenario.

 

Once again unable to muster the courage, I subtly changed the subject.

 

“By the way, I have a question. When Sir Yves was inside the office earlier, could you not hear our voices?”

 

Yves remained silent for a moment. He seemed to be debating whether to keep pressing the question I was avoiding or to let it slide.

 

I grew tense as well.

 

It was possible that a long, serious conversation might have to begin right here.

 

“Yes.”

 

There was a faint hint of suspicion in the silver eyes that met mine, but he didn’t seem intent on interrogating me immediately.

 

Feeling relieved inside, I continued the conversation on the surface as if I knew nothing.

 

“The soundproofing must be really excellent.”

 

Anyway, it seemed like I had safely gotten past it, but Yves launched an unexpected delayed attack.

 

“There’s one thing I’d like to ask as well.”

 

I tensed up again but tried hard to maintain a calm expression.

 

‘Of course, my effort and the result aren’t proportional, so there probably won’t be much difference.’

 

While having such trivial thoughts and trying to relax my mind even a little—

 

“Laura seems to have become quite close with my brother lately…”

 

“Me and Sir Endymion?”

 

Startled by the completely unexpected and absurd question, I asked before Yves could even finish speaking.

 

In contrast to my shocked reaction, Yves continued calmly with no visible agitation.

 

“Yes. Right after you woke up, my brother came to visit, and… when you went to meet the Saint’s Young Lady, you mentioned my brother first.”

 

“No, that’s not it. Sir Endymion came to see me because he wanted me to prove Selene’s innocence.”

 

Unwilling to leave even the slightest room for misunderstanding, I sharply refuted him.

 

“Even in prison, it was only because he needed a magic tool. And just now…”

 

I trailed off as I was about to say it was love advice.

 

It suddenly occurred to me that he hadn’t wanted to reveal the content of the conversation to Yves.

 

When I, who had been answering without hiding anything, suddenly dragged out the end of my sentence, Yves’s expression turned sour.

 

“And just now?”

 

“Ah, um… Well…”