How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 16

 

I didn’t know where to look, so I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched my fan and the hem of my skirt.

 

‘Praying that it will be over soon.’

 

“It’s done.”

 

“Ha…”

 

I let out the deep breath I’d been holding.

 

‘This is better than today’s class.’

 

The urge to flop down on the couch was overwhelming, but I reminded myself that I had Yves in front of me and spoke to him.

 

“Do you want me to get you some paper or something?”

 

“That’s okay, I’ve got it clear enough in my head that I can draw it with my eyes closed.”

 

Somehow, I felt offended.

 

‘No. On the bright side, let’s be nice. It’ll be good for me to know what kind of god it is.’

 

Although I’m not too thrilled about feeling blackmailed by Yves right now.

 

💫

 

Yves really made himself at home.

 

So comfortable, in fact, that he even brought a book.

 

‘If you’re doing that, why don’t you just head back and read it?’

 

I don’t understand why he’s here after class, so I stare at the water in my teacup, but then, out of nowhere, my gaze meets his silver eyes.

 

Thinking that I was staring too much, I quickly looked away and drank the tea.

 

“I felt it from last time, so why did you suddenly change the way you address me?”

 

It was my fault for bringing up the topic at such an inopportune time. I almost spit out a mouthful of tea.

 

‘Isn’t it unfair to ask while I’m drinking?’

 

I desperately swallowed the liquid in my mouth, took a few breaths, and spoke up.

 

“Of course, I realized that and fixed it.”

 

After all, it’s incredibly rude to call someone by their first name without their consent.

 

It was almost considered a sign of disrespect, especially if the other person was of higher status.

 

So the day I brought up the idea of terminating the original contract with Yves.

 

To show how much I’ve changed, the first step was to change from calling him Lord Yves to Count.

 

“I see.”

 

Responding blandly, Yves shifted his gaze to the book as if he had lost interest and continued reading.

 

‘What a boring reaction.’

 

Dumbfounded, but I had something I wanted to ask him, too, so I took the opportunity to speak up.

 

“There’s something I’d like to ask of the Count.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I want you to be my partner in the party I’m attending tomorrow, at Viscount Oannes.”

 

“…”

 

Yves’s face twisted into a grim expression.

 

It had been a long time since he’d shown this much reluctance.

 

‘I feel like I got some payback for yesterday.’

 

Although I didn’t mean to. Then, as if sensing my sneaking grin, Yves asked back.

 

“Is this revenge for yesterday? I know you want to tease me, but you have a more productive request.”

 

He must have dismissed it as a lighthearted joke meant to make him feel weak.

 

But I was deadly serious. I just laughed for a moment, amused by his unexpected reaction. 

 

This was a major turning point in the events that would unfold in the future.

 

I wiped the smile off my face and turned to Yves.

 

“No, I’m serious.”

 

“…”

 

Well, that was scary. Yves glared at me, but there was no excuse I could come up with.

 

While I knew there was a lot to prepare for the party, including scheduling and wardrobe issues, it was a decision I had no control over.

 

‘I kept wondering if I should regress or not.’

 

Viscount Oannes’ party was the first episode of the game and probably the cause of my regression.

 

If Laura were not there with Yves, Selene, the heroine, would never be able to awaken as a saint.

 

In other words, if Selene’s awakening occurs successfully, Laura’s crucial role ceases to exist, and the cycle of regression stops.

 

The only fate left for Laura would be to get executed for tormenting the heroine.

 

It’s a decision that requires a lot more thought, as the chance to start over might be lost forever. It was only today that I decided to ask him to be my partner.

 

There was a vague feeling of confidence that we could have a decent relationship, even if the regression stopped after the heroine’s appearance.

 

“I apologize for asking you the day before, I can’t tell you why, but I have to attend tomorrow.”

 

“Huh… You really are…”

 

Letting out a deep sigh, Yves trailed off, shaking his head. His terrible habit of blurting things out was on full display again today, but this time it was easy to deduce.

 

‘That means you don’t have a good excuse.’

 

It was an understandable reaction, and I was feeling a little sorry for myself, but then Yves, who abruptly changed his expression, clicked his tongue lightly and spat out an acceptance.

 

“Tsk, I understand, because I had something to offer you anyway.”

 

That was unexpected.

 

‘I thought you’d be a little more upset or refuse my offer.’

 

As written in the new contract, I was allowed to make one request of him, but with the stipulation: ‘However, Yves Leblanc reserves the right to refuse Laura Laurus’ request.  In this case, Laura Laurus will present a different demand’.

 

It clearly states in the small text, ‘In this case, Laura Laurus will present a different demand.’

 

So I had an excuse ready in case he refused.

 

‘Why did he change his mind?’

 

As I watched his countenance intently, hoping to catch even the slightest hint of something, I noticed a glimpse of something.

 

It was the snake scales at the nape of Yves’s neck. They were hidden by his hair and clothes, so unless you looked closely, you wouldn’t notice them, but they were there.

 

‘Why?’

 

It’s true that the more severe the curse, the larger the area that turns into an animal, but it’s still early in the game.

 

No, it wasn’t. It’s not even started yet.

 

So according to the original, Yves’s curse should only be on the back of the hand.

 

‘The only thing that’s changed is that I’m being taught how to use divine power… Wait, is this about me?’

 

Since signing the new contract, he has been using more divine power than usual for my training, and the curse must have gotten worse.

 

Sensing my stare, Yves straightened up his collar and shrugged.

 

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

 

A mixture of emotions ran through me.

 

Guilt and remorse that I had exacerbated the curse, and selfishness that this might be my chance to settle the matter about the divine pattern and the saint.

 

‘If I can’t purify Yves’s curse right here and now, maybe I can clear up the misconception of being a saint,’ I thought.

 

And I also had great doubts about the divine mark. I wondered if the saint in the oracle was not me, and if the divine mark was enough to remove the curse.

 

But I didn’t want to be the first one to use the curse on him to fulfill my curiosity.

 

A twinge of conscience tingled…

 

‘No. But it’s never a bad idea to try.’

 

It’s not like I’m pretending I couldn’t do it, but I’m really determined to get rid of Yves’s curse, and if it works, it’s good for him, and if it doesn’t, it’s not bad for me.

 

“Do you want me to try to purify it?”

 

“Are you going to try and fail and then say you’re not a saint?”

 

Perhaps he’s a true psychic.

 

As Yves guessed my thoughts with uncanny accuracy, I clicked my tongue.

 

If I’d been as agitated as I was when I was first possessed, I would have panicked, as though I’d been stabbed in the gut, but I’d already organized my thoughts, so I calmly retorted.

 

“…”

 

“More than that, I want to make sure that I can really purify the curse.”

 

Inwardly curious, Yves didn’t refuse any further. Recognizing the unspoken acceptance, I rose from my seat and approached him.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

Carefully, I placed my hand on the nape of his neck.

 

‘Now what?’

 

Inquisitive, but not quite sure what to do. The game had resolved it so succinctly in a single sentence: ‘Selene used her divine power to purify the curse.’

 

‘Cause nobody wants to know the mechanics of how that works.’

 

Meaningless descriptions would be omitted, as if bored by the length of a battle scene.

 

I scoured my brain for any game information that might be helpful instead of a useless purification scene.

 

‘But it’s called a curse, but it’s technically a symptom of excess divine power, so is it possible to purify it with divine power?’

 

The questions that followed one after the other came together until I realized that the curse could only be removed by taking away the divine power.

 

No holy light or divine energy emanated from my fingertips, but I could feel the now familiar sensation of Yves’ divine power being sucked into and through me.

 

“What did you just…”

 

Yves seemed to have felt something similar, and stood up from his seat, his palm cupping the nape of his neck, but when he saw me, he was flustered.

 

“Are you all right, Lady Laurus?”

 

“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

 

Seriously, I felt sick.

 

‘I can’t believe for a second that I’m getting nauseous.’

 

For someone who could ride an express bus and read a web novel, the sensation felt so foreign.

 

Not only that, but Laura’s body was far from being sick. It was strong enough to survive a long carriage ride.

 

“Ugh!”

 

As I continued my rambling thoughts, a wave of nausea washed over me, and I quickly covered my mouth.

 

“Do you want me to get you some water?”

 

“No, no… Urgh.”

 

I shook my head weakly in rejection, but it only made me more dizzy.

 

“Just let me sit…”

 

My body didn’t have any strength left in it, so I let Yves’s hand lead the way.

 

As I leaned back against the plush couch, the dizziness, and the nausea, eased a bit.

 

“Whew…”

 

Taking a shuddering deep breath, I tried to control the churning in my stomach.

 

‘I forgot where I was supposed to apply pressure to the wrist for motion sickness.’

 

Realizing I probably wouldn’t need to use it, I wished I hadn’t written it down.

 

The only thing I could remember was where to press when sifting. However, I remembered the folk medicine-like knowledge that you need to make sure your blood circulation was good, so I rubbed my hands together like a massage.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

I was concentrating to bring warmth to my cold fingertips when I suddenly felt a piercing gaze.