How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 18

 

“Why would this make the Count suggest something like a proposal?”

 

Yves’s mouth gaped slightly. As if he hadn’t expected me to ask this question.

 

His reaction caught me off guard. There was nothing selfish or sleazy about Yves’s offer.

 

‘Was it because of the importance of my safety?’

 

But it was more of a quid pro quo for protecting Laura from the royalist forces that were making unsettling moves.

 

As Yves had said, it was easier to deal with the Royalist nobles if they were engaged. His suggestions were all reasonable.

 

‘A snob is someone who only looks out for themselves. Is there some secret language of this world that I don’t understand?’

 

Perhaps I’m misunderstanding the meaning of the word after all then again, Yves mused in a low voice.

 

“It’s funny, considering the fact that you suggested this right after I purified the curse.” (Laura)

 

“Aha.”

 

Yves let out a short exclamation, finally realizing why.

 

It was an offhanded response, but Yves spoke at length as if his conscience had been pricked.

 

“I can’t deny that there is no part of this miracle that makes me want to have you by my side to cleanse me of the curse, but as I said before, I am seriously considering marriage.”

 

“No, you don’t… Hmm, I see.”

 

I was about to dismiss it as unnecessary, but hastily corrected myself.

 

Yves’s silver eyes looked so serious, and I could tell that he had come to this conclusion after a deep struggle of his own.

 

‘Because I don’t want to be the first person to make suggestions.’

 

It’s one thing to accept an offer.

 

“This is a little abrupt, can you give me some time to think about it?”

 

In essence, my goal was to escape the regression and live in peace, untethered to the original.

 

So, for whatever reason, I preferred not to be closely associated with Yves anymore.

 

‘The politics of the Barony of Laurus are none of my business.’

 

Besides, tomorrow he could meet with Selene.

 

Not some fake version like me who flounders because I couldn’t handle a single curse like Yves, but a real saint who could purge four curses and not break a sweat.

 

So now I’ve made a choice that’s a bit of a stretch.

 

If I had cut him off straight away, I would have had a long argument with Yves.

 

“…”

 

But for some reason, Yves could only stare at me blankly.

 

“Count?”

 

“You don’t seem to like the idea of being engaged to me.”

 

“What?”

 

“Because the look on your face and the way you just spoke made it sound like you were making excuses to stall until then, since you’re going to reveal yourself to the temple as a saint in a month anyway.”

 

He got the details wrong, but he hit the nail on the head.

 

‘Scary. What kind of face did I make…?’

 

Although my face shows all my emotions, I smile when I’m happy, cry when I’m sad, and grimace when I’m angry.

 

Even facial muscles have their limits of expression.

 

Nevertheless, Yves often seemed to be able to read my mind, and thoughts sharply.

 

I was only half-joking when I said he was a mind reader, but it meant that he had an almost unparalleled ability to read between the lines, to pick up on other people’s patterns of thought and behavior.

 

‘Well, I know that, but there’s little I can do about it.’

 

Unable to hide my current expression, and needed to avoid lying to gain Yves’s trust.

 

“I do need time, the Count might change his mind,” I said bluntly.

 

Just leaving out the part about Selene.

 

‘It’s not a lie.’

 

I’m not sure if he realized I was hiding something more or if he took it as the truth, but Yves stopped biting his lip.

 

“Okay. There’s no rush, so take your time thinking about it.”

 

“Thank you. But will you come to the party tomorrow night?”

 

Grateful, I mentioned Viscount Oannes’s party again before closing the conversation.

 

To my relief, Yves readily accepted.

 

“Very well, but let’s pretend this isn’t a requirement of the contract, in return for your help today.”

 

I hadn’t intended to cleanse Yves’s curse, but I was relieved that it had worked out so well.

A thought flashed through my mind.

 

“Oh, you know…”

 

“If you have something to say, please say it.”

 

“We don’t have class tomorrow?”

 

“…That’s right, you must be tired, so get some rest.”

 

Letting out a deep sigh, Yves ended the conversation by saying that he would pick me up tomorrow in time for the party.

 

💫

 

In a carriage bound for Viscount Oannes.

 

I stared blankly at my reflection in the window.

 

‘I’ve slept so soundly, the puffiness won’t subside.’

 

Normally, Laura would have kept an empty stomach the night before and gotten up early in the morning to get all dolled up for the party, but I’d skipped the whole fuss.

 

‘Anyway, Selene’s the star of the show.’

 

I tossed and turned in bed until the sun was high in the sky, barely making it in time to get ready.

 

“You look awful, is it because of yesterday’s cleansing?”

 

Yves’s voice interrupted my thoughts as I stared out the window.

 

I turned my head and saw Yves sitting across from me, gazing worriedly at me. He thought I was in distress because of him.

 

“My face is just puffy from a long night’s sleep, so don’t worry about it.”

 

“That’s great, but if you feel worse during the party, let me know right away.”

 

He didn’t seem to believe me.

 

‘Why can’t you believe me when I tell you the truth without the slightest hint of falsehood, even though you’re so good at guessing when I’m trying to sugarcoat things.’

 

It was ridiculous, but I didn’t think he would believe me if I kept denying it, so I pretended to accept it.

 

“Thank you for your concern.”

 

“You…”

 

Yves’s words trailed off as he began to call out to me. The swaying carriage had stopped.

 

A knock followed, and the servant who opened the door confirmed the invitation.

 

In the meantime, I was escorted out of the carriage by Yves, and the servant who had confirmed the invitation led the way.

 

We arrived at the residence of Viscount Oannes.

 

‘It’s magnificent.’

 

The lights set up everywhere to illuminate the dusky sky like clusters of stars, and the various flowers, freshly planted for the party, were in full bloom.

 

The four-legged fountain in the center of the venue was exquisite, creating a beautiful scene.

 

As I casually scanned the outdoor party, I noticed the countless stares I was receiving.

 

It would not be an exaggeration to say that all the nobles in the party were looking at us.

 

‘Probably because of the presence next to me.’

 

I quickly covered everything under my eyes with my fan.

 

The desire to be away from Yves, the center of attention, was overwhelming.

 

I don’t care how I look in their eyes, but I don’t know the first thing about people.

 

Moreover, few people in society, royal or aristocratic, weren’t in Laura’s favor.

 

So it was best to be careful about the smallest details, lest she be caught out.

 

‘But Eve is amazing, as well.’

 

I admired him for taking this kind of pressure every time he attended a party.

 

From the moment they’d walked in, she’d felt breathless as they’d stopped talking and realized everyone had their eyes on them.

 

“Are you all right?”

 

Yves asked, slowing down from his leisurely escort.

 

He seemed to sense that I was nervous, even though his gaze was straight ahead.

 

I glanced up at him and answered weakly.

 

“Yes.”

 

“The attention won’t last long, so hold on.”

 

True to his word, the glances that had been focused on us soon dissipated one by one, and the sounds of people talking began to mingle with the gentle music the orchestra was playing.

 

At last, I let out the breath I’d been holding.

 

‘We’ve only just arrived, but I want to go home already.’

 

It felt like 9:00 a.m. on a Monday morning.

 

Not an hour into the office and already wanting to go home, coupled with the fact that I couldn’t wait for the weekend to arrive, I felt like I had lost all motivation.

 

‘No. I have to think positively.’

 

It was much better to be free from regression once Selene’s awakening was complete than at a company where you had to do something else until it was time to clock out.

 

Even if I was doomed to disappear with the dew of my sentence if I messed up.

 

‘They say tigers come when you say so.’

 

A woman with pink hair that looked as sweet as cotton candy and a woman with dark green hair mixed with gray entered the room.

 

It was Saint Selene. She had light pink hair like a cherry blossom, and sky-blue eyes as clear as glass beads.

 

‘After all, the heroine is unique.’

 

I felt like I had a higher resolution than my surroundings.

 

Recently, thanks to Yves, my eyes, which were unimpressed by most people, were instantly captivated.

 

The only thing that’s a little strange though was how unhappy Asel Oannes, Selene’s best friend, and her typical role, looked.

 

As I’m observing her from the corner of my eye, our eyes meet. I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting to get involved with her, even by accident.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Yves, being the perceptive person that he was, quickly picked up on my strange behavior, and I tried to play it off.

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

His silver eyes searched my face intently as if to determine if I was lying, but before he could question me further, someone spoke up.

 

“Isn’t this Count Leblanc? We are honored to have you here today.”

 

As a general rule, nobles of lower rank are not allowed to address nobles of higher rank, but there are exceptions.