How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 83

Enheduane and Atharaxis, along with a few apprentice priests, Endymion, and even Xenon whom she met today—each might harbor emotions of varying forms and magnitudes, but all were unconsciously drawn to her uniqueness.  

 

That’s why Yves was afraid.  

 

‘Even if it’s just a curiosity lighter than a feather now, it’s only a matter of time before it grows into something else.’  

 

The prime example of this was Yves himself.  

 

What had clearly started as a small curiosity had, without him even realizing it, snowballed into something immense, growing uncontrollably. 

 

Of course, contrary to his claims, he still didn’t think it was love.  

 

When he had first arrived at the Holy Kingdom, he had tried to ignore Enheduane’s offer to listen to his romantic troubles for similar reasons.  

 

At first, protecting Laura at the Astarte Temple was simply repayment for purifying the curse, and his anger at Enheduane was just frustration over his plans being disrupted.  

 

But it didn’t take long for him to realize that this was a misconception.  

 

After coming into contact with the Divine Tree, when Laura, who had lost consciousness, woke up and uttered an unfamiliar name directed at Yves, indescribable emotions surged within him.  

 

First, his arrogant pride in knowing her better than anyone else was shattered. 

 

Then, he felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal that, despite always being by her side, she sought someone else the moment she opened her eyes.  

 

Moreover, the thought that perhaps, to Laura, Yves was no different from the apprentice priests she had met in the Holy Kingdom made the world seem to crumble beneath his feet.  

 

‘Even in my childhood, I had never experienced such a profound shock…’  

 

When Endymion had cast him aside, he had felt a deep sense of loss and betrayal, but that was rooted in the anxiety and fear of being left alone in the world.  

 

However, the problem didn’t end there.  

 

Yves’ strange behavior began after he carried her to her room, calling out another’s name before peacefully falling asleep.  

 

Logically, he knew it was a trivial mistake, something he wouldn’t have cared about if Enheduane or Atharaxis had done it. 

 

But from the depths of his heart, a dark, sticky emotion seeped out, giving rise to a peculiar anger.  

 

Because of this, he would have normally returned to his room immediately after laying her down. 

 

Instead, he was overcome with the urge to shake her awake and demand answers as she lay there, still and silent with her eyes closed.

 

“Who is that guy? Why did you say his name when you saw my face?” 

 

Yves wanted to confront her, to demand answers.  

 

The petty act of changing her clothes had been a small, spiteful revenge, born from a desire to see her flustered because of him.  

 

It wasn’t until he returned to his room that he realized how strange his behavior had been.  

 

The anger and desire for revenge he felt toward Laura were not normal.  

 

Belatedly recognizing this, Yves decided to leave her side immediately.  

 

It was the first time he had ever been so overwhelmed by emotions that he lost control of his actions.  

 

This time, he could brush it off as a momentary lapse, but the real problem was that even he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why those emotions had arisen.  

 

So, he concluded it would be better to create some distance before something worse happened.  

 

He couldn’t predict what he might do next if he lost control of his rationality again.  

 

However, in the end, Yves couldn’t bring himself to leave the Holy Kingdom—or Laura’s side.  

 

He had tried to say his final goodbyes and leave, but every time he faced her, his resolve crumbled helplessly.  

 

Moreover, seeing her as calm and unchanged as usual made him think that perhaps it wasn’t so bad after all. 

 

The anger and unease he had felt the previous day didn’t resurface, so he decided to give it another chance.  

 

If he made the same mistake again, he would truly leave her side.  

 

And so, for a while, he desperately hid his emotions.  

 

Just to stay by her side a little longer.  

 

Contrary to his wishes, no matter how much he suppressed or ignored them, the emotions he had become aware of only grew more intense.  

 

“Ha…”  

 

Yves let out a faint sigh, placing his hand on the wall adjoining Laura’s room and murmuring softly,  

 

“It seems I’m already too late.”  

 

Only today did Yves fully realize it. His past thoughts had been nothing but self-rationalization. 

 

From the very beginning, the option of leaving Laura had never truly been possible.  

 

Though he had tried not to show it in front of her, Endymion had probably seen right through him.  

 

Recalling his actions, Yves let out a self-deprecating laugh.  

 

“No. Even this is just another form of self-rationalization.”  

 

Looking back, he had almost deliberately revealed his feelings to Endymion.  

 

It was as if he were marking his territory, subtly trying to deter Endymion from showing even the slightest interest in Laura.  

 

Even though he knew, Endymion was in love with Selene Seynt.  

 

Yves’ wariness had only intensified after Endymion and Laura had their private conversation in the library.  

 

He had sensed a subtle change between them.  

 

Even today, forcing the tired Laura to sit on his lap had been nothing more than an impulsive act, driven by his emotions.

 

After Endymion, even Xenon, whom he had just met in the Pope’s office, showed interest in her, and a wave of anxiety swept over Yves—the fear that if he let his guard down, she might be taken away from him.  

 

Despite what Endymion had once told him, that the idea of one person owning another was wrong, Yves couldn’t help it.  

 

The dark, sticky emotions he had been suppressing burst forth, swelling like an angry wave and swallowing his rationality.  

 

‘I found her. I knew her first. She’s mine, and mine alone.’  

 

The absurd notion that he had the exclusive right to her, simply because he had been the first to recognize the presence within Laura Laurus’s body, took hold of his mind.  

 

Even though he knew he shouldn’t be greedy, he couldn’t stop wanting her.   He had never felt such a strong obsession with anyone before.  

 

Even as he listened to the discussion in the Pope’s office about determining the true Saintess, Yves secretly wished Laura would be proven false.  

 

If she were deemed a fake, she would be free from the attention of others.  

 

‘Can such a pitiful and selfish heart truly be called love?’  

 

Suddenly, the image of Laura, with her innocent face, saying she liked him, flickered in his mind.  

 

Her expressions, her gestures, her warmth, her scent—every detail was etched into his heart like a brand.  

 

He could recall them vividly, even with his eyes closed.  

 

Yet, despite how much he wanted her, Yves was afraid.  

 

Afraid that his greed might hurt her, that his desires might shatter her smile.  

 

Afraid that she might leave him. He was terrified.  

 

Part of him wished she would stay far away, safe and happy, where his hands couldn’t reach her. But at the same time, he wanted her to stay by his side forever.  

 

These contradictory feelings coexisted within him.  

 

‘Oh God, I beg of You…’  

 

Let my desires never reach her, never destroy or bind her.  

 

‘…Guide me to be her sword and shield, to protect her.’

 

💫

 

The next day, having finished preparing earlier than usual, I stood in front of the door and took a deep breath.  

 

‘Act the same as always. Exactly the same.’  

 

There was a reason I had been steadying my mind with deep breaths since dawn.  

 

Last night, after returning to my room and calming down, I realized that my actions had been reckless.  

 

‘To be precise, when I thought about it rationally, I felt deeply embarrassed by what I had done.’  

 

But at the time, I had no choice. Every time I said something, Yves would jump to strange conclusions.  

 

Back then, all I could think about was clearing up the misunderstanding before it grew, so I didn’t think deeply about it.  

 

As I was calming my mind with these thoughts, the door suddenly swung open.  

 

The person who barged in without warning was, of course, Yves.  

 

“Good morning, Laura.”  

 

“…!”  

 

He was smiling brighter than the morning sun.  

 

For a moment, his radiant smile seemed to create an illusion of a lush garden in full bloom behind him.  

 

‘This is… not good for my heart.’  

 

I instinctively placed a hand over my chest, and Yves asked with a concerned voice,  

 

“Did I startle you? I’m sorry. I waited and waited, but you didn’t come out, so I got worried you might be unwell and opened the door without knocking.”  

 

“I was a little surprised… but it’s fine.”  

 

Even if Yves had knocked before entering, the moment I faced his beauty, my heart would have been equally overwhelmed.  

 

However, saying that out loud would only make things awkward, so I chose to change the subject.  

 

“Um, shall we go to morning prayers?”  

 

“Of course.”  

 

It was the start of an ordinary day, just like any other.