How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 86

Fenrir joined in as well.

 

[I agree. And it’s not the kind of interest you’re thinking of, so calm down. You’re being too loud.]

 

The fact that he called Yves, who hadn’t even opened his mouth, ‘too loud’ suggested that Yves was thinking a lot internally.

 

“Um… Yves, could you let go of me for now?”

 

“…”

 

He remained silent, but his gaze, which had been fixed straight ahead, turned toward me. His eyebrows drooped, and he made a pitiful expression, like a puppy caught in the rain.

 

‘Somehow, it feels like I’ve done something terribly wrong.’

 

For a moment, my heart wavered, but for the sake of smooth conversation, I tried to persuade Yves again.

 

“First, let me explain who Huluppu is. Okay?”

 

“…Alright.”

 

I could barely move enough to turn my head, but finally, I managed to free myself from Yves’ embrace.

 

‘Whew, I’m alive.’

 

As his arms, which had tightly bound my shoulders and waist, disappeared, I finally felt like I could breathe again.

 

I took a few deep breaths to calm my startled heart and then slowly began to speak.

 

“Huluppu is a divine tree.”

 

“That thing behind the sanctuary?”

 

I was inwardly surprised by Yves’ tone, which sounded less than pleased. He had once been so devout that he even served as the captain of the holy knights in the Euphrates Kingdom’s grand sanctuary. 

 

He had just referred to the divine tree of the goddess Astarte as that thing instead of the World Tree.

 

It was clear that something unpleasant had happened between him and Huluppu without my knowledge. I added more to my explanation.

 

“Yes. Remember when I lost consciousness last time? I had a conversation with Huluppu then. At that time…”

 

I was about to explain how I learned the divine tree’s name, but Yves cut me off.

 

“Then why did you call me Huluppu back then?”

 

“Huh? I did?”

 

I was flustered by the unexpected accusation, but on the other hand, something clicked.

 

Given that Huluppu’s appearance was so strikingly similar to Yves’, it was possible that I had unconsciously called out his name, like in a dream.

 

“Yes. Exactly. That day, when you briefly woke up, you looked straight into my eyes and called me that name.”

 

Just as I had guessed. Though, of course, I had no memory of it.

 

“Well, that’s because Huluppu looks incredibly similar to you, Yves.”

 

Similar was an understatement—they were practically identical.

 

It was almost as if Huluppu had been modeled after Yves’ childhood appearance.

 

“I must have been confused, not knowing if it was a dream or reality, and called out Huluppu’s name. If my actions upset you, I apologize.”

 

Throughout the conversation about Huluppu, I apologized to Yves, who seemed to be in a depressed mood.

 

At that, Yves’ tense demeanor softened immediately.

 

“No, it’s not that. It’s just… I felt a little hurt that you saw someone else through me.”

 

“That’s a misunderstanding! It’s actually the opposite.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“After all, you’re the one I got to know first, Yves!”

 

I explained in detail that it wasn’t Yves’ face that reminded me of Huluppu, but rather that seeing Huluppu made me think of how much he resembled Yves.

 

Also, though I didn’t remember it clearly, calling Yves ‘Huluppu’ must have been because I lost consciousness during my conversation with him.

 

My desperate explanation seemed to work, as Yves’ expression softened slightly.

 

“I’ll trust your words, Laura.”

 

“Thank you. So, can I now talk to Fenrir about the awakening?”

 

Just as I thought I had overcome one hurdle by resolving the misunderstanding with Yves, a new challenge arose before I could even relax.

 

“Even if you’re in a relationship, isn’t this too much control?”

 

Xenon, who had been silently observing, suddenly threw in a provocative remark.

 

“It’s not really about control.”

 

“You don’t seriously think it’s normal to ask for permission to talk to someone, do you?”

 

“What just happened wasn’t about asking for permission, but about ensuring clear communication.”

 

“Who communicates like that?”

 

Me and Yves.

 

…That retort rose to the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t want to engage in a pointless argument, so I asked instead.

 

“So, what are you trying to say?”

 

“Nothing. It’s just that you seem so tied down, I wondered if you were being threatened or something.”

 

“Me?”

 

It seemed like a lot of strange misunderstandings had piled up today.

 

“You’re the one who’s mistaken, Xenon. The one with a weakness isn’t me—it’s Yves.”

 

It was a statement without a hint of falsehood.

 

Yves was the one with the curse, and I was the one who could purify it.

 

“You?”

 

But Xenon looked genuinely unconvinced.

 

‘Is it really that surprising?’

 

On the other hand, I didn’t understand Xenon’s reaction at all.

 

Most people assumed that if Yves and I were together, it was because I was either incredibly wealthy or had some leverage over him.

 

‘And in Laura Laurus’ case, both were true.’

 

The original Laura Laurus was indeed very wealthy and also held leverage over Yves.

 

Even after coming to the Holy Kingdom, I had a rough idea of the rumors circulating among the trainee priests when Yves was appointed as my guardian knight. 

 

So, I found it amusing that Xenon had the opposite impression of me and Yves.

 

“Of course. If it weren’t for that, would someone as handsome, well-built, kind, and skilled in swordsmanship as Yves really be my guardian knight?”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

When I honestly shared my thoughts, the atmosphere instantly turned icy.

 

‘Well, I can understand Xenon looking at me like that, but why is Yves acting this way too?’

 

I could understand Xenon’s incredulous expression, since I had just gushed about Yves without a hint of shame.

 

But why Yves was also giving me a strange look was harder to comprehend.

 

‘I wish I had Fenrir’s ability to read minds.’

 

That way, I wouldn’t have to worry about Yves misunderstanding something again.

 

If we were alone, I would’ve immediately pressed Yves to tell me what he was thinking, but with Xenon and Fenrir present, I couldn’t bring myself to ask.

 

“…”

 

As I hesitated over whether to probe Yves’ thoughts, the surroundings fell into an awkward silence.

 

In the end, it was Fenrir who broke the uncomfortable quiet.

 

[Let’s move on to the topic of awakening now.]

 

“Ah, right.”

 

I had completely forgotten about it due to Xenon’s unnecessary interference. It was the thing I had been most curious about since earlier.

 

“What exactly is awakening?”

 

[First, let me clarify that I used the term ‘awakening’ to make it easier for you to understand, but it’s not an official term. That’s because, usually, when someone receives a god’s blessing, their abilities bloom immediately.]

 

According to Fenrir, all divine beasts born so far had been able to use their powers as soon as they received divine energy.

 

“Ah, so you gained intelligence right after receiving divine energy, Fenrir?”

 

I chimed in lightly, like a student paying attention in class, but Fenrir bristled.

 

[What nonsense are you spouting? I’m on a completely different level from those animals!]

 

“Huh? But aren’t you a white wolf who became a divine beast after receiving a blessing?”

 

[Wrong! I am the first divine beast of the Sun God Shemesh, created entirely from Shemesh’s divine power.]

 

Fenrir particularly emphasized “Shemesh.”

 

It seemed his pride had been deeply wounded.

 

[Ahem! Anyway, the important thing is that when you receive a blessing directly from a god, you usually instinctively know what kind of power you can wield.]

 

“But Selene also awakened her abilities later.”

 

It was after she restored the city in Dilbat that she began to fully use her divine power to manipulate time.

 

At my rebuttal, Fenrir nodded slightly.

 

[I’ve heard that story, but we can’t definitively say her divine power manifested that day. Unlike animals, who are driven by strong instincts, humans are obsessed with unnecessary rationality.]

 

Why is rationality unnecessary?

 

I had that question in mind, but since Fenrir continued speaking, I listened without interrupting.

 

[Humans are always taught that instincts are bad and rationality is good, but the reality is a bit different.]

 

This was unexpected.

 

‘Isn’t it good to be rational because it allows you to make calm, wise decisions?’

 

While I didn’t entirely agree that instincts are bad, I’ve often avoided mistakes by thinking rationally, so Fenrir’s words only deepened my confusion.

 

[People often mistake instincts for simply being unable to control impulses, but they’re actually closer to a sixth sense.]

 

Fenrir elaborated by using animals’ intuition as an example.

 

[That’s why animals can sense danger long before a major natural disaster strikes.]

 

Hearing this, I realized that people with strong intuition are frequently described as having an animal-like sixth sense or exceptional wild instincts.

 

[Similarly, divine power isn’t something you judge with rationality—it’s something you feel with your instincts. That’s why the more rational a human is, the less likely they are to use divine power, even if they possess it.]