How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 91

Just as I was about to readily accept his request, Fenrir continued speaking.  

 

[But before you meet Huluppu, there’s something I want to ask you. Actually, the reason I came to see you secretly this morning was also because of this…]  

 

He had been hesitating for a while now, so it seemed like he had another purpose in mind.  

 

“If you have something to say, just say it outright.”  

 

I had planned to wait patiently, but it didn’t seem like this would end anytime soon, so I urged him on.  

 

[Well, alright. The thing is, Huluppu mentioned that you and he have similar tastes.]  

 

“Huh?”  

 

This was the first I was hearing of it.  

 

‘Wait. Did I ever even mention my tastes to him?’  

 

Looking back, the topics we discussed were mostly about divine power and gods.  

 

“Are you talking about food preferences?”  

 

After carefully recalling, I remembered he had prepared some snacks I liked, so I asked, but Fenrir gave me a disapproving look.  

 

[Unlike humans, we don’t need to consume food.]  

 

“Then what kind of tastes are you talking about?”  

 

[Well, that’s for you to know. Yesterday, he specifically said, ‘Laura seems to have similar tastes to me, so we get along well.’]  

 

“If that’s the case, maybe he just means we’re both chatty?”  

 

[That’s not entirely wrong, but it’s a bit different. It’s the first time he’s ever mentioned ‘tastes’ so specifically.]  

 

Fenrir’s blue eyes were filled with anticipation.  

 

‘He says it’s not this or that, but what exactly does he want from me?’  

 

Under his intense gaze, I thought hard but couldn’t pinpoint anything.  

 

“Hmm… I can’t think of anything.”  

 

At that, his ears, which had been perked up, drooped.  

 

[Not even the tiniest, most trivial thing comes to mind?]  

 

“No. Huluppu and I mostly talked about divine power. The only other thing we discussed was snacks.”  

 

His tail, which had been wagging gently while waiting for my answer, also drooped weakly.  

 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”  

 

[It’s not your fault, so no need to apologize. It’s just…]  

 

Fenrir, clearly disappointed, lowered his gaze and trailed off.  

 

[I just wanted to give him something that would make him happy, but it’s a shame it didn’t work out.]  

 

“Oh…”  

 

[But as you know, beings like us who live eternally don’t get too excited even if we receive something grand or rare.]  

 

“So you came to me secretly because you thought I might know something helpful?”  

 

[Exactly.]  

 

I roughly understood the situation now.  

 

‘He wanted to give Huluppu a surprise gift.’  

 

Setting up the barrier to avoid Huluppu’s notice, coming back in the evening to finish the conversation from the morning—it all seemed to be for that reason.  

 

“But what kind of gift are we talking about? A birthday gift? Or are you planning to confess your feelings for Huluppu?”  

 

[What? What are you suddenly talking about?]  

 

Just a few seconds ago, Fenrir had been lying on the bed, exuding a gloomy aura, but now he jumped up in shock.  

 

“Why are you so surprised?”  

 

[Because you’re saying strange things!]  

 

“Isn’t it normal to ask about the purpose of the gift? Even if I don’t know what Huluppu meant by ‘similar tastes,’ I might still come up with a good idea.”  

 

[Well, that’s true, but…]  

 

“So it is a confession gift?”  

 

[No! I just owe him a lot, so I wanted to repay him.]  

 

“I see.”  

 

[You don’t believe me, do you!]  

 

When I responded indifferently, Fenrir’s reaction became even more intense.  

 

‘Why is he so desperately denying it?’  

 

The more he does, the more it seems like I’ve hit a nerve.  

 

As I stared at Fenrir, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.  

 

“Ah, are you hiding it because you’re the same gender? I don’t have any prejudices about that, so you can be honest…”  

 

I cautiously started speaking, but before I could finish, Fenrir cut me off.  

 

[It’s not that! It’s not that at all!]  

 

Huluppu, the divine tree of Goddess Astarte, closely resembled Yves and had a voice closer to a young boy’s, while Fenrir’s deep, resonant voice was unmistakably male.  

 

‘I thought he was denying his feelings because of the gender issue.’  

 

Of course, in this world, formal marriage between the same genders isn’t allowed, but even if it were discovered, it wouldn’t be something that would lead to social ostracism.

 

Though I had learned this through Laura’s memories, there were even nobles who openly revealed their homosexuality and declared their celibacy, so it was a surprisingly open society compared to my previous life.  

 

As I was lost in these thoughts, Fenrir dropped a bombshell.  

 

[We don’t have genders.]  

 

“Huh? But your voice is so…”  

 

[That’s exactly the kind of prejudice I’m talking about!]  

 

He was right, of course.  

 

‘Just because someone has a deep, low voice doesn’t mean they’re male.’  

 

The world is full of diverse people, after all. I readily admitted my mistake.  

 

“I’m sorry. I was trapped in my stereotypes.”  

 

[Exactly. Stereotypes are bad… Wait, no, that’s not what I was trying to say!]  

 

“Huh?”  

 

[You’re still misunderstanding. The affection I have for Huluppu is similar to familial love from a human perspective.]  

 

“Isn’t that a bit too much effort for a gift if it’s just familial love?”  

 

While family members can give surprise gifts, there’s a subtle difference between that and giving a gift to someone you’re romantically interested in.  

 

‘No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t feel like just familial love.’  

 

Parents and children may share unconditional love, but Fenrir’s actions didn’t feel like a child trying to please their parents, nor did it feel like a parent wanting to give something good to their child.  

 

Fenrir, who had closed the distance between us in a single jump, began to explain—though it sounded more like an excuse.  

 

[Just as I am Shemesh’s first divine beast, Huluppu is also Astarte’s first creation made with divine power. Even if we didn’t intend it, spending so much time together naturally led to us growing close. We’re not bound by blood or divine power, but we’re practically family.]  

 

It was the most elaborate and lengthy explanation Fenrir had given so far.  

 

“I see. So you’re saying you care about him, right?”  

 

[Well, it’s not that I dislike him… I do care about him, but it’s not the kind of affection humans think of!]  

 

Stumbling over his words and contradicting himself, Fenrir eventually admitted it, though his admission still carried a hint of denial.  

 

It felt like I was giving love advice again, just like I had with Endymion.  

 

“I understand how you feel, Fenrir. Should we brainstorm some gift ideas that Huluppu might like?”  

 

[You still don’t fully believe me, do you? But since deciding on a gift is the priority now, I’ll let it slide for the time being.]  

 

Neither of us changed our stance, but the conversation flowed smoothly as we shifted the topic to ‘gifts for Huluppu.’  

 

“By the way, doesn’t Huluppu like books?”  

 

I suddenly remembered the endless rows of bookshelves and brought it up, but Fenrir immediately denied it.  

 

[Those are all Huluppu’s memories. They’re not there because he likes them.]  

 

“Memories?”  

 

[Yes. Huluppu has to process an amount of information that’s on a completely different level from ordinary lifeforms. He transforms vast amounts of information into books and manages them systematically.]  

 

Like an archive, then. I could understand his explanation right away.  

 

That said, we still haven’t made any progress on the gift issue.  

 

‘If it’s not books or food, I can’t think of anything else.’  

 

For a moment, I thought about giving him fertilizer or water since he’s a tree, but since he doesn’t consume food, it didn’t seem necessary, so I kept it to myself.  

 

I knew Fenrir would just scold me for it.  

 

“Hmm, do you have any candidates in mind, Fenrir? If you’ve been together for so long, you must know what Huluppu usually likes, right?”  

 

Fenrir, who had been close by, subtly distanced himself as I bombarded him with questions.  

 

“Or is this the first time you’re giving him a gift?”  

 

[I’ve given him gifts a few times before…]  

 

“If there was something he liked among the things you’ve given him before, couldn’t you just give him something similar?”  

 

Fenrir cleared his throat and hesitantly explained.  

 

[Ahem, well… he was always pretty indifferent to them.]  

 

“Ah…”  

 

[That’s why, that’s why! This time, I’m determined to give him something that will truly make him happy!]  

 

Fenrir’s blue eyes burned with determination.  

 

‘He’s really serious about this.’