BJ Villainess Chapter 308

Theresa, unaware of Clyde’s thoughts, showed her deeply wounded feelings, her chin quivering as she spoke softly. “I’m pretending I’m fine, but honestly… I feel really bad.”

 

It was just a simple statement, but her sadness crashed into him like a tidal wave, overwhelming him with its intensity. Her calm, murmuring voice, her powerless expression, and the tears that quickly welled up and streamed down her cheeks—all of it was vividly imprinted on his senses.

 

When Frea cried for the sake of the family, it only annoyed him. But when Theresa, drunk and tearful, cried, it inexplicably pained him.

 

He assessed his situation with cold clarity. Crazy b*stard. This was anything but normal.

 

“Don’t cry.” In the end, Clyde couldn’t resist and wiped away Theresa’s tears. “When you cry, it makes me feel worse, so don’t cry.”

 

His words were rough, but his hands were gentle, careful not to hurt her delicate skin.

 

“What should I do?” he asked.

 

“What…?”

 

“What can I do to stop your tears?”

 

Theresa sniffled as she answered, “Then… don’t make me a sl*ve.”

 

Clyde couldn’t understand why she thought he would make her a sl*ve. After all, there were no sl*ves in this era.

 

“And I want to go home,” she continued, her tears flowing more freely as she spoke. “I miss my parents, my siblings, and I want to tease Mimosa and make homemade liquor with the Clybe kids.”

 

Clyde glanced at the black butterfly. It didn’t react to Theresa’s words. Its wings folded quietly as if signaling that the time hadn’t come yet. He felt a subconscious sense of relief at the butterfly’s silence.

 

“First of all, let’s correct something: you’re not a sl*ve. You’re a prisoner. And unfortunately, I can’t help you go home. But if there’s something you want to do, we can do it together.”

 

“With you…?”

 

“You said we got married twice. That makes me your family too, doesn’t it?”

 

“That was a fake marriage…” Theresa confessed as if something had just occurred to her. She reached into the air, her hand disappearing as she fumbled with something in another dimension.

 

Clyde watched in surprise as she manipulated the otherworldly space without using holy power. “You…!”

 

“This is your wedding ring,” Theresa said, placing the ring on his ring finger.

 

Clyde was momentarily speechless, staring down at his left hand. The ring fit perfectly, and oddly, it felt strangely familiar. He knew without a doubt that it was his.

 

“If this is the wedding ring, where’s yours?” he asked.

 

“I lost it.”

 

“What? You lost it?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Clyde was a bit annoyed, but he sighed lightly and stood up. “Now stop drinking and get some sleep.”

 

“I’m not sleepy yet.”

 

“Then try saying that with your eyes open.”

 

Theresa yawned widely before realizing that she was indeed sleepy. She slowly crawled into bed. “Will you stay here until I fall asleep?”

 

It wasn’t a difficult request. After all, it was uncomfortable to leave a woman who had just cried her eyes out, so he had no reason to refuse when she asked him to stay.

 

Once Clyde sat down on a chair, Theresa, reassured, closed her eyes. Sitting a short distance away, watching the sleeping woman’s face, he was struck with a sense of déjà vu.

 

“Hey, have we done this before?”

 

“…”

 

But Theresa, having fallen asleep, didn’t answer. Clyde frowned, brushing his hair back and staring at the ring on his finger.

 

He believed that she was from the same dimension. Still, he hadn’t taken her talk of kisses and marriage seriously—until he saw the ring. Then he realized that he was the owner of this ring. He even remembered that they had shared matching rings. Yet he was equally certain that they weren’t a married couple. So, what kind of relationship was this? It was as confusing as his own identity.

 

* * *

“Keuuugh…” I groaned in bed, suffering from a hangover. “If I drink like that again, I’m not human…”

 

I longed for the cool honey water that Eloise used to scold me into drinking when suddenly I heard a loud bang, bang, bang!

 

“Uaah!”

 

Someone outside was pounding on the door as if they were going to break it down. My heart raced as I stared at the door in shock when a voice called out.

 

“If you don’t answer by the count of three, I’m coming in.”

 

It was Clyde’s voice.

 

I shouted back angrily, “Clyde, are you crazy? You scared me!”

 

“You’re the one who’s out of your mind, getting drunk and sleeping until 2 p.m. despite being a prisoner.”

 

I had assumed it was morning, but it was already 2 p.m.? I had been out longer than I thought. I sheepishly replied, “Come in.”

 

Unlike me, who was suffering from a hangover, Clyde appeared in a perfectly fitted black uniform. With his silver hair and light blue eyes, the dark outfit made him look particularly stoic and elegant.

 

While I was half dazed, staring at him blankly, he spoke. “We’re going out, so get ready.”

 

“What? Going out? All of a sudden?”

 

“You said you wanted to make liquor.”

 

“When did I say that?” Confused by his random statement, I replied in bewilderment.

 

One of Clyde’s eyebrows shot up. “You don’t remember what you said yesterday?”

 

“…?”

 

Seeing my confusion, Clyde looked exasperated as he showed me his left hand. “You put a wedding ring on my finger, and you don’t remember that either?”

 

“Huh? Why do you have that?”

 

That ring was supposed to be in my storage space! I reached into the air to check.

 

“…It works!” To my delight, my storage space was functioning again, even in this place where magic was difficult to use. I was filled with excitement. “I can finally use my treasure trove again!”

 

I had been storing useful items in my space whenever I had the chance, thinking I might need them if I ever fell into a dungeon. But until now, I haven’t had a chance to use anything. It seemed that the time had finally come to reveal the true value of my treasure trove.

 

As I excitedly pulled out items like spell books, potions, and magical tools, Clyde, who had been expressionless, grew curious and subtly moved closer.

 

“Are these things from your dimension?”

 

I nodded, unable to hide my admiration for myself. “Wow! I was really meticulous and thorough back then!” I had stored not only gold and jewels that could be converted into cash but also a lot of clothes and shoes.

 

Then, my hand caught on a butterfly mask. As soon as I saw the mask, my gaze naturally shifted to Clyde. The emotions of sadness and joy that had been surging through me quickly subsided, leaving my mind clear.

 

So Clyde lived here for a long time with that butterfly mask before meeting me? No, wait. He had the black butterfly, so he could have transcended time and space in the meantime.

 

This place was a distant past. Clyde and I were currently experiencing a time slip.

 

If Clyde wore the butterfly mask to avoid a time paradox, it makes sense. That means the Ozworld I know couldn’t have come to this place where the Ozworld of the past exists. Of course, with his abilities, he could have meddled from the outside, but… The Emperor Signio that I know doesn’t seem like an easy opponent.

 

Couldn’t there be a way to use this situation to my advantage?

 

Then, it’s clear what I need to do first.

 

“Forget making liquor. Let’s study magic together.”

 

“…Magic?”

 

“Yeah. If I can use my storage space, then it seems that the reason we can’t use magic here isn’t simply because it’s a weaker form of energy compared to holy power. I want to figure out why.”

 

Holy power was an energy that required consuming a planet’s energy to be used.

 

“Is it possible to store holy power in your body?”

 

Clyde nodded. “The amount of holy power one can store varies from person to person. If you have the ability, you can store an infinite amount.”

 

“Is the Emperor Signio one of those people who can store an infinite amount?”

 

When I casually mentioned the emperor, Clyde frowned slightly but didn’t scold me. “Yes.”

 

No wonder someone like that was able to dominate the Pantheon.

 

Holy power is indeed a formidable force, but I don’t think magic is that far behind. Especially since that black butterfly was completely outside the norm in terms of power.

 

There’s also another power like that. It was Euges’s power to reset the time.

 

“Hmm…”

 

I felt like I was onto something.

 

“Is there a secluded outbuilding where we can use it as a lab and training area?”

 

Clyde gave me a peculiar look before heading to the door. “Follow me.”