BJ Villainess Chapter 358

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Ilya likes me. He didn’t just mean it as in I’m a decent human being—he said he sees me as a woman.

 

I like Ilya. Ever since the moment he approached me like spring, my feelings have never waned. They’ve only grown. Under normal circumstances, learning that he feels the same should’ve made me happy, but I wasn’t happy at all. My first thought was, ‘Is his fever still not gone?’ The next was, ‘Does he have some other agenda?’

 

I glanced at his expression and asked, “Did I do something wrong…?”

 

Ilya, who had been sliding his hand from my cheek down to my lips, stopped. His expression was calm, but his voice hinted at disbelief. “That didn’t sound like an interrogation, but a confession. Did I say something too complicated?”

 

“I understood. That’s why I’m saying this. If you have any doubts about me, please ask me directly. I’ll answer truthfully, you don’t need to test me with those kinds of words.”

 

“…Is it that strange that I like you?”

 

“Huh? Well, yes, I think it is.” Because he’s not a human.

 

As the creator of the game, I knew Ilya’s character settings far too well to believe any of this. Is this even possible for Ilya to like me? He’s an archangel.

 

Angels don’t fall in love. They exist solely under strict rules and responsibilities. That’s why they learn emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure through a system called ‘Fear.’ But even that system didn’t work on Ilya—he was far too superior of a being. That’s why there’s an event where he can’t understand Deina risking her life to save the man she loves.

 

That kind of being like me? …Why? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find a reason. Maybe the high fever messed with his head. This wasn’t in the original scenario.

 

As I was deeply contemplating, Ilya seemed to be thinking as well before he finally spoke. “Do you know what I am?”

 

“Huh? W-What do you mean?” Oops. I stuttered.

 

“Humans don’t even know the characteristics of heavenly beings.”

 

“…”

 

Hmm. Ilya usually doesn’t care what others do and never interferes, so why is he asking this now? This is really throwing me off.

 

I wasn’t the type to suddenly shout, ‘You’re just a character I created!’ and trample on someone’s existence. That said, I wasn’t going to go out of my way to pretend I didn’t know either.

 

Did I get too comfortable just because Ilya always seemed so indifferent? But even if I told him right now that I was a transmigrator, he’d just ask, ‘So what do you want me to do about it?’ The fact that he was even curious about my reaction was what felt off.

 

“I don’t quite understand what you mean…”

 

Ilya pressed his thumb to my lips like sealing a stamp. “No lying.”

 

When I nodded reluctantly, he withdrew his hand. After checking that no one was around, I whispered in his ear, “I know you’re an angel, Lord Ilya.”

 

“How?”

 

“Well… let’s just say it’s for the same reason I know about all the cultists of Evil God and the location of the relics.”

 

I didn’t want to go as far as saying he’s a fictional character. But this was Ilya. He immediately saw through what I was trying to avoid.

 

“The way you’re being cautious, it must be related to the reason I exist.”

 

How did he know that? I was silently freaking out at his uncanny intuition, and he gave a soft laugh.

 

“If you know that much about me, don’t you think I might also know something about you?”

 

“What do you know about me…?”

 

“That you feel the same as I do.”

 

He had just confessed to me. So, what he meant was that he already knew I liked him too. My face turned red, and I was completely flustered as he took a step closer.

 

“Now that I think about it, whether you believe me or not doesn’t really matter. You like me anyway.”

 

“Wait, what? No, I—!”

 

Ilya took another step forward. I backed away instinctively and ended up in the room. Before I realized it, Ilya was already holding the doorknob. He pulled the door halfway closed and spoke, “May I come in?”

 

“…”

 

“If you say yes, I’m going to kiss you first.”

 

I opened and closed my mouth a few times, then finally stepped back to let him in.

 

“Mmm…!”

 

Even before the door closed, our breaths mingled. I had been in his arms several times before, but never had it felt this overwhelming. He was so big and intense. Every place he touched felt like it had been set ablaze. This wasn’t the same stoic, ascetic Ilya I knew—this was a deeply passionate encounter.

 

I felt dizzy. My heart was pounding like crazy, heat rushed to my head, and I was gasping for air. It was the kind of first kiss that made you feel like you were about to lose your mind.

 

When our lips finally parted for a moment, he asked in a voice so low it was almost frightening, “Do you still doubt me?”

 

I shook my head while panting. It was instinctive—not something I thought through.

 

Ilya seemed to understand. He took my hand and placed it over his chest. Thump, thump. His heart was beating wildly—just like mine.

 

“Ah…”

 

“If you need more proof, just say the word. Later, though.”

 

And with that, Ilya kissed me again. He poured himself into me without restraint—so much that I couldn’t even think, let alone doubt. Wrapping my arms around him, I let myself be swept away like a wave.

 

* * *

The moment someone becomes special to you, your perception of the world changes. Ilya was someone who belonged to a very static world. He was already perfectly complete as he was, untouched by any external influence—so for him, this was truly extraordinary.

 

He looked down at Theresa, asleep in his arms. She was a small, delicate creature—so white, soft, and sweet that he wanted to keep her in his mouth forever. Adorably irresistible. Just looking at her made the air around him—something that should’ve felt the same as yesterday—seem different.

 

The world felt clearer, crisper, and more fragrant. This must be what people mean when they say they’ve fallen in love.

 

“Uumm…”

 

Ilya gently kissed Theresa’s sleeping face, like an act of worship—sacred and reverent. The endless kisses made her furrow her brow slightly and let out faint groans. The night had been too long. She had only just fallen asleep, and her heavy eyelids refused to open.

 

Ilya’s lips reached her fingertips. He kissed her thoroughly, like he was trying to engrave himself onto her entire body. Eventually, she curled up. It was a passive attempt to escape his interruptions.

 

“Theresa.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear. “You asked me to wake you in the morning.”

 

“Hngg…”

 

Ilya didn’t seem in any rush to actively wake her. Instead, he gently fixed her tousled hair.

 

This was Ilya’s room. No one uninvited was allowed near it, thanks to strict rules. That’s why he brought her here—to keep her safe and private.

 

Theresa had asked him to wake her early in case she fell asleep. He understood why. She didn’t want the servants to see them like this. He completely understood her concerns.

 

High-ranking clergy were forbidden from romantic relationships or marriage. If caught, they’d be dismissed. Not that many followed those rules to the letter anyway. Marriage wasn’t even a rule set by the Holy God itself. Some angels even formed similar bonds to human marriages through spiritual imprinting.

 

In any case, what mattered was that Ilya didn’t really care about any of that. He had no desire to become pope. The only reason he hadn’t withdrawn from candidacy was that staying in made things more efficient and convenient.

 

Knock knock. When Ilya’s usual wake-up time arrived, the butler came. To ensure Theresa wouldn’t be seen by anyone, Ilya drew the bed curtains himself before opening the door. Normally, he’d have said ‘Come in.’

 

“Lord Ilya?”

 

“Shh.” He pressed a finger to his lips, signaling silence.

 

The butler instinctively glanced past him and saw the bed curtains drawn—something usually tied back against the posts.

 

“Come two hours later from now on unless I tell you otherwise.”

 

“Understood. I’ll also adjust the meal schedule accordingly.”

 

This butler, who had served Ilya for many years—knowing he only kept the most competent close—immediately realized the person inside was Theresa. He had always expected this day to come and had quietly prepared. Now, that preparation was finally paying off.

 

“Shall I move the young lady’s belongings here, then? I’ll also make any other necessary arrangements.”

 

“Do so.”

 

The butler bowed respectfully. “Then I’ll take my leave.”