The Villain’s Ending

Chapter 36

Coloring (18)

Levina passed through the dark alley and reached the rear of a building.

When she opened the door, a creaking sound accompanied a faint smell of oil and dust wafting out from within.

She stepped inside, still holding my wrist.

I was out of breath from running through the alley.

But Levina didn't stop.

We climbed the stairs and stopped in front of a door on the third floor.

She took a key from her pocket and unlocked it.

The room was surprisingly spacious and luxurious.

A plush carpet covered the floor, and on the walls hung paintings that looked expensive to anyone.Bookshelves filled one entire wall, packed tightly with books.

In the center of the room was a large wooden desk, and next to it, a long sofa covered in velvet.

The air was mixed with a faint scent of lavender and old paper.

"Stay here for a while."

Levina said, releasing my wrist.

She pointed to a door in one corner of the room.

"There's a bedroom and a bathroom inside.

You'll probably find most of what you need.

As for clothes… wash them yourself and wear them."

She took off her robe and tossed it carelessly onto the sofa.

It was a disheveled action, unlike her usual self.

"Even if Estelle, that woman, comes back, don't even think about going back to her side. And stop thinking about attending the Academy now. I'll take care of everything. I'll give you one of the family's annexes I mentioned before. At least the family's direct territories are places even those old men of the Church can't easily touch."

Her words were excessively fast.

So fast, in fact, that Levina herself might not have understood what she was saying.

Instead of answering, I looked around the room.

Above the fireplace hung a small shield engraved with the Edelgard family crest.

What should I say here?

It was true that Levina had helped.

Her words might be right.

In fact, there was no way they could be wrong.

Wondering if there was anything that could help, the familiar message window appeared again.

[Collect the Ending. 2/?]

[Reward: Return to Original World, ??]

I let out a hollow laugh, then a sigh, before shuffling over to the sofa and lying down against it.

Of course there wouldn't be anything helpful.

I wasn't some protagonist, after all.

Born as a commoner, scrambling to climb up, possessing the ability to prove everything with skill - unfortunately, I had no such thing.

Precisely because I had become 'Lavin'.

Because I had inherited all his thoughts, memories, and emotions.

Thanks to that, I didn't have to live like a primitive savage who couldn't understand a word as soon as I fell into this world, but it felt like I had lost far too much for what I had gained.

More than the self-deprecating thoughts swirling in my head, the fact that no matter what I thought, what I did, or what I said, the situation wouldn't change for the better, was truly agonizing.

"I'll bring dinner. Don't go anywhere, just wait here."

"...Thanks, Sister."

"...Huh?"

"I said thanks."

"No, after that."

I didn't want to call Levina Sister.

I didn't want to grant her a single one of her wishes.

However, I also didn't want to be a horrible person who accepted help and then remained silent.

"You heard me say Sister, didn't you?"

"..."

Levina stared at me blankly for a moment, then left the room.

I sat on the sofa, blankly gazing at the shield above the fireplace.

Where would Estelle be right now?

I missed her.

Not long after, Levina returned.

In her hands was a tray holding warm stew and bread.

She set the food down on the living room table.

The savory scent of bread and the warm aroma of stew filled the room.

"Eat."

She said.

We began to eat in silence.

The stew was delicious, and the bread was soft.

But I tasted nothing.

"How did you know where to find me?"

"Because of my position. I can't not know what's happening."

"Right, because of your position."

At my words, Levina looked at the shield emblazoned with the Edelgard crest, then lowered her head.

We continued to eat in silence, neither of us speaking, until she opened her mouth again.

"Right now, you're an unprecedented bastard.

You're a man who was kicked out of your family, had your engagement broken, then swayed by a heretic, and went around killing innocent priests."

I slowly tore at my bread and nodded.

"Even if Estelle comes back, don't try to explain yourself or do anything like that.

The truth doesn't matter anymore.

The Church has made it public. They're going to kill you."

"So, I have to live stuck in that annex forever?"

"..."

Levina did not answer.

That night, I fell asleep on the sofa. Levina slept in the bedroom.

The next day, she woke up early in the morning and went to the Academy, returning only 

in the evening.

"You're back?"

I asked.

"...Yeah."

She replied curtly, then silently prepared dinner.

An exceedingly awkward silence hung between us.

Today, it was stew similar to yesterday's, with moderately soft bread.

As I was eating the bread, the sound of the door bursting open violently echoed.

The door rattled as if it would tear off its hinges, like a bomb had exploded.

At that sound, I swallowed the piece of bread I was eating whole.

Three people stood in front of the door.

A face filled with resolve.

A strange expression mixed with sorrow.

And a face, slightly scared but openly showing anger.

Kyle, Seraphina, and the female knight who had witnessed me at Perion's mansion.

Levina rose from her seat in horror.

The color drained from her face.

She instinctively picked up the fruit knife from the table.

And tried to chant an incomprehensible spell.

Her lips moved rapidly.

But they were faster.

The female knight lunged at her like lightning, twisted the wrist holding the dagger, and slammed her straight to the floor.

Thud!

A dull sound was followed by Levina's scream.

She lay sprawled on the floor, emitting only faint moans.

The subdual was over in an instant.

I watched the entire scene, a piece of bread still in my hand.

I didn't care whether Levina was slammed to the floor or not.

She wouldn't die anyway.

She was, after all, the distinguished young head of the Edelgard family.

Rather, that female knight was the one with a problem.

I pushed the rest of the bread in my hand into my mouth and slowly chewed.

The gazes of the three turned to me.

"Seraphina, are you serious?"

"..."

"This, it's that, isn't it?

The real reason you wanted to break off the engagement was to hook up with that damn commoner friend, wasn't it?"

"No! Absolutely not, that's absolutely not it."

"Then why are you coming with him?"

"...Because you might be in danger."

"What danger?"

"Kyle will you..."

"I don't care, and don't make excuses, Seraphina.

No matter what you say, this isn't a situation where I'd believe you."

I met their gazes and swallowed the last piece of bread.

"Sera, what kind of conversation will solve this? Look at him."

"You stand there and wait. And shut your mouth.

It's mealtime. Is it because you're a commoner and didn't receive etiquette training?"

Kyle's face contorted with rage.

He glared at me, practically snarling.

"Sera. That bastard, binding magic first..."

It had been 'Sera' since earlier, that damned 'Sera'. Not 'Sera', but Seraphina. It seemed my first thought was that I wished they wouldn't shorten her name.

I stood up from my seat.

And pulled out the revolver I always carried at my waist.

The cold touch of metal fit comfortably in my palm.

Then, four gunshots shook the room.

The smell of gunpowder stung my nose.

I pulled the trigger towards Kyle without hesitation.

But it was meaningless.

A faint barrier shimmered around his body, and the bullets curved, merely grazing his shoulder and arm.

Seeing that, I felt numb.

"Hah, right. It was always like this."

I almost threw the gun I was holding, but then felt I couldn't bring myself to do it.

At this moment, the revolver felt incredibly precious.

"What a fucked-up world. Why can't I do that?"

I saw Seraphina gripping her sword tightly, restraining Kyle as he tried to lunge.

She herself must know that acting like this here would be meaningless.

It seemed that her habit of only moving after things had already gone wrong hadn't changed at all, from childhood until now.

A hollow laugh burst out.

Tears flowed from my eyes.

"Collect the Ending," it had said.

I brought the muzzle of the revolver to my temple.

The cold touch of metal felt, if anything, comforting.

I put force into my hand, intending to pull the trigger.

However, the only sound was something grating and falling.

It fell to the floor with a dull thud.

I looked at my wrist and saw red blood gushing out like a fountain.

I stared blankly, alternating my gaze between my spurting wrist and my severed hand on the floor.

I felt no pain.

But it would probably be terribly painful in a few seconds.

I turned my head, and Seraphina was standing there.

Faint traces of magic shimmered from her fingertips.

She was pale, looking alternately at her own hand and my severed hand on the floor.

"Uh... uh..."

Meaningless sounds escaped Seraphina's lips.

For a moment, she was dazed, then she staggered towards me.

And picked up my severed hand from the floor.

She brought it to my bleeding wrist, trying to reattach it.

"It hurts, Seraphina, goddamn it, it hurts, stop it...!"

I tried to push Seraphina away, but I couldn't get any strength into my body.

As if she couldn't hear me, she kept trying to reattach my severed hand to my wrist, staring blankly into space.

Of course, it wouldn't reattach.

Blood continued to flow, staining her dress and my shirt red.

She was crying.

Repeating that something was wrong, tears streaming down her face.