The Villain’s Ending

Chapter 50

Escape (8)

Quite some time had passed since the incident with Seraphina.

I couldn't tell exactly how much time had passed.

It seemed I still had feelings for her.

Sometimes, very rarely.

While looking at the backyard, or sitting in the parlor, drinking tea.

Her face would suddenly come to mind.

The gloomy feeling hadn't completely disappeared, but it no longer filled my heart.

Today, for some reason, I was staring blankly at the backyard.

A nameless bird sat on a branch, preening its throat."Young Master, good morning!"

Lineta's voice came from behind me.

At her voice, the lingering image of Seraphina that had been swirling in my mind was washed away.

I smiled faintly and turned around.

"Energetic even in the morning."

"It's quite late for 'morning' though!"

Anyway, every morning when I opened my eyes, a new day would stack like a thin sheet of paper upon yesterday's.

Nothing unusual happened, but precisely because of that, I was happy.

Lineta and I once again spent our daily routine visiting the village every morning, eating lunch, and returning.

Talk of Seraphina never once came up.

As if she had never existed from the beginning.

Neither Lineta nor I deliberately brought up her name.

We walked barefoot along the forest path.

The feel of the earth against our soles was pleasant.

From a certain day, after eating lunch at Lineta's house and returning to the annex, she would brew tea for me with flower petals she'd found from who knows where.

Small petals of purple, yellow, and white danced and swayed inside the teacup.

The aroma was good, but the taste was bland.

Sometimes it was a little astringent, and sometimes it had no taste at all.

Occasionally, I could even taste a slightly sharp flavor.

"What kind of flower is this?"

"I don't really know the name, it just said 'flower petal tea'."

Lineta flinched slightly, then shrugged and replied.

Though it wasn't particularly delicious, I drank the tea without a word.

Because Lineta had given it to me.

Every time she saw me drinking the tea, she would make an unreadable expression and look at me.

"By the way, Young Master, your face these days is truly completely different from when I first met you."

Lineta said, setting down her teacup.

"Is that so?"

"Of course! When I first saw you, your eyes were hollow, like someone who had lost everything in the world, and you acted like someone about to die."

"Every night, nightmares, even screaming, and your whole body drenched in cold sweat..."

"Now, well, you just look like some old man wandering around the neighborhood."

"Who are you calling an old man?"

"Oh come on, you are an old man!"

"You're older than me, and always loafing around with nothing to do!"

She giggled.

"By the way, it's all thanks to me being by your side, isn't it?"

"I am someone the Young Master needs, aren't I?"

She asked playfully in a slightly excited voice, but her eyes were serious.

I smiled without answering and lightly flicked her forehead.

"Ow! Why are you hitting me again!"

"You're noisy."

For some reason, my tongue felt numb.

To Lineta, who seemed to shine as she stood with the sunlight behind her, even when I tried to speak, I always seemed to keep my mouth shut because of that numb feeling.

It was one afternoon during such a daily routine.

While drinking the flower petal tea Lineta had brewed for me, I saw a black carriage entering from outside the window.

It was the family's carriage.

Not long after, the annex door opened, and Levina entered.

She was wearing what seemed to be a popular style in the capital, a form-fitting navy jacket and trousers.

She familiarly entered the parlor and gestured with her chin towards Lineta.

"Bring some drinks to the parlor. Something appropriate."

Then, looking at me, she motioned with her eyes as if to talk, and headed to the sofa.

I followed her into the parlor.

A moment later, Lineta came in with tea and refreshments.

But it wasn't the usual flower petal tea, but ordinary black tea.

"How are you getting along these days?"

Levina asked, sitting on the sofa opposite me.

Her gaze lingered on the teacup for a moment.

"I'm managing quite alright."

I replied.

It really was.

Considering my life at the academy, or the moment I burned to death, I feel like I'm living in heaven in my own way.

"That's a relief. You look well, too."

Levina smiled faintly.

Then she signaled to the butler.

"Bring that."

The butler and other servants carried two large boxes and entered the parlor.

"I was worried you'd be having a hard time because of the annulment last time."

"Just in case you started having strange thoughts again, you know."

The sound of the heavy boxes being placed on the table reverberated in the room.

"......Please don't bring up Seraphina."

When I said softly, Levina smiled as if pleased, for some reason, and nodded.

Her smile was somehow unnatural.

"Alright, well, it's not like you'll see her again anyway."

"Anyway, I brought some things from the capital that you might like."

When the servants opened the boxes, luxurious bottles of alcohol were revealed.

Just by looking at the labels, one could tell it was very expensive alcohol.

In the other box, cigarettes were piled up like a mountain.

When I was at the academy, they were rare and expensive cigarettes that were hard to get my hands on alone, and that I used to smoke with Estelle.

"I'll gladly drink the alcohol."

I said.

"But I don't need cigarettes. I've quit."

At that moment, all expression vanished from Levina's face.

She was always expressionless, but this time it was different.

As if she hadn't understood my words, she asked again.

"......What did you say?"

"I quit smoking. And I barely drink alcohol either."

Levina was speechless for a moment.

In her mind, the existence of a Lavin who didn't drink or smoke seemed impossible.

Because the me she knew was always a person surrounded by hazy smoke.

"......Since when?"

Her voice, barely opening her mouth, was trembling faintly.

"Since the day I came here."

Levina didn't say anything more.

She just stared blankly at me.

Her eyes shook with confusion.

"Is that such a serious matter to take so hard?"

When I said it like a joke, Levina startled and came to her senses.

"Ah, yes. That's right. It's just... I was surprised."

She laughed awkwardly and stammered.

"This place must have been quite good, if you even quit smoking."

A long silence followed.

Levina purposelessly sipped the now-cold tea.

And then she opened her mouth again.

Her voice was as calm as usual, but somehow lacked strength.

"By the way, lately... have there been any unpleasant incidents or suspicious events?"

"What do you mean?"

"No, just. I'm asking if anyone strange has appeared around you or if anyone has come looking for you."

Levina fidgeted with her fingers, then avoided my gaze and spoke.

"Because of Mother. Just in case she came all the way here. It would be a relief if there wasn't."

"It's a relief to see you're doing well. By the way, there's someone who wants to see you."

"Who is it?"

"Kyle."

Levina said.

"That commoner, I mean."

Even after hearing that name, I didn't show any particular expression.

"Why does he want to meet me?"

"I don't know. He just heard about you and pleaded to meet you. If you don't want to meet him, I'll tell him you refused. It's a matter of no concern to me anyway."

Levina didn't care whether Lavin met that commoner or not.

Especially since Kyle wasn't a woman like Seraphina, she cared even less.

"No, I'll meet him."

At my answer, Levina's eyebrows rose slightly.

She rose from her seat.

"Alright. Then I'll bring him on the weekend. Take care until then."

Before leaving, Levina paused at the door and asked.

"Is there anything you want or wish for, perhaps?"

I thought for a moment.

I remembered Lineta saying she wanted to try famous desserts in the capital.

"Desserts. Buy me a few famous ones from the capital."

Levina's face brightened considerably at the fact that I wanted something.

She said she understood and left the room with much lighter steps than usual.

After Levina left, only Lineta and I remained in the room.

"Um, Young Master. Was the person the Young Mistress just spoke of really Kyle? The one who attends the academy..."

Lineta asked cautiously.

Though she couldn't hide the abundant surprise etched on her face.

"Yes, that's right."

I didn't say anything else to her and replied briefly.

I didn't ask if they knew each other, or if they were close.

Such things weren't important.

"Wow... I even sent a letter a while ago. It'll be a really long time since I last saw him."

Lineta, excited, kept chattering.

I unconsciously grasped Lineta's wrist.

Her words stopped.

I said softly to her.

"Lineta. I'm not a piece of trash or a scoundrel, am I?"

At my words, Lineta's eyes widened for a moment.

Then she shook her head and said.

Her voice was firm.

"No! The people who say such things to the Young Master are bad! Since I was born, someone like the Young Master... someone as high-ranking as the Young Master! I've never seen anyone so kind even to a girl like me."

She blushed as she uttered the last words.

"Are you perhaps like this because I brought up the academy? I heard you muttering every night. There..."

"No. It's not that."

I cut her off mid-sentence.

"I was just a little anxious. And thank you."

Lineta blushed, as if shy, but then proudly puffed out her chest.

"The Young Master is a good person. So I can vouch for that!"

At her appearance, I smiled faintly.