The Villain’s Ending

Chapter 7

The First (7)

Surprisingly, morning arrived.

Divine power was indeed quite effective.

Even when I witnessed knights imbuing their swords with mana or mages conjuring flames in the air, it never quite felt real, but seeing my contorted body return to normal overnight, it almost felt as if a speck of faith, which I didn't even possess, might just materialize.

The Saintess's abilities were certainly as remarkable as the rumors claimed.

I slowly pushed myself up from the bed.

The air in the room was still heavy.

A noxious tangle of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and a faint smell of blood lingered.

But through it, a very faint, sweet scent of apple mingled.

It was a rather ill-fitting combination.On the table lay the liquor bottle I had been drinking from, an ashtray, and half an apple someone had eaten.

Two small bite marks were clearly visible.

Estelle's gaze, as if she found me merely an interesting toy, came to mind.

Why had Levina called Estelle, rather than taking me to a hospital or a priest?

Was it because she didn't want to let it be known externally that the family's disgrace had caused trouble again?

Because Estelle was a friend she had known since childhood?

I knew better that she wasn't the kind of person who wouldn't take money just because she was a friend.

After all, Estelle was a Saintess yet a miserly character.

Outside the window, it was noisy.

The footsteps of students heading to classrooms, lively laughter, the academy's bell tolling to announce the morning.

I had expected Levina to come again this morning, enter my room, and hand over the final letter.

From the start, my expulsion felt like a predetermined, natural course of events.

But nothing happened.

Levina hadn't come, and there was no contact from the academy either.

Still, it was another new day.

I got up and changed into my spare uniform, the only one that was at least outwardly intact, hanging on the clothes hanger.

The uniform I had worn yesterday was torn in places and stained with blood, a complete mess.

And then, a thought suddenly struck me.

What if, just like this, nothing happened?

What if the family's final notice of disowning me, and the academy's expulsion, were postponed indefinitely?

If I could just graduate somehow, whether Seraphina broke off the engagement, or people around me glared at me, or those delinquent bastards messed with me.

If I could just graduate from this tiresome academy, wouldn't I be able to live and do something?

In a small rural town, somewhere no one knew me, couldn't I just live quietly?

If that were to happen, I wouldn't ever get a reward, though.

[Collect the Ending! 1/?]

[Reward: Return to original world]

I futilely waved my hand through the message that wouldn't disappear.

As expected, I didn't want to live as a nameless nobody forever in such a fucked-up world.

Of course, that thought quickly vanished with a scoff.

This world couldn't possibly be that easygoing.

Nevertheless, I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

Aside from the issues with the family and the broken engagement with Seraphina, my attendance was getting dangerously low.

Even if I were to be expelled, walking out on my own accord and being pushed out were subtly different.

Though the outcome might be similar.

The hallway was crowded with students.

As I appeared, gazes swept past me, as if they had seen some strange, exotic animal.

Contempt and curiosity were always intertwined in those gazes.

The infamous reputation of 'Edelgard's Scoundrel' seemed to have, as always, acquired yet another new title.

Ignoring their stares, I silently walked towards the classroom.

Very fortunately, no one blocked my path like those bug-like bastards such as Marcus.

No one spoke to me, nor did they even try to meet my eyes.

It felt as if I were surrounded by walls, not people.

It was the same when I entered the classroom.

I sat in the very back and looked out the window.

The sky was clear.

Clear enough to make me think I might have felt a slight regret, had I looked at it after blowing my brains out.

The lecture content didn't register.

The professor's droning words merely brushed past my ears like meaningless noise.

I only wished for time to pass quickly.

When the class ended and I stepped outside, someone blocked my path.

It was the esteemed student council president, dressed impeccably in her uniform.

"Lavin Edelgard."

The one who would surely never move personally called out to me in a stiff voice.

"You are required to attend the disciplinary committee meeting today at 5 PM."

She held out a thin sheet of paper to me.

It was a summons to the disciplinary committee.

Assault and battery against Marcus and two others.

Unnecessary acts of sadism.

Disgrace to reputation.

All sorts of plausible charges were listed.

I took it.

"Very well."

I replied briefly and shoved the summons into my pocket.

The student council president, in other words, my half-sister Levina, frowned, but said nothing more and turned, slowly walking away.

Her back was as straight as ever.

I gazed at the end of the hallway for a moment, then resumed my steps.

I had no intention of eating lunch. I had no appetite.

My only thought was to return to my room and drink the remaining alcohol.

On the way back to the dormitory, another familiar figure caught my eye.

It was Seraphina.

As always, she wasn't surrounded by her friends.

She was sitting on a bench in front of the library, with someone else.

It was the original protagonist, Kyle.

Upon seeing me, Seraphina's shoulder twitched.

Our gazes clashed in the air.

Her blue eyes were wavering.

Her lips parted as if to say something, but in the end, she couldn't utter a word and bowed her head.

Just like someone caught cheating.

Perhaps sensing Seraphina's strangeness, Kyle turned his head towards where she was looking.

Standing there was the man so famous in the academy that no one didn't know his name; the eccentric delinquent who had picked a fight with him less than a week after enrollment, and then a few days later, had talked all sorts of nonsense, feigning friendliness and suggesting they get close.

Kyle thought Lavin had come to harm Seraphina because of the broken engagement.

Considering what he had seen and the stories he had heard until now, Lavin was indeed the kind of person who would do such a thing.

Kyle rose from his seat and approached me.

A hint of contempt was mixed on his face.

"What do you want, Lavin?

Do you have more to say to Sera?"

Sera. Hmm, I don't like the sound of that.

Just look at this low-class behavior, typical of a commoner, shortening a perfectly good name.

"Well. Of course, I'd have business with my fiancée."

I looked Kyle up and down, who was blocking my path, and spoke in an deliberately sarcastic tone.

"So you've heard that I'm about to be kicked out of the family soon, haven't you?

Is it really that easy to block someone's path now?"

"The annulment is already decided.

Stop bothering people and get lost."

"Bothering? That's a bit harsh. I was just going to ask how you were doing for the last time.

You must have had a hard time pretending to go along with me all this time, so I was wondering how you feel now that you've found your freedom.

Well, it seems you've already found a new master, so perhaps my worries were for nothing?"

At my words, Kyle's brow furrowed.

I saw his fist clench tightly.

Ah, that's right. Kyle won't receive much punishment even if he beats me here.

Because the corrupt powers of the academy, including Levina, are backing him.

Of course, that's a joke.

Even without special backing, the righteous protagonist always had the right to punish a third-rate villain.

"Shut up, Lavin. Sera isn't your property."

"Not property, no. Though she's a bit like a rag."

"You...!"

"It's not about being a noble; even ordinary commoners wouldn't be sitting alone with another man on a bench, giggling, just a day after breaking off an engagement. Don't you agree?"

Instantly, I saw Seraphina's face turn stark white.

Her eyes held a mixture of horror, disgust, and deep hurt.

Seeing that expression, strangely, my mind felt at ease, yet my mood also sank.

Thud!

Kyle's fist landed squarely on my face.

Judging by his stance, it wasn't a full-force punch; it felt like he just gave me a moderate hit with his right hand, gauging the force.

With the sensation of something breaking in my mouth, it felt as if my nose bone, which Estelle had barely reattached yesterday, had collapsed again.

This is why I hated associating with ignorant knight bastards.

Because he probably punched with the feeling that I wouldn't get seriously hurt, and would just back off appropriately.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be making such a flustered expression.

Kyle was a pathetic person who, no matter how much he suffered, would have few people acknowledge it.

Still, the fact that a happy ending awaited him made him, regrettably, better off than me, who would never be recognized no matter what I did.

I staggered back a few steps.

Along with the blood pooling in my mouth, I spat out a couple of tooth fragments onto the ground.

Wiping the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand, I tried to utter some crude, thuggish words, but nothing came out.

Seraphina slapped Kyle's cheek, then, crying, she approached me and was helping me up.

And Kyle still wore a bewildered expression.

The girl who always pushed me away whenever I approached, to whom I wrote letters every day, to whom I brought her favorite things every day, every day... Fuck, what's the point of saying it?

I didn't push her away with force; I just calmly met her gaze, then took her by the shoulders and gently detached myself from her.

And then I returned to my room and closed the door.

I leaned against the door and slid down to the floor.

An intense weariness pressed down on my entire body.

I took out the disciplinary committee summons and the crumpled pack of cigarettes from my pocket.

I put a cigarette in my mouth and lit it.

As I deeply inhaled the smoke, the nicotine seemed to flow through my veins, clearing my head, if only for a moment.

Estelle's words came to mind, and a hollow laugh escaped me.

It certainly tasted awful.

Whether it was because it was cheap, or simply because my life tasted bland.

Since things had already come to this.

I had thought about saying everything I wanted to say for the last time.

I had thought about raging that it wasn't my doing, that I was wrongly accused, and then maybe even showering them with all sorts of curses.

No, what good would it do anyway?

Perhaps I am also a person similar to 'Lavin'.

Indeed, with the same memories, appearance, thoughts, and feelings, distinguishing ourselves now is ridiculous.

That's why I have to go back.

Because if I keep living as Lavin like this, I don't think I'll be able to return.

I carelessly stubbed out the cigarette I was smoking on the floor.