The Villain’s Ending

Chapter 71

Delusion (10)

That day, I stayed overnight at the church.

Lying on a hard wooden chair, I stayed awake all night with my eyes open.

At dawn, I left the church.

The cold air seeped deep into my lungs.

I returned to my dormitory room and roughly washed up.

My face in the mirror was unfamiliar.

I resumed my routine of attending classes and returning to my room.

As if nothing had happened yesterday.

It felt unreal, as if I had peeked into someone else's dream.Upon returning from class, Estelle was in my room.

She was sitting on my bed, her face looking slightly tired.

"Even amidst all that, you still diligently attend classes."

Estelle said, looking at me.

She slightly furrowed her brow at the garbage strewn across the floor.

"Shouldn't you clean up your room first, rather than just going to classes?"

"Even if it wasn't important today, it was a test day, so I had to go."

I shrugged and replied.

My voice was a little hoarse.

"You didn't seem like the model student type."

Estelle said, lightly teasing me.

A faint smile hung on her lips.

"Because I have nothing."

"What do you mean you have nothing? You're good at manipulating clueless girls however you want."

"...Like who?"

"Me."

"I'm the one being manipulated."

I answered that way, placing the bag I had thrown on the floor onto the desk.

"As if."

Estelle lightly kicked away the garbage scattered on the floor.

Then she said nonchalantly.

"I've placed her on the second floor of the church."

"That storage room?"

"Yes."

Estelle nodded.

I looked at her for a moment, then opened my mouth.

"You weren't caught, were you?"

"I wasn't caught, but I guess they'll probably find out soon enough."

"That doesn't matter."

Because even if the Saintess suddenly went crazy and ran around claiming she had kidnapped the Duchess at the academy's back-gate church, no one would believe her.

"By the way, when you leave the room, could you go out through the window?"

Estelle asked, slightly flustered.

"Why?"

"Nothing good will come from associating with me."

"I don't care about that."

Estelle said firmly.

"I care."

I looked straight at her and said.

Because I don't want to burn to death.

"If something bad were to happen to you because you're seen with me, it would make me uncomfortable."

At my words, Estelle was silent for a moment.

Then she slightly blushed and nodded.

She silently rose from her seat and headed for the window.

And without hesitation, she climbed over the windows and went outside.

After Estelle left, I let out a long sigh.

I began to at least roughly clean up the messy room.

I swept up the broken glass shards and wiped up the spilled liquor with a rag.

I crumpled the torn landscape painting into the trash can.

After that, as I was pressing tobacco leaves into the pipe and about to sprinkle powder, I remembered the tantrum I threw yesterday, taking my anger out on the person in the next room.

It seemed better not to do it, at least for now.

Scratching the back of my head, I left the room.

And I knocked on the door of the next room.

Knock, knock.

The female student in the next room opened the door slightly, but as soon as she saw my face, she immediately tried to close it.

I slipped my foot into the gap.

Then she stomped on my foot.

But somehow, I felt nothing.

"I came to say I'm sorry."

I said, undeterred.

The female student stared at me for a moment, then sighed.

"It's fine. Anyway, since you've been kicked out of your family, you'll probably be kicked out of here soon too."

At her words, I just smiled faintly and didn't reply.

Seeing that, the student from the next room stared blankly at me, then took her foot off mine and opened the door a little, saying.

"So, that's all?"

"Yeah. I just, suddenly felt like I should apologize."

"You caused such a ruckus yesterday, have you gone mad?"

"I don't know."

At my reply, the female student sighed once more.

"Yesterday you were like a complete madman, but now you're acting perfectly normal."

"..."

"Are you eating properly? Your face is skin and bones."

"I don't really take care of my meals."

She took a candy from her pocket and tossed it to me.

It was a small, round, lemon-flavored candy.

Since the door was only slightly ajar, the candy she threw hit the door and rolled onto the floor.

I picked it up, brushed it off roughly, and put it in my mouth, paying no mind.

A sweet and sour taste spread in my mouth.

"No, why are you picking that up and gobbling it...?"

"Thank you."

At those words, she stared at me, seemingly speechless for a moment.

After standing there awkwardly for a moment, the female student closed the door.

I stood there for a long time before returning to my room.

Isn't it natural to apologize when you've done something wrong?

But there's no one who does that for me.

As I continued cleaning, the sun began to set.

I stopped what I was doing and fastened a revolver to my waist.

And I headed for the church.

As I entered the church, Estelle welcomed me.

I hugged Estelle tightly.

A faint scent of apples emanated from her body.

"Where did you put her?"

"In the storage room on the second floor."

"Can I go up alone?"

Estelle made a slightly displeased expression.

But soon, she nodded.

"It'll be hard to clean up here, so don't make a mess."

I nodded and ascended the creaking stairs.

Going up to the second floor, I saw the Duchess, tied up tightly and unconscious.

I approached her and removed her ring from her finger, then her necklace.

Then I rummaged through her body to see if there were any other jewels.

After untying the cloth gagging her mouth, I even checked inside her mouth.

There was nothing but the ring and necklace.

Just then, the Duchess opened her eyes.

And after seeing my face, she made a horrified expression.

"You, what in the world are you..."

Before she could finish her sentence, I stood up and kicked her in the solar plexus.

She choked, unable to speak properly, and vomited stomach acid, as if she hadn't eaten anything.

Whatever she said, it was clear it would only make me feel worse.

Because even her words of apology would surely be spoken in an arrogant, condescending manner, as if she were in a superior position.

I sighed and tried to gag her mouth with the cloth again, but she needlessly writhed and resisted.

I grabbed her by the shoulders, lifted her up, then drove my knee into her chest.

After gagging the coughing Duchess's mouth with the cloth, I tied it tightly.

Having killed her once before, I no longer felt any particular emotions or thoughts.

I got a suitable rag, wiped the floor, and then went back down to the first floor.

"If this person disappears and my sister also vanishes, couldn't I become the head of the family?"

I said to Estelle.

"I don't really know about that."

Estelle shrugged and replied.

"First of all, I'm from a commoner background. Whatever you high and mighty nobles say, whatever justification you use, honestly, it just looks like you're full of yourselves."

"I'm also a bastard child, so for a 'high and mighty noble,' I'm a bit lacking."

"It's fine. You just seem a bit lacking."

Even as Estelle said that, she added.

"That's why I like you."

I didn't quite grasp what she meant.

"If a worm-like bastard with no real abilities were to inherit the family, would people look at me differently?"

"Hmm, I think it would be the same?"

I wish she'd at least make something up, but she seems unable to lie, perhaps because she's the Saintess.

"I guess so. But what can I do?"

I sulked slightly at Estelle and blurted out the words.

If I became the head of the family, at least no one would treat me carelessly, would they?

I wouldn't have to burn to death. Nor have my head blown off, nor be hanged.

I wouldn't even have to jump out of a window.

Even if I didn't stick by Lineta's side, I could do something a bit more comfortable, or make up some plausible excuse and shower her with gifts.

"Literally, I'd be able to do anything."

In my mind, Levina and the Duchess felt like omnipotent gods.

I wanted to be like them.

However, I didn't want to become as ugly as them.

But I already seem like a sufficiently ugly and disgusting person.

Then, perhaps, I'm not so different from them already.

Couldn't I also become a noble?

Rather than being the son of a mediocre prostitute, I just want to live as a fucked-up, noble.

"Is there a separate basement in the church?"

"It's not really a basement, but there is one."

"Since it's a church, there are coffins, right?"

"They're old, but they should be in the storage room."

I went up to the second floor, grabbed the Duchess by her hair, and dragged her.

Whether her body bumped against the stairs or not, I just dragged her down and left her on the first floor.

Estelle looked at me with a slightly worried expression, but didn't open her mouth.

And then I went up to the second floor again, grunting and struggling to bring a coffin, but I was tired and resting.

Just then, Estelle came and moved the coffin for me.

She simply moved the coffin all the way to the basement.

"Thank you."

I said that, then picked up the Duchess, who was still wriggling, and threw her into the coffin.

Her body fell with a thud into the coffin.

And without closing the lid, I kicked it towards the stairs leading to the basement.

Rumble

The sound of the coffin sliding down the stairs echoed comically.

"Just leave her there for a while."

Estelle looked a bit displeased, but she nodded.

I hugged Estelle tightly.

"Thank you."

This time, instead of a kiss, I just gave her a light peck on the cheek.

Estelle wore a somewhat disappointed expression, but then asked.

"Is this enough?"

"Yeah, probably."

I replied that way, then spent some time with Estelle at the church before returning to my dormitory room.

I opened the window, put tobacco leaves in the pipe, lit it, and exhaled smoke.

Then, remembering the conversation I had with the person next door during the day, I closed the window.

The smoke thickly spread throughout the room.

After staying up all night like that, I once again repeated the routine of attending classes normally, returning to my room, occasionally visiting the church to sprinkle water on the coffin, and chatting with Estelle.

How many days had passed?

Levina came to visit.