To Love A Villain

Chapter 222: My Brightest Star

>>Pen (10 Years Old)

My mother once got lost in the forest while traveling with her family. They were crossing Dark Woods which is famous for eating up travelers, since so many people get lost there. Unable to find their way out, they end up starving to death.

The forest was thick, sunlight would barely filter through the trees.

And my mother was stumbling around, trying to find a way out while I was in her womb. But she was struggling, starving, and she did not want to lose her child.

After three days of trying to find her way out, she lost hope. She could feel the energy leaving her body, but eventually she stumbled upon a dying dragon.

He was hurt, the hard scaly skin of his was battered and cut open. Usually dragons are huge, but this dragon had lived for so long that his body had shrunk to the size of an adult elephant. When my mother found him, he was near his death.

They talked and my mother told him about her misery and how badly she wanted her child to live

The dragon told her to eat his flesh after his death and that it would grant her power like none other.

***

"She ate the dragon meat while she was pregnant with me." I pointed at myself with my thumb as I stood confidently on the green hill while the other kids surrounded me, "That’s why I have white hair!" I pointed at my hair with my other hand’s index finger, "And that’s why I am always healthy!"

"Stop lying," A kid, Remus, sitting in the crowd said, "Humans can’t eat demons, Penny!" Pen, Penny, these are my nicknames. Everyone calls me like that.

"Hey!" I pointed at him, "That dragon wasn’t a demon, it was an ancient dragon!"

He stood up and pointed at me, "Everyone knows the Royal Family of demons are dragons!"

"They are different!" I yelled at him,

"How so!??!" Remus fought back. The other kids watched us quietly. I was ready to fight him when Valenor raised his hand

"Um," He said softly, "The dragon auntie ate was an ancient dragon," He stood up and walked towards me, then as he came and stood beside me, he looked at the other kids, "The demon Queen and her family are the descendants of Ancient dragons." He explained

"Really?"

"Yes, that’s why they are so strong." Val answered, "Ancient Demon only had Dragon forms, but the Demon descendants can shape shift into dragons whenever they want, but most of the time they keep a human-like form."

"Oh~" Remus, along with the other kids, were amazed at the information and none of them pointed fingers at Valenor.

Everyone loves Val afterall.

Valenor lost both his parents a year ago, so my mom and dad decided to take him in. Everyone says he’s such a good kid and that when he grows up he’ll make a great husband. My white hair is unique but Valenor’s hair is like the sun, and his honey colored eyes seem to shine just the same.

I quietly stared at him as the other kids asked him questions.

All of the attention went to Val.

"And that’s why I think Pen will be an amazing person when we all grow up." He looked at me and gave me a smile.

It was so bright, I felt my heart flutter. My cheeks flushed up and I felt my heartbeat get louder. I placed my clenched hand over my chest, a light blew past the area, fluttering my hair.

It was probably at that moment. Although I didn’t understand what this feeling was and what it meant.

That exact moment where I fell in love with him

***

The sun was dipping low, casting a warm, golden hue over the dirt road that stretched ahead of us. The cicadas were buzzing lazily, and a light breeze rustled through the tall grass on either side. I clutched the handle of the basket tightly in my hand, feeling the rough weave dig into my palm. It was heavier than I’d expected, laden with fresh vegetables we’d bought from the market—carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and a few ripe tomatoes.

Val was walking beside me, his own basket swinging lightly in his hand, as if it were filled with feathers instead of vegetables. I stole a glance at him from the corner of my eye. His blond hair, tousled by the wind, glowed under the fading sunlight. He was humming some tune, something cheerful, like he always did when we walked home together. It was so typical of him to look like he hadn’t a care in the world.

Meanwhile, my arm was starting to ache. I shifted the basket to my other hand, hoping for some relief, but it was no use. My fingers were already sore, and I could feel the weight of the vegetables pulling me down. I must have made some sort of sound—a little grunt of frustration, maybe—because Val stopped humming and turned to look at me.

"You alright, Pen?" He asked, his golden eyes narrowing with concern.

"Yeah, I’m fine," I replied quickly, though I knew I wasn’t fooling him. He raised an eyebrow, and before I could protest, he was already reaching for my basket.

"Here, give it to me," He said, tugging it gently from my hand.

"Val, I can carry it myself!" I insisted, though my voice lacked the firmness I was hoping for. My arm felt like it was going to fall off any minute now.

"Uh-huh," He said, his lips curving into a small, teasing smile. "And it’s a man’s job to help out, right? My mom always said so."

He took the basket from me with such ease, his fingers brushing mine for just a second. I couldn’t help but notice how warm his hands felt, even in that brief moment. Now, with both baskets in his hands, he continued walking beside me, not even the slightest bit bothered by the extra weight. It was almost annoying how strong he was.

Almost. Because we were the same age, yet he could do these tasks with so much more than ease with me.

I tried to think of something to say—something witty to throw back at him—but all that came out was, "Thanks." My voice was quieter than I intended, almost a whisper.

Val just grinned at me, that big, bright grin that could probably light up the whole town. "You don’t need to thank me, Pen. We’re friends, right? Besides," He added, his tone a bit more serious, "I like helping you."

His words caught me off guard. My cheeks felt warm, and I looked down at the dusty road, pretending to be very interested in a pebble I almost tripped over. "Yeah... well, I like helping you too," I mumbled. It was a lame response, but it was all I could manage without sounding like a complete idiot.

For a while, we walked in silence, just the two of us, with the sun setting behind the hills and the crickets starting to chirp. Val began humming again, the same tune from before, and I found myself relaxing a little. With my hands free, I could actually enjoy the evening air, the smell of earth and grass, and the sound of his soft humming mixing with the sounds of nature.

As we turned the last corner, the dirt road widened and led into the cluster of small houses. The sky had shifted to shades of pink and orange, casting long shadows on the ground. I could already see the rooftops of my home peeking over the tops of the trees. Val was still humming beside me, carrying both baskets.

When we reached the first few houses, a group of the neighborhood aunts and ladies were gathered outside, chatting away and hanging laundry to dry. Their eyes fell on us almost immediately, and I knew we were in for it.

"Well, well, look who it is! Little Valenor and Penny!" Aunt Marla called out, her voice as cheerful as ever. She waved us over with a wide smile, her hands still holding a sheet she was hanging on the line.

"Hello, Aunt Marla," Val greeted, still carrying the baskets. I shot him a sideways glance, suddenly regretting letting him take mine. The ladies had already started to notice.

"Look at you, Val, carrying all those vegetables for Penny! Such a strong young man," Aunt Tess chimed in, nodding approvingly. "You’ll grow up to be a fine husband one day, I’m sure of it!"

I felt a twinge of annoyance prick at my chest, but Val just chuckled, his face flushing a shade of pink at the compliment. "It’s nothing," He muttered, suddenly bashful. "Just helping Pen out."

"Nothing?" Aunt Marla said with a laugh. "Don’t be modest, dear. You’re doing all the heavy lifting! Such a gentleman!"

The other ladies chimed in with their own comments, each one louder than the last. "Good boys like Val are rare these days,"

"Pen, you’ve got yourself a good one there,"

"Such a good match for someone in the future!" I could feel my own cheeks heating up now, but not from embarrassment. No, it was something different—something hot and prickly that made me clench my fists at my sides.

Val looked over at me, his blush deepening. "Uh, thanks, I guess..," He mumbled to the aunts, but his eyes flicked to me, and there was something sheepish in his expression. Like he wasn’t sure how to take all their words.

I forced a smile, even though my insides were churning. "Yeah, Val’s a real hero," I said, my voice a bit sharper than I intended. "Practically a knight in shining armor." The sarcasm slipped out before I could stop it, and I saw his eyes widen a little.

Aunt Tess just laughed. "Oh, don’t be jealous now, Penny. You’re lucky to have a boy like him around."

Jealous? My smile turned stiff. "I’m not jealous," I said quickly, but my words felt flat, unconvincing even to my own ears. I looked at Val, who looked almost as awkward as I felt.

"C’mon, Val, let’s get going," I muttered, tugging on his sleeve. "Mom’s probably waiting for us."

"Okay," He followed along immediately, still a bit flustered. "Right. See you, Aunt Marla, Aunt Tess,"

As we walked away, I could still hear their chuckles behind us, but I kept my eyes fixed on the ground, my heart pounding. Val fell into step beside me, quiet for once. I didn’t know why it bothered me so much, but I hated hearing those women talk about him like that—as if he were already somebody’s perfect husband. As if they knew him better than I did.

"Pen," Val finally spoke, breaking the silence between us. I didn’t look up. "Are you... okay?"

I bit my lip, feeling a strange mix of frustration and something else I couldn’t quite name. "I’m fine," I mumbled, but I knew he didn’t believe me.

He stopped walking, and I had to stop too, reluctantly meeting his gaze. "I don’t care what they said," He said, his expression earnest. "I just wanted to help you. I like helping you!"

I stared at him for a moment, trying to stay annoyed, but his face was so serious, so sincere, that I couldn’t hold onto it. "Yeah, well... you don’t have to be everyone’s favorite all the time, you know," I muttered, crossing my arms.

Val blinked, then a slow smile spread across his face. "Are you saying you don’t want me to be their favorite?" His smile was bright and relaxed.

...

I pouted, "Yea," I said with my brows furrowed.

He let out a chuckle, "I didn’t intentionally do that, Pen,"

I looked down in shame, my cheeks still pouty, "I know," I kicked a pebble in annoyance.

I think I got it.

I really like Val.

I looked up at the sky, the stars had started to become visible, but-

I glanced at Valenor

He’s the brightest star I know. No matter how much I try, I can’t ever take my eyes off of him.

And I don’t want him to be anyone else’s. I want him to stay with me.