I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 140
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
“No, didn’t Kerus say that earlier? That in the end, Frater killed Fluma. Even all those who followed her.”
“….”
“If they took over the world like that, shouldn’t that be enough? Why are they still so eager to torment anything related to Fluma?”
Kerus, who had been wearing a serious expression, burst into laughter. He looked at me and spoke with an amused voice.
“I don’t know about that either. But perhaps… Frater might be afraid.”
My eyes widened.
“Afraid? They already have everything they wanted, so what could they be afraid of?”
Kerus smiled at me.
“Just before Lady Fluma’s demise, she gave one final revelation as the creator.”
“A final… revelation?”
“Yes. She pitied Frater until the very end. Of course, she also pitied the countless others who lost their lives due to his arrogance.”
Kerus’s gaze settled calmly. His eyes became distant, as if looking far away.
“When her strength was nearly depleted from the long battle, she used her last remaining power to save the souls of the humans who died for her.”
“….”
“She also sealed Adam, Amon, and Amicus—whom she cherished most—in sacred relics. So their souls wouldn’t be destroyed.”
My lips parted slightly. Kerus continued.
“But there was no way to save Frater, who was consumed by hatred and rage. All that remained of her was a crumbling body, and even that was about to disappear.”
Kerus met my gaze.
“So at the very end, she gave this revelation.”
At that moment, the world seemed to spin around his pupils, and an unbelievable scene unfolded before my eyes.
Fluma’s memory that I had briefly glimpsed in the cave.
The tall trees and hills from that memory were all burning fiercely.
Countless human corpses were scattered on the ground, and Frater and Fluma stood facing each other in the blazing flames.
Fluma spoke.
[Frater, my pitiful brother.]
She shed tears as she looked at the countless bodies of people who couldn’t close their eyes.
[I pity you as much as I hate you. And I understand you. Because I, with these hands, created you directly.]
In contrast, despite having killed so many people, Frater’s face was expressionless.
[I will return someday to end your suffering.]
Frater’s brow furrowed. Fluma’s face was both tender and complex.
[And when that time comes, I will give you peace, not hatred.]
Fluma’s blue eyes shone like flames about to be extinguished.
[Because I still love you.]
When my vision brightened, I covered my mouth with one hand and looked at Kerus.
Kerus smiled bitterly.
“After that, Frater was consumed by fear. He became afraid of that revelation. Perhaps he became impatient.”
“…Impatient?”
“When Lady Fluma returns someday, he would want to prepare power that could easily oppose her.”
Kerus pulled the curtain aside slightly, and brilliant light poured into the room.
He continued.
“So it’s all because of that, isn’t it? Declaring us as magical beasts, and various other things too.”
I stared blankly at Kerus. With him standing against the light, I squinted slightly and asked.
“By any chance, didn’t Lady Fluma say anything about how she would return?”
Kerus frowned. I looked at him intently and said.
“Like when she would return, or how she would return. Nothing like that at all?”
Kerus narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Then he shook his head.
“I don’t know. My memories have become dim, so everything is hazy now. However, Amicus would know.”
“Amicus?”
Kerus nodded.
“Yes, Amicus. One of the three souls Lady Fluma sealed in the sacred relics, and the most powerful one.”
The next day.
Rishion was bustling and chaotic like never before.
With prospective students waiting and current students whose classes had all been canceled.
In one room of the bustling dormitory, Anita handed over a teacup and asked.
“Hanod. How are you feeling?”
Hanod was sitting on the edge of the bed and listlessly accepted the cup.
“…Not bad.”
At his stiff response, Anita gulped nervously. As silence continued, she spoke carefully.
“That, the Seleneae Tigris incident… you really believe I didn’t do it?”
Hanod’s sparkling purple eyes stared directly at her. Anita quickly waved her hand nonchalantly.
“Really. I truly….”
“Then why did you lie?”
Anita closed her mouth.
“You knew that necklace was a sacred relic the Lady always carried. But you told Duke Haren you didn’t know.”
“Th, that’s….”
Hanod frowned. Then he turned his head and said.
“Leave. I want to be alone.”
Anita froze stiffly in bewilderment, then stood up with a pale face.
“…Then I’ll go.”
What was in Hanod’s eyes was unmistakable disappointment.
She closed the door with trembling hands. However, she froze when she saw someone standing across from her.
“Lady Solb. You need to come with me.”
It was none other than Ray, Duke Haren’s adjutant.
“Lady Seleneae has awakened.”
Anita’s face hardened.
When Anita arrived, Seleneae was having a conversation with Duke Haren. She was leaning against the headboard of the bed.
Anita hesitated in front of the open door. Despite having expected this situation, fear suddenly welled up.
“Anita, you’re here.”
Then she heard the Duke calling her name.
Anita quickly came to her senses. She felt Seleneae’s gaze slowly turning toward her.
She unconsciously swallowed and thought.
‘Anita Solb, get it together. There’s no evidence anyway.’
She had practiced dozens of times alone. Whatever she said and however she said it, she would stick to claiming ignorance.
Everyone at the Academy already knew their relationship wasn’t good.
So if their claims didn’t match until the end, Duke Haren would find it difficult to readily judge who was right.
And another fortunate thing was that Duke Haren seemed to know nothing yet.
Nevertheless, Anita felt somehow uneasy as she entered the room.
“Sit here.”
At the Duke’s words, Adjutant Ray pulled a chair from beside the table and placed it in front of Anita.
The chair was quite close to the bed where Seleneae was leaning.
‘Why does it have to be so close….’
But there was nothing she could do about it. Anita put on a calm expression and sat in the chair.
Only then did she notice another person standing diagonally behind Duke Haren, near the window.
‘That person is Duke Tigris.’
She had been so focused on observing Seleneae’s condition that she completely missed the Duke’s presence in the room.
Her palms began to sweat.
‘Duke Haren and Duke Tigris too. Are they planning some kind of confrontation…?’
She secretly looked at Seleneae and clenched her fists tightly.
‘Whatever nonsense she spouts, I don’t know anything about it. I absolutely don’t know. Until the very end.’
She kept repeating this to herself as her insides burned.
“Now that everyone’s gathered, let’s have a proper discussion. That day… what exactly happened?”
Anita composed her expression and calmly raised her head.
When she turned her gaze, she saw Seleneae Tigris with a peaceful face.
“First, Seleneae. The night you disappeared, you moved together with Anita to draw the Dearmant’s attention, didn’t you?”
Seleneae nodded. Duke Haren continued in a calm voice.
“However, that day, Anita returned alone. And then she said you had been deceiving people with false abilities all along.”
“Oh… me?”
Seleneae pointed at herself with her index finger and asked back. There was a hint of amusement on her face.
This was an unexpected reaction, so Anita flinched and stared at her intently.
“Yes. And when that fact was discovered by Anita, you panicked and ran away.”
“Ah.”
Seleneae tilted her head with a smile, then made a thoughtful sound.
Duke Haren asked directly.
“Did you really act that way? From what I hear, Lady Laurent and Rosette have somewhat different opinions.”
Anita pretended to brush her hair while steadying her trembling breath. Her heart was pounding unbearably.
‘When did those two wenches come and say strange things!’
They must have babbled nonsense about how she stole Seleneae’s sacred object or something.
‘It’s fine, it’s okay. I found it in the forest. I just need to stick to that story.’
Anita’s eyes rolled around busily.
While she was secretly clenching her fists, Seleneae opened her mouth.
“Hmm, that day I…”
Everyone in the room looked at her.
“I don’t really remember? Did I run away that day?”
But at her following words, both Duke Haren and Anita could only gape.
Seleneae smiled as if she knew nothing.
“The situation must have been quite urgent. I remember up to trying to shake off the Dearmant together with Miss Anita. It was my plan, after all. But after that, it’s a bit hazy.”
“What…”
“Oh, do you remember by any chance, Miss Anita? Could you tell me? What I did that day.”
Speechless, Anita moved her lips with a dazed expression. Seleneae smiled coldly.
“Sorry. Maybe because I collapsed, I don’t remember at all.”
Anita flinched in surprise and reflexively pressed her body against the chair’s backrest.
Goosebumps rose on the back of her neck.
Unless she was a fool, she could tell.
‘…She doesn’t actually not remember.’
Seleneae Tigris clearly remembered everything that happened that day. But she was lying.
Pretending to have lost her memory, pretending to know nothing.
But Anita couldn’t say a word.
Because…
“Strange, Miss Anita’s memory seems hazy too?”
“I, I…”
Anita stammered like a fool. Seleneae quickly seized the opportunity and interjected.
“Oh, right. The Dearmant showed people hallucinations. We had trouble because of that. Probably our memories were somehow manipulated because of those hallucinations. Right?”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————