How To Live As An Academy Extra Villain

✦ Chapter 126 ✦

「Translator – Creator」

𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝

“……………”

In the thick silence, the only sound was the crackling of the campfire. Selene silently gazed at Ellie. She had no fitting retort to Ellie’s piercing comment.

Lately, she had been feeling irritated, sensing that Edwin was paying more attention to Ellie for some reason. And Edwin’s question had presented a prime opportunity to capitalize on that irritation. She seized the moment, clinging to his arm and feigning a childish petulance.

The tears that welled up in her eyes were so convincing even Selene was impressed with herself. All those hours spent devouring illicit romance novels were finally paying off.

And her tactic worked. She could bask in the warmth of Edwin’s comforting touch, something she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

There was something strange about Edwin’s behavior today, however, which was why she was being extra vigilant, carefully monitoring the surroundings through her deployed spirits.

But even with the spirits’ surveillance, she couldn’t detect any immediate threats. It must have been fatigue, then. He must have misheard something. The fact that he’d fallen asleep so early only strengthened her conviction.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. If it weren’t for Ellie, she could have savored Edwin’s attention for much longer.

Perhaps Ellie was the reason Edwin was so tired in the first place. The girl had been clinging to him all day, whining and feigning weakness. It was pathetic.

Ellie was a woman with no redeeming qualities compared to herself, except for her luck. That part couldn’t be denied. Meeting Edwin so early on had indeed been fortuitous for her.

“…You seem to have quite the eye for things…”

Selene finally said, breaking the long silence. The kind of confrontation she would have never dared to engage in before. And it was Edwin Reed who had brought about this change in her.

“…And what business of yours is it…? What Edwin and I do…” 

“Ha…” 

Ellie scoffed, looking at Selene in disbelief. Selene, however, remained unperturbed, continuing calmly.

“How about you stop worrying about other people’s men…? If you’re lonely, find someone else…”

“Other people’s… men…?”

Ellie now fully realized that the woman in front of her was delusional. She felt foolish for even attempting to persuade her reasonably.

After all, She had long been aware of the situation, having heard the entire story from Edwin. She’d initially been furious that Selene had attempted to exploit her troops, but seeing how pathetic the woman was, she had decided to show mercy— just this once. 

* * * * *

However, this woman, unaware of the situation, strutted around as though she had received some monumental favor just because she was taken to a mere ball or given the equivalent of a coin’s worth of aid.

Ellie prided herself on her magnanimity. Though her heart felt like it was being torn apart, she had resolved not to interfere in Edwin’s relationships with other women. A single night of dalliance was something she could overlook.

But this woman had crossed a line. The person standing before her wasn’t just vying for Edwin’s attention—she was a cunning temptress preying on his innocence.

“…Do you see this…?”

Selene untied the string that held her collar closed. It seemed she needed to make Ellie face reality.

The moonlight illuminated the pale skin revealed by the loosened garment. And etched upon that skin, though faded with time, was a distinct, jagged scar.

“…Edwin gave these to me. As a mark that I’m his woman. My body still trembles…even now, just thinking about it… the way he looked at me, like he wanted to devour me whole…”

She trailed her fingers across the scar as if caressing a priceless treasure. It was only then that Ellie understood. It was the mark of the very thing that had made her blush as she talked under her breath with the maids.

“How… utterly vulgar… Huff…”

Ellie struggled to steady herself. She barely managed to quell the rage that threatened to burst forth.

No one knew Edwin better than she did. The idea of him choosing another woman before her—it was unfathomable. Unacceptable.

That scar… well, it was nothing more than an act of charity. A momentary lapse in judgment, perhaps, fueled by misplaced sympathy. Edwin, in his infinite kindness, probably hadn’t even thought twice about it.

A genuine smile spread across Ellie’s face as she looked at Selene; the smile of someone who held all the cards.

“Who do you take for a fool? There’s no way such a naive man like Edwin would do such a thing.”

Selene frowned at Ellie’s composed demeanor. It was true that Edwin was a man of exceptional kindness and naivety. However, the casual way Ellie referred to him… it grated on her nerves. 

“…Don’t use that term, ‘Ed.’ It’s extremely unpleasant. People might get the wrong idea…”

“What wrong idea? It’s perfectly natural for people in love to have pet names for each other.”

“…Love? Who? Edwin? With you?”

“Yes.”

Selene was aghast. And then, Ellie uttered words so audacious, so utterly inconceivable, that Selene’s blood ran cold.

“You. I’ll at least acknowledge your merit in keeping my husband from feeling lonely while I was away.”

Selene felt a sudden chill run down her spine as if her very blood had turned to ice. Husband? Who in the world…? Selene might be utterly clueless when it came to matters of medicine, but even she could see that—

This woman was completely insane.

“Husband…? Don’t be ridiculous… how dare you…”

“That’s enough. There are lines one shouldn’t cross. Stop exploiting a naive man and return to your place. Once is enough help, isn’t it?”

It seemed impossible to reason with Ellie. She felt a strong urge to get rid of the woman standing before her.

One letter to Angie could ensure that this woman would disappear, without leaving a trace or even a speck of dust behind.

…But she couldn’t do that. Ellie might have claimed indifference, but she knew how much Edwin cared for Selene. 

Edwin never cast aside anyone under his protection. That’s why she couldn’t openly tell Selene to shove off right in front of him. 

If by any rare chance Edwin found out she had gotten rid of Selene, she herself might face the possibility of being cast out as well. That terrible future was enough to make her knees go weak with just the thought.

—Clench—

“…You better cut it out. Edwin is already my man. He’s mine. It’s destiny. If you keep babbling nonsense about him being your husband…”

Selene ground her teeth together, her hands clenching into fists.

It had been a while since she’d last tapped into her multi-elemental spirit magic. She’d been deliberately keeping her abilities under wraps, playing the part of the delicate damsel for Edwin’s benefit. But perhaps…

A combination of just a few spells was all it would take. This woman would vanish without a sound, without a trace. And no one would ever know.

But then what?

But she couldn’t think of how to handle the aftermath. She was grappling with the same dilemma as Ellie.

Right now, she regretted the past training that had been designed to prevent her from going berserk.

In the past, mere agitation like this would have been enough to trigger a berserk state.

And if that happened, she could naturally tear this woman before her to pieces.

“…You. I really don’t like you…”

“Really? What a coincidence. I was just thinking the same thing.”

Selene’s mutter was met with Ellie’s sharp voice. Neither side’s momentum seemed like it would break easily. By coincidence, they were both thinking the same thing.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

* * * * *

—Chirppp! Chirppp!

The chirping of birds stirred me from my sleep. A faint light peeked through the gaps in the tent flap. I turned my head, drawn by a strange warmth behind me, and found Hertie fast asleep, his back pressed against mine.

‘When did he…?’

The tent wasn’t particularly small, so it wasn’t like we were crammed for space. Perhaps Hertie was a restless sleeper? Hard to believe, considering how elegant he appeared. My, what a deceptive façade.

Dark circles were faintly visible beneath his closed eyelids. Must have been exhausting, keeping watch all night… Wait a minute. Keeping watch?

—Flap!

“Good morning, Ed! Did you sleep well?”

It was already bright morning outside. Ellie, who was tidying up, looked back at me and greeted me cheerfully.

“Morning, Ellie. But… ”

“You looked too tired, so I just let you sleep. It’s fine. We took turns standing watch in threes…”

Ellie brushed it off as if it were nothing. I heard a soft cough behind her and turned to find Selene discreetly stifling a yawn, her cheeks still flushed from sleep.

“Edwin… did you sleep well…? Ahemmm…”

“Uh… yeah…”

A light sheen of makeup adorned their faces. I’d never understand the female fascination with such things. Even here, in the middle of the woods, they felt the need to… enhance their appearance? What a mystery.

But makeup couldn’t fully cover the dark circles under their eyes. Seeing that made me feel more guilt-ridden. The faces they so carefully maintained were worn out because of me.

“There you go again… We’re fine, really…”

“She’s right… Seriously…”

Ellie and Selene said, looking at my expression. The fatigue in their voices was unmistakable.

“Today, I’ll stand watch alone. You two get some proper rest.”

“But… it’s really fine…”

“Ellie. Listen to me.”

“…Okay”

When I firmly insisted, Ellie didn’t object further. It was clear she had a tendency to relent under strong pressure. I made a mental note to exploit this particular quirk should the need arise in the future.

* * * * *

“Who’s that…? Ellie?”

Before long, Hertie woke up as well, and after a light breakfast, we continued our journey. As we reached the edge of the swamp, we encountered another group.

“Bella…!”

Ellie called out, waving enthusiastically at a young woman in the approaching group. They appeared to be commoner students, judging by their plain clothes and lack of expensive magical accessories—the kind Ellie often befriended.

“Ed… right now…”

“Right now, what…?”

“Act… act like we are close! I promised to help improve your reputation! Now’s the time…!”

As Ellie approached them, she suddenly whispered something to me. There was an unusual urgency in her voice.

— End of Chapter —

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