A World Where You All Are The Villains [Novel] Chapter 66

By the time I arrived at the ducal estate, dawn was breaking in the distance.

I hurriedly stepped out of the carriage and walked toward the wall.

Unlike when I left, cargo carriages weren't allowed to enter the premises freely at this hour, so I had to use the side gate in the back wall.

The gate, normally used by servants during the day, connected directly to the mansion's rear entrance.

Fortunately, Nancy must have left it open, so the door wasn't locked.

And I quickly slipped inside.

Just as I was about to rush back to my room before any early risers could spot me…

"Look who's finally back."

"Ah!"

I flinched at the sudden voice coming from right next to the gate.

Whipping my head around, I saw blue hair, the color of the dawn twilight, gently swaying in the breeze.

In the gloom before sunrise, a pair of golden eyes flashed.

For a moment, I couldn't believe my eyes.

"…Vincent?"

Because the man leaning against the wall next to the side gate was none other than Male Lead No. 2, Vincent Leandro.

"Why are you… here?"

"Good question."

"…"

"Why am I here, Edith?"

He tilted his head, one corner of his mouth twisting into a smirk.

Pushing himself off the wall, he slowly stepped out from the shadows.

79%

Seeing the number floating above his head made Vincent's presence feel starkly real all over again.

When I first heard him call out, I honestly thought I was seeing a ghost.

Still clutching my pounding chest, I looked him over carefully.

He had severely bloodshot eyes, chapped lips, and a pallid complexion.

Vincent looked as though he had been standing in that exact spot all night long.

"You seem busy. Where are you coming back from?"

He asked abruptly, stopping a mere two steps away from me.

I didn't really want to answer.

Even without Male Lead No. 2 adding to my headache, I had already endured a thoroughly exhausting and difficult night.

Honestly, it was a miracle I hadn't collapsed yet.

However, the aura radiating from Vincent was no joke.

I replied in a subdued voice,

"…I just had to meet someone for a bit."

"Really? Who's that?"

"Do I have to tell you that too?"

"As your friend, I'm allowed to be curious."

He answered instantly, without a single change in expression.

My head began to throb.

Once the sun fully rose, the servants would start appearing one by one.

Glancing around nervously, I decided to cut the conversation short.

"…I don't know why you came, but just go home for today. Let's talk later."

"Later, when?"

"At an appropriate hour to visit someone else's house."

Meaning: not right now.

At that, he let out a sharp chuckle.

"Sure it's not just because you can't say who it is?"

"Think whatever you want."

He wasn't wrong, but there was also no reason for me to tell him.

I turned my back on him without lingering.

I could tell something had pissed him off, prompting this early morning visit.

But I really didn't care about his circumstances.

Whether he was upset or not…

Just as I had that thought and tried to walk away…

A fierce gust of wind blew out of nowhere.

The wind slapped my face hard enough to jolt me wide awake.

"Ugh…!"

Without even having time to be surprised, I threw my arms up to block it.

Forget about walking away from Vincent, I couldn't even keep my eyes open in the sudden gale.

"…Ah!"

Just as my feet were dragged backward and I was about to lose my balance…

The wildly raging wind died down like a lie.

It was so abrupt I wondered if I was daydreaming with my eyes wide open.

As I looked around with a dumbfounded expression…

"Next time, it might be pollen blowing your way."

"…"

"The back garden is right there, after all."

At the playful voice coming from behind me, I slowly turned around.

Vincent was staring at me, wearing his usual innocent, yet somehow twisted, smile.

I naturally realized exactly who was behind that sudden, paralyzing gust of wind.

I was astounded.

I faced him with a cold glare.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Trying to have a conversation."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Well, I do."

He seemed thoroughly pissed off.

Seeing him smirk as if this were just fun wordplay, I knew he wouldn't let me leave unless I heard him out.

Shoving a hand into my pocket, I thought for a moment.

I still had plenty of the sleeping perfume Aston had given me.

The temptation flared for a second, but I quickly shook my head.

There was no way to hide his unconscious body sprawling in the backyard, and he'd just come looking for me again once he woke up anyway.

Eventually, I sighed and took my hand out of my pocket.

"Alright, spit it out. I'm listening."

When I crossed my arms and spoke in annoyance, the amusement vanished from Vincent's face.

"Right. Then I won't hold back…"

He trailed off for a moment before snapping at me like he was about to lunge.

"Why did you go to Legion Street?"

"…What?"

"I guess sneaking off to Volner two weeks ago wasn't enough for you."

"…!"

I felt like I had been struck in the back of the head.

It was a question I hadn't expected to hear from him in the slightest.

"How did you…"

My shocked staring only lasted a moment before a cold, hollow laugh burst from my lips.

"Hah. Have you… been spying on me all this time?"

"How was the new escort knight?"

"…"

"I was the one who recommended him to your butler. You did a pretty good job shaking him off."

I thought nothing could be more absurd than him spying on me, but seeing him blabbering about it so casually left me dumbstruck.

"What… why would you do that…"

Stuttering out my accusations, I abruptly shut my mouth.

It suddenly felt pointless to even ask.

So, there was no need to question it.

It was undoubtedly related to the original female lead.

Thinking about it that way, everything made sense.

"Right… Do whatever you want. Spy on me or don't."

Shaking my head, I muttered in a drained voice.

It wasn't like he'd listen if I told him to stop anyway, and getting angry at a guy like him was just a joke.

"It wasn't spying."

But something seemed to displease him again, as his face twisted ferociously.

"It was for your protection. At first."

"Protection?"

"I heard the Grand Duke was suspicious of you. So, in my own way, I attached an escort to provide an alibi for my one and only friend, and to prevent any potential danger."

It was a ridiculous excuse.

I silently watched him put on a whole one-man show: getting angry, sneering, and now acting like he was the one being wronged.

"Because up until then, I actually believed your whole amnesia story."

"…"

"Though obviously, I was an idiot for believing it."

Spitting the words out through gritted teeth, Vincent glared at me with dark, sunken eyes.

"Do you have anything to say to me, Edith?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Fine. Then just answer me straight."

"…"

"Where is Llewellyn?"

My brow furrowed the moment I heard that name.

I was so sick and tired of this.

"Why do you always come to me to ask that? Don't you ever think of finding her yourself?"

"Because your actions are incredibly suspicious. Plus, you have a track record."

"What exactly was so suspicious?"

"Sneaking off to Volner right after Llewellyn got kidnapped, even ditching your escort to do it. And as if that wasn't enough, leaving at midnight today and only coming back now…"

"…"

"Is there any reason I shouldn't be suspicious of you?"

At this point, I was genuinely curious about what was going on inside his head.

His so-called "evidence" was nothing more than just reciting my secret whereabouts.

I tried my best to look at it from Vincent's perspective.

Given his personality, it was only natural for him to suspect me first the moment he found out Llewellyn had been kidnapped.

"So what you're saying is, you've been having me followed this whole time because you suspected I kidnapped Llewellyn?"

"Not spying. Protection."

He immediately corrected me before I could even finish my sentence.

"Right, let's call it protection."

I nodded obediently, far too exhausted to have a verbal spar with him.

"Then you should have just followed me and found out for yourself instead of interrogating me."

"I planned to… but the guys I put on you couldn't keep up till the end every time. Tsk, incompetent bastards."

He clicked his tongue, his eyes narrowing.

I had nothing to say to that, so I just stayed quiet.

After scanning me up and down, his face suddenly hardened like a demon's.

And then, he fiercely interrogated me.

"What did you talk about with Dylan Frederick?"

"…"

"What were you doing all night with that son of a bitch, Serge Belnac, before crawling back in here?"