How to Survive as That Villainess - Chapter 14

Chapter 2: I Won’t Hurt You! (7)

The knife incident at the library was resolved without any major issues. Although I was startled when the male student woke up, my skillful swordsman friend quickly subdued him. After tying him up tightly with some rope Dia had brought from somewhere, we debated what to do next. Fortunately, a magic professor happened to visit the library, and we handed the male student over to him, ending the incident.

The professor, after hearing our explanation, became furious and dragged the male student away. He would probably be expelled or face severe punishment. I waved goodbye to the student I would never see again and then turned to Kailon.

“So, since I didn’t end up saving her, the sparring is off…”

“No.”

I winced at Kailon’s firm response. Oh no, I guess I have to spar with him. Living a quiet, long life has always been my motto, but is this how it ends for me? I covered my face with my hands, swallowing my tears inside.

It was an action driven by sudden fatigue, but Dia thought I was unwell and showed concern.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?”

“…No, nothing.”

Before I knew it, we were speaking comfortably with each other. Dia gently placed her delicate hand on my forehead and looked at me with even more concern.

“You don’t have a fever, but you don’t look well. This won’t do; Kailon, you should take Radel home.”

Dia’s overprotectiveness was beyond imagination. I didn’t want to go home alone with Kailon, whom I still found awkward and uncomfortable. So I shook my head vigorously to express my refusal. Kailon also shook his head, seemingly finding the idea bothersome.

“No, what if Radel gets kidnapped or something? Just take her home.”

“I’m fine. I’ll handle it myself.”

As long as I have my sword, I can take care of myself. I replied confidently, but Dia smiled beautifully like a flower and said:

“Kailon will escort you home safely.”

Hello, what about my opinion? Dia was insistent. Kailon, seemingly accustomed to Dia’s behavior, stood there silently.

“I would like to take you home myself, but I still have things to take care of… So I’ll leave Radel in your care, sword monster!”

With that, Dia slowly walked away. She was unstoppable. She was so persistent that I was left speechless. Dia walked lightly down the hallway and disappeared, leaving Kailon and me behind. I placed my hand on my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

“Well, let’s just go, shall we?”

I had no choice but to begin my awkward journey home with Kailon.

Come to think of it, Dia was quite an important character in the novel. I forgot in the confusion earlier, but now I remember she was Seria’s friend.

Dia was the only daughter of the Reios family, a family famous for swordsmanship, and she grew up sparring with Kailon, who was also from a family known for swordsmanship. Unlike the rival families, Dia and Kailon got along quite well through their sparring. Although there were many times when Dia would get angry at Kailon, their connection led Dia to naturally become friends with Seria, who was in Kailon’s circle.

From what I saw earlier, Dia didn’t seem to be friends with Seria yet. It would be convenient to know exactly where we are in the novel. I hope no incidents happen soon, though I would rather not get involved.

“Oh, by the way, Dia called you a monster. Does that not bother you?”

As I was thinking absentmindedly, it suddenly caught my attention. Dia called Kailon a monster playfully, but it wasn’t really a compliment, so I cautiously observed Kailon’s reaction. Kailon noticed my gaze, tilted his head, and spoke.

“Not really.”

It was such a calm and simple answer. Haha, I guess he’s okay with it. I worried for nothing. Since Dia has known him since childhood, it’s probably more like a nickname. So there was no need to worry about Kailon being hurt or upset. With that in mind, I turned my head forward again. But then I heard Kailon’s quiet and low voice, which made me look up at him once more.

“I’ve heard it since I was a kid.”

“Oh…”

His words left me with a bitter feeling. Come to think of it, who would enjoy being called such a terrible nickname from a young age? The answer would be ‘no one.’ Unless someone has a psychopathic personality, no one would be happy to hear such a strange nickname. I kept my mouth shut for a moment before speaking in the brightest voice I could manage.

“If it’s okay with you, Kailon, can I give you a nickname that only I’ll use?”

“A nickname?”

Kailon asked, keeping his expression neutral. I nodded vigorously. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but didn’t speak. I took it as an agreement and started thinking hard. What should I call Kailon as a nickname? Lons? No, that doesn’t sound right. How about just Kyle…?

Oh, that sounds pretty good.

“How about Kyle?”

I quickly decided on the nickname and asked for his opinion. Kyle looked at me with a wide smile and then nodded slightly. It seemed he liked it.

“Great. Then, I’ll call you Kyle. Ah, and you can call me by my name too.”

Having decided on a nickname, I suggested that he call me by my name to become a little closer. He couldn’t possibly not know my name after following me around like that…but given that it’s Kyle, I was a bit nervous.

“Radel.”

Kyle spoke calmly, unlike my worries. Somehow it felt very unfamiliar. Still, Kyle called me by my name as I asked. It was a significant improvement compared to when he couldn’t even remember my face before.

“Wow, well done!”

I praised Kyle and stretched up on my tiptoes to pat him on the head. It was a bit of a stretch, but thankfully I managed to reach his head. I patted Kyle’s head a couple of times before lowering my heels again. Whew, that was tough. He was so tall that I almost couldn’t reach. I’m really envious of tall people.

“From now on, please call me by my name.”

Kyle carefully touched the spot I patted and nodded at my words. I had been slightly dissatisfied with not being called by my name, so I was finally able to smile satisfactorily. Hmph, good.

Suddenly, instead of a bitter feeling, warmth washed over me. It was a somewhat cheesy situation, but I hoped this would help Kyle open up to me a little. Now I need to work hard until the day comes when Kyle takes an interest in me as a person, not just for sparring. It will be tough, but…

On a side note, before falling asleep after returning home, I realized that Dia was an heir to a swordsmanship family, and I kicked my blanket in frustration. She could have easily handled the situation without needing my help. I regretted asking Kyle for help as I fell asleep with tears in my eyes.

Oh, my life.