Is It So Wrong that I Like Seeing the Villain Suffer? - Chapter 12

“What’s this nonsense, Lize! I just picked it up because it was lying around in the room…!”

“So why did you pick it up? It’s creepy.”

I approached him step by step with a smile.

“I heard you were saying something interesting. You ordered an article to be sent if you don’t return?”

“L-Lize….”

“Hmm. You must have thought that would keep you safe… but what if we send your corpse back in a carriage? If we make it look like you were attacked on the way, no one can blame Cayenne.”

“Lize, what are you talking about now—!”

“Or I could torture you until you go insane and send you back. Then no one would believe the nonsense you spout.”

“Lize!”

“Do you really think you’d be safe with just that… Isn’t your imagination a bit lacking, brother Gillian?”

I gave Gillian, who was staring at me with a pale face, a gentle smile.

Even though I used the title ‘brother’ that he liked so much, Gillian’s face didn’t look bright.

Regardless, I continued speaking calmly.

“Of course, I hope nothing like that ever happens. So just quietly sign the contract and….”

“……”

“Get out of here.”

It was a statement that didn’t match my cheerful voice.

“Oh, and you don’t need to pretend that you’re going to take me with you.”

I added as I looked into Gillian’s trembling eyes.

“…Judging by your current state, you’d probably run away alone if I let you go.”

Gillian stared at me with a blank expression.

I could also feel Arkle’s gaze on the side of my face.

Gillian, who had been opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, muttered incredulously.

“L-Lize, you’ve really gone mad.”

“I’m more clear-headed than ever.”

“Poor thing… Jean… that guy is pitiful too. His sister, known for her propriety, has gone mad… It seems her prospects for marriage are completely closed now.”

Gillian clicked his tongue.

I looked at him with disbelief.

Even in this situation, he only spouts nonsense; he’s truly remarkable.

“But….”

Gillian, who seemed to be thinking about something, spoke as if he had made up his mind.

“I can still embrace you despite everything.”

He reached out to me. He shouted with conviction in a resolute voice.

“Once we get out of here, you’ll surely regain your senses. Follow me, Lize.”

“Wow… I’m speechless.”

“If you refuse, I’ll take you by force. It’s for your own good. Come here, Lize!”

Gillian stepped forward and grabbed my wrist tightly.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

“Ouch, let go of me, will you?”

I twisted my wrist to free myself, but Gillian gripped it even harder and pulled me toward him.

“Let’s go! They say this place is cursed, and I feel like I’m losing my mind too. You’ll feel better once you’re back at House Moril.”

“It’s ridiculous, why would I go to House Moril with you—”

“This is all for you, Lize. Just listen to me quietly—!”

Gillian shouted with a fierce frown.

“Argh—!”

With a scream, Gillian clutched his arm and collapsed to the floor.

His right wrist, which had grabbed me, was bruised and twisted.

Arkle looked down at the groaning Gillian without a word.

A murky aura surrounded him.

It was magic.

“Don’t touch her recklessly.”

“Y-You… you monster!”

“Perhaps.”

“Do you think you’ll get away with this—! Ugh…!”

“But you look just as ugly as a monster.”

Arkle spoke while looking at Gillian with indifferent eyes.

“Monster! Don’t look at me with those eyes—!”

Gillian, who was sitting on the floor, shouted.

“When I leave this place, I’ll tell everything. I’ll let the world know! That Arkle Cayenne attacked me with the power of a demon, that he must be eliminated immediately…! If you so much as move a finger—”

“I have no interest in your insignificant body unless you lay a hand on Lize Allenheim.”

“You, you damned bastard…!”

Gillian, who was glaring at Arkle as if he could kill him, suddenly turned his gaze to me.

“Lize, you understand now, don’t you? How vicious that monster is. Help me up!”

“Excuse me?”

“We have to escape from here together! Come on—”

“But the deal isn’t finished yet, brother Gillian.”

I said with a bright smile, and Gillian finally shook his head like he was fed up.

“Fine… I see you’ve already fallen for that monster. You filthy wench.”

“Oh my.”

“……”

I shrugged my shoulders at the unexpected insult and Arkle’s eyes narrowed.

Gillian, who staggered to his feet, looked at me.

“Aren’t you ashamed? After receiving the title of saintess, there’s no man for you but a member of the demon’s family…. Your brother would be thrilled to know this.”

“Ah, yes, well.”

I felt no emotion about a brother I had never even seen.

And I told him several times that I’m not a saintess, yet he never believed me.

“I treated you so well… but it was all for nothing. An ungrateful fool… I’ll reveal everything. About the monstrous bastard who uses demonic power and the shameless woman who clings to him—”

It was when Arkle took a step toward Gillian.

“Don’t come any closer! If you lay a hand on me, I’ll consider it a declaration of war against House Moril by Cayenne!”

Gillian pulled out a small spherical device from his pocket with his uninjured left arm.

“This is a magical tool that calls the knights at the press of a button. I’m glad I brought it. If you take one more step, I’ll press it.”

‘I don’t want this to get any bigger.’

I gently tugged at Arkle’s sleeve.

Let’s not move for now.

“……”

As if he understood me, Arkle stopped walking.

“Good.”

Gillian, who was breathing heavily, smiled as he cautiously backed toward the door.

Holding the magical tool tightly in one hand.

“You should have done this from the start. Didn’t you learn as a child that a young man of one family shouldn’t lay a hand on a young man of another family, as it’s akin to a declaration of war?”

It was then that Gillian spoke sarcastically.

“—Then you shouldn’t mind this.”

At the blunt voice, something flew toward the magical tool Gillian was holding.

The object that struck the magical tool directly and shattered it was a kitchen knife.

Dumbfounded, Gillian looked at the broken magical tool and opened his mouth.

“Huh? Oh….”

“I am just a mere maid being rude, you impolite young master.”

A familiar voice.

When I turned to the direction the knife came from, I saw a face I knew well.

A maid with red hair and a sharp look.

“Sylvia!”

Sylvia, who met my eyes, quickly looked away.

“…I owe you.”

Sylvia said in a prickly manner, her face somehow blushing.

“Sylvia is right, Master.”

Other servants began to appear one by one beside Sylvia.

“If we say it was the servants being rude without the master’s knowledge, there should be no problem.”

“That’s right, this has nothing to do with Master and Miss Lize.”

“How dare you insult the angelic Miss Lize?!”

Though the last statement sounded a bit strange, I quickly put on a downcast face and spoke,

“Everyone… although he did call me a filthy wench and an ungrateful fool, I’m okay.”

“You wicked scoundrel!”

The enraged servants rushed toward Gillian.

“D-Don’t come near!”

The flustered Gillian pulled out the knife embedded in the magical tool and pointed it.

“Don’t show such a vicious object in front of Miss Lize—!”

One maid kicked away the knife Gillian was holding with a spinning kick and then punched him squarely in the face.

“She’s a gentle and delicate person!”

What are you showing her, then?

Gillian, clutching his nose, collapsed to the floor again.

The servants surrounded him at once.

“Miss Lize should only see cute and lovely things, and you dare—!”

“Argh!”

Though I couldn’t see him surrounded by the servants, I could hear Gillian’s desperate screams.

“That’s right, she should only see and hear beautiful things. Got it?!”

“Ugh—!”

‘Are these screams beautiful sounds?’

Juan seemed to share my thoughts, as he was observing the scene with narrowed eyes and a bewildered face.

Arkle, who had been watching the servants with an expressionless face, turned away.

He approached me and asked.

“What do you want to do with that guy?”

“Well….”

“Do you want to send his body back in a carriage as you mentioned earlier?”

I shook my head.

“No, we need to finish the deal. Juan, you have the contract, right?”

“Here it is.”

Juan took out the contract from his pocket, and I received it from him and approached Gillian.

As I came closer, the servants stepped aside to make way.

Gillian, who was crouched and trembling, lifted his head to look up at me. His face was a mess of tears and snot.

I squatted in front of him and hummed.

“Just because it’s a crying face doesn’t mean it’s always pretty….”

“L-Lize… please, spare me—”

“I told you earlier, brother. I hope nothing unfortunate happens.”

Like an angel bestowing a ray of salvation, I held out the contract in front of him.

Smiling kindly, I asked,

“How about signing here and finishing the deal?”

“I’ll do it…! I’ll do it—!”

Gillian, who received the contract and pen from me, hurriedly signed it.

“I’m glad it ended safely!”

I looked at the contract with shining eyes.

Feeling proud, I turned around and gave Arkle a triumphant smile.

Holding up the contract, I said to him,

“See, Arkle? Now the Wensle Mine belongs to House Cayenne.”

“Yes.”

“I told you I’d make the deal successful, didn’t I?!”

I said with a bright smile, and Arkle replied quietly.

“Yes.”

‘Oh, did he just smile?’

It was brief, but I thought I saw the corners of his mouth lift slightly.

“Pay the guest.”

Arkle instructed Juan and turned away.

“I’ll go in first.”

“Yes, Master. I’ll take care of the aftermath.”

“Lize Allenheim.”

He looked back at me and said.

“My office is on the third floor. I’ll be waiting.”

“Pardon?”

“I promised to grant your request.”

“Oh…!”

When I exclaimed as if I had just remembered, Arkle shook his head slightly.

“To forget after even betting your fingers, you must be quite distracted.”

Arkle turned and left the banquet hall.

‘Oh, just now….’

I think he smiled again.

Though it was brief, I saw a smile pass across his usually emotionless face.

I stood there blankly, watching the spot where Arkle had left.

Even for a moment, his face filled with emotions was… indescribably beautiful.