A World Where You All Are The Villains - Chapter 13.1
Like someone who had suddenly realized something, Vincent stared blankly at Ethan.
“I don’t know.”
But Ethan looked at him with a strange expression and gave a non-answer.
“…It’s like she’s become a different person.”
Murmuring something ambiguous, he looked down at his own palm, still lingering in the air.
— Are you Sir Douglas’s son? Your name was… Eren, was it?
From their very first meeting over ten years ago until just recently, Edith Blake had not once spoken formally to him.
Not even when he was officially adopted into the Duke’s family registry as the Duke’s foster son.
— Excuse me, but… Who are you?
— I just figured it out. On my own.
And yet, strangely enough, since waking from her coma, she had not spoken to him informally even once.
Even though she must have heard about their relationship in detail from the servants.
‘And that reaction, too…’
Even if it was only for an instant, he’d seen clearly the fear flash across her face as she squeezed her eyes shut.
All he’d meant to do was remove the petal stuck in her hair.
But she’d acted as if she’d been confronted by someone who meant her harm.
At that moment.
Crackle, crack.
“……!”
Startled by a faint sound, Ethan snapped out of his thoughts.
Had he unconsciously let his power seep out?
The petal resting in his palm had become rimed with white frost, frozen solid.
He stared at it for a moment, his face stiffening, before closing his fist tightly.
Crunch—
With barely any effort, the small, delicate petal was crushed to bits.
He opened his hand again and brushed the remnants to the floor without a backward glance.
He didn’t realize how much it looked like he was angrily shaking off a piece of filth.
* * *
— …I didn’t see her.
— My reason for going to Ezenia today wasn’t to meet her.
Back in my room, I mulled over my conversation with Ethan.
“Llewellyn’s vanished, huh…”
I’d thought I didn’t care what the male leads did with the female lead, so long as it didn’t cause me any trouble.
But if she suddenly disappeared, the story changed.
That would mean the novel’s plot had gone off script.
‘Edith vanished after I transmigrated as her. And now Llewellyn too.’
Isn’t that pretty significant?
“I need to verify it myself.”
Before, I’d just vaguely wanted to go out to check my ability and look for the cause of my transmigration, but now I had a concrete reason I had to go.
“Tollen.”
Recalling the place where Edith died, I collapsed onto the bed.
“I need to wash up…”
I needed to get rid of any lingering pollen just in case.
But I was so tired, I could hardly move.
It seemed just running into the male leads had drained all my energy from a body not yet fully recovered.
“…I knew they’d be useless.”
No wonder there wasn’t a single male lead I liked when reading the novel.
I hadn’t expected anything, so I wasn’t disappointed either.
But just then, the incident from earlier came to mind.
— Did you come in contact with flowers?
— You’re allergic to pollen.
Ethan suddenly reaching out to remove the petal from my hair.
And me, reflexively freezing up, squeezing my eyes shut in fear…
“Ugh, why did I get so scared right then!”
The embarrassment I’d forgotten about surged back, and I flailed, smacking my pillow.
“Still, after all this time…”
Trauma really is terrifying.
Even though it’s been over ten years since those days of being beaten by supposed brothers.
The fact that I still flinch at the slightest movement from someone bigger than me just proves I haven’t gotten over it.
“Haa…”
Swamped with shame and reality hitting me, I let out a deep sigh.
Then, as if Ethan were right in front of me, I glared at the ceiling.
“…Why is he suddenly acting close? It’s so annoying.”
Taking a petal out of my hair.
It was such a trivial gesture, not even enough to call it kindness.
Yet it still felt unpleasant. Maybe because I’m too immersed in Edith’s situation.
Or maybe it’s some vestige of guilt.
“Just don’t bother trying to change now. Just keep doing what you’ve always done.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
