I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 589 589: Laylaʼs Wish

After teasing me about Claudia, Layla finally let it go when she noticed I wasnʼt in the mood. But I could tell she was itching to continue. Thankfully, she had enough sense to stop.

She leaned against me with a satisfied smile. ”Ah, Honey… you really are a ladykiller,” she said. ”I thought only a few women would truly love the real you, but it turns out there are quite a lot. If they can accept every part of you… I suppose thatʼs a good thing.”

I wasnʼt sure why, but hearing her say that made me feel oddly reassured. Then, a darker thought crept into my mind.

”What about Miranda?” I asked.

Layla blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in topic. ”Hm?”

”You know,” I hesitated a bit before speaking. ”She only loves me because she thinks Iʼm the same Edward from her childhood.” The words felt strange in my mouth, almost bitter. ”If she ever saw the real me—the ʼtrueʼ me youʼre talking about—I donʼt think it would be the same…”

”Are you wondering if Miranda would have ever loved Nyr?” Layla asked.

”Yeah… Sheʼs a good woman—too good, honestly. I donʼt think weʼd ever be a match in the long run. She wonʼt be as accepting as you, and you know that.”

Layla sighed and turned her gaze toward the calm lake ahead of us.

”Youʼre right,” she said. ”Miranda is different. She might not be able to accept certain things about you.”

Figures.

Celeste was similar in some ways, though her case was more complicated with Nevia lurking inside her. Who knew how that situation would turn out?

Layla glanced at me, her expression thoughtful. ”I wonʼt lie to you, Honey. I do think her love for you is deeply tied to the fact that she still sees you as the boy she knew back then.”

”Yeah, right…” I let out a dry chuckle, recalling Amaelʼs words from before.

”Do you love her, Honey?” Layla asked, her tone more serious now.

I hesitated. ”Who knows if my feelings for her are even mine… or if they belong to Amael?”

Laylaʼs lips curled slightly, as if sheʼd just confirmed something sheʼd been suspecting. ”I see… Youʼve made your choice, havenʼt you? You donʼt consider yourself Amael Idea Olphean anymore.”

She seemed genuinely pleased with my decision.

”Kleines Falkrona, the man who was supposed to be my father, rejected me without hesitation. Alea Olphean, my so-called mother wonʼt even meet my eyes, wonʼt utter a single word to me. And Christina Olphean, the sister I should have had, trembles every time she speaks to me, as if I were some kind of monster.” I let out a dry chuckle. ”Yeah… you could say the choice was an easy one.”

”I suppose… but, Honey, do you blame them?” Layla asked.

I shook my head. ”No. The only one to blame is me. I shouldʼve accepted my situation sooner instead of clinging to something that was never there.”

”Youʼre being too hard on yourself,” she said gently. ”Nihil manipulated your memories, didnʼt he?”

I scoffed. ”He did. And even now, I have no clue what he was really after. Heʼs hiding something—something bigger. I can feel it, but I donʼt know what it is.”

Layla sighed. ”The Gods and their whims…”

”Gods, huh…”

It was a strange thing, saying it out loud.

They were Gods—literal, undeniable Gods.

Nihil, in particular, was said to have played a direct role in the worldʼs creation alongside Eden. According to the myths, they were the first beings to exist—the ones who had shaped the very foundation of this reality.

But to me?

”Theyʼre none of my Gods,” I said flatly. ”Iʼve never been a believer, to begin with. I donʼt owe them anything.”

I wasnʼt talking about just any Gods—I meant them, the ones who supposedly created this world.

Ymir. Eden. Raphiel. Lumen. Nihil. Nox.

The six primordial deities, the so-called architects of everything. The ones who had shaped the races, the lands, the sky, and the seas. The ones people worshipped with blind devotion.

Layla looked at the sky nostalgically before speaking.

”I believed in Raphiel.”

I turned to her, surprised. ”Layla?”

She smiled faintly, though there was something wistful about it.

”I donʼt know how to explain it, but… I truly believed in her. And I loved her, maybe I still love or maybe it is admiration?”

I raised a brow. ”Yet you rejected her bloodline?”

”I did,” she admitted without hesitation. ”But it wasnʼt because I resented her. If anything, I admired her....perhaps more than anyone. She was the only woman among the Great Gods who stood at their level, a figure of undeniable strength and courage. She was everything a woman could dream of being.”

Laylaʼs smile softened into something more genuine.

”So when I found out I was a Daughter of Raphiel… I was happy. Really happy.”

”You couldnʼt have both the Tarmias and Raphielʼs bloodline, right?” I asked. ”So you had to choose?”

Layla nodded. ”I had the choice to take Raphielʼs hand, but I refused. I admired her—truly—but I didnʼt want to become like her. That was different. And more than anything… I felt that by accepting her, I would lose my freedom.” She paused, a hint of something distant in her gaze. ”After my motherʼs death, I wanted to be independent. I needed to prove to myself that I could stand on my own, without anyoneʼs help.”

I smiled. ”And you did exactly that.”

No—she became more than that.

She might have known it herself, but from my perspective, she was an exceptional woman—one of a kind. That was something Iʼd come to appreciate thanks to Amaelʼs memories. Through them, I had seen Layla at every stage of her life, growing up after losing her mother, shaping herself into the woman she was now.

Putting aside that twisted nonsensical love she once had toward Alfred, she had worked tirelessly.

Layla sighed softly, then murmured, ”I know… but I need to become more than that. Stronger, greater, more impressive than Raphiel herself, if I want to be worthy of standing beside you, Honey.”

I turned fully toward her, reaching out to gently caress her cheek. ”What are you talking about, Layla? Youʼre already worthy of me. If anything, I should be the one asking myself those questions.” I chuckled lightly.

Before I could say more, Layla pressed a finger against my lips.

”Never say that, Honey,” she whispered. ”You mean everything to me. So if you truly think Iʼm worthy of you… then donʼt belittle yourself like that.”

I looked at her for a moment, then sighed. ”Then you shouldnʼt either.”

I wasnʼt entirely sure what she was so anxious about.

Layla chuckled, shaking her head slightly. ”You know, Honey… I have this sixth sense when it comes to you. And I know Iʼm right whenever I talk about your future.” Her expression turned thoughtful and bit serious, too serious even for herself. ”I can already see it. Feel it. Youʼre going to become someone important—not just to us, your women, but in a much broader sense.”

I scratched the back of my head, feeling a bit awkward. ”Youʼre overthinking things.”

”No, Honey,” she said, shaking her head. ”Youʼre destined for greatness. A few years from now, I can already picture you standing at heights beyond imagination… and when that day comes, all I want is to be standing beside you.”

I frowned slightly. ”Of course, youʼll stand beside me. What kind of question is that?”

Was she worried about that prophecy again?

Or was it about me dying?

I had already told her—I wouldnʼt die.

…Or maybe, this was something else entirely.

Laylaʼs lips curled into a sweet, affectionate smile as she gently grasped my hand. ”Thatʼs all I desire, Honey. To be with you… and to have a family together.”

Well, we were going to have a daughter. That much was certain—Nevia herself had confirmed it.

”Fortunately, Nevia already gave us her confirmation, didnʼt she?” Layla said what I had in my mind, her cheeks dusted with a lovely shade of pink.

”W–Well, yeah,” I nodded, feeling a bit flustered myself.

”Then, Honey, letʼs see if tonight is the night it begins,” she said playfully, standing up and tugging at my hand.

I blinked. ”Wait… Thatʼs way too soon!” I sputtered, catching onto what she meant.

Layla let out a soft giggle, tilting her head with an irresistible sparkle in her eyes. ”Come on, Honey. Letʼs leave everything to fate. If itʼs meant to happen tonight, then so be it.” Her voice was laced with teasing, and before I could react, she leaned in, pressing her soft breasts against my arm. ”Or… do you not want to?”

I grimaced, feeling the heat rise to my face.

Without another word, I smirked, tightened my grip around her, and—before she could react—swept her off her feet in a perfect princess carry.

”Ha—!” Layla let out an adorable yelp, her eyes going wide in surprise.

”Hold on tight,” I said with a grin before launching myself forward at full speed.

Layla let out a laugh, nestling her face against my chest as I sprinted through the streets. The wind rushed past us as I leaped over buildings, weaving through the city toward my hotel with inhuman agility.

By the time we arrived, I wasted no time rushing inside, heading straight for the elevator. I pressed the button to my floor and leaned against the mirror.

Layla glanced up at me with a knowing smile. ”Are you really that impatient, Honey?”

”Obviously,” I shot back with a smirk. But just as the words left my mouth—

My grin froze.

Shit.

A cold chill ran down my spine as realization hit me like a brick. In my eagerness, I had completely forgotten something crucial.

That woman… was still in my closet.

Layla blinked at me, tilting her head in confusion. ”Honey?” She asked, noticing the sudden shift in my expression.

I looked at her.

If I told her, she would—

No. I didnʼt even want to imagine that scenario.

I forced myself to breathe, calming the uneasiness creeping up my back. No need to panic. I had used Sloth on her. She should still be asleep. By the time she woke up, Iʼd be long finished with Layla, and sheʼd be none the wiser.

Yeah, there was no way I was ruining this moment.

”Nothing,” I finally said, flashing her my best reassuring smile. As the elevator doors slid open, I stepped out, leading her toward my room.

Tonight was for Layla. Everything else could wait.