I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 193 [Event] [Celesta Twinsʼ Birthday] [6]

This girl just wonʼt leave my side.

I couldnʼt help but twitch my expression as Sylvia continued to follow me wherever I went.

Whatever.

I let out a sigh and nodded at the knights, who immediately recognized me and opened the doors to the hall.

As I stepped in, the previously noisy atmosphere hushed, and all eyes turned towards me and Sylvia. Their expressions were a mix of surprise and shock.

”This is getting annoying,” I muttered under my breath, making my way towards Aunt Belle. ”Aunt--ouch!” I grunted as Aunt Belle forcefully fixed my tie, almost choking me in the process.

”Youʼre attending an important ceremony, Edward. Show some restraint,” she scolded.

I shrugged my shoulders, casually poking Orlinʼs cheeks as he tried to reach out to me with his small hands. ”Iʼm no longer a Falkrona, anyway.”

”Yes, but youʼre still from the Olphean House. You should visit your birthplace one day to understand,” Aunt Belle said, glancing briefly behind me. ”Oh, isnʼt this Sylvia? Youʼve grown up beautifully, Sylvia.” She affectionately patted Sylviaʼs head.

”Aunt Belle, is he your son? Heʼs so cute!” Sylvia exclaimed, playing with Orlinʼs hand.

”Well, heʼs Edwardʼs familiar, but since he didnʼt know how to take care of children, I took him under my wing.”

”I take good care of Annabelle, though,” I retorted.

”Annabelle is mature and really fond of you, thatʼs why. But itʼs different with Orlin. Heʼs scared of you.”

”Thatʼs harsh...”

”Uh? Who is Annabelle?” Sylvia asked curiously.

”My daughter.”

”Y-Your daughter?! Since when did you-!”

I quickly covered Sylviaʼs mouth before she could blurt it out and create misunderstandings. ”I adopted her!”

Fortunately, Aunt Belle was there for me.

I confided in her about my memories of past lives and my possession of several legacies. I didnʼt want to hide anything from her, even though I couldnʼt be certain if we were truly inside a game. Surprisingly, Aunt Belle didnʼt seem to care at all.

(”Regardless of how many past lives youʼve had, youʼll always be my adorable nephew,” she said.)

Her words lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders.

I shared with her everything about Annabelle and Orlin, and I even told her what had happened to Mary. While she expressed concern over my crazy plan to kidnap Persephone, Hadesʼ wife, she didnʼt try to dissuade me. Instead, she assured me of her support.

”Howʼs Tihana?” Aunt Belle asked.

”Tihana? Sheʼs doing well,” I replied with a smile. ”But she refuses to leave my side.”

Tihana, my second familiar, hatched three weeks ago. Despite being born after Orlin, she displayed an incredible maturity and acted like an older sister to him. Unlike Orlin, who was closest to Aunt Belle, Tihana grew close to me.

”Sylvia.” Queen Edithʼs voice cut through the air, drawing our attention.

Sylvia glanced at me before sighing and making her way towards her parents. They began conversing, their discussion seemingly tense, though I couldnʼt overhear the details.

”Hm?” I scanned the room and realized that everyone was still looking at me. Most of the girls... they were staring at me intently, their cheeks flushed.

[]

ʼI used to yearn for this kind of attention, but now I couldnʼt care less.ʼ

[]

ʼCan we stop talking about the old me, please?!ʼ

”Oh, Edward, every girl is eyeing you,” Aunt Belle nudged me teasingly. ”Until Mary comes back to you, you might need some warmth.”

”A-Aunt Belle...?” I stammered, caught off guard by her remark.

”Oh, come on! I made a promise to your mother to bring in plenty of daughters-in-law for her!”

”What kind of promise is that?!”

But as I remembered my mother, always joking around, it didnʼt seem too far-fetched for her to make such a request…

”How about Myra? You still love her, right? Look, isnʼt she adorable?” Aunt Belle pointed towards Miranda, who was accompanied by Elona.

Elona was eagerly trying to drag Miranda towards me, while Miranda resisted, her face flushed with embarrassment.

In the end, Elona gave up and approached me herself, hugging me tightly before playfully punching my shoulder. ”You didnʼt even respond to me!”

”My bad.”

”This isnʼt enough, and you didnʼt even tell me about your cute familiar,” Elona pouted, attempting to reach for Orlin, but he clung to Aunt Belleʼs clothes. ”Brother...”

”What is it?” I asked, noticing Elonaʼs tone becoming more subdued.

”...Itʼs about Simon and Father,” Elona said, her expression filled with sadness. ”I donʼt know exactly, but ever since he left the dungeon, Simon has been asking Father about his parents... He even asked if Father killed them... I canʼt get through to him, and he refuses to talk to me about what he saw...”

”...,” I fell silent, taking in Elonaʼs words.

So, he found out, huh.

That wretched father of ours killed Simonʼs father, who was corrupt and responsible for Motherʼs death. I donʼt know the full extent of what happened, but...

I glanced at Father, who was engrossed in conversation with the chancellor, completely ignoring me.

He could have simply told Simon the truth about his father and why he killed him. But he chose to remain silent?

”Iʼll talk to him,” I finally said.

”Really?!” Elonaʼs face lit up with joy at my words, and I nodded.

I didnʼt want to bring up that topic with either of them, but Elona was worried, and I had no other choice.

”Edward!” Jaydenʼs voice called out as he approached me, accompanied by Carla and Milleia. ”How are you? We were so worried!”

I looked at him for a moment before responding, ”Iʼve been a little busy. Oh, and congratulations on the engagement. Finally, huh?”

”Oh, thanks!”

”Father immediately agreed once he found out he was an Apostle,” Carla chimed in with exasperation.

”E-Edward...” Milleia tried to meet my gaze, but her nervousness was apparent.

I sighed, understanding what was on her mind. ”I may hide my face for personal reasons, but I never deceived you,” I assured her sincerely.

All those times I concealed my identity, it was to avoid getting too close to the main characters, to hide my abilities, and perhaps to escape the responsibilities that came with them. I might have been a coward, but not anymore.

”I-I see...!” Milleia nodded before quickly running off.

”Huh?” I was taken aback by her sudden departure.

Jayden looked at Milleia with a conflicted expression before speaking to me. ”Iʼm glad youʼre safe, Edward.”

”Iʼm glad too,” I replied, before glancing at the table filled with food. ”I need something to eat.” With that, I walked away.

ʼHypocrisy at its finest.ʼ

[], Cleenahʼs voice echoed in my mind, ice-cold.

I smiled at her words. ʼJayden is still an Apostle. Heʼll serve his purpose as a good meat shield and diversion in the future.ʼ

| As soon as I deem him a threat, I will kill him, regardless of what you think. |

Laimaʼs chilling voice resounded within my head.

ʼI donʼt care about him, Laima. But right now, I donʼt want Zeus as my enemy. I donʼt want him to discover both of you. Youʼre weakened, and Iʼm not strong enough to protect you from a god.ʼ

|...|

Zeus and Hades.

Both Olympian gods.

Antagonizing either of them would be a grave mistake, and I would be defeated in less than a second. For now, I choose to be patient with Jayden.

”Your Majesty!” A voice called from outside the hall, followed by a knock. ”The Emperor and the royals have arrived.”

”Let them in, fool,” Charles immediately responded, and the doors swung open.

At the forefront stood a tall, handsome man with a pale complexion. He exuded a powerful aura that made everyone flinch. He was undoubtedly a freak.

A monarch-level freak.

Following behind him were the duo I caught a glimpse of earlier.

The one with a grin on his face was Colton Arvatra, the Second Prince of the Arvatra Empire.

Beside him was a beautiful girl, Azeliah Arvatra, the Second Princess of the Arvatra Empire.

I didnʼt know much about them, as I rarely saw them even in the game.

”Oh, my god...” The girls in the hall squealed upon seeing Colton, but what happened next left them speechless.

Walking beside him, with a dark blue suit, night blue hair, and mesmerizing cold blue eyes, was Rythvel Arvatra, the First Prince of the Arvatra Empire and a pretender in the Third Game.

He moved through the crowd with an impassive expression, paying no attention to anyone around him.

And next to him...

”Ah...”

[]

Cleenahʼs voice rang in my mind, and I had to admit, it was hard to tear my eyes away from her.

With night blue hair cascading down to her waist, elegantly tied together with strands beautifully mingling with her stunning night blue dress, she was a sight to behold. Her cold blue eyes held no trace of emotion.

All the men in the vicinity were left speechless, their mouths agape.

She possessed a beauty that transcended mortal boundaries and was undoubtedly the most perfect being in the entire hall.

It was my first time seeing her in both worlds.

Arsethya Sienna Arvatra.

The [Legendary Heroine] of the [First Game].

She was the only heroine guaranteed to become a villainess in the Third Game if you failed to capture her heart—which was an impossible feat.