I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 609 609: Alicia Being A Worried Mother

”What are you doing?” Vina asked.

I turned toward her, but my eyes locked almost immediately on Alicia standing beside her.

”…What is she doing here?” I asked suspiciously.

I shouldnʼt have been surprised, really. After all, Alicia had been housing Vina ever since I asked her to.

Back then, when my relationships with Christina and Alea were still good, I had planned to give Vina a home in the Olphean Kingdom. But things had gone south—fast. With that door closed, I had to consider alternatives. Naturally, Celeste was next on my list.

But that, too, had… complicated itself.

So, in the end, Iʼd placed my trust in Alicia. She and Vina had apparently grown close during my absence—while I was at Elyen Kiora. It was strange to think how bonds had shifted in the meantime.

Still, this wasnʼt about that.

I had asked Vina to come alone.

”Entering Central Vedelia is heavily controlled now,” Alicia answered instead.

She wasnʼt wrong. Ever since the new enforcement measures, the city had turned into a fortress. I suppose Vina would need help getting in, and Alicia was the most logical escort.

But still… there had to be other ways.

”Alicia…” A quiet voice muttered.

I glanced toward Roda.

Oi.

Aliciaʼs gaze shifted, narrowing as she scanned Roda from head to toe, her brows slightly furrowed.

Damn it. Not now.

Just in case, I couldnʼt let them get too close.

Without hesitation, I stood and stepped between them, placing a hand on Aliciaʼs back and nudging her away with a little too much urgency.

”What are you doing…” Alicia muttered as we got a few paces away from Roda.

”Thanks for escorting Vina,” I said with a polite smile. ”You can go now, Junior.”

I was already turning to leave when she suddenly reached out and caught my arm.

”Who is she?” Alicia asked, her crimson eyes boring into mine with a piercing sharpness that felt less like curiosity and more like a warning.

”Who are you, my jealous girlfriend?”

Of course I knew exactly why she was asking. Sheʼd sensed something—something unusual, something off—about Roda. But I couldnʼt let her get too close. Not yet. Not until I figured things out. So the best way to throw her off?

Annoy her.

And it worked.

Aliciaʼs expression shifted as her hand dropped from my arm like Iʼd burned her. She scowled and turned her face away.

”Why did you call Levina?” Alicia asked me.

I didnʼt look up from what I was doing. ”I need her for something,” I answered simply without saying more.

She folded her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly. ”Didnʼt you already use her enough during the war?”

I blinked, caught off guard by the edge in her tone. Huh. That was unexpected.

”Youʼre awfully protective of her all of a sudden. Just how close have the two of you gotten?”

Alicia bit down on her lower lip, hard enough that it actually looked painful, and turned her gaze toward me. Her eyes were serious now, that kind of deep, quiet concern that didnʼt need to be said out loud to be felt.

”Sheʼs young… and naive,” she said softly. ”Donʼt take advantage of that, Senior.”

”Iʼm not going to put her in danger,” I said.

And I meant it.

Because Iʼd come to care about Vina. Truly. There was something about her...

She mightʼve seemed mature in some ways, but I saw through it. I knew better. Underneath that maturity she seemed exactly like a girl of her age.

Whether it was naïveté or blind trust that led her to agree to my request, it didnʼt matter anymore. I wasnʼt going to let anything happen to her.

”So relax,” I said, offering Alicia a half-smile. ”Once weʼre done, Iʼll send her straight back to her mommy Alicia.”

”...” Alicia didnʼt answer. She just stared at me coldly.

I nearly laughed. Not because it was funny, but because I could see right through her expression. The silent treatment didnʼt fool me for a second.

She was just worried.

That was all.

Despite her words and frosty stare, Alicia was a good person and her concern for Levina only made that clearer.

Rodaʼs warning about Aliciaʼs future—about her death—flashed through my mind, and I felt that even more gnawing at me looking at her now.

I already had to deal with Lazarus for triggering the Blood Moon Spell anyway. I will just have to take care of him sooner rather than later, before he has the chance to do anything he had planned against Alicia.

But first, there was the Behemoth situation.

One nightmare at a time.

Aliciaʼs shoulders relaxed just a little, like my words had convinced her… somewhat. Still, she glanced past me toward Roda, who was deep in conversation with Levina. There was a flicker in her eyes—hesitation, maybe. Like there was something else she wanted to ask but couldnʼt bring herself to voice.

I decided not to push.

Instead, I leaned back and changed the subject. ”How are things going with Percy?”

Apparently, that was the wrong move.

Alicia shot me a look so sharp it couldʼve cracked glass. Then, without a word, she turned on her heel and walked off.

[]

”Oi,” I muttered. ”Iʼm just making sure Percyʼs not another Adrian.”

Anyway, I wandered back to where Roda and Vina were chatting. From the looks of it, they were getting along just fine—which was honestly a relief. The last thing I needed was any weird timeline overlap or paradoxes. Vina, after all, had never met Roda before, which meant their conversation was safe. No butterfly effects. No headaches. Good.

As I approached, I caught the tail end of Rodaʼs question.

”Donʼt you have any parents?” She asked, her brows furrowing in that way she does when something genuinely puzzles her.

I almost tripped over my own feet.

Oi, Roda… really? Thatʼs the question you go with? A little tact wouldnʼt kill you. I mean, come on, itʼs pretty obvious Vinaʼs an orphan. Thereʼs no need to rub it in.

Vina barely shook her head in response—barely, but enough to answer I guess.

But Roda, being Roda, didnʼt let it go. ”Are you sure about it?” She pressed, frowning.

I grimaced and stepped in quickly. ”What are you trying to do? Adopt her or something?”

Roda turned toward me, cheeks coloring just a little. ”N–No! Thatʼs not it at all!” She snapped, giving me a pointed glare.

”Then letʼs maybe steer the conversation to something a little more relevant?” I suggested, my tone dry but not unkind. I turned to Vina. ”Weʼre gonna need your help with a little trip… underwater.”

Vina raised an eyebrow. ”Where exactly?”

”To an isolated island near Sancta Vedelia,” I explained. ”We have to infiltrate it, and the cleanest route is through the sea. Can you get us there?”

She didnʼt answer immediately. Instead, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ”Is it dangerous?”

I waved my hand, brushing it off casually. ”You donʼt need to worry. Just get us to the entrance and you can leave right after. No fighting, no surprises. Thatʼs all.”

But she didnʼt budge.

”I asked if itʼs dangerous,” she repeated, slower this time, her gaze fixed on me like she was trying to read past the words I was saying.

I blinked, confused. What was she getting at?

Before I could think of a proper response, Roda sighed heavily and stepped in. ”Yes,” she said plainly, ”it will be dangerous.”

And just like that, something shifted.

Vinaʼs fists clenched, ever so slightly. She didnʼt speak, but there was tension in her posture now, something tight and restrained. Like she wanted to say something but decided against it.

”Iʼll wait at the harbor… in Teraquin Kingdom,” she muttered, then turned on her heel and began to walk away.

Right. That was probably for the best. Keeping her out of the spotlight—and out of the line of fire.

Because at Central Vedelia it was still fine but in other Kingdom I would certainly be watched over like a criminal and even followed.

”Thanks, Vina,” I called after her with a small, genuine smile.

She didnʼt respond. Just gave a faint nod and kept walking, her figure slowly fading into the distance.

Now…

…Why do I feel guilty?

”Who is she?” Roda asked as she stepped up beside me, eyes still fixed on the spot where Vina had disappeared.

”Vina,” I replied simply.

”...”

I glanced sideways. Roda was staring at me now, that squinty-eyed, suspicious kind of stare she always used when she was trying to piece together something that didnʼt make sense to her.

”She saved my life during the Utopian War. A few months ago,” I added, figuring that might explain a bit.

”Is she related to you?”

I blinked.

”…What?”

”No?” She tilted her head, as if waiting for me to confirm or deny something.

I actually laughed. ”Does she look related to me?”

There wasnʼt even a hint of resemblance between us.

”No, but… she kinda smells like you,” Roda said after a moment hesitantly.

I frowned. ”Are you accusing me of something? What, did I adopt her and forget about it?”

She crossed her arms, irritated. ”You know what? Forget it.”

”Yeah, maybe itʼs better we forget whatever weird theory you were cooking up,” I said. ”Anyway, we should go get swimsuits.”

”Swimsuits?” She repeated, blinking.

”Yeah. Weʼll be underwater for part of the infiltration. Might as well dress for it.”

”Itʼs not like weʼll be starting the mission submerged,” she muttered with a shrug.

True. The underwater approach would only come into play once we were near the island. But still...

”Thatʼs not the point. Itʼs just more practical,” I said. ”Fighting in wet clothes sucks. And we can always change once weʼre inside.”

”You want to change clothes inside the base of a Behemoth Executive?” Roda stared at me like Iʼd just announced I was planning to take a nap on a live minefield.

”Itʼs not like itʼll take an hour,” I said with a casual wave. ”Besides, there might be some swimsuits we can layer over our gear anyway. Keep it simple.”

”Youʼre way too relaxed about all this,” she muttered.

”And youʼre way too tense,” I countered, reaching up to gently pat the top of her hat with a grin. ”This isnʼt your world. Things wonʼt go down the same way here—because Iʼm here.”

I was an anomaly from her perspective after all.

Roda looked up at me then, eyes narrowing just a little before she scoffed and looked away, snorting.