The Villian Who Broke The Story

Lilith remained silent for a few moments.

Her ruby-red eyes never left Kael’s face.

She wanted to believe him.

She truly did.

But ever since Kael had awakened, everything about him had begun changing at an alarming pace.

His strength.

His personality.

His confidence.

Even the pressure he unconsciously released during battle had become frightening.

The Kael standing before her now felt nothing like the timid noble everyone had once known.

”You really don’t know how much you worry the people around you,” Lilith said softly.

Kael smiled helplessly.

”I didn’t know I had that effect.”

”You do.”

Lilith answered almost immediately.

”And not only on me.”

She lowered her hands from his cheeks before taking a small step back.

”The teachers have noticed.”

”Miss Stella watches you more than anyone.”

”Professor Ralph constantly checks on your progress.”

”Even the Principal has started paying attention to you.”

She folded her arms.

”And that’s only the academy.”

Kael chuckled.

”I guess I’ve caused more trouble than I realized.”

Lilith sighed.

”You call it trouble.”

”I call it surviving.”

Silence settled between them once more.

Outside, the evening breeze gently brushed against the dormitory windows.

The sounds of distant conversations echoed faintly from the academy courtyard before gradually fading away.

Lilith looked toward the window.

”There was another reason I came.”

Kael nodded.

”I’m listening.”

”The Velvet Gang isn’t making any obvious moves.”

Her expression grew serious.

”That’s exactly what worries me.”

Kael’s smile slowly disappeared.

”I know.”

”They’re waiting.”

”They always wait until they can guarantee the highest chance of success.”

Lilith nodded.

”Exactly.”

”They’re observing you.”

”They’re observing Madam Draven.”

”And they’re observing the academy.”

Kael crossed his arms thoughtfully.

”Which means...”

”They’re preparing for something.”

Lilith looked back at him.

”I don’t know what.”

”But I don’t like it.”

Kael sighed quietly.

”I’ll stay cautious.”

Lilith frowned.

”Promise?”

”I promise.”

Only then did her tense shoulders finally relax.

A faint smile returned to her face.

”Good.”

The atmosphere inside the room immediately became lighter.

Kael walked over to the desk before pouring two glasses of water.

He handed one to Lilith.

She accepted it with a small nod.

”Thank you.”

”You’re welcome.”

The two stood quietly for a while.

Neither of them seemed particularly eager to break the comfortable silence.

Finally Kael spoke.

”You know...”

Lilith tilted her head.

”What?”

”I never expected the feared Lilith to worry this much.”

Lilith rolled her eyes.

”I only worry because you’re reckless.”

”I’m not reckless.”

She stared at him blankly.

”You challenged the Top Twenty while wearing five-times gravity bands.”

”...Fair point.”

”You fought until you blacked out.”

”...Also true.”

”You kept provoking Miss Stella.”

”I was only following instructions.”

Lilith couldn’t help laughing.

”You actually believe that excuse?”

Kael grinned.

”It worked... sometimes.”

She shook her head in amusement.

”You really are impossible.”

Kael smiled.

”So I’ve been told.”

Their laughter gradually faded.

For a brief moment, they simply enjoyed each other’s company.

No discussions about rankings.

No thoughts of tomorrow’s tournament.

No worries about the Velvet Gang.

Just two people sharing a peaceful evening.

Lilith looked at Kael again.

”You’ve changed.”

Kael blinked.

”In a bad way?”

She slowly shook her head.

”No.”

Her smile became surprisingly gentle.

”You’ve become someone people can rely on.”

Kael looked away awkwardly.

”I still have a long way to go.”

”You do.”

Lilith agreed.

”But you’ve already come much farther than anyone expected.”

She stepped closer.

”So...”

”Don’t shoulder everything alone.”

Kael looked back at her.

”I’ll try.”

Lilith smiled.

”I’ll accept that answer.”

Kael suddenly noticed how close they were standing.

Close enough that he could clearly see the faint blush beginning to form across her cheeks.

”You know...”

He spoke quietly.

”You really are beautiful.”

Lilith immediately froze.

”W-What?”

Kael laughed softly.

”I said you’re beautiful.”

Her face rapidly turned bright red.

”You...”

”You don’t just say things like that out of nowhere.”

”I just did.”

Lilith covered part of her face with one hand, trying unsuccessfully to hide her embarrassment.

”You’ve become far too confident.”

”Maybe.”

Kael admitted.

”But that doesn’t make it any less true.”

She looked away.

”You really know how to fluster someone.”

Kael smiled.

”That’s because it’s you.”

Lilith lightly punched his shoulder.

”That doesn’t even make sense.”

”It doesn’t have to.”

She sighed dramatically.

”I swear...”

”...one day I’ll win an argument against you.”

”I’ll be looking forward to that.”

She couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

For the first time since entering the room, the heavy concerns about tomorrow seemed to disappear completely.

She stepped closer again.

”So...”

Kael raised an eyebrow.

”So?”

Lilith looked directly into his eyes.

”Tomorrow...”

”Win.”

Kael’s expression became serious once more.

”I intend to.”

”I don’t just mean winning matches.”

She gently adjusted the towel resting around his shoulders.

”I mean...”

”Come back safely.”

Kael nodded.

”I will.”

Lilith smiled in relief.

”I’ll hold you to that.”

Without another word, she leaned forward and gave him a brief, gentle kiss.

It lasted only a moment before she slowly pulled away, her cheeks once again turning pink.

Neither of them noticed the approaching footsteps outside the dormitory room.

A few seconds later—

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

The sudden sound echoed through the room.

Both Kael and Lilith turned toward the door simultaneously.

Kael blinked.

”At this hour?”

Lilith tilted her head curiously.

”I wonder who that could be.”

Kael let out a small sigh.

”I suppose there’s only one way to find out.”

He walked toward the entrance, completely unaware that the person standing outside was about to turn his peaceful evening into something far more complicated.

Kael reached the door with a puzzled expression.

”Who could it be at this hour?”

He unlocked it before pulling it open.

Standing outside was Charlotte.

She had apparently rushed over without changing out of her academy uniform. A few loose strands of her chestnut hair framed her face, and she looked as though she had been debating whether or not to knock for several minutes before finally gathering the courage to do so.

The moment the door opened, however, she froze.

Kael stood before her with damp hair from his recent bath, wearing only a pair of loose trousers while a towel rested around his shoulders.

Charlotte’s face immediately turned bright red.

She quickly looked away.

”W-Why are you wearing only towels? That is the most improper way to answer the door.”

Kael looked down at himself before shrugging.

”Oh, shush. You can’t expect me to always be fully dressed inside my own room.”

Charlotte puffed out her cheeks.

”What about when you’re answering the door? You should wear something proper.”

”There’s no rule against it.”

Kael folded his arms.

”Did you actually come here just to lecture me on how I’m supposed to dress inside my own room?”

Charlotte blinked before remembering why she had come.

”Oh... yeah, about that.”

She awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck.

”I wanted to spar with you a bit, but it seems that’s not possible with how underdressed you are.”

She paused.

”...Besides that...”

Kael narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

”Did you cook anything?”

Kael stared at her for several seconds.

Then he sighed.

”So that’s what this is really about.”

Charlotte coughed lightly, trying to appear innocent.

”I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

”You came here for food.”

”I came here to check on my teacher.”

”You came here for food.”

Charlotte crossed her arms stubbornly.

”...Both.”

Kael couldn’t help laughing.

”You really are hopeless.”

He stepped aside.

”Come in.”

Charlotte nodded gratefully before walking into the room.

”I knew you’d understand.”

As she entered, she looked around casually.

Then she stopped.

Her entire body froze.

Sitting comfortably on Kael’s bed was Lilith.

She had already straightened her uniform, though her long crimson-pink hair remained slightly messy from lying on the bed moments earlier.

Lilith looked toward Charlotte.

Charlotte looked toward Lilith.

Then both girls slowly turned toward Kael.

Silence.

An incredibly awkward silence.

Kael rubbed his temples.

”I knew I was forgetting something...”

Charlotte pointed at Lilith before looking back at Kael.

”L-Lilith?”

”What are you doing here?”

Lilith answered calmly.

”I could ask you the same thing.”

”I came to visit Kael.”

Charlotte blinked.

”I... also came to visit Kael.”

Lilith’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

”At this hour?”

Charlotte immediately defended herself.

”I wanted to spar.”

”...And maybe eat.”

Kael sighed.

”There it is.”

Charlotte shot him an embarrassed glare.

”You weren’t supposed to say that out loud.”

Lilith couldn’t stop the small smile forming on her lips.

”So you really came for food.”

Charlotte coughed awkwardly.

”That was only part of the reason.”

Lilith folded her arms.

”How many times have you visited his room?”

Charlotte tilted her head.

”I don’t know.”

”Several?”

Lilith stared at her.

”...Several?”

Charlotte finally realized how that sounded.

”W-Wait!”

”It isn’t like that!”

”We just train together!”

Kael nodded.

”That’s true.”

Charlotte pointed at him thankfully.

”Exactly.”

Lilith remained unconvinced.

”So she trains.”

”And eats.”

”And regularly visits your room.”

Charlotte hurriedly waved both hands.

”You’re making it sound strange!”

Lilith quietly muttered to herself,

”It already sounds strange.”

Kael immediately sensed the conversation heading somewhere dangerous.

”How about everyone calms down?”

Neither girl responded.

Instead...

They continued staring at one another.

Charlotte was the first to break the silence.

”I didn’t know you and Kael were this close.”

Lilith answered without hesitation.

”We’ve known each other for a long time.”

Charlotte looked back at Kael.

”You never mentioned that.”

”You never asked.”

”...Fair enough.”

The atmosphere became awkward again.

Kael let out another tired sigh.

”This is somehow more exhausting than today’s tournament.”

Neither girl disagreed.

After another moment of silence, Kael walked toward the small kitchen area.

”I’ll heat up dinner.”

That single sentence immediately changed Charlotte’s expression.

Her eyes sparkled.

Lilith noticed instantly.

”...She really did come here for food.”

Charlotte protested.

”I already explained!”

”You did.”

Lilith nodded.

”You explained that food was only half the reason.”

Charlotte buried her face in her hands.

”I’m never getting out of this, am I?”

”No.”

Kael answered while preparing the meal.

”Definitely not.”

Charlotte groaned dramatically.

”Teacher...”

”I trusted you.”

Kael laughed.

”You’ll survive.”

Several minutes later, the room became noticeably calmer.

Three plates rested on the table.

Charlotte happily accepted hers.

”I knew coming here was the right decision.”

Lilith looked between Charlotte and Kael before quietly smiling.

For all her earlier annoyance...

She couldn’t deny something.

Charlotte genuinely admired Kael.

Not out of selfishness.

Not because of his status.

But because she respected him.

That realization eased some of the irritation she had been feeling.

Charlotte looked toward Kael while eating.

”Tomorrow’s tournament...”

”You’ll really become Rank One, won’t you?”

Kael didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked out the dormitory window toward the academy grounds.

Tomorrow would determine far more than rankings.

The strongest first-years would reveal themselves.

Influential guests from across the kingdom would arrive.

Hidden enemies would begin making their moves.

And somewhere within those spectators...

Members of the Velvet Gang would undoubtedly be watching.

Kael slowly smiled.

”I don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”

”But one thing is certain.”

He looked back at the two girls.

”I’m not losing.”

Charlotte smiled confidently.

”I expected that answer.”

Lilith nodded.

”I’ll be cheering for you.”

Kael chuckled.

”Then I’d better live up to those expectations.”

Outside, the moon continued climbing into the night sky.

The academy had finally grown quiet.

But beneath that peaceful silence...

The storm surrounding the first-year tournament was only just beginning.