Reincarnated as the Final Villain's Vessel

I opened my eyes in bed while still feeling drowsiness trying to keep me in its embrace.

I turned my head toward the window, where the strands of light that had been slipping through the curtains were gone, indicating that it was no longer daytime.

I pushed myself into a sitting position while rubbing my face to chase away the sleepiness, letting out a yawn. ”Ahhh.... At this rate, my sleep schedule is going to get messed up.”

As always whenever I woke up, essence surged through my body as I activated my ability, and information and sensations flooded my mind.

I felt hundreds of human souls everywhere, some very strong and others weak. Only then did I realize what I was doing.

I had become so used to it that it had turned into an automatic habit whenever I woke up, but maybe I should change that now that we’re back... especially since the range had become far too large.

I mean, waking up and immediately feeling the soul of a Rank 7 wouldn’t be pleasant for my poor head.

Fortunately, Alicia wasn’t nearby.

But I could feel the others gathered downstairs, along with two more people.

So, with another yawn, I got out of bed and made my way out of the room, heading toward the bathroom the old servant had shown me.

After washing my face, I went downstairs to the lower floor before entering one of the small corridors and arriving at a certain room.

The five of them were there, seated together, with the old servant standing off to the side. The other person I had sensed was extending a hand over Ellen’s arm while light flowed from it and sank beneath her skin in a strange manner.

He was a man in his thirties with short dark hair and brown eyes. He smiled at Ellen as he asked, ”How do you feel now, Your Highness?”

The latter nodded, pulling her hand back and opening and closing her fist in a small test before nodding in satisfaction. ”Great.”

She wasn’t the only one. Everyone had gotten rid of the bandages covering them, as well as the injuries that had accumulated over time.

Everyone noticed my arrival and turned their heads toward me.

I waved as I entered. ”Good morning... Oh, I forgot it’s nighttime.”

Under their gazes, especially that of the man who seemed to be the healer, I walked over and threw myself onto a single-seat sofa facing everyone.

I rested my elbows on both armrests while clasping my hands together in front of me.

The kind-looking man ignored my behavior and asked with a smile on his face, ”I just finished treating your friends. Do you have any injuries you’d like me to take care of?”

I shook my head. ”Thank you, I’m fine.”

A trace of surprise appeared on his face... Well, everyone else had injuries and old scars, so how could I be fine...

But he didn’t ask. Instead, he turned toward Ellen and gave her a respectful bow. ”I hope my service was satisfactory, Your Highness.”

Ellen nodded. ”Yes, thank you very much.”

With that, he straightened up and glanced at the old servant, whose name I still didn’t know and wasn’t interested in knowing.

After exchanging nods, the healer made his way toward the exit while saying goodbye to the others as well. ”Take care of yourselves... And make sure not to disappear again Guys.”

He walked out and closed the door behind him, leaving after finishing his work.

He was obviously one of Alicia’s trusted subordinates, otherwise she wouldn’t have called him to treat us.

In any case, silence filled the room as I stared at the others until a smile formed on my face. ”Now you actually look like nobles, not a bunch of pitiful homeless people.”

Elliot sighed while Kyle blinked calmly... He wasn’t a noble in the first place.

Ellen raised an eyebrow, but Izel was the one who responded. ”There he is again... I almost thought you were a different person with all the seriousness you showed yesterday.”

I smiled while looking at the servant who was still standing there. ”Well, can you leave now... I mean, give us some space...”

The old man nodded, with some obvious displeasure. ”I’ll be nearby if you need anything.”

He turned and left while I felt the healer moving farther away until he was completely gone from the area.

I waited a while until the old servant had moved to another part of the mansion before turning my attention back to the others.

Leona leaned toward Izel and whispered, ”I feel like he’s about to give us a lecture...”

Well, her voice was loud enough for me to hear clearly.

”Or a speech celebrating our return,” Izel mocked.

Ignoring them, I spoke. ”Did you meet Alicia?”

Ellen nodded. ”Yes, shortly before you woke up.”

”Then did she ask you about what happened or something?”

Ellen shook her head. ”No. She only told us to stay here and not leave before disappearing.”

It seemed she was satisfied with what I had told her.

I looked at the three girls one after another before speaking again, my tone lacking any trace of humor this time. ”I’ve already told Kyle and Elliot, but I want to repeat this... None of you mention what was written there... especially the fact that I read it.”

My gaze focused on Ellen. Among them, she was the most likely to go against this.

The part concerning that knowledge was manageable. I had already told Alicia, and I assumed she would inform the imperial family and perhaps the highest-ranking nobles... and that was fine, more or less.

But everyone shouldn’t know where they had been... not yet.

My eyes met Leona’s, whose expression changed completely the moment I mentioned it... It seemed she had recalled certain memories as she nodded quietly.

Ellen brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. ”We know, so don’t worry. Your secret is at the bottom of a deep well.”

I raised an eyebrow at her words. She didn’t smile or anything, but I felt like she was mocking me somehow.

I sighed. ” It’s great to hear that, but it’d be even better to see it happen.”

Izel placed a hand on her chin while narrowing her eyes at me suspiciously. ”If you’re done with your sermon, then tell us what your relationship with the vice principal is.”

The moment she asked that, everyone focused on me once again. Even Leona snapped out of her thoughts and nodded enthusiastically with a wide smile on her face. ”Yeah, tell us... You can consider it a small compensation for us.”

Even Elliot, who had already asked this before, was listening attentively.

Seriously... Should I be shocked at this point, or should I go back to my old behavior... It would be great to stand up and beat them all up right here and now.

I really don’t understand why they’re this curious... Or did Alicia do something in the past that I don’t know about?

Come to think of it, I don’t know anything about her... just the things that even ordinary people know.

Ignoring their curious gazes, I answered, ”I worked as her assistant before we disappeared.”

The surprise on Leona’s face was obvious. ”Wow... Of all people, you’re the vice principal’s assistant... That really doesn’t sound like you.”

”Did any of you know that?” She looked at Ellen as she asked, and the latter nodded calmly.

”Yes, I knew.”

Unlike the others, Izel kept staring at me with narrowed eyes. ”Then the question is how exactly did you become her assistant in the first place?”

At that moment, everyone nodded at the same time... Everyone except Kyle, of course.

They genuinely seemed eager for an answer, even Ellen.

I shook my head with a sigh. ”It’s a long story.”

Leona’s smile widened. ”Oh... That’s great. We need something to pass the time anyway... So?”

She fell silent while everyone looked at me expectantly. I smiled at the sight before opening my mouth to answer.

”Well, it’s not really that long... She just came and asked me to become her assistant.”

”Pfft.” Izel covered her mouth while suppressing a laugh.

”You mean you went and begged her, right?”

I shrugged. ”You asked for an answer and I gave one. What more do you want?”

”The truth,” Leona replied dramatically before Kyle interrupted.

”I don’t care about your relationship, but can you ask her to let us leave as soon as possible.... I can hide my presence and change my face. No one knows me anyway.”

I was about to shrug and say there was nothing I could do, but seeing how tense he looked, I changed my mind. ”Fine, I’ll see what I can do.”

Kyle nodded. ”Thanks.”

Some time passed while the others kept pressuring me to tell them the truth, even though I had already told them half the truth... I mean, she was the one who came and asked me to become her assistant in the first place.

It was somewhat amusing seeing the frustration on their faces, but soon Alicia’s overwhelming presence flooded my mind and made me deactivate my ability.

”Come on, Caius, are you really not going to tell us?” Leona was practically pleading now, with an innocent look on her face.

I smiled as I replied,

”You can ask her if you don’t believe me.”