WeTried Translations

Translator: Goku

Editor: Sty

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◈ The Villain’s Ending

Chapter 116

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Afterimage (27)

"Why are you here?"

Levina still gave no answer.

The red mark remaining on her neck, the extremely long dark circles as if she hadn't slept, and her haggard face.

The Edelgard Family Head I knew was not someone with a face like that.

She grimaced and pulled out the blade embedded in her shoulder.

Then she breathed out roughly, and seeing the crest engraved on the hilt, she burst into laughter.

After laughing for a long time, she staggered to her feet.

The dagger, stained with blood, slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.

"At least it's just separation, not a broken engagement, so you won't have to worry about your reputation."

"Family Head."

I approached her, placed my thumb on the wound, and pressed it hard.

Levina merely twisted her body slightly, not making a single sound.

"Know your place. When I ask where Lavin is, answer me. Huh?"

At those words, Levina gave an unpleasant smile and pursed her lips a few times.

As if she didn't know what to say.

And after remaining silent for a long time, she opened her mouth.

"I remember you used to whine about breaking off the engagement back then.

You couldn't say anything to me, but you treated Lavin poorly."

The Edelgard Family Head had never said that Lavin was dead.

And she must not say it herself.

"And now that I'm an easy target, you're treating me poorly.

Perhaps it's fortunate you weren't linked to Lavin, you."

Lavin must not die, and he wouldn't have died.

That strangely powerful, rotten chunk of flesh wasn't Lavin.

Even though it looked exactly like Lavin, had a dagger engraved with the Edelgard crest, and wore the clothes Lavin always wore, that wasn't Lavin.

After all, my Lavin is a bit more vibrant than that... and yes, he has one more eye.

His skin isn't decayed either.

I have to think it's not him.

Because anyone would see that as Lavin, I must think it's not Lavin.

"It would be hard to find a human as ridiculous as you.

A despicable, pathetic, and base human."

I don't want to hear it.

Come to think of it, I never wanted to hear anything that woman said from the beginning.

From the first time we met after I got engaged to Lavin, from when she spoke of me as if I were insignificant, even when she uttered terrible things to Lavin.

Now, I don't even need to think about pulling out her tongue and dealing with the aftermath.

Who's going to stop me from killing her?

The Emperor? The King? The high-ranking nobles cowering inside the inner city walls, paralyzed with fear?

As Levina opened her mouth again to say something, I punched her face.

Yet the Family Head still tried to speak.

I grabbed her face, pulled it closer, and punched it wherever my fist landed.

As I continued to strike with my fists, I felt something snap and break at the tip of my fist.

Levina twisted her body and began to cough.

Drops of blood mixed with her coughs.

As soon as I let go, I kicked her solar plexus as she sat on the floor, writhing.

I made her stand up again, gathered mana in my hand, created a long ice spear at the bleeding wound on her shoulder, and pierced it through.

Because if I shot her in the chest, she'd die too quickly.

The sight of her shoulder pierced and pinned to the wall, unable to collapse even though her legs had lost strength, was utterly ridiculous.

I picked up the dagger lying on the floor.

The dagger Lavin had thrown at me.

No. That rotten corpse wasn't Lavin.

And I brought the blade to Levina's Adam's apple.

Then, as if her life had become precious again, the Family Head opened her mouth.

"Listen. Lavin must have left me alive because he wanted me to live, so are you going to crush what Lavin wished for with your own hands?"

I didn't answer, just stayed still with the blade pointed at Levina, and Levina brought her own neck to it.

Her skin was cut, and blood began to appear.

Without realizing it, I pulled my hand back.

The ice melted in an instant, and Levina also collapsed onto the floor.

I looked down at Levina, who was sprawled on the floor, then approached, grabbed her by the hair, and lifted her face.

So, once again, I was about to ask where Lavin was, but I closed my mouth.

"Lavin must be somewhere."

I slapped her cheek.

Levina coughed, again spitting out blood-flecked sputum.

I continued to slap her cheek, unconcerned.

"Does this make you feel a little better? I don't really know."

Around the sluggishly speaking Levina, a few blood-stained teeth rolled.

When I released the grip on her hair, she slammed her face onto the floor.

But she still struggled to sit up and continued speaking.

Levina breathed with difficulty, touched her side where I had just hit her, then held her breath and stood up.

"Now, there's no one who loves me. But Lavin, even without me, would have had two."

"......"

"In my life, I think this is the first time I've seen someone as pathetic and miserable as you."

"I couldn't possibly be pathetic."

"......"

"Lavin loves me, I've torn apart how many demons with my own hands, there's no woman as pretty as me, there's no hero who saved as many people as I have, so I couldn't possibly be miserable."

Levina merely stared at me without replying.

I can't bear that gaze.

I don't want to look into her eyes.

Because she resembles Lavin, I want to look even less.

She wasn't as beautiful as Lavin, but similar traces were etched on her face.

I don't want to see it.

I don't want to hear it.

I don't want to believe it.

In fact, it was always like that.

It had always been.

Because adults were all liars, and the only person who would stay with me was Lavin.

Because the only person Lavin would stay with was me.

It's absurd for someone like Lavin to have friends.

It's absurd for someone like me to have friends.

Someone like Lavin couldn't possibly do anything.

Someone like me couldn't possibly do anything.

Someone like Lavin couldn't possibly experience proper love.

Someone like me couldn't possibly experience proper love.

So it should have been filled with just the two of us.

Humans who wouldn't even glance at Lavin, ruined my Lavin.

Trying to turn things back to normal was useless.

In the end, those bad adults succeeded in ruining Lavin.

They turned him into a dog-like piece of trash who would abandon the person he loved and die alone.

Lavin is my world.

He occupies about half of my life.

I don't know if I am half of Lavin's life too.

I know that Lavin loves me.

Because I also love Lavin.

I wished he wouldn't continue to break down as days passed.

Even though I couldn't properly help him, and could only offer comfort, I wanted Lavin to remain the Lavin I knew and believed in, no matter what he suffered or how tormented he was by the family.

Because I didn't want to believe anything that displeased me, and I wished my world would only unfold as I desired.

They say the world doesn't go as one wishes, but at least it shouldn't disappear.

Lavin is gone.

No.

It can't be.

That's impossible.

Surely, some demon fell for Lavin at first sight and took him somewhere.

After all, ever since he was little, there were countless hussies who approached him because of that face.

Lavin must have been dragged away by some demon and is now being forced into debauchery.

Whether he wants to or not.

As long as he keeps swaying his hips diligently, they'll at least keep his head attached.

All I need to do is save him.

Then, out of apology, or gratitude, he won't leave my side.

I have to go and save him.

I have to save Lavin, who was dragged away by the demons.

Everything I've seen so far must be a lie.

That unpleasant demon is playing tricks again.

I walked towards Levina.

Levina, who resembled Lavin.

Maybe even her personality resembles him exactly.

I slowly touched her face.

Just for the reason that she resembles Lavin, I somehow feel a pang of affection.

"How could I trust you?"

I smiled sweetly and pushed Levina away.

****

Lavin's crazy fiancée suddenly smiled brightly and stormed out of the room.

Perhaps it's fortunate for Lavin that he didn't marry someone like her.

Someone like her couldn't possibly be happy staying with Lavin.

She's fundamentally different from someone like me, who is happy just having Lavin by my side.

That's why, perhaps, I'm not particularly happy right now.

I can't even satisfy my base pleasure by making knife marks and wounds in visible places and subtly showing them off.

Because there's no one to look at me with pity, or to regret seeing me become like this.

That's the kind of world it's become, and there's no one left to look at me that way.

I'm still the same, enjoying those childish antics.

He left me alone and went somewhere, but I don't know where.

It would have been fine if he had just stayed by my side.

Where could Lavin be?

I want to see his corpse, at least.

How did he die?

I hope he died without pain, at least quickly.

I wish he would come to see me.

Even if he just hits me silently, it would be fine, even if he comes to kill me.

I wish he would caress me, talk to me, and spend time with me in the same room as if we were the only two in the world.

Because just having him next to me would be enough.

Loving me enough to entrust me with Mother's keepsake, why did he abandon only me and leave?

I opened it and checked, and the bullets were still inside.

"Will he come to see me?"

I put the gun in my mouth and lightly licked the muzzle.

And then, I inhaled, held my breath, and as I was wondering when to pull the trigger, Estelle approached and snatched what was in my hand.

The Saintess, whose expression was somehow completely unreadable, was staring blankly at me.

"It's precious, will you give it back?"

"Lavin saved you, and you'll just let yourself die?"

"Well, are you worried about me?"

"Yes. You should cherish keepsakes."

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