I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 399  Amael And Myrcella

"Amael?"

"Yeah?" I responded, turning my attention to Elizabeth, who was watching me with a curious smile.

"Are you even listening?" She asked, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

I glanced around, my eyes falling on Sirius and Sephira, who were both engrossed in their own work. We were in the midst of our craftsmanship course, where Professor Brian Moonfang was making his rounds, meticulously inspecting each of our projects. His sharp eyes missed nothing, and I knew our work would be scrutinized with the utmost care.

Our group—comprised of Elizabeth, Sirius, Sephira, and myself—had dedicated several hours of our free time to this project. The assignment was simple in theory but challenging in execution: come up with a unique and useful item based on the theme provided by the professor, and ensure it was both functional and innovative.

"Amael, are you okay?" Sephira's voice broke through my thoughts, her tone tinged with concern.

Sephira, usually reserved and hesitant around most men except for Sirius, had gradually opened up to me since we'd been working together. I didn't care about her being a half-elf; in fact, her different background made her more open to me. It seemed that working together had made it easier for her to speak her mind as well.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, shaking my head slightly to clear it, though the truth was far from it. My mind was a whirl of thoughts, none of them related to the project in front of me.

The events of last week kept replaying in my head, particularly that night. It was Celeste. The memory of what happened still lingered, gnawing at my thoughts, refusing to let go.

Had she really kissed me? Or was it more of an awkward bite on my lips? The moment was so fleeting, so unexpected, that I couldn't be sure. Was it an accident?

Perhaps she just wanted to prevent me from leaving so pulled me down and it ended up in an accidental kiss?

But if it wasn't... If she did it deliberately, did that mean she liked me as more than just a friend?

I couldn't wrap my head around it. Celeste was an outgoing, social girl, full of life and confidence. But I knew, from both experience and from what I had seen of her in the game, that beneath her lively exterior, she was still a girl with deep emotions. She wouldn't take something like this lightly.

It had been a week, and the incident was still consuming my thoughts. Every time Celeste was near, I found it hard to focus on anything else. What made it even more confusing was her behavior since then. She acted completely normal around me, as if nothing had happened. She talked to me just like before, with the same friendly banter and casual ease.

It had been a week, and the incident was still consuming my thoughts. Every time Celeste was near, I found it hard to focus on anything else. What made it even more confusing was her behavior since then. She acted completely normal around me, as if nothing had happened. She talked to me just like before, with the same friendly banter and casual ease.

If she had feelings for me, wouldn't she show some sign of it? A bit of embarrassment? Maybe she'd be more self-conscious, like I was whenever I thought about that night. But no, she remained unchanged, leaving me utterly perplexed.

How could someone like Celeste fall in love with me to begin with?

It clearly started bad when she understood I wanted to become the Apostle of Nihil. She hated that after all.

Was it because I had saved her from Lomar? But then, Victor, who had been by her side much longer and had likely saved her countless times, didn't seem to evoke the same response. Was I overthinking this? Was I creating a scenario that didn't exist?

I needed to stop this train of thought before it drove me crazy. With a deep breath, I shook my head again, trying to push the thoughts of Celeste to the back of my mind. Because if I was wrong, and I confronted her about it, the sheer embarrassment and shame would make it impossible for me to face her again. The mere thought of it made my stomach churn. No, it was better to just pretend nothing happened, just like she seemed to be doing. Maybe she was embarrassed too and didn't want to bring it up, thinking it would bother me. If that was the case, then I should probably follow her lead.

"Amael, what's going on?" Sirius's voice broke through my reverie, snapping me back to reality.

I realized then that they were all staring at me, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern. I quickly fumbled for a response. "Ah, my bad," I muttered, reaching into my bag and pulling out a stack of papers I had spent a few hours working on. I spread them out in front of the group, revealing the sketch I had drawn.

Elizabeth immediately grabbed the stack, her eyes scanning over the pages. Sephira and Sirius leaned in, curiosity lighting up their faces.

"Wow... is this some kind of weapon?" Sirius asked, his voice tinged with amazement as he studied the detailed drawing.

"Sort of, yeah," I nodded, a small smile on my lips.

The design was based on a concept from Earth—a mine, deadly and efficient. But with the magical capabilities of this world, it was even more lethal. I had spent hours conceptualizing it, incorporating mana circles into the design to enhance its destructive power. Randor had helped me fine-tune the magical aspects. He initially resisted, as he usually did, but when I presented the new concept, his eyes lit up like a child discovering a new toy. In the end, he couldn't resist.

[<You should have done it on your own, but you cheated. Have some shame, Amael.>]

I shrugged off the voice in my head. I was simply using my resources to my advantage. Randor's help was just another tool in my arsenal.

[<You're the worst.>]

Thanks for the compliment.

"You came up with this on your own? That's amazing, man," Sirius said, genuine admiration in his voice.

"Wasn't too hard," I replied with a nonchalant smile. "Just woke up with the idea."

"That's indeed a good idea, Mr. Amael," a voice commented from behind. I turned to see Professor Brian Moonfang standing there, his eyes fixed on my sketch.

"Professor," I acknowledged with a nod. "Do you think we could expand this idea on a larger scale? I believe it could be incredibly useful in warfare."

I hadn't conceived this idea just for the class project. In the right hands, these mines could change the course of battles, catching the enemy off guard and tilting the odds in our favor.

Professor Moonfang considered my suggestion, flipping through the pages with a thoughtful expression. After a moment, he nodded slightly. "Several tests would need to be conducted first."

"As long as all the profits come to me, I'm all for it," I said, flashing him a grin.

The professor shot me a look that spoke volumes, one that clearly conveyed his thoughts on my request, before turning away to continue his rounds. I wasn't in this for charity, after all.

Once the class ended, I made my way to Myrcella, who was waiting by the door. "Did you enjoy the class?" I asked, fully aware of her disdain for it.

She shot me a death stare. "No."

I couldn't help but smirk. Myrcella was always blunt and unapologetically honest. I glanced over at the three boys who were grouped with her, all of them practically radiating with nervous energy. They were clearly in the throes of adolescence, each one desperately trying to catch Myrcella's attention.

They didn't stand a chance.

"Make sure you stick with me this time," I told her as we headed toward the cafeteria. "Don't want you getting lost like last time."

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the reminder of her first day, and she shot me a withering look. "That was one time."

I stifled a laugh, recalling how she had somehow managed to miss the most obvious landmark in the academy—the cafeteria. All she had to do was follow the crowd.

As we walked, I suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Myrcella, not expecting it, bumped into my back, letting out a small yelp of surprise. She rubbed her nose, glaring at me.

"Why did you stop?" I watched Alvara as she walked ahead, her presence radiating a chilling aura that seemed to freeze the air around her. People instinctively kept their distance, trailing far behind her, leaving a wide berth as if they feared what might happen if they got too close. There was something even more twisted about her now, something darker and more dangerous than I remembered from the game. The transformation was happening faster than I anticipated, and I could bet my right arm I accelerated the process by a simple accidental touch.

She was becoming the major antagonist she was destined to be in this part of the game. Her descent into darkness was inevitable, but the speed at which it was happening was alarming. Fortunately, she hadn't yet decided to lash out at me for my accidental confrontation with her, but I could sense the deep well of hatred and disdain she harbored for me. She would likely wish me dead if given the chance.

I couldn't say the feeling wasn't mutual. I had no sympathy for her. If she wanted to embrace the role of the villain, then I would gladly let her. She could become the antagonist she was meant to be, but she'd have to survive Victor's anger following that. I snorted inwardly at the thought.

Myrcella, noticing my gaze, followed it to Alvara, her eyes lingering on the elven princess for a moment. "Do you know her?" I asked, curious about Myrcella's reaction.

"One of the Celestial Elven Princesses," Myrcella replied simply.

I shook my head slightly. "Then you know nothing," I said.

"She's dangerous."

"You're not the first to tell me that," I replied. "But don't worry, she'll meet the fate she deserves soon enough."

Myrcella turned to me with a look that was hard to decipher.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow, puzzled by her expression.

"She's hurt. Deeply hurt inside. Whatever she's done, it's because of the people who hurt her. You don't seem to know anything about her, yet you've already judged her," Myrcella said, her tone neutral.

"Are you defending her?" I laughed, incredulous. "I think you don't understand what she's capable of or what she's destined to do. Burning people alive isn't exactly a minor offense," I added, trying to make her see reason.

"What will she do in the future? You're judging her based on that?" Myrcella asked with annoyance.

"Fine, if you prefer, judge her by what she's done already," I retorted. "She killed and tortured mere robbers for her own twisted satisfaction."

Myrcella's expression didn't change; she wasn't surprised or shocked by my words. It was as if she had expected as much.

"Mere robbers to you, but to her, they might have represented something far worse. It's difficult to judge someone who has suffered deeply," she said quietly, almost as if she was speaking more to herself than to me.

"Are you speaking from experience? Have you done something similar?" I asked.

"Yes, I've done worse. And I'll continue to do worse to those responsible for destroying my life," she said with a cold stare.

"..."

"I thought, as Christina's and Connor's brother, you would be more open-minded, more understanding of other people's feelings," Myrcella continued. "But you're more narrow-minded than I expected. You're unable to understand people like her, or me."

"Do you hate me?" I asked with a smile.

Myrcella's irritation was clear. My smile probably looked dismissive, as if I wasn't taking her seriously at all.

"I don't hate you," she replied. "I understand where you're coming from, but I can also understand why Alvara hates you and why others will hate you in the future." With that, she turned and walked away, heading in the opposite direction of the cafeteria.

I watched her go, scoffing quietly. I didn't bother to correct her or point her back to the right path. How could she call me narrow-minded?

"How's going with John?" Celeste's teasing voice rang as she asked an embarrassed Amelia.

I looked at Celeste.

I remembered how scared she had been of me, how I had treated her with a coldness that now seemed childish, like a child throwing a tantrum after being scolded. I had been immature, lashing out as if I wanted to make her feel guilty, even though she had been the one who saved me.

She had been scared of me and the third Goddess inside me which was fair. She may be the reincarnation of Nevia but she was a teenager. Rather, I should have spoken clearly to her instead of making myself the only victim...

Was that why she glared at me? Because of my behavior?

Maybe Myrcella was right.

Maybe I had been narrow-minded.

I looked ahead, my gaze settling on Alvara's retreating figure. Her posture was tense, and she looked as though she was barely holding back the urge to kill the next person who crossed her path.

The Villainesses were one thing.

But could a Major Antagonist be saved?