The Villainess is Ti Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Seeing Darcy like this, it beca clear that his magical or physical power was quite considerable.

The more ti I spent with him, the more I realized just how extraordinary he truly was.

I was fortunate to have saved soone like him.

"I made a ring identical to mine."

Darcy pulled out a ring with a magic stone embedded in the center.

"Your hand."

Without thinking, I extended my hand at his request.

With a clear smile, Darcy took my finger.

The ring slipped perfectly onto my right ring finger as if it had been custom-made.

"It fits well."

I nodded at his words. I turned the ring around my finger, examining it.

The silver ring, adorned simply with a magic stone, was elegant in its simplicity, which I liked even more. It struck the perfect balance between being understated and sophisticated, walking a fine line.

What made

even happier was the fact that Darcy was wearing the sa ring on his right ring finger.

To anyone else, it would look like a couple’s ring.

‘It’s just a tool for teleportation, though.’

The fact that he had placed it on my fourth finger added to the mont. If he had put it on my left hand, I might have read even more into it.

Darcy spoke in a casual tone.

"By the way, it also has the effect of making our appearances a bit blurred."

It was a crucial feature for taking a vacation without drawing attention.

Just because we were going sowhere far from the Empire didn't an there wouldn’t be any gossip.

Even if the Empire and its neighboring countries were on good terms, people were always alert to new rumors.

As the saying goes, a rumor can travel a thousand miles without legs. The sa would apply to rumors about Darcy.

‘This feature must have been included not just for this occasion but for other reasons too.’

If he ever tried to escape, the royal family wouldn’t easily let him go.

It showed the careful planning he had put into his long-considered escape. I stroked the cool ring, feeling grateful once again.

"Thank you."

And I wasn’t just talking about the ring.

I could sense what he had sacrificed for my sake.

Darcy narrowed his eyes.

"I have no regrets about my choice, Marceau."

His voice was soft, understanding the aning behind my words.

"Are you ready?"

"Of course."

When I answered confidently, Darcy nodded and gestured to the space beside him.

Despite not seeming to have packed much, Darcy had brought along a small, box-shaped bag.

"What’s in the bag?"

He raised a finger to his lips and made a shushing sound.

"I’ll tell you when we get there."

"You're being mischievous."

I laughed, gently chiding him.

Wearing the hat I had chosen for the day, I felt like a magician. It seed he had sothing special planned for our trip.

When I shrugged my shoulders in understanding, Darcy pointed to his side.

I took a quick look around the room. I wanted to make sure the windows and doors were securely locked.

I had told the servants I wanted to be alone today, so the doors should remain locked, but it’s always better to double-check. It’s a good habit to have.

A mont later, I dashed over to Darcy's side.

We stood on the magic circle Darcy had drawn. Although the marquis’s estate was protected by magic, it was no big deal for soone like Darcy, who was well-versed in teleportation magic.

The magic stones on the circle and the one in my ring sparkled brilliantly, reflecting light like the sun glimring on the ocean.

A mont later, we arrived in an entirely new place.

"We’re here…."

The scent of the sea filled my nose. The crashing waves and the sunlit spray of the water made it feel like we were in a dream.

It had been a long ti since I’d seen the ocean, having spent the past year in the capital, adjusting to aristocratic society.

As soon as we arrived at the beach, I felt nostalgic and sank my fingers into the sand. The warm sand, heated by the sun, slipped through my fingers.

The gritty yet soft texture felt nice.

Among the handful of sand, hidden shells and tiny conch shells revealed themselves.

"Sit down."

I was so absorbed in the sand that it wasn’t until Darcy spoke that I stood up.

He had already prepared a mat for us to sit on the beach.

I naturally sat down next to Darcy.

"Aren’t you going to swim?"

"I prefer watching."

He looked like soone who would enjoy all sorts of leisure activities.

"Here’s what I ntioned earlier."

He reached into his bag and pulled sothing out.

I had expected it to be a magical tool from the mont he reached for it...

"I recorded so of your favorite songs."

The magical tool he handed

looked like a mini phonograph. It was smaller than a typical phonograph, but the horn for the sound was large, likely for better audio quality.

Where a record would usually go, there was a thin magic stone disc.

When he placed the phonograph between us and started it, a familiar nocturne began to play. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore blended harmoniously with the music.

"It’s just like what I read in books."

Darcy said, gazing out at the endless sea.

"I’ve always wanted to co here."

The vast, open sea and the empty space gave a sense of freedom.

For Darcy, who had grown tired of people, it must have been perfect.

A creeping sense of anxiety began to take hold of .

What if Darcy liked this place too much? What if he wanted to stay here?

"Do you like it?"

I asked nervously. Darcy looked at

and let out a soft laugh. His smile was so beautiful that all my tension lted away.

"Because you’re here with ."

There was nothing I could do to stop my face from heating up as if I had spent the whole day sunbathing.

The sunlight shining down on the beach was just right. We spent our ti lost in thought and enjoying the music, savoring the mont.

There were still many unresolved issues, but it was a day so pleasant that none of that seed to matter.

Hoping my feelings would be conveyed, I took pictures with all my might.

Soon it was lunchti.

"We should try the food since we’re in a different country."

"But I don’t have any money."

"You don’t need to pay."

Darcy naturally escorted

as we left the beach.

Once we left the seemingly deserted beach, the surroundings beca bustling again.

Of course, no one paid us any attention. We were just passersby.

Blending in with the crowd like this made

feel like I was back in the modern world.

The buildings here were different in style from those in the Empire, though similar in so ways. I eagerly took pictures as we explored.

Darcy gently took hold of my wrist. I blinked in surprise at the sudden contact, and he calmly explained.

"You might get lost in this crowd."

The crowd was indeed quite large. I nodded in understanding.

"Where should we eat?"

"I prepared... no, this place looks good."

Darcy, who had started to speak confidently, suddenly clamped his mouth shut and pointed to a restaurant. It was as if he had scouted the place beforehand.

"Alright, let’s go."

As I responded, I noticed that people were starting to step back.

When I also moved back, I saw a prison cart with people trapped inside, being taken sowhere.

"…What’s that?"

"Those are slaves, which are common here. They must be newly captured."

Darcy's voice dropped, reflecting his discomfort.

‘So, both the Empire and this place have slaves.’

It wasn’t unusual for nobles to purchase slaves. Of course, from my modern perspective, it was a horrifying practice.

Buying and selling people.

But I knew that for the people here, it was considered normal.

Still, I hoped Darcy didn’t view such things as normal.

"Using people like that will never sit well with ."

He murmured, his tone soft. It was a relief to know that he shared my sentints.

Darcy, lost in thought as he watched the slaves, stroked his chin.

"If I were to beco emperor, I could change all the things that have always bothered …"

I imagined Darcy sitting on the emperor's throne.

Despite his occasional rudeness and tendency to act on his own whims, his experience would guide him in ruling the Empire with a modern perspective.

‘It actually suits him quite well.’

He was more fitting for the role than Ryan.

As Darcy snapped out of his thoughts, he shook his head. He turned to

with a bright smile.

"I must have been out of my mind for a mont. I have no intention of becoming emperor."

Did he realize how strange it was that he felt the need to explain himself to ?

"Shall we go eat now?"

As he held my hand tighter and began to lead , Darcy’s gaze locked with that of a child being taken away in the cart.

The defiant boy, glaring angrily at the people around him, trembled.

Darcy furrowed his brow again.

"That child…"

"Hmm? What is it?"

This is a distant island, far from the Empire. How could Darcy possibly know anyone here?

"Why is he here?"

...It seed he did know him.

The boy, realizing that Darcy had recognized him, grabbed the bars and began to pound on them.

The noise of the crowd drowned out the sound, but the way his face turned red from shouting made it clear he was trying to be heard.

‘But we’re wearing the rings.’

I checked my finger, wondering if the ring had slipped off, but it was still securely in place.

I didn’t understand. Had our magic failed? But Darcy's magic was never wrong...

I had complete faith in Darcy’s abilities.

"Don’t worry, it’s not the ring’s fault. It’s just that boy’s ability."

Seeing my anxious expression, Darcy reassured . Ability? At that mont, it clicked.

"He’s a magician, isn’t he?"

Darcy sighed deeply and answered.

"Yes, he should be living in the magicians' refuge. I have no idea why he’s here…"

He rubbed his temple with one hand, clearly troubled.

There must have been a reason for him to be out here, risking danger.

And that reason was likely connected to Darcy.