I gently patted Elena’s head as she sniffled in my arms.
At first, she trembled like a leaf caught in the wind, but after a while, sothing seed to change.
Maybe it was the warmth of the hug, or maybe she just needed soone to hold her. Her sobs slowly quieted, the sound fading into soft hiccups, and the coldness in her body began to lt away.
As the young master of a noble family, I was always expected to carry a handkerchief — an unspoken rule drilled into since childhood.
So, without hesitation, I took it out and began wiping her tears. The fabric was soft and silky, far too luxurious for sothing as simple as drying tears, but I still handled it with care. Her skin looked delicate, and I didn’t want to do anything that might hurt her.
When her teary eyes finally t mine, she gave a faint, embarrassed sniff.
I sighed inwardly.
Do teenage girls really have this many mood swings?
I didn’t get it. Shouldn’t they be past that stage by sixteen?
It’s not like I could read minds either. How was I supposed to know what soone was actually feeling?
What truly caught off guard was the sight of Elena Edelweiss crying.
That alone was shocking. It didn’t feel right to just brush it off as so phase of teenage emotions. Even in the novel, Elena was an introvert, sure—but she had a heart as strong as steel. I could count on one hand the number of tis she ever cried in the story.
But now... things were different.
The girl in my arms had only known for less than a day. In that short ti, she’d been cheerful, lively—almost glowing whenever she talked to . And yet, the mont our conversation shifted, she suddenly broke down.
I froze, completely unprepared.
It wasn’t the kind of crying that ca from frustration or embarrassnt. It was quiet, trembling, like she’d been holding it in for too long.
And for the first ti, I realized just how much the world around had changed from the story I thought I knew.
I wondered if she was just putting on an act—but no, there was sothing real in her eyes. Genuine remorse. Sadness. Bitterness. All of it directed at ... Damian.
But she wouldn’t have looked at him that way—the Damian I knew.
If I were still the original Damian, she would’ve glared at with nothing but resentnt, not held so gently, not looked so fragile. That ant this reaction wasn’t for him—it was for .
She was the sa yesterday too. Why? Did sothing happen that made her feel indebted to ?
I stopped myself from thinking too deeply about it. The more I tried to figure it out, the more it felt like stabbing my own head with a fork.
I already spent half of yesterday brooding over it, and in the end, I gave up. Even if I reached so kind of conclusion, it would probably have been the wrong one anyway.
Asking her directly wasn’t an option either. I didn’t want to make her cry again. Damian might’ve enjoyed that, but I’m not him—I don’t find any pleasure in watching soone break down in front of .
Besides, she looks far better when she smiles than when she cries. Why couldn’t Damian ever see that?
That’s why he was just a third-rate villain—soone destined to be thrown away before the real story even began. The bastard was too damn clueless.
I let out a quiet sigh. I really don’t know anymore.
There’s always a reason behind soone’s kindness. I know that much. Whatever her reason is, it won’t last. Sooner or later, her heart will change, and she’ll drift toward one of the other Male Leads—just like the story intends.
So what’s the point in wondering? I already know my role in this world.
I’m the villain.
And villains aren’t ant to be loved. We’re ant to hurt the heroine—and be hated for it.
No matter what I did, it didn’t change the fact that I was given the role of a villain nad Damian Kraus.
It might’ve been pointless for to break off our engagent so early in the stage out of my safety. The result was granted regardless.
It was possible that even after the original plot began, I’d remain her fiancé for quite so ti.
That said, it was guaranteed that Damian Kraus and Elena Edelweiss were going to break up. There was no way that soone like , who couldn’t change a person’s fate, could twist a huge event that would beco a turning point for this world.
I’d end up hurting her in so way and then she’d leave. I just hope it’d end with a simple parting. The actions I took now were nothing more than to erase my debts for events to co.
"How long do you want to stay like this? Didn’t we agree to browse the manor together?" I murmured to Elena.
I tapped her lightly, who was still leaning on . I wiped away all the tears that she had shed.
Her eyes were slightly reddish and didn’t appear to be very swollen. They looked beautiful as always.
I had also noticed she was breathing normally again since we were so close to each other.
"The weather is nice today. You can see the garden vividly from here, still, it’ll be better to see it in person. The breeze carries the scent of the fragrant flowers. Of course, that’s not all there is to see in the Isilia Pavillion."
She slowly started to lean away from my chest.
Elena’s skin was very white, so it was particularly noticeable when she blushed. She also knew of her trait as she lowered her head to conceal her face.
It seed like I eased her worries a bit, she had cheered up a little.
I chuckled at the sight. She curled up more after hearing laugh, which I found adorable.
She was covering her face with both hands.
I extended my hand towards her.
"So would you grant the honor of showing you the view of the Isilia Pavilion?"
Elena stayed silent, so I added a few more words.
"Co to think of it, I didn’t explain the origin for Isilia Pavillion’s na. Isilia was said to be the na of the first Count Kraus’ wife. The first count had built this annex naming it after her. Since then, this place has been established as a space for the wives of House Kraus."
Flinch–
"Elena, since you are the bride-to-be to the next count of the household, wouldn’t it be better if you learned the path here ahead of ti?"
A small hand clasped my hand tightly.
One of the hands on her face had disappeared, revealing half of it. Although her face was still red, I could see the corner of her lips curling up as well as those smiling violet eyes.
The mont I saw her expression, I had a feeling in the corner of my heart that she might not be the only one who would be disheartened when that day arrived.
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