For You, I Would Even Be A Villain

Chapter 3

It was an unreadable gaze—calm yet intense, carrying a strange heat and persistence.

Lilith did not look away. She met his stare head-on.

For a while, the two simply looked at each other.

Then—

“Xenon!”

A loud voice called out his name.

It was Rosalin.

Due to her tarnished reputation, Lilith had deliberately kept her distance from her younger sister. So now, she merely observed from afar.

Xenon instinctively turned his head toward the voice, his expression flickering with surprise upon seeing Rosalin. She ran toward him, a radiant smile lighting up her face.

“I missed you.”

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. The sight of her reuniting with her former lover, bathed in joy, was undeniably stunning.

Xenon’s lips curved into a gentle smile. Rosalin, looking up at him, smiled back.

They were a perfect match.

The thought crossed Lilith’s mind before she could stop it.

And—frustratingly—she had to admit it.

I truly am the villain in this story.

“Oh my, what a lovely couple,” a noblewoman murmured, chuckling softly.

“Indeed,” another voice agreed.

Lilith could feel their glances.

Sneering, amused stares—just like the one from Princess Elaine.

She could ignore them, as always. But was it harder today because he had appeared before her once again?

Lilith forced herself to maintain a composed expression.

But was she succeeding? She wasn’t sure.

“That aside, I’m quite curious,” someone whispered nearby.

“About what?”

“Our hero’s future bride, of course.”

Their voices dropped lower, as if sharing a secret.

“Which of the two will claim the hero’s side?”

They were referring to Princess Elaine and Rosalin.

Lilith clenched her fists tightly. Her nails dug into her palms, sharp pain breaking through her skin.

She knew she shouldn’t react, but at times like this, she had the overwhelming urge to lash out. She could tolerate gossip about herself. But Rosalin? That was different. She hated the thought of her sister being reduced to nothing more than idle entertainment for others.

“Shall we place a bet?”

“Sounds fun.”

“I’ll put my money on the princess.”

“Oh? I’d rather wager on the other one…”

Laughter followed.

“No matter who wins, this will be quite entertaining.”

She couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Lilith, are you okay?”

Carl, who had been watching her closely, spoke with concern.

Lilith closed her eyes for a moment, then slowly reopened them.

“I’m fine.”

This was expected. There was no need to overreact.

Repeating that to herself, she forced composure back into place.

Yet, the headache that had started earlier showed no signs of fading. The relentless pain wrung another sigh from her lips.

“I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

Instead of answering, Lilith turned on her heel and walked away.

Carl called out after her, but she ignored him.

Her hurried steps carried her to the balcony.

As soon as the fresh air hit her, the pain eased—just a little.

Finally, I can breathe.

Pressing a hand to her forehead, she moved toward the railing.

I must look like I ran away.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips.

She had moved because of the headache.

But in the end, hadn’t she fled from him?

Perhaps she had.

Maybe this headache was nothing more than her subconscious trying to escape.

A strange sense of defeat enveloped her. Was she really afraid of that man? How pathetic.

Lilith leaned against the railing and looked up at the sky. The crescent moon glowed white. Bathed in its faint light, she drifted into thought.

This was such an unpleasant night. Nothing seemed right, it was a horrible and filthy night. There had been many uncomfortable situations before, but she had never felt as bad as she did tonight. Lilith had the overwhelming urge to run away. Of course, it was impossible.

“…I’m really foolish.”

Lilith sighed and muttered to herself.

She didn’t like it. On nights like this, she always thought of him, the man she could never see again.

Lilith quietly looked down at her palm. A scar, as if she had been cut by something, remained on her skin.

The long scar had faded so much that it was almost invisible now. Thanks to a large donation to the temple for treatment.

But the memory of that day had never faded in the slightest.

Lilith clenched her fist tightly to hide the scar, trying to shake off the image burned into her mind.

Thinking about that day, she suddenly felt a sense of calm.

Right, no matter what happens today, it can’t be worse than that day.

Lilith felt the persistent headache that had been tormenting her slowly subside. How ironic that the headache that had started that day disappeared as she thought of that day.

Anyway, she couldn’t stay like this forever.

It was time to go back.

Lilith turned to head back to the banquet hall.

At that moment, someone entered the balcony.

She lifted her head at the presence she felt.

And when she saw who it was, she froze.

The man lowered his head.

“It’s been a while, Miss.”

It was Xenon Meyer looking at her, with the same eyes as four years ago.

Why was he here?

That was the first thought that crossed her mind.

It didn’t feel real. It was as if she were dreaming, feeling completely disoriented.

But if this were really a dream, it would surely be a nightmare.

Lilith barely gathered her thoughts and spoke.

“…I’m no longer your ‘Miss’.”

At her words, Xenon’s lips twitched slightly.

“Then let’s stop with that title.”

It was unpleasant.

Lilith swallowed the rest of her words and looked at Xenon Meyer.

Up close, she could still find traces of his old face. Deep eyes, unreadable and calm expression. His features, elegant and refined, made it hard to believe he had once been a slave. Everything was just as she remembered.

But at the same time, he seemed like a completely different person. The man who had clearly grown into adulthood now exuded a maturity that she hadn’t seen before, and it felt strangely unfamiliar.

However, none of that really mattered. No matter who Xenon Meyer had become or what he looked like, to Lilith, he was simply unsettling.

“I’m sorry.”

Xenon briefly apologized, then lowered his gaze.

This side of him hadn’t changed at all. Even though he no longer needed to bow before Lilith, his behavior still felt oddly subservient.

For a moment, Lilith felt as though she had been transported back four years.

Back then, Xenon had been Rosalin’s servant. He hadn’t really done much of anything, merely indulging Rosalin’s whims. Of course, it made sense. There was no way they would entrust a mere slave with any real responsibilities.

Xenon had only been a servant in name, really just a regular servant, nothing special. The only remarkable thing about him was that he had been favored by Rosalin, the youngest daughter. In essence, he had been nothing more than Rosalin’s playmate. Although he had likely received proper training, he never overstepped his bounds.

Except for one thing—anything involving Rosalind.

Lilith suddenly recalled a past incident and frowned. It was clear that any memory involving this man only left an unpleasant feeling.

“If you’re done with your greetings, could you move aside? You’re blocking the door, and I can’t go back.”

Lilith spoke coldly to Xenon, who was blocking the door.

However, instead of moving aside as she had expected, Xenon merely stared at her silently.

His dark ash-gray eyes held a mysterious intensity. At first glance, it seemed as if he wanted something, but Lilith didn’t want to dwell on it.

The sudden confrontation made Lilith feel unexpectedly exhausted. Her previously halted headache seemed to be resurfacing, and without thinking, she touched her forehead.

“Are you alright?”

At the concerned tone, Lilith spoke with her head lowered.

“It’s none of your business.”

The cold response was almost unconscious, an emotional reaction. It was a bad sign.

Whenever she stood in front of this man, Lilith’s nerves would always become heightened. She disliked this, the fact that she couldn’t even hide her feelings and lost her composure so easily.

“You look unwell.”

The deep, resonant voice reached her ears. Lilith lifted her head and looked at Xenon’s face.

Xenon kept his eyes calmly lowered, waiting for her response. His long lashes cast a shadow, and his slightly reddened earlobes caught her attention. This, too, was something she had seen many times before.

Seeing him like this, it was clear that the only thing that had changed was his outward appearance. Everything inside him remained the same. Lilith found herself thinking she was foolish for having been so tense earlier.

Yes, this man had always been docile, not just to Rosalin, but to her as well.

She had always known it.

The fact that Xenon Meyer could never harm Lilith Blaine was obvious to her.

Suddenly, Lilith found herself wanting to ask him a question.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

At her words, Xenon widened his eyes in surprise. Lilith stared directly into his eyes as she spoke.

“You came all the way here, so it seems like you have something to say. Am I wrong?”

Xenon hesitated and carefully began to speak.

“I…”

But he couldn’t continue, as words failed him.

How absurd. Lilith thought indifferently. She felt a sense of emptiness at how she had briefly been unsettled by a man like him.

Lilith started walking back toward the banquet hall.

“If you have nothing to say, then I’ll leave. Goodbye.”

At that moment, Xenon finally spoke up.

“Do you remember what you said to me the night before the expedition ceremony?”