I Woke Up as the Villainess's Friend. I Don’t Want to Be the Next Dark Queen

"Vincent, I'd like to apologize."

He looks at me and visibly relaxes.

"The other day, I let us go our separate ways—each of us taking our own mission—and I was left with the impression that you might think I didn't want to spend time with you, or that I wanted to spend it alone with Ronan."

He doesn't say anything, just nods. His golden eyes fix on mine, giving no hint of his thoughts.

"I want you to know that you're the one I most want to spend alone time with," I tell him.

And it's really hard; I feel my cheeks burning and my heart racing.

No way! If I thought I was going to tell him something more concrete, something that would make clear what I'm starting to feel for him, well, that's not happening. I'm incapable.

Luckily, it's not necessary.

That unfathomable mask vanishes from his eyes, and I can see warmth in them.

"Thanks for clarifying, Bianca."

He makes a move as if to step a little closer to me; but I think he sees me so flustered that he reconsiders and maintains his distance.

"The truth is, you're also the one I most want to spend alone time with," he smiles at me. "And it was very cruel of you to leave me doing a dungeon with those three. Three students with fire affinity. I don't care if Alistair is like a brother to me. Between him, Darius, and Karina, who is even more intense, the dungeon felt eternal to me," he half-jokes. "Even more so because you weren't there."

His expression turns serious again to say those last words. His pupils, which haven't left mine for a moment, dilate. Snowflakes fall slow and heavy, surrounding us and in the space between us. My heart, for a moment, stops.

It's perfect.

There's no wind.

I don't feel the cold; rather, warmth.

The handsome blonde young man looks at me as if I'm the only light in his world.

Our breaths and our heartbeats synchronize.

He holds out his hand, and I slowly extend mine to let him take it. Even through the gloves we both wear, his touch is warm. Either that or I have a wonderfully vivid imagination.

He smiles at me.

My chest expands with a happiness I rarely know. The air fills my lungs, fresh and invigorating.

For a moment, it's just him and me on that snowy path.

Not the pup, who luckily doesn't even stir in my backpack, not the contract with the seed of darkness, not my home world that I don't know if I'll ever return to, not Sol with her pettiness... nothing.

Just him and me, the present moment, and a perfect synchronization of our souls.

Then he winks at me and pulls me toward the dark mouth of the dungeon's entrance tunnel.

I smile.

I'd follow you to hell itself, I think, feeling enchanted by his charisma and personality.

I broaden my smile.

Now this. Now this is going to be fun.

As soon as we enter, we let go of each other's hands. Ronan looks at us with his usual inscrutable expression.

Everything all right, my lady? I hear his voice in my mind.

Everything's fine.

I'm glad. Vincent is a good guy. He's respectful toward my friends.

A laugh escapes me. Vincent looks surprised and stares at me. I shrug.

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"I'm in a good mood," I explain. I almost let slip about talking telepathically to Ronan, but it's better not to. That would lead to either a lie or revealing the contract. "Come on, let's go."

I take out my bow and aim at the first of the ice golems, the one hiding on the ceiling a short distance from the dungeon entrance.

I channel fire into my quiver. I hear a sound of amazement from the prince.

Ah... it's one thing to know about it and another to see it, right? I think to myself, though with him in mind.

Since he has water affinity, the opposite of fire, he must be able to perceive that red aura.

I shoot and get lucky—the arrow explodes right after impact. It's a one-shot kill.

"Bianca, that's incredible," Vincent praises me.

"Well, get used to it. This is just the beginning," I reply and laugh.

I quickly clear the hallway. Vincent, who also wants XP, attacks some golems with his air magic. If I remember correctly, the spell is called wind blade.

When we reach the room with the bats and larger golems, we repeat the usual strategy. Yes, for this, Ronan has raised fourteen golems and, while he was at it, kept the cores from the others. We already explained to Vincent that those aren't part of the common loot, but rather necromancer materials.

The truth is, the prince is a bit stunned when Ronan uses the golems to armor himself and enters the room; but after seeing him raise a naga boss and the giant bear, I think he's expecting anything from him by now.

Oh... if he only knew about the dragon...

As Ronan and his golems enter, I tell Vincent to follow me. We move away from the entrance so we don't get hit by any sound waves from the disorientation spell.

Once Ronan has aggroed the bats and blocked their impact attacks with the golems, the skeletons enter. Then we do. Like the previous two times, I make my earth wall. It's still not leveling up. I have notifications deactivated in combat, but I'm also sharpening my senses and learning to notice when something inside me changes. And I don't feel especially more skilled with this spell, or more connected to the earth, or that I could move more volume. Part of me is disappointed. I have to remind myself that it's normal, since this level-up is going to cost more than the last one.

Vincent, who is beside me, shoots his wind blades through the arrow slits I've opened in our trench. The pup doesn't go out to kill bats; I wouldn't know how to explain to Vincent why Ronan would give him the kills. Nobody does that for a pet. Not even I would.

But the little rascal is more than a pet. He's a divine seed, nothing less than the creature most hated by all who don't serve darkness. He's such an underdog, and I am the defender of his cause.

Lost cause? Helpless pup? I think ironically when I realize where my thoughts are going.

Because the seed is neither one nor the other. At least not with me by his side.

We finish clearing the room. Ronan raises five of the larger golems, and we go down the stairs.

"Above all, don't go near the lake," he breaks the silence to warn the prince once we've reached the second floor.

We've stopped for a few moments before entering the labyrinth.

"I wasn't planning to. The information from your mission makes it clear how terrifying those wraiths are."

"Well, it's not that bad if you come prepared."

Ronan shrugs and opens his cloak. Petunia pokes her head out.

The prince looks stunned.

"She's alive?"

How does he know she's alive? Ronan always tries to make sure his zombies don't show the wounds that led to their death if he has enough mana to prevent it.

"How do you know?"

"Her eyes. They're not the empty eyes of a zombie."

"My zombies do not have empty eyes. At least not the ones who retain their souls."

"It doesn't matter, Ronan. You can just tell. Zombies give you this feeling of unease, like something has twisted the laws of nature."

"If raising a dead person were unnatural, then I could not do it," he replies with logic that's perfect to him.

And in a sense, he's right; in this world, the laws of nature permit magic, and necromancy is part of that magic.

Then something occurs to Ronan.

"Have you ever been near a zombie salamander?" he asks the prince with interest.

Petunia goes completely still, as if frozen. She's his pet and his vassal. I'd bet anything she can read his intentions.

"No," Vincent replies, oblivious to my thoughts.

"Don't even think about it, Ronan."

"Don't even think about what?" the prince asks as the necromancer looks at me with what seems like disappointment.

"Am I not allowed?"

"I promised Petunia you would take care of her if I..." —uh... this... I almost let slip about pledging vassalage— "...well, if she accepted you as her master."

This way Vincent can believe she's his pet.

"However, she would be stronger if she were a zombie and would not age."

Man, looking at it that way, I know a certain boss of mine back on Earth who would sign up for that...

I mentally slap myself for getting distracted and reply:

"No, Ronan. Petunia has to stay alive and grow. If she changes her mind in a few years, don't worry, she'll let you know."

Judging by the poor salamander's expression, I don't think she's going to change her mind.

Vincent stares at Ronan with a frown.

"Don't worry, he's not going to do it," I tell him.

Then I reach out to stroke the salamander's head. Petunia is very smart; I don't know if she understands me, but she certainly knows I'm defending her.

Vincent keeps looking at me, seeing me so close to Ronan, but he doesn't seem bothered. I think he finally gets that the necromancer and I are just friends.

Ha, if only he knew...

When our relationship is more like master and vassal, and not because I asked for it.

"May I?" Vincent says as he extends a hand toward the salamander.

Ronan unwraps her from his waist, pulls her out completely from under his cloak, and passes her to Vincent. The animal seems to relax completely under the prince's touch and caresses. Makes sense. He's taken off one of his gloves and gently runs his fingers over Petunia's red scales. If she were a cat, I think she'd be purring. Well, I'd purr too if he scratched me like that on the back of my neck.

I shake my head before my thoughts head somewhere more inappropriate.