Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

[Head Base of the Three Gods Church]

[Kandam Continent]

Nymeria placed a tray filled with cookies and tea on the table and stepped back.

Her long, beautiful hair fell freely behind her as she clasped her hands behind her back.

She squeezed them tightly, feeling a rush of anxiety build inside her.

A long, pale hand picked up a cookie, took a bite, then placed it down.

Then a pair of emotionless grey eyes shifted toward Nymeria.

"Is this what you are feeding my son?" Esmeray asked coldly. "Even a dog's food is better than this."

Nymeria opened her mouth but had no words to reply.

"Are you here to criticize her cooking?" another voice chimed in.

Esmeray turned her head toward the young elf woman sitting opposite her.

Christina gave her a cold smile. "And since when you started feeling concerned about Azariah?"

Esmeray leaned back, chin resting elegantly against her hand.

"Do I need to make you understand who truly cares for him?" she asked, staring at her.

"I believe it's not you," Christina responded. "And it will never be you."

Esmeray held her gaze as she leaned back on the sofa.

She neither refuted her words nor continued the topic.

"So, shall we continue our talk?" Esmeray asked Christina. "And you did good by sending her away."

"....."

Christina kept staring without a single emotion on her face.

But Esmeray could clearly see fear and hatred in her eyes.

"You think I won't notice?" she asked, tilting her head. "That Innana was there with you?"

"It doesn't matter." Christina replied calmly. "It's too late already."

Esmeray did not respond because Innana had already done her part.

Esmeray had always thought Azariah was alone after El fell asleep, after Christina's death.

But Innana had fooled her long enough and brought Azariah onto the right track.

"Your plans roam around Azariah, right?" Christina asked her calmly.

"…Everything in this world," Esmeray said after a pause, "moves because of the right focal point. Azariah simply happens to be one."

"He isn't a tool," Christina replied.

"He is precisely that." Esmeray's voice was cold. "A crying puppet."

Christina held back her anger as she folded her hands on her lap.

"Then what are you going to do?" she asked. "About the threat of Morningstar and Satan looming over him."

Esmeray stared at her without responding.

She picked up the teacup, brought it close to her lips, and then set it back down without drinking.

Almost as if she were mocking Nymeria.

"I gave him life," she said. "That alone was my biggest help to him."

"He can die!"

"He will not," she responded coldly. "Unless I give him my permission, he will not die."

Christina let out a deep breath, holding back her anger.

She knew it wasn't the right time to lash out.

"You are a prideful being, aren't you?" Christina said, looking at her. "…So prideful that you don't fear even the Prince of pridefulness."

Christina slowly stood up while keeping eye contact.

"You think Morningstar will wait for your permission to kill him?" she asked. "You think whatever shitty goal you have will be completed without Azariah?"

Esmeray looked at her quietly.

"…And you think I do not know what Morningstar is?" she asked calmly.

Esmeray tilted her head, as though studying a strange insect.

"You truly don't understand, do you?" she whispered. "Azariah does not need protection."

Christina stepped closer, hands clenched at her sides.

"And what if he falls?" she demanded. "Would you just let your plans fail like that?"

Esmeray gracefully stood up and towered over Christina in an instant.

Despite the new body, Esmeray was significantly taller than Christina.

Slowly, she took out a single coin and showed it to Christina.

"If it's heads," she spoke, her voice emotionless. "I will kill you right here and now."

Christina's heart dropped as she stared blankly at her hand.

Esmeray flicked the coin with her thumb.

It spun into the air.

The coin fell.

Esmeray snatched it mid-air without looking.

Then she opened her hand.

Christina saw the result.

"…"

Tails.

Christina's shoulders relaxed, her eyes never leaving the coin.

Esmeray's fingers slowly closed over it.

"…Lucky," she murmured. "But you understand this right?"

She moved closer, until she could feel Christina's terrified breath.

"You understand how fragile your life is, right?" she whispered, her eyes staring deep into her soul.

"All I need is kill everyone that is close to Azariah, and he will come back to me like he always does. Do you understand?"

Christina did not step back, though every instinct in her body screamed to.

"…You won't," she whispered.

"You never know," Esmeray responded. "After all, breaking him is my favourite thing to do."

Esmeray walked past her and only stopped when she reached the door.

"And Morningstar won't touch Azariah," she spoke, opening the door. "Not under my watch."

She walked out and closed the door behind her.

Christina immediately fell onto the sofa as her body turned to mush.

She exhaled a breath of relief, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"She is terrifying," Nymeria said, her eyes on the door.

Christina smiled. "…Yeah."

But in the end she was satisfied with the outcome.

She had put two of Azariah's nemesis against each other.

---

[Unknown Location – Kandam Continent]

Oliver walked slowly on the uneven path, eyes on the back of an elf holding a katana.

A lot had changed within him, and Oliver could clearly feel it.

Even his appearance — his hair had turned a shade of light black, his face had become more refined.

But the most drastic change happened to his eyes.

His eyes now held vast experience, yet remained innocent like those of a child.

[≤Are you just keep on staring at him?≥]

Lillth's voice echoed within his mind.

'Yeah,' he replied grumpily. 'I don't like this guy.'

Oliver had every reason to be wary of Arawn.

Lilith had already told him how Arawn almost attacked him.

[≤He isn't a bad guy, he is just… weird.≥]

'...'

Oliver didn't respond as he stopped when Arawn stopped.

"What?" Arawn asked, turning to look back at Oliver.

"Nothing." Oliver replied. "…By the way, just so you know… your master doesn't really like elves."

Arawn blinked and tilted his head. "But Lillth said he has an Elf lover."

"Let me rephrase," Oliver replied. "He doesn't like male elves."

"...."

Arawn gave him a deep look before turning and beginning to walk again.

Oliver walked behind him, keeping a short distance.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"…Old enough," Arawn replied.

Oliver frowned. "That's not an answer."

"It wasn't a question," Arawn countered without turning.

Lilith whispered through his mind again:

[≤He genuinely might not know.≥]

'What do you mean he might not know??'

[≤Some beings… stop counting.≥]

"....."

Oliver slowly increased his steps until he was walking beside him.

"…So, you knew Adam?" he asked again.

Arawn glanced at him and nodded.

"Yes," he replied. "He was my friend."

Oliver blinked. "Was he smart?"

"Smarter than you," Arawn replied.

"Are you the only one alive from your time?" Oliver asked, curiosity clear in his tone. "Except the gods, of course."

"No," he replied. "…There are more like me, hiding their existence."

"….I see."

Oliver had already thought of it before.

The world was vast and there were many things hidden in plain sight.

Thinking about it, Oliver couldn't help but ask:

"And how many of them are against me?"

Arawn glanced at him with a strange smile that creeped Oliver out.

"Everyone," he replied. "Adam made an enemy out of everyone."

"...."

Oliver opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Finally, he grumbled. "And you call him smarter than me."

"Though Adam also did some good," Arawn said immediately.

"He had seven disciples who started a family. Five perished in the flow of time, but two families still stand tall."

Oliver tilted his head. "Who?"

"One of them is now absorbed by an Asuran family and the other a human," he responded.

"They will help you if you reveal who you truly are."

"...."

Oliver took his time to think about his words.

'…Someone I can use for my advantage.'

Oliver had already planned his course of action, and he didn't want to risk innocent lives.

But…

'If it means that I can have an advantage…'

He seriously considered using his name to his advantage.

Arawn kept glancing at Oliver from time to time.

Though he hated how Adam handled things, he still respected the man.

For him, making sure Oliver didn't fall into Adam's path felt natural.

Crack!!

"Hmm?"

Suddenly Arawn stopped.

His gaze turned serious as he looked up at the sky.

"What happene—"

Oliver's words halted as he noticed it.

"...."

There was a crack clearly visible on the surface of the sun.

'…What the hell?'

"Someone is messing with Amun-Ra's soul," Arawn said, his voice soft and low.

"Or should I say, his soul is weakening."

"Huh?" Oliver looked at him, bewildered. "What's that supposed to mean—"

Arawn didn't reply as he flicked his fingers.

He unsheathed and then sheathed his katana back in a fraction of a second.

Oliver slowly turned to look behind him.

There was a clear cut in the very atmosphere.

"Let's take a shortcut," Arawn said, walking toward the torn space.

"Master's soul is getting stronger."