The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 122
Vargan, who single-handedly destroyed the monument that had been assigned for two people to tackle together.
Everyone present was amazed by the unbelievable reality that Vargan had created.
Arterion and Alicia were among those watching.
However, their reactions differed from the others. Alicia was smiling, seemingly in a good mood.
While Arterion calmly assessed the extent of Vargan’s strength.
“… has the distance grown further?”
The Golden Knight, after witnessing Vargan’s growth, compared it to his own.
He, too, possessed exceptional talent and a favorable environment, and he made relentless efforts. Using his two defeats against Vargan as a steppingstone, he had been moving forward without hesitation.
He could feel that he had grown stronger through the mentoring he received over the break.
… but the results were different.
Now, he knew this for certain.
Even if, accounting for the fact that Vargan had used an artifact that doubled his magical output, Arterion’s own sword was a top-tier artifact that was not easily outmatched.
Would he have been able to destroy the monument so easily if he hadn’t worked together with Alicia?
If he were alone, he might have taken several minutes, or even longer.
While he took a few steps forward, Vargan had advanced tens of steps further, as if not even allowing him to stand on the same line, let alone catch up.
“…….”
Arterion glanced at the woman beside him, who had also shown remarkable growth.
She had begun to soar as if wings had been attached to her strength, her gaze fixed intently on Vargan.
She served and respected her master with genuine devotion.
… even knowing this.
The Golden Knight spoke to her.
“Alicia.”
When he called her, her smooth, flowing white hair formed a gentle curve, and her mystical blue eyes met his.
“Why do you ask, Sir Arterion?”
Looking into her eyes, he found it difficult to speak.
‘Am I hesitating…?’
He felt a bit flustered by the lukewarm emotions that even he couldn’t quite understand.
This wasn’t the kind of situation that should take so much time.
Why, then, were the words not coming out naturally?
Finally, Arterion spoke in a calm tone.
“Would you become one of my electors?”
Currently, Arterion’s electors were Lauga Solus Ocel and Fallon Forn Ocel.
With just two chosen so far, he had one spot remaining.
After pondering for a while about whom to choose, he found himself thinking of Alicia.
He decided to propose the idea to her.
Of course, he had heard that Vargan, Alicia’s master, was an elector for Saint Diphelia.
However, there was no guarantee that Alicia would also participate in such a role, so there was a possibility.
“I have no intention of putting you in a difficult position. If it’s not possible, just tell me honestly… I just wanted to ask.”
“Ah….”
Alicia could see the earnestness in the Golden Knight’s radiant golden eyes.
Though Arterion spoke as if it was nothing, it must have taken him a fair amount of time to voice his request.
Alicia had no idea what kind of feelings he held toward her.
However, due to her inherently considerate nature, she found it difficult to give an immediate answer.
This led to a brief pause.
As their clear gazes met and resonated with each other—
“- I’m sorry, but I don’t think it will work, Your Highness.”
Vargan stepped in to break the moment.
He suddenly appeared, placed his hands on Alicia’s shoulders, and gently pulled her toward him.
“M-Master?!”
Before Alicia could fully express her surprise, Vargan added.
“What you’re doing right now, Your Highness, is a clear violation of private property. Even as a prince of the Ocel Kingdom, trying to take my possession without consulting me first is unacceptable.”
Vargan’s dark eyes held a smile.
But they also showed a hint of displeasure.
“Even bandits could not be more immoral than this.”
“…….”
Despite Vargan’s blatantly aggressive words, Arterion did not show the slightest twitch of an eyebrow.
Instead, his gaze fell not on Vargan, but on Alicia.
Alicia, now standing close to Vargan, looked up at him with a stiff neck.
Her hands remained frozen in midair, unable to lower, while her lips trembled as they struggled to form words.
Her ears, flushed with a rosy hue like a peach, seemed to betray her emotions.
He had known from the start that bringing her over wouldn’t be easy. He hadn’t expected Vargan to hand her over willingly.
None of this was unexpected.
Yet…
The feelings Arterion experienced now weren’t solely because he had failed to bring her over.
It felt like something else, something different in shape and color.
What was this feeling?
“Prince Arterion! I, Fallon, have just successfully destroyed the monolith and….”
Fallon, a student who followed Arterion unconditionally, ran up breathlessly and then fell silent at the sight before him.
Vargan, standing as if opposing the prince.
A white-haired woman in Vargan’s arms.
For some reason, he felt like he couldn’t breathe.
Following Fallon, Lauga, who had temporarily teamed up with Vargan, also appeared.
Then.
“I see….”
Arterion concluded that the situation had ended.
“It seems I have overstepped my bounds.”
With those words, he turned and walked away.
Fallon once again hurriedly chased after him.
Lauga, without a word, cast a displeased glance at Alicia and Vargan before leaving.
……
And so, only Vargan and Alicia remained.
Alicia, her head hung low, struggled to cool down her flushed face.
The warmth from Vargan’s hand on her shoulder made it all the more difficult.
Her heart pounded so loudly that she felt the need to step away to calm herself.
She opened her mouth to speak.
“Master… please, let go… aah!”
He flicked her forehead.
Turning her around and striking her forehead, Vargan held her gaze as she tried to look away and asked.
“Why do you think I flicked you?”
“I – I will answer, I’ll answer, so please first… aah!”
“Again, why do you think I flicked you?”
“Because I didn’t express my rejection clearly… aah!”
“Close, but wrong. I knew you would refuse, even if I hadn’t come.”
“If that’s the case….”
“The problem is that you took too long. You must have filled your mind with unnecessary, weak thoughts again, didn’t you?”
Having been struck repeatedly in the same spot, Alicia pressed her now-burning forehead, hotter than her flushed ears, and apologized.
However.
“Even as you say you’re sorry, your face shows no remorse. Have you truly gone mad?”
“No, that’s not it! It’s not… wait? Am I making such a face now… ah!”
“You are making that face.”
Alicia, ignoring her aching forehead, hurriedly checked her lips, adjusting them with her fingers. As she noticed that the corners were slightly upturned.
The warmth that had been gradually dissipating flared up again.
“What on earth are you…?”
Vargan, watching her, clicked his tongue.
For a while, Alicia couldn’t bring down the temperature that had risen beyond normal.
***
After the joint class with Class 2 ended.
As Vargan emerged from the locker room after changing clothes, he was greeted by Naias in the hallway.
“You should stay inside the sword. Why are you wandering around outside?”
“I just wanted to go back with you, Master!”
The spirit spoke with the excitement of a child.
Vargan silently probed the information in those eyes.
“What’s your real intention?”
“I have something I want to ask! … ah! How long is this going to continue? Where’s my privacy?”
Bound by a contract that required her to tell the truth when asked, Naias lamented the unfairness of the situation.
Vargan was exasperated.
“It’s crucial to review the terms before signing a contract.”
He even kindly explained it, but now that she was bored, she was causing trouble.
As Vargan started walking down the hallway, Naias followed with a brisk pace.
Tilting her head, the spirit spoke again.
“Master, for a human, you’re quite smart. You grasp situations quickly. You’re good at understanding human’s mind.”
“You’re not buttering me up to avoid getting to the point, are you? Speak quickly.”
“Tch, even when I compliment you, you have something to say. No wonder you have no friends.”
“……”
If she kept up her antics one more time, he was prepared to give her a suitable punishment and force her back into the sword.
Naias barely kept within the line.
“There’s something I’m really curious about. But I think you might not like it if I say it. Is it okay if I ask anyway?”
“Just ask. If you stall any longer, I’ll⎯”
The spirit, in the form of a child, twirled a finger near her temple as she asked, her voice filled with pure curiosity.
“Why do you pretend not to know, even though you clearly do?”
Thump⎯
Vargan stopped walking and looked at Naias.
“… your question isn’t clear. What am I pretending not to know?”
“See, you’re doing it again — pretending you don’t know.”
Naias thought of a certain person.
Someone who, like a white flower under the moonlight, bloomed softly.
A woman who followed and trusted Vargan deeply.
“Hm…”
Then, she looked Vargan over with a genuinely puzzled expression.
“If you were some kind of pervert who enjoyed making women anxious and cry, I’d understand. But you’re not like that.”
Even Naias, who constantly observed everything from within the sword, had noticed. It was blatantly obvious when it came to that human woman.
And yet, the one facing her directly— Vargan—
With his skill in reading expressions and understanding behavior, how could he not notice? It didn’t make sense.
“No matter how I think about it, you’re pretending. I thought you disliked frustrating things like that.”
Vargan’s gaze, which had been focused on Naias, turned back to the long hallway.
He let out a small, dismissive breath and resumed walking.
He spoke.
“That’s a trivial question.”
“Even if you say that, I couldn’t help it. I was really curious. So? Aren’t you going to give me an answer?”
“The feelings you think that person has are mere illusions.”
“Oh, come on, Master. Are you really going to act like this with me? I’ve got eyes, you know. Better ones than anyone here!”
Naias pointed to her eyes, playfully tugging at Vargan’s collar, trying to slow him down.
Exasperated, Vargan forcefully brushed off Naias’ hand and replied.
“I act based on profit and loss.”
“Huh?”
Seeing Naias’ confused reaction, Vargan continued his explanation.
His voice was flat and emotionless.
“If I’m pretending not to know something, it means there’s no benefit in acknowledging it.”
“……”
“I hope that answers your question.”
Vargan’s steady footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Even just the sound of them carried a sense of dignified gait. How much effort must have gone into mastering that elegant stride?
Left behind, Naias watched Vargan’s retreating figure, dazed for a moment.
“Well, he’s less human than I am, even though I’m the spirit… but that’s part of what makes him our Master!”
She called out and hurried after him.
***
A few days later.
In a place where the soft sunlight streamed through the windows.
The student council room, which was considered the heart of Academia.
“The student council will verify the electorate for the additional candidates. First, Arterion.”
All the student council members sat around the long table, with Rheincarven at the center.
He read out the list submitted by Arterion.
“First-year Lauga Solus Ocel, first-year Fallon Forn Ocel, second-year Lombine. Are these three confirmed?”
“They are confirmed.”
After Arterion’s final confirmation, Rheincarven picked up another sheet. A familiar name appeared on that list.
“First-year Vargan Troa Schugenhartz, first-year Erica Troa Portlet. First-year Alicia. Are these three confirmed as your electorate, Diphelia?”
“Yes, they are confirmed.”
Saint Diphelia nodded with a determined expression. Erica silently stood beside her.
With the final verification of the additional candidates complete, Rheincarven brought up the most important agenda of this meeting.
It was an event organized by the student council, something like a competition.
All students could watch this event and evaluate the candidates.
“The date and theme of the first round of the next student council president election have been set.”
At his words, the candidates sharpened their focus.
Four candidates were present in the student council.
Each with a different path and destination, they awaited the next words together.
“The date is two weeks from now, on Friday. The theme is….”
They steeled their resolve once more.
“The sky.”
Aerial combat.
That would be the subject of the first round.