The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 25
Liam, who had changed into clean clothes earlier than Emily, was deep in thought. He had a lot on his mind these past few days, causing him to feel unsettled.
First and foremost, what came to his mind:
‘Vargan’s status I confirmed in the classroom.’
He was so shocked when he saw it that he couldn’t remember the exact numbers. However, he was certain that the numbers were high enough to furrow his brows, and there was something unusual that others didn’t have.
Liam quickly blinked twice while looking at a small hand mirror. Then, with a distinctive sound, something transparent and rectangular appeared in one corner of his view, much like a computer window popping up.
Emily’s status, which he had left open, appeared alongside it.
⎯ Ding!
Viewing your own status.
Liam (Lv.32)
Strength: 4.4/10 ⦁ Health: 4.4/10
Mana: 3.2/9 ⦁ Mental Strength: 3.9/9
Defense: 4/10 ⦁ Agility: 4.6/10
Emily
Strength: 3.5/10 ⦁ Health: 3.9/10
Mana: 2.9/10 ⦁ Mental Strength: 2.9/10
Defense: 3.3/10 ⦁ Agility: 4.3/11
The number on the left was the current ability. The number on the right was the limit. There was no manual or anything, but the only thing that increased through leveling up was the current ability.
Paula, who he had met before, likely said he had no potential because of this level-up system that others didn’t have.
If the potential she was talking about meant the limit, she would have clearly seen it.
Compared to Emily, his limits were lacking. This was due to the inherent limitations of Liam’s physical body, and there was nothing he could do about it.
“It’s not normal.”
Vargan’s status was bizarre.
Both his current ability and limits were enormous. Considering that the freshmen he checked had current abilities typically in the mid to high 3s and most had a maximum limit of 10, he was abnormal.
The limit was just a maximum, so he would never grow to that extent, nor should he. But the fact that the possibility existed was threatening enough.
However, the most striking attribute wasn’t either of those two.
The most prominent was his mental strength.
Mental strength referred to mana capacity, and the numbers next to Vargan were as follows. He couldn’t remember the rest well, but this he couldn’t forget. Perhaps it was because of this that he couldn’t recall the others accurately.
Mental Strength: ? / ?
Question marks. Both current ability and limit were question marks. Did it mean it couldn’t be confirmed?
Could it be because he didn’t have enough samples to understand this? Maybe he would understand if he encountered similar cases as the novel progressed.
It was uncertain.
He didn’t know how things would unfold from here.
Ever since he met Vargan, everything seemed to be going awry. He was so frustrated that he tried to meet and talk to him directly today.
“In the end, I failed… but what about Alicia?”
He barely knew Alicia, yet when he gathered mana to resist Vargan, she rushed at him as if to kill him.
Considering her personality that he knew; her behavior was incomprehensible. That gentle person had become so aggressive. And why was she using a sword? When did she become so strong?
“I don’t know. I have no idea.”
Liam leaned back fully in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
As expected of something from Academia, the cushion on the chair was soft, and the interior decoration of the ceiling was luxurious.
“Hmmm….”
Something.
Suddenly, he felt like an idiot.
Sharak⎯
As his thoughts halted, a red-haired girl appeared with the sound of curtains opening. She was dressed in an elegant dress that she didn’t usually wear.
However, her complexion was not as bright as her attire, likely because she was still bothered by her quarrel with Alicia.
“If you’re not up for it, shall we go back to the room?”
Liam cautiously asked her intentions. Emily shook her head and moved closer to him.
“No. I shouldn’t miss the welcome party.”
“But….”
“Let’s go quickly.”
Emily took Liam’s hand and pulled him. Feeling her emotions, Liam didn’t say anything more and let her lead him as she wished.
“…….”
His previously halted thoughts resumed.
When everything was in chaos and he had no idea what to do, it was best to start by solving what was right in front of him.
It was okay.
It would be fine.
Let’s regain composure and piece things together one by one.
No matter what the cause of this twisted story was, some things didn’t change.
Vargan Troa Schugenhartz.
The overwhelmingly powerful villain and the presumed cause of all incidents.
The one called a near-perfect genius.
In the novel, his final rampage led to many deaths. That much power was both strong and dangerous.
However, being nearly perfect also meant he wasn’t perfect. That powerful villain Vargan ultimately met a miserable end.
I’m not afraid.
I’ll show it from now on.
Let’s return everything to its original state.
I can do it.
Because.
“…Liam?”
Liam tightened his grip on Emily’s hand. It was a gesture to convey strength to the downcast her and a resolve to fight back.
‘I know your weakness, Vargan.’
A vow to retaliate.
***
“Fancy clothes, numerous dishes, expensive jewelry, and music…! Master, have I perhaps died and gone to heaven?”
“Alicia, count slowly from one to three.”
Alicia, filled with question marks, obediently followed the instruction.
“One.”
“Don’t make a fuss. These are things you’ve already seen enough of at the mansion.”
“T-two.”
“There’s neither heaven nor hell in this world, but if they existed, it’s absurd to assume you’d surely go to heaven.”
“… I’m sorry.”
“Why not just say <three> already?”
Alicia’s excited voice dwindled, looking less confident. She avoided my gaze and finally said the number.
“Three…”
“Haven’t I told you to maintain your dignity? For someone who’s been acting like they’re scared of tarnishing my reputation, you can’t even follow through with a small thing like this. How long are you going to keep this up?”
“… Master, it seems I am not fit to be here. I’ll return to my room to practice the magic I have yet to master.”
Ah, let me make it clear.
I was not angry because Alicia failed to achieve what she confidently claimed she would before coming here. She said she would definitely master the secret technique, but in the end, she didn’t.
Even for a genius like her, it was a difficult task that took a long time. That was understandable.
… hmm. But wasn’t it wrong to make promises you couldn’t keep, making others expect something? It wasn’t like you were giving people false hope and making them wait in vain.
Again, I was not angry. I was just questioning her actions because I didn’t understand them.
“Then, Master, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“……”
If it was her, she really would go back and practice magic. If it were an ordinary person, they would have taken it as sarcasm, but not her.
“… fine. Just stay. I’m not mean enough to deprive you of participating in a welcoming ceremony that only happens once in a lifetime.”
“Master is not mean!”
“That’s not the point, is it?”
Talking to Alicia could sometimes be draining. This was one of those moments. I understood her intention, but it made things harder.
Like how old clothes were more comfortable to play in than new ones.
“Anyway, just have fun here. This is one of the rare experiences in your life, so you should enjoy it.”
“I appreciate your words, but I don’t know how to have fun.”
“Figure it out. You can spend time chatting with those guys over there or make friends with someone in a similar situation.”
“Friends…?”
Speaking of which, in the original story, Alicia and Emily were both rivals and best friends. Now… it was complicated, but still.
“Talking to your team members is also an option.”
Serena wasn’t here, and I didn’t recommend Finn. So, if you cared, I was pushing her towards talking to Emily.
“I don’t know if Emily will accept me.”
Alicia, surprisingly understanding my intention, said with a slightly sad look.
“She probably hates me.”
“That might be true.”
You did threaten someone precious to her. The shock must have been significant for her.
“But it might not be.”
“What do you mean…?”
It was not a pleasant fact, but people didn’t act solely based on logic. Emotions accompanied every action.
Especially in Emily’s case, emotions often came out before reason. The reason she glared at Alicia like she was going to attack her immediately was probably because her emotions burst out.
Now, some time had passed, and Liam must have nagged her to reconcile countless times, so she might be emotionally stable by now.
“I don’t care who you get close to. If I feel it hinders my future, I’ll cut it off immediately, but that’s not something that will happen easily.”
“……”
Alicia looked up at me blankly. I had gotten used to this kind of look by now.
Of course, being used to it didn’t mean I would respond in kind.
“Do as you wish.”
Alicia, who had been frozen for a moment, nodded her head slightly as if caught off guard. Her unfocused gaze sharpened.
It seemed she had chosen a path.
“Thank you, Master.”
She continued.
With a peaceful face, like a softly blooming flower.
“I always seem to rely on you at critical moments. Even though I know I shouldn’t…”
⎯Click!
Alicia moved forward. Nothing weighed down her steps. She skipped lightly, feeling good.
“You’re not a mean person after all, Master.”
With those words, Alicia left the place. Rarely for her, she didn’t look back and left quickly.
Tsk, tsk.
After all that worrying, she ended up leaving so cheerfully.
“Feels like raising a child. And I dislike kids.”
I picked up the wine glass from the table. The scent of the red wine tickled my nose.
It seemed to be a good quality wine. The aroma was unusual. I had experienced many rare things, but what kind of taste would this have?
Just as I was about to take a sip, someone interrupted my rare moment of leisure.
“Hmph. Is that her?”
A small figure with lively, shining hair.
Her alluring eyes and slightly young voice didn’t quite match.
“What a surprise. You came to see me.”
“Don’t play dumb, Schugenhartz. You know why I’m here. I forced myself to come even though I didn’t want to.”
“That’s an honor.”
Despite standing in front of a descendant of the prestigious Schugenhartz family of the Troa Empire, she crossed her arms confidently and showed arrogance.
Her sharp voice pierced my ears like an arrow.
“Really… why did I get involved with someone like you?”
“Do you have to say it like that? Especially considering our relationship.”
In the Troa Empire, the family second in prestige to Schugenhartz.
The second daughter of the Portlet family.
Erica Troa Portlet.
She was both Vargan’s childhood friend and…
“Stop saying things like that. It’s creepy.”
“You keep saying hurtful things. Are you sure it’s okay to continue like that? Your family would be sad to hear such things. My fiancée.”
… his fiancée.