The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 55
“Once upon a time in Verona, there were two rival households.”
The chorus sounded just before the play <Romeo and Juliet> began.
The tragic love story of the two heirs from the feuding Capulet and Montague families was about to unfold.
Erica watched the play with a somewhat indifferent expression.
She was already thoroughly familiar with the story, having heard and seen it countless times. While the actors’ performances, direction, and songs certainly enhanced the immersion, that was about it.
No matter how great a work was, repeated viewings inevitably led to a loss of interest and excitement. Unless there were significant adaptations, the basic plot remained largely unchanged.
She glanced sideways.
There was an unusual silence.
A few years ago, when she watched the play with Schugenhartz and other family members, there was constant criticism about the actors’ performances, the brightness of the lights, and so on, which annoyed Erica, who had no ties to the theater.
But this time, there was no such chatter.
As the lighting changed, his face, which had been obscured in the dark, revealed sharp, chiseled features and a distinct nose.
Following that line, there was a lake of ice. His calm eyes remained fixed on the stage without any movement.
Today, Schugenhartz’s behavior was particularly strange.
He continued to tease her as usual, but the intensity was different. He often used various metaphors and strange proverbs to mock her, but today he was rather composed.
Even now.
He wasn’t the type to quietly enjoy a play…
By now, he should have uttered dozens of curses, yet he hadn’t glanced outside even once.
It seemed as though he was either enjoying, analyzing, or absorbed in the play.
“… hmph.”
Erica turned her gaze back to the stage.
The play progressed, with the masquerade ball where Romeo and Juliet first met unfolding.
Romeo, captivated by Juliet, began to sing. His feelings, expressed through harmony with the surrounding characters, were mesmerizing.
“……”
In truth, Erica disliked this story.
She hated how two people from enemy families fell deeply in love and longed for each other.
She hated the part where Romeo killed Juliet’s cousin.
Even after all that, she hated the tragic ending.
Above all, the scene where Romeo fell in love with Juliet at first sight made her frown the most.
Knowing how foolish it was to like someone without knowing anything about him.
Erica’s pale hand clenched into a small fist.
“Doesn’t it seem truly foolish?”
Suddenly, Vargan spoke.
He still looked at the stage but continued slowly, as if proving he was speaking to Erica.
“What is it about the emotion called love that makes people so foolish?”
“……”
Erica gave no response.
She simply sat quietly, listening to his words.
Vargan’s voice was low and steady.
If she wasn’t looking directly at his cold, straightforward eyes, she might have mistaken his voice for carrying a gentle sadness like the morning mist.
“… but that’s why it’s frightening.”
Vargan and Erica’s gazes met.
As their eyes met fully.
She realized his eyes were not completely frozen.
She had thought he would remain like an iceberg all his life, but it felt like the surface was melting a little.
Why? For what reason?
Erica, reading Vargan’s eyes, narrowed her own to hide her confusion. Twisting her lips into a sarcastic smile, she provoked him.
“If someone saw us, they might think you were confessing. Have you suddenly started liking me or something?”
“… don’t worry.”
Vargan looked away from Erica’s eyes.
For the first time in a long while, it felt like his true emotions were conveyed. He turned his head, as if not wanting to reveal his vulnerable feelings.
… it must be a misconception.
It must be a mistake.
He spoke earnestly.
“I will make sure that never happens.”
“……”
Vargan said this while pushing another sentence to the back of his mind. It wasn’t easy to do.
‘Rather, it will gradually fade away.’
In the slightly unfamiliar atmosphere.
The two focused on the play, trying to avoid the current mood. Despite the discomfort, fear, and embarrassment, the most intense feeling was something else.
Since that day, no matter what Vargan did, that emotion lied at the bottom of Erica’s heart.
Even now.
***
It had been a little over five years since Erica got engaged to Vargan.
Today was a very, very important day.
“Hmm, hmm~!”
Thirteen-year-old Erica hummed a little tune as she walked lightly down the corridor. She would get scolded for being rude if her parents saw her, but she set those worries aside.
In her short arms, she carried a neatly wrapped gift box, making sure not to drop it.
The gift wasn’t particularly large, but her small frame made the box seem relatively big.
“I hope this cheers up Vargan!”
Her bright, charming voice carried concern.
She hadn’t only been… worried.
She had also been deeply hurt.
There were nights she spent crying, her eyes so swollen they bulged painfully when touched.
There had been no problems, no disputes, not even a minor quarrel.
Yet, Vargan pushed her away, becoming harsh and cold enough for even naive Erica to notice.
Why?? He never provided an answer.
The warm smile that always greeted her turned into a cold winter. The gentle voice that once wrapped around her ears like soft cloth became a sharp blade.
And then.
The winter blade began to cut Erica to pieces.
When he first cursed at her, it felt like her fingers were being cut off.
Seeing him abuse the servants felt like her arms were being torn off.
Watching him tear up their exchanged letters right in front of her eyes felt like her legs were being amputated, a deep pain piercing her heart.
“Why… did he suddenly start acting like this…?”
Still, Erica believed in him.
He was a good person.
Even when he verbally abused her.
Even when he mistreated his subordinates.
Even when he tore up precious memories.
This was just a passing cold season.
Once this moment was over, he would return to his warm self and embrace her again. Erica truly loved Vargan. What started as an innocent crush grew over the years.
After half a year, a year, and three years, she saw nothing but Vargan, disregarding the background around her.
Some might call it the naive feelings of a young girl barely past ten.
But she refused to belittle it.
What else could she call the feeling that made her want to see him every day, share every moment, and draw strength from just thinking about him, if not love?
Vargan felt the same. He surely did.
The five years they shared sweet words and emotions could not be a lie.
So, Erica decided to believe in and wait for Vargan.
She accepted the current hardship and chose to endure patiently.
Shake, shake.
Shaking her head, Erika tried to dispel negative thoughts. Her shiny black hair swayed. Thinking about the lost Vargan brought tears to her eyes, but she swallowed them with her breath.
Today was a good day.
She would celebrate his birthday with a bright face.
After all, she had gone to great lengths to prepare this gift.
No doubt, any magician would be delighted with such a special item.
Moreover, the Schugenhartz people were at their estate now. She could shed her tears after they left.
Erica reaffirmed her resolve.
“By the way… where did Laila go? She said she’d check everything before we show it to Vargan once the packaging is done.”
Laila had been Erica’s attendant since the day she was born.
She was always by her side, listening to her worries, helping with tasks, and providing assistance.
Erica wandered around the vast mansion searching for Laila.
“She’s not here either.”
She was not in the room where the attendants gathered to rest.
“Not here either.”
Nor was she cleaning Erica’s room.
“… hmm. Where on earth is she?”
To Erica, Laila wasn’t just a mere attendant. She was as precious and irreplaceable as her own parents.
It was Laila who had read Vargan’s letter with her.
Laila was the person Erica spent most of her day with.
It was strange for her to be away from Erica without saying a word, especially when she promised to check if the packaging was done well.
“Could she be here…?”
Erica slowly opened Laila’s door.
She had never seen her return to her room during work hours, but she had looked everywhere else.
Unless she went outside, this was the only place left.
“Laila… are you here…?”
Creeeak.
As the door opened, the darkness inside the room greeted Erica. Along with the darkness came a metallic smell of unknown origin.
“Vargan…?”
Erica saw someone engulfed in darkness. He looked down at Erica with eyes gleaming like a predator’s, colder than snow in the dead of winter.
The gift box Erica was holding fell to the floor.
The blue glowing gemstone inside the box rolled out, illuminating the room.
Pain.
The sharp blade that tried to engulf Erica again.
But this time, strangely, she didn’t feel any pain.
She couldn’t feel it.
“Erica, is that you?”
Vargan’s indifferent voice was heard.
Even upon seeing Erica witness the current scene, he wasn’t surprised at all. He remained calm and cold.
“This one insulted me, so I punished her a bit.”
Seeing Laila’s corpse.
Erica screamed.
Whether her head was severed, or her heart pierced, at that moment, Erica could no longer feel the pain inflicted by Vargan.
Lies. Lies.
Please tell me it’s a lie….
***
Inside the vast theater.
There were only three people in that space.
Vargan, Erica.
And.
In life, opportunities are bound to come. If you ride the winds of opportunity well, you’ll reach a golden future, but if you miss it, your life will be wrecked in the rapids of misfortune.
The man standing on stage continued with a long laugh. His mouth stretched to his ears.
“Ah, what a wise saying. Who are you? Who planted this truth in the world, and what past do you come from?”
The man, illuminated by the stage lights, spoke as if portraying a playwright who didn’t exist in his world. Every movement was large and exaggerated, making all his actions seem theatrical.
Looking up at the ceiling, longing for someone he’d never seen, the man lowered his head. With a skewed gaze, he stared at the two spectators in the audience.
Vargan and Erica appeared to be asleep with their eyes closed.
“Beautiful. You shine brighter than anything described in the scriptures…!”
The man pointed at Erica.
His arms were so long they could touch the floor if extended.
“I shall name this moment <Fate>. Beautiful one, who are you to have come here, and what tragic circumstances do you bear?”
The man’s arm slowly extended.
Like a rubber band stretching, it approached Erica’s eyes to wipe away her tears.
He intended to lick her tears.
To taste what kind of nightmare she was having, what horrific past she was revisiting that contained such intense emotions.
To savor the condensed tears.
“Our meeting is like Romeo and Juliet. Families that resent each other. Races that resent each other. But we met and fell in love. Even if it ends in tragedy, I swear I will never regret this choice at this moment.”
The man’s hand approached right before Erica’s face.
A shadow of his hand fell on Erica’s face.
The shadow of the fingers moved grotesquely, relishing the first moment.
The man smirked.
The hand was so close to touching her tears.
But then, the hand distorted without touching the tears.
“Kraaaaak?!”
Crunching sounds.
The man’s index finger bent backward.
Middle, ring, pinky, and thumb. All the fingers.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Four times.
….
They kept folding back like paper.
Starting from the fingers, up his long arm.
His wrist bent too.
Snap. Snap.
Like being pressed with a press, his body twisted.
Unable to bear the excruciating pain, the man severed his arm. Leaving it would lead to the rest of his body being eaten like a tree infested with bugs.
It was a rather excellent play. Although it didn’t satisfy me, even the picky critics would give it a fair review.
A sudden voice was heard.
It was an extremely arrogant tone.
His way of speaking made it feel like everyone else was insignificant, worthless beings.
The man’s twisted mouth twisted further.
How could it be possible to escape from his power?! As that shock hit him, another thought arose. Hatred towards the villain who disrupted his love.
“What are you, you wretch…!! What are you to awaken from a nightmare and hinder me!”
That man wasn’t in the scriptures.
Originally, she should have come here alone.
However, since the stage had already been set, he proceeded. There was no problem.
<Power>. The thick power received from Him. A mere reserve hero couldn’t escape it!
With one arm severed, the man, Altife, gnashed his teeth, ready to charge and kill his opponent.
The arrogant noble, with eyes of disdain as if looking at a worthless creature, spoke to the man.
“I ask the questions. And I have no memory of giving you.”
“You’re spouting nonsense…!!”
“What a noisy fellow. You need to lower your voice. It would be troublesome if you woke up my fiancée.”
The intelligent creature Altife’s expression grew fiercer.
He was angry that the arrogant man referred to his fate as his fiancée.
“Ha… my fiancée seems to be popular with strange fellows, leaving me no time to sleep.”
Swoosh.
Vargan took out a handkerchief from his coat and wiped Erica’s tears.
Then.
“You bastard??!”
With a shout, the man charged.
He destroyed everything around him and charged straight ahead.
Vargan watched him approach without any resistance. He muttered softly about the current situation.
“It’s wrong. Greatly wrong.”
Vargan shook his head.
“At this juncture, the one who should be angry is me, not you.”
His eyes became more serious.