The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 92
“Look at this, Aintern. It’s our child.”
Frikkanrisk held the child wrapped in cloth, her expression overflowing with love.
She had always carried a cold, icy demeanor, which had led to unpleasant rumors about her in the past. But if anyone were to see her now, they would never say such things.
“Do you love him that much?”
Aintern, who had been preparing dinner from a distance, quickly approached her after hearing those words. This was the twentieth time Frikkanrisk had made such a remark while looking at the child.
“Don’t you love him too?”
“Of course I do. I feel so happy I might just die of it.”
“Aintern, even as a joke, don’t say things like that.”
“Haha, I’m sorry.”
Aintern placed his finger on the baby’s tiny, wriggling palm.
The baby reflexively grasped his finger, and feeling the strength from such a small body made him smile.
“The eyes are round, and the nose is sharp, just like Iris.”
“But the mouth and ears are just like yours.”
Iris was Frikkanrisk’s true name. It was the name she was called by her parents before she took on the name Frikkanrisk.
Now, only her husband, Aintern, knew her true name.
“I’m worried. If our child inherits too much of Iris’ genes and turns out to be too pretty, he might be mistaken for a girl later on.”
“You don’t need to worry; your genes are in there too.”
“Are you saying I’m ugly?”
“Well, you’re not ugly.”
The two of them lived a peaceful life, often sharing jokes with each other.
Their home was a small cabin in the northern snowy mountains of Troa. It was cozy enough for the two of them and their child. Even with just the three of them, it felt like they had the whole world.
Although Aintern hadn’t fully retired from his duties as a hero, sometimes being away for weeks or months on church missions, that was soon coming to an end.
He was ready to humbly lay down the life of a hero, which he had dedicated his entire life to, for the sake of his wife.
“I’m sorry for being so selfish.”
“Are you saying that again? I wanted to retire as a hero, so why are you apologizing, Iris?”
“Because it’s due to my inability to live among people.”
Frikkanrisk was bound by an unspoken rule that prevented her from involving herself in human affairs.
While breaking it wouldn’t cause her any significant harm, it was a deeply rooted belief, almost like a curse, making it difficult to ignore.
“Iris.”
Aintern called her, trying to sound stern, though it was out of character. Iris held back a laugh as she watched him.
“From now on, every time you say you’re sorry to me, you’re going to get in trouble.”
He tried to sound intimidating, but being a naturally gentle person, it only came off as awkward.
Not wanting to ignore his warning, Iris suppressed the giggles that were bubbling up inside her.
“You’re going to scold a divine beast?”
“Right now, you’re my wife before you’re a divine beast.”
Iris burst into laughter. It was as beautiful and bright as the blooming flowers of spring. She said.
“You’re right. Being your wife comes before being a divine beast.”
Aintern, as if mesmerized, gazed at her.
“Did I say <I love you> today?”
“W-why so suddenly…?”
“Seeing you smile like that made me want to say it. I love you, Iris.”
“… there you go again. If you think I’ll be flustered every time, you’re mistaken.”
“That’s a shame. Iris is the cutest when she’s flustered.”
“……”
“Oh, your face turned red.”
The fact that Frikkanrisk, or rather the divine beast, had a child was proof that her remaining life was not long.
She had roughly 50 years left, a very short time compared to the 500 years she had already lived.
But Frikkanrisk wasn’t sad.
The next 50 years were more precious and valuable than the 500 years she had lived so far. She was immersed in a happiness she had never experienced before.
She had always received only pain and suffering from people. She thought that was all humans were.
But a human.
A man.
Her husband, Aintern.
Became such a great gift. To be able to spend her remaining years raising a child with him was more than she could ask for.
These next 50 years would be something she would not trade for anything.
… or so she thought.
Until that man appeared.
***
“Are you upset?”
“No.”
“You are upset, aren’t you…?”
“I’m not upset.”
“Frikkanrisk… Iris. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought a stranger here so carelessly. It was thoughtless of me.”
As Aintern persisted, Frikkanrisk, who had been avoiding eye contact, turned her gaze back to him and glared.
“Aintern, do you think so little of a divine beast? Didn’t I say that something like this wouldn’t hurt my feelings?”
He almost blurted out that Iris only spoke in such a haughty tone when she was upset or flustered, but he swallowed it back down.
Just then, the man who had been watching from a distance slowly approached.
Frikkanrisk’s sharp gaze stopped him in his tracks.
“If you take another step, I’ll cut off your legs… no, never mind…”
She couldn’t finish the sentence.
Even though this stranger had stepped into their precious sanctuary, this man was Aintern’s old friend and comrade.
“I spoke out of turn to our first guest.”
The man shook his head at Frikkanrisk’s words. His voice was heard.
“No, Divine Beast. I insisted on coming despite Aintern’s refusals… I deserve no better than to be treated coldly.”
The man’s voice was weak and low.
He continued to speak seriously.
It was clear he was lowering himself.
“If I’ve been rude, I apologize. I should take my leave.”
But she found him unpleasant.
She had clearly seen how he reacted when he first saw her.
Like light flooding into a dark cave, his pupils dilated, and she distinctly heard his breath change momentarily.
Frikkanrisk wasn’t showing Aintern a cold face simply because he had brought a stranger.
‘That man feels ominous.’
It made her anxious.
She didn’t want him to see her child’s face, so she covered it with a cloth. She absolutely did not want to show her child to him.
Once that dark man was gone.
“Iris, I truly made a mistake. I should have been firmer in my refusal.”
“…”
“What can I do to make it up to you…? Should I put the baby to sleep for a month? I’ll take care of him if he wakes up in the middle of the night. Oh, no, that’s not right. You don’t have to do anything. I’ll handle all the housework and childcare myself!”
“…”
Frikkanrisk sighed. She knew what Aintern was going to say next.
“Not that.”
She proposed something different from what Aintern had suggested.
“Just don’t bring that human here again.”
“Really, I’m sorry.”
“…….”
He was clearly a man who gave off an unsettling and cold aura, but it didn’t feel right to badmouth someone close to Aintern behind his back.
Aintern had given up everything and come here for her. Just because she had a bad feeling, she couldn’t tell him not to associate with him or speak ill of him.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t bring him?”
She had only told him not to let him come.
… why?
Why did he do that?
“Alright. If I stop being a hero, I probably won’t meet <Craine> anymore. Don’t worry.”
“That’s a relief…”
When that guy Craine came here.
When she sensed something was off.
She should have killed him right then and there.
She should have cut off his limbs and crushed his head.
Then things would have been different……
⎯Grind.
Frikkanrisk gritted her teeth as she recalled the nightmarish moments from the past.
As she thought of the most likely suspect who was presumed to have kidnapped her son, her blood began to boil, and her mana started to stir.
“…….”
Calm down.
If even a bit of her mana leaked out with her emotions, the risk of being discovered increased.
She had already used it to turn the two who insulted Aintern into dust, so the encirclement must have tightened.
She was now in the coldest and saddest place in Dortmund.
The shadow of a bleak tree caressed the large gravestones as if in consolation. Beneath the ground here, the once fiery flesh had disappeared, leaving only cold white bones.
Frikkanrisk stood before one of the tombstones.
The name was inscribed on it.
<Aintern>
This was the name of the man who had been her husband.
The name of the father of the son who was taken.
The name of the hero who died fighting against the enemies of humanity.
“…….”
She couldn’t place a single flower here. She couldn’t light incense or recite a eulogy.
She didn’t deserve to.
That was what Frikkanrisk believed.
“Husband.”
Her cold hand touched the even colder tombstone. She remained unchanged, but Aintern had changed so much that he couldn’t even reach out to touch her.
If she didn’t press her hand against it, he couldn’t even feel the sensation. She could no longer hear the warm voice that used to give her comfort. She could no longer feel his warmth.
“… just wait a little longer.”
Frikkanrisk stood there for a while.
The dry wind of winter, which had pushed away summer, blew, and it carried the scent of another person.
Before the identity of the person was fully revealed.
She spoke to her husband once more.
“I’ll end the first revenge now.”
[It’s been a while, hasn’t it?]
A grotesque scythe made of various bones. The overly pale boy who carried it around without a care.
The boy held a dead black rat in one hand. It was motionless, its life already gone.
[If you stay here, unwanted guests will arrive soon. What will you do?]
The boy spoke in a playful voice.
He didn’t care where he was, but he could move if she wanted to.
“Ami. How dare you shamelessly appear before me.”
The boy’s name was Ami.
He was one of the archbishops of the Goddess Church.
[I have my reasons. I’ve been looking for you for a while. But you’re not easy to find, are you? I had quite a hard time.]
Ami said he didn’t necessarily need to fight.
[I just need your horn. If you give me that single horn, I’ll give you a great gift.]
He continued, giggling.
His vertically slit pupils were filled with mockery.
[The gift of letting you live!]
In an instant.
Ami charged, wielding the large scythe.
Like a grim reaper intending to harvest a soul, he slashed cruelly and fiercely.
Clang⎯⎯!
However, the scythe was blocked, unable to cut the horn.
Frikkanrisk’s left arm turned to ice, blocking the impact.
While they were locked in a power struggle, she asked.
“Why did you kill my husband?”
Ami let out a light snort, as if the question wasn’t worth answering. His eyes were cold and cruel, like a demon’s.
[Does Altife need a reason to kill a hero?]
“So, you’re going to keep dodging until the end.”
She knocked the scythe away with her strengthened body and grabbed Ami by the collar.
Her body became cold, as if it was made of ice itself, lowering the temperature with the intent to freeze everything around her.
The white mist surrounding the graveyard froze and stuck to the ground.
Ami did not resist and remained still.
Even though his neck began to freeze, he acted as if it didn’t matter. He scratched his neck with his nails and rolled his eyes, looking elsewhere.
Two people were rapidly approaching them.
Without a moment’s hesitation.
[Ah, what did I say? Unwanted guests will come… huh?]
Ami’s eyes widened as he saw the approaching figures.
His nerves, which conveyed sensation, were suddenly filled with unexpected joy, causing a great stir.
His heart pounded wildly, as if experiencing first love. His mouth stretched into a wide grin, showing all his teeth.
[Let go of me.]
Ami quickly broke free from Frikkanrisk’s grasp.
His small body, which had been hanging in the air, fell to the ground. He got down on all fours like a mindless beast.
And then.
Boom⎯⎯!!
Ami sprang forward explosively, like a tightly coiled spring being released.
In his gleaming eyes, there was the long-awaited prize.
The ultimate meal aged for a whopping 15 years.
How long he had waited for this moment.
It was still a bit early, but who cared about promises? The one he had waited for was alive right before his eyes, so how could he hold back?
Ami howled with joy.
Finally. Finally, they met.
Finally, he had met him!
[Helion…!]