For You, I Would Even Be A Villain

Chapter 9

Around that time, Lilith had just returned to the duchy and had many matters to take care of. The only place where she could truly relax was by Calyx’s side. Even though their relationship wasn’t bound by love, her fiancé, whom she had known since childhood, gave her a sense of stability.

Perhaps he knew that, which was why he deliberately called for her. At times, it was a bit bothersome, but for the most part, Lilith was grateful to him.

“Lilith.”

“Hm?”

At Calyx’s call, Lilith turned her head. He smiled gently and reached out, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear with a tender touch.

“You look especially beautiful today.”

Nonsense. Lilith chuckled.

It was quite an affectionate gesture, something a couple might do. Yes, she knew the truth. Unlike her, her fiancé had feelings for her. She pretended not to notice, unable to give him an answer.

Suddenly, Calyx asked, “Did you happen to see Rosalin earlier?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“I see.”

Calyx tilted his head slightly.

“Then why were you with that slave?”

“…What?”

His words made no sense. Lilith unconsciously furrowed her brow.

“What are you talking about?”

By “slave,” did he mean Xenon? But she had never been with him. Naturally so—Lilith had already disliked Xenon back then.

Had he mistaken her for someone else? That seemed likely. Keeping her composure for her fiancé’s sake, Lilith calmly clarified, “I think there’s some misunderstanding. I wasn’t with him.”

At her words, Calyx looked at her with an inscrutable expression.

“Is that so?”

…What was that supposed to mean?

Somehow, Lilith felt that Calyx’s atmosphere had changed. An instinctive sense of danger made her unconsciously step back. Without realizing it, she began to ramble as if making excuses.

“Really. There’s no way I’d be with that man…”

It was then.

“Ugh!”

Her elegant fiancé suddenly transformed into a monstrous figure, blood streaming from his head, and grabbed her by the throat.

Lilith’s eyes widened.

The sudden attack left her completely defenseless. As she struggled, the monster gave her a chilling smile.

“Liar.”

It hurt. Someone, please help me.

Lilith squeezed her eyes shut and twisted her body. But the more she resisted, the tighter his grip became.

“Lilith, this is your fault.”

Her vision blurred. Through the narrow gap of her barely open eyes, she could see the face of her fiancé—vile and merciless.

He spoke to her, his voice dripping with malice.

“You should have chosen me, not him.”

She couldn’t breathe. Her hazy consciousness felt like it was on the verge of completely shutting down.

And then, at that very moment—

Lilith’s eyes snapped open.

She gasped for air, her body trembling as she frantically looked around.

Reality.

What kind of dream was that?

Her heart pounded violently. Cold sweat clung to her skin, as if her body had recognized it as a nightmare.

It had felt too real. So real that a lingering pain remained around her throat, as if she had actually been strangled. Lilith raised a hand to her neck, rubbing it gently before taking a deep breath and sitting up.

For a while, she stared blankly at the floor, lost in thought.

Was it because she had heard his name again after so long?

The people around her usually avoided mentioning Calyx, out of consideration for her. It had been a long time since she had heard his name spoken so directly.

Closing her eyes briefly, she let herself sink into her thoughts before reaching for her shawl. Standing up, she walked to the window and opened it.

She wanted to breathe in the cool air.

It was still the middle of the night. The dark sky was scattered with tiny, glimmering stars. A pale moon hung cold and distant.

Looking up at the night sky, Lilith let out a quiet sigh.

This was all because of that man.

Xenon Meyer. That bastard.

Her resentment naturally turned toward him—it was an obvious conclusion.

Lilith recalled the events of the previous evening: the absurd proposal, the conversation with the emperor, and finally, that look in his eyes.

Looking back, not a single thing from that strange day had made any sense. In fact, what had actually happened felt more like a dream than the nightmare she had just woken from.

Xenon’s face resurfaced in her mind.

That gaze.

A deep, unwavering stare filled with intense longing.

She couldn’t believe it. No, she refused to accept it. Lilith could not tolerate the idea that Xenon Meyer had dared to harbor such feelings for her.

And yet, the way he had looked at her was undeniable.

Since when?

A chill ran down her spine as she felt the cold air against her skin. She tried to recall the past but found nothing. As far back as she could remember, Xenon had always been excessively obedient, never once meeting her gaze directly.

If he had truly been hiding his feelings all this time, waiting for the right moment…

Then what was she supposed to do now?

For the first time, Lilith felt completely at a loss.

She stared up at the sky, lost in thought. And just like that, she spent the night without sleep, unable to quiet the flood of thoughts swirling in her mind.

Morning finally arrived.

She hadn’t slept properly because of the nightmare, but Lilith refused to show any signs of disarray. Due to her sensitive nature, sleepless nights were not uncommon for her.

This was nothing.

She greeted the morning as usual, acting as though nothing had happened the night before.

It was just as her daily routine was beginning when—

“My lady, you have a visitor.”

Lilith paused in the middle of sorting through documents at the butler’s words.

“…A visitor?”

What was this about? A guest, this early in the morning?

Whoever it was, it was beyond unexpected—it was outright rude.

What kind of noble would visit someone’s home at such an hour? And without any prior notice?

Lilith tapped her fingers lightly against the desk.

Rude…

Somehow, Lilith had a feeling she knew who the guest was. There was only one person she knew who would brazenly commit such discourtesy. With a sigh, she got up from her seat.

“Alright, I’ll go see them.”

When she entered the drawing room, sure enough, a man was waiting for her.

“Hey, Lilith.”

The uninvited guest who had shown up early in the morning was none other than Karl.

“What brings you here so early?”

Perhaps because she was in a bad mood, her voice came out sharp. Lilith skipped any greeting and sat directly across from Karl. Seeing her reaction, Karl spoke nonchalantly.

“What do you mean, what for? Do I need a reason to visit a friend?”

Unbelievable. Lilith let out a scoff.

She knew her old friend all too well. Carl was a man who moved purely out of curiosity. No matter how close they were, if there wasn’t something “interesting” involved, he wouldn’t bother coming.

And anything he found interesting usually meant trouble for Lilith.

“I’m busy. Just get to the point.”

When Lilith cut him off bluntly, Carl shrugged.

“Man, you’re so cold. Don’t be so stiff. …Fine, fine. I’ll get to it.”

Faced with her sharp gaze, Carl quickly surrendered.

Lilith averted her eyes from him and brought the teacup before her to her lips. The delicate floral scent, known for its calming effects, felt particularly ineffective today.

Carl scratched his head before finally speaking.

“It’s about Sir Xenon.”

Lilith froze.

“What about him?”

Her gaze turned piercing, and Carl flinched.

“Whoa, whoa… Don’t glare at me like that. I came here for your sake, you know.”

Realizing she had overreacted, Lilith took a deep breath, regaining her composure.

“Just get to the point. Quickly.”

Carl shifted his gaze around before finally speaking.

“After you left like that yesterday, everyone’s been talking.”

Lilith narrowed her eyes and silently listened.