Favored By The Villain

<Episode 171>

However, seeing that Roman’s face, which I made eye contact with, was crumpled in distaste, it seemed that the two of them were not together. On the other hand, Lidan proudly declared that he’d found me. 

“What are you doing here?”  

“What is your highness doing here?”  

I looked back at Lidan keeping aside my nerves for Roman. He approached me with an easy smile, and there was no sign of nervousness or impatience on his face. 

“Me? I was looking for Levy.”  

“Don’t you have to find a solution instead of me?”  

“I’m not very interested in that.”  

At a time where everyone was hell-bent on reviving the black land, Lidan alone seemed relaxed and paying no attention to it. 

“I can’t afford to look like a fool roaming around staring at the ground, can I?” 

“Ah.”  

Come to think of it, there was one more person besides Lidan who did not care about the black land. 

When I looked back, I saw Roman, who had gone stiff trying to back off from us. Lidan’s words had bones, but Roman happened to be the one who was hit by them. 

Scratching the back of his head, he turned to us and said, 

“I didn’t mean to overhear for anyone.”  

“Yeah, I didn’t mean it for anyone to listen to it either.” 

Lidan had answered with a smile, but something in his eyes seemed to shine brutally. 

Roman seemed to want to leave his current spot, but Lidan wouldn’t let him go. 

“Have you not latched onto a rope yet?” 

It was a very straightforward question; whose side are you on? When Roman couldn’t answer, Lidan pushed him a little more. 

“Or did you not catch any of them because you thought they were all rotten?”  

Lidan would be the only person who’d dare to call the Kraidens ‘rotten ropes.’ Roman seemed to have given in to his outspoken words  

“…There is nothing of the sort.”  

It was very funny to remember that Roman was the person who’d told me be to be more aware of my surroundings. Who was the person who got caught gossiping about the Kraidens in the end? 

‘He wasn’t originally a follower of the Kraidens anyway.’  

Through the opportunities I’ve gotten to know him, I understood that Roman was a man of deceit, pride, and inferiority. 

He wishes to trample on those he considers to be worse-off than him, and lowers his body to the fullest in front of someone superior – but talks like he’d never do such a thing behind their backs. He was the kind of person I saw often in my life.  

Instead of paying attention to the unnourished man, I tugged on Lidan’s sleeve lightly to get his attention. 

“What?” 

“Rather than this, why don’t you tell me why you were looking for me?” 

“Well, because I wanted to have a chance to breathe properly?”  

“……?” 

“I’ve been suffocating ever since I came here. Haven’t you, Levy?” 

“I don’t feel like that particularly…”  

I took a deep breath just in case, but I didn’t feel the same as Lidan said. I thought it was a good thing since I’m usually a bit weak.  

‘Anyway, does that mean you can breathe properly when you come to my side?’ 

I once thought I wanted to be like the Sansevieria plant, but I didn’t expect to get to play that role. 

I said with a strange feeling. 

“Well, it seems I’m only sensitive to so few things. I’m rather insensitive to this stuff, I guess.” 

“I think it’s for a reason different than that. I don’t feel that way around Levy at all, so it’s no wonder you can’t feel it either.”  

Is that really possible? 

However, Lidan was the only one who complained of such symptoms, so I didn’t know what that is like.  

As soon as he shrugged his shoulders, Lidan asked Roman, who was still nearby. 

“What do you think, isn’t it easier to breathe when you’re next to Levy?”  

I looked back at Roman. Roman paused and tilted his head anxiously. It was a little surprising when he nodded his head with a puzzled expression. 

Then, in a moment, Roman asked me as if he was thinking about something deeply, 

“Is this your ability?”  

“…….” 

“…….” 

The question naturally turned to Lidan. We both blinked as we looked at each other and then turned to Roman. 

“That could very well be the case.”  

“Perhaps.” 

“……?” 

Roman asked with a dumbfounded look on his face as if he was hearing something strange. 

“Then, you didn’t even know what you were capable of until now?” 

“Yes.” 

“What…”  

Roman’s eyes grew bigger. I’m way past the stage to be hurt by a reaction that seems incomprehensible, but if it’s that kind of reaction, I can’t help but be a little embarrassed. 

At a glance, I looked up at Lidan, and he seemed to be in deep thought with a serious face, probably on what Roman said. 

“You must have touched the Fairy receptor stone before.”  

Roman asked as if he simply couldn’t understand. No matter how naïve you are, how can you not know your own ability?! 

Well, it’s not like the fairy receptor gives a clear answer like ‘Here’s your ability!’ like some magic school hat.  

“The receptor’s reaction was minimum, and the color didn’t even change. I’ve never expressed any sort of ability that could be considered special, so I have no choice but to not know.”  

“What?”  

The moment Roman gasped, Lidan said. 

“Levy, maybe your ability is highly influenced by the situation you’re in. Certain conditions might need to be met for your ability to express itself in situations.” 

“That doesn’t sound very good, either.”  

People use their abilities whenever they want, but I can only use it in certain conditions? 

“And it may not have been expressed because there has been no such situation so far.” 

“Well…”  

“Then, this isn’t a normal situation.”  

Lidan was worrying about my ability as if it were his job. I looked up at him reflecting and remembered something. 

‘No way. No way.’  

The voice I heard in that emergency. An ability that can only be expressed in front of the threshold of death… 

‘No, I heard that voice in front of the young lady of Count Mentaine as well.’ 

Then I guess this wasn’t it. While I was reaching a conclusion all by myself, Lidan, who’d been agonizing all this while, asked me a question,  

“Levy, do you have any ideas about this?” 

I was thinking about it until just a moment ago. But. 

‘Can I tell you?’  

I’ve already hidden the voice I heard then in front of them once. I don’t know the principles of this power or the identity of the voice. 

Power that is relevant to me, but I do not know how to use. 

‘There’s nothing wrong with making it clear, and yet…’ 

Lidan’s eyes were staring at me. The gaze that seemed to be immersed only with my appearance made me consider for a moment, ‘Isn’t it okay to just tell you?’  

‘I’ve heard a voice before…’  

But then he’ll ask when I heard it, and soon figure out what happened soon after I heard it.  

I couldn’t open my mouth easily because of the thoughts that followed. Lidan seem to have noticed my hesitation and smiled, 

“Well, Levy must have troubles of her own. I don’t think it’s bad, being so cautious.” 

Lidan had quickly noticed that there was something I wasn’t saying, but instead of questioning me further, he took a step back.  

“Just like now, you needn’t trust anyone easily, and give your secrets to no one easily.”  

He winked at me as he stretched his arms. 

“So I would be jealous if someone became closer to you than me.”  

“…….” 

Do people usually foretell jealousy? 

I had a puzzled expression on my face. Then, I turned my head towards a stare I could feel from behind.  

“Why are you still here?” 

There was Roman there. I thought he’d left earlier, but why’s he still here? 

“I’ll be where I want to be. Do I need your permission?”  

Roman frowned and then glanced at Lidan. You’re talking to me yet you’re looking at other people? 

“It’s obvious, Levy.”  

“?” 

Lidan pointed his finger at Roman with his eyes narrowed. 

“I told you. I can breathe when I’m next to you. If someone experiences it even by chance, it won’t be easy to step back from it.”  

“What, that…” 

Roman opened his mouth as if to retort and frowned again when his eyes met with mine. 

I don’t know why they were near me, even while crumpling their faces. Looking at the people walking around normally, it doesn’t seem like it’s so hard to breathe that you have to stick to someone you don’t like. 

“I somehow feel unpleasant.” 

As I crept sideways and opened the pathway, Roman said, pointing a finger at me with a red face. 

“Then is this person like a purifier?”  

“Similar, hmm…” 

Lidan, who was nodding, paused. Then he tilted his head and blinked as he looked at me. 

“That makes sense.” 

“……what?” 

Roman, who could not hide his confusion, asked again. But Lidan spoke to me without even paying attention to him. 

“I understand now. In a way, this area is one without any blessings – no, it’s polluted. Levy, it becomes easier to breathe when I’m near you, doesn’t that mean you make your surroundings clean?”  

I was getting somewhat convinced by Lidan’s words when I suddenly heard something.  

Lidan, who was immersed in his explanation, did not notice the strangeness even when he saw me glancing around. 

“That would also explain why your abilities never developed. This ability cannot be used at all in the capital; the place where the deepest blessings lie and where the Fairy tree is. There was nothing to purify.” 

Now I did not know whether Lidan was a master of conspiracy theories, or whether his assumption is the answer. 

 ‘Even if it’s true.’  

Of all things, the ability of an air-purifier? It was an ability that you could only give, not have.  

“Now, if Levy’s ability is truly purification, then…” 

But Lidan’s idea seemed different from mine. His gaze slowly but surely turned elsewhere. 

The Dead land. Where instead of golden abundance, only the dry cries of flying animals remained. 

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