How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

“There are many gardens, so there are many places to hide. Maybe there are others hiding besides the priest who appeared in the prophecy.”

 

Actually, he was right. The garden here was small, but it was densely packed with trees, so there were many places where the view was blocked. In addition, most of the garden trees were shrubs with low, thick leaves, making it easy to hide. There was a time when she hid in the grass with Chloe in the middle of the night. Terrence asked, looking straight into her eyes.

 

“Didn’t the princess’s foresight only show fragmentary scenes both times? Are you sure that the criminals set fire and left?”

 

“That…”

 

Of course she couldn’t be sure. The foreshadowing she saw was the scene of the Rastana Temple burning down and the scene of a man dressed as a priest setting fire to her lodgings. Because these two things were everything. She had no idea what exactly happened in between or what happened after. She tried to look at other scenes, but there were no more premonitions.

 

‘It can certainly be dangerous even if it is guarded by the Grand Duke’s knights.’

 

In fact, the situation was such that even the Archduke’s knights could not be deployed that many times. Even if the number of guards suddenly increases, there was a high possibility that the criminal would get scared and cancel the plan. As usual, there were a few knights under the crown prince’s direct command, and only a few people from the Grand Duke’s family were hidden in the lodgings and gardens. She told him to quietly watch near the dormitory and catch the criminal the moment he sets fire to her bedroom. But what if there were more people involved in this than the criminal? Starting a fire was the primary goal, but what if there were other purposes? If she made a mistake, there is a possibility that she could end up in a dangerous situation.

 

“But you don’t have to be there in person.”

 

Of course, for her, it’s good to have Terence by her side.

 

‘This man had the best swordsmanship skills among the characters in the original work.’

 

He appeared to be a noble and dignified Grand Duke who only planned operations and commands from the rear. In fact, Terence was a skilled man who skillfully wielded most weapons, from longswords to daggers and crossbows. It was emphasized several times in the story that he was the best among the characters in terms of military power alone. If she had someone like this to protect her, she would definitely feel much more at ease than if she had other knights. But it was too much to ask him to stay by her side all night.

 

“Thank you for your words, but I…”

 

She was sorry and tried to refuse, but Terence firmly interrupted her.

 

“I can’t leave the princess in a dangerous place and go back alone.”

 

“Last time, I solved it well by myself.”

 

“It wasn’t this dangerous last time.”

 

It was dangerous back then… Wasn’t it? They were planning to put medicine in her food that made her sick. From her standards, there didn’t seem to be much of a difference.

 

“If things escalate, it would be better for Terence not to be here.”

 

What if the entire accommodation burned down and a bunch of people came running? So if it became known that Terence was here, there was a chance that things would get complicated. But Terence did not give up his stubbornness.

 

“My men will extinguish the fire before that happens.”

 

“And then when other people see Terrence…”

 

“If anyone sees me, it doesn’t matter that I was with my fiancee.”

 

He calmly refuted her objections. Well, it’s not entirely wrong. Since he was so stubborn, it was difficult for her to stop him any longer, so she had no choice but to keep quiet. Terence looked at her in silence for a moment, then spoke firmly, as if not allowing any more room for argument.

 

“We are now partners bound by the same fate. Protecting the princess is the most important thing to me.”

 

Terence’s expression as he said that was as calm as usual. However, for a moment, a rare emotion passed through his purple eyes, which were as cold and indifferent as metal. It was only a split second, so he couldn’t tell exactly what it was. Worried about losing a good hand? Concerned about your partner? Pity for the princess who was constantly in danger? Maybe it felt like a mixture of all those emotions. Whatever it was, it was an emotion rarely seen in this man.

 

Terence quickly put aside his briefly expressed emotions and asked her again.

 

“So please allow me to stay by your side and protect you.”

 

“…”

 

It’s like saying something to a real lover. The sweet sound made her heart pound for a moment, but she belatedly came to her senses and composed herself.

 

‘We don’t have that sweet relationship.’

 

The reason this man was trying so hard to protect her was all because of her precognitive abilities. He was the person who, without it, would have left her to die instead of helping her. Now that they had been together for a while, they had built up a bit of a friend-like feeling. Still, that was the limit. She shouldn’t be too attached, because one day, this man would fall in love with Sorel.

 

‘Did your sense of reality become blurred while you were immersed in acting?’

 

Those words make her heart pound needlessly.

 

“…Thank you for being so considerate.”

 

Because she was feeling a bit dazed, her voice came out a little dry without her realizing it.

 

“Terrence, do as you wish. I would be grateful if you could protect me by my side.”

 

Terence looked at her again for a moment and remained silent.

 

“I have already given orders to my subordinates. If it is okay with you, I will also stay in the bedroom with the princess.”

 

“You want to stay in my bedroom with me?”

 

Terence looked at her as if asking what was the problem.

 

“I heard that you sent the maid into the room next to you. I will stay in the side room attached to the bedroom. Is there any problem?”

 

“Oh, no. There is no problem.”

 

She just felt a little embarrassed thinking about having to stay in the bedroom with him all night.

 

‘Well, the two of us won’t be able to leave the bedroom at night.’

 

In addition to her, Nell, and Chloe, there were maids working at the temple in the dorm. Since she didn’t know where there might be surveillance, the only places she could move were the bathroom connected to the bedroom and the side room attached to the bedroom.

 

‘If there is a fire, it would be safest to be near the bathroom.’

 

There was always water available, and there were also windows for ventilation. But she couldn’t leave her bed empty. She had to lie down on the bed for the priest to start the fire. The priest in the vision approached the window, saw her lying on the bed, and then lit a fire. So she had to show herself in bed.

 

‘There’s a need for me to lie in bed.’

 

She finished her brief thought and walked closer to Terence.

 

“Oh, actually I…”

 

She quietly announced her plan in his ear. His purple eyes sparkled with joy as he looked at her.

 

“That’s an interesting idea.”

 

A gentle smile appeared on the beautiful face seen under the soft light. She quickly turned her attention to the lantern in front of her. Even though she thought a little while ago that she shouldn’t become attached to this man, her heart was pounding helplessly again. She didn’t know why this was happening. Did she have arrhythmia due to severe stress?

 

‘I guess I’m too weak for that face.’

 

While thinking about that, she quietly took a deep breath. The flower lanterns they made were still on the altar. The small light inside the lantern gave off a brilliant red light through the surrounding flower petals. The gently swaying flames softly lit up the altar.

 

* * *

 

The temple ceremony continued late into the evening, but Diane and she returned to the lodgings. Terence left the temple around noon, saying he would return to the mansion.

 

“I have a lot of work left to do, so I have to go back to the mansion now. I’m sorry we couldn’t attend the event together.”

 

“Don’t say that. Work is more important.”

 

Terence got into the carriage, receiving the comfort she gave him.

 

“I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

 

He said that to Diane and her before heading back, but in reality, he said he would be back here around evening. He would  come in quietly without being seen by others. She watched some more of Diane and the holiday celebrations and then returned to the lodge for dinner. Tonight’s dinner was all food related to the holiday. Sweets and soups made from rastana flowers. Sauce made from honey from this flower was also sprinkled on the golden brown sea bass. This flower was useful in many ways. Somehow, the maids used so many flowers in an instant.

 

“Today, we decorated the windows here with lanterns.”

 

Diane, who was eating a cookie, looked back at the window. As said, lanterns were hung not only at the Rastana Temple but also throughout this lodging building. The bedroom window was also lined with flower-shaped paper lanterns. Red lights shimmered in the night sky contained in glass. It was a beautiful and romantic sight, but to her it all seemed like dangerous kindling.

 

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous to leave the light on like that?”

 

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