This Villain Is Mine Now - Chapter 126

Kyst approached Elaina and knelt before her. He placed his hand on the hem of Elaina’s dress. It was a sudden action, leaving no time to stop him.

“K-Kyst?”

A flustered Elaina called his name, but Kyst paid her no mind. As he murmured incomprehensible words, a bright light burst from his hand. Soon, the light quickly faded.

Kyst snatched the staff from Elaina, who was staring at him with wide, rabbit-like eyes. Sarah let out a startled cry, but Kyst moved faster.

Elaina could barely stand without her staff. Sarah quickly ran toward her.

But Elaina did not fall. She touched her thigh with her hand. The wound that used to sting like a burn even at the slightest brush strangely didn’t hurt at all.

“No wonder. I was wondering why you were in such a rush.”

Colin, having barely stopped retching, shook his head.

***

As soon as Colin arrived in Mabel, he delivered the ring and the letter to Kyst as Elaina had requested.

“How is Her Grace the Archduchess’s condition?”

“Ah. Thankfully, she’s found a lot of stability, but whether she’ll be able to walk properly again depends on the rehabilitation treatment from now on…”

What he overlooked was the fact that although the dragon did not directly speak the human language, after spending nearly half a year among humans, he had learned to understand it.

Kyst, who had been toying with the ring with a disinterested look as if uninterested in Colin and Drane’s conversation, suddenly stopped.

Kyst quietly stared at Colin. Though they weren’t hostile, the dragon’s overwhelming presence made Colin so tense he could hardly breathe.

“L-Lord Drane. Why is Lord Kyst looking at me like that?”

Colin’s voice trembled. Drane also looked at Kyst with a puzzled expression.

“[Lord Kyst, is something wrong?]”

Without blinking, Kyst, who had been staring at Colin, slowly stood up.

“[I just remembered somewhere I need to go.]”

“[Somewhere to go?]”

“[The capital.]”

Not understanding the dragon tongue, Colin stared blankly at Drane and Kyst in turn. Drane shrugged, as if there was nothing he could do about Kyst’s response.

“What is he saying? I get the feeling it has something to do with me.”

“Ah, please wait a moment.”

Responding to the anxious Colin, Drane raised his hand and continued the conversation with Kyst.

“[You’re going to the capital? But you know what could happen if the monsters go on a rampage.]”

“[Weren’t you the one who said an hour should be fine?]”

“[An hour? Well, yes. I meant that you’d be able to move freely within an hour’s distance from Mabel.]”

“[I’ll be back within an hour.]”

Even Drane didn’t understand what he meant and frowned, but Kyst suddenly strode up to Colin. He reached for Colin’s shoulder, which had gone stiff with tension.

Just as his hand touched Colin’s shoulder, the two disappeared in an instant.

Clicking his tongue in exasperation, Drane muttered to himself, “Spatial teleportation.”

The highest level of magic that only dragons could use.

“No wonder he’s been so restless ever since hearing that the Archduchess was injured.”

The incident in the capital had reached Mabel as well. Thanks to that, they had a general grasp of what happened at the tower too. Since hearing that Elaina had been kidnapped by the Redwoods and her life was in danger, Kyst had been acting as if something inside him had broken. He had been pretending to stay calm, but it seemed he had finally reached his limit.

***

“[Are there any other wounds?]” Kyst asked with an expressionless face.

Elaina, still dazed, shook her head. “[No. Just now, what was that? Was that magic?]”

At Elaina’s question, Kyst’s lips curved faintly. “[If not magic, then what do you think it was?]”

“[My goodness. I’m really healed. Look at this!]”

Elaina jumped in place. Her legs, which had felt heavy like waterlogged cotton, were now full of energy. Kyst gave a faint smile at the sight.

“[Of course. I just poured five years’ worth of a dragon’s mana into your body.]”

Elaina, who had been gleefully hopping around, dropped her jaw.

“[W-what did you say?]”

“[I said it was five years’ worth of mana.]”

“[You needed five years’ worth of mana just to heal my wounds?]”

“[No. Healing the wounds didn’t take that much. I added more magic just in case something happens.]”

Kyst had cast a tracking spell on her in case she was kidnapped.

Spells for freezing and warming to protect her from heat and cold. In addition to those, he had layered several more spells.

Though he didn’t explain it to Elaina, Kyst had prepared for every accident he could imagine.

“[Human parents in Mabel tell their young not to follow strangers. Are nobles different?]”

At the oddly nagging question, Elaina scratched her cheek with an embarrassed look.

“[No… My parents said that too.]”

“[You should take it more to heart.]”

“[I know I was careless. But it was so bright, so open… I just never imagined something like that could happen.]”

Kyst flicked Elaina on the forehead. A loud thwack followed, and Elaina let out a yelp. It didn’t hurt much, but her skin turned red and felt hot.

“[Everyone must’ve been too worried about you to scold you.]”

Scold her? Who would scold her when she was an adult and the Archduchess?

“[In the dream Propheta showed us, Lyle Grant brought ruin to the empire. The one who changed that future was you. Without you, who knows what Lyle Grant would’ve become—or what would’ve happened to the people in the north who place their hopes in him. You need to take more responsibility.]”

Every word from Kyst weighed heavily on Elaina.

She nodded with a subdued face. “[All right. I’ll be more careful from now on.]”

“[One more thing.]”

“[Hm? What is it?]”

“[The human who did this to you. Wasn’t it the Marquis of Redwood?]”

At that moment, Kyst’s pupils narrowed vertically. His expression turned cold, and the room’s temperature dropped several degrees in an instant.

“[Shall I kill him for you?]”

“[What? What are you talking about?]”

“[There’s no reason to keep him alive. I still have time left from my promise to Drane. If you want, I can deal with him too.]”

Elaina frantically shook her head. “[Absolutely not.]”

“[Why not?]”

“[His Majesty the Emperor made a promise to Lyle. If he can prove the truth of what happened ten years ago, His Majesty said he’d remain neutral.]”

If the Marquis of Redwood were to die now, House Grant would never be able to clear the stigma of treason. Elaina knew better than anyone how hard Lyle had been working for that.

“[I appreciate it, but I’ll pass. The Marquis of Redwood will pay for his crimes. In the way of humans.]”

“[The way of humans, huh.]”

“[Yes. Killing him would be too easy. He must pay for every one of his sins.]”

Of course, for now, it felt like they were hitting a wall. It had been ten years, and the Marquis had done his utmost to erase all traces. There wasn’t much evidence left.

At Elaina’s words, Kyst gave a small nod. His pupils widened again, and his usual expression returned.

“[If you insist, I’ll wait for now. But if he can’t be judged by human means, then I’ll deal with him my way. He, too, must answer for coveting a dragon’s possession.]”

“[Alright.]”

Elaina nodded, hoping such a future would never come.

Kyst’s existence had to be kept secret, if possible. For the emperor who had confessed his fear of the north’s military might, for Lyle and the north, and for the dragon who had finally found peace.

“[You might need this, so I’ll lend it to you for now.]”

Kyst held out his hand to Elaina. Reflexively, she reached out, and something heavy landed in her palm. Elaina recognized what Kyst had given her. Her jaw dropped.

“[This is…]”

“[Propheta’s ring. The magic itself is complex, but the principle is simple. Once mana is infused, it regains its power.]”

The ring shimmered in brilliant rainbow colors in her palm. Unsure what to say, Elaina looked back and forth between the ring and Kyst.

“[There’s not much time left. I must return now.]”

Before she could even voice her refusal, Kyst gave a slight lift of his brow in farewell. And just like that, he vanished. His exit was just as abrupt as his arrival. If not for Colin still holding the bucket, it would’ve seemed like a dream.

But it wasn’t a dream. The warm ring in her hand kept reminding her that this was real.

Elaina swallowed hard and looked down at her hand. When she closed her fist, radiant light shone through the gaps between her fingers.