A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 332: Yulie (4)

In a cottage located in a forest leading to Marik, on the border of Hadecaine, I was facing Sophien through a mirror.

— … This is my final command as your Empress.

The Empress reflected in this transparent mirror now somehow appeared as her distant past self—a young Sophien who endlessly repeated death and was floundering in regression.

— Here, with me… let us play a match in the game of Go.

Sophien wanted to play a match of Go with me, like the times when we could comfortably face each other, and like the days when we didn’t have to worry about the continent’s destruction, with her voice delicate and more like a favor than a command, as if she were asking me for a favor.

“Your Majesty,” I said, looking at Sophien without any expression.

However, I offered no answer and merely delivered my intended words in a dry manner.

“The Intelligence Agency’s speculation is correct.”

At that moment, Sophien gritted her teeth and, glaring at me, muttered.

— They are correct?

“Yes, I will commit an act of betrayal against Your Majesty.”

Sophien closed her eyes for a moment.

— Then you will be branded a traitor. Your house will be known as the lineage of perfidy. You will suffer the most ignoble end, completely erased from the history of the Empire.

“Even if I betray Your Majesty, the house of Yukline will become Your Majesty’s strength.”

The name of the House of Yukline, its territorial constituents, and my younger sibling Yeriel had come to hold significant meaning for me—not only for Deculein but also for Kim Woo-Jin.

— Grand indeed are your dreams. If you, the head of the family of that house, become a traitor—

“Because Yeriel will initiate my expulsion from the house.”

— … Yeriel?

“Yes, Your Majesty, she is indeed a talent capable of leading Yukline. Please keep her by your side and utilize her discerningly.”

Soon, Yeriel would become Yukline’s head of the family, leading the house instead of Deculein, and knowing that this was my wish, she would not allow herself to be swayed by her personal feelings.

Sophien remained silent, staring at me with a heated breath.

“Your Majesty, soon, those who have partaken of the Altar’s favor will gain ascendancy,” I said.

Not only in the Empire but also across the entire continent, the Altar’s potion was spreading to Mage Towers, knights’ orders, and numerous mages and knights, who, captivated by its irresponsible and convenient power, were serving the Altar. Even the nation called Leoc was plotting for its entire nation to join the Altar.

“It is not merely mages and knights. Even the lowliest and most despicable commoners, by turning to the Altar, acquire power and seek to overthrow the class system.”

The Altar’s faith randomly infiltrated the pyramid of class, and both the upper and lower classes welcomed the power without cost provided by Quay, a God, becoming addicted to the fruit of temptation and its promise of strength through mere consumption, without any effort, talent, or other means.

“It seems I do not wish to merely watch such despicable wretches,” I said to Sophien. “Therefore, I will unite them.”

Such individuals likely fell prey to the Altar’s temptation, perhaps weary of the oppression from nobles like myself or despising the unequal society they lived in.

“I will once again ascend to the pinnacle of those contemptible beings who have fled from reality.”

Therefore, I would return to the pinnacle above those people. At their pinnacle, I would reign again and clearly proclaim that as long as they lived on this continent—at least as long as they tried to serve evil—they could never escape Deculein’s name…

“I will become the exemplar of discipline among the greatest villains.”

Sophien looked at me without a single word.

“I am to become the very enemy of Your Majesty.”

However, Sophien’s complexion was different from just before, her eyes somewhat soaked in sadness and her face bearing a somewhat arrogant expression as she lowered her head slightly.

“Therefore, make ready for war. Prepare to march into the Land of Destruction. Should Your Majesty fail to commit completely, Your Majesty will be defeated.”

The moment I mentioned defeat, Sophien’s mood changed drastically.

— … Defeated?

Sophien straightened her posture again, and with her characteristic arrogance and pride, she glared at me, appearing as the Sophien of old once again.

— Those Altar wretches seem to be brimming with confidence.

“I will wait for Your Majesty in that Land of Destruction, with a mere wooden board,” I replied, a smile forming on my face as I looked at Sophien.

***

Ria, sitting in a tree in the night forest under a bright full moon, was looking at Yulie, who was guarding the entrance of the cottage, while kicking her feet in the air.

“Yulie won’t move away from the entrance~” Ganesha muttered with a tone mixed with a chuckle.

“Yes, it seems even Deculein put up a barrier. I can’t even use clairvoyance or spy what is going on inside,” Ria replied, nodding her head.

Both Ria and Ganesha had been following Deculein and Yulie, but they were completely blocked by Yulie—a single person who was strong even though she was merely in a puppet form.

While they might have defeated Yulie through a forced advance, neither Ria nor the entire Red Garnet Adventure Team wished to break such a formidable knight as Yulie.

“It’s about time for him to call us now~”

The moment Ganesha pouted her lips and her twin tails fluttered…

— You are permitted to come in now.

From somewhere, Deculein’s voice flowed in, and at the same time, the barrier wrapped around the cottage was dismantled.

“Wow, you got it right,” Ria replied, her eyes wide.

“Ria, you go in,” Ganesha said, a smile on her face.

“Me? By myself?”

“Deculein opened the barrier, but the knight over there probably won’t allow anyone but you,” Ganesha replied, pointing at Yulie.

At the entrance of the cottage, Yulie continued glaring with narrowed eyes in the direction of Ria and Ganesha.

“… Oh, okay,” Ria said, lightly jumping down from a tall tree and walking towards the entrance of the cottage.

“Should you have any weapon, please hand it to me,” Yulie said, approaching.

“I don’t use weapons.”

“Yes, I believe that is so,” Yulie replied as her hands moved over Ria, searching through her pockets and every corner of her clothes. Then she took out one of Ria’s belongings and looked at it suspiciously. “What is this?”

“It is a flower, of course.”

“Why did you bring this?”

“It’s for the Professor,” Ria replied with a hesitant tone.

“I will hold onto this for the time being.”

“… Umm, well, sure.”

Yulie nodded her head only then, opened the cottage door, and entered with Ria.

Thud, thud—

After walking down the short corridor, Yulie was the first to stop in front of the study.

“Please enter.”

“… Okay.”

The moment Ria opened the door, the scent of books and ink greeted her. Sniffing, she looked toward Deculein, who appeared to be scribbling sentences in a notebook at his study desk. Behind him, a canvas leading to the painting prison was placed, sealed with magic.

Thud—

The door of the study closed.

“… I’m here, you know,” Ria said, fiddling with her earlobe due to nervousness.

“You continuously miss several opportunities to kill me,” Deculein replied, dipping his quill pen in ink while his voice remained completely composed.

“Eh?”

“Each moment now would be an opportunity. I am weakened now, and you are strong, Ria.”

“… I mean, does that mean you want me to kill you?”

Deculein offered no reply.

Scribble, scribble—

Despite having called Ria, Deculein remained preoccupied with some writing.

“… Umm, hey, Count Yukline,” Ria said, biting her lower lip.

Then, somehow unable to hold back any longer, and having finally learned what she had been curious about, Ria asked, “Why are you so determined to die?”

Scribble, scribble—

Nevertheless, at Deculein’s unstoppable penmanship, Ria glared at him and clenched her fists.

“Why are you so impatient to die? I am Yuara, but why are you telling me to kill you?”

Deculein’s hand suddenly stopped, and his eyes settled into a calm state.

“Yuara,” Deculein said, calling her name.

“… Yes, Yoo Ah-Ra,” Ria replied, also speaking her own name.

“Indeed, you resemble her. Through some miraculous process… perhaps you have undergone reincarnation or a spiritual transference,” Deculein said, putting down his pen.

Tap—

“Therefore, you must continue to chase me,” Deculein continued, closing the note.

Because they were rather strange words, Ria blinked her eyes and looked at Deculein.

“I am to raise my hand in betrayal against the Empress. I will cooperate with the Altar and complete the lighthouse.”

Deculein declaring his own crime felt incongruous to Ria, and strangely, it seemed as if Deculein’s image overlapped with him.

“Return to the Empire.”

Ria was steeped in deep thought.

“And bring about my downfall,” Deculein concluded.

***

Swipe, swipe—

After the Red Garnet Adventure Team had moved away, I sat in the cottage’s study, reading a book, and nearby, Yulie was diligently wiping her sword with a cloth.

Swipe, swipe—

Swipe, swipe—

The sound of wiping the sword was comfortable. Although I had thought I would prefer being alone because of my personality, when this situation actually happened, it wasn’t like that at all. Yulie, by merely doing insignificant things by my side—sometimes speaking to me and occasionally looking at me blankly—just with that, made my heart feel cozy.

“Is the sword to your liking?” I inquired.

“Yes, since it is the sword you made for me, Professor, it is really to my liking. This body, too, has grown familiar with it,” Yulie replied, turning to look at me and smiling brightly.

Because of Yulie’s honest and pure reaction, a smile formed on my lips, but that composure lasted only for a moment.

“What is the approximate span of time remaining to you?” I inquired, my tone rather subdued.

The current Yulie could not remain by my side for long, and her puppet’s body would eventually break. Even if the body endured, the diary’s medium would sever.

“There is no need for concern. Until the last moment, time will remain to protect you, Professor,” Yulie replied, a shrug accompanying her words.

I did not bother to ask and looked at Yulie without a word. This moment—where she, whom I had sent away without a proper farewell, came back and affirmed me—felt somehow like a gift but also like a curse, causing a corner of my already dying heart to ache.

“Yulie,” I called her.

“Yes,” Yulie replied, looking at me.

“I am sorry.”

Upon hearing my apology, Yulie offered a smile.

“I wished for you to survive. No matter how painful, no matter how agonizing, I only hoped that you would not die,” I continued, speaking as if in confession.

“Yes, Professor, I also know your heart.”

“Despite everything, I wished for your happiness.”

“Yes, thank you,” Yulie replied, her response earnest and kind.

Yulie’s behavior was so entertaining that laughter escaped me without my knowing.

“… However, I could not achieve that wish.”

“It is fine,” Yulie replied, standing up from her seat, sheathing her sword as she approached me. “I would rather not have wished for that kind of happiness—for you, Professor, to suffer while only I find happiness and survive…”

Yulie knelt on one knee and looked up at me with the respectful manners of a knight.

“That would ultimately have made me unhappy, as it was our greed that was impossible to reconcile from the beginning.”

I placed my hand on Yulie’s hair, and given that Arlos’s puppet had perfectly manifested the property of the medium, this puppet must have almost completely recreated a young Yulie.

“… Would that have been so?” I asked, my fingers tenderly brushing Yulie’s cheek.

“Yes. However, it is such a coincidence,” Yulie replied, her fingers tenderly touching my hand.

“A coincidence?”

“… The wish that you just held for me, Professor,” Yulie replied, smiling. “A wish similar to that, I, too, held within my heart.”

Plop, plop.

The sound against the windowpane was the rain starting to fall.

“I hope to achieve but a single wish. If I can achieve only that, I will find the greatest happiness.”

“… A wish?”

“Yes.”

Plop, plop.

The rain intensified and thickened, creating a mist, while the gentle patter of the rain filled the space.

“It is my wish that in the very moment of my fading… I may be able to protect you, Professor.”

A serene dampness spread through the study at this moment, and the scent of paper, ink, and rain gently permeated the air.

“My final moments, I wish to spend with you, Professor,” Yulie whispered, resting her forehead on my knee. “That is my wish.”

“Indeed, I will find my death after yours,” I replied, placing my hand on Yulie’s head and brushing it.

“… Hmm?” Yulie murmured, a hint of dissatisfaction on her face and her cheeks slightly puffed as she glanced at me again. “Can you not die?”

Plop, plop.

“I cannot,” I replied, shaking my head amidst the continuing sound of rain.

Yulie remained silent.

“However, do not worry. For some reason, it appears that I can only survive through my death.”

Yulie did not ask further questions, and therefore I quickly changed the topic because I disliked the heavy atmosphere around us.

“However, Yulie, a flower’s fragrance emanates from you.”

A subtle scent was emanating from Yulie, who knelt before me.

“… Oh, that is right. It is the flower Miss Ria had on her. I had forgotten that I had taken it from her,” Yulie replied, her eyes widening as if she had just remembered, and she took a flower from within her clothes.

“I see.”

Her mistake, so characteristic of Yulie, was even lovable to me, but the flower she presented caused my expression to harden in an instant.

“… That flower was brought by Ria, you say?” I inquired as the flower was placed into my hand.

“Yes. Miss Ria said she brought it to give to you, Professor, but do you recognize what kind of flower this is?”

Of course I know. Those blue leaves and the tiny flowerets that grow one after another are beautifully familiar to me, I thought.

“It is a forget-me-not.”

The forget-me-not, symbolizing not to forget her, was an Easter egg left by Yoo Ah-Ra, and as I looked at it, a sudden drowsiness overcame me. It was as if something had burst from my skull, and a wave of weariness and fatigue washed down from my head through my entire body. My body slipped from my control, losing its strength, and collapsed on its own.

“A-Are you alright?” Yulie asked, supporting me, her voice—which had been composed until now—suddenly trembling.

“… Yes, I am just a little tired,” I replied, leaning on Yulie’s body and looking at the forget-me-not that had fallen to the floor.

The flower Ria brought. A forget-me-not. Yuara. Yuara von Vergiss meinnicht… I thought.

“Yes, I will move you to the bed.”

… However, my thoughts went no further.

“Please take some rest. I will always be by your side,” Yulie concluded.

And with Yulie’s warm tone as the last thing I heard before my consciousness fell into a deep sleep.