I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 562 562: Darling?

”Hey! Look at this traitor!”

The voice behind me shattered the moment. My smile vanished instantly.

I turned around, scanning the sea of students, but the coward had buried himself deep within the crowd. Hiding behind numbers, he had the audacity to hurl insults but not the courage to show his face.

It wasnʼt the first time Iʼd been called names. It had happened before—whispers in the hallways, sneers behind my back—but this time, it was loud, brazen.

I swept my gaze across the gathered students, and just like that, the smirks vanished. Their eyes darted away, avoiding mine as if direct contact would burn them. The nervous shuffling, the sudden silence—it was amusing how quickly arrogance turned to fear.

I let the moment stretch before turning away, disinterested.

And then—

A scoff.

I stopped. My head turned slightly.

”Coward—”

-BAM!

The impact was sudden. I whipped around just in time to see a vampire sent flying, his body slamming against the stone wall. Several others around him collapsed from the force, groaning as they hit the ground.

I blinked.

What…?

Footsteps echoed at that moment.

”I donʼt like weaklings who talk too much.”

The voice was soft, almost amused. But it sent a chill down the spine of everyone present.

The crowd parted immediately, students scrambling aside to clear a path. Elizabeth walked forward at an unhurried pace.

Her expression was unreadable, but there was a smirk playing on her lips as she approached the vampire struggling to crawl away. When his terrified gaze met hers, he froze, his body trembling.

I found myself staring at Elizabeth.

She looked… different.

Her hair—once longer—had been cut short reaching her shoulders, now framing her pale face in loose strands. Her crimson eyes glowed darkly, the pupils narrowing into thin, predatory slits.

”Is that how you treat my fiancé?” Elizabeth asked, tilting her head slightly.

The vampire let out a strangled whimper. ”Hii! S–Sorry—”

-BAM!

A sharp kick to his stomach cut him off. His body lurched backward, crashing into the cracked wall behind him once more before slumping unconscious to the ground.

The tension snapped. Panic spread like wildfire. Some students staggered back, others turned and bolted, desperate to put as much distance between themselves and Elizabeth as possible.

She regarded the fallen vampire with a cold, detached stare before shifting her gaze toward me.

Then, she smiled.

”Pardon my people,” she said lightly. ”There are a lot of incompetents.”

”...”

Noticing my silence, Elizabeth stepped closer, her crimson eyes scanning me intently. ”Is something wrong?” She asked.

I hesitated for a moment before responding. ”I should be the one asking that. You… you look different.”

Her lips curled slightly. ”Is that so?”

I nodded, my gaze lingering on her. It wasnʼt just her hair or the sharper glow in her eyes—there was something deeper. A shift in her aura. Even her voice carried a colder, richer tone now.

Elizabeth let out a quiet chuckle before raising a hand, her fingers brushing against my cheek, tracing a slow path until they reached my scar. The touch sent a strange sensation down my spine.

”Youʼve changed too, my darling,” she mumbled.

”D-Darling?”

That was a strange way to call me... but somehow it hit me deeper than I thought. Pushing that aside, this was embarrassing for me.

”Yes,” she nodded, her pale cheeks flushing the faintest shade of pink. Then, with a slow movement, she pressed a sharp crimson nail against my skin, just enough to draw a thin line of blood. A bead of red welled up before she lifted her finger to her lips.

She closed her eyes as she slipped it into her mouth. ”Ah~ what a wonderful mix,” she sighed, her tone tinged with something almost euphoric. ”But I still prefer the spicier taste of your blood, darling.”

”Spicier, you say…”

I had no idea what she meant.

Her smile faded as she stepped even closer, her warm breath brushing against my ear. Then, in a whisper so quiet yet so piercing, she asked—

”Do you want to fuck me here, darling?”

”...!”

My entire body stiffened. Heat rushed to my face as I instinctively took a step back, but before I could escape, Elizabethʼs fingers curled into my shirt, yanking me toward her.

”E–Eliza—”

”Yes or no?” She interrupted me, her gaze locking onto mine with a scary intensity.

I was speechless. My brain struggled to process her words, my eyes darting awkwardly away—

And then I saw him.

Cain.

He stood a few steps away, watching us in silence. His stare was unreadable at first, but then it turned cold.

Elizabeth followed my gaze over her shoulder before finally releasing my shirt. She sighed softly before turning away.

”Itʼll have to wait for later, darling.”

Without another word, she strode. Cain followed behind her, but not before shooting me one last glare.

Give me a break.

Both Elizabeth and Cain were impossible.

I let out a slow breath, running a hand through my hair. I really needed to talk to her—more than ever now.

Especially knowing I was going to die.

What was the point of keeping our relationship alive anymore?

And more than that… Claudia still hadnʼt told Duncan or the other Heads about her Prophecy.

Why?

She was definitely keeping something from me.

That old bitch… damn it.

I couldnʼt bring myself to respect her anymore. Whatever trust I had left toward her and the othersʼ higher ups had been shattered, and at this point, I wasnʼt going to pretend otherwise.

But whatever.

At least now, thanks to Elizabeth, the constant murmurs and not-so-inaudible insults had finally died down. The ever-present buzzing of whispers, the sideways glances, the judgment—it was all gone, leaving me with an oddly clear path ahead. For that, I supposed I owed her some gratitude, though I wasnʼt in the mood to acknowledge it too much.

I continued walking until I reached the classroom.

Even before stepping inside, I could hear a commotion brewing. The murmur of voices filled the air.

Then I walked in.

And immediately, I understood why.

There, perched casually on my desk at the back of the classroom, legs elegantly crossed, was Alvara.

She held her umbrella in her grip, twirling it absentmindedly while gazing out the window, seemingly lost in thought. The sheer audacity of the sight left me momentarily stunned.

The reactions from my classmates werenʼt any different.

”W-What the hell is that Goddess doing here?!”

”Who knows! Keep your voice down!”

”Wait… has the time finally come?”

”What time?”

”For her to wipe out all the humans in the academy.”

”No way!”

Wild, paranoid theories spread like wildfire, whispered with a mixture of awe and terror. And honestly, I couldnʼt blame them.

Alvara was from the Gold Class. She had never—ever—stepped foot in another class like this. Not once. And even more shocking? She wasnʼt accompanied by her usual lapdogs. If I wanted to be polite, Iʼd call them her entourage. But letʼs be real—dogs suited them better.

At the front of the class, Celeste, Cylien, Selene, and Victor were just as taken aback as the rest. Their gazes were fixed on Alvara, confusion visible in their expressions.

And then there was me.

What in the world did she want?

As I took another step forward, the classroom fell into absolute silence.

Every gaze turned toward me.

Some were filled with open hostility, others with curiosity, and a few with barely concealed wariness.

Victorʼs group, however, was an exception.

”Oh, Amael, where the hell have you been?” Victor asked.

Right. I hadnʼt exactly kept anyone updated since leaving Utopia. Not even John knew where Iʼd been.

That was probably why Celeste was glaring daggers at me, arms crossed, her displeasure practically radiating off her in waves.

Cylien, on the other hand, waved at me with a cheerful smile—the kind Marlene would usually give.

Selene, as always, remained unreadable, her expression as impassive as ever.

”Well, I was kinda busy, you know… after everything that happened,” I said to Victor, keeping it vague.

He should understand. He had to understand. My situation in Sancta Vedelia had become precarious, and explaining it wouldnʼt change anything.

Celeste looked like she wanted to say something. Her lips parted slightly, hesitation flickering in her eyes—but I walked past her without a word shocking her a bit.

It was better this way.

Nothing should happen between us. Nothing could happen, not until that vision came to pass. Claudiaʼs warning echoed in my mind: my presence near Celeste would inevitably bring about the prophecy. That was something I had to avoid at all costs, at least for now.

It didnʼt sit right with me. Not after how weʼd parted at the borders of Zestella. But my mind was a mess, a storm of tangled thoughts and half-formed regrets. Until I could sort them out, I had no business getting closer romantically to anyone.

So I kept walking—straight to Alvara.

”What are you doing here?” I asked with a sigh. Not that I minded, really. Seeing her first thing in the morning was… nice.

Alvara turned toward me.

”Oh? Youʼre finally here?”

”Yes, I am. Now, can you get off my desk? Class is about to start,” I said, crossing my arms. ”Youʼre gonna be late too.”

Alvara scoffed, her expression shifting to one of mild disgust. ”Iʼm not going to class. Or maybe I am. Who knows?” She wrinkled her nose. ”I just canʼt stand the stench of all these mixed races together.”

I raised a brow. ”And yet youʼre here, in this classroom, where the mix isnʼt much better.”

”Indeed,” she admitted, twirling her umbrella lazily. ”But I needed to tell you something. Iʼm leaving for Utopia to nurture the Tree of Ymir. My mother considers it a priority.”

She said it so bluntly, without the slightest hesitation, as if openly cooperating with the enemy was no big deal.

That was something I liked about Alvara. Even more than me, she was utterly insolent—unapologetic in showing it off in front of the elites of Sancta Vedelia around.

Obviously they all kept their mouths shut. Alvara wasnʼt as patient as me and she was ruthless.

”Already?” I frowned. ”You donʼt have to rush…”

I trailed off, hesitating.

A week. Thatʼs how long sheʼd be gone.

I wouldnʼt say it out loud, but I would miss her.

With Alvara around, things felt simpler. No mind games, no stress. Just someone I could be around without constantly second-guessing my every move. Ever since we got closer, I thought the academy would be less suffocating. But now? She was leaving.

Freyja was already tending to the Tree, but sheʼd mentioned that Alvaraʼs help would speed up its growth. That was why Durathiel wanted Alvara so badly. Then again, the fool had no idea that Freya and Freyja were the same person—nor that she could nurture the Tree just fine on her own.

Freyja never even bothered to tell him about her real identity either.

Anyway…

Probably noticing my conflicted expression, Alvara stared at my face.

Damn. Did I just show my thoughts? How embarrassing—

But before I could recover, she moved.

In a single swift motion, she hooked her umbrella behind my head and pulled me forward.

I barely had time to react before my face was drawn down toward her, until—

A sudden soft pressure against my lips.