I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 80

The music, which had seemed like it would never end, finally came to a stop.

We took a step away from each other and exchanged a polite farewell. It was the perfect conclusion to what had been left unfinished in the ballroom last night.

"Shall we head back now?"

"Yeah, let’s. In the end, we just spent time without accomplishing anything."

Aiden and I slowly started walking toward the carriage storage. We avoided the crowded streets, taking a side path instead.

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"Still, I had fun."

Aiden spoke as if he were humming a tune. Judging by his expression, he seemed to mean it.

That’s good.

"What about you, my lady?"

"Hm?"

"Were you happy as well?"

Happy... Well... Was I?

I ate chicken skewers and drank cheap wine. They were pretty tasty. I got lost and ended up dancing in a deserted alleyway. Honestly, what kind of absurd sequence of events was that? Still, if I had to categorize it as enjoyable or not...

"I think I was happy."

My first festival had been... fairly enjoyable.

On our way to the carriage storage, Aiden briefly stopped by a street stall. It was the kind that sold all sorts of miscellaneous trinkets. While I browsed the items with my eyes, Aiden had already picked something up, a paper bag in his hand.

"You bought something?"

"Yes. Didn’t you say you wanted to buy a gift as well, my lady?"

Ah, right. I did say that. Wow, I almost forgot. No, actually, I had forgotten. But at least I remembered before reaching home, so that’s something.

"What should I get?"

I bent down and looked over the items. Instead of bringing back food, it seemed better to buy something unique. Aiden crouched down beside me, helping me pick something out.

"Oh, that’s..."

"The fountain from earlier."

In a tucked-away corner of the stall stood the very same beverage fountain we had admired earlier.

"Is this for sale too?"

When I pointed at the item, the friendly-looking shopkeeper nodded.

"Yes, it is. It’s a discontinued product, but I managed to get lucky and find one."

The old man from before had boasted about how rare it was... Is something considered rare just because it keeps appearing everywhere?

Aiden must have had the same thought because he silently stared at the item before stepping closer to me.

"It could be broken. Or a counterfeit."

"True..."

Still, maybe I should take the risk and buy it. That fountain had left quite an impression on me earlier. If it worked properly, my family would definitely love it.

"How much is it?"

"Oh, it’s a rare item, so it’s a bit expensive. About 20 silver?"

The shopkeeper watched me closely as she named the price.

Could she really be a scammer?

No, probably not. Twenty silver was certainly expensive for something sold at a street stall, but I could see why she’d be cautious about the price.

I had already made up my mind to buy it, so I was trying my best to think positively.

"Are you really going to buy it?"

"Yeah."

The moment I said it, the shopkeeper’s face bloomed into a bright smile. I could only hope that her smile was one of genuine kindness.

Aiden was now carrying both the fountain I had purchased and the item he had bought, all inside a paper bag.

I offered to carry the bag, but Aiden firmly shook his head in refusal. He was unusually stubborn about it.

Just what was inside that bag? Even after getting into the carriage, he still wouldn’t put it down, keeping it close to his chest.

I told myself to respect his privacy and not be curious... but I kept stealing glances at the bag.

"Are you that curious?"

Like a child caught in the act of mischief, I flinched and slowly lifted my gaze. Aiden was watching me with an amused smile.

I thought I had been discreet while glancing at the bag... Apparently not.

It’s not like I was trying to threaten him. I wasn’t demanding to see it, just looking out of curiosity...

"Yeah."

But if he was willing to ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) show me, I saw no reason to refuse.

The moment my answer slipped out, Aiden let out a quiet laugh, as if all the tension had drained from him. Then, after hesitating slightly, he fiddled with the bag before slipping his hand inside.

The rattling of the carriage wheels felt like a dramatic sound effect, as if something exciting were about to happen.

"I saw it and thought it was pretty... so I wanted to give it to you."

What he pulled out was a glass jar.

Inside, round glass marbles filled the space.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Clink. Every time he moved his hand, the marbles clattered together, making a clear, pleasant sound.

"I bought it for you, but... compared to the fountain, it feels too insignificant."

His tone was bitter. He had bought it for me, but when I suddenly decided to buy a more expensive gift, he must have hesitated, wondering if he should still give it to me.

Why would he even worry about something like that?

I thought to myself as I stared blankly at the marbles inside the jar.

Yellow, blue, pink, green... The colorful marbles shimmered beautifully.

"Do you like it?"

I had been so focused on the marbles that I only realized Aiden was watching me when he spoke again.

His green eyes, shaking even more than the rattling carriage, were fixed on me.

Just like before.

Back when I had threatened to cut his tongue, his eyes had trembled just like that. His reaction hadn’t changed at all.

"Yeah. I like it."

I reached out with both hands toward him.

Just like Aiden had earlier, when he had held out his hands and told me it was okay to throw up on him.

Seeing my gesture, Aiden let out a relieved breath and smiled faintly. Then, he gently placed the jar into my hands.

I grasped it tightly with both hands.

Clink. Clink.

Just like when he had held it, the marbles clattered against each other, ringing softly in the air.

I focused on the sound for a long moment, then lifted the jar toward the window where moonlight seeped in.

The marbles, which had already been glowing faintly, now shone so brightly under the moonlight that it was almost blinding.

As I stared at the dazzling colors, only one thought came to mind.

"They look like candy."

Like the candy jar that had shattered into pieces inside me long ago.

"What’s wrong with you? This isn’t like you."

"I know."

Lukas accepted the napkin Aaron handed him and wiped off the wine that had spilled onto his clothes.

But the dark red stain wouldn’t come off easily.

Lukas absentmindedly rubbed at the deep stain on his jacket before letting out a small chuckle.

"What?"

"It’s just... funny that I’m acting out of character."

"You’re being ridiculous."

Aaron clicked his tongue at his friend and leaned against the terrace railing.

Lukas followed suit, walking slowly to stand by the terrace edge.

"Was that man here today?"

Through the curtains marking the presence of people inside, silhouettes swayed against the bright light.

Aaron, watching the shifting shadows, turned to Lukas and asked.

"Who?"

"The second son of Count Cooper."

Aaron’s voice carried a sharp finality, his anger barely concealed beneath his firm tone.

It was only natural.

No one would be pleased to see some filthy insect hovering around the younger sister they cherished so much.

Lukas watched the rigid profile of Aaron’s face before letting out a loose smile and gazing down at the garden. Yet, his own eyes carried a similarly ominous glint.

He still remembered the day he had told Aaron about Jacob’s incident. Aaron had completely lost his mind.

Lukas recalled the struggle of trying to calm his friend down, pressing his fingers against his temple before lowering his hand.

After that day, both he and Aaron had started investigating Jacob separately.

Since Jacob was still a noble, they couldn’t drag him to trial without solid evidence. Even if they handed him over to the courts, there was a high chance he would be released due to insufficient proof—only tarnishing Selina’s reputation in the process.

Of course, using their influence to throw Jacob in prison would have been easy enough... but that would only make it harder to track down the real culprit, the one orchestrating everything from the shadows.

And without knowing the true reason behind this whole scheme, they would be left grasping at straws.

So, instead of relying on the courts or the investigative bureau, they had mobilized the duchy’s personnel to dig deeper on their own.

This method would ultimately benefit Selina the most.

However, despite the time that had passed since they started their investigation, they had found nothing.

The only lead they had was Jacob’s testimony from that night.

Frustrated, Aaron let out a deep sigh.

Lukas, glancing at his increasingly agitated friend, let out a loose chuckle before speaking.

"Well, it doesn’t seem like he’s shown up... He could be dead somewhere, for all we know."

"You wouldn’t have..."

"What do you take me for?"

A madman.

Aaron swallowed back the words before they could leave his lips.

Lukas, shrugging at the lack of response, tapped his fingers against the railing.

A rhythmic knocking sound echoed through the balcony where they stood.

"What was the real objective?"

"The most plausible theory is that they were after money or power."

"Yeah, that makes sense. But still... it’s strange."

Lukas nodded at Aaron’s doubtful remark.

It was something he had pondered as well.

Why had the mastermind ordered Jacob to seduce Selina?

If it was about money and power, there were far safer and more effective ways to get entangled with her.

Even if Jacob had succeeded in seducing Selina, everything would have been lost if he simply chose to keep his mouth shut.

Entrusting such a dangerous task to an outsider seemed like a reckless gamble.

"Was it really just about money and power...?"

Aaron murmured to himself, closing his eyes.

The unanswered question gnawed at him. The frustration weighed on his mind, eventually settling into exhaustion.

A dull headache crept in, and Aaron massaged the back of his neck.

He hadn’t been getting much sleep lately.

It wasn’t just the situation with Selina—monsters had also been appearing near the duchy’s lands.

Every reported sighting was being dealt with as soon as it came in, yet their numbers weren’t decreasing.

Lately, the reports had escalated beyond just sightings—there were now actual victims.

The situation was worsening.

It was a growing headache that refused to go away.

Between handling these issues day and night, lack of sleep was inevitable.

"Have you been getting any sleep?"

Lukas asked, his gaze still fixed on the garden.

"That’s a rather indifferent way of showing concern."

Despite his grumbling tone, Aaron smiled, lowering his hand from his neck.

"About four hours."

"That’s a great way to die young."

"Wow, listen to that kindness."

"I’m just a really thoughtful person."

Aaron let out a dry laugh at Lukas’s words.

Lukas, narrowing his eyes in mild irritation, soon chuckled along as well.

These days, with everything going on, it was almost ridiculous how peaceful the terrace at a party felt.

After a brief pause, both of them tilted back their glasses, finishing off the remaining wine.

Even though the alcohol content was low, a pleasant light-headedness washed over them.

Probably because their bodies were so exhausted.

"We should head back soon."

Night had fallen deeply.

The moon had been out for quite some time, and the guests were starting to leave one by one.

Selina had probably returned from the festival by now.

She had gone with Aiden.

Of course, Jane and Priest Ian had accompanied them as well... but even so, Aaron couldn’t shake off the nagging feeling that had been bothering him all day.

“Sir Lukas... you mean Aiden?”

That blank expression, that calm voice, surfaced in his mind on its own.

Resting his chin on the terrace railing, Lukas smirked as he recalled her face.

"Yeah, I’m jealous."

So, please.

Look at me, Selina.

Stop staring at me with that endlessly indifferent face.

"What did you say?"

Aaron, mid-yawn, turned his head toward Lukas, having only caught his faint mumbling.

But Lukas didn’t turn back.

Instead, he simply swirled his wine glass leisurely.

"Secret."

With that single word, their brief moment of peace on the terrace came to an end.