The Villainess is Tired of Everything-Chapter 66

"…Marceau."

Darcy stepped closer, so near that our lips almost touched, and frowned as he spoke softly.

"Let me make this clear. No matter what Ryan does, you know me better than anyone."

His voice was full of earnestness.

"So, don’t let him into your home so easily. This house deserves better."

I had never heard anyone describe a house as deserving better, but since the conversation with Ryan had been fruitless, I nodded in agreement.

"Alright."

"And don’t go hugging others so easily either."

…Darcy’s words caught me off guard.

‘So, he did care about that.’

I blinked and then chuckled.

"Are you talking about Ethan? He’s just a kid."

"Even so."

"…Why?"

Normally, I would have calmly responded to Darcy’s words. Honestly, I might have even been pleased that he cared about me.

But today, his small gestures of concern, his worries for me, felt somewhat bittersweet.

I was still waiting for him to define our relationship, something that had been highlighted by Lady Wernar’s questions earlier.

‘How selfish of me.’

I disliked how I was starting to expect something from our relationship.

I had told myself to respect his pace, yet my feelings were shifting unpredictably, even to myself.

…But it wouldn’t be fair to burden Darcy with these emotions.

I took a deep breath and bowed my head in apology.

"I misspoke. I’m sorry, Darcy. I’ve been on edge after preparing for the tea party these past few days. I’ll be more careful from now on."

While Ryan hadn’t noticed that my expression was forced, Darcy sensed something was off just from my tone.

"Marceau, did something happen?"

And then he called my name.

‘How can I not have expectations when he’s like this?’

A surge of emotion welled up inside me. Seeing him again after so long, my feelings were running wild.

I was also a bit upset that he hadn’t visited sooner, even though I knew there was a good reason for it.

"Marceau."

His words, spoken with a hint of urgency, made me lift my head. I wished my mask of composure would hold up under his scrutiny.

"I’ll be fine after some rest. You don’t need to worry any further."

I echoed his earlier words back to him.

"A friend’s comfort is enough at this level. You must have been busy too, so thanks for coming."

There was a bit of pettiness hidden in my words.

Darcy’s eyes narrowed, clearly displeased with my response.

"Marceau, something is really off with you today."

"Right? I should probably sleep soon. I’ll feel better after a day’s rest."

"No, how can I believe what you’re saying with that expression on your face?"

Darcy moved close to me in an instant.

His fingers gently brushed the corners of my eyes, and only then did I realize there were faint tears there.

‘Maybe it’s okay to open up a little.’

Hadn’t I promised myself that I would be honest with him?

In the end, I decided to speak.

"Darcy."

"Yes?"

"Today, Lady Wernar asked about our relationship."

"Why would she ask about us? Is she interested in you? I heard she’s not aligned with Ryan."

Instead of drawing a connection between Lady Wernar and himself, Darcy immediately brought the conversation back to me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Crying and laughing at the same time isn’t good.’

I stepped back slightly and wiped the remaining tears before answering him.

"She’s interested in you."

Darcy grimaced.

"That’s not necessary."

His reaction was just as I had expected.

"But it wasn’t easy for me to reject her outright. So, I asked her to write a letter explaining how she could be of help to you."

"What kind of letter?"

Darcy’s tone grew shorter and more clipped.

His furrowed brows and lowered voice reflected his growing displeasure.

"How she could support you."

Was it just my imagination, or did Darcy seem increasingly disappointed by what I was saying?

"…You could have just rejected her."

"But Darcy, think about Lady Wernar’s position. If you handle it well, she could become a valuable ally."

I couldn’t expect him to sever all ties just for my sake.

"Darcy, you can’t always rely on only me."

I reminded him of reality.

"When this is all over, you’ll leave… and then I might live a different life."

If I find happiness, Darcy will leave. I was reminding him of something we had both long forgotten, even I had forgotten.

"And maybe someone else will be by my side."

My last words were almost mumbled.

Just because we’re friends now doesn’t mean that’s permanent.

If Darcy continued to live, his world would need to expand beyond just us.

Although he seemed to be doing this by meeting with nobles, I couldn’t be sure how smooth it would be given his usual approach to people.

After dealing with Lady Wernar today, I realized I hadn’t prepared at all.

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I couldn’t just cling to my relationship with Darcy.

His life shouldn’t be solely about me, and mine shouldn’t be solely about him.

If we weren’t on the same page, our balance would eventually break.

"So let’s both maintain some boundaries in this area. I’ll be careful too."

"No matter what letter Lady Wernar sends, I won’t meet her."

Darcy declared after hearing me out. I had offered my advice, and he had made his decision.

"…Alright."

I didn’t fully understand the reasoning behind his choice, but I respected it, knowing that his life had not been easy and his experiences had shaped him.

"There’s something on your face."

As we continued talking, Darcy suddenly moved closer to me again.

His hand brushed against my cheek before pulling away.

He bent down slightly to look at me, his silver hair falling on either side like a curtain, casting a shadow over us. His expression, visible only to me, was a complex mix of emotions that was hard to describe.

"I wish you’d be more selfish."

"Selfish? How?"

"Tell people that we’re close. If any young ladies try to approach me, you can drive them away. You’re important enough to me to do that."

Darcy’s words felt like a confession.

"Are you upset today because we’re not official? Then I’ll make it clear."

Does he not realize that this isn’t something a friend would say?

If his mistake was due to his inexperience in relationships, it was up to me to correct it.

To help him navigate our relationship more maturely.

"Darcy, that’s not something a friend would do."

Darcy blinked in surprise.

"If you want us to be friends, you shouldn’t spread those kinds of rumors."

I spoke firmly.

"Neither of us can reject people who approach us because of jealousy."

"Why not?"

He asked, as if scolding me.

"Because that kind of jealousy is what lovers experience."

My words made Darcy frown. His gaze grew more intense.

He always reacted sensitively when the topic of love came up.

Even though he clearly had feelings for me and might even share the same feelings, Darcy hesitated to take that one crucial step.

"Darcy, what are you afraid of?"

I needed to know. If we just kept waiting, we’d both remain stuck in place, unsure of where to go.

"This feeling."

His voice was low, as if it came from deep within.

"I’m afraid of desiring your heart."

Not just me.

It wasn’t just my feelings.

I felt overwhelmed with emotion.

His actions toward me had not just been out of friendship, but had been signals of something more.

He held feelings for me too.

Our feelings were mutual.

"I feel the same."

I cautiously expressed my feelings. Darcy gave a faint smile at my words, but he didn’t seem as happy as I was.

"I know this is all wrong."

"What’s wrong?"

"Marceau, our feelings are different."

"…"

"If we go further, I’ll end up destroying you, just like my mother did to Emperor Kies."

He mentioned his mother, something he rarely did.

I began to understand where his trauma stemmed from.

"Marceau, my brainwashing isn’t just about controlling thoughts."

He gently touched his forehead to mine before pulling back.

"It can manipulate emotions too."

His voice was hauntingly low.

"Aren’t you afraid that I might one day brainwash your feelings?"

"…"

"You said you weren’t afraid of my brainwashing, but that’s because you haven’t truly experienced it."

"…"

"If you saw the depths of my darkness, would you still trust my emotions, my thoughts?"

He warned me. The wounds he revealed were deeper than I had imagined. His trauma was significant, like a thick scab covering an old wound.

His warnings and serious expression were no different from when he faced Ryan earlier, yet I wasn’t afraid.

Instead, I was relieved to finally understand the truth.

It was something I could accept.

I didn’t want Darcy to bear this burden alone. What he needed wasn’t just patience, but a hand to reach out first.

So I reached out.

"If I’m prepared to experience it."

He was the only one who had saved me when I was lost in despair.

"If I can trust your emotions and believe in your feelings."

How could I not love him?

"Darcy."

I called his name.

"How could I not love someone who wants me to be happy?"

I confessed my feelings with all my heart.