Third-Rate Villain Of Fantasy Novel-Chapter 48: Uncertain Future [2]

I had learned in the past few days how foolish it was to get entangled in an uncertain future.

And the same went for my relationship with Elena.

The distance between us had grown too close to brush off as just another relationship that would someday break apart.

At first, I thought I could let her go easily. I believed that a clean ending would be better for both of us. But after spending only a few days together, those thoughts collapsed far more quickly than I expected. I didn’t want to let her go anymore.

What made it worse was that I already knew the future that awaited me if I stayed by her side.

And yet, in order to keep her with me for even a little longer, I told my father to hand over the Isilia Mansion. Even now, when I thought about it calmly, it was an irrational decision.

A reckless one.

I knew it clearly.

That choice was no different from willingly stepping into hell just to remain beside her.

But strangely enough, my heart felt light—refreshed, even. Like the sharp fizz of soda spreading through my chest.

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the contradiction between reason and emotion.

"What’s wrong with my head?"

I wasn’t some tragic heroine desperately clinging to her position within a royal family. I wasn’t someone who should be acting on impulse and emotion alone. And yet, here I was, making choices that even I couldn’t fully justify.

To clear my tangled thoughts, I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes. I let my mind drift back to the events of the day, searching for the moments that had made me genuinely happy.

When the image of Alphonse and my father laughing together surfaced, the tension in my chest loosened slightly.

That atmosphere—warm, awkward, yet sincere—was something our family hadn’t shared since my mother passed away.

If I truly wished for my family’s happiness, I should have focused on moments like these much earlier. I should have tried harder to protect them.

Yet, thinking about how we had finally managed to regain even a fragment of that lost warmth, I couldn’t decide whether I felt more regret or happiness.

Both emotions settled quietly in my heart.

Just then, my memories shifted.

Like a film rolling forward, the scene changed to Elena sitting in the flower garden.

She sat beside my family, her posture composed, her smile gentle and polite.

She looked beautiful under the soft light, surrounded by blooming flowers.

But the longer I watched her expression in my memory, the clearer it became—hidden beneath her smile was a faint trace of disappointment.

It didn’t take long for me to understand why.

I opened my eyes abruptly and pushed myself up from the bed.

"What have I done?"

The promise I had made with Elena was, when I thought about it honestly, almost no different from a date. A quiet moment meant for just the two of us. And yet, I had carelessly included my family in it.

No matter how much I told myself that it was for the sake of repairing our family relationship, that excuse felt thin now. I had failed to consider Elena’s feelings.

I let out a slow breath and rubbed my face with both hands.

She must have been looking forward to spending that time alone.

Elena smiled and followed me because she was kind-hearted. But really—who would want to watch someone else on a date?

Even if she looked fine on the outside, there was no way she wasn’t disappointed inside.

Come to think of it, she seemed a little tired on our way back home today. Maybe it was because of that. Maybe she’d been forcing herself to keep smiling.

Just thinking about it made it feel like an arrow pierced straight through my heart.

"I should apologize. Right now..."

The words slipped out on their own, but my feet wouldn’t move.

It was already late. Even if she had come to my room last time as an exception, it wouldn’t be strange if everyone was asleep now. Visiting her room at this hour would be crossing a line—fiancé or not.

And even if I apologized... would that really be enough?

If it were Elena, she would probably forgive me with a smile. That was exactly the problem. I didn’t think my own heart would be able to rest that easily.

Wouldn’t it be better to actually do something? To fulfill what I’d promised her back then, even if it was late?

Lost in thought, I wandered around the room. That was when a familiar book caught my eye, tucked between a stack of old documents.

"This is it."

Before I realized it, I was already holding it in my hands.

...I guess I’ve found a way.

---

The book was a detailed map of Sarham’s city plan.

The moment I opened it, an idea clicked into place so clearly it almost scared me. I spread the map out on the desk and began tracing routes with my finger, imagining the streets, the lights, the sounds.

Sarham was one of the leading cities in the south. Trade flourished here, and so did culture. Even at night, parts of the city never truly slept. The streets were wide, the buildings carefully designed, and the scenery—especially near the central districts—was beautiful in a quiet, understated way.

I didn’t know everything about Elena. In fact, there were still many things I didn’t know.

But I knew enough.

She liked calm places more than crowded ones. She enjoyed walking slowly, taking things in, rather than rushing from one destination to another. And she had a soft spot for small, ordinary joys—things people tended to overlook.

"Alright..." I murmured to myself. "This should work."

I marked a route that avoided the busiest areas, winding instead through streets lined with lanterns and stone pathways near the canals. There was a small plaza here, a night market there. A bakery that stayed open late. A bridge where the reflection of the lights shimmered on the water.

If everything went well, we could walk for hours without even noticing the time.

And somehow, just imagining it made me smile.

---

We walked on, the city of Sarham unfolding around us. The quiet hum of magic-lit lanterns. The distant laughter from a late-night stall. The smell of warm bread drifting through the air.

Even though this world wasn’t driven by science, but by magic, there were still familiar comforts—simple foods, gentle streets, moments that felt strangely close to the ones I remembered.

And as I glanced at Elena, walking beside me with a relaxed smile, I thought that staying up all night would be more than worth it.