Xian had seen Carmillia wield her magic many times in the game, enough to know where shes trying to cast it. He also knew, that at the start she used a one instance barrier that will protect her from any one powerful.
First, he threw a dagger from the nearby table set of tea and plates. Sparks flew from its tips upon contact with the barrier, and in that brief moment, Xian took a single step to tackle her out of the way.
Still, an incomplete spell was cast, and despite its weakened state, the vines spawned and tore through the flesh of both Xian and Carmillia.
His first thought was to punch her solar plexus, but he decided against it and instead struck the back of her neck with a precise chop, preventing any more spells to pop out.
"Gah!" A gush of hot fluid slowly built up in his throat along with the strange feeling of something stuck in his stomach. The stabbing pain hit right after the uncomfortable sensation.
'Shit! Both of us got wounded!' Xian's head was boggled with confusion due to Carmillia's drastic action.
'So if there's no one who's going to take your life, you're going to kill yourself Carmillia? Just why?' It was strange for Carmillia to give up this easily.
Grunting, he pulled out the lodged vine in his body. The little bits of thorns and its rough texture scraped through the soft insides of his flesh, squirting fresh blood on the floor.
"AARRGHH!" Xian had never felt so much pain before. Not to mention, bleeding more than he ever did since coming to this world. If the training sessions with Serika had merely stained his clothes and the ground with droplets, now his blood pooled in the soft carpet of the room causing a pungent, rust like stench fill the air.
He quickly took out the vials of expensive potions from the headmaster's office and drank a whole vial. Tearing his clothes, he made sure to witness the miracle of these potions with his own eyes. A current of heat passed through his body and converged on his stomach where the wound was.
It bubbled at the injury with searing pain as his flesh squirmed back together from scratch. It still bled, but it gave Xian the feeling that his insides were complete and working properly once again.
He wasted no time and administered the same potions to Carmillia. Compared to him, she had sustained much lighter wounds on her arms and waist. As annoyed as Xian was, he didn't want to regress yet.
Next, he tended to the unconscious maid, whose bit of blood had dried at her temple. After that series of actions, he slumped on the sofa.
Looking up, he took a long and tired breath. The situation suddenly took a drastic turn. Turns out, Carmillia can be a threat event to herself, not just her enemies.
'What a cursed mess. Is this her resentment that the duke warned about? She hated losing authority that much?' But he quickly dismissed the thought. Carmillia only talked about one thing she was angry about, and it's her isolation.
'The swordmaiden's were gone.' Usually, they're a piece and part of Carmillia's every appearance in the academy. Only after the second year will they disappear for unknown reasons.
'Serika and Lucinelle.' Those two were always by her side without fail, even in the game.
'Did their absence shake her this much to the core? There's one reason I could think of why she would be afraid.' Xian remembered the first ever death of Carmillia. The two swordmaiden's dead bodies moved even after brutal decapitation to get rid of the enemy. To
accept that brand meant nothing short of offering their souls to Carmillia even after death.
But, if the owner of the brand were too far, those brands might as well be decorations on their bodies. At the back of Xian's mind, he was also curious how she even managed to learn such an advanced magic.
As if his throat mimicked his thirst for information, he found himself staring at the wine glass that Carmillia hadn drunk from. Funnily enough, it wasnt toppled over by the mess they made.
He held the wine glass against the moonlight piercing through the rooms windows and in its blood red hue, his ferocious eyes and bloodied mouth were reflected just as red.
Xian drank from the very edge that had been touched by Carmillia's lips and licked his own afterwards.
"Pft." A grin broke free from his wine stained lips as he whispered, "Seems like, she's only suited for tea."
[A Villainess's Curiosity II]
[Quest Failed]
[Lost all Affection Level]
[A Change has caused a decrease in affection level! - 10 Affection Level]
[Danger! Heroines at [Crimson] Level of affection will try to kill you on sight!]
The much too late notification came, as if to slap his face.
"Tsk, screw this fucking... Now you appear after the incident and tell me she's in a dangerous state?" This meant that unless he realizes or perceives any changers from the heroines, the system wont inform him if their not in the vicinity. Which makes it all the more harder, since he was used to monitoring their states from the side bar of the game.
Xian snarled at the strings of lines before him. But the ever silent and non living system had no response.
Or so he thought.
[New Quest]
[To Restart or to Keep Going?]
[Difficulty: ???]
[Reward: ???]
[Choose a path to take, O dedicated one…]
As if the gods watching heard his curses, the system gave a follow up quest. At least they were flexible, but the question marks in the difficulty and rewards are conspicuous signs of trouble.
'Anything unknown in the game was more likely to screw up the player.' For now, he decided against choosing and let the quest window fade away.
As the quests name suggests, choosing 'restart' might send him at the entrance examination. But there were too many variables there, he could not guarantee that everything will proceed as smoothly as before. There's also the hidden enemy where that mind controlled attendant came from.
The problem lay in his lack of usable information to smooth-talk his way out of this situation. While making up another lie has to be treaded carefully, because he didn't completely know what drove Carmillia to suicide apart from the absence of the swordmaidens.
['This is what you all wanted isn't it?']
'The 'all' she referred to, who were they? Who wanted her to despair and fear through isolation?' The way she asked questions if he was there to do all kinds of horrible things to her… As if she's experienced it plenty of times before.
But in the game, the usual threat to Carmillia were the protagonists allies in his faction of the heroine themselves.
'It's not the duke and his league of villainous collaborators. There was never an attempt to kill Carmillia in any form back in the game on their end.' However, her adverse reaction couldn't be more real.
"Hey, system, what happens if I choose to continue?" Undecided, Xian tried if his system can make responses just like in the novels he read.
[It depends on the host's decisions and interactions]
'Figures. How very un-dating sim-like.'
Xian contemplated his life in this world so far. The mixture of blood and potion assaulted his nose. Carmillia's pale figure lay motionless in her bed, her hair sprawled like the very vines produced by her magic.
The unconscious maid, Miri, faintly breathed by his side.
For the first time in a while, the silence around him didn't help.
He glanced at his rough hands, completely different from the ones he used to have. Right now, the villainess lay before him, defenseless.
'If I kill her, I can regress.' The thought crossed his mind.
Start all over, from before the exam or perhaps a certain point in time after that, then fix this situation.
But Xian dreaded. Just how many more times such a situation would occur? What about his dream of achieving what no player had done before, a 'harem end'? What about his desire to make Carmillia a conquered heroine?
He never thought much about his situation and meaning of his existence in this world. But Carmillia's attempt to kill herself doused him like a cold splash of water. Even with the power of regression, her desire to kill herself aren't things he can control.
How is he going to prevent her isolation and loss of her the two swordmaiden? It was too late to send a letter to the duke at this point. Besides, it was at his request from before he possessed this body in the first place.
What if a similar situation like this happens again? And because of his decision at an irreversible point in time, things spiral out of control? From what he understood, after meeting certain conditions, such as saving Carmillia and removal of the threat of death, the regression point becomes fixed at random moments within several hours of said event.
Furthermore… what if… what if it all ends up in an endless and irreversible repetition? Mistakes piling up on top of each other, and him, unable to escape a fate that's been sealed in stone.
Xian's heart beat faster at the thought. He thought that regression was his greatest power, but now, it became something he feared.
He closed his eyes to calm down.
And waited.
For the villainess to wake up and face her anger.
Xian had resolved himself.
…
A dark and crimson tinged hair were sprawled on the bed, reflecting moonlight through the windows and clear skies. A pale lady wearing a black dress woke up, at first with a wistful eye. But then, she bolted awake and rose from the bed, then hurriedly looked around her surroundings.
She had resolved to kill herself earlier, unwilling to fall in the state her enemies wanted.
Everything had been going well enough, from the start of the exam, until the end with the help of her butler. Although, her suspicions about his motives remained. For he was someone who came into her life, and was even enrolled together with her on the academy. They even took the top two spots of the entrants.
He even saved her not just once, but thrice since he appeared.
Still, her suspicion didn't fade. She only trusted the two swordmaiden who had resolved to be by her side and willingly accepted a brand that would serve her even after their deaths. Only such people deserved to be by her side.
To Carmillia, that is naturally her bottomline. Anyone else are just useful pawns.
Their brand not only ensured the destruction of enemy but also the safety of her body and soul. She had an inkling feeling that her enemies coveted something from her very essence. That much was something she prepared by studying forbidden magic throughout her childhood. It was a plenty powerful measure.
But now, the duke who never lifted a finger no matter what she did, took action. First, none of the nobles children under their influence heeded her call, refusing to even make eye contact and running away.
That was still acceptable, among her cards to play were the dirt and filth of their families. She could even make do without them. Pawns can be readily made with a little bit of coercion, reasoning and force.
Then came the letter.
Her father revealed the identity of her two subordinates to the academy and exercised his authority to admit them back. Rendering them unable to provide their presence and the 'peace of mind' she sought from them as the bearers of her brand.
The only reason she could think of why her father conceived such decisions, was that he was influenced by someone, perhaps an close subordinate or an unknown figure behind him.
In the letter, the duke specifically told her to rely on the butler he sent as her feet and hands from now on, a replacement for Serika and Lucinelle.
'If only he didn't come!' All her plan to gather pawns and power in the academy turned to dust just like that, because of her swordmaidens absence. As if to mock her, a single maid remained in the academy as her attendant.
"Before you do anything drastic, I want you to listen, young miss." A voice that was beginning to sound familiar grounded on her ears. She bit her lip and prepared her magic once again, slowly turning into the direction of the voice.
Xian sat facing Carmillia. By his side, a maid was soundly sleeping as he brushed her hair. She was the maid who had the gall to tell her off from drinking the wine she ordered her to bring. An overly nosy maid who overstepped her boundaries.
"I will not stop your magic this time." Xian said as he softly gazed at Miri. Carmillia didn't know what he's trying to achieve by caressing the maid but she decided to listen for what its worth.
Seeing that Carmillia had calmed down, Xian met her eyes with a faint practiced smile, one that she hopefully wouldn't find unpleasant at the very least. Trying to look as normal as possible, Xian spoke.
"I'm not an enemy. Neither am I the duke's subordinate or 'their' ally."
Carmillia mildly flinched. He seemed aware of a certain group she's been wary of, a group she though Xian might belong to. From the start, she was already wary of this butler's origin and sudden appearance. But, to what extent he knows is hard to tell.
Meanwhile, Xian was trying his hardest to seem like a mysterious figure with a goal. Since he was under suspicion of a scheme and there was no way to outright disprove it, his next choice of action was to show that he knows something but is acting as an individual with separate goals..
Only then, can he reach an agreement with Carmillia.
"However, there's no denying that I have my own goals for coming into this academy, by the grace of the duke, your father." He observed Carmillia's wary eyes then continued, "As for their decision, I am completely helpless and clueless. Even I, find the absence of your two subordinates inconvenient."
Since Carmillia was already pinning the blame on him earlier, there was no point in pretending that he didn't know the reason she tried to kill herself.
"After all, it means I have to be by your side more often. That goes against my freedom to carry out my matters." He shrugged, feigning resignation.
"Just imagine it, blaming it on someone whose goal might be jeopardized isn't really the conclusion of someone thinking straight, right?" He added a bit of mocking to lead Carmillia's thought where he wanted it.
"Tsk, what are you getting at?" This is the first time that Carmillia heard this butler talk so much. Usually, he just had that hostile stare, as if he's always looking at something he wants to harm.
"… It's a troublesome situation for both of us, milady. An innocent was even hurt in the process because of that." Xian briefly looked at Miri with feigned sadness. "And you almost took your own life."
Carmillia had no reaction to that. Her thoughts remained unknown to Xian who inwardly clicked his tongue.
"I have no choice but to follow the arrangements, and the same goes for you, young miss." As Xian tried to convince Carmillia that he isn't from a scheming enemy, but an individual acting with his own goal, he realized that they were already talking at the same level.
"You, being alive is also a way for me to ensure my continued existence in the academy without the duke's anger." No longer was she a villainess who could order her subordinate to behead someone at her behest.
"I must simply fulfill the role of your subordinates, and accomplish my goals while you're by my side." He finally said, making Carmillia raise a brow and sneer.
"Hah. You? How useful can you be, when you're not even half as powerful as Serika?"
Xian merely smiled. In the future, that will change, and she will rue that words as long as he funds his stat doping activities with investments.
"Being in the academy is more about intrigue rather than power young miss." He said, spreading out his arms as if to look down on Carmillia's line of thinking. "Also, aren't I the first placer?"
"…" Carmillia who have calmed down, turned her head to peek at the moon outside the window. Clouds shrouding the moonlight in the deep night had cleared up as wisps of light escaped to the floors of her room.
"What say you, young miss? Whatever Serika and Lucinelle can do with their power, I can compensate with my means." He stood up and bowed to her. "I implore you to consider my proposal. There's no need to hurry. We can talk about this whenever you are ready. For now, I shall take my leave with this maid, as its getting late."
Just as Xian scooped Miri into his arms, Carmillia spoke with meek but steeled voice.
"The brand… If you willingly accept my mage's brand, then I can trust you." There was only one way for her to make use and trust this man before her. By making him one of 'her' people.
"However, I'm telling you beforehand, you will have to sacrifice your very life to protect me even after your death. Until nothing of you remains." She warned.
"At the same time, your life will be tied to mine. My death will mean your death." She smiled, wondering if the butler will still accept her conditions. "Meaning, you can't let anyone kill me, unless you want to die too."
'Is that how it works?' Xian realized that this factor must've also influenced the two swordmaidens to be deeply protective of Carmillia and hostile to any possible threats. His decision to convince Serika back then to kill the chief maid had really been the right choice.
Carmillia took his silence as hesitation and smirked. "So, you still cower at the fear of death in the end, just like any human being?"
"Heh" Xian failed to control his sneer. He feared pain more than death and the thought of continuing a life of repeated failures.
He look at Carmillia's eyes and said, "Young miss, death if anything is the least terrifying thing to me."
"So yes, I can accept that brand under those conditions. The same as Serika and Lucinelle." There was no hesitation at all in his words and Carmillia found his confidence amusing.
"So, when will milady place that brand in me?" Xian even spoke with slight anticipation. That magic will be useful in the future. And if he allies himself with the right person, especially Gumin, he can request her to decrypt the spell for his use. Perhaps even reversing the effects.
Carmillia found the butlers behavior both ridiculous and reckless. To receive a brand, a host must have complete willingness to give their life for its purpose. Serika and Lucinelle managed to do so with their gratitude to her mother and time they spent with her, while Xian was claiming that he has simply no fear of death.
But thanks to that, once this is all over, she can believe that Xian has no choice but to keep his word.
"Before dawn. Meet me in the academy gardens where the fountain is."
Once they proceed with the ritual, she will find out whether this butler was truly sincere or just boastful.
If he succeeds, then…
From a pawn, he's going to be the 'third' indispensable person in this life of hers.