I Am The Game's Villain

Throughout Harvey's entire lecture, I could barely focus.

Not that I particularly wanted to, but that was a different question altogether. Even if I had tried, it would've been impossible with the constant curious glances—or, in some cases, the outright stares—I was getting from my classmates. Some weren't even bothering to be subtle about it.

I couldn't really blame them, though.

After all, Alvara—the Goddess of the Teraquin House, the faomous hater of Humans, and, according to some, a full-blown misandrist—had kissed me.

Yeah. Said like that, it did sound insane.

Hell, even I was still trying to process it. But after everything we had been through together, it… just happened. To both of us. I just didn't expect her to say it so easily—or to kiss me right away.

I thought she needed more time. That's what she said, too. But in hindsight, I should've known better. I should've known Alvara wasn't the type to hold back when it came to her emotions. She had always been the one to act on them, raw and unfiltered.

I wasn't ready for it, to be honest. But at the same time, I had to admit—I had underestimated her.

And yet…

Even knowing that she liked me too, I couldn't shake the emptiness settling inside me. Claudia's prophecy lingered in my mind like a curse, overshadowing everything else.

I sighed, shaking my head. No point dwelling on it here. The weight of all the attention was already suffocating, and I needed to get out of this damn classroom.

Pushing back my chair, I stood up, fully intent on walking out—

But before I could leave the classroom, an arm stretched out in front of me.

I stopped, looking up—straight into Celeste's gaze.

Her heterochromia eyes locked onto mine, upset.

Right. Of course. Escaping her would've been too easy.

"Let's talk," she said, a glare shadowing her expression.

I sighed inwardly.

Yeah… I should've seen this coming.

I couldn't blame her, though. I had ignored her for the past week—completely. And after everything that had happened, from my marriage with Freyja to the chaos that followed, she must have been worried.

But I hadn't replied to her. Not even once.

First, because of what happened with Amael inside me. Then Kleines. And finally, Claudia's prophecy—that had been the last straw.

And now, here we were.

"Right..."

I gave a small nod and left the classroom with her.

Running away again would be cowardly—not to mention pointless. She would chase after me no matter what, so I had to give her an answer, something close to what I had told Alvara.

As we stepped out into the hallway, I felt the weight of several gazes following us. Whispers and curious stares trailed behind like shadows, but I ignored them, keeping my focus ahead. Celeste walked beside me, stealing glances in my direction, though I refused to meet her gaze.

Then, she suddenly smiled.

"Have you ever been to Fangoria? I heard it's a pretty wild place. A city built for muscleheads like Rodolf. Though, I suppose Roda's one of the few exceptions."

"No, I haven't," I replied.

It would be my first time visiting, but sightseeing wasn't exactly on my itinerary.

Celeste tilted her head, her silver hair catching the light as she flashed an impish grin. "It'd be fun to hang out there, don't you think? How about visiting with me? The professors should give us some free time—it is a field trip, after all."

"I doubt I'll have time for that," I said, keeping my tone neutral as I kept walking.

I deliberately kept my words curt, distancing myself. I couldn't let her get to me. Not now.

Celeste, however, wasn't one to back down easily. "Why not? Shouldn't we make time for ourselves?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's an academy trip. We should focus."

She stopped walking.

I hesitated for a split second before moving forward, but before I could take another step, she grabbed my arm.

"A-Are you really going to make me say it?" She asked with a stutter.

I finally glanced at her. "Say what?"

Her fingers fidgeted slightly against my sleeve, and she looked away, cheeks tinted a soft pink.

"I—I mean... going out with you. Like a date, you know..."

My expression turned conflicted but I kept my expression normal. "Celeste... I don't think that's a good idea."

I could have told her about the prophecy, but it wasn't worth the risk. The fewer people who knew, the better my chances of survival.

"What? It's just a date," She grumbled, crossing her arms. "An hour or two—that's all I'm asking."

"It's not about that," I said, shaking my head. "I mean between us. I just don't think it'll work out."

"Eh?" Celeste blinked, confusion flickering in her eyes. "What... won't work out?" She asked, a hint of unease creeping into her voice.

"The two of us," I said simply.

Her grip on my arm tightened.

"I'm branded a traitor by everyone in Sancta Vedelia," I continued. "The heads of the kingdom banished me. Your brother voted for it too. There's no future for us, Celeste. Let's not fool ourselves."

She stiffened, her expression twisting with disbelief.

"W–What are you saying? If… if this is about my brother, I'll speak to him, Amael."

I let out a short, dry laugh. "You really think your brother would listen to you on this? Even if he did, what difference would it make? He hates me, Celeste. And he's not the only one."

Her fingers twitched against my sleeve.

"Your father hates me too—judging from the way he looks at me. Your grandmother probably isn't fond of me either. And your entire kingdom?" I shook my head. "From their perspective, I betrayed them by handing the Seed over to Utopia. You're a princess of the Zestella House, Celeste. You're meant to marry someone of equal status, someone who strengthens alliances—not someone who drags you into ruin."

She opened her mouth, but I wasn't finished.

"The only thing I'd bring to your kingdom is more hatred. And eventually, that hatred wouldn't just be directed at me—it would turn on you too." I met her gaze seriously. "Do you really think there's a future for us?"

Celeste bit her lip, her hands trembling slightly. "I—I know if you just talked to my father and brother, we could fix this. It's a misunderstanding, that's all. You would never betray us. There had to be something else behind it."

I sighed at her words.

"You're being naive, Celeste."

Her eyes widened slightly, and I hated the way her eyes trembled at my words—but I had to say it.

"What about your kingdom? What about the other kingdoms?" I asked. "What do you think they'll say if you, a Zestella princess, try to tie yourself to me right after I supposedly 'betrayed' Sancta Vedelia and became the Guardian of the Tree of Ymir?"

I shook my head.

"They'll see you as opportunists. And they'll hate you for it."

Celeste lowered her gaze, her voice quieter. "Am I an opportunist, Amael?"

"What are you—"

"Do you see me as an opportunist?" She asked, gripping my sleeve even tighter. Her fingers trembled slightly, but her expression remained serious. "I don't care about the Tree of Ymir. I don't care about the Guardian either. I loved you long before any of this happened, and you know that, don't you?"

I said nothing.

Her voice wavered, but she refused to back down. "That night in the tent… was that all an act?" Her eyes, usually so bright and lively, were now clouded with emotion. "No. I know you like me too. I felt it. We shared something real, didn't we? You said we'd figure things out after the war, and I accepted that because I wanted to believe in a future for us. I wanted us to have something worth holding on to."

She swallowed hard, her breath shaky. "So why?" She whispered. "Why are you pushing me away now? Did something happen?"

I hesitated. "I… I'm not pushing you away, Celeste."

"Then what is this?" She asked, stepping closer. "Am I… not good enough for you anymore?"

The pain in her voice cut deeper than I expected.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stand even as every instinct screamed at me to pull her into my arms and make it right. But I couldn't.

"I'm not a good match for you," I said. Slowly, I pried her fingers off my sleeve.

She let out a bitter laugh. "That's your excuse now?" Her grip tightened again, more desperate this time. "You think you get to decide what's a good match for me?"

Her lips trembled. Her voice cracked.

"Because I know myself better than you do, Celeste," I said, my voice quieter this time. "You have to believe me when I say I'm not the person you think I am. Forget everything you thought you knew about me since we were children. That… isn't me anymore."

The truth was, I wasn't sure who I was anymore. Maybe I never had been. Maybe these past two years were nothing more than Nihil's careful manipulation, shaping me into some idealized version of a 'good' Samael. A lie I had willingly played along with.

Celeste gritted her teeth. Then she looked up, her eyes shining with something darker than sadness—resentment.

"What about Elizabeth and Alvara?" She asked, a bitter smile on her trembling lips. "Are they a better match for you? You're closer to them than you've ever been with me. Even Alvara… you're standing here feeding me these lies right after what you did in front of me."

A single tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another, and another.

"You can't even be honest with me," she whispered. "Because deep down, you don't think I'm worthy of you."

She released my arm.

"Celeste—" I reached for her, but she stepped back, her body stiff as she pulled away from my touch.

She wiped her tears quickly, blinking up at me one last time with red-rimmed eyes. Then, without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.

And I let her go.