I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain-Chapter 128

"As he stepped outside, a cool breeze brushed past him. The sky was gloomy, perhaps because the sun had not come out today.

Suddenly, the sound of commotion reached Theo’s ears. Drawn by it, he instinctively turned toward the training hall of another building.

Peeking through the slightly open door, he saw three familiar figures—Luke, Leo, and Dylan. They seemed to be taking a break from training, sitting casually on the floor, engaged in conversation.

'No, listen. The dormitory wall is the lowest. It’s the easiest to climb over, making it the perfect escape route,' Leo declared, slapping the ground to emphasize his point.

Luke clicked his tongue, shaking his head. 'You don’t know anything. Climbing over the wall makes it too easy to get caught by the night watch. And that spot isn’t even a blind spot. Instead, you know the back of the dining hall? If you go all the way to the corner, there’s a huge rock. If you move it, there’s a hole in the ground. Sneaking out through that guarantees you’ll never get caught.'

Dylan’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. 'So, if you don’t want to waste a leave request but just want to get some air, you sneak out through that hole and come back unnoticed?'

'Of course. I did it all the time when I was a regular soldier and even as a captain. But I never got caught. Even the great Theo never noticed.'

At that, Leo burst into laughter. 'Yeah, that sounds about right.'

'I see. I had no idea,' a familiar voice responded.

The moment the door swung open, Leo and Luke flinched in unison.

'As seniors, you were teaching Dylan some truly valuable lessons,' Theo remarked dryly.

'S-Supreme Commander...'

For once, even Leo, who always carried a grin, had trouble maintaining his composure. His mind raced. How much had Theo heard? The trick to getting extra meals from the cooks without them noticing? The best ways to subtly skip training without getting caught? No matter what, this was a disaster.

And of all people to catch them, it had to be him. The one person in the entire army who followed every rule to the letter. It was like being caught red-handed by the law itself.

Leo, who had only tagged along out of curiosity while Luke and Dylan trained, desperately searched for an excuse.

But before he could think of one, he turned toward Luke—only to find that he had disappeared.

'W-Where’s Luke?'

Dylan silently pointed to the opposite door. It seemed like Luke had fled the scene without hesitation.

What was the point of running? If anyone should be escaping, it was Dylan or himself. Luke wasn’t even a soldier anymore—he had no reason to be worried about Theo’s scrutiny.

'Dylan.'

'Yes, sir!'

'I’ve heard the special forces have been improving significantly. Keep up the good work.'

'Thank you, sir!'

Dylan’s lips twitched as he struggled to suppress a grin.

'Leo, don’t go planting bad ideas in the head of a promising soldier.'

'Yes, sir! But... Luke was the one most excited about all this...'

Leo trailed off, eager to throw the deserter under the bus.

'I’ll have a talk with Luke as well.'

With that, Theo turned toward the door Luke had escaped through and walked out without hesitation. The natural ease with which he moved, as if he knew exactly where Luke had gone, made Leo and Dylan tilt their heads in curiosity.

Meanwhile, Luke was pressed against the outer wall of the training hall, trying to calm his racing heart.

There was no deep reason why he had hidden here. It was just that the best place to hide was always right under someone’s nose. Theo would never think to check so close.

All he had to do was wait until Theo left the training hall, and then he could quietly slip away.

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But of all times, why did Theo have to show up right when he was passing down some of his most useful tricks to Dylan? The moment he heard Theo’s voice, it felt like his heart had dropped to the ground and shot back up.

Any other day, Theo’s presence wouldn’t have fazed him. But today was different.

"I’ll have to try harder. This is my first time dealing with something like this too."

The memory made Luke grab his head in frustration.

It was a confession, wasn’t it? If it wasn’t, there was no other way to explain it. Which meant Theo had not only confessed but also kissed him.

The more he thought about it, the more his brain felt like it was overheating. He was drowning in confusion.

"Ugh, since when did I become the kind of person who overthinks things?"

He used to just act without hesitation, never afraid of the consequences. But now? He was standing here overanalyzing every little thing.

Luke let out a deep sigh and took a step forward. By now, Leo had probably taken the brunt of Theo’s lecture, and the Supreme Commander had likely left the area.

But the moment he turned the corner, someone suddenly stepped into his path, and he collided straight into them.

"Watch where you’re—"

Annoyed, he lifted his head—only to freeze.

Theo stood before him, looking down with his usual impassive expression.

Luke’s eyes darted wildly, panic setting in.

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"Ah, so I was right. I figured you’d be here," Theo said smoothly.

"W-What? How?"

Theo simply smiled and reached out, plucking a leaf from Luke’s silver hair. It must have stuck there when he had rushed into hiding.

"Have you forgotten? You and I have had our share of chases here before."

Luke’s gaze flickered toward the sky.

Now that Theo mentioned it, he was right. Back when Luke had been the captain of the special unit, before he had been branded as a villain, there had been times when he had gone on unsanctioned monster hunts.

It had technically gone against regulations, but Luke had always completed the job efficiently, minimizing casualties. So in the end, his results had been undeniable.

But Theo, a staunch rule-follower, had never approved. And since Luke hated listening to his lectures, he had often run away—one of his hiding spots being this exact location.

Eventually, Theo had caught on and confronted him here, berating him for his reckless actions.

Rules matter. You’re not fighting alone. Luke had heard those lectures so many times. And of course, he had never taken them quietly. He had always shot back, arguing that results were what mattered. He had even accused Theo of being jealous that he was the one earning all the glory.

"...Huh. I guess you’re right."

Once, their shouting had gotten so heated that passing soldiers had stepped in to break them apart.

Thinking back on it now, it was bizarre to be standing here so calmly, face-to-face with Theo like this.

Luke found himself smirking.

"But—"

As he started to speak, something soft pressed against his lips.

For a moment, Luke’s mind short-circuited. His vision filled with Theo’s face, way too close.

"Wh-What the hell—"

"I’ve always thought your smile was beautiful," Theo murmured, completely unfazed.

His calm demeanor was so natural that if someone had just walked in, they wouldn’t have guessed he had just stolen a kiss.

"What the hell does that have to do with this? Do you have a death wish?!"

Luke shouted, whipping his head around to make sure no one was nearby. Luckily, this was a secluded area.

"Don’t worry. I already checked—there’s no one around."

"Oh, so I’m just supposed to praise you for your thoroughness?"

Even as Luke fumed, Theo simply smiled.

"Luke, did that bother you?"

"Hah?!"

"If it did, I’ll apologize."

Luke opened his mouth to yell, but for some reason, the words got stuck in his throat.

"If you don’t answer, I’ll do it again."

"You bastard—"

Even as he raged, Luke instinctively backed away, wary that Theo might actually follow through.

With Theo walking beside him, Luke quickened his pace, mumbling complaints under his breath.

"You know, for a noble heir, you sure act recklessly. Didn’t you «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» get endless etiquette lessons growing up?"

Theo nodded. "Our family values etiquette above all else. My mother especially."

"She’d cry if she saw you acting like this."

"Then you understand, don’t you? If I’m ignoring my upbringing, it means I’m completely serious about you."

Luke abruptly stopped.

Theo’s low voice echoed in his ears. The sincerity in his gaze left Luke momentarily speechless.

Just then, a voice called out.

"S-Supreme Commander!"

It was Sion, out of breath from running.

"The palace is calling for you. His Majesty has summoned you personally."