I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 115

The battle at the temple was just as intense.

“Aiden, duck!”

The moment Alogen shouted, Aiden bent at the waist. A massive fireball shot past him, straight from Alogen’s hand, slamming into the bear monster’s face with a deafening roar.

KEEEEEGH.

The bear howled, and a wolf leapt in from the side.

Aiden grabbed a broken column and conjured a spell—an icicle of hardened plaster, sharp as a spear.

He thrust it directly into the open jaws of the charging wolf.

The beast thrashed violently as the icicle lodged in its mouth. Without hesitation, Aiden gripped the frozen spike and cast another spell.

Freeze.

His imagined spell manifested, spreading frost from the center outward. Ice crawled over the wolf’s face until it froze into a statue.

Casting multiple spells in rapid succession was no easy feat. He had to channel his mana through his body while simultaneously focusing his mind on the next spell.

But Aiden’s magic was flawless. Alogen, watching from afar, had no time to admire his apprentice’s work—he had to dodge a snake lunging at him.

“Ugh, what a nuisance!”

Alogen rolled across the dirt, sprang back to his feet, and grumbled.

“Master, maybe instead of rolling on the ground, you could try a defense spell?”

“Right, right! I got too caught up watching your fight...”

Muttering under his breath, Alogen dusted off his robes and cast a barrier around himself. Aiden could take care of himself, after all.

Aiden glanced at his teacher and let out a short, exasperated laugh.

“Aiden! Don’t look at me—keep fighting!

I’m fine!”

“Yes, you seem very fine. That’s a relief.”

Aiden undid a button of his mage’s coat. He’d dressed formally for the mission, but the layers were stifling in the heat of combat.

He loosened his cuffs and flexed his fingers once.

The battle, the chaos—it only made him worry more for the manor. The person he’d left behind kept flickering in his mind. He wanted to return as soon as possible.

What use was evidence? What mattered was her safety.

If he had to choose between being a mage and a guard, he’d choose the latter in a heartbeat. If he could just be near her—even as a servant—that would be enough.

As those thoughts swirled in his chest, blue flames kindled at his fingertips.

“Can I burn it all?”

“The evidence?”

“We can say it was destroyed in the fight. Or... you could preserve the bodies, Master.”

Aiden looked at the corpses. They were proof enough. In a place this ravaged, what more evidence did anyone need?

“And you?”

At Alogen’s question, Aiden tilted his head back, gazing at the sky.

Thick with clouds. The kind of day that threatened rain.

If only it were a bright blue sky—like hers.

“I’m going to burn it all... and go back.”

To where I belong.

The High Priest laughed, so I laughed too.

A grotesque scene, surely. I mocked him in my mind. His laughter stopped at the sight of my smile.

Then he strode forward and clamped a hand around my neck.

His fingers, despite how gaunt he looked, were frighteningly strong. My vision blurred as the blood stopped flowing to my head. My feet left the ground.

“You’re smiling? You? You don’t get to smile! You should be sobbing in agony when you die! More pitiful than me! More pitiful than anyone!”

“...If anyone’s dying pitifully... it’s you.”

I forced the words out past my crushed throat. Come on, I was the designated villainess sacrificed by a villain—let me have this much.

“Scared of death? You’re the one who should be scared. You killed for power—do you really think you can welcome death?”

I didn’t close my eyes.

I wouldn’t.

This death... it was mine to choose. Not something forced on me, not another loss—I chose this, when the time came.

You’re the pitiful one.

You’ll die with nothing. Achieved nothing. A bitter, pathetic death.

The High Priest’s red eyes trembled.

Then—“AAAGH!”

He let go with a strangled cry, clawing at his ears again. Just like before.

I collapsed to the floor, gasping. Every breath scraped my raw throat.

One screaming, one choking. Quite the scene.

Thankfully, I recovered first. I crawled over to the wall of the bell tower and slowly pulled myself up.

The breeze brushed against my cheek, cold from the nearby window. My hair, messy and tangled, swept over my shoulder.

Just like before. The clock tower where I once met Aiden.

I really do cause trouble every time I climb a tower, don’t I?

It almost made me laugh.

Leaning against the wall, I caught my breath.

Watching him writhe in pain... it wasn’t boring.

“High Priest!”

I shouted as loudly as I could.

The voices below paused. Then they started growing louder—closer.

Someone had heard me.

But that wasn’t why I’d called his name.

It wasn’t to alert them. I just... wanted to scream at him.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

“Do you know how many sleepless nights you caused my family? Because of you, I had to throw them into a war! Because of you, an innocent maid died! Because of you, blameless mages died! People lost their homes! Because of you...!”

...My family will cry again.

It was strange to hear such emotion in my own voice. It didn’t even feel like mine. So this is what a final scream sounds like.

Well, if I’ve smiled, I might {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} as well scream too.

The High Priest’s eyes, bloodshot and burning, snapped to me. I didn’t flinch.

Clack, clack.

Footsteps echoed up the stairs. A crowd was coming.

He turned briefly to glance at them, then staggered toward me.

“What would you know?!”

He grabbed my neck again, but this time, his grip was weaker.

Those hallucinations must have taken a toll. Guess covering his ears wasn’t for show after all.

Ah. The marbles.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

When the red marble breaks... does it make a sound? Does he lose power too?

He gritted his teeth and shook me violently. My head slammed against the wall—thunk, thunk. Sharp pain flared at the back of my skull.

I might die from head trauma before he strangles me.

I reached up, gripping his wrists. Dug my nails in.

No reaction. Crazy people must not feel pain.

“You think you know me? What do you know about me?”

I started shifting sideways. Toward the cold wind. I could feel the wall vanish behind my back.

Now I was leaning into empty air.

To hold my balance, I had to arch backward under his weight.

“Maybe... the reason I didn’t die that day... was for this moment.”

He snarled and squeezed harder.

I squeezed back.

No matter when or how—I would not let go of his arms.

Clack, clack, clack.

The footsteps grew louder—then stopped.

People appeared behind him at the top of the tower.

My brother stood at the front.

“High Priest! It’s over! Let her go!”

Desperate. But useless. That kind of voice never works.

Sure enough, the High Priest didn’t even twitch. His hands still gripped my throat. His blazing eyes never left mine.

I turned my eyes toward my brother and smiled.

Sorry, Aaron. Thank you for being kind. Be happy with the princess. Let this be nothing more than one of those trials heroes always face.

I wished I could have said goodbye to Mother too.

No... it’s better that she’s not here.

She wouldn’t have been able to handle this.

My brother’s eyes were shaking. So were his outstretched fingers. He couldn’t move. His eyes welled with tears.

I blinked slowly.

I’m okay. Don’t cry.

“Don’t smile! I said don’t smile! You’re supposed to suffer!—”

His scream rang out in the silence. Pathetic.

I turned my eyes back to him.

He really hated that I was smiling. Coming here to kill me, and now he wanted to dictate my expression?

What a petty villain.

Even Mia was better.

The way he recoiled from my smile made me grin wider. This was the best smile I could manage.

“Smile, High Priest. It’s your last moment. You should enjoy the end.”

I smiled as I spoke.

He did not.

Tch. Shame. You should’ve gone out with a flourish.

Oh well. I’d done what I could.

I closed my eyes.

The fall would only last a moment.

It wasn’t the first time. I wasn’t afraid.

I’d survived this long—for this day. For this choice.

I had found happiness, even briefly. That was enough.

So—

“Come with me, High Priest.”

With those words, I threw myself back with all my strength.

The empty air swallowed me.

The High Priest’s eyes went wide, and he screamed—choked—and let go.

But I didn’t.

I’d hooked my nails into his arms long ago.

Even as I fell, I held him tight.

Goodbye, villain. Let’s go together—just us villains.

Let this story finally...

end happily forever.