Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though? - Chapter 22
“What exactly is Royal Blood?”
I already knew, but I feigned ignorance and asked anyway.
“Put simply, it’s being born with innate aura. So, to exaggerate a little, I started holding a sword as soon as I could walk.”
The bloodline of swordsmanship was fading, and then a child with Royal Blood was born. No wonder the Emperor had been so overjoyed. I could even understand why Emperor Ferosen had doted on Kyle from an early age.
“Reynold believed I stole something that should’ve been his. My other brothers weren’t any different. They all thought I had something they could’ve had.”
Kyle’s older brothers had envied and resented him. Because of that, Kyle had kept a low profile, hiding his abilities and living as inconspicuously as possible.
“So I distanced myself from swordsmanship, and Father was disappointed in me for that. The power others called a blessing… ended up being a curse for me.”
Kyle spoke with a bitter expression. Imagining how he couldn’t even accept what others saw as a gift left a sour taste in my mouth.
If the Black Flame Dragon hadn’t appeared—and if Emperor Ferosen hadn’t been so useless and wasted so much time—Kyle probably wouldn’t have stepped up as a hero in the first place.
Back when I read the original novel, I had sympathized with Kyle. I had rooted for him.
Even though I was now the villain and he was the protagonist, I still didn’t want him to suffer.
I wanted to comfort him, seeing the sadness in his eyes. But I wasn’t sure how.
“…That must’ve been hard.”
I finally managed to lift my hand and lightly place it on his shoulder. It was the best I could do—but Kyle let out a sudden laugh.
“What, are you trying to comfort me now?”
“…Depends how you take it.”
At my awkward reply, Kyle stifled another chuckle and gently rested his head against my shoulder. Caught off guard by the sudden contact, I froze.
“What’s there to be miserable about? I was still treated as a prince. Everyone has their own story.”
Their own story. Just like each of the hero’s party had their own reasons, every living being had a story to tell.
“Don’t you have one too, Lysian?”
Kyle tilted his head slightly and looked up at me with a soft glance as he asked.
I knew he was trying to probe gently, but when I met those clear, honest eyes, I almost told him everything.
“…Actually, I don’t remember my past.”
Instead, I offered a half-truth, reusing the explanation I had given Crown Prince Reynold. Kyle’s eyes lit with interest.
“You don’t remember your past?”
I immediately regretted saying it. We were going to part ways soon anyway—why had I opened up? But it was too late to take it back.
I let out a quiet sigh and calmly continued the lie.
“Yeah. Saying I came here to cut wood was a lie. I don’t remember why I came to this forest, or what I was doing.”
Still, it was half true. Sharing even a sliver of truth lightened the burden in my chest—though it still felt heavy.
Kyle looked at me, then slowly reached out his hand. I flinched as his large hand gently settled over mine, which had been resting on the floor.
His hand was so big that mine disappeared into his palm. The unexpected warmth sent chills down my spine.
“That’s understandable. Honestly, no one believed you were a woodcutter anyway. It was a terrible lie.”
So they hadn’t believed me. I’d thought they’d accepted it without a doubt… This was as unwelcome a truth as when I learned they thought I looked like a beggar.
Feeling embarrassed, I slid my hand out from under his.
“Then why did you keep me around if you knew I was lying?”
Part of me started to wonder—had he kept me close for some other reason? Could it be… did he already know I was the Black Flame Dragon?
This time, I turned my head and looked into Kyle’s eyes. Under the moonlight, his clear blue gaze shimmered, reflecting only me.
