The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 216
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“So, the fearsome prince of the kingdom turned back into a human and lived happily ever after with everyone.”
Arma closed the storybook, one of who knows how many he’d read by now, and set it aside.
The children, gathered in a cluster at his feet, showed no changes in their expressions, but their voices clearly conveyed their feelings.
“Wow, the monster prince is so cool!”
“No, the princess is cooler! She told the monster prince she loved him!”
“Yeah, even though he was a monster, she said she loved him. That’s why the curse was lifted!”
Watching the children discuss the story among themselves, Roxelyn quietly stood up.
It was already the fourth day since they had arrived here.
The High Priest had arrived on the second day and was designated as the ‘eldest child’ in their make-believe family game.
As for Batar… he had destroyed the entire maze and had apparently been forcibly expelled from the forest by the monsters.
Roxelyn was just about to slip out of the room.
“Okay, let’s ask Brother to read the next one. He said he’d read for us.”
“…Me?”
“One hundred million olans.”
Arma rose from his seat and said,
“Hey, Your Highness, do you think I’d—”
“Two hundred million.”
“All right, kids! Brother will read everything from here to here for you!”
The High Priest quickly took Arma’s place, plastering on a bright smile as he called out cheerfully.
It seemed he would give anything and everything in exchange for money.
Gerun, meanwhile, was somewhere in the mansion, entertaining the children and listening to their stories.
“Roxelyn, let’s go together.”
Arma immediately joined her side.
Throughout their stay in this mansion, Arma hadn’t left Roxelyn’s side for even a moment.
The children insisted that they, as ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’, had to share a room, so they hadn’t slept separately either.
Every time Roxelyn tried to leave, he would notice immediately, drop whatever he was doing, and follow her.
It was understandable, given that they were essentially deep in enemy territory.
As they walked down the hallway, Arma slipped his hand into hers, and Roxelyn paused.
She glanced at Arma, and in that moment, their eyes met in the air.
He was already looking at her, and she hesitated momentarily before continuing to walk as if it were nothing.
‘Maybe I should tell him.’
This had been Roxelyn’s recent dilemma.
She had told him about her plan to die, but not about her plan for survival.
Originally, she hadn’t intended to share this part of the plan, as it was uncertain and more of a theoretical gamble.
It was enough that Gerun Wilfred knew about it.
Though she found him insufferably hedonistic, she still trusted him.
After all, they had shared life-or-death experiences… or, to be more precise, they had migrated across worldlines together.
She didn’t want to raise false hopes for anyone else.
‘…Even if that world is my true world.’
Roxelyn slowly stopped walking.
She had received so much affection here.
But even if she returned, she wouldn’t be able to live as the ‘Roxelyn’ of that world.
Roxelyn was greedy.
She wanted to keep everything she held without letting go—she didn’t want to give up her lingering regrets and guilt from the other world, nor the affection she had here.
She didn’t want to abandon anything.
And so, Roxelyn decided to tell him.
That she would soon leave.
That it might be a long wait. But if he could bear it…
“I will wait for you.”
…she would be grateful if he would wait for her.
“But in return, please marry me when you return.”
So they could start from the beginning and formally get to know each other.
“……?”
Roxelyn was a bit taken aback by his response, as if he had read her thoughts, and his sudden proposal.
“…That might be a bit…”
“…Pardon?”
“Arma, instead of making such a big decision swept up in the moment, maybe we could spend more time getting to know each other through proper dating first—mmph!”
Arma cut her off, smiling as he gently covered her mouth.
“Yes? Please do that for me.”
Caught by the look in his eyes, which clearly told her to get a clue, Roxelyn found herself nodding slowly.
“Okay, then. I’ll wait patiently.”
Arma held her hands tightly, saying,
“I’ll wait for you.”
Roxelyn nodded once more, and let Arma lead her forward again.
It felt like she had been outwitted.
