Xian had seen her magic circle plenty enough to recognize it the instant it flared and immediately moved. Knowing that Carmillia had a barrier against unguarded attacks, he hurled a dagger straight at her eyes. Sparks flew from its tips upon contact with the barrier, and in that brief moment, Xian positioned himself beside her.
His first thought was to punch her solar plexus, but he decided against it and instead struck the back of her neck with a precise chop. It was in order to render her unconscious to stop any ongoing spells.
Still, an incomplete version of the spell was cast, and despite its weakened state, the vines spawned and tore through the flesh of both Xian and Carmillia.
"Gah!" A gush of hot fluid slowly built up in his throat along with the strange feeling of something stuck in his stomach. A stabbing pain came right after the uncomfortable sensation.
'Shit! Both of us got wounded!' Xian's head was boggled with confusion due to Carmillia's drastic action.
'So if there's no one who's going to take your life, you're going to kill yourself Carmillia? Just why?' Grunting, he pulled out the lodged vine in his body. The little bits of thorns and its rough texture scraped through the soft insides of his flesh, making blood squirt on the floor.
"AARRGHH!" Xian had never felt so much pain before. Not to mention, bleeding more than he ever did since coming to this world. If the training sessions with Serika had merely stained his clothes and the ground, now his blood pooled in the soft carpet of the room causing a pungent, rust like stench fill the air.
He quickly took out the vials of expensive potions from the headmaster's office and drank a whole piece. Tearing his clothes, he made sure to witness the miracle of these potions with his own eyes. A current of heat passed through his body and converged on his stomach where the wound was.
It bubbled at the injury with searing pain as his flesh squirmed back together from scratch. It still bled, but it gave Xian the feeling that his insides were complete and working properly once again.
He wasted no time and administered the same potions to Carmillia. Compared to him, she had sustained much lighter wounds on her arms and feet. As annoyed as Xian was, he didn't want to regress yet.
Next, he tended to the unconscious maid, whose blood had dried at her temple. After that series of actions, he slumped on the sofa, letting his body weight be embraced by its softness.
Looking up, he took a long and tired breath. The situation suddenly took a drastic turn. Now, he had to protect Carmillia even from herself.
'What a cursed mess. Is this her resentment that the duke warned about? She hated losing influence in the academy that much?' But he quickly dismissed the thought. Carmillia only talked about one thing she was angry about, and it's the admission of certain individuals.
'Serika and Lucinelle.' Those two were always by her side without fail, even in the game. Their absence must've shaken her to the point of paranoia like this, and the academy's strict rule of separating ranks made it impossible for them to meet.
After all, for an upperclassman to visit the underclassmen's grounds, one had to pass through the actual guards and retinue of the academy, not simply another student in charge. A difficulty born from the game's design, where access to new "sceneries" required fulfilling conditions. Now, those same rules had manifested in reality, obstructing even Carmillia.
[A Villainess's Curiosity II]
[Quest Failed]
[Lost all Affection Level]
[A Change has caused a decrease in affection level! - 10 Affection Level]
[Danger! Heroines at [Crimson] Level of affection will try to kill you on sight!]
The much too late notification from the system meant that the failure was only triggered once he perceives it or caught up in the consequences.
"Screw you! You should've said so before giving me a quest!" Xian snarled at the strings of lines before him. But the ever silent and non living system had no response.
Or so he thought.
[New Quest]
[To Restart or to Keep Going?]
[Difficulty: ???]
[Reward: ???]
[Choose a path to take, O dedicated one…]
As if the gods watching heard his curses, the system gave a succeeding quest. Xian was glad that they were at least flexible, but the question marks in the difficulty and reward felt ominous.
'Anything unknown in the game was more likely to screw up the player.' For now, he decided against choosing and let the quest window fade away.
Thinking about the name of the quest, 'Restart' would obviously send him back to a regression point. As for the option to 'Keep going', it meant that the situation was still salvageable.
The problem lay in his limited ability to smooth-talk his way out of this situation. While making up another lie has to be treaded carefully, because he didn't completely know what drove Carmillia to suicide apart from the absence of her two servants.
From the bits Carmillia said, Xian realized her wariness towards an unknown group that wasn't under his game information as an enemy. The way she asked if he was here to 'offer' her nicely meant her suspicion pointed towards him, being part of that group.
'It's not the duke and his league of villainous collaborators. There was never an attempt to offer Carmillia in any form back in the game on their end.' However, her adverse reaction couldn't be more real.
"Hey, system, what happens if I choose to continue?" Undecided, Xian tried if his system can make responses just like in the novels he read.
[It depends on the host's decisions and interactions]
'Figures. How very dating sim like.'
Xian leaned back in his seat, contemplating his life in this world so far. The mixture of blood and potion assaulted his sense of smell. Carmillia's pale figure lay motionless in her bed, her hair sprawled like the very vines her magic wielded.
The unconscious maid, Miri, faintly breathed beside her.
For the first time in a while, the silence around him didn't help.
He glanced at his rough hands, completely different from the ones he used to have. Right now, the villainess lay before him, defenseless.
'If she's killed, I can regress.' The thought crossed his mind.
Start all over, from before the exam or perhaps a certain point in time after that, then fix this situation.
But Xian dreaded. Just how many more times such a situation would occur? What about his dream of achieving what no player had done before, a 'harem end'? What about his desire to make Carmillia a conquered heroine?
He never thought much about his situation and meaning of his existence in this world. But Carmillia's attempt to kill herself doused him like a cold splash of water. Even with the power of regression, things weren't under his control.
How is he going to prevent Serika and Lucinelle's admission? He didn't have enough time to send a letter to the duke. It was at his request from before he possessed this body in the first place.
What if the same kind of situation happens again, and because of his decision at an irreversible point in time, things spiral out of control? From what he understood, after meeting certain conditions, such as saving Carmillia from the threat of death, the regression point becomes fixed at random moments within several hours of said event.
Furthermore… what if… what if it all ends up in an endless and irreversible repetition? Mistakes piling up on top of each other, and him, unable to escape a fate that's been sealed in stone.
Xian's heart beat faster at the thought. He thought that regression was his greatest power, but now, it became something to be feared.
He closed his eyes to calm down.
And waited.
For the villainess to wake up and face her anger.
Xian had resolved himself.
…
A dark and crimson tinged hair were sprawled on the bed, reflecting moonlight through the windows and clear skies. It came from a pale lady wearing a black dress who suddenly opened her eyes. She bolted awake and rose from the bed, then hurriedly looked around her surroundings.
Carmillia had resolved to kill herself earlier, unwilling to fall under the schemes of her unknown enemies.
Everything had been going well enough, from the start of the exam, until the end with the help of her butler. Although, her suspicions about his motives remained. For some inconceivable reason, he was admitted in the academy along with her, backed by the Duke himself.
He even saved her not just once, but three times already.
Still, her trust didn't change nor shake. The only people she could rely on, were the two swordmaiden who had sworn the sacrifice of their life to save her from danger. A selfless and lifelong contract.
To Carmillia, that is her bottom line, harsh it may be. Everyone else was just a pawn to be used as she pleased.
Their marks not only signified her safety but also to make sure that no one would be able to make use of whats left behind of her once she dies. No necromancy or ritual.
But now, the duke who previously never lifted a finger no matter what she did, took action. First, none of the nobles children under their influence heeded her call, refusing to even make eye contact and running away.
She could make do without them. Pawns can be readily made with a little bit of coercion, reasoning and force. Especially those who are not under her fathers clutches, but still willing to make an impression to his family through his daughter.
Then came the letter.
Her father had revealed her two trusted subordinates identity to the academy and exercised his authority to admit them. Rendering them unable to provide their presence and the 'peace of mind' she sought from their marks.
The only reason she could think of why her father conceived such decisions, was that he was influenced by someone with a goal, perhaps an influential subordinate or supporter behind him.
One day, news that a butler will be coming to serve her came, along with a letter. In the letter, the duke specifically told her to rely on the butler he sent as her feet and hands from now on, eventually replacing Serika and Lucinelle.
'If it weren't for his arrival!' All her plan to gather pawns and power in the academy turned to dust just like that, because of her swordmaidens absence. As if to mock her, a single maid remained in the academy as an attendant to tend to her needs.
"Before you do anything drastic, I want you to listen, young miss." A voice that was beginning to sound familiar grounded on her ears. She bit her lip and prepared her magic once again, then slowly turned into the direction of the voice.
Xian sat facing Carmillia. By his side, a maid was soundly sleeping as he brushed her hair. She was the maid who had the gall to tell her off from drinking the wine she ordered her to bring. An overly nosy maid who overstepped her boundaries.
"I will not stop your magic this time." Xian said as he softly gazed at Miri. Carmillia didn't know what he's trying to achieve by caressing the maid but she decided to listen for what its worth.
Seeing that Carmillia had calmed down, Xian met her eyes with a faint practiced smile, one that she hopefully wouldn't find unpleasant at the very least. Trying to look as normal as possible, Xian spoke.
"I am not your enemy. Neither am I the duke's subordinate or 'their' ally."
Carmillia flinched. That statement is an admission that he knew certain things. But the extent was a little dubious. From the start, she was already wary of this butler's origin and sudden appearance.
Meanwhile, Xian was trying his hardest to seem like a mysterious figure with a goal. Since he was under suspicion of a scheme and there was no way to outright disprove it, his next choice of action was to show that he knows something and is acting as an individual.
Only then, can he compromise with Carmillia and reach an agreement.
"However, there's no denying that I have my own goals for coming into this academy, by the grace of the duke, your father." He observed Carmillia's wary eyes then continued, "As for their decision, I am completely helpless and clueless. Even I, find the absence of your two subordinates inconvenient."
Since Carmillia was already pinning the blame on him earlier, there was no point in pretending that he didn't know the reason for her anger.
"After all, it means I have to be by your side more often. That goes against my freedom to carry out my own goals." He shrugged, feigning resignation.
"Just imagine it, blaming it on someone whose goal might be jeopardized isn't really the conclusion of someone thinking straight, right?" He added a bit of mocking to lead Carmillia's thought where he wanted it.
"Tsk, what are you getting at?" This is the first time that Carmillia heard this butler talk so much. Usually, he just had that hostile stare, as if he's always looking at something far away.
"… It's a troublesome situation for both of us, milady. An innocent was even hurt in the process because of that." Xian briefly looked at Miri with feigned sadness. "And you almost took your own life for unknown reasons." He made sure to emphasize the word unknown.
Carmillia had no reaction to that. Her thoughts remained unknown to Xian who inwardly clicked his tongue.
"I have no choice but to follow the arrangements, and the same goes for you, young miss." As Xian tried to convince Carmillia that he isn't from a scheming enemy, but an individual acting with his own goal, he realized that they were already talking at the same level.
"You, being alive is also a way for me to ensure my continued existence in the academy without the duke's anger." No longer was she a villainess who could order her subordinate to behead someone at her behest.
"I must simply fulfill the role of your subordinates, and accomplish my goals while you're by my side." He finally said, making Carmillia raise a brow and sneer.
"Hah. You? How useful can you be, when you're not even half as powerful as Serika?"
Xian merely smiled. In the future, that will change, and she will rue that words as long as he funds his stat doping activities with investments.
"Being in the academy is more about intrigue rather than power young miss." He said, spreading out his arms as if to look down on Carmillia's line of thinking. "Also, aren't I the first placer?"
"…" Carmillia who was now calm, turned her head to peek at the moon outside the window. Clouds shrouding the moonlight in the deep night had cleared up as wisps of light escaped to the floors of her room.
"What say you, young miss? Whatever Serika and Lucinelle can do with their power, I can compensate with my means." He stood up and bowed to her. "I implore you to consider my proposal. There's no need to hurry. We can talk about this whenever you are ready. For now, I shall take my leave with this maid, as its getting late."
Just as Xian scooped Miri into his arms, Carmillia spoke with meek but steeled voice.
"The mark… If you willingly accept the mark, then I can trust you." After her mothers death, she had developed a magic to protect herself from any form of exploitation whether shes alive or after her death.
A fear stemmed from a long term ritual she was once unknowingly subjected into. Of course, a young lady researching in her family's hidden libraries were subject to surveilance. Still, she did it anyway, and her father made sure she was unobstructed.
'Mark?' Xian recalled the time when Serika and Lucinelle fought the coachman. Back then, runes on their body started appearing as even after their death, or especially after their death, they detonated their bodies.
Xian also used such methods in the game when the boss is too hard, using hired characters or summons, so he's familiar with it. Since it was a cruel method, it came with a reputation penalty to the affiliated power behind the characters. To make sure there's no notable impact, he used units from insignificant groups.
Carmillia's mark that is unique to the swordmaidens seemed to carry something special to her. Thinking about it now, her anger at their separation might very well stem from this. The absence of those two marks.
"However, I'm warning you that bearing that mark, means you will sacrifice your very life to protect me even after your death. Nothing will remain of you in the end." She warned.
"At the same time, your life will be tied to mine. My death will mean your death." She smiled, wondering if the butler will still accept her conditions. "Meaning, you can't let anyone kill me, unless you want to die too."
'Is that how it works?' Xian realized that this factor must've also influenced the two swordmaidens to be deeply protective of Carmillia and hostile to any possible threats. His decision to convince Serika back then to kill the chief maid had really been the right choice.
Carmillia took his silence as hesitation and smirked. "So, you still cower at the fear of death in the end, just like any human being?"
"Pft! Hahaha!" Xian failed to control his sinister laugh.
After calming down, he faced Carmillia and said, "Young miss. I do not fear death at all. In fact, I fear death the least. Only the experience and pain of dying alludes me."
"So yes, I can accept that mark under those conditions. The same as Serika and Lucinelle." There was no hesitation at all in his words and Carmillia found his confidence amusing.
"So, when will milady put that mark in me?" Xian even spoke with slight anticipation. That magic was the very thing he was looking for. And with the right person, it can be reversed or modified at his design.
Carmillia found the butlers behavior both ridiculous and reckless. In order to receive the mark, the host must have complete willingness to give their life. Serika and Lucinelle managed to do so with their gratitude to her mother and time they spent with her, while Xian was claiming that he has nothing to fear.
But thanks to that, once this is all over, she can believe that Xian will have no choice but to keep his word.
"Later before dawn right away. In the middle of the academy gardens where the largest fountain is."
Once they proceed with the ritual, she will find out whether this butler was truly sincere or just boastful.
If he succeeds, then…
He's going to be the 'third' indispensable pawn in this life of hers.