I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain-Chapter 138

"People are staring."

"So you want me to only smile in front of you, is that what you're saying?"

"Yes."

Luke was taken aback by Theo's serious response to his playful reply. His heart started beating in sync with the sound of the rushing water.

"Alright, then I’ll ask you for something in return, and you have to do it."

As Theo nodded, his hair, which covered his forehead, gently swayed.

"Don’t let your hair down."

"Hmm?"

"Only let it down in front of me. Normally, just keep it up."

Luke had been wondering about this for a while. Theo used to often keep his hair up, but recently, he had started letting it down around a certain point. Some of the soldiers at the military headquarters had even commented that it was strange to see the Supreme Commander with his hair down.

Thinking about it now, Luke found it bothersome and absentmindedly reached up to touch Theo's bangs.

"Did you do this because of me... Do you dislike it?"

"Because of you?"

"Yeah, you told me before that it looked better with your hair down."

Theo then mentioned something about the National Library, and Luke suddenly remembered the time when he had messed up Theo's hair there.

"Did I say that?"

Luke tilted his head, uncertain if he actually had said it.

"You did. I let it down because I wanted to look good in front of you."

Luke had no idea there was such a reason behind it. The realization that Theo had been trying to look good for him made his lips twitch as he fought to keep from smiling too widely.

"You look good with your hair down, so don’t show it to others."

Only then did Theo realize the meaning behind Luke's words. He smiled lightly and nodded. As voices and chatter filled the air around them, the two of them continued to laugh comfortably, their usual tense interactions replaced with ease.

"Oh, but why are you here?"

Luke looked at Theo, standing in the middle of the plaza, as if something were out of place. Theo should have been buried in work at the military headquarters by now.

"I heard from Paul. He said you disappeared to the plaza to 'play.' Luke, you do know this is still working hours, right?"

Luke regretted telling the three that he was going to "mess around" earlier. He had thought they would cover for him, but Paul had taken him at his word and relayed it directly.

"So, you came to catch me?"

"Exactly."

Theo's smile was so soft, and he didn’t look threatening at all, which was a problem in itself.

"The great Supreme Commander is now out here catching people who skipped work. Impressive."

"If ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) it’s you, of course I have to come. Just like when I was assigned as your surveillance officer before."

Luke's eyes widened. Back then, during a supply embezzlement incident in the military, Luke had been put under surveillance and was restricted from acting freely. It had been Theo who had been assigned as his surveillance officer, and Luke had been shocked by it. Normally, lower-ranked soldiers were given such tasks.

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"Did... you volunteer for that?"

"Yeah. I personally asked Vale to let me be your surveillance officer."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to be with you."

Luke didn’t know that Theo had such feelings for him back then. He had thought Theo was just putting up with him due to his unpredictable nature. But now, with this revelation, the warmth of Theo's feelings made Luke's heart soften.

Theo didn’t answer when asked when he started liking Luke, but the way he spoke suggested that it wasn’t something that had just happened overnight. Luke felt a sudden urge to stop suppressing his emotions, realizing Theo must have always looked at him with those eyes from the start.

"It’s a shame there are so many people here."

"Why?"

"Because right now, I really want to kiss you."

Theo, whose face had been holding a soft smile, suddenly stiffened. He froze and sighed deeply. It was astonishing how casually Luke could say such things, and honestly, Theo didn’t dislike it. If he could, he would want to meet Luke in a place with no one else around.

After hearing from Paul that Luke had gone off to "play," Theo had immediately come to the plaza. The other soldiers probably thought the Supreme Commander was out here to catch someone skipping work, but it was the exact opposite. Theo didn’t want to be apart from Luke. Since the Welharun mission had been confirmed, his desire to stay close to Luke had only grown stronger.

As soon as Theo arrived at the plaza, he saw Luke standing in front of the fountain. He saw the crowd glancing at Luke’s bright smile under his striking silver hair, and without hesitation, Theo reached out. As his hand brushed against Luke’s soft skin and he caught the familiar scent, Theo almost pulled Luke into an embrace from behind.

If Luke hadn’t been surprised and brushed his hand away, they would have certainly become the center of attention at the fountain.

"Isn’t there something else?"

"Something else?"

While Theo struggled to collect his scattered thoughts, Luke took a step closer and asked gently.

"Something like your thoughts I didn’t know about."

"......"

Theo thought for a moment, and just as he did, the familiar sound of coins clinking as they hit the ground reached his ears. He turned to see tourists throwing coins into the fountain and making wishes.

"There was something."

Theo murmured quietly, recalling a faint memory from that day, now a little faded.

***

The entrance ceremony of the military academy took three days to complete. It wasn’t an eventful three days, as the actual entrance ceremony itself was finished on the first day. The second day consisted of assigning dorms and giving general education on the rules the cadets had to follow during their time at the academy. On the last day, the newly admitted cadets were given a day of rest.

It was a thoughtful gesture from the academy, allowing them to rest for a day before starting a life filled with hardships and challenges.

Typically, it wasn’t a big deal if cadets left the academy during that day. However, the academy was located near the northern regions. With mountains guarding the back and the vast plains stretching out in front, there wasn’t much to see, so not many people felt the need to go out.

But the more outgoing cadets, who loved to have fun, would often head out with a friend skilled in Warp magic to enjoy their last bit of freedom. The academy didn’t particularly stop them. After all, if they didn’t return within the allotted time, they’d be kicked out of the dorms, so it was the cadets who would regret it.

“Theo.”

As Theo was about to enjoy his last rest in the dorm by himself after leaving the dining hall, a few cadets whose names he couldn’t quite recall approached him.

“We were thinking of going to Ludrain Plaza later. Want to come with us?”

Even though the entrance ceremony was still ongoing, Theo had already become quite a famous figure among the cadets. As the top-ranking cadet, he had delivered a speech on behalf of the new cadets, and the fact that he came from the prestigious Redrick Duke’s family only added to his notoriety.

Some cadets weren’t exactly thrilled about being the son of such a famous family. Although they couldn’t show it openly, there were others who were eager to get closer to him, just like these cadets now.

Perhaps they hoped that by becoming close to the son of the Redrick Duke, they could get something out of it. Theo inwardly sighed at the thought.

“Sure.”

But cadet life at the academy was just beginning. Even though they were approaching him with obvious intentions while disguising it with kindness, there was no need to drive them away just yet. After all, his goal was to graduate well and become a proper soldier. Who knew how the connections made here would prove useful later?

The cadets’ faces brightened instantly upon hearing his acceptance. After that, Theo left with them to Ludrain Plaza, and they spent the rest of the day wandering around the area.

Theo wasn’t particularly interested. It wasn’t particularly fun or enjoyable.

“I’ll be resting over there. You guys go ahead and keep having fun.”

After he had played along enough, he politely detached himself from the group. Theo found a place to sit and headed towards the area near the Rimes Fountain, which had seating available.

He took a seat at an appropriate spot and stared absently at the fountain. The people around him seemed happy as they admired the beautiful fountain. However, Theo felt nothing. The fountain, which he had seen countless times since childhood, didn’t evoke any new emotions in him anymore. It was just a familiar sight.

While thinking about what kind of mindset he needed to have to become a great soldier, and how he should act, he noticed a familiar yet unfamiliar face at the edge of his vision.

“...”

The silver hair fluttered slightly in the wind. The dark brown pupils reflecting the water's light stared intently at one spot.

“Luke.”

Theo murmured his name softly. It was the cadet who had given a decisive blow to the arrogant nobles on the first day of the entrance ceremony. As he recalled that moment, he fixed his gaze on Luke.

For some reason, Luke was staring directly at the fountain. Given his personality, Theo hadn’t expected him to come to such a place, but maybe he just wanted to see the fountain?

At that moment, Luke rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a coin. Without hesitation, he threw it into the fountain. The coin flew perfectly in a parabolic arc, landing squarely in the center of the fountain’s bottom. Once he saw that, Luke clasped his hands together and closed his eyes tightly.

‘He’s come to make a wish.’

Theo rested his chin on his hand and watched. It was unexpected. He would have thought Luke would be skeptical of the tradition of throwing coins into fountains and making wishes. But seeing him do it here, on his one free day, only sparked more curiosity in Theo.

What kind of wish was he making? Did he really believe in this and wish for something?

The curiosity lingered in his mind, but as Luke opened his eyes and then bowed his head toward the fountain while clasping his hands, the look on his face seemed sincere, making Theo smile slightly. It was completely different from the image of Luke confronting the arrogant cadets that day.

Once he made his wish, Luke seemed to leave without any further intention, walking away casually as if that was all he had come for. Theo followed the trace of Luke’s footsteps before turning back to look at the fountain again.

It felt strange. This was just a structure he had seen countless times before, but today it looked unusually beautiful. The flowing water was lovely, and the majestic appearance it showcased under the sunlight filled Theo with a sense of satisfaction.

"...."

It was the first time he had ever thought this way while looking at the fountain. The familiar scenery looked different today. Theo thought about why it felt this way as he continued to stare at the spot where Luke had been.