I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 99

He was a perceptive man.

He had long known that Selina didn’t see him as a man. And yet, he kept revealing his feelings—because he wanted her so badly.

But the outcome never changed.

Her unchanging heart always stood tall like a wall in front of him.

Memories of Selina began to surface in his mind—swelling like clouds, boiling like molten lava.

When he held her hand. When he embraced her. When they danced together. When he cut her hair. When they met late at night.

Selina had always been the same.

Unlike him, who changed bit by bit from their first meeting to today. Unlike him, who fluctuated wildly between impulsive and rational, between burning hot and freezing cold.

Yes—Selina never changed.

It wasn’t about her facial expressions or tone of voice. Those things never changed no matter who she was with or what situation she was in.

‘No... wait, that’s not true.’

A sudden memory flickered in Lukas’s mind—Selina smiling at Aiden. The pang in his chest made his fingertips curl.

Still, what he meant by “always the same” had to do with their relationship.

She could make his heart tremble with just a few offhanded comments. And yet, if he peeled back the layers of her thoughts... to her, he was nothing more than a “trustworthy family friend.”

From the very beginning—on the day they first met—if only he had taken her hand when she said, “Let’s be friends,” would things have been different?

Would they have escaped this “beloved little sister of a dear friend” relationship... and become man and woman instead?

That what-if haunted him every night. No—every moment.

Even today, how many times had he barely kept himself in check?

Selina’s casual, meaningless words made his heart thunder. Even when he stood at the edge of confessing, ready to let go of his feelings, he found himself wavering again and again.

Even now, he felt it.

In this very moment, as his brief confession hung in the air, he clung to a tiny, impossible hope—maybe, just maybe... she’d say something hopeful.

A fleeting moment passed, but to Lukas, it felt like an eternity.

And yet, unlike his strained and anxious state, Selina—the recipient of the confession—showed no sign of being flustered.

She simply tilted her head, then shrugged.

That reaction, as if to say “Why are you saying that out of the blue?” made Lukas let out a hollow sigh and smile.

Just like that, his impossible hope shattered and vanished.

Ah... even this part ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) of her is something he loved. Even this, he found lovable. And yet, he had to let her go.

Still smiling, he looked at Selina, forcing himself to appear natural. His hardened expression had long since softened.

At last, Selina, who had been quietly staring at him without answering, opened her mouth.

“Well... I like you too.”

“Haha...”

Lukas burst into laughter. Just like that time in the back garden—when she asked for help with her head stuck in a pile of grass, looking completely unfazed.

He brushed a hand down his face, recalling the Selina of that day.

Ah, look at that blank expression.

She hadn’t even considered that his “I like you” might be romantic in nature.

If she’d rejected him directly with something like, “I’ve never felt that way about you, Sir Lukas,” maybe he would’ve at least had the comfort of knowing she saw him as a man.

But no—he wasn’t even worth that much to Selina.

“She didn’t even think it was worth interpreting...”

Wiping the moisture that had gathered at the corner of his eyes from laughing too hard, Lukas muttered to himself.

He straightened his disheveled clothes. Like someone tidying up to meet others and pretend to be composed.

After adjusting his outfit and posture, Lukas put on a relaxed smile.

His violet eyes, shining between the gentle snowfall, gleamed with a mix of deep amusement and relief.

Selina watched Lukas laugh suddenly and looked at him like he was a strange man. She then took a step back from him.

“Yes, it’s an honor to be liked by you, Selina.”

At his calm voice, Selina slowly nodded. Though inside, she was thinking, Did he eat something weird today...?

She didn’t even realize it was a confession—not until it was all over.

This was Lukas’s unrequited love—his first love—coming to an end.

“I like you.”

He had said it so briefly. And I just stood there and stared at him.

He said he liked me? Me? As in... as his dear friend’s beloved little sister... right?

No but... why is he suddenly saying that?

And in that tone, too.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

I tilted my head, trying to figure out what Lukas was getting at with this sudden declaration.

But no matter how hard I thought about it, nothing came to mind.

Ah, wait—there was one thing.

You know how people say goodbye to everyone before they leave...

I stopped my train of thought there, deliberately cutting it off.

Even though the thought had already taken hold and wrapped itself around my mind, I made a conscious effort not to follow it any further.

I forced myself to act like it was no big deal.

Come on. He said he likes me. That’s... good, right?

I stopped tilting my head and gave a casual shrug.

If I had to elaborate on my response to Lukas’s feelings... I did feel a kind of fondness toward him as a person.

And also... he’d be leaving soon—no, I said I wouldn’t think about that. I shoved that thought away and replied in a light tone.

“Well... I like you too.”

As soon as I said it, Lukas laughed. He laughed, then stopped, then started muttering to himself.

...Seriously, did he eat something wrong today?

Why’s he all intense one moment, laughing to himself the next, saying he likes me, then saying it’s an honor...?

I just stood there, blankly watching him, then started walking again in step with his slow pace.

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I kept glancing at him like maybe he should stop the walk and go lie down instead—but every time, our eyes met like clockwork.

Each time, Lukas let out a light, breathy laugh.

And when our eyes met for the third time, he cracked his neck and spoke.

“Selina.”

“Yes?”

“Tell Aiden that you’ve been worrying about me too.”

...Why? Why suddenly bring up Aiden...?

“Promise me.”

“Uh... sure.”

I reluctantly answered, and Lukas’s smile deepened.

He even wiggled his fingers like he was in a great mood.

Well, if it’s a request from someone about to head off to war, I guess I can grant it. Still... why, though?

“Oh, by the way. Do you happen to know a maid with black hair and blue eyes?”

“Black hair and blue eyes...? No, I don’t think so... Honestly, I only really know Jane. Why do you ask?”

“When I stopped by the other day, that maid was leaving your room. She seemed... strange.”

“The other day?”

Lukas had said he came around dinner time. The only maid who saw me then was Jane... Wait. Was it not Jane?

I only half-heard the voice through my sleep, so I just assumed it was her. But maybe it wasn’t.

Well, things like that happen. When everyone’s busy, they help each other out, don’t they?

Jane probably had something urgent and sent someone else.

“I told Jane to wake me, but she might’ve had something else to do and sent another maid. What was so strange about her?”

Lukas didn’t respond. He just slowly nodded as if lost in thought.

“Her eyes, I guess...”

Her eyes? What is this, a camera?

I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to reply, and Lukas dropped the subject like it didn’t matter.

It must’ve sounded ridiculous even to him.

After the walk, Lukas followed silently behind me and escorted me all the way to my room.

Ah, I give up. Everyone insists on escorting me to my room. Fine.

Yes, I’m not nineteen anymore—I’m nine. Goo goo ga ga.

I let out a silent, sarcastic baby cry in my head as we reached my door. Lukas, ever so kind, even opened the door for me himself.

“Well, here we are then. I’ll be going now... Good night, Sir Lukas.”

I stepped one foot into the room, turned back, and gave him a proper goodnight.

A goodnight. Somehow, we’d ended up spending the entire evening together.

Lukas fell silent at my words, then lifted the corners of his mouth into a deep smile and extended a hand.

...Huh? What’s this. Am I supposed to put my hand on his?

I hesitated, twitching my fingers, then glanced up to meet Lukas’s eyes.

As soon as our eyes met, he gave his hand a little flick, urging me to act. Yeah... he definitely wanted me to place my hand on his.

What is this guy doing now?

That question shot through my mind—but then again, when has he not been weird?

He’s been strange all day.

And I had already decided to understand him. To let him have what he wanted, just this once.

I laid my hand in his—large and pale. The cold, rough skin touched mine.

Even then, Lukas never took his eyes off me. Those violet eyes were fixed solely on me.

His movements were slower than usual. He was always a calm person, but this was different—like he was moving frame by frame, as if someone were taking pictures.

He slowly brought my hand to his lips, kissed the back of it, and closed his eyes. Shadows fell under his long lashes, then disappeared as he opened them.

A short moment passed, and Lukas released my hand. Then he smiled again... and that smile was... something...

“Good night, Selina.”

He spoke softly and gently closed the door for me.

Thunk. The sound of the door closing made me forget whatever it was I had been about to think.

I stood blankly in front of the closed door, lost in thought. Then I heard the sound of footsteps from beyond it.

His steps.

Only his.

The echo of his solitary footsteps bounced down the hall. There were two of us before—but now, there was only one.

As that sound rang out down the corridor like a fading echo, Lukas let out a dry, brittle smile and headed for his room.

The room, with its drawn curtains, was pitch dark—no candles, as always. He had a habit of turning everything off when he left.

Without hesitation, he walked to the window and flung the curtains wide.

The garden they had just walked through filled his vision.

Lukas gazed at it for a moment, then turned from the window and approached the bed. Or rather, what stood beside it—his sword.

It had been a gift from the Duke, commissioned specially for him after graduation.

He still remembered how his heart had pounded the day he received it.