Just Because I Have Narrow Eyes Doesn’t Make Me a Villain! - Chapter 60

 

“…My head hurts.”

As soon as Lyla regained consciousness, she grabbed her head due to the pain she felt.

The terrible pain stirred her head, making it impossible even to open my eyes or move for a while.

This is why she hates using her ability.

As soon as she uses it, she loses consciousness and can’t even remember what she did.

On top of that, when the duration ends, it’s hard to move for a while.

It seemed like she would never get used to it, no matter how much she used it. Maybe she would never get used to it in her lifetime.

After holding her head for a long time, the headache subsided only after some time.

…It seems to hurt more than usual.

“Are you coming to your senses? Does it hurt?”

“Ah, Arte? No, it still hurts…”

“Hmm, no wonder. I was surprised. I didn’t know you would become that strong. You’ll be surprised if you see it yourself?”

“What? What do you mean…”

Lyla was about to respond politely to Arte’s voice and lie back down on the ground, but at her astonished voice, she unwittingly opened my eyes.

And upon seeing the sight in her eyes, she realized why Arte had said such a thing.

“What is this? Where is this?”

“What do you mean where? It’s the same place where you used your ability?”

“…These ruins?”

“Yes!”

The buildings that were a bit dirty but intact had been reduced to the brink of collapse.

“… You’re saying I did this? That can’t be?”

That’s right, it can’t be.

My ability is not as versatile as Arte’s nor as strong as the Investigator’s.

It’s not an excellent ability that can always be used, like Siwoo’s ability, which she learned from Arte.

… It’s just an ability where she goes crazy and rampage for a bit, then collapse from exhaustion.

From what she’s heard, she rampages without even feeling pain when attacked, but in the end, her body could never create that level of destructive power.

‘But Arte is saying I did this?’

“It might’ve been difficult originally, but you took something, remember?”

“Something I ate?”

“The medicinal pill. Oh my, you were so scary~”

Lyla unconsciously touched her lips.

Come to think of it, she did eat something like that.

The fangs she had felt before losing consciousness had disappeared at some point.

“You must be happy that your ability has become stronger!”

“…Yeah, well. I’m glad.”

“It was a medicinal pill that passed down the power of your ancestors, something called ancestral regression. Were you surprised? To think Lyla’s ancestor was a werewolf.”

“I see. My ancestor was a werewolf… Wait, what?”

Again.

She doesn’t remember how many bombshells she’s heard today, but here was another.

‘What? My ancestor was…what?’

“As soon as you used your ability, you became a werewolf and went on a rampage? It was amazing.”

“Re-really…?”

“Yes. Look over there. Can you see it? The claw marks on that wall. You did that?”

Just as Arte said, there were long claw marks where she pointed her finger.

Threatening marks that looked like they were engraved by a ferocious beast.

‘…Did I really do that?’

“It seems like your ability has been altered. It’s not just a berserk rampage, but more like going crazy while borrowing the power of your ancestors. Maybe the full moon today also made it stronger!”

Lyla could hear Arte chattering away, but it didn’t really register in her ears.

‘…S, so you’re saying I transformed into a werewolf?’

And that’s the effect of the medicinal pill Arte gave her? That medicinal pill uses the power of her ancestors…

It was shocking.

It was even more shocking than if she had heard that her mom was originally her dad.

Why wouldn’t she? It’s a werewolf! A dangerous monster that only appears in textbooks!

One that has intelligence similar to humans and can blend into society but goes crazy and rampages every full moon!

‘…And that’s my ancestor?’

“Th-then…”

“It seems your ancestors had unique tastes, Lyla!”

“…”

She poured out words of contempt towards her unknown ancestor in her mind.

It seems her ancestors were truly insane.

‘Don’t tell me they did that… with a werewolf, who has almost nothing in common with humans except bipedal walking?’

“My ancestor…”

“Pedigree!*”

“Can you please shut up?”

She felt even sadder when she saw the massive corpse lying in the distance.

As if Arte’s words were true, there were wounds that looked like a wolf had bitten and torn at it.

‘I never thought it would be a medicinal pill like this…’

Even though he was the person who attacked her, she felt sorry for him instead.

He probably didn’t want a medicinal pill like this either…

“Ah, since you worked hard, should I make steak for dinner tonight?”

She almost got annoyed thinking Arte was making fun of her, but she realized it after seeing her expression.

This girl has no qualms, even though she knows she was being chased by a bull until now.

“…Beef is a bit too much, so make it pork.”

“Got it. Hmm, what should I make?”

Arte, who was humming and moving her feet, looked like a girl her age.

Except for the thick smell of blood and the blood-soaked clothes that looked new.

The gap between her ordinary appearance and the extraordinary situation created a sense of discomfort.

To the point where she felt like Arte was an outsider who didn’t belong in this world.

***

“Hey, did you hear?”

“I heard, I heard. Is there anyone who doesn’t know about that these days?”

“Right?”

The students’ chatter echoed throughout the classroom.

Not just the group of boys over there.

The girls gathered together, some students chatting in the hallway, and even the teachers.

Everyone was talking about the story on the news.

“…Sigh.”

“Arachne struck again. This time, it’s estimated to be around 800 people?”

“That’s a lot. Why are there so many villains in this small city?”

“Who knows.”

Siwoo let out a sigh.

He wasn’t in the mood to properly attend class at all. The school atmosphere was the same.

…Maybe that’s why the teacher sighed and declared self-study. It probably means just to chat freely so they wouldn’t be so noisy during the next period.

“I heard this incident involved several people attacking a villain organization simultaneously. The estimated number of people is four.”

“…Four people.”

“Yeah. They’ve narrowed down the killing methods to about four people.”

The information Amelia casually drops as if it’s no big deal is extremely valuable.

Because the news only reported that Arachne had massacred villains again was the only news known to the public.

“You know, Siwoo.”

“Hm?”

“… Let’s give up.”

“…”

He could guess what Amelia was talking about.

The ultimate goal they want to achieve.

‘She’s talking about stopping Arte, right?’

“No matter how much I think about it, it’s impossible to apprehend Arte directly.”

“B-but…”

“But what? It’s already 1,600 people. In the thousands… I really never thought there would be this many villains.”

“…”

Amelia didn’t speak to him directly.

But what she wanted was clear.

…She probably wants to give up on the idea of subduing Arte and focus on seducing Arte instead.

“Do we really have to do that?”

“Then what? Can’t you see we’re gradually drifting apart? It was impossible from the start.”

“Sigh…”

There wasn’t a single thing wrong with what Amelia said.

Because she thought stopping Arte would just require stopping her alone, but that wasn’t the case.

It turns out Arte is also a member of an organization and they are a group capable of slaughtering thousands.

From the beginning, the difficulty level wasn’t something they could match.

“There’s no other way.”

“…Phew.”

In comparison, the difficulty of seducing Arte was the same.

Amelia, who values efficiency, probably can’t understand at all.

Why would Siwoo be against it?

‘…Bu, but. Think about it.’

“Isn’t it arrogant to think that we can seduce Arte in the first place?”

“What nonsense are you spouting again? Your face is decent enough, so just do as I say.”

“Okay…”

It’s not getting through to her.

In the end, with Amelia’s enthusiastic support, the Anti-Arte Alliance (which has two members) decided to change its policy towards Arte.

From the Arte Prevention to the Arte Seduction.

“…So what are you going to do?”

“Hmm, the standard approach would be repeatedly going on dates…”

Amelia began to ponder, saying that the standard approach probably wouldn’t work with Arte.

Indeed, Siwoo thought so too.

In the first place, even the reason she is interested in him is questionable.

‘…Well. I’ve never dated before, but I don’t think it would elicit a good response.’

He has no dating experience, so he cannot know if Arte feels uncomfortable.

“For now, let’s go with the ‘slowly but surely’ approach.”

“Slowly but surely?”

“It’s a strategy where a classmate becomes a friend, a friend becomes an oppa, an oppa becomes a darling, and a darling becomes a daddy.**”

“???”

What on earth is Amelia talking about…

They definitely spoke the same language, but he spent a long time thinking about what she meant.

“Tomorrow is the last day of school before summer break, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“When you think of summer vacation, what comes to mind?”

“…Who knows?”

“The beach, the beach!”

Amelia gestured to him excitedly.

…Actually, Siwo wondered if she didn’t care at all.

He was always worrying about what to do, but Amelia seemed to always be enjoying herself.

Just as he was having such doubts, Amelia continued.

“Normally, it’ll be hard to meet Arte during the vacation! But we’re in the same club! It’s not like we have no way to meet!”

“So why the beach?”

“Let’s go on a trip to the beach.”

“A trip?”

“Yeah. It’s just us hanging out together for bonding purposes. What do you think?”

Siwoo was surprised.

Because it’s a relatively normal idea coming from Amelia.

Going on a trip to the beach isn’t that strange of an idea.

‘I guess she also has normal thoughts…’

“And then you pounce on Arte in her swimsuit… Then she won’t have any clothes, so she won’t be able to resist…!”

Cancel that.

She wasn’t in her right mind.

What a fool he was for even believing for a second.

“No, maybe the method of locking you in the changing room…?”

“…Amelia. Do you really intend to seduce Arte, or are you trying to kill me?”

He sighed as he watched Amelia spouting nonsense.

Tomorrow is already the last day of school before summer break.

Siwoo also felt excited about the approaching vacation before he knew it.

_______________________

Author’s Notes

It seems that lying is also an art.

Even if you know it’s a lie, if it’s believable, you end up being deceived…