A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

20 January 2031

12:58 AM

"...Hh." Though he felt nearly drained after waking from a deep sleep, Avendial became aware of the warm breath that intertwined softly with his own. Slowly, his fluttering eyelids opened to reveal deep blue irises illuminated by the moonlight, which reflected the intent gaze of a woman peering into his eyes.

This prompted Avendial to glance sideways, taking stock of the room around him before returning his focus to Aria. With a teasing smirk, he remarked, "You are quite heavy..."

"There's something about the way you sleep—like the world fades away, leaving just you?", Aria replied, her gaze lingering on him. The ruby hue of her pupils locked onto his, momentarily distracted by a strand of his silver hair that shimmered enticingly in the moonlight.

She couldn't help but admire his flawless skin, defined jawline, and the contours of his lips that framed his face, resembling a masterpiece she wished to adore throughout the night. It had already been thirty minutes since she awoke, and she found it hard to tear her eyes away from him.

"Haah... Miss Aria, it seems you have succumbed to a particularly contagious disease," Avendial teased, feeling her entire body resting on him, her softness reminiscent of a koala clinging to a tree. He merely smiled lightly before whispering, "A disease, very lethal and utterly addictive...Maybe I should give you white serum shots to help you feel better... all night long, if that's what it takes."

"...." Aria kept her eyes locked onto his, captivated by that same smile which had already ensnared her heart. Her lips trembled as she became aware of his hands sliding along her jeans, interlocking with each other just above her rear.

Feeling helpless against the circumstances, she buried her face into his neck and mumbled, "This time... go easy... okay?"

"Yeah," he replied in a hushed tone, his voice barely above a whisper. With a graceful movement, he turned his body above hers, gently pushing her down onto the bed. His face nestled into the curve of her neck, while his other hand slid up to reveal her waist, the fabric of her white shirt now pooled up and revealing her underboob, given her bra had already been sacrificed in the morning.

In this delicate moment under the silver light of the moon, their lips finally met, with the moon vanishing between their intensifying heat.

---

3 hours later,

The air outside the room was thick with a pungent, suffocating scent—the sharp, primal odor of sweat, sex, and desperation.

The sounds inside were raw and relentless, filling the room and spilling into the corridor, taunting a woman standing outside with every pulse.

Pah pah pah...

HNGH... Uhh... Aanngh...!? Discover hidden tales at empire

The sounds echoed like a cruel whisper against her ear, each one twisting in her gut, squeezing her chest in a vice of jealousy and self-loathing.

A lone figure stood there, her back pressed against the door, legs barely holding her up as her amethyst eyes burned with a feverish mixture of rage and despair.

Pah pah pah

Unhg...! Haah...! Ieeekk...!

The rhythmic pounding from within sliced through her thoughts, seeping into her mind like poison.

'No... no, please, stop it... it hurts too much', She thought, her fingers digging into her scalp, messing up her dense purple hair. The desperation was evident in the way she gripped her head, as if trying to stop the intrusion of the noises.

But they came with a ferocity she couldn't block.

Pah pah pah...

Her breath hitched.

The moans were louder now, taunting her.

AaaNnnGgHhh... unhh... Mmmphh...!?

Every cry felt like a knife being plunged deeper into her chest, her body trembling violently with each one.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push them out, but the sounds grew, twisting her mind into a frenzy of hatred and obsession.

Why her?

Why does that woman get to have him?

The thought echoed in Rivia's mind as the door trembled beneath her.

'Why does she get to have what I want?'

Her fingers curled into fists, her nails digging into her skin as she fought to remain still.

:: I am disappointed in you, Rivia. ::

His words echoed in her ears—cold and clearly disappointed due to her actions.

She couldn't betray him.

She couldn't lose him.

Pah pah pah

The pounding came again, relentless and unforgiving, as the woman's moans grew louder.

HEUKK...! Aanngh...! S-slow...Annhh!

Each noise felt like it was tearing her apart from the inside out.

Kill her.

'I should kill her...'

The thought flickered in her mind like a spark in the dark, but she quickly crushed it.

She couldn't afford to break.

She couldn't afford to disobey.

His face flashed before her eyes, cold and indifferent, reminding her of her place—obedient, silent, loyal—and to feel the consequences of her past actions.

She could almost hear his voice in her mind, stern and commanding: "I will abandon you if you act out of line."

She doesn't remember if he said those words, but her mind knew it was how he would have told those words after all the mistakes he had made.

'I can't lose him...'

'I can't...'

Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't allow herself to cry.

Her heart twisted with the unbearable mixture of desire and hate.

The sounds, the cries from within, pushed her closer to the edge of madness.

Pah pah pah...

The rhythm of it was maddening now—Ungh... mmhh... AAaaaNnnnGggHhh...!?

She could feel her sanity slipping, her body trembling from the unbearable pressure.

Her breath came in gasps, but she stayed there, frozen in place, pressing her ear to the door as the moans continued to invade her thoughts, drowning her in her own jealousy, her own fear.

She will wait...

She will endure...

She clenched her fists tighter, nails biting into her palms.

She couldn't let him slip away.

Not now.

Not ever.

'She'll never take him from me... no one can.'

Her head dropped backward, resting against the door as she whispered through clenched teeth, "You'll always be mine."

And there, in the silence between the moans, she stayed, caught between torment and obsession, her mind wrapped around the desperate need to prove her loyalty, her love, even if it meant breaking herself in the process.

.

.

.

.

.

8:00 Am

"Prepare yourself; we need to leave for the City," Avendial said, glancing at his wristwatch. Fresh from a bath, he had just finished buttoning his shirt and was making his way toward the door, looking revitalized after combing his hair. He stole a glance at the woman beside him, who nodded in response while slipping on the shoes the maid had brought, clearly well-prepared.

Though it typically would have taken them some time, the two had streamlined their morning routine at Avendial's suggestion, bathing together and assisting each other with their clothes, which made everything much faster.

"Enter," Avendial called out as he approached the door. The door slid open to reveal Rivia, who stood there with an impassive expression. She appeared perfectly composed, showing no signs of tears, sadness, or grief.

"Yes, did you call for me, Master?" she asked, giving a nod before shifting her gaze toward Aravind Yao. Without breaking her focus on him, she noticed that a woman named Arya was rising from the bed and making her way toward the door. Instinctively, Rivia's hand tightened around the hilt of her sword.

"Yes, we are going to the Free City."

"…Yes…" Rivia replied, her heart clenching as she contemplated the implications. Deep down, she knew they would be remaining within that territory under the guise of training Leo.

'It hurts…' she thought, wincing at the pain in her chest that felt as if her heart was heavy with sorrow at the mere thought of him leaving her.

"Fine, then tell Alfred to instruct Leo in martial arts and also send this to the laboratory," Avendial continued, well aware of the turmoil swirling in her mind. He had chosen to remain oblivious to the fact that she had spent the entire night quietly crying. To him, there was no need to release her, as a leash was essential in their game. It always hurt when she felt this way, but he believed that once it was done, there would be no fear of the bond ever breaking. That was why he wanted her to have a chance to settle matters with Dr. Etrinia, who needed to be brought in for research concerning the capsule he held in his hand.

"Huh, this?" Rivia asked, her mind clouded with confusion as a sense of abandonment washed over her. The reason she believed would allow her to remain—training Leo—now seemed like a ruse, drawing her gaze toward the plastic pouch containing a black capsule that Avendial was holding.

"It's important. Give this to Alfred and instruct him to gather the scientists and provide me with a report on its contents as soon as possible," Avendial said. For emergency purposes, he had already secured a small portion of the capsule's content in another pouch, offering this one to her for further investigation.

Although it would be challenging to reverse-engineer all the components, he trusted that with the current technology and the memories he retained, it wouldn't be impossible to reproduce the capsule.

While Rivia understood some key components of the capsule, she was unaware of the complete information, unlike the others.

She realized that with the present technology and her access to the knowledge she had, they could attempt to reverse-engineer the unknown elements.

By mixing that with his memories from the future, Avendial hoped he could provide Dr. Etrinia with even better insight into the matter.