A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

Chapter 106: Chapter 108- Aria's Dilemma (2)

"Thanks for the precious information, my student," Avendial smirked as he teased her, trying to lighten the mood. However, his intention was to have her lower her guard slightly.

"....Aren't you already aware of my address?" Aria gave a blank look at his teasing, clearly trying to convey that he was from the future, so of course, he must have known how she lived alone.

"Pfft, of course, I can't know everything," Avendial chuckled as he shook his head, appearing as if he were caught up in emotions, trying to seem completely naive to prevent her from doubting him about what he was about to do next. "You never mentioned your address, and who even cares when the world has already been destroyed?

The most I knew was the reason for your facial burn, which caused me to come here inside the Elite Academy."

'!?!'

"Wh-what?" Aria's head snapped toward Avendial as she turned away from the windows, hearing those words that sent visible shock through her mind as she processed the hard-to-understand information he had revealed.

"Huh? What happened?.... Damn it," Avendial looked toward Aria and acted as if his mouth had slipped. He stood before placing his hand on his chin, feigning anxiety, before hastily moving toward the door to leave.

"Wait! Stop, tell me, what does that even mean?!" Aria hastily lifted herself up from the bed and stumbled, feeling weakened while realizing she couldn't regain control.

She fell to the floor, her legs numb. It was a sensation she had never felt, but ignoring it, her focus turned entirely toward the revelation about her burned face and the impending doom.

"Aria!? Control yourself," Avendial, who definitely had no intention of leaving the room, halted. He turned toward her as he saw her fallen on the floor, offering his support as he helped her to stand up. She placed one hand on his for support while still looking into his anxious gaze.

'Again?' Aria noted that same expression on his face, presenting anxiety due to her suffering.

This caused a twinge of pain in her heart, given that no one had ever shown such concern for her injuries, whether she was the one caring for others or being ignored. 'No, it's not the time.'

She shook her head, wanting to set aside these thoughts for now and inquire about what he had said. Given that she could see his title, she knew he was from the future.

The moment he revealed these things, she was beyond shocked, prompting her to ask, "How did my face burn? And what about this world ending?!"

"Ugh... Why are you so stubborn? Just stay put," Avendial tried to lift her. Of course, given his physical strength, he could have easily lifted her but acted as if he were being considerate, swaying with her actions.

In the end, he needed to tell Aecilia to leave the academy without him, just to secure an opportunity today.

He even had the doctor administer a strong anesthesia to her so she could at least remain unconscious for five to six hours.

After all this hassle, if he just let go of this opportunity, it would be a pure loss.

"No, no, please tell me first!" Aria repeated, knowing well that after the events of today—after what happened one after another, seeing Lin trying to slap her, then finding herself alone with nothing to hold onto—she had only the support of this unknown man who claimed to have affection for her.

And now he had just mentioned crucial information and was about to leave without completing it.

She knew that whatever he had told her was the truth; in the flow of emotions, he had spoken those words without thinking much, stating them casually.

This prompted her to grab his shoulder and pull him down, not wanting to lift herself up, worried that he would run away. Given her force, he also came to his knees on the floor.

"Damn it, I should have just listened to Aria's words and not met you," Avendial still kept his act fluid, going along as if he were influenced by her future self, who wanted to prevent him from revealing anything to Aria about the past.

He was creating a scenario that would make it inevitable for this woman to become emotionally attached.

"What? Hey you, tell me now! Why was my face burned?" Aria, seeing him avoid her gaze and clicking his tongue, felt frustrated. She swiftly clasped his face, turning it toward hers until just two inches were the distance between them, their warm breaths mingling as he glared into her eyes so closely.

badump

"Huh, I-I am sorry?" Aria suddenly realized what she had done. Given how close they were, she distanced herself and tried to remove her hand, but he kept holding it.

"A tower, just like those stories would arrive in this world," Avendial said, clenching her hand. From this distance, he noticed her milky white skin and black hair tucked behind her ears, revealing her neck. Her long lashes hid her eyes as they looked away from him. The slight blush near her ears revealed her embarrassment, prompting him to utilize this moment of vulnerability.

This was the moment when her mind was overwhelmed with emotions, making it difficult for her to find any loopholes in the stories he concocted.

Although he would have preferred to keep his stories as realistic as possible, the inevitable truth is that regardless of how sharp a crime is executed, there is always some evidence left behind.

Errors are inevitable, which is why he had secured this opportunity to first make her emotionally vulnerable.

He was forced to act this way and go this far with her just because of how important her ability was to him right now. The importance of her ability was something he couldn't gain or use through force alone.

Given her capacity to provide wrong information if he tried to coerce her, he needed loyalty, and loyalty is often attached to love in her case.

"T-tower? What? Is this a joke?" Aria felt her eyes tremble upon hearing that revelation. But the moment she turned her face back toward him, noticing the serious look on his face, she appeared completely shocked. Inside, she knew, 'He is telling the truth.'

Though her mind didn't want to believe it, she sensed he was not lying. This realization made her understand that her strange ability, these titles, and now even the presence of someone from the future, were definitely not a fluke.

It was all part of an upcoming catastrophe that would befall this world in the future.

"On 13 January 2032, several monsters from another world will attack Elite Academy, burning it to the ground, and there Aria will be betrayed for the first time," Avendial said in a cold tone, making up the story since he literally didn't know what happened to Aria or when it happened.

But if it was just a monster attack, he could make it appear like a butterfly effect that changed everything, combined with the fact that he knew it was clearly the day the tower's first gate opened.

"B-betrayed? What?!" Aria exclaimed, still not trusting him. However, she felt his hand gripping her shoulders tightly, their hands interlinked.

Slowly, he leaned in and hugged her tightly.

'?!'

His embrace surprised her, causing her eyes to widen as they were both seated.

"Can we remain like this for a moment, Aria?" Avendial asked as he hugged her.

He noticed a vibration from his phone—a message he had expected from Aecilia after gathering information on Aria and Amrita—prompting him to check it while pretending to be emotionally hurt as he held her.

thump thump