Chapter 13
This guy… he’s really getting on my nerves.
I was barely holding back my anger, but he kept pushing my buttons.
“Your cooking is decent, so just stick to that role and—”
“What do you even know?”
Just go along quietly, huh?
Because I’m weak and my abilities are insignificant.
I should just settle for doing odd jobs and carrying the baggage?
“Is my struggle to survive just a joke to you?”
“What?”
Right now, I’m Wendy Porcelain.
In the damned original story, I was the villainess, and now, I find myself with constellations and observers as my audience.
“You’re strong, you get attention even when you do nothing. But you’d never understand how I feel, desperately trying to do anything I can.”
In this place ruined by a god’s mistake, where I’m despised as a villain trying to survive, he couldn’t understand that I had to grab onto any lifeline I could.
If I couldn’t earn the favor of the constellations or gain recognition from my comrades…
If I couldn’t grow stronger and find the power to protect myself…
‘This can’t be happening… Javier, Caltain, Lyria, don’t leave me behind here. Please save me, please!’
There was only one ending for me.
Despised by everyone, abandoned, facing a brutal death amidst nightmare-like pain.
Maybe I would be trapped living inside this damned novel forever.
That was my fate.
“You have no right to belittle my efforts like that!”
I couldn’t forgive him for saying that my desperate struggle was bothersome.
“All I wanted was to live.”
Survival, the simple fact of being alive that seems so meaningless next to others.
Why couldn’t he understand that for some, it’s the result of a desperate struggle?
As the blood rushed to my face, my slapped cheek started to burn.
“In the end, you’re alive right now because of my struggle. Don’t you remember?”
“That’s…”
“I remember. Do you?”
If I hadn’t run around like crazy and brought Eden during the mission to find teammates…
This team would have fallen apart before it even started.
And yet you tell me not to struggle?
“Don’t you dare mock someone else’s efforts.”
How ridiculous.
I’m going to keep fighting, no matter how pitiful or spiteful it looks.
That’s the way Wendy Porcelain, the villainess, survives.
“You smug, annoying jerk with no redeeming qualities beyond your good looks!”
Whew, I feel so much better now that I’ve said everything I was holding back!
So, this is what people mean by catharsis.
With a deep breath, I lifted my head in satisfaction.
That was the easy part.
As my mind cleared, I noticed Xenon’s face, frozen like a statue.
“Ahem, anyway. Now that we’re teammates, mocking each other is really disrespectful.”
Anger can be a great motivator.
The problem comes when the anger fades, and you have to face the consequences.
“From now on, let’s be more considerate of each other. Got it? I’m leaving now.”
I should get out of here before he recovers from the shock.
‘I must be out of my mind.’
What was I thinking, talking back like that to someone whose abilities are worlds apart from mine?
Especially to a guy who carries a sword.
‘Yeah, I’m definitely out of my mind.’
I need to run while he’s still too stunned to react.
Just get away from here and avoid being alone with him for a while…
Thump.
But I couldn’t move, caught by a firm grip.
How does he have such a strong grip—what kind of training does he do?
“What is it? What do you want? You got something else to say?”
I tried to sound confident, like I wasn’t panicking at all.
“I-I’m tired, and I just want to sleep.”
But my voice came out awkward, like a malfunctioning robot.
‘Oh no, this is bad.’
Look at that face.
It’s as cold as ice.
‘What should I do? Should I apologize now?’
Maybe he’ll let me off if I beg.
Should I try a deep bow or something?
But wouldn’t that hurt my pride as a villainess too much?
As I grappled with all these thoughts, trying to decide whether swallowing my pride was worth it, he suddenly spoke up.
“I’m sorry.”
It was the last thing I expected to hear.
“You’re right.”
“…”
“If it weren’t for you, we all would’ve died.”
His expression was awkward, as if he didn’t know how to handle what he was saying.
It was like watching someone apologize for the first time in their life.
“And what I said earlier… I didn’t mean it that way.”
“What?”
“I didn’t mean to belittle your efforts. I just meant that you didn’t have to hurt yourself like that.”
“…Huh?”
“Everyone has roles that suit them. You don’t have to push yourself into a role that doesn’t fit.”
Don’t push myself… don’t push myself!
Am I… seeing things? Did I already get knocked out and end up in some kind of delusion?
Feeling my mind go blank, I stared at Xenon, completely dumbfounded.
This was so unexpected.
Seeing this cold, emotionless guy, who seemed like he’d bleed mercury if cut, apologize with such discomfort…
‘How should I respond?’
Should I act like a moral lesson and say, “No, I’m sorry too. Let’s not fight anymore and get along”?
As I stood there like an idiot, mouth hanging open, a sudden thought snapped me back to reality.
This rare moment of Xenon, the cold-hearted guy, feeling genuinely sorry and awkward…
This is…
“Then make it up to me.”
A perfect opportunity, right?
“What?”
“Whether you meant it or not, you shi..uhm..you did think of me as just a burden, right? Even if it was just for a moment.”
“What?”
Xenon’s eyes narrowed.
Ah, I slipped up.
“Anyway.”
Quickly changing the subject, I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin.
“Anyone can apologize with words, right?”
Granted, this guy finds even apologizing verbally a challenge… but that’s not my problem.
I couldn’t let such a great opportunity pass by.
“You’re right.”
His brow furrowed slightly at my sudden demand for repayment, but he quickly nodded when he realized he had no good comeback.
“What do you want me to do to repay you?”
There was only one thing I wanted from this unexpectedly compliant Xenon.
“Heh heh…”
“What’s with that strange face? What are you planning?”
I leaned in closer to him as he took a cautious step back from my sly grin.
“You mocked my efforts, so—”
Why does he look so nervous, pulling his head back like that? It’s not like I’m going to eat him.
“The only way you can make up for that is by helping with my struggle.”
All I want is to siphon off your skills a bit, so relax.
‘You’re my skill-acquisition NPC.’
“Hit me. As hard as you can.”
It was a bit convoluted, but it seemed like I could achieve my goal after all.
“Huh.”
Xenon sighed heavily, his face wearing a defeated expression.
But so what? What difference does it make to me?
Maybe you should have spoken more nicely from the start.
***
After walking for a while, we reached a clearing far enough from the campsite that the others wouldn’t wake up.
“This should do.”
The cold morning wind tousled Xenon’s jet-black hair.
As the chilly moonlight brushed the tip of my nose, reality hit me.
Wow, am I really about to get hit?
And by a guy I just met today?
‘Now that it’s time, I’m starting to get nervous.’
Of course, we’d discussed things beforehand.
I would be hit with his sword, but while it was still in its scabbard.
If he used the bare blade, I’d have a tombstone before I got a new skill.
We even set up a signal for safety.
If I wanted to give up midway, I’d make a big ‘X’ sign above my head.
We even picked the spot for the hit: my left arm!
‘This should be foolproof.’
I looked at my arm, now wrapped in a thick blanket.
Inside the blanket, I’d stuffed as many leaves as I could to absorb the impact.
So much that the rustling sound was loud whenever I moved my arm.
With this amount, I shouldn’t get seriously hurt.
With my guard up, I looked at him.
‘Bring it on, villain!’
Now all that was left was for Xenon to come at me with full force.
But the more time passed, the more my determined expression faded.
“…Huh?”
Something was wrong.
No matter how long I waited, he didn’t make a move.
He just kept his distance, staring at me.
“Xenon?”
When I called out to him in confusion, he let out a quiet sigh and lowered his sword.
He furrowed his brow before speaking.
“If you’re not serious, we can stop here.”
“What?”
It seemed he had completely misunderstood my determined look.
“You seemed nervous.”
Watching him mumble awkwardly, I twisted my lips into a smile.
‘Hey, most people get nervous before being hit!’
It’s human instinct to flinch at even a tiny prick from a needle.
But here he was, lowering his sword just because I looked nervous.
‘I told him to think of me as an enemy just while he’s striking.’
What a softy.
With a slight smile, I opened my mouth.
“I told you, I don’t want to hold the team back.”
Of course, I was scared of the impending pain.
But I didn’t want to give up and say something weak.
If I backed down now, I feared that even making a decision next time would become a huge challenge.
And I didn’t want that.
So this was like a promise to myself.
“I’m going to get stronger.”
A vow to myself.
That uncertain conviction, instead of unsettling me, made me stronger.
His gaze, which had been fixed on the ground, slowly followed me upward.
His expression was hard to read.
As if he was trying to gauge whether I meant what I said.
“Are you serious?”
Now was the time to put any remaining doubts to rest.
“Yeah.”
I raised my guard and shouted at him.
“So don’t hold back and come at me, you idiot!”
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment