Chapter 5 : A tragic ending is all that awaits the villain

Perhaps, this might have been the slowest four days of my life.

I’m not sure if it’s because the day I had long awaited finally arrived, or for some other reason.

“Wow, this place is truly beautiful.”

Unaware of what future awaited her, Sylvia Eleonore appeared at the promised location alone, as scheduled.

She stretched out her arms wide and admired the blooming flowers and greenery around her.

“I’m surprised that Lord Lyard knows about a place like this… It’s a little fascinating.”

As if chasing her back, I silently walked behind her, and just then, she turned around with her hands clasped behind her back and spoke to me.

It might sound like a compliment at first glance, but anyone could tell it really meant I didn’t seem like someone emotional enough to know such a romantic spot.

Honestly, it wasn’t entirely wrong. Usually, I’d ignore it without a reaction, but today, I couldn’t.

As if trying to mask the sound of my heart pounding from nervousness, I replied in a slightly curt tone.

“…It feels like there’s some bite in your words.”

“Pfft, just kidding. I apologize if it upset you.”

With that, she covered her mouth and let out a graceful smile, then let out a small “Mmm” as she stretched.

“Still, this really is a wonderful place. Although it’s a bit smaller than other fields, it feels much more beautiful instead.”

“That’s true. I didn’t expect it to be such a place.”

“Huh? Is this your first time here too, Lord Lyard?”

Oops.

Startled by her curious question after my unintended remark, I quickly tried to come up with an excuse.

Damn, if that wretched man hadn’t dragged me to a place like this out of his league, I wouldn’t have slipped up like this.

“Well, yes. Actually, I only recently heard from someone that this is a great spot for outings.”

“I see! Then that means as soon as you heard about this place, you thought of coming here with me. That makes me happy.”

“…Right.”

She was, as usual, lost in her own fantasies and misunderstandings, but today, for once, I couldn’t bring myself to correct her.

Even condemned criminals are granted a final meal of their choosing before facing execution—it’s considered the bare minimum of mercy.

In that sense, perhaps playing along with her, at least for today, was the right thing to do.

“That said, it’s a shame there’s no picnic mat. It would’ve been nice to sit and relax on the ground.”

“It’s fine. Even without a mat, like this… Ha!”

Startled, I almost rushed over when she suddenly threw herself backward onto the ground without any precaution or thought of safety.

Why did I instinctively try to catch her just now?

If, worst-case scenario, she hit her head and died, it wouldn’t be a loss for me. In fact, I wouldn’t even have to dirty my hands—it might even be a gain.

Even as I reflected on my puzzling reaction, I couldn’t make sense of it, and her innocent laughter snapped me back to reality.

“Pfft, I’m sorry if I startled you. But when I see a place like this, I just can’t help but want to lie down on the flowerbed like a bed at least once.”

“That’s such a small dream. You must’ve lived a dull life.”

Seeing her laughing to herself, oblivious to my inner thoughts, I found myself oddly annoyed and snapped with a grumble that didn’t quite fit the situation.

However, even with my reaction, she sat up and smiled brightly as always, nodding calmly.

“True. Maybe it was a bit of a dull life. After all, I’ve only been able to freely wander outside for the past four years.”

“Four years? …What do you mean?”

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in surprise at her shocking statement, wondering if I had misheard.

Being free to roam outside—what kind of expression is that supposed to be?

Unless you’re a dog tied up in the yard, that’s a basic human right.

Even when I was just seven years old, there were no restrictions on going outside, except for the condition that a servant must accompany me.

And yet, she’s saying she’s only lived that way for four years?

Seeing my puzzled expression, she gave a faint, bitter smile and continued.

“That’s because I’m a witch. While my parents didn’t openly display rejection like others might, they were always strict in controlling me. Not only was I forbidden to leave the castle, but I also had to eat every meal alone in my room, delivered by servants.”

“…That’s a prison.”

“Pfft, a prison with a view of the garden isn’t too bad. They even had someone bathe me.”

Though she spoke with a forced smile, considering she’s the same age as me, that means she spent nearly 16 years of her life like that.

That’s not life—that’s captivity.

Even livestock grazing in the fields are granted more freedom.

They can choose what grass to eat, meet others of their kind, find mates, and roam freely in the fresh air.

The 16 years of her life might have been even more deprived than theirs.

Providing food and shelter alone doesn’t make it a humane life.

Rather, the minimal dignities were left intact so they could delude themselves into thinking they were offering her some semblance of care.

“Still, thanks to a solution I devised for these eyes, I’ve been able to go outside like this in recent years. In that sense, the last four years might have been the happiest moments of my life. It’s enough to make me wonder how much brighter the future will be.”

Even for me, merely listening to her story was unbearable.

Yet Sylvia Eleonore, believing only in the hope her future held, sparkled with anticipation.

Her radiance, so fleeting it felt tragic, made me clench my hidden fists tightly in frustration.

“Speaking of which, Lord Lyard, you mentioned you had something important you wanted to tell me. What exactly is it…”

“…Sylvia.”

“Yes, yes…?”

And then, as if cutting off her cheerful words while she raised only her upper body, I softly and quietly called her name.

The name, which had never left my lips before—only “you” or “miss”—slipped out unexpectedly. Her face flushed red, but I had no time to worry about that.

There was something I had to do before this determination faltered.

“I’ll explain later. Run. Right now.”

“W-What? What do you mean…”

“There’s no time. Run that way immediately. No matter what happens behind you, do not look back.”

Using magic to teleport her would have been the quickest solution, but it would take too long.

The fact that he had summoned me here meant he was likely observing the situation right now.

If I tried anything reckless, he would catch on immediately.

Of course, he’d notice if she tried to run, too. But in that case, I’d just have to buy time.

This wasn’t the kind of power I wanted to master, but it would serve its purpose.

“W-Wait a moment…! Lord Lyard! I-I don’t understand what you’re saying at all…”

Boom.

The flustered voice, full of confusion, tried to demand an explanation, but this time, it wasn’t me who interrupted her.

A suffocating pressure enveloped my entire body, and a faint purple veil spread thinly outward.

The moment I realized it was a barrier, I barely swallowed the curse that almost escaped my lips and began to draw upon my magic.

Had he already noticed?

“…What a pity, Kyle Lyard. I never thought you’d betray us. I must say, I’m quite shocked.”

Through a magic circle that appeared from the ground, he materialized, shaking his head in feigned sorrow. But to me, it didn’t look convincing at all.

He had never trusted me to begin with. That much was clear now. In a way, that made things easier.

“Betrayal? Don’t make me laugh. As far as I remember, I wasn’t even officially one of you yet.”

“So, you’ve forgotten the favor of borrowing our power? How fitting for the Lyard family’s failure. Even your intelligence pales in comparison to a beast.”

“Say whatever you like.”

If he thought such provocations would get a rise out of me, he was gravely mistaken.
Back in that vile mansion, I’d heard far worse every day of my life.

It’s not something to be proud of, but looking back now, I realize it toughened me up in its own twisted way.

“L-Lord Lyard. Who is that man…?”

“From what I’ve heard, he belongs to a group called ‘The Eyes of Dawn.’”

“What? The Eyes of Dawn? Do you mean that infamous rebel group?”

“Hey, it’s not polite to speculate about someone’s identity so freely, Kyle Lyard.”

As I began to explain to Sylvia, the man who had been eavesdropping stepped forward, radiating magic.

I, too, responded by releasing my own magic.

In that moment—

Snap.

“…!?”

With a snap of his fingers, a sudden jolt like electricity coursed through my body, and I froze entirely.

My body stiffened as if turned to stone, completely unresponsive, and I instantly knew something was terribly wrong.

Though my consciousness was intact, could this be some kind of body manipulation magic?

No, it didn’t feel like that. The man had emitted an aura of power, but he hadn’t shown any signs of casting a spell. There wasn’t even an incantation.

Executing such high-level magic without chanting or a catalyst? That didn’t make sense either.

Unless—

Clap, clap, clap.

“Ah, so you’ve figured it out. Impressive. Quick to assess the situation, as always.”

“…It was from the beginning, wasn’t it?”

The moment I realized that the core of my mana—the very center of my power—felt unnaturally hot, my eyes widened in fury.

The man clapped dramatically, like someone watching a theatrical performance.

Though he hid his mouth behind his hand, I could easily tell he was smirking.

I knew it.

That cursed book he’d given me, filled with forbidden magic—that had to be the cause.

From the very moment he handed me that book, he must have been planning this.

Even the offer to “join us” had been a lie. What he wanted wasn’t a comrade—it was a puppet.

“Damn it all…”

“We don’t have the habit of letting poorly trained dogs run loose, you see. But this has been a rather entertaining show. So, as a parting gift, I’ll make sure your final moments are unforgettable.”

When the man once again snapped his fingers theatrically, my body spun helplessly in place, completely under his control.
As I turned, Sylvia—whom I had been shielding behind me—came into view.

She seemed unaware that I was being manipulated, her eyes filled with confusion.

Overwhelmed by an impending sense of dread, I managed to force out a few words in her direction.

“Sylvia, run…”

Crack!

“Guhh…!”

But I couldn’t finish.

Before the words fully left my lips, my own hand moved against my will, grabbing her slender neck with crushing force, as though intent on snapping it.

It was only then that I realized the source of my earlier unease. But by then, it was too late.

I couldn’t even move my lips to voice my resistance.

No.

Stop.

Don’t do this.

Please.

The desperate cries echoed in my mind, hollow and pitiful, as chaotic thoughts swirled like jumbled letters in a storm.

Was I truly about to kill her with my own hands?

The one light that had pierced through my wretched life—was I going to extinguish it myself?

Would I leave her without a word of explanation, without any chance to say goodbye.

Would I never again see that radiant, dazzling smile of hers?

Sylvia.

Crack.

“Grrk…!”

As I silently screamed her name in my heart for the first and last time, it felt as if some unknown force began to stir within me.

The crushing weight on my body seemed to ease, just slightly.

My lips were bitten so hard they bled, the droplets falling to the ground below. But that didn’t matter.

With every ounce of willpower, I managed to loosen my grip, slowly prying my hand away from her fragile neck.

“…Impressive. You’re resisting?”

The faint astonishment in the man’s voice behind me was unmistakable.

Just as I thought I might finally free her, a sliver of hope appeared—

Thud!

“Gah…!”

A sharp, searing pain pierced through me, and my vision was painted red.

“The sight of you mustering your last strength for the woman you love was truly entertaining, Kyle Lyard. Consider this my parting gift to bury you both here together.”

His voice and the sound of his applause grew faint, as if distorted by static.

Struggling to repair the circuits in my mind that had burned out like a short-circuited machine, I lowered my gaze.

There it was: a massive silver spear impaling both me and Sylvia at once.

At last, the reality of death settled in, and I let go of my last remaining strength, my head drooping forward.

Thud.

The spear vanished, and both Sylvia and I collapsed onto the field of flowers she loved so much.

So, in the end, I was nothing more than a pathetic loser, no matter how much I struggled.

I had resolved to cast away my family, my world, and become a villain, yet all I amounted to was a man who couldn’t let go of the only woman he had ever loved.

What a laughable, pathetic story.

“K-Kyle…”

Just as I prepared to close my eyes and accept death, her voice, faint yet miraculously alive, reached me.

Instinctively, I opened my eyes.

There she was, her body bloodied and broken, dragging herself toward me with trembling arms.

Just as I had called her name for the first time earlier, she now called mine for the first time.

“I… I wanted to tell you…”

Reaching out her hand, she moved closer, but her voice and body came to a halt at the same time.

What had she wanted to say to me so badly that she pushed herself to this extent?

Was it “I trusted you”?
Or perhaps “I’ll curse you, even in death”?

Either way, I doubted it was anything kind.

Even so, I reached out and clasped her hand in mine.

It was the first time I had ever held her hand, wasn’t it?

Though her hand was already cold, devoid of warmth, I caressed it gently, as if it were the most precious gem in the world.

Sylvia.

I won’t ask for the foolish wish of you loving me again.
Nor will I ask for the impossible chance to love you again.

All I wish for—if I were granted one last chance—is to see your smile one more time.

Even if I could never be a part of your life, I’d be content to live in a world where you exist, shining as brightly as ever.

As I made this silent, final wish, ready to close my eyes—

Bzzt.

Through half-closed lids, I saw it: her right eye glowing brighter than ever, emitting an intense light.

And that was the last thing I remembered.