I Am The Game's Villain

A thunderous explosion echoed across the sky.

Below, the sea split apart with each resounding clash above, creating a chaotic display of power. Myriads of boats, filled with armed men, trembled under the sheer force of the battle. The men, faces pale with fear, could do nothing but watch the sky with bated breath. Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn

-BOOOOM!

Another powerful shockwave erupted, sending something hurtling through the air. It landed with a fleshy thud on one of the boats.

It was a severed arm.

"I told you already."

A figure landed gracefully on the deck of the grandest boat, which bore signs of destruction and was barely afloat.

The young, handsome man had long, silver hair slicked back neatly. His elongated ears marked his noble lineage, even among elves—the highest of the nobles. His earrings, shaped like grim void eyes, dangled in the powerful wind.

"Not to stick your lowly nose in others\' business."

He had heterochromia, with one eye shining a deep blue and the other a deep green. They looked coldly and arrogantly at the figure landing several meters away in front of him.

A laugh escaped from the other man\'s bloodied lips. Despite losing his left arm, he seemed almost oblivious to the pain, his amber eyes gleaming with a near-madness as he looked at the elf.

"This is exactly my damn business," he retorted, brushing back his messy white hair, smearing it with his own blood.

Retrieving his severed arm, he pressed it back to the stump as white sand swirled around, acting as a glue to reattach it. Opening and closing his fist a few times to check its functionality, he smirked. His gaze shifted momentarily to a girl lying on the ground in a torn dress. Her mint green hair was disheveled, her usual ornaments broken or missing. Her typically unbreakable expression was now one of utter despair. Her gaze downcast on a figure lying on a pool of blood motionless.

Turning his amber gaze back to the elf, who was directly responsible for the bloody war that had raged for months in Sancta Vedelia, Amael narrowed his eyes.

"Alvara is mine."

***

"Aha…!!" Celeste woke up in a daze.

Her teal blue eyes flashed white intensely.

Her dress and bed were soaked with sweat.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she experienced an unfamiliar feeling.

"Ah…" Gripping her bedsheet, Celeste tried to catch her breath.

"P-Princess!!" The door burst open, startling Celeste. She quickly sighed in relief when she saw it was August, a Commander of Zestella and someone she knew since child.

"Hey! You can\'t just barge into the Princess\'s room like that!" A maid scolded August angrily.

"R-Right, I\'m sorry. I heard the Princess screaming…" August muttered worriedly.

"It\'s alright…" Celeste held her head for a moment before forcing a smile. "It was just a nightmare, nothing to worry about."

"Of course, it was a nightmare. You\'ve been through so much lately, Princess," the maid said with a sad smile, helping Celeste to her feet.

"Ah!" Celeste finally remembered what had happened.

She had been brought back to Zestella thanks to James Raven\'s careful planning to ensure their safety. After that, she had lost consciousness…

"W-Where is Amael?! How long have I been asleep?!" Celeste tried to take another step but stumbled, quickly caught by her maid.

"Please calm down, Princess. It\'s only been a day. We\'re in the morning of the next day. As for Lord Amael, we saw him carrying you, but he lost consciousness right after," the maid explained.

"W-What happened? Is he alright?!" Celeste asked, her voice filled with worry.

August smiled, noticing how concerned Celeste was for Amael. It wasn\'t surprising for her to be worried, but this time it was for a boy.

"He\'s still unconscious. A heavy dose of poison has corrupted his body. It\'s actually a miracle he\'s still alive, considering the amount of mana we had to remove from him. The healers just finished his treatment a few hours ago. He needs rest now," August said, recalling Amael\'s difficult recovery. The poison had been incredibly potent.

"I see…" Celeste sighed in relief, though guilt flickered across her face as she remembered Amael\'s fight against Lomar. "I should check on him…"

"No, Princess. You\'re not in any condition to see anyone, you have been treated entirely but you need rest," the maid said, supporting Celeste.

Celeste looked down at her white gown sticking to her body and her sweaty hair, blushing with embarrassment. "R-Right…"

"I\'ll help you with a bath, Milady, and then after a good breakfast, you can see your prince," the maid said with a teasing grin.

"H-He\'s not my prince!" Celeste glared, her cheeks flushed, before heading toward the bath.

The old maid observed warmly. "She looks so much like Lady Sara…"

"Indeed…" August agreed.

"Has the battle ended in the Dolphian Capital?" The maid asked seriously.

"Yes, but there still may be many enemies left. There were a lot of casualties too," August replied.

"Do we have any news about Lady Melfina?" The maid asked hopefully.

A day ago, they had received terrible news.

The heads of Sancta Vedelia had been attacked during their meeting, and Melfina was caught in it.

"They should be back soon; that\'s all I know. They\'re keeping it secret to avoid any further ambushes," August said.

"I see…" …

…

…

Celeste was restless.

She couldn\'t tell if it was a dream, a nightmare, or—what she feared most—a prophecy. She clearly recognized Amael in that vision. His hair was longer, and he seemed even more deranged than he had been against Lomar, but it was definitely him.

Questions swirled in her mind, overwhelming her thoughts.

Her maid had to take over everything. She bathed Celeste, washed her body and hair, and chose a dress suitable for her status—tasks Celeste usually handled herself. The maid even did her hair. During breakfast, Celeste mechanically moved her fork from her plate to her mouth, her eyes unfocused.

The maid sighed. "Princess."

"Hm?" Celeste mumbled, her gaze still distant.

"Lord Amael is here."

"Ah?!" Celeste flinched, standing up abruptly and hitting her knees on the table. "Agnn…" She looked around with teary eyes before glaring at her maid, blushing.

Her maid smiled. "Do you wish for more soup?" She asked, pointing at Celeste\'s empty plate.

Celeste looked at her plate, shook her head, and stood up. After emptying her glass of water, she wiped her lips with a napkin and left.

"Lead me to Amael."

…

It didn\'t take long for them to reach the room where Amael was resting.

He had been given a royal guest room and had been treated there since the previous day.

"It\'s this room, Princess," the maid said.

Celeste nodded and opened the door, trying to push aside all thoughts of her dream.

"Ah!!"

-Splash!

As soon as the door opened, a maid kneeling in front of Amael\'s bed dropped a bowl filled with water.

Upon noticing Celeste, the maid\'s face turned pale. "I apologize, Princess!" She quickly grabbed a towel and started wiping up the spilled water.

"It\'s okay, I\'m sorry for barging in so suddenly…" Celeste said, waving her hand with a smile.

The maid shook her head and quickly left, taking the bowl and towel with her, her face bright red as she walked past Celeste.

Celeste raised an eyebrow before turning to look at Amael. "Oh!" she exclaimed in shock upon seeing Amael\'s topless figure.

"Princess, please. He is treated like anyone else," her maid said.

"B-But why was she blushing?!" Celeste asked.

"For the same reason you are blushing now, Princess," the maid replied with a chuckle.

"What…!" Celeste protested, but her cheeks flushed as she approached Amael, who was still unconscious.

She couldn\'t help but blush at the sight of Amael\'s bare upper body. His muscles were toned, and his abs were sculpted from hard work.

"This is..." Celeste began, her voice trailing off as she stared in shock at the countless scars covering Amael\'s body. She had never seen such a marked body before.

His chest, stomach, arms, and sides—every part of his upper body was covered in scars.

"If it reassures you, Princess, these scars aren\'t from yesterday," the maid quickly said, noting Celeste\'s horrified expression.

"H-How is that possible..." Celeste\'s hand trembled as she reached out to touch Amael\'s stomach, her fingers tracing the jagged lines of his scars. The stark contrast between her pristine white fingers and his marred skin was striking.

Amael\'s brows furrowed slightly at her cold touch, but he didn\'t flinch.

"Training, but for Lord Amael, it was more like fighting," the maid explained.

"B-But so many scars... how is that possible?" Celeste could hardly believe it.

"It\'s possible, yes. There are probably people with worse scars, but..." The maid\'s eyes twitched as she took in the sheer number and severity of the scars on Amael\'s young body. He was barely seventeen. "Not for someone this young..."

Celeste had a conflicted expression as she looked at Amael\'s peaceful expression. Brushing back Amael\'s white hair, she smiled a little.

"..."

But it soon froze when a pair of amber eyes opened.