I Am The Game's Villain

And Layla?

Why are you betraying me at the last moment?

"I-It\'s bad!" Milleia shook her finger.

"We were only keeping an eye on Lyra. We are all worried about her recently," I lied through my teeths.

"Ah. I see…" Milleia immediately believed my words and lowered her head saddened by Lyra\'s current behavior. She could be considered as Lyra\'s best friend but couldn\'t do anything for her, she must think like that.

"Oh, yes Milleia, can you accompany Elona to the cafeteria? She is hungry and would like someone to accompany her."

"B-Broth-" Before Elona could refute my words, I covered her mouth.

"Really? Then let\'s go Elona," Milleia said with an enthusiastic smile.

"I will…" I whispered in a very low tone something to Elona and her expression brightened.

"Let\'s go Milleia," She took the lead and left.

Nice.

Now we could spy in peace.

[<What did you promise?>]

\'Not gonna tell.\'

[<I am always with you so I will knew it eventually.>]

Fuck!

"What a good brother." Layla suddenly said.

Did she hear?

I ignored her and leaned to listen to Lyra\'s and Simon\'s conversation.

Layla also leaned and put her hands on my shoulders to peek out.

Sigh.

Whatever.

"I…just want to help you, Lyra," Simon said, trying to reason with Lyra.

"Help me? For what?" But Lyra dismissed Simon\'s words harshly. "You keep repeating you want to help me for…now three months? Simon. I\'m sorry but I\'m not interested in you," a rare annoyed expression appeared on Lyra\'s face.

"Pfft-" Before I could burst out laughing hearing Lyra rejecting my stupid step-brother, Layla thankfully covered my mouth.

She sure looked calm and serious.

Wait.

Now that I think about it, Simon had kept pestering me and Lyra about whether I tried to hit on her or threatened her. He was sure smart even though he did not appear like that as I really did threaten Lyra but I was not at all responsible for her sullen mood.

It all started with Elona a few months ago who guessed that I threatened Lyra in one way or another. Simon learned it and warned me and I, of course, didn\'t give a damn about his warning. Understanding that, Simon turned toward Lyra to help her and here we are.

I already had a doubt but I feel like Simon is starting to develop feelings for Lyra or already developed. In either case, he was certainly not aware of that himself.

I honestly would have never expected such an outcome.

Simon has a crush on Lyra?

And again it was indirectly because of me.

"It\'s not about that, Lyra," Simon clenched his fists. "Is Edward threatening you? Elona is worried and…I am as well."

Lyra shook her head incredulous. "You don\'t understand anything Simon." She said before turning around to leave.

But Simon caught her arm.

"Leave me-"

"Then it\'s not Edward." Simon cut off Lyra who was going to insult him.

Finally that idiot understood!

I have nothing to do with that!

It\'s Carlos!

"..." Lyra was silent at Simon\'s right on the spot words.

Simon\'s eyes opened wide in realization but before he could speak further-

"Lyra?"

Someone approached from behind them.

Holy cow!

It was Carlos.

The situation was getting really interesting.

Lyra\'s face lost color when she saw Carlos with a smile.

"Hm? You know him Lyra?" Simon asked, oblivious that the man behind him was the reason behind Lyra\'s current gloomy mood.

"Oh, excuse me," Carlos smiled and scratched his head. "I am Carlos Dugary, Lyra\'s classmate and friend. Nice to meet you, Lord Simon."

"Lord? You are a commoner and yet…" Simon glanced at Lyra. "You are her friend?" Simon was even more surprised as Lyra was a high-ranking noble. It was already surprising that Lyra had befriended Milleia but a male commoner? It was really confusing to him.

"Oh, yes. I have worked in the Kertalir Mansion and I met Lady Lyra there. It took time but we eventually became good friends," Carlos said and glanced at Lyra.

"Yes…" Lyra replied shortly, clearly avoiding speaking too much. She could only reply positively otherwise Carlos…

"Really…? Then…could it be that you are…" Simon seemed to have swollen a bitter pill as he slowly reached a conclusion.

Well, he wasn\'t completely wrong…as they had been pseudo-lovers two years ago but is he for real? Asking such a thing while knowing well, it was like taboo for the nobles to be in a secret relation with a commoner. No, even relations were very frowned upon in the world of high nobility.

"There is nothing like that. He is just a friend," Lyra quickly replied despite Carlos\' expectation.

Lyra couldn\'t have noticed but I did notice the look of relief on Simon\'s face.

This guy…he is really in love with Lyra?

"As expected, your brother seems to like Lyra a lot," Layla\'s whisper tickled my ear. Was she doing it purposefully to tease me again?

"Oh, you noticed that as well?" Layla, as expected, was quite intelligent. Her intelligence rivaled Aurora\'s, who was without a doubt the smartest of the Heroines of the First Game.

"Hm? I noticed it three months ago."

"Huh?"

I just confirmed though?

[<It\'s because you are dense.>]

I am not a dense protagonist!

"What are you doing here?"

""!""

It scared the hell out of me!

"What the hell-" I turned around to complain but I froze when I saw the person.

"P-Professor Julia?" It was Miranda\'s aunt.

Speaking of Miranda, she was also behind her.

" \'What the hell?\' Is that how you speak to a teacher, Edward?" Professor Julia asked with a glare.

"N-No. It just left my mouth," I replied.

"Hm? You are not alone? Layla." Professor Julia turned toward Layla who was hiding behind me.

There is no way I will fall alone!

I stepped away and revealed Layla.

"Ah, Professor Julia," Layla greeted with a smile.

"Layla, can you tell me what you were doing with Edward? I don\'t think it\'s anything good with him."

Why?!

"N-No, we were just speaking about the exams," I spoke and glared at Layla.

Don\'t put us like before in trouble.

"Indeed, Edward didn\'t seem to remember the day of the exams and asked me."

Did you not find a better excuse?!

Wait.

I think I really don\'t remember though?

"..."

I averted my face at Professor Julia\'s glare.

I am really lazy to learn useless things honestly so I skipped that information.

Miranda wasn\'t reacting at all, as if she was not surprised.

"You three, what are you still doing in the corridors?" A new voice joined and interrupted Simon, Lyra and Carlos.

"Oh!" Professor Julia let out a voice and hid just behind Layla who was hidden behind me who was hidden in the corner.

What the hell?

When I peeked out, I instantly understood why Professor Julia was panicking like that.

It was Professor Jeremiah who interrupted Simon. The Homeroom teacher of the Second Year Dragon Class thus, Miranda\'s homeroom teacher. He was also Aunt Julia\'s crush.

I shifted my gaze to Professor Julia.

"A-Am I okay, Myra? L-Look at my face and hair." Professor Julia shamelessly asked her niece.

"You are okay, Aunty…" Miranda replied with an awkward smile.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I-I see." Professor Julia took a deep breath and walked toward Professor Jeremiah and the others but then she glanced at us. "What are you doing? Come with me."

"Could it be that you are afraid to talk to Professor Jeremiah alon-"

"Y-Yes!" Miranda cut me off and followed after Aunt Julia.

[<You escaped death, right now. You should thank her.>]

\'Why so?\'

[<Isn\'t that obvious that your aunt is in love with this man? She is without doubts embarrassed to even face him properly.>]

\'No. I mean, Aunt Julia is thirty. How can she be embarrassed over a simple thing like that, she is not a teenager for stuttering…I hope.\'

[<You are also stuttering when speaking to Layla.>]

\'It\'s not the same thing!\'

"Whatever…" I followed discreetly behind Miranda. "Layla?" When I turned around, Layla wasn\'t there anymore.

When did she escape?

I shrugged and walked.

"Jeremiah, what are you doing h-here?" Professor Julia asked in a stern tone but she stuttered at the end.

"Oh, Julia! You look really happy, did you finally find a boyfriend?" Jeremiah asked with a grin.

If anyone else had asked the same question as Professor Jeremiah\'s, he would have been beaten up on the spot.

"What? No, I don\'t have time for that." Professor Julia replied calmly.

Then what are you doing currently, Professor Julia?

While Professor Julia was awkwardly trying to flirt with Professor Jeremiah, I felt Simon\'s gaze. He waved his hand slightly at me awkwardly.

I grimaced at this.

I knew that he felt guilty for blaming me for Lyra\'s change but I truthfully didn\'t care. I mean I really did threaten her. Since the day Elona and I recovered our relation, Simon has been trying to speak to me often. I was pretty sure Elona spoke to him. But for what? I couldn\'t consider him as a brother, it was impossible. We might have a normal relation though.

Since it was too embarrassing to see Simon trying to mend our inexistent relation, I averted my gaze.

"!"

And I met Miranda\'s beautiful tangerine eyes.

She was also looking at me.

Then instantly she averted her face.

The way she did it, nearly embarrassed, was cute. Such a shame I couldn\'t see her current expression.