Rise Of The Villain : In a World Ruled By Anomalies

Chapter 194: Chapter 193 : Definitely not a masochist

Inside Elvania’s royal palace, in one of the lavish meeting rooms—a broad chamber lined with bookshelves, maps, and a large oval table—Erica sat alone, a stack of documents spread out before her. Sunlight streamed through the tall arched windows, spilling across the polished stone floor and catching in her silver hair.

She read line after line, pen in hand, her brow slightly furrowed as she analyzed trade reports, military updates, and letters from nobles.

A voice broke the silence.

"Do you need help?"

Erica looked up.

Standing in the doorway was a pink-haired beauty dressed in simple yet elegant clothes—Yuna. Her soft gray eyes still held traces of fatigue, but she looked composed, standing with her usual steady posture.

Erica’s hands paused.

She immediately set the documents down on the table.

"Miss Yuna," Erica said, stepping forward. "Are you all right now?"

It had been days since Yuna had properly left her room. She had looked distant and withdrawn, as though her thoughts were always somewhere else. She had even entered the tomb alongside Erica, searching for Arthur—but no matter where they went, they found no trace of him.

Now, seeing Yuna here, Erica felt a small weight lift from her heart.

Yuna smiled faintly.

"I tried really hard," Yuna said as she walked into the room. "But... I still can’t believe it. As long as I don’t see his body with my own eyes..."

Her voice trailed off.

Erica’s eyes lit up.

"You’re right," Erica said quickly. "I can’t believe he would die that easily either. Not just like that."

Yuna let out a quiet breath.

"Even if you’re just saying that for my sake," Yuna said softly, "it still eases my mind."

Erica shook her head firmly.

"No, I’m saying it because I believe it," Erica replied.

Then, deciding not to let the mood sink any further, she changed the subject.

"By the way... where is Miss Elizabeth? I haven’t seen her for days."

She tilted her head.

"The last thing I heard," Erica continued, "was that a few soldiers reported she was splurging enormous amounts of money in the malls, buying clothes and jewelry."

Erica blinked.

"I didn’t know you could make that much money just by working as a maid."

Yuna sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"It seems that woman had been hiding quite a bit of money from Arthur," Yuna said. "Back when she was a queen, she had her own private storage space where she kept everything."

She remembered the sight.

"I couldn’t believe it myself when I saw how much gold and jewelry she had," Yuna said. "It was literally a treasury fit for an entire country."

She shrugged.

"Well, she was a queen in the past," Yuna said. "So I guess it makes sense."

Erica’s mouth fell open.

"Ah... I had no idea she had that kind of past," Erica said. "But why did she hide it from Arthur?"

Yuna gave a small, crooked smile.

"Well, you know Arthur," Yuna said. "He’s kind of... how should I put this... a money-grubbing bas—"

The door to the meeting room swung open.

A woman strode inside as though she owned the place.

She had long crimson hair cascading down her back and matching crimson eyes glinting with mischief. Her clothes were lavish and extravagant—a tailored dress of deep red and black embroidered with intricate patterns, paired with high heels and a cloak draped over one shoulder. Every inch of her was adorned with expensive jewelry—necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings—all sparkling beneath the room’s light.

In both hands, she carried dozens of shopping bags overflowing with clothes, boxes, and smaller packages.

"How are you guys?" Elizabeth called cheerfully.

She walked over to a sofa, dropped the bags onto the floor beside it, and sank into the cushions with a satisfied sigh, crossing one leg over the other.

Erica stared.

"Miss Elizabeth," Erica said after recovering herself. "Where have you been these past few days?"

Elizabeth’s eyes lit up.

"Me?" Elizabeth said. "I was traveling."

She spread her arms dramatically.

"I couldn’t believe how much this world has to offer," Elizabeth said. "So many kinds of food, clothing, jewelry..."

She smiled almost childishly.

"I never knew life could be so wonderful," she continued. "You just need money, and everyone bows down to you."

Yuna looked at her with a smirk.

"Then why did you come back?" Yuna asked. "You were finally free, weren’t you?"

Elizabeth’s smile wavered.

She looked away for a moment before meeting Yuna’s gaze again.

"I was just worried about how you all were doing," Elizabeth said flatly.

Yuna interrupted immediately.

"At least don’t lie," Yuna said. "You finally had your freedom. You could’ve lived your life like a queen, yet you still chose to come back."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Something must’ve gone wrong," Yuna said. "Or did you finally get bored of all the shopping and lose your sense of purpose?"

Elizabeth’s fingers tightened slightly around the armrest.

"As far as I can remember," Yuna continued, "your only purpose in life was to kill Arthur."

She pointed at Elizabeth.

"But he’s already gone," Yuna said. "Now you have nothing left—just these frivolous desires that you’ve already grown bored of."

Elizabeth’s face darkened.

An ominous aura began leaking from her body, subtle yet heavy.

"Looks like you finally got over the trauma of that bastard’s death," Elizabeth said coldly. "Seeing you use that mouth of yours so much."

Yuna smiled thinly.

"What? Did I hit a nerve?" she asked.

The tension inside the room spiked.

Erica could feel it pressing against her chest.

She didn’t want this to turn into a fight—not here, not now, not while half the kingdom still whispered Arthur’s name like a ghost story.

"Guys, calm down for a bit," Erica said quickly, stepping forward.

They ignored her.

Elizabeth chuckled softly, though her eyes were anything but amused.

"A sense of purpose, you say?" Elizabeth asked. "I haven’t lost anything. I’m glad he’s dead. I’m free. What else could I have wanted from him?"

She leaned back, her gaze turning sharp.

"Besides, that bastard was a mass murderer anyway. He killed hundreds of ’innocent’ vampires without blinking an eye. He was the reason for my downfall."

Yuna snorted.

"As if you’re any different," Yuna said. "And he already told me everything."

She folded her arms.

"Those ’innocent’ bloodsuckers you’re talking about were ready to sacrifice you anyway," Yuna said. "So what if he killed them? I was glad when I heard he wiped those pests out."

Elizabeth’s eyes turned flat and cold.

Her aura flared even stronger, pressing against the walls.

"You’re spitting a lot of venom," Elizabeth said softly. "Do you want to settle this?"

A battle-hungry smirk spread across Yuna’s lips.

"Do you think I’m afraid of the likes of you?"

Their auras collided—vampiric bloodlust against perfectly-honed killing intent—filling the room with invisible pressure. Papers scattered across the table rustled violently. A decorative vase sitting on a nearby shelf cracked.

Erica’s heart hammered.

"Luna... where the hell are you when I need you?" Erica muttered under her breath.

Yuna’s eyes gleamed.

"Just admit it, bloodsucker," Yuna said. "Right now, you’re like an abandoned dog who lost her master."

She took a step closer.

"And with that, you lost your sense of purpose," Yuna continued. "You only came back because, deep down, you’re hoping he’s still alive and will return to train his abandoned dog."

She tilted her head.

"Or maybe you came back because you wanted to see whether we’d found his body or not."

Elizabeth said nothing.

Silence settled over the room.

Even if she refused to admit it—even to herself—most of what Yuna had said struck uncomfortably close to the truth.

───────────────

Once Arthur was gone and Yuna had buried herself in grief, Elizabeth seized the opportunity.

She left the kingdom.

She abandoned the responsibilities Arthur had given her.

She abandoned everything.

She wandered.

Different cities.

Different countries.

Bustling markets, busy ports, noble districts, even the darkest back alleys.

She spent money however she pleased.

Food.

Wine.

Clothing.

Jewelry.

Luxury hotels overlooking the sea.

Private spas.

Exclusive auctions.

For a while...

It was exhilarating.

She was free.

No chains.

No orders.

No master.

No pressure.

She no longer had to risk her life for anyone.

But the thrill burned out far faster than she had expected.

There was nobody beside her.

Only a quiet sense of loneliness.

Her purpose had always been simple.

Kill Arthur.

Now he was gone.

Killed by someone else.

’Am I... missing him?’ Elizabeth wondered one evening, staring into a glass of wine inside a high-end hotel room.

’No. No, that’s insane. I’d have to be a masochist to miss that bastard...’

She shook her head violently.

"Yeah, yeah," Elizabeth muttered to herself as she paced around the luxurious suite. "It’s only because I didn’t get to kill him with my own hands. That’s all."

She hurled the wine glass against the wall.

It shattered into countless pieces.

"How dare that bastard get killed by someone else?" Elizabeth growled. "He owed that to me."

As though trying to convince herself, she laughed.

"I’ll go find his corpse myself," Elizabeth declared.

"And burn it with my own two hands."

The more she spoke, the wider her smile became.

"Yes," Elizabeth said.

"I’m definitely not a masochist."

She returned to Elvania the very next day.

───────────────

Remembering all of that now—and hearing Yuna dismantle her so effortlessly—made rage boil within Elizabeth’s chest.

She looked at Yuna, who watched her with that smug little smile, as though she had already figured everything out.

Elizabeth’s lips pressed into a thin line.

She stepped forward until she stood directly in front of Yuna.

"I’ve always been curious," Elizabeth said quietly, her crimson eyes locking onto Yuna’s.

"Which one of us is truly stronger?"

She tilted her head.

"Shall we find out?"

"You student-obsessed bitch."

"What are you? A lolicon or something?"

Yuna’s battle-hungry grin widened.

"Coming from a masochistic bitch like you, that doesn’t really mean much," Yuna replied. "Looks like Arthur never trained his dog properly after all."

She took another step forward.

"I’ll have to teach you some manners myself."

Their foreheads were nearly touching.

Their auras exploded.

Vampiric bloodlust surged from Elizabeth, filling the room with suffocating pressure.

Yuna’s killing intent rose to meet it, sharp and merciless.

The two forces collided like raging storms.

The room trembled.

"Can you two please stop?!" Erica shouted, her voice rising with panic. "Half the kingdom will be destroyed if you fight here!"

Yuna glanced toward her.

"Why don’t you try telling her?" Yuna said, jerking a thumb toward Elizabeth.

Elizabeth snorted.

"Tell this lolicon to—"

She never finished.

An unimaginable pain exploded throughout her body.

It began in her back—a searing, clawing agony, as though someone had pressed a burning brand against her skin.

She gasped.

Her eyes widened.

One hand shot to her spine.

She knew this feeling.

She understood immediately.

’That bastard... is alive.’

Erica and Yuna froze.

"Elizabeth?" Yuna asked, the hostility instantly disappearing from her voice as she stepped forward.

"Hey... are you alright?"

Erica grabbed Elizabeth’s other shoulder, her eyes filled with worry.

"Miss Elizabeth, what’s happening?"

Elizabeth’s body trembled violently.

Yet despite the unbearable pain, a smirk slowly spread across her lips.

She could feel it.

Invisible chains were binding her body once again.

One after another.

Clink.

Clink.

Clink.

The slave mark on her back, which had almost faded away, was engraving itself into her flesh once more, line by line, reappearing with every wave of agony.

’It can’t be...’

’Am I... happy right now?’

Elizabeth was horrified by her own thoughts.

’No way.’

’I can’t be...’

’Am I really a masochist...?’

She clenched her jaw.

"No," Elizabeth muttered under her breath. "It’s because I want to kill him with my own hands. Yes... that’s right."

She repeated it like a mantra.

"It’s not because I missed him," Elizabeth whispered. "I just never got to kill him."

But the smile on her face only grew wider.

Slowly.

Uncontrollably.

Yuna and Erica exchanged uneasy glances.

The delighted smile spreading across Elizabeth’s face despite her obvious agony sent chills down both of their spines.

Whatever the reason—

Arthur was alive.

And the chain between him and his rebellious dog had just been reforged.