The Villain’s Ending

Sunset (26)

Even after she asked me to give her a name, I couldn't easily answer what name to give her.

Having grown up as Kyle, a common boy's name, giving a name befitting a woman to someone who had grown into the name Kyle in her own way would be, in a way, like gifting her a life.

Even if that world were only for the two of us.

Thanks to that, I'm still calling Kyle, Kyle.

Even though quite some time has passed, graduation is right around the corner, and the demons will be invading soon.

The Academy is still peaceful.

Students are still flirting and enjoying their happy school days, professors are wasting time on boring lectures, and so far, the world is still turning just fine.

Knowing the impending destruction felt quite lonely.

Only the faint moonlight coming through the stained glass illuminated the long, dusty chairs.

A faint orange light flickered near the altar.

She was sitting in the frontmost chair, lying down with her head on my lap.

Anyway, I was saying such things to Estelle.

Specifically, about Kyle's name, which I had been agonizing over for a while.

Lately, it felt like she was pestering me about it.

"So…you're asking me now for the name of that girl who asked you to name her?"

"Yeah. No matter how much I think about it, nothing good comes to mind."

"What if I tell Kyle, that girl, later?"

"Well, she'd be a bit disappointed."

"I'm disappointed too, right now. It's just the two of us here, so I mean I'm the only one in your eyes."

Estelle said in a languid voice.

She was spending time with me, lying on her back on the long church bench with her head on my lap, smoking cigarettes together, after a long time.

We had rooted out all the heretics hiding in the church, but because the heretic villages or villages where demons were hiding had abnormally increased, we didn't have much time to stay at the Academy, so this time was quite precious for both of us.

In our own way, that is.

"Still, you're the only one I can talk to about this."

I answered, staring up at the somehow hazy ceiling.

Smoke came out of my mouth and scattered into the faint rays of light.

Estelle took a deep drag of the cigarette she was holding, then blew the smoke at me and chuckled softly.

White smoke gently enveloped my face.

She snatched the one that was in my mouth, and held out the one that was in her own mouth to me.

I took it without a word and put it in my mouth.

The filter part where Estelle's lips had touched was slightly damp and warm.

Her body heat and a little bit of moisture remained.

When I took hers, she took the one I had been holding between her lips.

We exchanged glances without a word.

The inside of the church was terribly quiet.

All that could be heard was the sound of us inhaling and exhaling smoke.

I slowly drew in the smoke.

The smoke, seeming to carry Estelle's scent, penetrated deep into my lungs.

It felt a little softer, a little more dizzying than usual.

She seemed to feel the same, taking a deep drag of my cigarette.

Her white cheeks hollowed out slightly.

Then, seemingly satisfied, she made a circle of white smoke and shot it up toward the ceiling.

The smoke held its shape for a moment, then slowly dispersed and disappeared into the darkness.

We exchanged cigarettes like that for a long time.

Estelle exhaled smoke and spoke quietly.

"How about Licia?"

".....What does it mean?"

"It means moss in my hometown language. Just floating moss."

"The vibe is okay, but the meaning is a bit..."

"Then just come up with it yourself. What do I care about some other woman."

Estelle replied, a little huffily.

"By the way, I didn't know she was a girl."

"......Did I never tell you?"

"Yeah, I'm hearing it for the first time today."

Estelle answered casually.

"You didn't seem that surprised for someone hearing it for the first time."

"Just. She didn't seem like a man, you know, feeling-wise. She didn't have that unique manly vibe."

"What vibe is that?"

"When you saw me, you scanned my whole body from my chest down, staring at me intently."

"......Are you saying I did that?"

I didn't remember.

If I had, that would be the case.

"Other people do it too, but you. You looked at me with a kind of familiarity, so it felt a bit strange.

For some reason, I thought it was natural too."

Estelle threw her finished cigarette somewhere on the floor and buried her face in my stomach.

The strands of her white hair brushed against me as they passed, tickling.

Then she grabbed my wrist and placed it on her chest.

A soft, warm sensation.

The regular beating of her heart transmitted through my palm.

Estelle stayed like that for a while, then lifted my clothes, put her mouth to my bare skin, and made a buzzing sound.

"By the way, you sure have a lot of women around you."

Estelle mumbled.

I didn't answer.

Whether I answered or not, it didn't seem like a good outcome.

Estelle didn't seem to want an answer either, so she didn't say anything more.

She just buried her face in my stomach, quietly breathing out.

"I'll probably have to go somewhere again within a few days, and during that time, you'll be with other people."

I roughly placed one hand on Estelle's chest, and with the other, I stroked Estelle's hair.

Soft hair slipped between my fingers.

Then Estelle whined.

"I want to live with you too, in the same place, doing the same things."

I stared blankly upward and spoke.

Looking at the somehow hazy ceiling with eyes accustomed to the darkness.

"You will soon, even if you don't want to."

Because there isn't much time left.

Still, things will be a little better this time around.

At least there won't be that pathetic bastard of an illegitimate child doing shady things behind my back, saying he wants to be alone with the Saintess.

****

"Three days ago, it was your wonderful sister. Today, it's the Saintess. So tomorrow, will it be Kyle? And then the day after that, Lineta?"

"......Are you counting every single one?"

"Of course I am. Saying you bring them to this café we frequent together and even share the cakes I've never had."

"How do you even know that?"

"Lineta told me."

Hearing that, I tried to say something, but I kept my mouth tightly shut.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I ran my hand through my hair once, but it didn't really make me feel any better.

"Kyle, that ill-mannered bitch who pretended to be a man at first and then put her hands on my man first, I don't like you hanging out with her, but since you still seem to be friends, I won't get angry."

Seraphina was speaking calmly, but it was hard for me to stay calm.

"Even though you two are pressed against each other alone late every night."

"......We weren't really touching each other or anything."

"I know. But, you will."

Seraphina said it as if it were bound to happen.

"I hear it's better for a married couple that the wife knows and manages things rather than not knowing."

Seraphina said that and smirked.

"Ah, don't worry. Unlike you, I will never, ever have a lover on the side."

"......."

"So, what did you talk about with the Saintess?"

"Just trivial things, stories of life."

Seraphina showed no particular reaction to my answer.

She lifted the white cup.

The sunlight from outside the terrace touched the surface of the cup, giving off a soft glow.

She didn't drink the coffee right away.

She brought the cup to the tip of her nose and quietly inhaled the scent of the rising steam.

The rich, bitter aroma of coffee spread through the air.

After savoring the scent, she turned her gaze out the window.

Through the terrace, the square was visible, with people coming and going.

Their figures reflected in the window.

A sight that will be hard to see even if I want to in the future.

Seraphina moved her wrist, slowly swirling the coffee in the cup.

The black liquid formed a small whirlpool.

After staring outside for a long time, she finally brought the cup to her lips.

"Mmm..."

She drank just enough to wet her lips.

Then she set the cup down silently on the saucer.

"Shall we get married soon, Lavin.

I hate using that woman Levina's money, so I've been saving up while hanging out with Kyle, and we should be able to buy a decent house for the two of us in the capital."

Levina's money is my money, so I don't quite understand her saying she hates using it, but it was touching in its own way.

Because Seraphina took a small box out of her bosom and placed it on the table.

Though I felt like the situation should perhaps be the opposite.

"Is it a ring?"

"Yeah. But there's no jewel. I couldn't afford that with my own money.

I asked my father too, but he said he couldn't give me a jewel to use for marrying you, even if he could give anything else."

"......Hmm. Weren't you kicked out of the family?"

At that, Seraphina snickered.

"You're the same, aren't you?"

"Well... I suppose so."

"So, I haven't heard your answer yet. If I leave it like this, it feels like either the Saintess, or Kyle, or someone else will snatch you away."

I slowly opened the box Seraphina handed me and picked up the ring.

Seraphina's face brightened.

"Can we postpone the wedding a little longer?"

"You love me."

"I do."

"Then why?"

"There's something I have to wait for."

"So what is it!?"

"You had a dream, you said. A dream where I die."

At that, Seraphina, who had been about to lunge at me, bit her lip and sat down calmly.

I hesitated over which finger to put the ring on, then slid it onto the ring finger of my left hand and spoke quietly.

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