I Am The Game's Villain

What the hell was she doing here?

Celeste was there, clutching a rabbit toy close to her chest, looking innocent and serene in her slumber.

How old is she again?

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of irritation. Why was she here? My assumption was that she slept in the southern wing with the other students. Though I wasn't surprised to find myself in her room, discovering her presence here was unexpected.

Observing her peacefully sleeping form, I couldn't help but wonder about her age. I closed the curtain, my eyes unintentionally falling on a small shelf near her bed. The dimly lit night lamp revealed several picture frames. Most of them showcased a young Celeste grinning alongside a beautiful woman with the same teal eyes—her mother, Sara Oceania. In those moments captured in the photographs, they radiated happiness.

My hand instinctively reached out to block a punch that came at me suddenly.

"Who are you?!" Celeste demanded, her eyes narrowing.

I cursed inwardly. She hadn't seen my face yet, and I was relieved.

"Light!" she commanded, and all the lights in the room illuminated.

Quickly, I put on my mouth mask and activated the blue eyes. Celeste's widened eyes indicated that she recognized me.

"You... you're from the academy," she said, noting my uniform.

Ignoring her, I continued scanning the room. More family pictures adorned the wall, along with colorful children's drawings.

"This time, you're dead!" Celeste declared, her hand glowing with an icy hue. Unlike our previous encounter, she seemed genuinely angry. It probably didn't help that I was in her room at night.

"Calm down," I muttered, taking a step back with my hand still slightly frozen.

"You will regret this," she warned, gathering mana with the intent to freeze me in place.

"I'm supposed to be regretting it?" I replied, as my eyes lingered on her figure from head to toe.

"Eh?" Celeste followed my glance and eventually observed that she was dressed in a lovely white nightgown that accentuated her curvy proportions.

What are these nightgowns for if not to provoke even more men?

"Hah!" Celesta yelped as her cheeks flushed bright red.

Celeste's awkward realization about her choice of sleepwear was a momentary distraction before I swiftly took a step forward, expertly striking her neck. I caught her limp body, placing her gently back on her bed. The rabbit toy clutched in her hand seemed to carry sentimental weight, likely a gift from her mother.

[<You are in a pretty mess, Amael.>]

"You can clearly say that…" I grumbled as I watched Celeste's face. She was still holding on that rabbit toy, the same one in these pictures.

Considering my own fond memories of Aunt Oryanna, a pang of sympathy coursed through me for Celeste. I arranged her comfortably on the bed, covering her with a bedsheet and closing the curtains.

"Light off?" I muttered and the light turned off. "Pretty handy." I smiled and left her room.

Exiting her room, I pivoted my attention to the adjacent door, assuming it to be a continuation of Celeste's quarters, albeit more modest. Just as I was about to breach that threshold, I sensed Samara's mana extinguishing. A wave of confusion swept over me—why hadn't the alarms triggered?

Cracking the door open, I found myself face to face with the last person I expected: Headmistress Melfina. Seated regally behind a sizable desk, her gaze drilled into me with an icy precision.

"Edward Falkrona, you are quite the handful," she uttered coldly. "Entering a forbidden aisle of my castle and invading my little princess' privacy."

Quick on my feet, I retorted, "Nothing happened, Headmistress.

"Except, perhaps, stumbling upon my granddaughter's choice of sleepwear?" Melfina retorted.

Suppressing a vein of irritation, I shot back, "I'm already engaged, Headmistress and to a more marvelous girl. Your granddaughter isn't on my radar at all"

Melfina's scrutinizing gaze didn't waver. "It's quite vexing."

"What do you want then? Shall I go back to her room?" I asked.

Melfina's lips twitched before she sighed. "What do YOU want, Edward Falkrona?"

I clicked lightly on my tongue. "Right, I will be honest. Your husband, DereckZestella died around the same time as my brother. I want to know why and if he was involved directly or indirectly in my brother's death."

"Are you accusing my husband, boy?" Melfina's eyes narrowed as she questioned me.

I maintained a calm smile. "Absolutely. I don't think he is the good man everyone thinks of in your family, am I right?"

Silence fell upon the room at my bold accusation.

"I'm not here to fight or whatever. I just want to know who killed my father and brother. Do you know something?" I inquired, hoping for a hint, a clue that could unravel the mystery.

"I have no information for you, Amael," Melfina responded with a shake of her head. "The only thing I can tell you is that my husband was found dead with Connor Olphean. They died the same day at the same place. Your brother was looking for information about your father's and Thelma's deaths, but he met this tragic end. I'm convinced that he found something, but your brother was very wary and would never talk about what he was doing in secret to anyone. Even his mother and sister."

The revelation hung in the air. Dereck Zestella had perished alongside my brother. It was an unexpected twist, raising more questions than answers. My thoughts wandered, picturing them fighting against each other rather than as allies.

"Dereck Zestella is responsible for your daughter-in-law's death, I know," I confessed.

Melfina's eyes widened in surprise.

I continued. "It might not have been directly, but indirectly, yes. You don't need to hide it from me."

A mix of emotions played on Melfina's face — betrayal, sadness, and anger.

"Is Celeste aware that her grandfather indirectly caused her mother's death?" I asked, though the answer was apparent.

"Are you blackmailing me, boy?" Melfina questioned, her concern for Celeste evident. She feared that revealing this truth might inflict more pain on her granddaughter.

"Not at all," I assured her. "I just want to know if you can give me some leads and other things you are hiding from your husband, Headmistress."

A bitter smile crossed Melfina's face. "You are taking the same path and asking the questions as your brother, Amael, but I don't know as much as you might think. There might be one person who could help, and he's a wanted criminal."

"Manuel, I guess?" I responded, my knowledge surprising her.

"You seem to know more than what I thought, even though you are not from here..." Melfina trailed off.

The revelation settled heavily in the room. Manuel, the wanted criminal, was a key figure, but his disappearance had left an information void.

"It's him then," I muttered, frustration etching my features. The imminent appearance of Manuel was an opportunity, even though I doubted he would help me.

"Indeed, it's him, but it has been years since he disappeared. Right after killing Sara…" Melfina's voice carried a weight of sorrow. "She was like a daughter to me, but my husband had other thoughts about her…"

"Professor Harvey knows that his father is…?" I sought confirmation, and Melfina nodded.

A sigh escaped me as I processed the information. The overprotectiveness of Harvey, Evan, and the knights toward Celeste suddenly made sense. She bore a striking resemblance to Sara Oceania, and the weight of that tragedy lingered in every protective gesture.

Melfina exhaled, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. "If only the Holy Tree of Eden didn't choose her…"

The blame shifted obviously to the Holy Tree, due to selecting Sara Oceania as the next Prophetess. The tragedy unfolded as she died without fully inheriting her predecessor Claudia's knowledge, thus becoming the Fallen Prophetess.