I will not die a Villainess's death

'That bastard. I cannot believe Lucas Dirac's cunningness. What did he say to make Elysia agree to go with him? She's my soldier, not his.'

Head Priest Yohan had never felt this pissed off before when facing Lucas Dirac. The man had always been an eyesore to him but he had never been such a big annoyance to him before.

Even when it came to the political landscape, Lucas Dirac chose to keep his distance until he no longer could. They had different spears of influence in the kingdom.

But the point where their interests coincided was Elysia Dirac and her ownership. Lucas Dirac was playing a dangerous game right now.

"H-Head priest, what should we do now? The s-suspect got taken away."

The priest who had tried to stop Lucas spoke up. He sounded scared of the nobles' wrath if the news of Elysia Dirac's escape reached their ears.

And this priest was not the only one who was scared of the nobles' wrath, the other priests were as well. They often took bribes from the nobles for their selfish purpose. They could not afford to lose their trust.

It was a genuine concern for Yohan as well since he had encouraged this behavior in the background, knowing that fostering good relationships with the nobility would come in handy one day in making Eve successful.

But now his plan was in danger. And so was their treasury.

"For now, keep this to yourself. If anyone asks where Elysia Dirac is, tell them that she has been locked up in a secret room until the investigation is finished. We cannot let people know that she has been taken out of her room."

The priests decided to agree with his words, too well-trained to say anything against him right now. Yohan watched their faces for any sign of betrayal and decided to have them be followed.

Most of the priests will keep their mouths shut but there might be one or two that carve in front of money and open their mouths. He needed to make sure such a thing does not happen.

Because if even one person happens to babble, then the purpose of keeping Elysia's escape a secret will be lost.

"H-Head priest, you are being called outside right now. There was another monster attack in the south similar to the one we faced in the royal garden. Weren't you keeping Elysia Dirac in check? How did that happen?"

Yohan gritted his teeth as he heard the news. Now the situation was spiraling out of his control.

He had meant to keep Elysia in confinement and let out a vague statement about how she was not the one responsible for the attack in the royal garden.

His words would have held just enough truth to assure people but enough vagueness to also sow seeds of doubt. He could have used it later to further his agenda and control Elysia.

But now that another attack had happened, he would have to acknowledge that Elysia was not the one responsible. Even if he told the public that Elysia had been taken away by Lord Dirac, the timing of the attack did not match it.

And Head Priest Yohan was not foolish enough to be understood as a weak and useless person. He could not under any circumstances admit that Elysia had orchestrated an attack right under his nose.

"We are making a public call right now. Elysia Dirac was not responsible for this attack. The real mastermind is still out there and needs to be found."

The Priests ignored the gritting teeth sound they heard coming from Head Priest's mouth. They valued their lives much more than their desire to land in his good grace.

Besides, they also did not want to make an enemy out of Lucas Dirac and the whole situation also worked out for them in the long run.

"Man, how lucky for us to be let off like this."

"True. Our reputation is safe and sound."

The priests were happy for their momentary gains, not realizing how their words were pissing off Head Priest Yohan.

He was already in a bad mood and the selfish priests were not helping him in any way.

"You all fools. People are dying out there and here you are, busy thinking about your gains. if things are really like this then I have no problem sending you all for clean-up. Head to the relief centers and heal the people in need."

The priests flinched as one, realizing that they were being punished for their careless words. They did not move for a good chunk of a minute before sharing a common look.

They still had a lot to say, but no one tried to be brave enough to go against the Head Priest  in a foul mood.

Besides, they did not need to head to the battle, only to the relief centers. It was easy enough for them to do.

Head Priest Yohan watched the Priests sigh in relief, thinking that they were safe.

But they had no idea what kind of danger the times ahead would become. If there was any doubt about the prophecy in his mind then it was being erased by these recent accidents.

It was all just as the masked man had said a long time ago. Monsters who had never approached humans before were beginning to show up and now the world would descend into darkness.

But unlike the prophecy, there was no 'golden couple' out there to save them with their power of love.

_____________________

"M-My lord, there had been another attack in the southern regions. The monsters there were wiped out by us and no one died."

The masked shadow informed Lucas of what he had missed in the few hours he had spent in the temple.

Lucas waved his hand to dismiss his shadow as he held his sister closer to his body. She was pale and burning right now. Her fever was getting to a dangerous height.

But Lucas did not dare undress Elysia or touch her too carelessly. He had seen a few 'bug bites on her neck and he had no intention of probing any further.

His sister needed to have at least some sort of privacy to preserve her dignity.

"You can head to the south and look for relief options. If these are the same monsters as last night, then head to the Akatsuki kingdom and inform Chrome to look into it."

Chrome was a reliable source of information and Lucas was sure he would be able to figure something out regarding this attack.

The main reason he had been reliant on Chrome more than the empire was because this incident reeked of magic. And Akatsuki kingdom was more prevalent in magic than their own was.

"Yes, your highness. Your order shall be carried out."

The shadow bowed and disappeared in a flash of smoke right in front of Yohan's eyes. He did not even notice the shadow go back, too busy handling Elysia delicately. Her complexion was not great.

"I'm afraid that the empire is no longer stable for us to live in. Adam is just too young to control everyone, and I cannot always be there for you. It's time to head to Akatsuki now."

It was a tough decision for Lucas to make, especially since he knew how much Elysia relied on Adam and Eve.

But as long as she stayed in the empire, she will never be let free. The past would always drag her back and the nobility would keep harassing her.

It was just better to start afresh where no one knew her and Elysia could be herself.

The carriage stopped in front of the Dirac mansion in the capital and all the staff lined up in front f the mansion. Their eyes were heavy with worry but also judgment as they watched Elysia.

The staff was not hiding their dislike for his sister but Lucas did not care. He did not need their judgmental stares, only their loyalty.

He was not above making them disappear for harming his sister, just as he had made Victor disappear.

"You, come with me. I need you to take care of my sister. And if anything, and I mean, anything happens to her, you will die a horrible death."

The female servant gulped her fear down as she followed after Master Dirac.

His cold eyes might seem dreamy to some people but she could only see the promise of death in them.

Lucas Dirac was a monster who had been reincarnated in a human form. He was not someone an easement like her could ever hope to defy.

All the servants looked at the young girl with hopeless expressions, knowing that she was headed to a certain doom.

But no one was brave enough to stop her or take her place. They had learned their lesson in going against Lord Dirac before. And they no longer wished to test his temper.

No matter how much they dislike Elysia Dirac and feared her, it was nothing in face of her brother's ire.