I will not die a Villainess's death

"Darn it! Why is this mansion so big? How far was my from the guest quarters again?"

Elysia was panting hard from running around. She needed to get to the room where Adam was being kept but her physical condition was not that great. The smoke had done a number on her lungs.

And not to mention, she had never managed to fully recover from her last fever and her body was still fragile.

So, she should not be running around like this, but Elysia could not help her case. She needed to see Adam and Eve right now.

'Please be there. Both of you.'

There was no guarantee that both Adam and Eve would be in the same room right now, but Elysia felt that she would find them both there.

And anyway, Elysia could feel Adam already so it was only a matter of Eve being there or not that bothered her.

Thankfully, they both were inside the room when Elysia decided to barge in. Eve was helping Adam bandage his wounds and change his medicine. Elysia had not even noticed that Adam had been injured.

"Don't look at me with that worried expression. All these are old wounds but they like to act up sometimes. We could not use magic on them before because it would make me useless for some time and I did not want to waste any time looking for you."

Elysia's eyes were getting wetter as she realized that this was another thing she had caused.

Had she not disappeared to another world, none of this would have happened and Adam would be able to get treated.

'Or perhaps, he would not have been injured in the first place.'

But the time for regrets was not now. Elysia could not let her true intentions show on her face or all her preparations would be for naught.

"Don't worry, Adam is tough. I am finally going to treat him now since all the dangers have passed and we are all safe here. Don't look like you are about to cry because I don't like it."

Eve frowned from where she was treating Adam's wounds. Her hair was held in a high ponytail, making it look like she had a red waterfall behind her.

Coupled with her blue eyes, it was a really powerful look on her. It did well to bring forth her somewhat muscular build into the spotlight.

'And now I am thinking useless thoughts again. I need to be more careful if I do not want to get caught again.'

Elysia was sure her face was a little flushed due to her thoughts but she shook her head to get rid of them. There was no need for her to keep on thinking like that.

"Anyway, did you need something from us? It is rare for you to seek us out first. Not that I am not happy or anything but I am a little concerned and–Wohhhaaa, are you alright?"

Eve sounded confused when she talked about Elysia and it was also then that Elysia realized how right Eve was.

Elysia could count it on one hand, the time she had purposely sought Adam and Eve out, and every time it was because of some work.

She had never actually attempted to look for them herself since she was not sure if she was allowed to or not.

'Again with that stupid conditioning. I wonder why these two even fell in love with me at all?'

Elysia was not sure if she would have done things differently had she been able to travel back. Despite everything, the outcome she had reached was the best she could ask for.

That was also probably why she had flung herself at Eve as soon as she had realized that she wanted to not let go of her and Adam.

"Hey, not fair. Where is my hug? No, I demand a kiss for being neglected like this and-"

Elysia ended up kissing him, her soft mouth pressed against Adam's surprised one. This was another thing Elysia did not do - start intimacy.

She was a shy person by nature but she could be surprisingly bold when she needed to be. She could tell that she had taken Adam by surprise with her actions but she did not regret it.

"Elysia, is everything alright? Are you dying? Is something else about to happen? What is going on and-"

"Everything is alright. I just kissed you because I wanted to so don't think too much about it. Didn't I tell you both that I liked you back as well?"

The three went quiet after that confession. Elysia's face was burning but she did not take her words back.

Even if she did take her words back, she was sure that neither Adam nor Eve would believe her lies anymore. She quickly looked up to guess what kind of expressions they were both making but there was a frown on Eve's face.

"No fever and no other signs of being sick. Elysia is perfectly sane when she said that and -"

"Wow, am I that untrustworthy that you need to question my words like this? I just confessed back and this is the outcome I get from you?"

"No that is not what I — Adam, a little help here."

The emperor didn't seem like he even heard Eve's words. His arms were wounded tightly around Elysia's body and his nose was buried in Elysia's neck.

When he looked up, the only expression he had on his face was a dazed smile that was so captivating that it made Elysia take a step back.

"Huh, is everything alright? I'm sorry but I was not paying attention to what you were saying before. So can you repeat your words for me?"

'He is not serious, right? Is Adam playing with me?'

Elysia was not angry at him for wanting to hear the confession again but she was curious to know how he learned to be this sly.

Even Eve looked like she had no idea who Adam was right now. Her expression was flushed but curious to know what Elysia would do as well.

'Should I indulge them right now? After all, it will be a long time before I will see them again so I should convey my feelings to them.'

Elysia had made up her mind but the cry of a bird from outside the window knocked some sense into her mind.

She quickly looked outside to see a familiar-looking messenger bird. It was the one temple used for emergency communications and this one, in particular, was one that Head Priest used.

"Shit isn't that-"

"Father's bird for sure. I should hide before I get spotted by it."

Elysia had a bad feeling about this so she quietened her mouth as well. She could not confess now that the situation had taken a turn for the worse.

"What should I do now?"

Eve sounded stressed now, her eyes telling Elysia that she did not want to go back to the temple. And Elysia had a good idea of how to distract the board.

"Both of you, stay here for now. I will go and have my brother deal with that bird. I will be back soon."

This was going to be a regret in Elysia's life. One that would mark the day she had broken someone's trust in her words for the first time and in such an open manner.

But right now she could not even think of that possibility. Right now, she wanted to save all those who were important to her, and that included Eve and Adam."

"Elysia, I don't think you should go. What if you-"

"Everything will be alright. I will come back soon so wait for me here for a few hours. If I am not back by then, go outside and act like you were never here."

She was not going to be back. At least not for a good while but there was no need for these two to know.

Elysia had seen them both but she could not help but feel like she had more regrets than before meeting Adam and Eve.

"You are going to come back for sure, right? You have to come back or the next time I find you, I will lock you up and never let you go. I am going to do many unspeakable things to you and make sure you are my empress, you hear me."

Adam's words sounded horrifying to Elysia. She knew that he was serious about his threat but Elysia could not think of staying back home.

'I need to leave for Lucas. I need to do this for my brother so everything will be alright.'

"Don't worry Adam, I will come back soon. So there is no need for you to go this far for me, alright?"

Elysia left but she did not come back that day. Nor the next or the next.

By the time the two inside the room realized that she was not going to come back, it had been too late.