Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend
Chapter 14: The Ultimate Gamble

Chapter 14: The Ultimate Gamble

I reached for her, extending my arm.

"Lucy!"

She turned around.

"What is it?" She asked after she let out a harsh breath.

"Mhm... nothing," I grimaced, throwing my right arm behind my back. "I just wanted to tell you, that you looked good today."

Lucy gave me a questioning look.

"What’s wrong with you?"

"Me?" I feigned a smile to mask the stinging pain in my arm. "What’s wrong with me?"

"You’ve been acting strange since we came here. Since we came to Viridale."

"Really? How weird?"

She paused, eyes boring into me. "It’s like you’re a completely different person."

"That so?" I laughed nervously. "I didn’t notice."

I laughed again to throw her off, but she didn’t say anything else. She simply shook her head and walked off towards her dorm.

As soon as she left, I brought my right arm forward and stared at the long thin object in my palm.

It was a small black arrow, about thirty centimetres in length.

I had snatched it in midair right before it could hit Lucy, but as I did so, it cut a deep gash in my right palm.

Glad to know my reflexes were still intact, even though I didn’t have the magical strength to back it up.

My entire palm was dripping with blood, so I quickly pulled off my black tie and wrapped it all over the wound.

"Serves you right..."

After that, I turned in the direction of the tree where Theo had hidden earlier.

He was gone.

I had to stop him before he went after Lucy again.

Determined, I took one step forward and realised that something was wrong.

My chest felt heavy, and I began to feel lightheaded. My vision grew blurry and dim, and my breath became shorter and laboured. Soon afterwards, my entire body felt stiff.

I already knew what was wrong with me, but at this point, it was already too late.

"Theo, you son of a..." I blurted out right before I collapsed.

*****

I woke up with a slight headache.

I was lying in my dorm room at the academy, covered in warm bed sheets. It was already nightfall, but I had no idea what time it was.

An oil lamp burned on the small table beside my head, and in its dim light, I noticed a lone male figure seated in the chair beside the reading table. He wore a thick dark cloak, and in his hands, he sharpened a small dagger.

Despite my slow movements, he quickly noticed that I was awake. He sheathed his dagger in his right boot and walked over towards me.

"How are you feeling, Master Rin?"

I groaned, slowly lifting my right arm and placing it over my forehead. "I feel drunk."

Theo pulled his seat from the reading table and placed it beside my bed. He then took out a small package from his cloak and revealed a loaf of bread.

"Eat," he said, offering it to me.

"No... I don’t think I have an appetite."

"You need to eat."

"I need a drink. My throat hurts."

Theo pulled out a small bottle from his cloak and offered it to me.

I pushed away the sheets and sat up on the bed. I was still clothed in my uniform, but my blazer was gone. As I took the bottle from him, I noticed my wound had been neatly cleaned and bandaged.

"Your poison was quite potent. Acted pretty fast."

Theo nodded. "It’s called Vendetta. From Brannersport. I already gave you the antidote."

I nodded in response, then took a sip from the bottle he handed me. The liquid within was strong, and I coughed out for a moment.

"Is she dead?" I asked when the cough ceased.

"No."

"Thought you went after her."

"Assassins don’t try twice on the same day. It’s bad luck."

At that moment, I actually felt grateful that the assassins had a code.

"Why did you save her?" Theo asked.

I took another sip from the bottle and gave it back to him.

"I... I don’t know."

Theo kept mute. His gaze shifted from me to the lamp on the table.

I stared at my palm. "It doesn’t feel right to kill her."

Another brief silence ensued until Theo responded quietly. "Explain."

I sighed. "She’s... she’s not what I thought. Not yet. Maybe not ever."

"How so?"

"I thought she’d be more violent, or aggressive, but she’s just... a girl."

Theo frowned.

"You saw what she becomes. You saw what she does to the world."

"I know." My voice cracked a little. "I remember."

I remembered it all. The scene had been permanently burned into my memory. The demons from hell, the burning cities, the screaming voices, and the earth splitting apart.

"And?"

"I don’t think it’s right."

Theo grunted.

"Don’t get me wrong," I continued, "I still think she’s dangerous. But there must be another way to save the world. A way that doesn’t involve killing an innocent girl."

Theo stood up and walked to the window. His face remained expressionless, but I could feel the weight of his thoughts.

"You’re choosing to gamble the fate of the world on the life of one girl?"

I looked up at him.

"No," I said, "I’m gambling it on myself."

I stood up and walked towards the window, standing beside him.

"When the world began to collapse, I begged the Shadow Queen to stop the spell she created. I remember the terrible look on her face when she realized she couldn’t stop it. Today, I saw that same look in Lucy’s eyes."

Theo kept silent.

"Perhaps the villainess never wanted to be one, and if that’s true, then all we have to do is steer her life in the right direction. I thought I was sent back here to kill her, but it seems I was sent to change her."

"Bold words," Theo finally replied. "Easy to say, hard to accomplish."

"Believe me," I said, dryly, "I know."

The shrill hooting of an owl pierced through the night

Theo lowered his voice. "What happens if you’re wrong?"

For a while, I kept quiet, pondering the question.

There was only one answer.

"If I’m wrong, then I’ll have to stop her myself."

"How? You lost your magic."

"But we’re in a magic school. And I have what... fourteen years to learn it all again. Can’t be that hard, right?"

Theo didn’t respond right away. He studied me for a long while. Then finally, he sighed.

"You’re playing a risky game, Rin Stormborn."

"I know. But until we’re left with no other choice, the girl stays alive."

Theo reached into his pocket and pulled out a brown pouch.

"What’s that?" I asked.

He offered the pouch to me. "I didn’t fulfill the contract. So, I have to return your money."

Assassin code, huh?

"Keep it," I said. "Your work here is not yet done."

His head jerked up.

"There’s someone I’d like you to pay a visit."