145 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

Chapter 145 ~ This is the Consequence of Poaching, Miss Vannesa ~ The headache is overwhelming, and dizziness follows... Awareness is muddled, and thoughts are disordered. Where is he? Wenny doesn’t understand. He tries to open his mouth, but no sound emerges. Where is he? Why is he here? Wenny attempts to recall what happened before, but he remembers nothing. His memory feels shrouded in fog, making it impossible to recall anything. Additionally, he feels his body is incredibly heavy, as if something is pressing down on him, immobilizing him completely. What is going on here? His eyelids are too heavy to open, yet he is beginning to sense feedback from his body, unlike before when he was in a state of near paralysis, barely feeling his consciousness, unable to think normally or recall memories. His body feels numb and heavy, as if his limbs are weighed down by lead. His eyelids refuse to open, and his consciousness remains in a haze, as if he’s adrift in a chaotic void, like a small boat tossed by the waves. Over time, Wenny gradually regains some control over his body, at least enough to wiggle his fingers. His eyelids flutter open with great effort. Blurry light fills his vision, and the room’s furnishings slowly focus into defined shapes. Wenny realizes he is lying in a spacious hall. Stained glass windows depicting six-winged angels, tiered prayer benches, and a giant goddess statue in the center reveal to him where he is. It seems to be a church dedicated to the Dawnlight faith. But how did he end up inside a church? He has no memory of being brought here—who brought him? He attempts to stand and examine the church but finds he is still unable to move. Not because his body hasn’t regained feeling, but because something is pressing down on him, preventing him from moving. What could be pressing on him? As soon as Wenny raises his head, he notices a lock of silky silver hair cascading downwards. This hair color—why does it look so familiar? Wenny swallows nervously, foreboding creeping into his mind. As his eyes travel upward, he follows the curve of shiny black silk stockings and a modest yet charmingly petite silhouette, leading up to a breathtakingly beautiful face with alluringly purple eyes tinged with a hint of danger. Aesphyra’s knee, clad in black silk, presses against his abdomen as she cradles her flushed cheeks in one hand, her lips curling into a lethal yet radiant smile. "Wenny, you are quite capable, aren’t you? I underestimated you," Aesphyra remarks, her voice sweet yet unmistakably mocking. “What... what do you mean by ‘capable’?” Wenny stutters, barely managing to form the words. With Aesphyra restraining him, he cannot run or move, leaving him with no choice but to face her accusing gaze head-on. Honestly, facing Aesphyra, he feels a guilty conscience, as if he's done something regretful to her. "Need a reminder?" Aesphyra tilts her head, her hair cascading onto Wenny’s face. Soft, ticklish, highly tempting—a sensation that makes one want to bury their face in it, yet Wenny doesn’t dare in his current predicament. “A reminder of what? I don’t know anything. Even if you remind me, it’s pointless!” Wenny protests with faltering confidence, instinctively averting his eyes from Aesphyra, only for her to lift his chin, forcing his gaze back to hers. “If you don’t know anything, then why the guilt?” Aesphyra’s captivating gaze carries hidden menace, like a beautiful yet lethal flower. “Who’s guilty? You’re taking advantage of someone in a difficult situation. Anyone waking up to this scene would be startled!” “Wenny, do you notice anything different about me today compared to usual?” Aesphyra inquires, a playful smile dancing on her lips as she poses yet another bewildering question. “Different? What’s different?” Wenny wonders why such a question is even posed. “Well, if I really had to point something out, I noticed something... Are you not wearing that large black bow in your hair you usually wear today?” Wenny muses, detecting an anomaly. “Oh, correct~ Indeed, I’m not wearing it today. Can you guess why?” Aesphyra's sweetly sinister smile inexplicably unsettles Wenny. “How would I know?” Wenny mutters feebly. “Not keen on guessing? What a shame~” Aesphyra shakes her head, somehow producing a holy sword which she ominously points toward Wenny’s chest. “Wait, hold on! I’ll guess, I’ll guess! Let me think... Could it be that you’re not in a good mood today?” Seeing Aesphyra serious about it, Wenny’s eyes become clear with fear, and he doesn’t dare banter, becoming as nervous as a quail, hastily responding. “Hmm, indeed I’m not in a good mood today. Can you guess why?” Aesphyra teases with an enigmatic smirk. “Well, well...” How should he know what could be the issue?? I have no clue if you’re in a bad mood for some other reason today... “The key issue is identifying the root problem. I suppose that maybe, quite possibly, you’re in a bad mood today because you are just not feeling your best... Oh, don't! Let’s talk this through; big sis, you are wise and understanding! I’m no fortune teller; how am I supposed to guess?” Wenny freaks out as she polishes the sword using his clothing. “Maybe it’s because you wanted a change, so you didn’t wear the bow?” he hurriedly offers another guess. “Incorrect.” “Then, what is it?” “Wenny, do you truly not know? You’re so self-righteous yet seem so noble.” Aesphyra tilts her head, poking Wenny’s chest with delicate fingers. “I wonder if someone as two-faced as Mr. Wenny, whose words never match his heart, has a heart as black as coal.” “What do you mean? Where am I being two-faced or self-righteous?” “Wenny, have you really forgotten everything? Want to remember again?” “Remember what?” Wenny despairs, not understanding why he ended up at a BAD END with Aesphyra set to execute him. “At least let me die understanding why?” “Okay, since you really can’t recall, let me remind you.” Aesphyra, with a deadly smile, looks down on Wenny. “Today, I’m not wearing a bow because I couldn’t fit it on.” “Not fit? What does that mean?” Wenny fails to grasp the meaning. “Because yesterday, Mr. Wenny gifted me a brightly colored hat,” Aesphyra’s half-smile radiates no warmth. “Ah, ah?” Wenny is stupefied. “That delightful hat seated on top of my head prohibits the bow’s space, don’t you see?” Aesphyra tenderly cups Wenny’s face, glaring down at him, enunciating each word. “Do you get it now?” She raises her holy sword again. “Wait, wait! What hat? I didn’t give you any hat!” “Still trying to elude responsibility? Do you think I don't know about your kissing Mirexia?” “But those were necessary circumstances. Mirexia and I didn’t mean anything by it. Why are you overreacting? Honestly, you’re being petty and dramatic over nothing...” "You certainly talk a good game," Aesphyra sneered, the playful glint in her eyes giving way to a sharp killing intent. This was it—he was done for. "Stealing my woman, you despicable man, do you know the consequences of your actions?" Aesphyra's icy smile cut through the air. "Repent in hell," Aesphyra declared, her sword's cold gleam mere inches from Wenny's nose. Wenny thought to himself that his life was over. He, Wenny the strategist, a hero of his own saga, was finally unable to escape the protagonist's wrath. Such misfortune! Facing impending doom, Wenny, feeling he had cowered in front of Aesphyra long enough, decided to make a stand with his final, bravest act using his mental magic incantation. "Aesphyra, you, you petite little biscuit!" "You used to be a petite biscuit, you'll always be a petite biscuit!" The sword descended with a sharp crack. Wenny closed his eyes, yet the expected pain didn’t come. A moment later, he opened his eyes slowly, surprised to find the sword had missed by an inch, piercing next to his head instead. Did his mental attack work, causing Aesphyra to miss? No, that was impossible. The chill touch of the blade still buzzed through his nerves as he met Aesphyra’s eyes, which no longer held their former malice but a new, indecipherable emotion. "What trick are you playing now?" Wenny gasped in fright. "Don't tell me you want to hear me beg for mercy before finishing the job? How cruel can you be?!" "Just teasing you," Aesphyra said, her demeanor doing an abrupt 180 as she tossed aside the sacred sword. Leaning down, her face was suddenly mere inches away from Wenny's, her breath fragrant and warm. "How could I bear to kill you?" "What’s your deal? What exactly do you want?" Wenny asked, bewildered. "You," Aesphyra replied curtly. "What?" Wenny's mind struggled to process the words. "Seriously, go get help if you're unwell," Wenny said, his eyebrow twitching in frustration. "You're hallucinating from hunger or something? Not even sparing men now?" "Really?" Aesphyra chuckled, watching him with her bright, mischievous gaze. "Can't you tell I'm male or female? You might want to see an ophthalmologist," Wenny grumbled. "Oh~ is that really appropriate, Miss Vannesa?" "...What Vane-what? What are you talking about; there is no Vannesa?" Wenny's pupils widened in shock. "Mmhmm~" Aesphyra simply smiled, gazing at him with eyes like cat's-eye gemstones. Through her clear, jewel-like eyes, Wenny saw not a blue-haired young man reflecting, but a cherry-haired girl with an expression of utter bewilderment. "How... is this possible?" Vannesa stared wide-eyed, only to notice the melodious, clear voice no longer belonged to Wenny's tone. No, this isn't right; what is happening?? Why had he transformed into Vannesa without any awareness or control over the change? "You’ve hidden it well all this time, haven’t you, Miss Vannesa~? Or should I call you Mr. Wenny?" "Let me go... your rough treatment of a lady is truly unbecoming behavior!" Vannesa's tousled hair lay across the stone pedestal as she met Aesphyra's gaze with a blush, feeling both shame and defiance, akin to a saintess captured and defeated. "Unbecoming behavior? And what about Miss Vannesa's poaching—that’s noble, isn’t it?" Aesphyra smirked, lifting Vannesa's collar to bring their faces closer. "For a lady to engage in such matters, Miss Vannesa, truly bad form." "I swear, I didn’t mean it that way, I just..." I just wanted to gain some virtue points. Who'd have known things would turn out this way? If she had known Aesphyra was so petty and would eventually see through her disguise, she wouldn’t have been so greedy and stayed far away from these troublemakers. Now, it was too late for regrets. "Regardless of intent, the act has been committed, Miss Vannesa has already engaged in such behavior." "That’s absurd; Mirexia and I are merely friends with no other intentions," Vannesa retorted, desperately trying to shake off Aesphyra, but inexplicably, she couldn’t muster any of her usual strength; her power seemed to have drained completely. There was no hint of her magic. "And are you truly sincere with Princess Mirexia?" Vannesa challenged coldly. "Do you deserve Mirexia's feelings with your shameless, promiscuous ways?" "And isn't that your fault, Miss Vannesa?" Aesphyra pinned Vannesa’s restless hands in place. "Me??" "This all started because of your presence." "My presence? What are you talking about?" Although drained of strength, Vannesa still tried to resist. "Never mind, I’m done explaining. I've got what I wanted anyway." "What??" "Miss Vannesa, how are you going to compensate for poaching on my turf?" Aesphyra mused aloud. "I’ve thought it over, and I don’t need much—just offer yourself to me~" "Don't talk nonsense. Why would I need to offer myself? I don’t even fancy you, you abusive woman—what are you doing?!" Seeing Aesphyra starting to undo her dress, Vannesa panicked. “Didn't I just say?” Aesphyra smiled. "You...," Vannesa’s eyes hollowed as realization hit, dread chilling her to the core. “No, stop, wait! I understand, I’m sorry, truly! Please don’t do this!” “Apologies? Actions speak louder than words, Miss Vannesa,” Aesphyra remained unmoved. "My dealings with Princess Mirexia are purely platonic. If you do this, I’ll make sure Mirexia knows everything, and she'll never contact you again!" Vannesa threatened through gritted teeth. "Oh? Is that so? You’d be doing me a huge favor, Miss Vannesa." "You might as well announce it to the world; I don’t mind," continued Aesphyra, her hands busy as she wore a gleeful grin. "Aesphyra, how can you be so heartless?? I didn’t do anything to betray you…" Vannesa was aghast at Aesphyra’s audacity. "Nothing to betray me? Miss Vannesa, you stole my opportunity and enjoyed life at my expense, with virtue stolen from me. Is that not betrayal?" Aesphyra inquired, looking smug. "But it can be forgiven." "By spending your life paying me back." "Weren’t you fond of mocking me for being small, saying kids would starve?" Aesphyra smiled wryly. "Let me savor what kind of a cake Miss Vannesa bakes." "Stop! You mustn't! Please..." "No, don’t! Only this—please no! I don’t want to be a girl forever..." "Ha, indulging in the benefits of goddess blood yet refusing its identity, Miss Vannesa, aren’t you being incredibly greedy?" “No, don’t! Please stop!” The cherry-haired girl, reeling, cried desperately. --- “I’m sorry, please nooooo!” Wenny bolted upright with a fish-like start, the soft light of the room and the familiar monastery walls greeting his panicked sight. He grasped his throat, realizing he was drenched in a cold sweat. He was still seated on the bed in the monastery. It... it was merely a dream. Ha, haha… Just a dream. Even though it was just a dream, it felt uncannily real, terrifying him into a cold sweat; it felt as if he narrowly escaped a calamity. It was just a dream. Of course, Aesphyra couldn't have discovered his secret. This had to be a deceptive dreamscape. Aesphyra was still in the quarantine zone dealing with monsters and couldn’t possibly be here. Ha, haha... He thought he'd never come back. Wenny felt the sweat on his forehead and instinctively reached for a handkerchief but found none. "Is Wenny looking for this?" A delicate hand extended a handkerchief toward him. "Oh, thank you." Wenny took the handkerchief, then immediately realized something was off. He slowly looked up at the smiling girl sitting in front of him, his expression turning from confusion to horror. The same face, the same smile as in the dream. "You're welcome~" "Wha—!" Wenny exclaimed, falling out of bed in fright. (Today’s update is early 0.0)