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

**Chapter 6: Not Being a Beautiful Girl Itself is Just Wrong** Author: han tang gui lai | Updated: April 18, 2025 | Word Count: 4018 Under the cover of a dark, moonless night, Vinny, dressed in a stealthy outfit, peered out from the side door of the student council, ensuring the coast was clear before he set off. At this hour, most of the student council members had already left. Only someone like Mireia, a workaholic, would choose to stay behind. Besides, Vinny was cloaked in a night mantle borrowed from Zoe, ensuring he remained unseen as long as he avoided standing directly under any lights. Clutching a letter, Vinny navigated his way through the shadows, avoiding streetlights. Days ago, he had reconnoitered the abandoned school building mentioned by Zoe, scouting the area and identifying the most inconspicuous route there. The deserted building was eerily silent at night, littered with debris, half-crumbling walls, and towering piles of old desks and chairs. The adjoining park was overgrown with weeds, and the pond was full of stagnant water. It was evident that this place had been neglected for quite some time. Since space within Cary Riman Academy wasn't in short supply, the complicated task of handling this area had been ignored, allowing it to remain derelict. With no residents in sight and broken streetlights left unattended, visibility was low. Vinny's high-quality stealth cloak not only concealed his presence but also muffled sound, leaving no trace of his passage. Reaching the old tree described by Zoe, Vinny carefully placed his letter in a hollow before slipping away. Retracing his steps, Vinny stuck to shadows and avoided illuminated areas. Even though it was late and no students were around, he exercised caution, aiming to remain undetected. He planned to find a secluded spot to swap out the stealth cloak before returning to his dorm. A nearby thicket seemed perfect. Hidden among the bushes, he could swap the cloak and continue along the foliage back to his dorm. However, as he approached the bushes, Vinny sensed time pause for a moment. Baffled, he double-checked his cloak, ensuring it was secure. Everything seemed unchanged; the only sound was the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze. Nothing happened. It must have been a trick of his imagination. Moments later, a fleeting scent tickled his senses. Before he could identify it, the fragrance vanished, leaving him uncertain if it had been real. Perhaps it came from the cloak? Zoe, being a girl, might have unknowingly left traces of her perfume or scented creams on it. No real surprise there. **Kindness +100** **Current Kindness: 9154** **Kindness +50** **Current Kindness: 9204** "Huh? Why did my Kindness increase?" Vinny frowned, puzzled by the sudden boost. There was no one else around. Surely, he would have noticed if there were. Who could have recognized him in his cloak under such dim lighting? But how could Kindness simply increase out of nowhere? A slight panic gripped Vinny. Had his cover been blown? But that seemed impossible. Even if someone—a female protagonist—happened to see him, recognizing him while he was cloaked was unlikely. The chances were so slim as to be almost nil. Then, realization dawned on Vinny. Ah, of course. Skodell must have returned home, discovered the cake, and been touched by the note, hence the rise in Kindness. Vinny chuckled at the innocence of the little elven girl. She was easily moved. Satisfied, Vinny scouted the area, ensuring no one was hidden there. Indeed, it was as empty as he’d guessed. Nobody was around to see or retire in panic. If anyone had tried to run, the noise would have been evident. Content, Vinny swapped out his night cloak in the thicket, emerging inconspicuously on the academy’s main road with his cloak neatly tucked into a bag. Engaging in such activities was indeed suited to a former antagonist like him, executed seamlessly from start to finish. "Hey, Dale, let me in!" Vinny called out boldly in front of his dormitory, knocking on the door. Inside, hurried footsteps echoed, and soon Skodell, with her white hair tied in a ponytail, appeared at the door barefoot, socks showing that she hadn’t even taken time to put on shoes after hearing his voice. As expected, Skodell was back. No wonder he received the Kindness notification. Vinny let out a breath of relief. “Vinny, all done for the night? You must be tired,” Skodell quickly offered him slippers, echoing the warmth of a wife welcoming her tired husband home with ready comfort. “Yes, the student council kept me busy. Did you enjoy the cake I got you?” “I did, thank you! It was delicious,” Skodell beamed. “Glad you liked it.” Vinny entered, feeling the day's exhaustion, and after a brief chat and a shower, he drifted into peaceful sleep. The next morning, as usual, class awaited. Vinny checked his schedule—alchemy in the afternoon. Yet, before classes began, a curious encounter unfolded. “Are you Vinny?” A fiery red-haired girl, with a high ponytail, blocked the classroom entrance, arms crossed defiantly despite having to look up to meet his eyes. “Huh?” Vinny glanced at her uniform, confirming she wasn’t from his class, and pointed to himself. “You mean me?” “Of course, it’s you!” The fiery girl leaned against the doorframe, spit out a grass strand she’d been chewing on, and glared at Vinny fiercely. “You’re the notorious fake descendant of the goddess, aren’t you?” “No, it’s not me. You’ve got the wrong person.” Feigning ignorance, Vinny waved to a nearby male peer. “Hey, Vinny, somebody's looking for you!” "Ah, so you're not the one? I'm terribly sorry, I made a mistake." To Vinny's surprise, the red-haired girl actually believed his act. She immediately retracted her confrontational stance, bowed her head in sincere apology, and rushed towards the bewildered male classmate Vinny had pointed out. Vinny merely glanced at her retreating form, thinking he could finally enter the classroom. Unexpectedly, the girl returned, once again blocking his path. Is she made of stone or something?? Vinny was speechless. "How dare you trick me! That classmate showed his student ID and proved he wasn't Vinny, but pointed out that you are!" The redhead was seething with anger. "Wow, you’re quick, girl!" Vinny was genuinely impressed by how efficiently she confirmed her facts. "If only you applied this efficiency somewhere more worthwhile instead of picking fights with me." "Bah! You swindler, you're clearly practiced at this! Judging by your skill, lying is second nature for you. Everything about you is fake: your family’s reputation, even your name. Behind the scenes, who knows how many innocent people you've deceived!" the girl accused passionately. "And so what?" Vinny nonchalantly picked his ear. "Did I eat your rice?" "I'll represent the goddess and all past saintesses to deal with you, you shameless rogue!" She dramatically placed her hand on her hip and pointed at Vinny. "Huh?" Vinny tilted his head. "Girl, are you even sane?" “So, who are you? I don’t remember meeting or offending you.” "Listen, you imposter! I am Fanny Cassius, first daughter of the Cassius family of the Church and an aspirant of the Saintly Cross Knights!" “Saintly Cross Knights? You? Pfft, really?” Vinny teased. “If even you can join the Saintly Cross Knights, then the Church must really be out of options.” “Hmph, I will be someday! Just wait, I’ll definitely join the **Saintly Knights** in the future!” Fanny declared, embarrassed. “You fraud, prepare yourself!” “Fraud? What fraud? That sounds so harsh. Let’s face it, everyone tells a lie now and then. Whether it’s a little white lie, it still comes from a good place. Tell me honestly, have you never lied?” Vinny questioned with a raised eyebrow. “Unlikely. Just now, you lied to me about being in the Saintly Cross Knights.” “You! That’s not—” “Don’t ‘but’ me. Morality is something you hold yourself accountable to, not a tool to bind others. Didn’t your parents teach you that?” Vinny pressed on without giving her room to retort. “Just tell me, are you a member of the Saintly Cross Knights right now?” “No...not yet... But I will be!” “There you go, isn’t that lying too? Wow, did I teach you too well? I haven’t even started my lesson in deception and you’re already learning.” Vinny chuckled mischievously. “I am not a liar! I totally wasn’t trying to deceive anyone, I was just...” The redhead flushed with embarrassment, stammering in her response. Vinny chuckled. Here he thought it was going to be a serious problem, but it turned out the girl was just a naive fool. Anyone else would stand their ground and deny the accusation, but this redhead was admirably honest. Realizing her boomerang of an accusation had backfired, her face was red with embarrassment. By now, a crowd had gathered to witness the spectacle, all keen to watch the unfolding drama. None offered Vinny any support; in fact, a certain blonde elf was openly enjoying the mischief. “No, no, I was just exaggerating a little...” “Exaggerating? Isn’t that still lying?” Vinny, well-versed in the art of argument and the tactics of debate, relished these encounters. So what's the core strategy of masterful debating? Truth? No. The answer is relentless offense! Bombard them with enough accusations to exhaust their defenses, leaving them too busy to mount a counterattack, and you've already won. “As a Cassius of the Church, representing the goddess and saintesses, must you not reflect before rebuking others? With lies so easily on your lips, how can you accuse others of deceit? Isn’t that a double standard? Stop with all the ‘goddess this and goddess that’. The very goddess you invoke would be embarrassed by your actions!” Vinny crossed his arms and glared down at the girl. “Ugh…” Clenching her tiny fists and gritting her teeth, the red-haired girl struggled to articulate her defense. “Running to me to play the righteous hero, how can you even muster the gall? Oh, I feel so sorry for your family.” Vinny shook his head, feigning disappointment. “Do you think the **Saintly Cross Knights** would accept a compulsive liar like you?” “Ugh, ugh!” Tears welled in Fanny’s eyes, and her large eyes glistened with frustration. “Give it up; you’ll never make it because the goddess, above all, despises liars.” Vinny leaned in, enunciating each word clearly. “Ugh! I…I didn’t mean to lie, I just…ugh!” “Waaah, don’t, I don’t want the goddess to hate me! Please, waaaah…” Fanny cried as she ran away. Oh, dear. Vinny scratched his head. Did he go too far? He hadn’t expected the girl to be this straightforward, almost adorably foolish? If Caryl Riman Academy had a ranking for most gullible students, she and Skodell would definitely vie for the top five. Predictably, the onlookers, unaware of who instigated the conflict, all started chastising Vinny for bullying a sweet, innocent girl. These shameless fools, turning a blind eye to reality! They missed the start of the trouble but clearly saw the crying beautiful girl run away. So, am I wrong just because I'm not a pretty girl myself??