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

## Volume 3, Chapter 25: "I'll Get You Out of Here – How Could the Villainous Young Lord Be the Saintess?" Wenny scanned the menu eagerly, pointing at dishes one after another. "Alright, just remember, you said I could order anything I want if I can finish it. So, I'll have this, this, and oh, this one too. I'll think about it some more—oh, and get me a serving of this Daviil ice cream. I've yet to try the ice creams and desserts here!" He leaned into the sofa, one leg propped up, his demeanor becoming even more relaxed. The waiter, jotting down Wenny's elaborate order, could only awkwardly smile. This must be a friend of the young lady, Wenny thought. How could someone have such... unique manners?? Nonetheless, as the friend of the distinguished lady, it wasn’t the place for a mere waitress to comment. She assumed he must simply have an eccentric personality. Wenny himself had no qualms; he wasn't embarrassed in the slightest. Aesphyra had invited him to a meal, so why not indulge? If they wanted to boot him from the place, they could, but why would they keep him hungry? That's just the kind of person he was—unapologetically himself, no charades. After all, was he supposed to be shy and modest when he was just here to eat? Still, losing out on such an opportunity to enjoy a feast seemed wasteful. Better to avoid getting kicked out, at least until he'd had his fill. "Is there anything else you need, Miss?" the waitress asked, having carefully noted the extensive order. "That's it for now. But if I'm still hungry, I'll let you know," Wenny said, handing back the menu. "No problem at all. If you need anything, just call for me," the waitress replied, conscious of the lady's status as a friend of importance. She bowed before placing the order and hovered nearby, attentive to the table. A luxury restaurant truly delivered top-notch service. "What's up with you? You've been staring at me since earlier," Wenny said, supporting his chin with his hands and swaying slightly as he eagerly awaited the arrival of the dishes. Lifting his gaze, he met the eyes of a silver-haired girl studying him with silent amusement, sending a shiver down his spine. What's up with her today? Did some nutty spirit possess her? "Did I order too much, making you regret it now? Too late, Mr. Regret—I already placed the order," Wenny teased. "Morality +70." "Current Morality: 11704." "Wennyya, you're really something," Aesphyra remarked, her grin precariously on the verge of breaking into laughter. "What do you want, calling me like that?" Wenny asked, raising his teacup for a sip. "You're adorable!" "Pfft!" caught off guard, Wenny almost spewed his tea, hastily managing to swallow before dabbing his lips with a napkin. Is she out of her mind? Saying something like that just to gross me out? "Aesphyra, please, spare us this torturous talk. It's harsh on both of us. It doesn't help anyone," Wenny groaned, tossing the napkin and rolling his eyes at the silver-haired beauty across the table. Seriously, me—a former villain—being called cute by the world's hero? Ridiculous. "You think I'm lying? Why so skeptical, Wennyya?" Aesphyra inquired. "Because it barely seems sincere. Suspecting you of merely trying to disgust me isn’t off the mark," Wenny retorted without missing a beat. "Am I really that terrible in your eyes?" Aesphyra tilted her head, exuding the elegance of a regal feline. "Apologies, but yes, you are," Wenny replied, expressionless. "But I genuinely think you're adorable, Wennyya. Such a shame, isn't it?" Aesphyra sighed dramatically. "What's there to regret?" Wenny asked skeptically. "It's too bad I can't see this adorable Wennyya more often since you said we won't be meeting often in the future," Aesphyra lamented. Now Wenny understood the implication behind her words. This white-haired nut is probably thinking, "If only you were really a girl." "Indeed, there's nothing to be done, since we aren't fated to meet." "No chance of creating our own fate?" "Sorry, fate can't be made. You'd know if fate is even a thing, wouldn't you?" Wennyya scoffed. "Morality +20." "Current Morality: 11724." Seriously, why doesn't the morality stop rising? Wenny regarded Aesphyra with curiosity. He didn't do anything to merit this jump, and as far as he knew, this automatic morality gain was a trait of Mirexia. When did Aesphyra pick up Mirexia's passive skill? And why was she looking at him like that? "Why the stare?" Wenny finally asked. "Because beauty is captivating!" declared Aesphyra, smiling broadly. What??? She never said such things when I was just Wenny. Is she flirting with me now?? No way! Stupefied, Wenny put his teacup down. Something isn't right. Aesphyra's reactions to him shouldn't be like this. Deliberately disgust him, maybe, but this? Soon after, the desserts arrived, beautifully arranged on small plates. Wenny put strange thoughts aside, his attention thoroughly captured by the ice cream. Lifting a magnificent glass bowl overflowing with creamy delight, joy was written all over his face. The saying "Sweet things brighten the mood" was spot on. His spirits soared as he eyed the generous helping. Let's dig in! Without a second thought, Wenny grabbed the spoon handed to him and began devouring the ice cream. Oh yes, this sweetness is bliss! He felt rejuvenated, as if reborn. In this world, ice cream is a luxury reserved for nobility, unaffordable to the common people, hence Wenny rarely had the chance to indulge in such cold delights. Given the chance today, he'd eat to his heart's content, unwilling to stop until he'd eaten his fill. Meanwhile, Aesphyra hardly touched her own parfait, opting instead to simply watch the blue-haired girl gorge herself on the dessert. She quietly stirred her parfait, an affectionate smile playing at her lips. Wenny had no eating grace; he ate with abandon. After he finished the parfait, a chill pounded in his temples from eating so quickly. He rubbed his temple, when unexpectedly, a soft napkin brushed against his lips, gently wiping away the smudges. What?? Stunned, Wenny looked across the table to see that the silver-haired girl, wearing a doting expression, was the one tending to him with her handkerchief. Is this white-haired princess kitty replaced with some other cat? How did she go from a wild stray to a docile housecat?? Not to mention—what was happening?? Aesphyra dabbing Vanessa's mouth—fine. But wiping mine? Is this emerald-eyed girl sick?? Frightened, Wenny instinctively scooted back. He couldn't keep up the act any longer, blurting out, "Aesphyra, what’s the meaning of this?" What kind of pill did she swallow this time? Wenny was indeed taken aback. If it had been only an attempt to tease him earlier, now the nature of the situation entirely shifted. ## Volume 3, Chapter 25: "I'll Get You Out of Here – How Could the Villainous Young Lord Be the Saintess?" Something's not right. Could this silver-haired oddball actually be serious?? He's a guy, after all! "Oops, Wennyya. You've got some parfait on the corner of your mouth. Let me get that for you," Aesphyra said with a smile, setting the napkin down, seemingly unconcerned about how odd her earlier actions were. And that's exactly what makes it so strange! "Hey, can you stop this?" Wenny said, starting to panic. He couldn't fathom what had gotten into Aesphyra, causing her behavior to change like this. At first, it seemed like she was simply messing with him, but now it felt like something different. Can someone explain why this fierce green-eyed girl is acting this way? What sort of chemical reaction took place? "Are you getting enough to eat, Wennyya? Here, have mine too. But girls should really watch their dessert intake, or they'll lose control of their weight," Aesphyra suggested, resting her chin on her hand. "I..." Wenny gulped, glancing at the servers standing a polite distance away. Lowering his voice, he said, "Are you addicted to this or just acting stupidly? What's with these ridiculous comments, huh?" Previously, he'd kept quiet, thinking Aesphyra was just pranking him for fun. But now he was genuinely concerned that something was wrong with her. Increasingly uneasy about her behavior, Wenny decided to minimize interaction and focus on eating his meal once it arrived. The wait felt interminable, probably because of the awkward tension between them. Finally, the dishes were served, allowing Wenny to fixate on them, ignoring Aesphyra entirely. Yet before he could dig in, Aesphyra instructed the waitstaff to leave them, claiming they wouldn't be needed further. Following her orders, the servers exited. "Eat too quickly, and you'll have trouble digesting," Aesphyra chided gently. "I'll eat how I please, thank you very much. My stomach's just fine," Wenny replied curtly, hoping to avoid further conversation. He just wanted to finish up and leave. But before he could take another bite, Aesphyra reached over, offering him a spoonful of food. "Open wide, ah~" she said with playful intent. "What?" Wenny, caught off guard, hesitantly opened his mouth, allowing Aesphyra to feed him gently. "Mmmph!" Wenny’s pupils shrank in surprise. Aesphyra's feeding was tender enough not to choke him, so he had no choice but to swallow it down. Now he truly couldn't tolerate it any longer. Well, he'd planned this from the start, so what's the point of pretending any longer? Surely, Aesphyra had figured it out already, right? Though his original intention was to reveal his true identity post-meal, the situation now demanded immediate action. "Little pastry, stop it already. Don't you get who I am?" Wenny checked to ensure the waitstaff weren’t within earshot. Lowering his voice, he added, "How long are you going to keep this up?" His words came out in his natural voice rather than the altered one he’d been using. Aesphyra merely smiled, the peculiar nature of her expression seemingly growing even more intense, though Wenny might have imagined it. What’s going on here? As Wenny tried to make sense of things, Aesphyra stood, picked up a metal spoon, and approached him. "Wait, hold on. We agreed you'd admit defeat and mimic a cat. Don't go back on your word!" Wenny exclaimed in a panic, unsure of Aesphyra's intentions. "Whoa now, Wennyya, hold on a sec. No need to panic," Aesphyra said with her head tilted, spoon raised. "Relax, I'm here to rescue you." "Rescue? Rescue from what!? Who needs rescuing? Don't you know who I am? What are you going to do—shove a spoon in my mouth? Stop!" "I know, I know, Wennyya. Don't worry, I’ll save you right away," Aesphyra reassured him, her face adorned with a calm smile. "Wait, stop! Just hold on!" Wenny shrank back into the sofa, quickly reverting back to his false voice. "Oh, Wennyya, you're back? That's great to see~" Aesphyra chuckled warmly, her demeanor once again serene, as she returned to her seat. Wenny pursed his lips. This terrifying nutcase. Wenny hardly enjoyed his meal, finishing quickly and exiting the restaurant still bewildered. "Hey, hey, you! Stop pretending. You knew who I was from the start, didn't you?" In the emptiness of the street outside, Wenny, hands on hips and voice altered, glared at Aesphyra. "Don't think for a second you’ll evade your forfeited punishment. I’ve not forgotten!" Wenny pointed accusingly. (Transition to the main plot soon 0.0)