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Chapter 81




The Villain's Ending is Only Death Chapter 81
Upon hearing the end of the story, I was taken aback.
‘How could someone cut off the head of a dead bear right there after an accident?’
The story, which had been flowing smoothly, suddenly encountered a fierce storm and changed direction.
Seeing my silence, the Crown Prince seemed to think I was shocked and chuckled.
“Still, don’t you think the lady was quite courageous? Unlike me, a opportunist, she faced the bear directly.”
He had already returned to his usual self.
Staring at the Crown Prince’s face, filled with an unpleasant smile, I wondered...
Perhaps he was not mocking me but mocking his younger self.
“Your crossbow skills were quite impressive.”
“...”
“Even seasoned hunters would not have remained as calm as you when suddenly encountering a bear. If you had turned and run, you would have been caught and torn apart by the bear in no time.”
“...”
“So, put aside useless thoughts and be proud of your instincts and ability to handle the situation.”
It was an unexpected comfort. I opened my eyes wide and looked at Calisto.
Perhaps because he had gone through a similar situation, his words, though gruff and insincere, calmed me down.
At the same time, it felt ironic that the one giving such words was the Crown Prince.
“...Thank you for the compliment.”
After quite some time, I finally managed to respond awkwardly.
“You were also very brave when you were young, Your Highness.”
And I returned the compliment in my own way.
There was nothing else to say about the story the Crown Prince had told.
I felt a pang of sympathy for his childhood, but it was brief.
The part about cutting off the dead bear’s head and winning the prize made me change my mind.
‘This guy was already messed up back then.’
Despite giving him a compliment, I wondered what he found unsatisfactory, as his face suddenly twisted.
“Is that it?”
“Huh? What is?”
I asked, confused.
The frown on the Crown Prince’s forehead deepened.
“I mean, your reaction to my story.”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Do you have no feelings at all?”
“...What?”
I was taken aback by his sudden criticism.
Then, the Crown Prince glared at me with bloodshot eyes and spat out,
“Why are you such a heartless person?”
“What... did you say?”
I opened my eyes wide, as if hearing something unfamiliar.
‘Ha! Who are you to say that to me?’
Feeling indignant, I kept my mouth shut, but the guy continued with a sour expression.
“In the battlefield, soldiers who tremble would cry and sob when I tell them such stories.”
“...”
“Don’t you feel sorry for my childhood?”
I just laughed bitterly at his complaint.
‘I don’t feel sorry. Not at all!’
What part of his story should I feel sorry for?
In this damn game, I was the one who felt the most pitiful and unfortunate.
At least, the Crown Prince wouldn’t have to grovel in fear of losing the affection of someone who despised him intensely.
Looking at his red pupils, which seemed to be waiting for my answer, I said it all in a roundabout way.
“...Anyway, you’re still alive and well now. Sad stories are completed by death.”
He wouldn’t understand how much I was struggling to avoid a sad ending.
“Ha.”
He clicked his tongue at my answer.
“Indeed, you are as heartless as the rumors say.”
“Who are you to say that...!”
I could tolerate the other male leads, but I couldn’t stand this guy’s criticism.
My anger, about to burst, was lost in his red eyes, which gleamed with interest.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
‘Damn it.’
I glared at him, silently cursing him.
“Ha...”
Suddenly, the Crown Prince’s fierce expression softened, and he let out a sigh.
“Being with you is truly never boring.”
Then,
[Goodwill 34%]
His goodwill increased, along with a faint smile on his face.
My eyes widened.
5%. It was a significant increase.
I stared blankly at the golden fragments above his head.
I had surpassed the default goodwill of 30% in Normal Mode.
Now, the Crown Prince’s goodwill was at a level where death was quite distant.
It didn’t feel real.
Perhaps it was relief.
Seeing his face smiling at me, I felt strange.
“The trembling has stopped.”
At that moment, the chains that had been tightening around my back suddenly loosened.
Unlike when he had hugged me tightly, Calisto let me go gently.
“Try to really get some sleep now.”
He stood up and walked away without a backward glance.
The warmth that had enveloped me quickly faded.
As he said, the trembling that had taken over my body had truly subsided.
* * *
“Father.”
“Have you returned?”
Duke Ecart, who had been anxiously tapping the table, brightened at the sight of his eldest son entering the tent.
However, his frown deepened at Derrick’s shaking head.
“...Still not found?”
“Leonard has taken the hunting dogs and gone back into the forest. We will hear news soon.”
“The last person who saw her.”
“We found a knight who had answered her when she asked for directions to the small game hunting area.”
“So, she went that way?”
Derrick nodded quietly this time.
Bang!
The Duke slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
“It’s almost dark, and a girl who hasn’t even reached adulthood is wandering alone in the forest...!”
She had said she wanted to see the hunting grounds, but he hadn’t really believed she would.
Penelope was known for her capricious nature.
Even if she had, the small game hunting area wasn’t far from the tent where the hunting competition was held.
It was close enough for the guards to find her quickly if anything happened.
The problem was if she had entered the deep forest where the wild beasts were released.
The Duke pressed his temples, which were throbbing in pain, and asked,
“What about the Crown Prince’s side?”
At that moment, Derrick’s brow twitched slightly.
The Duke missed the stiffening of his son’s lips as he rubbed his temples.
“...The palace has just dispatched a search party.”
It was a bad time for just one lady to go missing.
The horn signaling the gathering time had sounded a long time ago, yet the Crown Prince had not returned either.
“I’ve told them to inform us if they find her, so we just have to wait.”
“Surely that rascal hasn’t dragged her off somewhere to kill her again...”
“Father.”
Derrick stopped the Duke.
“There are many ears around.”
He, too, had had such thoughts.
However, this was not just Ecart’s territory but the center of the hunting festival, where all kinds of nobles had gathered.
Who knew where someone might have planted their ears.
“Leonard, who went out to search first, reported something strange.”
Derrick’s voice dropped even lower.
“There was a dead brown bear with its head cut off in the area where the wild beasts were released.”
“...A dead bear?”
The Duke’s voice also lowered at the serious matter.
“Yes. However, strangely, the severed head was found far from the body.”
“Hmm.”
“Also, parts of the body were burned, exposing the flesh in circular patterns.”
“What, what do you mean!”
Circular patterns. It was undoubtedly the bolt from the crossbow given to Penelope.
The Duke’s mouth dropped open as he realized what Derrick was saying.
“Could the bear have attacked a human...?”
“There were no signs of it,” Derrick firmly denied.
The Duke sighed in relief. At least that was fortunate.
“So, what happened to the bear’s body?”
“The servants of the Earl of Ellen had already arrived and were handling it, so they could only confirm the body and leave.”
“The Earl of Ellen?”
The Duke’s thick eyebrows twitched at the unexpected name.
“So... did the Earl of Ellen kill the bear?”
“Impossible. It was clearly a modified creature due to the Crown Prince’s cruel whims.”
“True, an old man who can’t even shoot a bow properly couldn’t have killed a bear...”
“Besides, if he had, he would have brought the severed head back.”
However, the Earl of Ellen’s prey was only two deer, and there was no sign of a large beast’s head.
“Ha... I have no idea what’s going on.”
The Duke sighed deeply, as if suffering from a headache.
“Why did Penelope go to the area where the wild beasts were released? I didn’t mean to give her that crossbow again...”
“Father.”
Derrick, who had been listening silently, suddenly asked,
“What kind of magic did you engrave on the crossbow you gave Penelope?”
“...”
“What kind of magic did you engrave that made her shoot a bear without thinking?”
“...Ahem!”
The Duke, uncomfortable with the changed topic, cleared his throat and turned his head.
Derrick’s eyes narrowed as he looked at his father.
“Did you hide the magic power of a lethal weapon?”
“A lethal weapon! No, it’s not that.”
The Duke turned his head sharply and added gruffly,
“...If hit, it only causes a temporary faint. It’s suitable for hunting, so it passed the inspection.”
“Is that all?”
What a sharp son.
The Duke grunted, annoyed by his eldest son’s persistence.
“...I also added a spell that makes one lose their memory before being hit.”
“...”
Derrick’s