The Villain Reborn as Game's Final Boss

Chapter 273: One Last Question [2]

I wanted Victoria’s faction to grow as strong as it could, and end up proving to be the most difficult obstacle in Ashlyn’s path to power.

Ashlyn had to feel desperate enough for my help every time Victoria’s faction increased the chances of their victory.

After all, only by helping her in the worst time would I be able to control the girl in a better and... dominant way.

"Alright."

After a short silence, Diana uttered the words, making me nod my head in acceptance.

"Do you like Ashlyn?"

"I don’t."

I thought that was the end of the conversation, but for some reason Diana was being a lot more talkative than before.

"Do you hate her?"

"I... don’t."

I couldn’t help but slightly frown while looking at Diana, who simply smiled at me.

"Just curious."

"..."

What was she even trying to achieve by asking such questions?

"Can I ask one last question?"

Raising her index finger, Diana placed it on her lips, as if indicating that she would only ask a single question.

Though I found it a waste of my energy... there was no real loss in answering her questions.

"Sure."

Diana’s face brightened the moment I nodded my head.

Was it something to be so happy about?

I could even see her clenching her fist, as if she had been victorious in some grand battle—

"Do you like me?"

"..."

I couldn’t help but be surprised for a moment, as my steps paused at the very moment Diana asked the question.

All sorts of calculations ran through my mind, as I tried to find the best answer that I could give without having to lie.

Though lying wasn’t a difficult thing for me... it was beneath me to say that I liked her.

Why would I even like her?

Someone who was far inferior to me.

But I couldn’t exactly say my real thoughts either.

Haa...

"You don’t have to answer right now."

Hm?

"I like you."

"..."

I couldn’t respond to that.

I thought Diana was just trying to test me, before confessing her feelings in some distant future, when she would grow closer to me, but—

Wasn’t this developing too fast?

I had just spoken a few words of consolation, and made her return to the academy.

But that was meant to serve as a foundation to make her feel more open to me.

To make her believe that I would be there for her, whenever she would have needed my help.

Haa...

Why was she confessing now?

I hadn’t even begun with my act, then why was I already getting its final results?

I didn’t believe that my luck was this good.

"You don’t have to be so surprised."

Moving closer to me, Diana grabbed my right hand before holding it in front of her face, and planting a small kiss on it.

"Allan’s death had made me realize, just how short life could be."

Should I add something to it?

"I just felt like I should make sure that even if in the future death opened its doors for me... I wouldn’t regret anything."

Diana still had my hand in her grasp, as she lifted her other hand, and now—

Both of Diana’s hands had locked onto my right hand.

She then moved it closer to her, before letting the hands rest just below her neck.

Though Diana had locked my hand in her own... some parts of my skin had come into direct contact with her clothes, making me feel the heat of her body.

It was warm, but the feeling didn’t last long as I had begun to feel a little uncomfortable.

I wasn’t nervous, but the situation had ended up becoming something that felt a little out of my hands.

To be exact, I didn’t know what words I should utter at the moment.

Should I go along with the flow, or speak something else?

Diana had now moved even closer to me, her body a foot away from mine.

"You should have already known about my feelings, yet I felt that I had to clarify them again."

Diana’s eyes had now begun to water up, though the tears were still far away from streaming down her face.

Still... I couldn’t help but feel the intensity of Diana’s emotions through her eyes, which had now interlocked themselves with my gaze.

Wasn’t she feeling embarrassed?

Though the question popped up in my mind, I had already known its answer.

From the way she was acting... her confidence was proof enough that Diana wasn’t embarrassed about her actions.

Though that reduced the ways in which I could dissolve the intensity of this situation.

"You don’t have to burden your mind due to my words."

Diana spoke as if realizing that my silence was due to her words weighing on my mind.

Haa...

Only if she knew the truth.

Though I didn’t clear her misunderstanding, as I continued my silence, letting Diana speak her mind.

"I just felt that I had to confess everything at this moment, or else I might have regretted it in the future."

Hm?

Was it due to the mention of Ashlyn?

That could be... after all, girls tend to get jealous from such things—

"You can love anyone. I won’t blame you for it. Just—"

Diana paused as she once again lifted my hand, which was interlocked with her own hands, and placed it near her lips, while planting another kiss on it.

"Remember that I will always be waiting for you."

Silence.

I couldn’t think of any reply that would be decent enough in this situation.

Was it due to my inexperience in matters related to romance?

I had thought that with my intelligence I would easily be able to handle such situations, but as they say—

Knowing about something and actually executing it in reality were two entirely different matters.

"My apologies, but the teleportation passage has already been opened."

In the end, it was the butler who ended up saving me.

"Let’s go."

It wasn’t me but Diana who uttered those words, while beginning to walk towards the passage.

Haa...