Became the Villainess’s Guardian

What was that just now?

Freugne flinched, withdrawing her hand as a wave of dizziness washed over her, causing her to lie back down.
Edan’s concerned gaze followed, but she was not in a state to dwell on such trivialities.

‘No, I already knew, didn’t I.’

Momentarily overwhelmed by the influx of information, her mind had frozen, but after a short while, she could finally surmise what had occurred.

Attempting to feign innocence and purity felt like an affront to her conscience.

Witnessing the city’s darkness was no new experience.
As for purity, she had personally disposed of the sordid underground dealings and crimes too many times to count.

Yet, to claim complete ignorance would be disingenuous – when rambunctious youths in school began their conversations innocuously, they inevitably drifted towards such topics.
Cardiff School was hardly a girls’ academy. Having forgone the opportunity to attend a prestigious boarding school solely to spend more time with Edan in her youth, what could she expect?

Her own disheveled, sweat-drenched appearance.
Edan beside her, hair equally tousled as he trembled.
And that final line of dialogue, succinct yet seemingly unforgettable for eternity.

Devoid of energy, unable to even thrash about beneath the covers, Freugne let out a silent scream from within her blanket cocoon.

‘I’ve gone mad. Utterly mad!’

“Freugne, is your fever rising again?”

“That, that is……”

“I suppose not. Forget about returning to school tomorrow, you’ll need at least another week’s rest.”

As Edan rose to fetch a cold towel, Freugne finally released the breath she had been holding once he left the room. Her wildly pounding heart could not be calmed, no matter what thoughts she entertained.

It was a future yet to come. And the future could change, could it not? She must not rashly judge. Besides, numerous unresolved issues still loomed – the Demonic Tribe’s invasion, the kingdom’s chaos, and so on.

Only after Edan had changed her towel, fed her a meal, and turned off the lights before leaving could Freugne finally regain some composure.

‘Yes, I should simply forget it.’

She would convince herself that the fever had merely caused her to hallucinate nonsense.

Yet, no matter how tightly she pulled the blanket over her head and squeezed her eyes shut, that future vision refused to leave her mind.

At this rate, upon returning to daily life, she might absentmindedly gaze skyward only to plummet straight into a roadside sewer grate.
For now, it seemed the best recourse was to forcibly divert her thoughts elsewhere.

‘Still, uncle, I never knew you could make such an expression……’

In the end, Freugne remained tormented until sheer fatigue forced her mind to shut down.

With her fever spiking, Freugne had no choice but to extend her absence for four more days.
The injustice was that Edan was the one checking her temperature, yet it would soar whenever she saw him – surely, this was Edan’s fault, Freugne concluded inwardly.

Only after a full week had passed did Freugne return to Cardiff School, shuffling into the classroom and taking her seat with a sullen expression.

Admittedly, once one begins resting, the human tendency is to wish to continue doing so.
However, seeing Edan remain by her side night after night, she could not bring herself to lie idly any longer.

Moreover, the winter term exams were the following week.
Once those concluded, the brief winter break would begin, followed by the winter term itself, bringing her one step closer to the future she had witnessed……

Upon reflection, she indeed had much to ponder.

“Ah, what should I do after graduating? I hear finding employment is difficult these days.”

“I don’t know, maybe I’ll just become a NEET.”

“My father would whip my ass if I received that tuition money only to laze around. If you’re not going to university, shouldn’t you start looking for a job now?”

Overhearing the students chattering nearby, Eirene turned to Circe and asked,

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“You only have about a year left until graduation. What are your plans afterward?”

“I, I’m going to join a private security firm……”

“With your practical skills, Circe, you shouldn’t have any major issues. Be sure to treat me when you get hired by some wealthy family in the future.”

While she had responded as expected, in truth, Circe planned to serve as a bodyguard for Freugne or Edan.
Just in case anything happened, you see. Even against moderately skilled magicians or Demonic Tribe members, she could at least buy time.

She had confirmed this during a recent trial run in a secluded lot.
Not only could she effortlessly reduce ordinary wooden stakes to ash with her firepower, but experiments using suspended meat showed her control was precise enough to cook it evenly. The investment was finally bearing fruit.

“And what about you, Eirene?”

“Me? I’ll just get a job at my aunt’s martop, I suppose.”

Ah, pulling strings, I see. Fair enough.
I too could easily parachute into Ceres Martop if I leveraged Edan’s clout.

For any ordinary Londinium job seeker, it would indeed be among the prime considerations.

“I do have a few places in mind as well.”

The Earl of Norton’s investment firm, for instance, but even if not a major investment company, there were plenty of options.

I could simply waltz into any shop operated by my organization’s members and demand employment, securing a position on the spot.
Concerning this issue that had students, even those elite few receiving higher education, tearing their hair out, Freugne enjoyed considerable freedom.

And yet, while able to secure employment anytime, lounging at home idly would likely worry Edan.
Freugne decided to prepare at least a cover identity, just in case he inquired about her future plans.

Yes, keeping herself occupied with such preparations would prevent her mind from wandering—

“But what about marriage?”

“Guh!”

Eirene’s innocuous question struck Freugne, who had barely regained her inner peace, square in the gut.

In the end, after feebly lying that she had no such thoughts, Freugne returned home in a daze and immediately collapsed onto her bed.
Having returned unusually late that day, Edan discovered her state and permitted her to skip another day of school. Regardless, Freugne desperately buried her face in her pillow to avoid meeting his gaze.

…The spot where Edan had been sitting still carried his lingering scent.

After ensuring Freugne’s safe return to school, I stepped out, inwardly concerned that her condition might worsen again, only to discover a letter in the mailbox.

The envelope bore the seals of both the Royal Academy and the government.
Stripping away the decorative verbosity and circumlocutions unbecoming of an official document, the contents could be summarized thus:

[We would like to commission a new project from you and the Royal Academy members listed below.]

Thus, instead of returning home as usual, I headed to a nearby clubhouse.

While unique in its charm as a city in perpetual chaos unlike other human nations ravaged by sporadic unrest,

“Drastic measures are now required.”

Even Londinium’s native citizens would hardly welcome such upheaval.

A government official who had rented the largest room in one of North Londinium’s clubhouses delivered an impassioned speech as he surveyed the assembled members.

They were all familiar faces –
Members of the ‘Grand and Glorious Weapons Crafting Club’, whose purpose, true to its name, was purely academic enthusiasm and the realization of those romantic fancies harbored by any self-respecting man, devoid of any military intent.

“Soon, Parliament will declare full preparedness against the Demonic Tribe.”

“Does that mean pouring funds into armaments?”

“I shall be candid with you. We currently lack the financial means to allocate such a budget.”

So my assets remain untapped for now.
Regardless of my crestfallen expression, the official continued:

“However, if not full-scale rearmament, we can still contribute resources towards developing new weapons.”

Their intentions were gradually becoming clear.

“From what we know, you are the most capable and proven magicians conducting meaningful research.”

“Which means…”

“Therefore, we will actively allocate a portion of our budget towards your research covertly. Furthermore, provided you sign non-disclosure agreements, we can share military-grade magic and technologies in the government’s possession. What are your thoughts?”

After a brief huddle among themselves, the members soon reached a consensus.

“You did state that you would provide all possible support, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then we accept.”
The government was joining us in realizing our romantic aspirations.
I could not contain myself.