For You, I Would Even Be A Villain

CHAPTER 1.

“Even the great Lilith Blaine has been caught off guard, huh?”

The man let out a hearty laugh after hearing the full story.

His name was Carl Reimer, Lilith’s close friend from their academy days and the second son of the Reimer Count family.

It had been five years since she last saw him.

Unlike most noble heirs, Carl had a rather eccentric nature. Right after graduation, he had declared that he wanted to experience the wider world and had promptly disappeared overseas, cutting off all contact.

Only this morning had he finally returned home—only to storm into the Blaine Ducal estate without so much as a warning.

Lilith spoke curtly.

“You haven’t changed a bit. Laughing at someone else’s misfortune is a terrible habit, Carl.”

“Laugh? Who else cares about you as much as I do?”

Ever shameless, Carl shrugged nonchalantly.

His audacity was almost amusing, but Lilith was too irritated to laugh. She clicked her tongue and set down her teacup.

His sudden return was unexpected.

But then again, that man was the real surprise.

Just thinking about the “glorious savior of the nation” who had returned in a blaze of triumph a few days ago made her head ache.

Regardless, neither Carl’s return nor his was particularly welcome.

As she had just told Carl, that man, Xenon Meyer, had returned to the capital.

Not as a mere soldier, but as the victorious general who had ended the Empire’s decades-long war against the Light Dragons.

From a penniless, lowly slave to a hero who saved the nation—perhaps the most dramatic rise in status in all of history.

Rumor had it that even the Emperor himself was eyeing Xenon as a potential son-in-law.

Though his origins were humble, the title “Savior of the Nation” held enough weight to make such trivial matters irrelevant.

After all, the Emperor had nearly a dozen daughters. Giving away one of them was hardly a difficult decision.

Lilith mentally went over the princesses who were of an appropriate age. There were at least four or five candidates.

“You care about me? Even a stray dog wouldn’t believe that.”

She shot back sarcastically before getting to the point.

“So, why did you come here the moment you returned to the country?”

Carl, unfazed, replied at a leisurely pace.

“No special reason. Just wanted to see an old friend. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

He wanted to confirm the rumors.

Lilith immediately saw through him and frowned.

Just how far had the gossip spread? Surely not overseas?

She didn’t care if people talked, but she couldn’t deny that it irritated her. A fresh wave of exhaustion washed over her, and she felt another headache coming on.

“Well, you’ve seen my face. Satisfied? Now, go home.”

Lilith rose from her seat, clearly done with the conversation.

Carl, still seated, looked taken aback.

“What? You’re really kicking me out? Just like that?”

Ignoring his protest, Lilith turned to a maid and said,

“Our guest is leaving. See him out properly.”

“Lilith!”

Carl called after her with a pitiful voice, but she ignored him completely and left the drawing room.

As she walked down the corridor, she found herself lost in thought.

Xenon Meyer.

The Savior of the Nation.

The man she had once tried to kill.

The last time she had seen him was four years ago. Back then, he had still been a boy. He must have changed a great deal since then.

Every time she thought of him, an inexplicable sense of unease crept over her.

She didn’t know why.

But she was certain it wasn’t just because she had tried to have him killed.

“I won’t fall. Don’t worry.”

She giggled as she clung to Lilith’s arm.

Looking at her, Lilith couldn’t help but smile faintly.

Yes, people could talk all they wanted. They could call her a villainess or a jealous sister. But none of that mattered.

Because more than anything in this world—

She cherished Rosalin.

That was the truth.

Let them weave their predictable little romance narrative. Let them expect some dramatic revenge from Xenon Meyer.

None of it changed the fact that she would never let Rosalin go.

“The situation in House Blaine isn’t exactly stable,” Lilith continued.

Their mother, the duchess, had passed away years ago due to illness. Their father, Duke Blaine, had been devastated by the loss and soon fell ill himself. Now, he had all but relinquished his duties and was living in seclusion, resting under the care of doctors.

The court physician had even hinted that he did not have much time left.

For all intents and purposes, Lilith was already the acting head of the household.

That was precisely why she insisted that Rosalin attend the heir’s lessons.

“You need to be prepared,” Lilith said firmly. “No one knows what the future holds. Even if I’m the official heir, you should still learn everything necessary to lead this house.”

Rosalin pouted slightly, twirling a lock of her golden hair around her finger.

“I know that, but…” she hesitated before finally confessing, “I just don’t think I’d be good at it.”

Lilith sighed, reaching out to take her sister’s hand.

“You don’t have to be perfect at it. You just need to understand enough to stand on your own if you ever need to.”

Rosalin still looked reluctant, but she didn’t argue further.

Instead, after a moment of hesitation, she quietly asked, “Does this have anything to do with Lord Xenon Meyer?”

“Do your best. You’re an adult now,” Lilith said casually.

Rosalin pouted, sulking at her sister’s indifferent response.

“Other noble families don’t even let their siblings near the heir’s position, afraid they might try to steal it.”

Lilith replied with a smirk, “Oh? Then, Rosalin, do you want to be the head of the family?”

“Never! I’d never do something that stressful!”

Rosalin’s firm refusal made Lilith chuckle.

Seeing her sister finally relax, Rosalin beamed with joy once more. It was a pleasant moment—so much so that the headache from thinking about Xenon began to fade.

As Rosalin continued to chatter cheerfully, Lilith watched her and thought to herself.

Rosalin, how do you truly feel about him?

Do you still love him?

If Rosalin still harbored feelings for Xenon, what should Lilith do? Should she allow them to marry? But did she even have the right to decide their fate?

Now that Xenon had returned as the nation’s great hero, Lilith had no real reason to oppose their union. He was no longer a lowly slave, nor someone unworthy of Rosalyn.

On top of that, the entire capital supported their love story—all thanks to Lilith driving him away.

In the end, I was outplayed by my own scheme.

Lilith let out a bitter smile. Who could have predicted that her attempt to eliminate him would only make him stronger?

Without a word, she emptied her teacup. Then, after a long pause, she finally spoke.

“Rosalin.”

“Hmm?”

“No matter what happens, I just want you to be happy.”

Rosalin tilted her head in confusion, not understanding the deeper meaning behind Lilith’s words.

Lilith didn’t explain. Instead, she simply placed her teacup down.

The tea left a bitter taste in her mouth.