I Became the Master of the Villain

I looked in the direction of the cry in shock. Out in the middle of the sea, a small speck kept bobbing up and down. A child was flailing in the water, drowning.
A woman—presumably the child’s mother—was trying to jump in, but the people around her held her back.
I turned to Kian in panic.

“Kian!”
But before I could even call for him, he was already on his feet. He gently released my hand and said,
“I’ll be right back.”

I nodded, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight.
Ignoring the laws of physics, Kian reappeared above the sea. He spotted the child’s location and, with a single wave of his hand—the child, moments from drowning, was lifted into the air.
“A mage! He’s a mage!”

“Oh thank goodness, she’s saved!”
Hovering midair, Kian cradled the child in his arms. The watching crowd let out a cheer of relief.
I anxiously watched the rescue unfold from a short distance away.  Once back on land, Kian gently laid the girl down on the sand. He focused his energy and cast a healing spell.

A few minutes passed. The girl’s body convulsed violently—then she coughed up a mouthful of water. She gasped, struggling to fill her lungs.
“She’s alive!”
“Thank heavens!”

The moment the girl opened her eyes, the crowd erupted in joy. Her mother clutched her, weeping.
“Thank you for saving my daughter, Mage! Thank you…!”
Kian declined every offer of reward and returned to where I was standing. But several people followed behind him.

Praising him as a hero for saving the child, they began pressing in with ulterior motives.
“Mage! May I trouble you for just a moment? There’s something I desperately need your help with…”
“Please! I’d be so grateful if you’d lend me your strength!”
Mages weren’t people one could meet casually. Especially not ones as powerful as Kian.

'So much attention from a single good deed…'
Kian had merely done the right thing, but now all sorts of people were crowding around.
He frowned and turned his head. Then he took my hand and said,

“Shall we return to the resort?”
I glanced at the people rushing toward us and nodded emphatically.
***

Back at the resort, Kian and I had dinner. We ate while listening to orchestral music playing in the background.
As I savored the tender, spice-roasted lobster meat, a thought crossed my mind—what had Kian been about to say earlier?
Judging by the atmosphere at the time…

'Was he going to confess?'
If the child hadn’t fallen into the water, then maybe… Kian would’ve…
The idea of him confessing made my cheeks flush faintly. I wondered what he was thinking now.

I looked over at him. He was calmly bringing neatly cut pieces of food to his mouth. His well-shaped lips parted, revealing white teeth.
'Haa… how can someone eat so prettily?'
As I stared at him, captivated, something caught my eye. A drop of juice had trickled onto his lip.

Just as I thought to hand him a napkin—
“...!”
Perhaps without thinking, Kian slowly licked his lip. His long lashes fell like curtains as his red tongue ran languidly across his lips...

It looked… strangely seductive.
An indecent image flashed through my mind.
'Am I insane?!'

He hadn’t even confessed yet, and I was already crossing the line with my fantasies.
Was this normal when you liked someone?
Was it because I had never met someone as perfect as Kian, in this life or the last?

Because I had never been loved this much before, and every moment felt so sweet?
'Still, calm down. One step at a time.'
I was trying to scold myself when—

“Lady Olivia.”
Kian suddenly called my name with a warm gaze.
“What has you so deep in thought?”

'Sexy thoughts…'
Of course I couldn’t say that. I gave him a sheepish smile and deflected.
“Just wondering what we should do tomorrow.”

Kian smiled as he replied,
“You’re right. We haven’t made plans for tomorrow yet.”
He picked up a tourist brochure for Elsica from the corner of the table and said,

“I heard the coral reefs here are beautiful. Have you seen them before?”
“Yeah, once when I was little.”
I reached into Olivia’s memories and retrieved a scene—one summer, she had gone sailing with her father. She had been amazed by the shimmering coral reefs beneath Elsica’s emerald waters.

'Wow…! They’re so pretty!'
When young Olivia couldn’t tear her eyes away from the view, the sailor steering the yacht told her a story. He said that in the deep sea, there were colorful coral reefs, endless rock valleys, and seagrass-covered plains.
Little Olivia had asked with wide eyes,

“Mister, how do you know all that?”
“When I was young, my grandmother used to tell me stories. She said her grandmother once followed a mermaid deep into the sea.”
“Wow…!”

Back then, mermaids were still common in the ocean. It seemed possible enough.
I scooped up some pudding for dessert and said,
“Of course, mermaids are extinct now, so something like that probably isn’t possible anymore.”

Humans had hunted them so extensively, and environmental destruction had nearly wiped them out.
Seeing me sound disappointed, Kian said,
“You don’t need mermaids for that.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You have me.”
“You’re saying… we can explore the ocean with magic?”

“There’s nothing difficult about it.”
Kian smiled.
“Why don’t we go tomorrow afternoon—after some rest?”

His tone made it sound as casual as a walk in the park, even though he was suggesting an underwater expedition.
I really couldn’t help being impressed by his initiative and capability lately.
'Honestly, this man…'

He truly was a male lead beyond imagination.
***
After dinner, we decided to have a light drink. The open-air wine bar offered a clear view of the sea and was already full of patrons.

I hadn’t expected this many people to show up just for the view.
Looking around, I said,
“Looks like there aren’t any seats left. Want to drink in the room?”

“That sounds good.”
Kian readily agreed, then glanced at the crowded counter. With a gentle voice, he said,
“It may take a while to order. Please go ahead upstairs.”

“Okay. Got it.”
Grateful for his thoughtfulness, I nodded and returned to my room on the second floor.
I sat at the table by the window and gazed out at the scenery. Emerald waves rolled gently across the sea. Palm fronds swayed in the ocean breeze.

It was such a peaceful view that my mood began to relax.
Then—
There was a knock at the door.
'Kian, probably.'

I stood up and opened it.
“…!”
But the person who had come wasn’t Kian.

It was a man with a hood pulled deep over his face. His exposed skin was horribly scarred.
'Burn marks…!'
The hooded intruder quickly shut the door behind him.

Just as I opened my mouth to scream, he thrust out a large hand and clamped it over my lips.
“Mmph!”
A thick cloth was stuffed into my mouth without warning. A bitter taste spread across my tongue.

There must have been something on the cloth—my vision swam, and my legs buckled.
I kicked and clawed at my throat. But a chill of dread ran through me.
'The necklace Kian gave me… it’s gone!'

I’d taken it off earlier when I changed clothes and forgotten to put it back on.
My consciousness blurred.
I fought the dizziness, trying desperately not to fall asleep—but strength drained from my limbs.

Overhead, I heard a raspy laugh.
Then a voice, thick with hatred, muttered like it was chewing glass.
“Olivia Ashford. You’re as good as dead.”

My skin crawled. They knew who I was—this attack was targeted.
Who was this man, and why was he doing this?
But I couldn’t think anymore.

The overwhelming darkness swallowed me—
And I lost consciousness.
***

They say life is full of unpredictable events.
'But still… why now of all times?'
'I love you, Lady Olivia.'

Just as he had prepared to say those words, a child [N O V E L I G H T] had nearly drowned. It felt like the gods were playing a prank on him.
Still, no matter what happened, he had resolved to confess today.
He had decided to tell her when they were alone. And at last, the opportunity had come. The wine bar had no free tables, so they would be drinking in her room.

Kian carefully selected a low-alcohol wine and made his way back to Olivia’s room. He knocked on the door twice.
There was no response.
'Did she fall asleep?'

He waited a moment, then opened the door.
“Lady Olivia, it’s Kian.”
He called her name and looked around the room.

But something was wrong.
There was no sign of her anywhere.