A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 81

Chapter 81: His Exam (1)

Tap, tap, tap—

Rain drummed against the restaurant window as Epherene, drowning in melancholy, absently pushed her food around on the plate.

“Why does life take such turns?” Epherene murmured. “It often strays too far, beyond the point of no return. When despair comes uninvited, you wish for hope to follow, but reality is seldom so kind. Relief that balances this kind of despair... is rare.”

Epherene toyed with her chopsticks for a moment, then set them down, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“B-but why? The food is delicious,” said Lethe and Endel, Sylvia’s maids, their voices tinged with confusion. To them, the steak was perfectly fine.

“She just prefers another type of pork,” Sylvia said offhandedly, continuing to eat without a care. To her, it didn’t matter if it was rice balls, fried rice, pork, or beef.

“Why did it have to be today, of all days...” Epherene muttered, her voice heavy with despair.

The Flower of the Pig restaurant was closed today, leaving her puzzled. She resolved to ask Julia about it later.

“Foolish Epherene,” Sylvia sneered, rising from her seat with a smirk.

Epherene was too drained to respond. One of the three maids followed Sylvia out, while the other two remained, silently observing Epherene.

“This is the first time,” one of them remarked to Epherene, whose spirit appeared utterly drained.

“... Pardon?”

“Since the mistress’s passing, Lady Sylvia has never once brought a friend home.”

“Ah...” Epherene muttered, a bitter smile crossing her lips.

Sylvia's reputation, along with her family’s history, was widely known. Not just those at the magic tower, but even ordinary university students were aware that Sylvia’s mother had passed away. This was the weight of her fame.

“That is why we were so pleased when you visited, Miss Epherene. You entered the mansion so freely.”

“Ahaha... well, I must admit, I did feel a bit hesitant...”

To be honest, I was merely lingering outside when I was brought in. The attendants were so kind that, before I knew it, I had taken a shower without realizing.

“No, truly, it was the first time. Everyone finds Lady Sylvia intimidating, and she has never pressured anyone like that before. She’s never twisted anyone’s nose like that.”

“... I-is that so?”

“Yes, so... might you continue your friendship with Lady Sylvia?” the maid asked.

Epherene hesitated, knowing they wouldn’t realize that the relationship between the Iliades and the Lunas was far from amicable.

“Would it be too much to ask...?”

“... Sorry? No, no, of course, we should get along well,” Epherene responded, her voice tinged with unease as she forced a smile, picking up her fork and knife before returning to the steak she had set aside earlier.

***

Sylvia returned home before nightfall. With Deculein’s exam only a week away, she had a great deal to prepare, including revising her application.

“Sweetie.”

In the dimly lit living room, however, an unexpected figure was waiting for her—Glitheon.

“Oh, Master. When did you—”

“Lethe, leave us,” Glitheon ordered, his voice icy as the tension in the room deepened.

"... Yes, sir," Lethe replied, her voice tinged with worry. After a brief hesitation, the maid bowed slightly and left Sylvia behind as she quietly exited the room.

Tilting her head, Sylvia stepped closer to Glitheon and asked, "What's going on?"

Glitheon tapped the application on the desk without a word.

"Why did you look at that without permission?" Sylvia said, her eyes widening as she confronted her father.

She reached for the application, but Glitheon, with a stern expression, intercepted her and asked, "Are you seriously considering applying under Deculein, sweetie?"

"... Yes, but just for six months."

Glitheon clenched his teeth as he stared at her, struck by how much she resembled her mother.

"... Sylvia, I wanted you to grow up surrounded by kindness and beauty, not burdened by the harsh realities I faced."

Glitheon’s eyes settled on a framed photo of his late wife, Cielia, who had been gone for years. Her smile was still as radiant and joyful as he remembered.

“The conflicts between mage families, the ruthless nature of mages—I was certain that the world was still too harsh for you,” Glitheon said, his expression growing increasingly severe.

This was no pretense. Even Glitheon, who had planned to mask his true feelings, couldn’t hold back the wave of emotions rising within him.

“What do you mean?”

“... Sylvia, do you know the history that binds the Iliades and the Yuklines? Do you truly grasp the depth of the hatred between us?”

Sylvia remained silent. The sight of Glitheon without his usual mask was both unsettling and terrifying. As she slowly stepped back, he watched her retreat with a cold, detached gaze.

“Cielia,” Glitheon said.

The name was that of the person Sylvia had loved most in this world—her mother. A faint tremor ran through Sylvia’s shoulders.

“She was a beautiful woman, an exceptional wife, and a devoted mother,” Glitheon said as he suddenly rose and stepped toward Sylvia. He gripped her shoulders firmly, preventing her from retreating, and looked directly into her eyes. “Listen carefully, Sylvia.”

He carefully enunciated each word with unwavering intensity.

“The Yuklines killed Ciel—the woman you loved and the one I once called my own.”

Sylvia’s eyes widened, reflecting the fury in Glitheon’s gaze. The world around her blurred as her ears rang and fear took hold. Glitheon was no longer himself; he was a raging fire.

“Deculein is the one who killed Cielia.”

Sylvia snapped back to reality, no longer a child immobilized by fear.

“The Iliades and the Yuklines are tied by that kind of bond. You must understand—”

Glitheon continued explaining, but Sylvia’s heart had already settled on one unshakeable belief.

“That’s a lie.”

Glitheon’s face tightened with fury.

Sylvia pushed away the hand holding her and said, “I know the true reason my mother left.”

“What?”

“Mother hated you.”

“... Sylvia.”

“And still, you lied back then.”

Glitheon let out a bitter laugh. Deculein’s face suddenly flashed in his mind—arrogant, as if he alone were noble, looking down on everyone. And before Deculein, there were the Yuklines who came before him, those treacherous, cunning snakes. The entire Yukline family stoked Glitheon’s fury.

“... Then why don’t you ask him yourself?” Glitheon said, his voice was cold and cutting. “He wouldn’t dare accuse me of lying. So...”

Glitheon stared at Sylvia, noticing the doubt in her eyes—the same accusatory look Cielia had once shown him.

“Go ahead, ask him yourself! Then you’ll see just how foolish you’ve been!” Glitheon shouted, ripping her application to pieces.

Sylvia had never seen him look like that before. Stunned, she bit her lip to stay silent.

"You’ll know it deep inside. Only then will you understand."

With those final words, Glitheon stormed out of the mansion, slamming the door behind him with such force that it rattled on its hinges. The servants outside bowed deeply as he passed, but he ignored them, heading straight to his car.

— ... Are you sure about this?

A faint voice whispered from the crystal orb in his pocket.

Glitheon breathed heavily and replied, “I’ve allowed myself to become complacent. Even in peace, one must be vigilant in preparing their heirs.”

— Brother, isn’t this too harsh? She’s still a child, and this may be more than she can bear.

Glitheon reflected on his past. At seven, he barely escaped a tiger’s jaws. At thirteen, he had to kill his closest friend. By twenty, war had claimed his mother.

“If she cannot rise above this challenge, she does not deserve the name Iliade.”

On early Friday morning, Epherene stretched and yawned as she left the dormitory. Most of her exams were already behind her—core subjects like Destructive Category Magic Applications and Supportive Category Magic Conversion, as well as general courses like Imperial History and Criminal Investigation. She was confident she had done well in all of them.

Now, only the final exam in Deculein's Understanding Pure Elements remained.

Ding—!

"Wow... So this is what a Special Floor looks like," Epherene whispered to herself as she stepped into the forest.

He effortlessly combined the earth and wood around him, forming an elegant chair with his usual refined Ductility magic.