Taming The Villainesses novel Chapter 386

These past few days—

I’ve been like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web.

Being held in the arms of the queen, who’s said to be the most beautiful in the country, made it feel like ropes were wrapped around my arms and legs. There was no escaping.

My reason went numb, my thoughts dulled.

And during that time, Ayra’s heart shattered—shattered into tiny, delicate pieces.

Ayra’s mind had been teetering closer to the edge than I’d realized. The cracks that had already formed in her were so brittle that just the smallest gesture from me caused everything to fall apart.

Carrying the guilt of that, the helplessness, and the sticky, heated lust that clung to my body, I felt like my brain was dissolving in venom.

And yet—

Whether it was good fortune or misfortune, I managed to come back to my senses. I grabbed Ayra firmly by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes as I spoke.

“My wish—my second wish still remains. May I say it now?”

Ayra is a person as tempestuous as a typhoon.

But when it comes to promises she’s made herself, she tends to keep them.

So even though she was clearly hurt in all sorts of ways, I bet on the belief that her core nature wouldn't change.

“......”

Ayra blinked at me with an innocent, unguarded expression.

Staring into those eyes made me feel like I could die happily in this room, simply by choosing the option “Perish of thirst while having the most beautiful woman in the world all to yourself.” I squeezed my eyes shut.

And, with resolve, I spoke again.

“Lady Ayra, I’m sure you remember. I haven’t spoken my second wish yet.”

“What is it you want to do?”

Yes—got her!

That was a promising response.

Maybe the answer to this whole mess was about to come out of my mouth. I closed my eyes and tried to think it through.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a wish to Ayra.

A fleeting moment where I might be able to ask anything of the dazzling queen who captivated all. Perhaps that’s why my head was flooded with all sorts of ridiculous impulses.

Like asking her to wear something racy—

Or begging her to seduce me with lewd, embarrassing words she’d normally never say—

Or maybe—

No. Stop.

I shook my head violently to clear my thoughts. The wish I needed to make had to be something far removed from all things carnal and perverse.

Because if I asked for anything like that, even as a joke...

I'd just melt into the queen’s embrace again. This time, her fangs would sink in for real, and everything inside me would dissolve and spill out.

I had to stay calm.

I focused all my strength on staying composed.

Normally, the cold coolant in my head would soak my brain like ice water and give birth to clever ideas, but...

For some reason, these past few days, I couldn’t even feel a trace of my old reliable 《Calm Thinking》. Had the circuits burned out from the repeated shocks, like I’d been struck by lightning?

Just then, as my eyes stayed closed, Ayra’s voice whispered into my ear.

“Teo, what wish do you want to make to me? If you want, I can even dance for you—the courtship dance passed down through the women of House Tarantella.”

A courtship dance passed down in the Tarantella family? That was the first I’d heard of it. A brief image of Ayra dancing flickered in my mind, then faded.

Come to think of it, I’d never once seen Ayra dance. What would that even look like? The curiosity started to build.

But I only had one wish left.

I had to think about the others—those outside who might be waiting or worrying about me.

Yes, think about the others. Elga’s gleaming blonde hair...

The breathy sighs and giggles of the Draco sisters, Mirna and Narmee...

Stella’s pushy nosiness, Marmar’s wagging tail, the bark of our little squirrel dog...

“Teo, look. I’m dancing right now.”

Even though the window was closed and no wind could enter, I felt something swaying faintly in the room. I nearly opened my eyes at her words, but stopped myself and clenched them shut again.

If I looked at her dancing now, I’d fall under her spell.

So, keeping my eyes closed, I spoke.

“Lady Ayra, please go on a date with me—outside.”

***

My home.

My room has a strange kind of magic.

Just being inside it and resting can heal your body and spirit to a surprising degree.

But the longer you stay there, the more the house turns into a trap, shackling you in place. There comes a point when you feel physically unable to step outside.

Back when I lived alone—

...Or maybe when I thought I lived alone—

There was a time I shut myself in after going through something painful. My first girlfriend—whose name I can’t even remember now.

Looking back, I don’t even know if we really dated. I wonder if that period of my life even existed at all. But I still remember vividly what it felt like, being locked in my room back then.

Helpless.

Afraid.

Feeling like I had no reason to go outside.

Thinking I couldn’t go on like that, I enlisted in the military. Even as someone raised in an orphanage, I spent over a year in the army—though I never really had to serve.

Anyway, because of those memories, I know this:

To leave a locked room, you need a trigger—something to crack the shell from the inside.

Sometimes you realize it on your own, but if you can’t, someone else has to break the shell for you.

That’s why I said it to Ayra.

“Would you please go on a date with me? Outside.”

“......”

She didn’t answer right away.

I peeked with one eye—and met Ayra’s gaze. Her face was terribly cold.

What kind of answer would she give?

Yes or no? Or maybe she’d throw a fit and say no outright? No... Ayra wouldn’t reject my wish. She’d probably say yes.

Even so, my heart was pounding.

Srrrk—

Finally, her radiant lips parted slowly.

“Why?”

Why...?

I hadn’t expected her to question me. That slight opening in my heart was all she needed—her tongue slipped through it.

“We’re already perfectly happy in here, aren’t we? I have you. You have me. Isn’t that perfect? Why do we need to go outside?”

“Well—”

“And the outside is dangerous, remember?”

Before I could reply, Ayra cut in, her voice laced with irritation. Then, as if overcome by anxiety, she began pacing the room—left to right, right to left.

“The outside’s dangerous. There are dark, twisted things out there. They come in. Inward. And we have to keep refining. Perfect rest is superficial...”

Her sentences were crumbling {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} again. Her mind was clearly spiraling.

Was it really the right thing to pull her out into the world?

No, leaving her shut in like this would be worse.

I wouldn’t regret my choice. I’d already made my decision.

I pulled away the blankets that had gotten dirty over the past few days. Then I lay down on the bare mattress—no cover, no proper sheets. _{freeweɓnøvel.com}