A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

"Shouldn\'t you be in class?" Avendial narrowed his gaze, fixing his attention on Aecilia. He was keenly aware that the garden area and Aria were visible from here; even now he could see Aria standing quietly with her gaze lowered, lost in her own dilemma.

Avendial turned his focus back to Aecilia, who looked perplexed by his words—her brow raised in confusion.

"Marquess, are you trying to change the subject?" Aecilia sighed, recognizing his attempt to divert the conversation. It was all too clear from the straightforward expression on his face.

However, without acknowledging her, Avendial began to move toward the corridor, leaving her feeling completely ignored.

"Wait, Marquess! Aren\'t you going to explain yourself?" Aecilia called out, her curiosity piqued. She was eager to know exactly who that woman was.

Despite the situation, she felt more composed than agitated; after all, she had become accustomed to seeing him getting dragged between the legs of several women.

The first princess had taken him away from her, and he\'d lost his virginity to that purple-haired bodyguard of his. So yes, she was more than capable of maintaining her composure and tolerance.

"Why would I?" Avendial replied, tilting his head slightly as he looked at her. His tone was firm; he understood there was no obligation for him to explain anything to her.

They weren\'t in any sort of relationship that demanded such accountability, nor did he feel it necessary to justify his actions as though he were a husband caught in the act by his wife.

"...Because you still need to ask me about that woman\'s details," Aecilia said with a smirk, amused by the Marquess acting tough in front of her. She was well aware of his mentality; romance was not in his wheelhouse.

She felt she had no other option but to press the issue for an explanation.

Naturally, with her understanding of his habits, she knew that his earlier words could have stung the hearts of any kind-hearted maiden.

But Aecilia was no such maiden; she doesn\'t even burp after digesting such sweet and innocent girls like a morning meal, unfazed by Avendial\'s demeanor.

Avendial remained silent, his face an impassive mask, yet his eyes instinctively averted their gaze, carefully avoiding contact with Aecilia. She was proving to be a formidable opponent, leaving him with little room to maneuver.

He was merely trying to defuse the pressure of the situation.

Caught in this dilemma, he recognized that he had little choice but to heed Aecilia\'s words. However, this was not because he felt any romantic attraction or regard for her.

Rather, he understood the crucial importance of securing the support of the Sertsul family; navigating this conversation with tact was essential.

"What is it that you want?" Avendial asked, resting his hands in his pockets while narrowing his eyes at Aecilia, attempting to intimidate her.

Deep down, however, he knew that this tactic would not affect her unwavering stubbornness. The issue at hand was that he didn\'t want her to feel she had the upper hand in this transaction.

He could have easily refused to pursue information about Aria, but he also understood that he would undoubtedly need the assistance of the Sertsul family in more dire circumstances in the future.

While being the wealthiest man certainly afforded him plenty of financial resources, he found himself constrained by time.

He couldn\'t simply create a workforce or start hiring people to do his bidding with just his money.

Establishing a network equivalent to what the Sertsul family had built across three cities in less than a year would be impossible.

Even if it were feasible, it would squander precious time he could better spend preparing for the impending disaster.

This was why he needed the assistance of a certain family—not at the cost of them recognizing their own value and leveraging it even further.

So, he presented himself to Aecilia as someone desperate for information about Aria, strategically positioning himself in a way that made it appear as though her concession was a victory, not out of a desire for the support of the Sertsul family.

"Nothing at all. What could I possibly ask for after catching you kissing an unknown woman?" Aecilia smirked as she pulled out her phone, opening a picture to reveal it before pointing the screen towards Avendial.

He glanced between the photo and Aecilia\'s expression, which clearly conveyed she was in a bad mood.

"You want a kiss too?" Avendial remarked nonchalantly, tilting his head. As he did, he noticed a slight blush creeping near her ears.

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Though her face remained stoic, her lips parted as she averted her gaze, making him realize that this woman had truly been caught off guard. Discover hidden stories at m,v l\'e-NovelBin.net

\'Oh my god,\' Aecilia thought, feeling her heart skip a beat at Marquess\' casually delivered words. He had said it without even offering her a chance to think it through.

Although she knew that the deal was undoubtedly tempting, she forced herself to keep her composure, fully aware that he could ask for something far more significant.

"Nope, just allow me to enter Croceaus territory whenever I want," Aecilia replied, shaking her head firmly. She composed herself, presenting a face that had shown little emotion from the start.

She met his bluish eyes with her golden ones, fully intent on not being swayed by his sweet words.

She couldn\'t quite understand how he had changed so much, but she definitely liked this new side of him, while also finding it challenging to navigate this transformation.

"You... fine. You can enter the territory, but what about the royal family?" Avendial squinted, realizing that this woman was sharper than he had anticipated.

He initially wanted to reject her request outright but paused when he noticed Aria approaching from the opposite direction, her slow steps revealing that she had caught sight of him conversing with Aecilia as she left the garden area.

"I will handle this myself," Aecilia stated calmly, well aware that Marcus had mentioned the royal family because of the rule that prohibited noblemen from entering each other\'s territories without royal permission.

This meant they needed a very compelling reason for any such crossing.

The importance of this rule was evident, particularly in situations where a nobleman might be killed within another\'s territory, potentially leading to a conflict between two noble families inside the kingdom of Thaloris.

Such disputes could complicate matters for the royal family, especially if they sparked rebellion or discontent against the crown. This is precisely why these regulations were established.

Now, Aecilia needed to forge an excuse that would allow her to enter Croceaus territory whenever she pleased.

\'Just one more year,\' Avendial thought, dismissing Aecilia\'s calmness. He understood that by granting her the privilege to enter the territory for just one year, he risked nothing.

After all, after a year there will not be a territory left for either him or the Aecilia to come.

\'!\'

\'Is she horrified?\' Avendial stood near Aecilia as he glanced back at Aria, who had approached their direction just moments ago.

Now she stood a mere five paces away, her face pale, eyes trembling, and a sweet bitterness twisting on her lips as if she had witnessed a ghost.

\'....It\'s not me,\' Avendial muttered under his breath, narrowing his gaze as he followed Aria\'s line of sight.

It quickly became evident; she was looking at Aecilia—more specifically, over her head.

A realization struck him: \'Did she see her title?\'

It was instantly clear to Avendial that Aria was horrified upon catching sight of the title floating above Aecilia\'s head.

However, the exact nature of what had shocked her so deeply remained a mystery, especially considering he had overlooked it entirely when Lin attempted to slap her.

What, he wondered, could Aria have seen that invoked such a terrified expression?