I’m the Main Villain but the Heroines Are Obsessed With Me chapter 87

87 – 37. A Life Without Congratulations (3)

He had eagerly waited for the time to exit the bunker.

It used to be nothing to spend 12 hours with beloved colleagues, but now it felt as if his blood was drying up.

‘If I hadn’t fainted in the middle. I wouldn’t have endured.’

He did spend about 8 hours collapsed, but enduring the remaining 4 hours wasn’t easy.

No matter how robustly the bunker was constructed, saying it was completely isolated from the outside world wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Being a disconnected space, not only could they not see outside, but they couldn’t even hear any sounds.

There was only one thing I could do.

‘What should I do if he’s down? If Ian loses his life. I couldn’t even apologize, what am I supposed to do?’

Thinking about what happened after leaving the bunker.

At first, only unpleasant thoughts crossed my mind. But realizing that there was nothing good to come out of dwelling on it, I decided to focus on the best possible outcome.

‘Yeah… He must have been exhausted from fighting for 12 hours straight. Since the entrance is sealed, he probably couldn’t even receive reinforcements.’

Backing away from Ian, who was struggling to hold back the enemies, Arielle simultaneously dealt with the monsters using the stored power.

Considering all possible scenarios, Arielle ran simulations.

Thunk!

Finally, as time passed, the barrier began to loosen. As if waiting, she grabbed the doorknob.

Preparing to open the door with her left hand and infusing mana into the Elysion with her right hand, she was ready to unleash her sword at any moment.

Creak!

“What. What is this…”

As soon as she saw the carnage outside the bunker, her head began to turn white.

Blood had risen to the entrance of the bunker, and the pungent smell began to sting her nose.

‘Is this the blood of the monsters, perhaps?’

How many must one kill to create such a scene?

No. Was killing enemies to this extent the pinnacle of what humans could do in such situations?

For a moment, admiration involuntarily escaped her lips.

But Arielle lowered her head again and shifted her gaze back to the center of the carnage.

Thanks to that, she could see.

“Oh, Oppa?”

Ian, standing with clothes soaked in blood, using a sword as a cane.

She wanted to approach him right away. She wanted to ask if he was hurt anywhere, tell him to rest now that it must have been tough.

But Ariel couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

“It’s okay now.”

“….”

“Because it’s all over.”

Seeing her older brother’s exhausted figure for the first time, Ariel’s mind went blank.

Unable to bear the guilt of not helping in a life filled with sacrifices, she couldn’t bring herself to burden him again.

Ian, still shaking from a distance, began to move laboriously.

“You must be tired from all the fighting. Rest now.”

“…”

“It’s Friday, so go have some fun and go home. Mom will be worried.”

Ian, approaching with sticky blood, gently tapped her shoulders and headed towards the entrance.

Ariel seemed to have something she wanted to say, but now was not the time for a conversation.

There would be plenty of time for that. That was what she thought as she was about to move her feet.

“Oppa… Let’s, let’s go together. It’s your birthday tomorrow.”

“…What?”

“My, tomorrow is your birthday… Mom is waiting. And how do you plan to go alone with that body?”

The unexpected obstacle blocked their path in that moment.

Ariel’s words about tomorrow being her birthday instantly made Ian’s body stiffen.

‘Tomorrow… is it my birthday?’

It was the first time he heard such words. Well, he hadn’t made an effort to know about birthdays since he became aware after the possession. It was only natural not to know.

Perhaps he never thought he should be a child who shouldn’t have been born.

Living a life of countless rejections from a young age, Ian had lived a life where, while other children wished for abundant gifts, he just wanted a warm word as minimal as ‘I love you’ from his parents. He spent his life wanting just that one word.

‘What I wanted from the past was…’

‘To be loved.’ A word that a minimum as parents could say. He spent a life wanting just that word.

Although he had realized it was a dream that could never come true and had long since given up.

That’s why he was even more confused.

‘Did she… know about my birthday?’

Just as he erased the day he should have been blessed from his memory, naturally, he thought his family would have forgotten too.

Perhaps it was because of his stiffened body that his mouth wouldn’t open.

Ariel, who would be behind him, would be expecting an answer. But he couldn’t figure out what to say.

‘I thought it was an unreachable happiness.’

Even after the possession, it was the same. Before that, Ian didn’t consider birthdays as significant days for him. Before foolishly wishing for congratulations, he would think about the family circumstances.

‘So, I’ve been thinking about it casually.’

Birthday cakes were a luxury, and he would make a futile wish using the candlelight of a part-time job’s night view.

A day when the heart becomes heavy and a vague loneliness sets in.

To Ian, a birthday was such a thing, so he naturally didn’t feel the need to pay attention to it.

That was the reason.

“My birthday… haven’t you ever celebrated it?”

“Huh? W-what do you mean?”

“I don’t attach any meaning to the day I was born. So, you don’t need to celebrate either.”

The reason he could openly express his feelings in response to his younger brother’s words.

The reason he could guess that he couldn’t obtain such happiness because he had a life where he couldn’t celebrate.

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He could have responded kindly. But due to the exhaustion that had accumulated to his limit, Ian was not in his right mind.

“…I’ll go first.”

Leaving the bewildered Ariel behind, he moved his feet.

At least for now, he didn’t feel like looking at her face.

Thump. Thump.

– …

How long had it been since he held Nathalion’s hand tightly in one hand and struggled to move his stiffened feet?

It was faint, but a glimmer of light began to enter his eyes.

“The exit.”

If he crossed that path and joined the soldiers, it would be the end.

With the portal deactivated and the barrier gone, there would be no need to throw himself forward with great effort like before.

“Just a little more. Just a little more.”

He just had to walk. That was Ian’s thought as he continued to step forward.

Ping!

‘Ah.’

It began like a machine losing power, where every sensation was cut off.

The falling body, powerless, ignored commands, and soon consciousness started drifting away.

As the vision blurred, darkness engulfed. However, in that moment, Ian saw.

“Ian? How did you… you must have been blocked by the barrier.”

People crowded at the entrance rushing towards this place.

And at the forefront stood a woman with flaming red hair.

“Ian? Ian!”

‘Encountering Hailey in this situation is a bit…’

He didn’t want a reunion with the master. Yet, in his current state, Ian couldn’t avoid this situation.

Thunk!

He collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.

***

The fact that Ariane was dispatched for an undercover mission reached Leticia’s ears.

‘Going to the old enemy’s stronghold to search for hidden mages?’

Of course, according to the letter conveyed by Ark, he promised to prioritize the safety of the novices.

Still, as a parent, it was unsettling to have a child go to a dangerous area.

To the extent that during gatherings of noble ladies, there were discussions on how to prevent children from being assigned to dispatch missions every time.

Leticia, too, wanted to prevent sending her children to dangerous areas. She even considered writing a letter to the assigned instructor of her children.

However, in the end, Leticia couldn’t bring herself to put words on paper.

“I can’t stop being a parent and blocking their path…. I can only hope they won’t get hurt.”

Being a part of the hero party, she couldn’t help but endure, knowing that if she withdrew from her arduous mission due to her parents’ influence, it would tarnish their reputation.

Instead, she prayed for their safety and made up her mind to provide them with sufficient rest when they returned.

That was why.

“Madam, all the food preparations are complete.”

“Thank you all for your hard work.”

She began preparing food again for Ian and Ariel, who would soon return.

Although she hesitated to enter the kitchen to cook, thinking of the previous accident.

As a parent, was there nothing more she could do?

Having withdrawn from the front lines for quite some time, there was nothing else she could do at the moment.

“I hope they would appreciate it this time….”

Her eyes trembled as she watched the maids who were enchanting the well-prepared dishes with preservation magic from a distance.

Her face still flushed with embarrassment when she remembered the time when she became a mother and found out that her son couldn’t eat seafood. And even after becoming an adult, she heard that fact from her son’s friend.

Letitia didn’t ignore that embarrassment, and this time, she decided to make food for her son.

Coincidentally, today was her child’s birthday, so it would be best to prepare his favorite food as much as possible.

“It was quite difficult.”

Although the family had accumulated a significant amount of wealth recently, enough to be called a wealthy family, it was not easy to find high-quality ingredients in the northern region.

Nevertheless, Letitia personally sought out the highest quality ingredients and fortunately managed to complete all the dishes before the birthday.

Starting with a tosni made from beef tenderloin, beef wellington wrapped in pastry, and pork belly with a soft texture that comes from the pig’s belly.

In addition, a dinner composed solely of meat was laid out temptingly.

‘At this point….’

Even if there’s food that doesn’t suit Ian’s taste, there’s nothing he can’t eat.

In preparation for any unforeseen situation, all the foods that were difficult to eat without seafood were excluded. It was expected that there wouldn’t be any mishaps like before.

‘Yes, it should be fine….’

It was the moment she anxiously awaited, trying to soothe her trembling heart.

“Madam. Miss Ariel has arrived.”

The moment the news of their return reached those who were waiting.

Seeing the carriage at the entrance of the mansion visible from outside the restaurant, Leticia brought both hands to her chest and neatly clasped them together.

After a quick wash, changing clothes, the children would come here.

She had waited for the children’s visit as eagerly as in her dreams, but now that reality had come, she couldn’t help but feel so nervous.

Her skin’s hairs seemed to stand on end, and the legs covered by the skirt began to feel numb.

Maintaining extreme tension, Leticia patiently waited for the children.

It was at that moment when she was thinking about when they would arrive, staring at the restaurant’s door.

“Mom…. I’m here.”

“Ah, Ariel!”

What she saw was the appearance of her daughter who looked exhausted.

But she wasn’t the only one who came. Behind Ariel were friends she had made since entering the academy.

‘Yes, Ariel often brought her friends. I even expected these kids to come, so I increased the amount of cooking.’

It was strange that she couldn’t see the figure of Celia, whom she had been watching for a long time.

But there could be reasons unknown to her, right? Maybe she couldn’t come because of injury or fatigue, or it could be related to the affairs of the Wignoran family.

It might not be right for a mother to interfere even in her daughter’s friend’s problems.

That’s why Letitia didn’t ask about her well-being and instead embraced Ariel in her arms.

“You’ve been through a lot, our daughter. Please sit down. You must be hungry.”

“Yes… I’ll eat well.”

“You two should sit down too. You must be tired, so rest comfortably.”

“Thank you… Mrs. Volkov.”

“…Thank you.”

Just as everyone took their seats and were about to reach for the dishes after assessing the atmosphere.

“Oh, speaking of Ariel, when is Ian coming?”

“Brother…”

The moment Letitia started asking about Ian’s whereabouts.

Ariel’s face began to pale in response to Letitia’s question.

She couldn’t figure out how to explain this at all.

“What should I do? Should I just tell her?”

She thought about saying that there was no need to celebrate his birthday and that he had left. But the problem was Letitia’s expression.

“She’s expecting so much. If I say that…”

In an instant, the food arranged before Ariel came into view.

She recognized the dishes, mainly consisting of meat, as the ones her mother used to make. She knew what these dishes meant.

“It’s not seafood, it’s meat… She must have made it thinking of Ian.”

She didn’t know if Ian liked meat, but she remembered how he struggled to eat seafood.

Mother must have known about it, which is why she arranged a diet centered around meat.

“Yeah… It’s also because it’s my birthday, she made all these dishes for me.”

But is it really right for the protagonist to say he won’t think about celebrating his birthday and just leave?

Ariel couldn’t bring herself to say such a thing because it was obvious what would happen if she did.

“I can’t say that I passed out due to the aftermath of the battle and was carried away after being informed by the three squad members…”

Whether he ignored his birthday or collapsed and fell, both situations tore at Mother’s heart.

Whichever option he chose, it was inevitable that it would ruin the atmosphere.

“Should I lie…”

For a moment, she considered confessing with a lie to get through this situation.

But in the end, Ariel decided to give up.

“No. If it’s a hastily made lie, it’ll be exposed as soon as they investigate.”

Even if she tried to awkwardly justify it, wouldn’t it only worsen the situation instead of resolving it?

That’s why.

“Mom… It’s, um.”

“Huh? Why are you saying that?”

The reason Ariel decided to reveal the truth was that, although Reina and Bianca sitting in front seemed to advise against telling the truth, Ariel didn’t care.

Now that she knew lying wouldn’t make any difference, there was no other choice.

“Oppa won’t come… So, please don’t wait.”

“What? You didn’t come? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t assign meaning to the day I was born… Why are you bringing it up now? I told you not to worry about it.”

“…Ah… Ah….”

The years that had been neglected, being just time, had accumulated a burden in his heart too heavy for Leticia to bear.

Thud!

“Madam! Madam!”

“Baroness Volkanov!”

“Ariel! What are you doing? Can’t you see your mother has fainted?”

As Ariel finished speaking, Leticia’s body collapsed.

A chaotic atmosphere and the sound of destruction filled the air.

The maids hurriedly rushed to support Leticia’s body, calling for the priests.

Bianca and Reina also rose from their seats to assess her condition.

But Ariel couldn’t bring herself to get up until the end.

“…I’m sorry…. Mom….”

For her, speaking the hard truth was also a difficult task.