The Villainess Doesn't Care

chapter 28

'•narrator's pov •'

The scene was heavily filled with blood, the bodies laying on the ground barely breathing as a foot pressed down against it.

A man wielding a sword placed the tip of it ever so slightly at the base of the neck of the man beneath him.

"Where did you keep the slaves?" A low, gruff voice echoed throughout the halls as he stood still; a terrifying aura enveloped him.

The man beneath him, who was adorned in the finest silks, seemed to be an elite noble who had never experienced the true grief of being a human; he could only squirm beneath him, begging him to spare his life.

"I'll give you all the slaves for free! Just spare my life," the scene was pathetic, a grown middle-aged wealthy businessman bleeding and begging, his life at the hands of a young adult with dark bluish hair and shining red eyes piercing throughout the night.

Who else but the villain of the novel, Xaervin could make such a gruesome scene?

With a snap of a finger, the wealthy man's head separated from his body, blood spewing out and decorating the walls; the villain who attempted such an act could only walk past the body unfazed.

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As the night passed, Xaervin greeted a group of mercenaries who had helped him rescue all of the freed slaves.

"Were there any escapees?" He asked bluntly to the group before him.

"No, Your Highness." A red-haired man bowed down in front of him, holding a written report about the situation.

A sigh came from Xaervin as he nodded satisfactorily, "Were they all captured from the same forgotten land?" He narrowed his eyes as the men nodded.

"Disperse," he ordered quickly with a flick of his hand as the men immediately vanished into thin air.

Xaervin riffled his bluish hair that shined brightly amidst the moonlight; a silhouette of a woman appeared in front of him, covered in the shadows as she smirked in his presence.

"I have quite interesting news for you," she muttered seductively, provoking a snarl from Xaervin.

"What now, Lamia?" He sighed as a beautiful woman emerged from the shadow, her blonde hair almost emulating the colour of the empress.

"Aww, you hurt me." She pouted as she held a hand on her chest, approaching him while they walked into the distance.

"I've heard from a little birdie that the Empress had visited the Nikoli's territory." And with that quick drop of information, Xaervin stopped in his tracks.

"Considering we're in one of the few villages close to such a hidden territory, won't it be valuable to see such a powerful royal?" She teased; Xaervin could only pause as he turned his gaze to the mountain where the Nikoli resided; it was far but so close.

It had been three years.

Three whole years.

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Three days had passed as Anastasia awoke from her desk, groaning as she looked at the time, it was already a quarter to one.

She stood up and fixed the pile of files on her desk, stretching her back as she wrapped a thin cloth on her shoulders closing the office door.

For a moment she stopped in her tracks as she gazed at the forest, a faint glow emitting within it.

Anastasia raised a brow, turning her head left and right, but the hallway didn't contain a single soul in sight.

She sighed as she approached the light, concerned if it was a poor staff member who got lost in the massive estate of the Nikoli territory.

But as she approached more and more, it held a familiar glow, one with a bluish tint, 'if it were a small fire or candle, it wouldn't have held that kind of vivid flame,' she thought to herself.

With a swift motion, her vision blackened as a large black veil covered her head to her body. What an idiot to attempt to kidnap the Empress.

"Who's there?" She replied in a stoic tone, almost irritated from the attempt, but only silence was the reply to her question.

In the blink of an eye, a large light enveloped the surroundings as masked and hooded men stumbled away from the bag which previously contained her.

Anastasia stood still with a sword in her hand. She conjured up a faint trickle of blood from her finger from her incantation.

"Now, do I have to repeat my question?" She asked in irritation as the men held a defensive stance, glaring at her.

"Well?" She asked once more.

"That won't be necessary."

Silence.

There was only silence as Anastasia could feel her grip weaken on the sword, the familiarity of the voice, the familiarity of the smell, and the familiarity of the presence behind her.

She turned hurriedly from the source as her suspicions were correct; a bluish-tinted-haired man stood behind her, a few steps away, holding a smug look as he placed his hands in his pockets.

Anastasia didn't know what to feel, nor did she know what to think. She felt dumbstruck; as if the air from her lungs had evaporated.

"Disperse." He commanded the men before him as they did so willingly, leaving Anastasia and him alone in the dark.

"I must say, it's been three years and I expected a gentler greeting from you–" Before he could even finish his sentence, Anastasia went into a defensive stance as she muttered under her breath a spell.

"Burst." In a few seconds, the ground beneath Xaervin erupted as he flew off without finishing what he intended.

This didn't stop him, though; after all, Anastasia didn't intend to kill.

He scoffed as his back hit the bark of a nearby tree. His gaze longing and yearning as he traced her eyes, her nose, and the sculpture of her face.

"What are you doing here?" Her sword ready, her gaze strictly on him with furrowed brows and a frown.

"Missed me?" A smirk on his face as he tilted his head, the smoke dispersing.

"Like I said, what are you doing here?" She approached, her steps cautious, slow and steady.

"A little birdie told me," He got up carefully, holding up his arms in mock defeat as he grinned.

"It's been three years." Anastasia scoffed.

"So long hasn't it? How you've been, your majesty?" He took a step forward, a grin on his face .

Anastasia glared at him with furrowed brows, her gaze tilting upwards.

"You haven't changed." She raised her brow.

"Is that a compliment?" He tucked a hair behind her ear only to be stopped by her grasp.

"It was a warning, time doesn't do well for people who dwell in the past." Her brows furrowed.

"It is a crime to touch the royal empress so boldly, Xaervin." Her gaze strict and cold, it wasn't how he remembered her. But, he could expect her behavior.

"I'm sorry," his gaze turned serious as his hand lingered in the air after Anastasia let go.

"Sorry?" She raised a brow.

"What can I do to make things right?" He forced a smile, trying to joke with her but it only made her annoyance grew.

"I am busy. I don't have time for this." She steps back only to be stopped by his hand.

"Please, Anastasia." He sighed with furrowed brows and pleading eyes.

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sorry for the short chapter T^T !! I just missed uploading here, will be uploading more frequently especially since school is done <333