As An Ex-Villainess...

Circumtances

Xavier hurriedly fled to the closest civilization that had the most possibility to be attacked, leaving Carina in church care and a letter under her room door.

There, his group met a whole herd of golden tooth-monkeys, somehow the monkeys have black dots all over their bodies and bloodshot eyes, they run on a rampage and make chaos in that village. People run all over the place, desperately looking for help.

"...it's miasma" He knew right away what happened, miasma is contaminated mana, the only thing that can contaminated mana is Demon's core, blood, and flesh. They gave a feeling of disgust to Xavier's gut. It's not about the element of their magic, it's something that can't be explained quite well throughout church history.

He tells one of the priests to cast a barrier and the other one to evacuate local residents. While another one followed Xavier to eradicate the monkeys.

or so they think.

"Don't kill them." until they hear what he's saying.

'Ah, here he goes again' they sighed, mildly tired.

[The kid is just too kind and naive.] Is what the archbishop tells them many times with a hearty laugh. But this generation of archbishop is known as the most different, unpredictable, the odd one from his ancestors. But his power can't be underestimated.

They see each other eyes before shrugging and answer him "Understood!"

The Sun is already on the horizon. But the church activity is started long before that, the bustling of people outside her room can't disturb Carina from her friend letters.

Reading that her friend is going to fight the miasma and the monster contaminated by it alone is make her heart clenched.

'And here i thought i can do something, but in the end, i was behind someone back again' she folds his letter neatly and keep it in the drawer next to her bed.

She started to tie her pale-blond locks into a neat bun and get ready for the day. Her smile bitter 'am i that unreliable?'

.

.

.

.

"She is not here." Nana said, frowning and pursed her lips, her two hands on her hips.

The scholar blinked "... excuse me?"

"Are you deaf? That girl is not here anymore"

"B-but why? Where is she now?"

"Why should i tell you?"

"She is my responsibility!?" that half true, the villagers are the ones who asked him to look after that girl-now named Aretha Brown.

"Yes but only if she is in this village, now she is not here, so she's not your responsibility anymore. We are grateful for your help though."

The Scholar can't think straight and ended up spewing any excuses because of the heat of the moment and what-if's scenario popped in his head "But she still not in stable conditions! Moreover, she is THE Latent Criminal, The ex-fiancee of the crown prince and duke daughter! How could-"

"And what is there for you? A scholar that supposed to have nothing to do with politics, hm?"

Nana squint her eyes menacingly. The scholar's blood runs cold and he has goosebumps on his back. he averted his gazes to the ground, then he immediately realizes his fault and felt guilty. 

When he sees Nana's eyes again he is so scared he teared up a little.

*hic*...

"Don't tell me... you aren't the one who calls those knights in here are you?" She slowly said, her voice is so low it's almost growling.