I Am a Villain, So What?-Chapter 158: Is it a tavern?

"Each time, I refused them. Even when they explicitly said to forget the past and start anew, I just pushed them away. I don’t want to get involved with them."

To share such an embarrassing story... it was just childish whining. I did wrong and was punished, but I hate and resent both myself for my wrongs and you for punishing me—it was a petulant child’s tantrum. But this was the burden of Lucien’s heart.

"That’s the kind of person I am, Professor. I’m stubborn, petty, and I push away people who try to help."

At that moment, spring embraced me. Or perhaps, I fell into it.

The warm scent of floral perfume and sun-baked fabric enveloped my senses. I stiffened.

"It’s okay."

Amy had wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me into a tight, warm hug. She gently patted my back. Each soft touch sent a vibration that stirred the deepest, most exhausted parts of my heart.

"It must’ve been so hard, Lucien," she whispered.

"...."

"I’m sorry for not understanding sooner."

"...."

"You’ve done well. Holding it together so maturely, fighting all by yourself."

"...."

"No one is blaming you anymore."

"...."

"Ignore those who judge you without knowing your full story."

"...."

"So what if you made some mistakes? Is anyone born perfect? You survived. You grew."

"...."

"It’s okay. Slowly, just take it slowly. Look at yourself, love yourself, and guide yourself. Someday, you’ll move toward what you believe is right, and you won’t have to carry it all alone."

Dangerous. Dangerous. Dangerous.

My chest felt like it was going to burst open. The sheer, unconditional empathy from a true educator was a devastating weapon against a cynic. Tears threatened to spill, burning the back of my eyes. I couldn’t stop the overwhelming surge of emotion.

"Ugh...!" I choked out a strained breath, my hands gripping the edge of the bench.

"Ahem."

A sharp, distinctly unamused sound came from the park pathway.

"Assistant Professor? Lucien?"

I snapped my eyes open. Amy blinked and pulled back, looking over her shoulder.

Standing on the cobblestone path was Clara, holding a pink parasol and looking utterly betrayed. And right beside her, having just stepped out of a luxurious black carriage, was Ariana.

Ariana’s violet eyes were narrowed into dangerous slits. The air around her practically crackled with alchemical static.

"I leave him alone for five minutes," Ariana said, her voice dropping to a glacial temperature, "and he is being embraced by the faculty."

"Oh! Welcome, Cadet Clara! Cadet Ariana!" Amy let go of me entirely and stood up, smoothing her dress with a perfectly innocent, beaming smile.

Meanwhile, I frantically took a deep breath, collecting my overflowing emotions. I ruthlessly stabbed my own heart with a mental knife—Stab, stab, stab—killing the vulnerability and forcing my cynical mask back on.

"No matter how much you’re our Student Teacher, Professor Amy," Clara squawked, marching over and pointing an accusing finger, "you can’t have our Lucien!"

"Oh my," Amy chuckled, completely unfazed. "Are you two dating?"

"We’re going to!" Clara declared boldly.

"Well... dating means both people have to be on the same page, Cadet Clara," Amy noted reasonably.

"We’re going to!" Clara stubbornly repeated.

"He is already taken, Clara," Ariana cut in, walking past the pink-haired girl to stand directly in front of me. She reached down, straightened my collar with possessive precision, and glared at Amy. "And he prefers women his own age, Professor."

"Wah! Lucien! Ariana and Professor Amy are bullying me!" Clara whined, stomping her foot.

"They aren’t entirely wrong," I muttered, my voice finally steady.

"Squawk!"

Checking my pocket watch, I realized it was exactly 11:00 AM.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the plaza entrance. The Protagonist Party came rushing in, a chaotic flurry of weapons, cloaks, and high-tier armor.

Amy waved enthusiastically, her teacher-persona fully activating.

"Wow! Great to see everyone!"

Kael, clad in his light summer armor, rubbed the back of his neck and offered a sheepish, heroic smile. "Sorry, we’re slightly late. The traffic in the noble district was terrible."

"No, you’re right on time!" Amy was clearly thrilled, her energy soaring at having her entire club assembled.

In contrast, the Protagonist Party looked slightly exhausted. They seemed to have prepared in a massive rush, holding various bags and looking a bit sleep-deprived. Princess Celestia was masking it well with a regal smile, but even Bordon looked like he was suppressing a yawn.

"You guys aren’t staying up late just because it’s the break, right?" Amy asked, putting her hands on her hips like a scolding mother hen.

"Yes, Professor," Elisha mumbled, looking away.

"Understood," Celestia nodded gracefully.

Mariella flinched guiltily, hiding her dark circles behind her staff. Clearly, they had spent all night strategizing and overthinking my "ulterior motives" for this simple cafe trip.

I looked at the ridiculous assembly of the Empire’s finest, all gathered around a park bench for a dessert club.

I sighed, the last traces of spring fading into the sweltering summer heat.

"Alright," I said, standing up. "Let’s get this over with."

****

Come to think of it, at this point in the original Asteria Online storyline, the Protagonist Party was supposed to be diving into intense, life-threatening training during the summer break. But the reason for their desperation was entirely different.

In the original game, the tragic deaths of Irina and Merle during the Elena incident had been a massive wake-up call. The sheer shock of failing to save innocent people had shattered their naive worldview, forcing them to train like madmen.

They hadn’t shown it outwardly back then—it wasn’t a pleasant topic—but they had thrown themselves into the abyss of training.

But now? Now that I thought about it, it was incredibly odd. Merle and his granddaughter were both alive and perfectly well, currently brewing potions and slicing sashimi in my basement.

’So why are they pushing themselves so hard?’ As I quietly observed Kael, Elisha, and the others, they glanced at me one by one, their expressions tightening as if steeling themselves for a boss fight.

Ah. I realized it then.

They weren’t training because they had failed to save someone. They were training because I kept solving the continent-ending disasters before they could even draw their swords. They felt inadequate. I was accidentally giving the Heroes an inferiority complex.

"Alright! Let’s kick off our fun summer break with a food tour!"

Assistant Professor Amy stood at the front of our awkward, heavily-armed group, stretching her arms high into the air. She beamed, her straw hat catching the summer sun.

"All together now! Hurray!"

"...."

"...."

"...."

Crickets chirped in the nearby bushes.

No one followed her lead. Of course not. How old were we? What were our statuses? Kael was the stoic hero, Celestia was an Imperial Princess, Elisha and Mariella were Ducal Heirs, and I was the infamous ’Trash’ villain. There was no way any of us were going to throw our hands up and yell "Hurray" in a public park. It’d be so embarrassing we’d die on the spot.

"Cadet Lucien!"

"Y-Yes?" I flinched as Amy suddenly leaned in close, her pink eyes sparkling with an expectation I couldn’t ignore.

"Hurray!" she whispered encouragingly.

I stared at her. After the unexpectedly profound heart-to-heart we just had on that bench—after she had literally hugged the trauma out of me—how could I possibly refuse her?

Trembling slightly, I slowly raised my hands into the air. Gritting my teeth, I looked away from the crowd and muttered, barely squeezing the word out of my throat.

"...H-Hurray..."

The reaction was instantaneous.

Ariana dropped her parasol. Clara’s jaw unhinged. Elisha took an actual step back in horror, and Kael looked like he had just witnessed a miracle.

Yeah... I know... no words. It’s humiliating. Just shoot me.

"Come on, everyone! If the President can do it, you can too! All together! Hurray!" Amy cheered.

"H-Hurray..." Mariella squeaked, raising her staff timidly.

"Hurray," Kael nodded solemnly, doing it out of sheer duty.

"Hurray!" Clara giggled, fully embracing the chaos.

We left the park as a deeply disjointed unit. Under the blazing sun, with vibrant summer flowers in the background, Amy led the way. Her floral skirt flared, and her straw hat bobbed cheerfully. She had clearly prepared so much for this. Staying grumpy just wouldn’t be polite.

"Since our club’s objective is to explore culinary developments," Amy announced as we walked toward the commercial district, "let’s start by exploring something refreshing for this hot day!"

"I want something sweet!" Clara declared.

"I require something with balanced nutritional value," Ariana countered immediately.

"So, I want suggestions! Let’s vote on which restaurant to pick for lunch before we get dessert," Amy said, pulling out a small notebook.

"I have a recommendation," Ariana said smoothly, pushing her glasses up her nose. She shot a triumphant, insider look at Clara. "There is a relatively new establishment in the Academy District. It’s called Kitchen 21."

A brief silence fell over the group.

For the Ducal Heirs and the Princess, who usually had their meals prepared by private estate chefs, it was a completely foreign term. They rarely visited places outside the high-noble sectors.

"Kitchen 21?" Elisha raised an eyebrow. "Is it a tavern? I don’t eat tavern slop."