I CHOSE to be a VILLAIN, not a THIRD-RATE EXTRA!!-Chapter 109: Future Heir

Lilia's pout disappeared in an instant, replaced by an icy neutrality as Ashok's words sank in. Her pink eyes, previously holding a mixture of sulkiness and charm, now took on a sharper, colder quality.

Deep down, she couldn't reconcile the situation—a male resisting her charms so effortlessly. She could accept resistance from females; that, at least, made sense in her world. But a male?

That was an anomaly, and while she managed to mask most of her shock behind her cold facade, a flicker of astonishment betrayed her.

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Her companions, meanwhile, were far less composed. The male and female students standing at her sides exchanged uneasy glances, their disbelief apparent.

They couldn't fathom how someone could speak to Lilia in such a dismissive manner, let alone maintain dominance in the conversation. It was uncharted territory for them—an unsettling affront to their established dynamics.

The male student, clearly emboldened by his indignation, stepped forward, his voice rising to challenge Ashok. "Hey! Who are you to talk to—"

"Shut up!" Ashok's sharp retort cut through the air like a whip, delivered without so much as sparing the male a glance.

Ashok's crimson eyes settled on Lilia, his expression carrying a quiet defiance as his mocking tone seeped into the air.

"These two must belong to the Wyrd Class, don't they?" he asked, his words cutting sharply as he gestured toward the two students standing beside her.

Lilia's coy demeanor had long since faded. Her tone now was neutral, devoid of the honey-sweet charm that she had used earlier. "Does it matter?" she replied, her words clipped and laced with cold calculation.

Ashok's smirk widened, the mocking edge in his voice growing sharper with every syllable. "It does matter because someone like you would never dare to use your power on the talents belonging to the Aether Class. The Wyrd Class is the only place where you can try your luck."

His words struck their mark, the truth behind them undeniable. Lilia's control faltered, her posture stiffening as a vein pulsed visibly on her temple.

Though her expression remained neutral, the tension in her stance betrayed her growing frustration. She had no words of rebuttal—not when Ashok's remark was painfully accurate.

It's not that Lilia could not use her power on the students of the Aether Class, she just didn't wanted to take chance in a place where the Hero of Light was present.

Lilia's grinding teeth came to an abrupt halt when a composed, almost melodic voice echoed from behind her. "Young Miss, you were here."

Ashok's crimson eyes shifted past Lilia, his focus landing on the source of the voice. It was a woman, standing tall and refined in a pristine maid's uniform.

'And here's the exact reason why I wanted to avoid talking to this girl until classes started,' Ashok thought, his expression remaining neutral despite the irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

The presence of the maid didn't surprise him. It was no secret that the Academy extended considerable privileges to the Aether Class, one of which was the allowance for students to bring personal servants.

This preference came with restrictions, of course—servants were required to stay in designated quarters and were prohibited from interacting with their masters during class hours.

Even so, the advantages of having a servant were undeniable. They could manage their master's mundane tasks, offer assistance with schedules, and provide countless other conveniences, giving their master more freedom to focus on their studies and growth.

Ashok, however, had made a deliberate choice not to request a servant from the Duke.

He knew full well that any servant assigned to him would inevitably be a spy, their true purpose being to monitor and report on his actions. 'I didn't come to the Academy to live under someone else's watchful eye'.

Lilia turned gracefully, her demeanor shifting slightly as she addressed the maid. "Bellatrix, where were you?" she asked, her voice cool but laced with a faint undertone of reproach.

Bellatrix, clad in her perfectly pressed maid's uniform, bowed her head with impeccable precision. "Sorry, young miss, I got lost somewhere midway while you were chatting with your friends," she replied, her tone humble and apologetic, though her posture radiated quiet confidence.

Ashok, standing nearby, observed the exchange with a sharp eye. His thoughts churned as he scrutinized the maid's every word and movement.

'What an act! Even the second-in-command of the Hell Bringers, a major villain in the game, has to put on this facade when infiltrating the Academy. What a convenient cover.' His gaze lingered on Bellatrix, his thoughts keenly aware of the layers of deception cloaking her presence.

"It's fine," Lilia said, her tone dismissive as she waved off the maid's apology. Bellatrix bowed once more, her movements deliberate and elegant, before straightening to her full height. Slowly her eyes shifted to Ashok.

The instant Bellatrix's gaze fell upon Ashok, an ominous notification flashed before his eyes:

[Attention Level: Maximum]

[False Monarch]

The relaxed ease in Ashok's posture vanished, replaced by an air of commanding authority. His back straightened, his chin lifted slightly, and his crimson eyes sharpened, staring down at Bellatrix with the icy precision of a monarch addressing an insolent subject.

Bellatrix had been observing the scene from the beginning. She had only chosen to intervene when it became clear that the future heir of the Hell Bringers, Lilia, could no longer maintain her composure under this boy's unrelenting presence.

'If only I weren't bound by the leader's mission,' Bellatrix thought, suppressing the frustration rising within her, 'I'd teach this arrogant boy a lesson about respecting the heir of the Hell Bringers.'

Yet, even as these thoughts flitted through her mind, her instincts suddenly screamed at her to be cautious. The boy's bearing suddenly exuded a dangerous, almost uncanny authority that felt entirely out of place for someone so young.

As their eyes locked, Ashok's intense gaze bore down on her, stripping away any pretense of superiority she might have held. To her dismay, his piercing look reminded her of only one person—the Leader of the Hell Bringers.

The realization sent a chill down her spine, and her composure cracked further. Her hands, which had been folded neatly behind her back, clenched into tight fists, the tension in her grip betraying her inner turmoil.

"Keep your eyes down. Who do you think you are glaring at?" Ashok commanded, his voice cutting through the ambient noise of the bustling Academy

Before Ashok's commanding voice had rung out, only a handful of students had been paying attention to the scene.

But now, as his words echoed through the courtyard with an authority that demanded notice, every single passing student turned their head in his direction.

The once-bustling pathway grew quieter, the hum of conversation replaced by murmurs and whispers.

Bellatrix, who had been holding her ground moments ago, unconsciously lowered her gaze, her composure faltering under the weight of Ashok's piercing crimson eyes.

Lilia and her two companions instinctively stepped back, their confidence shaken by the sudden shift in Ashok's demeanor.

For Lilia, the sensation was particularly unnerving—standing before Ashok, she felt an overwhelming presence that reminded her of her father, the head of the Hell Bringers.

It was a feeling she hadn't expected to encounter here, least of all from a first-year student.

The surrounding students began whispering among themselves, their voices hushed but filled with curiosity and unease.

"Is it a fight?"

"I feel chills from that first year's eyes. Does anyone else feel that?"

"Should we call the teachers?"

Ashok's gaze flicked to the left, then to the right, taking in the sea of eyes now fixed on him. The attention only served to stoke his irritation further, his patience already worn thin by the encounter.

'I can't even have a single moment of peace just because of this bitch,' he thought, his frustration simmering beneath his calm exterior.

Without a word, Ashok turned on his heel, his movements deliberate and unhurried. He began walking toward the cafeteria, his focus shifting back to the gnawing hunger that had been driving him all along.

No matter how irritated he was, it couldn't erase the simple fact that he needed to eat.

Lilia's voice rang out, loud yet trembling, as Ashok began walking away. "W-Wait!" she called, her tone betraying a mix of frustration and hesitation. However, Ashok didn't break stride, his focus fixed on the path ahead as if her words had dissipated into the wind.

Before Lilia could utter another word, Bellatrix's voice sounded in her mind, delivered through a telepathic connection. 'Miss, it's better not to associate with this boy in this place. I have a weird feeling that this boy knows about us.'

Lilia's pink eyes widened slightly as her steps faltered. The telepathic warning sent a ripple through her composure, her thoughts momentarily scattered.

But as she began to form a response, Bellatrix's voice came again, more urgent this time. 'We've already gathered too much attention. We should talk somewhere else.'

The realization struck Lilia like a splash of cold water. Her gaze flitted to the students who had stopped to watch the scene, their curious whispers amplifying the weight of the moment.

Nodding reluctantly, she suppressed her emotions and turned on her heel, heading toward the dormitories with her two companions trailing closely behind.

As the commotion settled, the murmuring crowd of students gradually dispersed, returning to their routines. In the Academy, such clashes were commonplace, as the rules permitted anyone to challenge another for a duel after classes.

The buzz from the encounter lingered only briefly; even the few curious glances that trailed Ashok dissipated within moments.

A faint notification illuminated before Ashok's eyes:

[Attention Level: None]

He exhaled a quiet sigh of relief, his posture loosening slightly as the weight of unwanted attention slipped away, his posture relaxed again and he thought

'That Bellatrix, she must have been watching from the start. She only stepped in when Lilia's composure was crumbling. She's definitely more than what she pretends to be.'

Yet, something gnawed at his mind. Ashok's crimson eyes narrowed subtly as he thought 'Just what could Lilia, the future leader of the Hell Bringers, possibly have been doing near the Academy bridge?'