I, the Villain, Want to Save Myself, But the Yandere Heroines Disagree-Chapter 26 - Dark Litte

“By the way, Orson,” Lucius said, suddenly recalling something. “Did you just say there was a Tier 3 beast in the nearby forest?”

“Ah, yes.” Orson nodded. “In fact, that’s another reason I came to see you, Father.”

“Father, you’ve always organized annual expeditions to clear out the beasts in the forest. But despite the fact that this forest is so close to Antica City, a Tier 3 beast has appeared there. Were you aware of this?”

“I wasn’t, actually. It may have been overlooked during previous clearings...” Lucius said, rubbing his forehead. He then looked up at Orson. “Alright, Orson, tomorrow, take a unit of soldiers and return to that forest. Make sure to exterminate all the beasts before they can harm the citizens.”

He handed Orson a token authorizing him to mobilize the troops.

“Understood. I’ll follow your orders.” Orson accepted the token, bowed respectfully, and then left the room.

—

After leaving Lucius’s study, Orson was intercepted by Randall, Mary’s personal attendant.

“Young Master Orson, the Madam wishes to see you,” Randall said, gesturing toward Mary’s study.

“Alright.” Orson nodded and followed Randall to the study. Upon arrival, Randall opened the door for him.

“Please, go on in, Young Master Orson. The Madam has been waiting for you.”

“Thank you,” Orson replied as he stepped inside.

“Mother, you wanted to see me?” Orson asked, noticing that Mary was standing with her back to him, gazing out the window.

“Mm. You returned quite late today. I heard you and Litte went out together?”

“I took Litte to the nearby forest for some fun.”

“Fun, you say?” Mary turned to face him, her gaze sharp. “When Litte returned, he was covered in blood and his clothes were torn. Is that what you call ‘fun?’”

“Besides, as a mother, is it so unreasonable for me to be concerned about my child? Orson, why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

“...” Orson lowered his head and remained silent for a moment before speaking. “I’m sorry. Litte is fine. I lied to avoid worrying you, Mother. Please punish me for my mistake.”

“Punish you?” Mary chuckled. “How could I bring myself to punish my dear, beloved son?”

“Besides, do you think I’m in any position to punish you?” She stepped forward, her piercing gaze fixed on Orson.

Her eyes flicked to the token in his hand.

“You’ve earned the trust of the Duke of Antica and now hold military authority as the family’s eldest son. Meanwhile, I’m just a powerless woman. Tell me, who should be punishing whom?”

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

“Mother, please don’t make such jokes. No matter what, I’m still your son.”

“Oh, now you remember you’re my son?” Mary stared at him. “Orson, Orson... I used to think you were a clever boy. After our last conversation, I thought I had misjudged you.”

“But now I see you’re far more intelligent than I gave you credit for.”

“By gaining the trust of both the Duke and Litte, you’ve gradually taken control of the family’s power. Eventually, you’ll turn Litte into your puppet, bending him to your will, won’t you?”

Mary laughed coldly.

“So that’s why you didn’t want to cooperate with me. You had no need of me to begin with.”

“Mother, please calm down. I haven’t deceived anyone. I honestly have no desire to inherit the title of Duke, which is why I agreed to help Father prepare Litte...”

“Orson, do you still not understand what I’m saying?” Mary stepped back, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him.

“I can help you achieve your goals even faster. All you have to do is work with me.”

“Mother, I have other matters to attend to. Tomorrow, I’m leading a unit to clear out the beasts in the forest. Please excuse me.” With that, Orson bowed and walked toward the door.

Just before leaving, he paused and turned back to Mary.

“Mother, if that’s what you truly want, why not consider helping Litte instead?”

Then he opened the door and left.

Mary remained standing in the study, silent and deep in thought.

—

“Take care, Young Master Orson,” Randall said, bowing as Orson exited the study.

“Uncle Randall, Mother seems a bit unwell lately. Please look after her,” Orson said as he made his way to his room.

Randall froze, his eyes widening in surprise as he watched Orson’s retreating figure. After a few seconds, he turned and entered Mary’s study.

—

In Litte’s bathroom, steam filled the air.

Here, and only here, Litte could let down her guard completely, indulging in the simple pleasure of soaking in a warm bath.

The bandages she normally kept wrapped around her chest had been removed, giving her a sense of relief.

Sitting in the bathtub, knees drawn close to her body, Litte submerged half her face in the water, lost in thought.

Her body ached all over. Although the healing potion had closed her wounds, it hadn’t fully healed her injuries.

Thankfully, soaking in the hot water eased the pain somewhat.

The power she had unleashed during her life-or-death struggle earlier was something she had never accessed before. Upon reflection, the techniques she had used seemed oddly familiar—as if they were all things Orson had taught her.

She remembered everything clearly from that moment. She didn’t understand why she had become so frenzied and strong.

She only knew that, in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to kill every enemy within her sight.

Because they wanted to harm her.

During her subsequent conversation with Orson, Litte had recalled her earlier behavior and regretted how rude she had been to him.

She’d said such hurtful things. Orson probably didn’t like her anymore. Even if that weren’t the case, their relationship must have developed a rift.

At that moment, Litte felt a strange voice whispering within her.

“Litte, do you want to know what happened today?”

“Huh? Who’s there?” Litte looked around in alarm but saw no one.

“Don’t worry, Litte. I am you, and you are me.”

“I’m the part of you that emerged from your subconscious to protect you.”

“You can call me Dark Litte,” the voice said. Its tone was calm and composed, identical to Litte’s own but tinged with a colder edge.

“Was it you who saved me today?” Litte asked.

“Yes,” Dark Litte replied. “You’ve always had great potential, but your need to maintain the close relationship with your teacher—Orson—has held you back. Your primary personality, the ‘you’ everyone sees, is the one acting so helpless.”

“All the techniques you’ve learned and the progress you’ve made, I’ve absorbed them. That’s why, when the time came, I appeared and helped you defeat that beast.”