I'm in Love with the Villainess!-Chapter 137: I Have A Stalker...?

"You’re Cael Arden, right!?"

She whispered to me, but even in a low voice, I could absolutely feel her excitement and idolization in her tone and the way she grabbed my hand.

"What do you want from me?"

"What I want from you!? Everything, of course~" She giggled, unabashedly trying to drag me off to god knows where in this nightclub.

But I didn’t resist; if anything, someone like her could lead me somewhere of importance.

Blindly looking around nightclubs for information would take the entire night, but an S-Rank who looked like she knew her way around the place?

Now that’s what I call lucky.

Maybe the karma from saving that family was already working?

***

She led me to an isolated room on the building’s third floor, quieter, richer, and...

I looked around, seeing weird pictures of me plastered everywhere on the walls, covered in lipstick and other things that I definitely didn’t think I’d been seeing.

...Definitely weirder than the first floor.

[Clear Mind]

I’ve had my fair share of stalkers back when I was an assassin... but those stalkers were after my head, not... whatever the fuck this is!

"What’re you doing this part of town~?"

"I could ask you the same thing..."

"You mean the examination? I just didn’t care about it."

"I could tell, but I mean the entire thing right now..."

Fiona smirked, heading to the large bed in the room and sitting on it, the entire mattress seemingly dipping under her weight.

Gods... that thing looks soft.

"My family works with the Cold Iron District... we own most of the establishments here."

"You are very forthcoming with that information..."

Fiona jumped out of the bed and immediately hugged me; it felt like she was trying to mark me with how tight she was holding me.

Her physical strength was impressive; there was no denying that.

"Why wouldn’t I be! I just met my idol in the flesh!"

[Profaned Step]

I teleported out of her grasp. This is going nowhere... but.

Her family works with the Cold Iron District? I can work with that...

The problem is, she’s way too goddamn clingy for me to do anything without making Evelina crucify me once I return.

"Don’t take a step closer..."

I flicked her head the moment she stepped closer to hug me again, enough to actually hurt an S-Rank like her, but not enough to make her mad.

I still needed her as a valuable asset.

"You’re no fun... but that’s exactly how I imagined you to be~."

Is this what Evelina had to deal with the first time we met? If so, I have to apologize to her once I get back. I hate dealing with myself.

She clasped her hands behind her back, rocking slightly on her heels like a child being scolded.

"You’re here for them, aren’t you?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Them?"

Fiona rolled her eyes dramatically and leaned forward, lowering her voice.

"Night within. Night without."

So she knew.

Of course she did.

Her family "owned most establishments" here. There was no way the largest underground organization operated in her backyard without her at least sniffing around.

"And what makes you think that?" I asked casually.

She skipped back toward the bed and flopped down face-first into the pillows before turning her head toward me.

"Because you broke two of their scouts ten minutes ago."

I blinked.

"Excuse me?"

She lifted one finger.

"I’m an S-Rank. I’m more than smart enough to know when two people die next to my territory."

Second finger.

"The blood splatter was everywhere. I could see it through the windows when I squinted enough."

Third finger.

"The explosion was loud as hell, of course I’d know... I’ve also happened to hear one of those explosions firsthand before, so I’m more than familiar."

Right, this was her backyard. Of course, she’d know random details like that. But... once again, this conversation is getting nowhere. If she’s just going to say information I already know, then I’d rather just leave.

"If you want to know more about them, you’re talking to the right person~."

Never mind, she’s perfect.

"But... I’m not going to give them to you that easily."

A deal? I could work with that, if she wants power, fine, some influence? I could ask Vivianne to give her that.

"Now you’re speaking my language." I grinned. "What do you want? Money? Gear? Power? Name it."

"You... or more specifically, at least for just a day, even if it’s just pretend!"

She clapped her hands together as she begged, was that seriously the only thing she wanted?

"I’m not interested."

"It’s just pretend!"

"Evelina will kill you."

"I can live with that!"

This girl... she’s absolutely crazy...

I’m starting to like her...

Well... her personality and conviction, at least, I still absolutely hated how I’m the target of that affection. The last thing I needed was to get on Evelina’s bad side again.

Maybe I can bargain for something else?

"What about godly power—?"

"Absolutely not!"

She crossed her hands dramatically.

So she even refuses godly power? Do I really have no other choice? Of course not... no matter how stubborn someone can be, there’s always something else they might want instead.

And the easiest way to get that out of someone is simply to just leave. The more desperate someone is for something that only you can give. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The easier they’ll break.

"Forget about it, I’ll just find someone else."

I wave at her dismissively, walking towards the exit.

But...

CLASP!

Bingo...

"W-Wait... what about having me join you in your plans instead? Will that work for you?"

Hook, line, and sinker.

Didn’t even have to use profaned prince to get it out of her; now I have a willing ally that won’t hunt me down for forcing information out of her throat.

Literally.

"You’ve got a deal."

I turned my head around and smirked at her, giving her a proud thumbs-up. While Evelina might still get jealous, at least this one’s far easier to explain.

"Yes!"

She exclaimed in excitement. Fiona didn’t seem to realize that she had just been played.