Home/The Male Lead, Whom I Thought Was the Villain, Is Acting Strange/ch 9

Chapter 9.

"How did you know?"

I tilted my head at the abrupt question.

"Know what?"

"The monster's weak point."

"Huh? That was its weak point? I didn't know that."

"......"

Azeint's golden eyes narrowed. His expression clearly said, "Don't lie—tell me the truth."

For a moment, I was so dumbfounded I was speechless.

Here I was, getting a look of suspicion and distrust from the villainous male lead—someone who should be second to none in shadiness.

Who are you to suspect me?

But unable to withstand his murderous glare demanding an explanation, I vaguely brushed it off.

"I just noticed from a distance that those tentacles were moving a bit slower. I figured it might be acting as the command center."

"...Was that intuition?"

"Yeah."

Some people had sensory-type aura specialized for this kind of thing, but I just had decent observation skills and a bit of luck.

Azeint nodded with a puzzled look at my answer.

The mismatch between his expression and actions made me laugh in exasperation.

"Want me to purify you?"

I pointed at his messy, gore-covered state and asked.

Purification wasn't just for poison—it also worked on contamination and fatigue. It was like giving his body a thorough wash.

Once you experienced that refreshing, clean feeling without needing to bathe, it was hard to go back.

When Rainer came home dead tired from night shifts and I purified him, he'd look so happy he'd probably give me his liver and gallbladder if I asked.

But Azeint, as expected, didn't disappoint.

"Not necessary."

"....."

After I'd gone out of my way to offer, being flat-out told "not necessary" stung a bit.

‘Fine. I won't offer twice, you ungrateful brat.’

I was about to turn away with a sour expression when—

"That comes first."

Azeint pointed at the monster's remains. What? Is he telling me to stop chatting and get to work?

But what came out of his mouth was entirely unexpected.

"Don't waste your aura meaninglessly."

"......Huh?"

"Unless you want to collapse like last time."

With that, he casually turned his back.

I blinked blankly for a moment, then slowly shifted my gaze to the back of his head.

‘So... he's saying he doesn't need purification because he doesn't want to burden me—since I also have to purify the monster?’

It was a roundabout and unfriendly way of putting it, but I barely managed to grasp his intent.

After running it through my mental Azeint-to-Common translator, I reached one conclusion.

‘He's the type who's easily misunderstood.’

Come to think of it, he'd been like that in the original story too.

He'd ended up digging his own grave multiple times by provoking Muriel with his blunt tongue.

When I'd read the novel, I'd found his deliberately irritating speech infuriating...

But meeting him in person, it didn't feel malicious—it just felt like he was terribly clumsy at expressing himself.

It wasn't like a tsundere who acted harsh out of shyness. Azeint genuinely seemed to have no idea how to handle social niceties.

‘I'm genuinely curious what happened to him in those three years to turn him into a full-blown villain.’

I sighed and grabbed Azeint's arm.

Since I was touching his uniform this time, I didn't feel that bone-chilling cold like before.

Azeint stared at his captured arm and shot me a questioning look.

"Thanks for worrying about me, but Jen."

"....."

"I'll decide what's meaningless or not."

I smiled and traced a barrier over Azeint's body.

With a light touch of my fingers to his forehead, shoulders, and solar plexus, golden aura enveloped him like a heat haze.

As the aura seeped in, the blood-stained face and uniform were purified, becoming as clean as if freshly washed.

Azeint's golden eyes widened slightly. Oh, surprised, are we?

"Think of this as repaying you for saving my brother."

I patted him on the shoulder and gave a modest show of gratitude.

I'd been so busy I'd almost forgotten—but I didn't have a choice. Like it or not, I needed to stay on this guy's good side if I wanted to survive.

So I decided to wisely follow the wisdom of our ancestors: "To receive kindness, you must first give it."

A so-called sunshine policy.

After all, it wasn't the cold north wind that stripped the traveler of his coat, but the warm sun!

Of course, I didn't expect Azeint to return my kindness just because I'd given it. But building a bit of familiarity couldn't hurt.

‘At least until I find a way to prevent Durendal's rampage.’

The appearance of strong monsters in the Delta Zone might actually be related to Azeint.

In the original, the monsters' behavior only changed drastically after Durendal—sealed within Azeint—went berserk.

The energy emitted by Durendal had driven even other monsters into a frenzy.

Though he wasn't berserk now, Durendal might still be exerting some influence on the monsters.

Conversely, the monsters' abnormal behavior could be affecting Azeint and accelerating Durendal's rampage.

‘I need to investigate Durendal right away.’

Leaving behind the unit members clamoring for purification and Azeint, who looked somewhat dazed, I hurried off.

---

---

"Thanks for worrying about me, but Jen. I'll decide what's meaningless or not."

Thank you for worrying about me?

Azeint replayed Rutesia's words in his head several times. No matter how much he turned it over, he couldn't make sense of it.

He had merely advised her not to waste her aura carelessly.

In combat against monsters, aura was both a vital weapon and a finite resource.

That was something he'd been taught thoroughly from childhood.

Since his body contained two types of aura, he had to be especially careful in controlling them.

If he didn't consciously separate them, Durendal's aura could consume his own and cause a rampage.

In other words, this wasn't a sentimental or abstract issue like "worry."

Efficiently allocating and regulating aura was an essential skill for survival.

In fact, the first time they'd met, Rutesia had overexerted herself on purification and lost her composure.

If her aura had run out like that in the middle of battle, she would almost certainly have died.

Using such precious aura to purify a bit of bloodstained clothing was utterly irrational. He'd simply pointed that out.

Besides, Rutesia wasn't the type of person who needed worrying about in terms of skill. If anything, she was more competent than expected.

Rutesia had evaluated him as someone who didn't hesitate to cooperate with others—but the truth was the exact opposite.

Azeint trusted only his own abilities.

‘It's safer to move alone than with others.’

‘Relying on or expecting help from others is foolish.’

That's what he'd been taught, and that's how it had always been.

Yet he'd cooperated with others because prioritizing efficient mission execution came first.

He merely adopted a method that appeared cooperative.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't cooperation—it was more like steering people toward the outcome he wanted.

He quickly assessed the unit members' stats and positions, then orchestrated them to move in tight coordination.

Rutesia's timely support had been a great help in that regard. Honestly, it was the first time he'd found it comfortable to coordinate with someone.

Her barrier-type aura was flexible enough to handle various situations.

The long-range magical tool she'd reportedly made herself was also noteworthy, and her attention to detail and judgment were above average.

So there was no reason for him to worry. Just as he was thinking that—

Rutesia's slender fingers cut through his thoughts and touched his forehead.

A featherlight sensation followed on his shoulders and chest. From those points, golden aura spread outward like ripples.

"....!"

Azeint held his breath without meaning to.

The cool, refreshing sensation he'd faintly felt when he'd grabbed her wrist before now soaked through his entire body like a spring tide.

A chill ran down his spine as vitality filled every corner of his veins.

A sweet fragrance fluttered around him gently, like a wandering butterfly.

It was as if he'd been dragged out of a filthy sewer and into a crisp, refreshing forest.

"Think of this as repaying you for saving my brother."

At the same moment Rutesia's hand patted his shoulder, he snapped back to his senses.

Azeint was at a loss for words, staring at her playful smile. The goodwill in her clear violet eyes was so unfamiliar.

The faint scent of wariness still lingered around her, but the aura that seeped into his body carried a warm, gentle heat.

But that peace didn't last long.

[You fool, Azeint! I warned you to be careful of that woman!]

Durendal groaned in pain.

[What did you do to me? I won't let this sl—graaah...!]

The demonic beast's roaring and thrashing echoed loudly in his mind. It sounded like a caged animal slamming its body against the walls.

Only after the refreshing coolness that had drifted through his body faded did Durendal finally calm down and growl.

[Disgusting! Damn it! I knew something felt off! That woman's aura is poison to me. Don't touch her again!]

Poison? That can't be.

Azeint unconsciously refuted Durendal's thought. But it was true that Durendal had never been affected like this before.

Those who knew Azeint served as Durendal's vessel could be counted on one hand.

And that purification just now likely hadn't been aimed at Durendal intentionally.

In the first place, this level of purification shouldn't have provoked such a violent reaction from Durendal.

Even when he'd been caught in a mage's trap during a mission and hit with a purification spell, Durendal had just scoffed and said it wasn't even itchy.

The fact that Rutesia's aura had opposite effects on him and Durendal was also strange.

But what bothered him most was the lingering, unidentified trace she'd left behind.

"....."

Azeint watched Rutesia's retreating figure and unconsciously rubbed his forehead.

The delicate touch—so brief it could hardly be called contact—lingered for a long time, refusing to fade.

...To be continued.

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