Dear Heroes, I really am a Villain -
Chapter 90: Atherna Plan
Chapter 90: Atherna Plan
Atherna didn’t respond.
{Just by accepting her to live with me, why did the quest immediately reach full completion? The clause ’make sure she is safe and has a happy life’ is a very broad term.
This means that either Blood Mongoose, or maybe the system itself, deemed the condition satisfied.
Or perhaps the system has a function that can predict future outcomes based on the current situation, allowing it to evaluate whether the host has fulfilled the quest objectives.
So... that would mean the system judged that by accepting her into my home, a future will unfold that ensures she’s set for life, thus completing the quest.
Am I right, Athel?} Maximilian analyzed.
[Ugh... I hate it when you get all smart.] Atherna groaned. [Fine... I admit it. I wanted you to accept her.]
{Look, Athel... It would be a lie to say I never had thoughts like that in my past life. I’m a man. But I know myself, I don’t think I could ever love anyone more than I loved you. And I don’t think I could care for anyone the way I cared for you.} Maximilian paused.
{If I were to accept Rebecca... it wouldn’t be fair. Not to her, not to me... and especially not to you.}
Atherna didn’t respond. The link between them fell into silence.
[Can’t you accept her?] Atherna asked softly.
{Why?} he asked. {Why do you want me to accept Rebecca that badly?}
[Max... Manifestation isn’t a solution. You can touch me, and I can live with you for a time, but it’s not permanent.
I’m not sugarcoating it—full manifestation consumes energy equivalent to a sun. And even then, it’s not perfect.] Atherna paused.
[I want to fully live with you. Cook for you, lighten your burdens, and... bear your child.
But manifestation makes that impossible, especially the last part.
At best, I’m just hard light that mimics the feeling of skin, muscle, and bone. But light is still light, it cannot create life.
I just want... to be the mother of your child. Is that too much to ask?] Atherna’s voice trembled, as if pleading.
"Sigh—" Maximilian let out a long breath.
"You’re not saying you want to use Rebecca’s body to bear your child, are you? That’s still Rebecca’s child, biologically. Don’t you know that?" he asked.
[Umm... I know... but...] Atherna tried to respond, but no words came out.
Of course, there was a hidden agenda buried in her heart, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell Maximilian.
Seeing how uncomfortable his beloved was, Maximilian let out another long sigh.
{Sigh—Fine. I’ll let nature take its course. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Athel, you’ve already opened Pandora’s box.} Maximilian said with resignation.
[Oh? Pandora’s box, huh? Does that mean our dear Maximilian Sterling Graham is going to pick up a new girl in every city he visits? (╬ᇂ_ᇂ)] Atherna replied with forced sarcasm, She’s clearly irritated.
{See? You’re already jelly just thinking about it.} Maximilian retorted.
[Hmph! As a concession, I’ll allow one more! Other than Rebecca! ( ̄ヘ ̄)]
{Oi! Are you even listening?! I was making a point, not negotiating how big the harem should be!}
[Good night!] And with that, Atherna vanished from the link.
{Oi! Get back here! Athel! Atherna! Atherna!!!} Maximilian called into the link... but no one responded.
Seeing that Atherna seemed to have already disconnected from the link—or maybe she was asleep, or perhaps just ignoring him, Maximilian grumbled and went to bed.
— Atherna’s Castle —
Within the opulent castle floating under a starry sky, Atherna turned off the speaker on her device and vanished from the chamber, reappearing in her bedroom.
This way, Maximilian’s angry shouting wouldn’t disturb her.
Atherna smiled smugly, mischief glinting in her eyes before collapsing onto her soft bed, deep in thought.
She reflected on her decision, that insect... no, that girl. What was her name again?
Oh, right, Rebecca.
Rebecca was nothing more than a vessel to her. Atherna hadn’t told Maximilian that she had a way to remold a human body according to her will. Rebecca possessed a strong enough psychic ability to house Atherna’s will within the mortal world without disrupting the balance of reality.
The moment she laid eyes on Rebecca for the first time, she knew—that body could host her. That kind of potent psychic would even allow her to use her abilities in the human world.
That was the real reason she chose her.
Otherwise, why would she want that insect mingling with her beloved?
She didn’t tell Maximilian this because she knew it would anger him. She knew him well enough not to risk it.
She was certain he would be furious. He loved her, yes, but it’s not above his rationality.
He might not hate her for it, but it would still enrage him. He’d surely scold her... or worse, he might give her the cold shoulder.
And that was the last thing she wanted.
So she wouldn’t risk it.
Of course, she couldn’t just force herself into a mortal and make them her avatar. No god could do that, not unless the person had a strong connection with their deity or had formed a contract.
That’s why she wanted Rebecca to fall in love with Maximilian. Love... or any deep emotional bond, would serve as a powerful link. Through that, she could force herself into the mortal’s body and seize it as her own.
Then, she would remold the body into her own image.
She knew Rebecca’s body had problems, but so what? She could simply use her divine power to revert it to how it was before the surgeries. Before all the damage.
Easy solution!
With this out of the way, Atehrna finally lies down on her bed with a smile, resuming her mortal routine of sleep and waking up for the new day.
She’s doing this so as not to forget the sweet time she spent with her beloved in the mortal realm.
— ??? —
Within a small but beautiful home, maintained by hired cleaners and specialists in home maintenance and renovation, there was only one untouched space, one room that had never been renovated or altered in any way.
A simple home office.
The room was filled with miniatures of power armor soldiers, several mechs, and posters of games and movies that had been beloved decades ago.
Abigail sat on the couch in that very office, silently gazing around the room, lost in reminiscence.
On the table in front of her were several bottles of wine and beer. She was indulging in alcohol.
Today marked the anniversary of Maximilian’s death... and like every year, Abigail spent it alone—here in his office, drowning herself in liquor.
It had been a year since the last trial, and Ellie had never come home afterward. Her daughter... her own flesh and blood—the one not born from Maximilian—had decided that she, her mother, was toxic and a nuisance.
Ellie had stayed with Maximilian’s parents ever since, never reaching out even once.
"Heh! Stupid little bitch! Go ahead, stay with those two old sacks of bones. Maybe they’ll throw you some inheritance if you slave away on their farm long enough!"
Abigail spat, venom lacing her voice.
Maximilian’s insurance for his family, namely her and Ellie, was generous. Since Ellie wasn’t yet eighteen, Abigail had been the sole beneficiary of it.
She had to thank him for that. He paid an enormous premium every year to ensure his family would be financially secure for decades. The insurance payout she received was in the millions.
"Stupid..." she muttered as Maximilian’s mild, smiling face appeared in her mind.
She lifted another bottle and drank deeply, letting the alcohol settle in.
Her eyes drifted to the insurance document, neatly framed and preserved on canvas as if it were a priceless treasure, despite the fact that she’d already received the money.
But the paper and this room, she still clung to them. She loved staying here, admiring the posters and miniatures.
She didn’t know why. Before Maximilian’s death, she didn’t even like this room. She’d thought it was childish.
But after his death... something in her changed.
She began to find his shadow in everything here—endearing. She began to enjoy the atmosphere, numbing herself with alcohol...
Because it helped her forget.
It helped her forget that Maximilian was gone.
No one woke up early to cook for her anymore.
No one came to pick her up from work.
No one went grocery shopping for her.
No one accompanied her on shopping trips.
And...
No one woke her up in the morning with a sweet kiss.
No one whispered sweet words...
No one told her they loved her...
No one...
No one did that for her anymore.
As these painful thoughts surfaced, she took another deep gulp of wine.
"Stupid! Stupid son of a bitch! Why did you help that bitch and die for someone you didn’t even know?!"
"You should’ve stayed here with me!"
"You should’ve come home early that day!"
"You should’ve...!"
Then it hit her... the truth she had so conveniently forgotten.
That day... he had come home early. And saw that scene... with that man... That was why... that was why he ran away, to cool his head.
And met his end.
"I... I’m not at fault! He ran away! That day, I didn’t want it to happen, but... one thing led to another...!"
"F*ck!" Abigail cursed, taking another long drink, letting the alcohol drown her crumbling guilt and grief.
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