I, The Villainess, Will Seduce All The Heroines Instead
Chapter 140: Beyond Just Teamwork (2)

Chapter 140: Beyond Just Teamwork (2)

"Alright, spill it," Verena said, flopping down onto the soft picnic blanket with all the grace of a sleep-deprived cat. "Did you miss me so much you started fraternizing with human cologne dispensers, or was it just an experiment in how far your charm can go before someone proposes?"

Beatrice looked up from her teacup, unamused. "That’s not funny."

"I wasn’t trying to be funny. I was being devastatingly accurate. Don’t you think so, eh?"

The two of them sat beneath the shade of a large willow tree behind the academy greenhouse.

It was one of the few secluded areas where neither nobles nor overzealous students ventured—perfect for their long-overdue reunion.

Beatrice set her cup down, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You’ve been... absent."

"Ah. Right. That whole ’neglectful friend’ thing," She pulled out a small paper bag and offered it like a peace offering. "Peach tarts. Bribery. Accept it."

"Evelyn and Sera talked to you, didn’t they?"

"They cornered me, actually. Evelyn kept apologizing for intervening, while Sera threatened to burn my planner if I didn’t make time for you."

Beatrice laughed quietly. "Sounds like them."

Verena leaned back on her elbows, gazing up at the lazy drift of clouds. "I didn’t mean to drift away. Things just... got noisy. Internally. And externally. I was too busy dealing with everyone else’s chaos to realize I was becoming part of the problem."

Beatrice was quiet for a moment. Then: "You know, I don’t expect you to be perfect, Verena. But I did miss you."

Verena turned her head to look at her. "Yeah?"

Beatrice gave her a sidelong glance. "I had no one to roll my eyes with during classes and whenever professor Perasius tried to speak. Do you know how painful that was?"

Verena smirked. "Tragic."

"And Evelyn kept trying to make me drink those disgusting herb teas for ’emotional wellness.’ I don’t even know what she was planning, but either way, it didn’t work."

"Okay, I don’t know what the hell she’s plotting, but I know for sure that wasn’t something nice."

They both laughed, the kind that filled the space with something warm and familiar.

Verena reached over, nudging Beatrice’s arm. "Thanks for waiting. Even when I didn’t say anything. Even when I vanished into my own nonsense."

Beatrice tilted her head, watching her closely. "I knew you’d come back. You always do. But maybe next time... talk to me before you explode?"

Verena nodded solemnly. "Noted. I’ll add it to my growing list of ’Things I Need to Be Better At.’"

Beatrice chuckled. "You’re not as bad as you think."

"I’m worse," Verena said, smiling. "But I’ve got good taste in friends. That should count for something."

As the sun dipped lower and the world turned amber-gold, the two of them sat there—laughing, sharing, and simply being. No performance. No pressure. Just two girls who had been apart too long, finding each other again where the world finally felt quiet.

For the first time in weeks, Verena let her guard drop.

And Beatrice? She welcomed her back like she’d never left.

***

Verena stood at the edge of the courtyard’s upper level, half-hidden behind a marble column overgrown with ivy.

Below, Beatrice rejoined her usual group, Evelyn with her glittering voice, the bitch asshole chihuahua, and Clarina to balance their whole group dynamic.

They greeted Beatrice like she’d been gone a year instead of a few hours. She smiled. No, she beamed as Eveloyn tugged her into a seat and began chatting animatedly, hands gesturing all over the place. Beatrice looked lighter somehow. Not softer, but... steadier.

Like she’d begun carving something of herself, something true, and her friends had noticed.

Verena watched them quietly.

Strange, she thought. When had Beatrice become the one being protected by others instead of protecting everyone else?

A laugh echoed from below. Beatrice, hiding her face behind her teacup, while Sera made exaggerated crying gestures over some story.

Right. What was Beatrice’s natal affinity again?

She’d never asked.

Something subtle, probably. Not one of the flashy combat affinities. Maybe an astral alignment? Maybe she’d find out at the Trials, which were now only two weeks away.

First semester, nearly over. How time flew when you were constantly being chased, judged, and overcompensating for unresolved trauma.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden arrival of a familiar voice.

"There you are," said Saphira, slithered across the floor. "You were supposed to meet me fifteen minutes ago."

"I was in the middle of some quality voyeurism," Verena replied, peeling herself away from the pillar.

"You mean people-watching. Don’t say it like that."

Verena only grinned.

Saphira slithered gracefully to Verena’s shoulder, her scales shimmering like molten starlight. The familiar’s slender form coiled around Verena’s arm, their bond humming with latent power.

Together, they moved toward the northern practice hall—a secluded chamber inscribed with ancient zodiac glyphs that pulsed faintly with celestial energy, waiting for their connection.

"So," Saphira’s voice echoed softly in Verena’s mind, serpentine and amused, "you want to strengthen your mimicry? Perfect timing. Our fusion is still clumsy."

Verena nodded, summoning the spectral weave of her mimicry magic—a delicate shimmer of borrowed constellations hovering near her fingertips. "It’s stable for the basics, but it burns out the moment I try mid-level spells. I need to fine-tune the thread resonance."

Saphira’s eyes gleamed as she began to coil tighter, the faint glow of her own zodiac energy merging with Verena’s aura. "Your weave node is overloaded—like trying to pour an ocean through a teacup. You’re rushing the flux pacing."

Verena sighed, half-laughing. "Flux pacing... sounds like how I handle my social life. Poorly."

Saphira flicked her tongue, amused. Then, with a swift movement, she fused partially with Verena—her scales melding into Verena’s skin like liquid silver. The fusion sparked a rush of power that tingled down Verena’s spine.

The room filled with the crackle of combined zodiac energies.

Saphira launched a test strike—an elegant whip of fire tracing Aries and Leo constellations—controlled, precise. Verena mirrored it, weaving the mimicry threads with focused intent. The spell danced perfectly, almost seamless—until the final arc flickered and fizzled.

"Told you," Saphira teased in Verena’s mind, her tone light but firm.

They continued for an hour—adjusting channel flows, tuning the fusion pulse, refining the resonance between their intertwined energies. Each attempt brought small victories, and each failure was met with shared determination.

In the quiet moments between success and frustration, Verena realized something deeper: growth wasn’t just hers alone. Everyone was evolving. Everyone was preparing.

The Trials were coming.

And this time, with Saphira’s strength beside her, Verena vowed—no one would be left behind. History wouldn’t repeat itself.