Chapter 72
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Chapter 72: Fatal Rhythm
Aesphyra stood in front of him, smiling without uttering a word, as though Winnie’s harsh words fell on deaf ears.
However, only Winnie could sense the intense emotional turmoil within her, which caused his virtue points to skyrocket by a hundred.
Heh, hehe……
Who would have thought that one day he would actually manage to provoke the protagonist, Aesphyra, into becoming his “leek”?
Winnie wasn’t sure whether to feel happy or shocked.
It seemed that even Aesphyra, a person who had lived two lives, had her own insecurities, things she cared deeply about, such as……
Well, to be honest, Aesphyra figure wasn’t exactly small, but compared to the likes of Mirexia and the Elven Queen, who were exceptionally gifted in that department, she did have a more girlish figure.
Still, Winnie hadn’t expected Aesphyra to be so sensitive about this issue.
Before she even spoke, he could feel the tension radiating from her, sending a chill down his spine.
When he made those comments, wasn’t he essentially mocking his future self?
…Tsk! What’s the point of overthinking? Given the current situation, this woman, Aesphyra, is clearly determined to make things difficult for him.
She’s obviously fixated on the past. If he doesn’t resist, he’ll be trampled over.
If he does, he’ll still suffer. In that case, he might as well fight back.
Besides, what made the protagonist so special? Was she above criticism?
“So, do you get it now?” Vinny pressed his lips together, swallowed his hesitation, and curled his mouth into a smirk before delivering his ruthless words.
“This young master has no interest in someone like you. If I stick around, I’m afraid my future children will end up starving.”
“Virtue +120 (Main Character Mood Swings)”
“Current virtues: 234”
Huh, why was he gaining more points the more he insulted her?
Winnie had long stopped paying attention to the rising virtue points.
The more he spoke, the more satisfying it felt, especially when he saw Aesphyra maintaining her calm facade, smiling silently while her inner rage simmered, unable to erupt.
It gave him an inexplicable sense of joy.
Oh, so she thought she could outlast him, the king of psychological torture?
Of course, he knew that Aesphyra was a pure and determined girl, and the mere thought of being involved with a man would disgust her to no end.
But so what? Since she had chosen to provoke him, she couldn’t blame him for deliberately trying to get under her skin.
Don’t blame me, you started it. You made the first move, so don’t complain when I fight back.
“So, no matter how hard you try, it’s useless,” Winnie continued, striking a deliberately obnoxious pose that would make anyone want to roll their eyes.
He pointed at Aesphyra with a smirk. “I’m the man you’ll never have in this lifetime.”
“………” X2
Now, not only was Aesphyra rendered speechless, but even Carrick standing nearby was stunned.
Winnie was well aware of his reputation in aristocratic circles, and after today’s display, it was clear that he was even more outrageous than anyone had imagined.
At this thought, Carrick’s gaze shifted to Aesphyra, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes.
It wasn’t that he suspected some kind of act between the two, but rather, he couldn’t understand Aesphyra’s taste.
How could she prefer someone like Winnie over his own invitation??
Carrick was utterly baffled.
Suddenly, Carrick recalled the royal banquet over a month ago, where Winnie had directed his drunken antics toward Aesphyra.
Back then, Winnie’s behavior had been infuriating to anyone who witnessed it.
It was clear he had been deliberately targeting Aesphyra, yet Aesphyra had remained unbothered.
At the time, everyone had assumed Aesphyra was simply being gracious, choosing not to engage with the mad dog.
But now, it seemed there might have been more to it.
Thinking about the current interaction between the two, Carrick’s expression shifted repeatedly as he felt he had stumbled upon a hidden truth.
Was there something unusual about the relationship between these two?
Considering their current dynamic, could it be that……?
Could it be that Aesphyra is secretly in love with Winnie?
However, Winnie is infatuated with Her Royal Highness Mirexia, and Aesphyra, unable to win his affection, has resorted to pestering him instead??
As this thought crossed his mind, Carrick’s eyes narrowed into slits as he stared intently at Winnie.
He couldn’t comprehend what charm this mad dog possessed.
Her Royal Highness Mirexia was his childhood sweetheart, and now even Aesphyra seemed to favor him??
Were the two most beautiful and sought-after young women in the entire kingdom of Camella both entangled with this scoundrel??
As for the possibility that Aesphyra had deliberately teamed up with Winnie to brush him off, and Winnie was merely playing along, Carrick had considered it.
But the likelihood was too slim, especially given Winnie’s reputation as a heartless fool.
This guy wouldn’t go to such lengths, nor did he have the brains to pull it off.
Aesphyra couldn’t have predicted in advance that someone would invite her to be their dance partner, so she couldn’t have asked Winnie to help her beforehand, right?
Didn’t that suggest that the relationship between these two was anything but ordinary??
At this point, the only plausible explanation was that Aesphyra was genuinely pursuing Winnie.
Feeling he had uncovered the truth, Carrick was both shocked and bewildered.
He couldn’t fathom why Aesphyra’s taste was so… unconventional.
No, this couldn’t simply be described as unconventional.
What sane woman would fall for such a notorious villain?
Wasn’t she worried about tarnishing her own reputation by associating with him??
“I apologize, Lady Aesphyra. I truly didn’t realize you already had a dance partner in mind. I’m sorry for the disturbance, and I’ll take my leave now,” Carrick said, giving Winnie a meaningful look before turning to leave.
Aesphyra remained silent. Her goal had been achieved, but she felt no joy in it.
How could she explain it? She had wanted to use a distasteful distraction to ward off unwanted attention, but in the process, she had ended up staining herself.
The distraction had worked, but now she was left feeling embarrassed and exposed.
“Lady Aesphyra, you now owe me a favor,” Winnie declared smugly, dropping his act as soon as Carrick was out of earshot.
Aesphyra looked at Winnie’s grinning face and said nothing, her expression unreadable.
“Why do you look so displeased? You were the one who dragged me into this mess, and yet I, despite our history, came to your rescue. Shouldn’t you be thanking me?”
“No, I’m truly grateful for Lord Winnie’s generosity,” Aesphyra replied sweetly, though the slight twitch of her eyebrow betrayed her true feelings.
Oh, her acting skills were impressive.
If it weren’t for the clear display of virtue points, he might have actually believed her.
“By the way, what I said earlier was just part of the act to help you out. Don’t take it to heart, alright?” Winnie added with a smirk.
“Oh, just listen to me! Someone as magnanimous as you wouldn’t possibly fuss over such a trivial matter. What I said just now was practically questioning your generosity, how outrageous of me!”
As he spoke, Winnie pretended to slap himself, but just before his hand made contact, he deliberately softened the blow, ensuring there wasn’t even a sound.
Aesphyra watched Winnie’s performance with a faint smile.
This villain had far more layers than she had imagined, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to discern which version of him was genuine.
“Lord Winnie, I underestimated you before,” she said, her tone light but laced with intrigue.
She had initially thought Winnie was simply a rotten seed, consistent in his outward behavior.
But now, she realized he was far more complex, with a penchant for scheming and inner drama.
It made her wonder if his previous image had been a deliberate act all along.
“Huh? What do you mean, Lady Aesphyra? I’m an honest man. Don’t speak in riddles; I don’t understand,” Winnie replied, feigning confusion.
“Lord Winnie,” Aesphyra took a step closer, her smile unwavering.
“What?” The proximity was unnerving.
With just a slight tilt of his head, he could see her flawless features up close.
The cool, moonlit scent of her perfume mingled with the natural fragrance of her hair, making Winnie’s cheeks flush slightly.
He averted his gaze, trying to maintain his composure.
The damn charm of the protagonist!
Even though he knew her favorability toward him was at a staggering negative 99, and that getting too close to her was a risk to his health and life, his instincts still struggled to resist her allure.
“I have to admit, you’ve piqued my interest,” Aesphyra said, stopping just short of invading his personal space.
Her long legs, clad in black silk, stood poised, and her smile carried a depth of meaning.
“？？？”
What was this, a line straight out of a domineering CEO’s script??
But Winnie knew better. Aesphyra wasn’t referring to some romantic “woman, you’ve caught my attention” trope.
No, her interest in him could only mean one of two things: either she was after the secrets he held, or she was plotting to take his head.
There was no in-between.
“Oh? Should I take this to mean that Lady Aesphyra is trying to turn fake into reality and is secretly sending signals of affection my way?” Winnie feigned ignorance, then immediately took a step back, pretending to be on guard as if protecting himself.
“I’m sorry, but my heart already belongs to someone else. Unfortunately for you, Lady Aesphyra, you no longer have a chance. So please, don’t entertain such unreasonable thoughts about me, understand? It would be quite a nuisance.”
“Eh? Really?” Winnie had expected Aesphyra to be disgusted by his act and back away, but instead, she looked genuinely regretful. Seeing him step back, she took a step forward.
“Is there really no room for negotiation? Lord Winnie, could you make just a little space in your heart for me? Not much, just enough for me.”
As she spoke, Aesphyra adopted a look of vulnerability that would make even the coldest heart waver.
No, what kind of game was the protagonist playing now?
Winnie instinctively sensed the danger radiating from Aesphyra.
“No, it’s not negotiable,”
“Ah, so Lord Winnie won’t give me even the slightest chance? That’s going to make things difficult,” Aesphyra sighed, shaking her head with a hint of regret.
Winnie opened his mouth to respond but suddenly became aware of the numerous eyes now fixed on them.
The attention wasn’t on him, of course, but on Aesphyra. The gazes directed at him, however, were a mix of disdain, resentment, envy, and hatred.
Aesphyra was a magnet for attention wherever she went, and now, by association, Winnie was caught in the crossfire.
“I just wanted to carve out a little space in Lord Winnie’s heart. Since Lord Winnie refuses to grant me that, then…” Aesphyra’s lips curled into a sly smile.
She tilted her head slightly, looking up at him with an affectionate gaze, her fingers brushing her cheek delicately.
“Then, to truly understand Lord Winnie’s heart, I might just have to take it out and take a look~”
“Let’s see what secrets are hidden inside.”
Gulp.
Hadn’t he heard that line somewhere before?
Why does everyone seem so obsessed with ripping out hearts these days??
Aesphyra’s words were laced with implication, and Winnie understood her meaning all too well.
The reborn protagonist had clearly noticed that hisbehavior didn’t align with her memories of her previous life, and now she was deeply suspicious.
At this moment, she was likely burning with curiosity about why his character had changed so drastically.
What variable had caused him to deviate so far from the path she remembered, making it impossible for her to deal with him as cleanly as she had in the original timeline?
“Tsk, and what about my intentions? Do you think you can know them just because you want to?” Winnie scoffed, raising an eyebrow.
“If I don’t know, it’s like an itch I can’t scratch. It’s unbearable,” Aesphyra replied, her eyes narrowing like a cat’s.
She wasn’t lying, her curiosity was genuine.
If she didn’t uncover the root cause of Winnie’s transformation, she’d be haunted by it.
“Cut the act, Lady Aesphyra. I am a simple man, unlike you, who has a hundred faces and a thousand schemes hidden behind every smile.” Winnie crossed his arms, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “My goals and thoughts are straightforward.”
“As long as you stop looking at me like I’m some kind of monster, our purposes don’t have to clash.”
Aesphyra fell silent at his words.
Winnie knew better than to think a few sentences would be enough to change her opinion of him. Her distrust ran too deep.
“Lord Winnie, which version of you is the mask?” Aesphyra asked after a long pause, her voice low and probing.
“What mask? I am an honest man. I don’t need to wear masks,” Winnie retorted with a snort.
“Unlike some people, who are masters of deception, changing faces depending on who they’re talking to. A different mask for every person, now that’s true skill.”
Aesphyra stared deeply at the moon-blue-haired young man before her.
For the first time, she felt a flicker of doubt.
Had she ever truly understood the man standing in front of her?
Why had Winnie changed so much in this life?
Could it be that Winnie hadn’t changed at all?
What if he had always been acting, even in their previous life?
What if the persona he showed the world was nothing more than a carefully crafted facade?
Her mind drifted back to the memories of her past life, the blood moon hanging in the sky, the streets of the royal capital filled with flesh, blood, and deformed corpses.
Winnie, consumed by madness, had gone on a rampage, his eyes bloodshot as he screamed, “It’s all your fault!”
He had turned the capital into a living hell before finally being brought down in his weakened state.
Aesphyra’s eyes narrowed into slits as she considered the possibility.
If Winnie’s previous foolishness had been an act all along, then he was far more dangerous than she had ever imagined.
The man before her could be hiding untold depths of malice, scheming in ways she couldn’t even begin to comprehend.
But…
Was that really the case?
Unbidden, her thoughts turned to the recent days when Winnie had visited the orphanage, mingling with the children and going out of his way to find help for the sick ones.
She had seen him interact with them, genuine, unguarded, and kind.
She couldn’t reconcile that image with the monster she remembered from her past life.
No matter how much he pretended, there was no logical reason for a villain like him to help a group of powerless orphans.
It served no purpose, offered no benefit.
Somehow, without realizing it, she had begun to see Winnie in this life as a completely different person from the demon of her memories.
The two figures no longer overlapped in her mind.
She recalled the way Winnie had played along earlier to help her fend off Carrick’s advances.
It wasn’t the behavior of a cold-blooded villain. It was almost… human.
For the first time, Aesphyra found herself questioning everything she thought she knew about the man standing before her.
