Saving You, Villain - Chapter 102

Camian furrowed his brow and gave a light shrug, a gesture clearly meant to tease me, and I could feel my temper rising.

“Hurry up and decide. We have to finalize the contract before the full moon. Are we just going to keep arguing like this?”

What was he saying? Was he seriously blaming me for delaying the contract? I stared at him in disbelief.

“You’re the one saying no to everything! You rejected my wish for no nagging, vetoed my wish for no arguing, and even shot down my request to just let me do what I want. It’s all you saying no.”

Ever since Camian told me to prepare my wish for the new contract, I’d been wracking my brain so hard it felt like it might explode. I’d barely eaten, consumed with coming up with the perfect wish, only to have Camian nag me multiple times over the past few days.

Sure, I could’ve asked to become the richest person on the continent, as Camian suggested, but I enjoyed the simple life in this small village. The sense of community, where everyone was like family, and the peace of leaving the door open at night without worrying about thieves—all of it felt like home. Every stream, every tree, and even the fruit hanging from the branches felt like it belonged to me.

People might laugh and say that’s just because I’ve never lived in a palace or been waited on by servants. But honestly, I wasn’t sure. Despite having spent a lifetime in a world far more advanced than this one, where technology was everywhere, none of that came to mind now. It seemed I’d really fallen in love with this village.

I didn’t need power or wealth. After thinking about it for days, the one wish I came up with was simple: Camian’s absolute obedience. Not because I wanted to boss him around like a servant. I just didn’t want to hear his constant “No. Don’t do that. Don’t go there.” I wasn’t his pet, and yet he was always putting restrictions on me.

Most of our fights stemmed from Camian’s overprotectiveness. We had a lifetime ahead of us, and for the sake of our peaceful and happy future, it didn’t seem unreasonable to ask for a way to avoid constant arguments.

Camian, who had been lounging lazily on the bed, suddenly sat up. He tilted his head slightly and tapped his temple.

“Think about it. In the end, I don’t even get your soul. Isn’t it unfair for you to ask for such a grand wish while I get nothing in return?”

His practical reasoning made me scrunch my face in frustration.

“I knew you were as stubborn as a mule, but I didn’t expect you to be so tightfisted, too. Looks like with that personality, you’ll never get married,” I said, clicking my tongue in mock pity.

Camian just grinned, showing his teeth, clearly amused by my insults. Seeing him laugh even when I was scolding him made it clear he was totally head over heels for me. Unwillingly, I felt my own lips start to curl up, but I quickly wiped the smile away.

“Make another wish.”

“What! You’ll just say no again.”

“Then wish for something I can say yes to.”

“This is insane! Do I have to get your approval for my wishes now? I feel like I’ve been scammed!”

Camian, still smiling, watched me struggle to come up with a new wish, clearly entertained. I was growing more and more frustrated. The full moon was coming soon, and I was running out of time. It felt like I was stuck with an impossible homework assignment.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Camian answered before I could.

“Yes?”

The wooden door creaked open slightly, revealing Jax, his eyes tightly shut as if he were trying to block out something he didn’t want to see.

“Can I come in?”

…You’re already in.

“Yes.”

Jax slowly opened his eyes, scanning the room before letting out a sigh of relief. His expression told me he had jumped to the wrong conclusion—though in his case, it was probably more of a playful assumption than a serious misunderstanding.

“Jax?”

“Don’t worry,” Jax said, still grinning. “Debra and I may have raised you two like our own children, but we wouldn’t be shocked at all if you started expressing your love for each other. We fully support Liv and Camian.”

“Expressing our love…”

I couldn’t finish the sentence, feeling a twitch of embarrassment creep up my face.

It was true that Camian and I had been unusually close lately—constantly making eye contact, always holding hands, and clinging to each other like we couldn’t bear to be apart. Even when Debra and Jax were around, it wasn’t much different.

It was only natural that Debra and Jax would notice. We weren’t exactly hiding it. But hearing Jax bluntly talk about “expressing love” made my ears burn with embarrassment. My mouth opened and closed, but no words came out, leaving Jax amused by my reaction.

“Just make sure you eat in between all that love. Dinner’s ready, so come down soon.”

“…Okay.”

As the door closed with a thud, I let out the breath I’d been holding. Running a dry hand over my face, I felt the heat of Camian’s gaze above me. I glanced up.

“What are you smiling at?”

“What? I can’t smile now?”

Camian was grinning without a care in the world. Wasn’t he embarrassed? This was worse than getting caught hiding a box of condoms by your parents! But Camian looked more relieved than anything.

“So, about your wish?”

His voice was light and cheerful. Ugh. The unexpected interruption from Jax had rattled me, and now I couldn’t focus. My head was throbbing, and I couldn’t think straight. In frustration, I ran my fingers through my hair and blurted out whatever came to mind.

“What wish? You’re just going to say no again. Fine, how about you just remind me to eat every mealtime for the rest of my life.”

“Alright. Let’s go with that.”

“What?!”

I hadn’t meant for that to be my actual wish. It was just something I spat out sarcastically, thinking of Jax who had just left my room. But Camian nodded as if that was enough.

“Wait, Camian, no—cancel, cancel!”

But it was too late. The wish had already slipped out of my mouth, and Camian showed no signs of reversing it. In an instant, dark energy swirled around both of us. His blood-red pupils narrowed vertically, and large black wings sprouted from behind his shoulder blades. Camian, now nearly one and a half times larger than his human form, exuded an overwhelming, chilling presence. All I could do was cling to my blanket, staring up at him with my head tilted back.

His enormous hand gently caressed my face.

“Let’s make our final contract, Liv,” he said in a low, resonant voice.

I couldn’t bring myself to say no.

This was the moment when the fleeting days where we had focused solely on each other, ignoring the trials ahead, came to an end.

***

The snow had melted, and as it seeped into the frozen earth, it gave birth to fresh green grass and a vibrant array of flowers. I sat by my window, welcoming spring. I watched a white butterfly flutter close to the ground, landing briefly on a bright yellow canola flower before flying away again.

As I watched the butterfly disappear into the distance, my hand absentmindedly brushed over my left collarbone. Beneath my fingers, a small scar caught. This tiny mark brought me a strange sense of relief.

Carefully, I pushed myself up, using the desk for support. I couldn’t help but chuckle quietly at the absurdity of how slow and stiff my movements were, like an old woman. Then, I buried myself deep under the blankets. My whole body was drenched in sweat, pouring out of every pore, but I shivered as if standing naked in the dead of winter.

I bit my cracked lips, trying to resist the pain and fill my mind with positive thoughts. Spring is here. I made it through winter. I didn’t die. But looming behind those thoughts was the creeping shadow of despair. How many more seasons do I have to endure? If surviving just one was this excruciating, how many more… Every minute, every second felt like hell. It was as though someone was endlessly wringing my insides, and with each breath, the air felt like hooks tearing at my throat. My limbs tingled with numbness, and my head felt as heavy as lead. There wasn’t a single part of my body that felt normal.

“…Camian.”

When Camian was with me, I could at least lean on him and get through it. But on days like this, when he had to leave for a week to fix the distortions in time, it felt like I could die at any moment, and it wouldn’t be surprising.