Saving You, Villain - Chapter 89

It was so obvious. Even though Camian knew that Liv was intentionally saying harsh things, he could never get used to her pushing him away. It was excruciating.

Camian couldn’t simply dismiss the cutting words Liv threw at him. What if there was even a tiny bit of truth mixed in with her cruelty? If he carelessly let it slide and it turned out there was some sincerity in her words—if Liv ended up truly hating him—then that would be a catastrophe. So Camian hung on to every word she said, getting hurt by them, replaying them in his mind like scratching at a fresh wound.

When Liv began acting like she was going to leave him and follow some wretched human to the capital, it felt like his world was collapsing. His mind completely broke, leaving him no space to think clearly or try to understand Liv’s true intentions. He was consumed with panic, anxiety, and fear.

“Couldn’t you… just look at me once? No matter what I try, you don’t give me even the smallest opening.”

“……”

“I don’t care if you treat me like a toy… just let me stay by your side.”

“……”

“I love you, Liv. So much more than you think.”

At his breaking point, Camian finally confessed what he had sworn he wouldn’t say. Even though he trembled with terror at the thought that, just like last time, Liv might leave him the day after his confession, he still spilled his heart in a shaky, desperate voice.

He had let his guard down again.

He regretted it more than anything. He felt so disgusted with himself that it was unbearable. How could he have confessed again? While Camian was drowning in his despair, Liv, not fully understanding his turmoil, gently stroked his hair and offered him her shoulder. Even in the depths of his darkest thoughts, that small touch felt like sunlight breaking through the gloom.

After his impulsive confession, Camian forced himself to calm down, organizing his thoughts. He needed to focus on stabilizing Liv’s emotions, which were likely in turmoil after his admission. His heart raced with anxiety, terrified that Liv might make another drastic decision.

A wave of despair washed over him. He remembered a time, over a decade ago, when a small, rat-like classmate at the academy had jokingly asked when he and Liv were going to get married. Liv had reacted so violently to the joke, screaming that there was nothing between them, that she had a seizure. The memory haunted him, like a nightmare from his third reincarnation.

He had promised himself he wouldn’t confess his feelings.

This was his last chance. If he wasn’t careful—if he acted rashly, as he had last time—he could lose Liv in an instant. He had to be cautious.

He decided he would follow whatever Liv said, show her a submissive, obedient side, so that she could find peace.

Later that night, Liv knocked on Camian’s door. The knock was unusually polite. With a resolute expression, she entered the room and began reciting her rejection, word for word, as if she had practiced it. She had probably stayed up all night rehearsing what to say. He felt a pang of pity.

“Okay,” he replied.

“Really?”

“But you’ll have to help me.”

“With what?”

“With forgetting you, like you said.”

There wasn’t much time left until their souls were fully bound. He couldn’t lose her now. Not this time.

***

Liv’s health was deteriorating rapidly. She often slipped out in the early hours of the morning, vomiting blood, and she could hardly digest food, growing weaker by the day.

There was no way Camian hadn’t noticed. But since Liv was trying to hide it from him, he pretended not to know.

It was as if Liv sensed her end was near, and she grew more irritable by the day. She tried to act like nothing was wrong, but Camian could feel the sharp, anxious energy radiating from her. Agitating her in this state would do no good.

On nights when he heard her coughing, he wanted to rush to her room, pat her back, hold her, and whisper that everything would be okay. But instead, he stood outside her door, never turning the knob.

“Please, just hold on a little longer. I’m sorry, Liv. I’m so sorry.”

He leaned his forehead against the door, tears streaming down his face. He knew no matter how much he tried to atone for his sins, he would never be forgiven. He didn’t even deserve to ask for forgiveness—not when he was helplessly watching Liv suffer.

The only things Camian could do were pretend not to notice her worsening condition and increase the amount of blood he took from her. But even that caused her pain. Every time Liv struggled as he drank her blood, the weight of his guilt grew heavier.

This was the last chance. If he couldn’t save Liv this time, he would die with her. He was willing to endure an endless cycle of life and death, reincarnating again and again, until one day they could meet in the same era, as similar beings, and fall in love once more.

***

After feeding, Camian gently stroked Liv’s cheek as she lay unconscious. He could feel the tiny beads of sweat forming on her smooth skin.

As he wiped her sweat away with a dry cloth, he struggled to suppress the boiling rage inside him.

Luke Florence.

Even thinking about the man’s name filled him with murderous intent. Magical herbs could cause a wide range of side effects depending on the person’s constitution. Liv had been fortunate enough not to suffer from them, but if anything had gone wrong because of that bastard…

Camian cursed violently under his breath. He wouldn’t feel at peace until he ripped Luke apart, limb by limb, with his own hands.

If Lila hadn’t stopped him earlier today, he might have already lost control and gone after Luke.

“Hold on. That bastard has your master’s blood,” she had warned.

“……”

“If you rush in now, you’ll end up stuffed in a royal museum, or worse—turned into a test subject for weapons against demons. I’ll ask Celiana for help, but please, just stay calm until then.”

Liv’s blood—Camian’s fatal weakness, which he had created himself. For 15 years, Camian had fed on Liv’s blood, steadily binding his soul to hers.

Although Liv hadn’t fully mastered the ability to drain Camian’s life force and magical power at will, she had already gained control over his body more than five years ago. This binding spell was permanent, so long as the contract between Luke and Liv remained unbroken.

If Liv used her blood to cast a submission spell, Camian wouldn’t be able to disobey any command she gave, no matter how small or grand. But Liv, an ordinary human without an ounce of magic power, couldn’t use magic to enforce such a spell. However, once the bond between their souls was complete and she could tap into Camian’s magic, things would be different.

Even if it meant being treated worse than a slave, Camian didn’t care. He would gladly offer his body to Liv, content in the knowledge that she could use him however she wished.

“…”

“You’re not seriously thinking of ending it all in a fit of anger, are you?”

Lila, sitting calmly on the sofa, eyed Camian with a cool expression. Despite trying to maintain her composure, the intense aura radiating from Camian sent chills down her spine, making her rub her arms uneasily.

“Your master should see you like this.”

“Shut your mouth.”

“Is that how you speak to your father? Then again, if you knew what respect was, you wouldn’t have killed me three times.”

With a snap of her fingers, Lila’s form was swallowed by a dark aura. Her sleek, ebony hair shimmered as it lengthened, her features sharpened, and her body stretched taller. Though she didn’t possess the same raw physical strength as Camian, she transformed into an undeniably striking man—a stunning, masculine figure.

Lila was neither a suspicious potion maker nor a woman who harbored romantic feelings for Camian. She was, in fact, the Demon Queen, Rainer—the one forced to descend to the human realm due to her son’s reckless actions, which had thrown the world into chaos over his misguided love.

“My neck still aches from when you cut it,” Rainer quipped, attempting to lighten the tension with a joke. But this was no mood that could be eased with a few words, and she knew it. Clicking her tongue, she took a sip of water.

“If the gods hadn’t threatened to destroy Celiana, I wouldn’t have bothered coming here to help a worthless brat like you. You should be grateful. I’ve even stirred up your jealousy and made you believe your feelings for Lila were real, bringing you some relief in the process.”

“…”

“Honestly, look at you—losing your composure over a pathetic little birthday gift. You would have driven your master to another suicide if—gghrk!”

“I told you to shut up.”

Camian’s hand shot out, clamping around Rainer’s throat without a hint of mercy. Rainer, though feeling the crushing fear from her son’s terrifying face, couldn’t help but be impressed. The difference between the Camian who was alone with her and the Camian in Liv’s presence was so stark, it was as though they were two different people.

When Liv was around, he pretended to be soft, caring, and human-like. He even let out sighs—sighs—as if he were capable of such a mundane, human emotion. Rainer scoffed internally. Camian wasn’t the type to sigh. If he were ever in a situation that might cause him to do so, he would simply take a sword and cut down anyone in his way—family included.

Rainer had descended to the human realm in an effort to protect her beloved wife, Celiana, but the time spent alone with her son felt like enduring a horrible punishment.