Saving You, Villain - Chapter 92

I hurriedly covered my nose and mouth with both hands. Did Camian see? He was approaching me with a terrifying expression.

“Move your hands.”

“……”

“Liv.”

A chilling voice came from just above my head. I refused and kept my hands over my nose and mouth. But blood soon pooled between my fingers and began to drip onto my clothes.

Camian gently held both of my shoulders. He bent down to meet my eyes, pleading as he spoke.

“Just let me see how bad it is.”

“……”

“Please.”

His slightly furrowed eyebrows pierced my heart. I couldn’t ignore the desperate voice of someone I loved.

“I’m just tired.”

“I know.”

“Promise you won’t make a fuss.”

“I promise.”

I struggled to speak, my voice nasal and strained, forcing out each word. Every time I opened my mouth, more blood filled it. Watching Camian’s face, I cautiously removed my hands. My palms were covered in blood. I heard gasps from all around.

Camian’s eyes narrowed in concern.

“Let’s go wash this off.”

He grabbed my bloodied hand without hesitation and gently tugged. But this wasn’t the time to worry about washing off blood. When I didn’t move, Camian bent down again to meet my gaze. I hastily wiped my face with my free hand and said:

“We need to go home.”

“First, let’s wash the blood off….”

“You’re in danger, you idiot. The bleeding will stop on its own. So, please?”

“……”

I grabbed Camian’s collar with my bloodstained hand and shook it. But Camian showed no sign of fear, despite my warnings of danger. It was as if he didn’t care about his own safety, focused only on my bleeding state. My frustration only grew.

“Camian, listen to me.”

“……”

“Cam—”

Suddenly, I coughed, and a heavy clot of blood splattered out. Camian’s pants were instantly soaked in blood. The cough wouldn’t stop, and more blood kept coming up.

Camian, seemingly in shock, froze, unable to react. His wide, startled eyes were fixed on my face. I was mortified. I didn’t want him to see me like this, even if it killed me.

As I quickly turned away, my vision blurred, and I swayed before I could steady myself. If Camian hadn’t caught me from behind, I would have hit the floor.

The arms holding me were trembling violently.

“Liv, everything’s going to be okay.”

“Cough, sniff….”

“Just hold on a little longer. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry….”

For the first time, Camian offered me real comfort. He said everything would be okay. But, standing on the edge of death, I couldn’t hear those words properly. All that echoed in my ears was his tearful voice, apologizing.

Camian’s reaction wasn’t good. Even if my death shocked him, he shouldn’t be this scared. But now, just seeing me cough up blood, he was reacting as if he felt raw pain and terror, as though his own body was being torn apart.

If I could, I would swallow all the blood I had spit up and erase the stench of iron that filled the air. But all that could be heard was my coughing echoing through the classroom, the silence created by shock, and the many eyes fixed on me. Knowing that everyone in this room could feel the shadow of death looming over me made me feel even more miserable.

I shouldn’t be here like this. I need to get Camian home as soon as possible.

But I couldn’t even manage my own body, writhing in pain like a fish caught on a hook. Heat surged behind my eyes. Before I could even recognize the urge to cry, tears were already soaking my face.

“Cough, sniff, Camian….”

The classroom door slowly creaked open. A chilling air swept in.

Camian, who had been watching me anxiously, suddenly raised his head. His jaw tightened. Bang! A loud explosion rang out, and a blast of hot air rushed through the room. High-pitched screams erupted around us. What was happening? Before I could grasp the situation, Camian’s arms wrapped around me tightly, pulling me close to his chest as I continued to cough.

“I had planned to capture him alive once the kingdom stabilized.”

Cold sweat trickled down my body. It felt like the grim reaper was coming for Camian’s life, not mine. A fear much greater than my own death gripped me. I clung to Camian’s body desperately. Not him. Camian can’t die.

“Ugh…!”

Suddenly, the arms holding me loosened as if they had lost their strength. At that moment, someone’s hands slipped under my arms from behind, and I was lifted into the air.

“No, no! Cough….”

I tried to resist with all my strength, but it was as futile as a dried leaf clinging to the ground, blown away by the slightest breeze. Through tear-filled eyes, I looked at Camian. Red strands of light wrapped around his arms and legs. Camian was kneeling on the ground, as if crushed by an overwhelming force, glaring fiercely at Luke behind me with bloodshot eyes.

“Everyone, Camian is a vile demon who seeks to destroy the peaceful lives of us humans!”

Luke’s booming voice echoed through the lecture hall. The mention of Camian being a demon caused an uproar. People looked confused, unable to believe it. After all, they had spent years with Camian, just like I had. While he could be cold to others, he was diligent and an exemplary student.

“Our dear Liv Klein has fallen into the trap of this cunning demon and formed a contract with him. But fear not, I will save Liv and all of you from Camian, the demon.”

“Stop spewing nonsense…! Cough, cough! Ugh….”

A violent cough bent my body in half. I clutched my throat with both hands and closed my eyes. It felt as if sharp blades were scraping against my lungs and throat.

“Liv!”

From afar, I heard Tessa’s voice. She tried to approach me, but Luke extended his arm to block her.

“It’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous? What do you mean Camian is a demon? That’s absurd! We need to get Liv to a healer immediately….”

“I anticipated that you might be brainwashed as well. But don’t worry, you can see for yourselves.”

Luke’s voice was filled with confidence. He then turned to Camian and spoke with contempt.

“Remove your disgusting mask and reveal your true form.”

The red strands constricting Camian’s limbs writhed like they had a life of their own. They coiled around his entire body, growing thicker and longer like vines. Camian clenched his jaw, his eyes burning with rage as he stared at Luke. The light began to flood over his eyes.

“Camian!”

Whoosh—A gust of wind slammed into my face. Luke quickly raised his arm to shield me from the wind. Shards of broken glass scattered across the lecture hall, leaving scratches on Luke’s exposed arm.

The whirlwind stopped as suddenly as it had started. As my hair, which had been whipped into the air, gently fell back down, Luke lowered his arm, revealing Camian. He had grown taller and broader than usual, and enormous black wings had sprouted from his back, wings I had only ever seen in books. They were like those of a bat, flexible and alive, as if they were breathing. The sheer intensity of his presence left everyone in the lecture hall speechless, their eyes wide in shock—everyone except Luke.

Luke strode confidently toward Camian with his long legs. He grabbed one of the horns that protruded above Camian’s wings, shaking it carelessly, as if dragging livestock to the slaughterhouse.

“These are the wings of a demon.”

Somewhere in the hall, a long, terrified scream rang out. That scream triggered chaos, and the lecture hall quickly descended into panic.

“Everyone, this demon’s powers are sealed. He cannot harm you. He’s merely a specimen for experiments crucial to creating weapons against demons, so remain calm.”

A specimen for experiments? What had Camian done to deserve such a horrific fate? In the book, Camian was a being of absolute power. Neither the gods nor his mother, the Demon King, could stop him when he went berserk. But now, here he was, bound and unable to move a finger. How did it come to this?

“Because of me….”

Yes, all of this tragedy that had befallen Camian was my fault. If I hadn’t taken that assistant position, if I hadn’t drunk that tea… If I hadn’t recklessly possessed a character in this book, none of this would have happened to Camian.

Regret for every moment of the past 15 years came crashing down on me. On the day Camian first told me he needed to feed, if I had fought back instead of submitting my blood out of fear… Wouldn’t Camian have killed me then? Dying back then would have been the happiest ending for me.

No, if only I had ended my life during one of those countless times I passed out from excruciating pain, instead of relying on Camian’s care, I wouldn’t be suffering like this now.

I should have died before Camian developed feelings for me. That would have been the wisest choice. I finally realized that. But realizations always come too late, accompanied by regret.

Is there anything I can do now? My broken body, unable to stand properly, and my rapidly shortening lifespan—there was nothing I could do with this useless body, not even if I were discarded immediately.

The plan I once had, to stop Camian’s descent into darkness and return to my original world, now seemed like a naive, childish fantasy. Just as Camian had given me his heart, I had given him everything.

Even if I were to return to my original world, I couldn’t bear to live in a world without Camian. I would constantly yearn for him, and the unbearable longing would drive me to choose death eventually. A bitter smile crept onto my tear-streaked face. Whether I lived or died, the outcome was the same. I had tried so hard to avoid death, but from the very beginning, “living” was never really an option.

“Ah….”

As I came to terms with death, a memory that had been buried deep in my mind resurfaced.

‘The only way you can escape is through death. If you sever your own life before the god-given time runs out, the contract will be nullified.’

It was a line from the book How to Kill a Demon, written by Luke. The realization gave me a grim sense of purpose. I didn’t hesitate. There was no need to. In this mess of a situation, if there was anything I could do, I would do it, no matter what.

I picked up the sharpest shard of glass from the scattered pieces on the floor and drove it into my neck with all my strength. The icy cold sensation of the glass sent shivers through my body. Soon, my neck burned as though it were on fire. I pulled the glass out and stabbed it into my neck once more. A tearing sound echoed in my head.

“Liv!”