Saving You, Villain - Side Story Part 10
Tom puffed out his chest, full of confidence. With Leo joining in, I felt a surge of stubbornness. Anyone else I could ignore, but not Camian. No way would he be the kind of guy to leave just because he wanted time alone. This is the same person who always says, “You’re my whole world.” Now, suddenly, he’s off for some “me time”? Not a chance.
“Camian’s not like that.”
“Then let’s make a bet!”
“A bet?”
Tom was bouncing on the sofa, excited. A bet? Really? The outcome is obvious; there’s no need to even argue. As I smirked, Tom shoved his face closer to mine, his lips curling up in a mischievous grin that was, for some reason, particularly annoying.
“Are you worried? Think you might lose? Afraid Camian left because he doesn’t like you?”
“Not at all.”
“Then let’s bet! The loser has to write their name with their butt!”
At the mention of “butt,” Sherry burst into laughter, rolling around on the sofa. Was it really that funny? Kids will be kids. Trying to ignore them, I reached for my now-cold tea, but Leo jumped in.
“That sounds fun. Mind if I join? I’ll bet on Tom.”
“Me too!” Sherry chimed in.
“…”
I stared at the three of them in disbelief. It felt like they were predators circling around my precious, unsuspecting Camian. If I backed down now, they’d think of Camian as a guy who secretly wants to escape from his girlfriend. No way could I let that happen.
“Fine, let’s do it.”
I’ll make sure you all know just how wrong you are.
***
Two weeks later, Camian finally returned. I had planned to tease him about the bet as soon as he got back, but seeing the deep exhaustion on his face made me hold my tongue.
After his bath, he easily lifted me into his arms and slipped under the covers. Enveloped in his embrace, I inhaled his familiar scent, one I hadn’t experienced in two weeks, and hugged him tightly in return.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“I was starving… for you.”
“Ugh, stop reading those cheesy novels. You’re starting to sound like them.”
He chuckled softly and pulled me even closer.
“Just lie here for a bit. I’ll get you some stew.”
“No.”
“Come on, let me go. You should eat first…”
“Don’t go anywhere. Just hold me, Liv.”
“…”
“That’s all I need.”
He spoke with a pleading tone. The moment I heard the tiredness in his voice, I couldn’t resist. I knew he must be hungry, but he wouldn’t let go. It was as if he needed to touch every part of me, as if not doing so would be unbearable. It was clear he had missed me just as much as I had missed him. He clung to me as if it had been an eternity since we’d last seen each other.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
I welcomed his affection wholeheartedly.
When Camian was away, I would wake up early, in the blue light of dawn. But with him by my side, I slept deeply until the sun was high in the sky, spilling hot light into the room.
…Next time he goes off to fix this time distortion or whatever, I’m going with him.
If it weren’t for that stupid promise, I could’ve gone with him this time too. He’d only gotten that promise out of me by pushing me to the point where I wasn’t thinking straight. Now that I think about it, it makes me mad. I feel like I got swindled. That clever jerk.
I stared at Camian’s sleeping face.
“How annoyingly handsome.”
I was about to bite his nose when I suddenly remembered something.
‘When Liv asks Camian to live apart for a month, if he agrees, I win. But if he says no, Liv wins. Simple, right?’
At the time, I’d been swept up in the mood of doubting Camian’s devotion, so I eagerly agreed to the bet. But once I got home, I realized just how childish it all was. I had laughed it off as a silly joke, but now, for some reason, the bet came back to me.
The reason was simple. A part of me wanted to surprise Camian, get a little revenge, tease him a bit. And—just maybe—there was a tiny, tiny part of me that wondered if Tom was right. What if Camian really did want some time alone?
At that moment, Camian’s long lashes fluttered slightly. His eyelids lifted, revealing those deep red eyes that gazed at me quietly.
I gently brushed his long lashes with my fingertips. Without a word, he let me touch him, staring at me as though he were still half-dreaming, lost in a daze.
“Camian.”
I called his name softly.
“Why don’t we try living apart for a month?”
“…”
I watched as his eyes slowly focused on me. Camian shook off the remnants of sleep and suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“What?”
“Jeez, you scared me…”
“Say that again.”
Pain radiated from the wrist he gripped, and I was left speechless, startled by his unexpectedly intense reaction. A heavy silence settled over the room. I nervously wiped my sweaty palms on the blanket, stealing glances at his face. Camian’s expression was hardened, his gaze sharp, waiting for me to speak.
I had imagined several possible reactions from Camian. Maybe he’d freak out and beg me not to go, or perhaps he’d stubbornly insist on following me no matter where I went, like he always did. But this cold, suffocating silence? I hadn’t seen that coming.
Camian sat up abruptly, running his hands roughly through his hair. The tension in the air forced words out of my mouth.
“I just thought… Since we’ll be living together for a long time, maybe spending a month apart wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Tell me. What’s the problem?”
His voice wavered dangerously, and his cold eyes locked onto mine. I slowly sat up, hugging the blanket to my chest.
“Tessa sent me a letter inviting me to visit the capital. I thought staying with her for a month might be nice. You could have some time to yourself too.”
“Are you even listening to yourself?”
“…”
“How am I supposed to trust myself for a month without you around? How do you expect me to live without you for that long?”
His hand darted under the blanket, gripping my foot with a rough, icy touch that made me shiver. His red eyes were fixed on my face with an intensity that made me feel like I couldn’t breathe. I was frozen in place, unable to move even a finger under the weight of his gaze.
“I heard Leo was here while I was away for two weeks. Are you getting tired of me? Looking to replace me with some other mutt?”
“…”
“You’ve probably had enough of the rabid dog that’s constantly having fits because he’s obsessed with you, haven’t you?”
The deep-seated fear within him had come to the surface. He was terrified that now that I’d regained my health, I no longer needed him and might abandon him. His worsening anxiety had led him to resent his own inability to control his emotions and his constant need for me.
My mind went blank. One careless comment, thrown out in jest, had sent him spiraling into despair. I wanted to take it back immediately.
“No, that’s not it…”
“But what can I do?”
His lips twisted into a cold, bitter smile.
“I have no intention of leaving your side. Not even if you curse me or kill me.”
It was at that moment I realized I had to put an end to this ridiculous bet. I quickly placed my hand over his, the one gripping my foot, and shook my head.
“No, no. It was all a joke, Camian. Really. Leo and Tom suggested we make a bet…”
I couldn’t bear to meet his gaze, even as I confessed that I hadn’t meant what I’d said. But despite my explanation, his expression remained somber, his features locked in a grim silence, like the aftermath of a storm leaving behind only devastation.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Camian rose from the bed, turning his back to me.
“I’ll get breakfast ready. Wash up and come down.”
Camian’s voice struck me like an icy whip, harsh and cold. Desperately, I reached out to grab his hand, but instead of holding mine, he slid his hand away as if it were grains of sand slipping through my fingers. Without any hesitation, he distanced himself. Thud. The sound of the door closing echoed through the room, as if mocking me.
Two weeks. After two long weeks, Camian had finally returned. And what had I done to him? Instead of welcoming him back with loving words like, “Was it hard? Did you miss me? Come here, let me hold you,” I’d stupidly suggested we live apart. Camian, who was already struggling with growing anxiety, had received a thoughtless blow from me, one that stabbed and twisted deep into his heart.
“God, I’m so stupid. Just go die already,” I muttered, slamming my forehead with my palm. The dull pain was nothing compared to the throbbing ache in my chest.
Camian returned from his bath. As soon as I saw him, I jumped up with a fresh towel in hand.
“I’ll dry your hair for you.”
“Don’t bother doing things you don’t usually do. Just get ready for bed.”
His cold words hit me as he brushed past without even looking at me. His chilly tone made me freeze for a moment, but I couldn’t give up just yet. Pushing back the gloom creeping over me, I stubbornly followed behind him.
“Come on… I’m serious, I can do a good job.”
“….”
“Just sit still. I’ll take care of everything, okay?”
But all my pitiful words bounced off the wall of silence he built around himself. In the end, Camian dried his own hair without so much as a glance at me, and he proceeded to prepare for bed as if I wasn’t even there. Once he settled in, I quickly crawled into bed next to him.
“If you can’t sleep, I could read to you. Maybe one of those romance novels you like?”
“….”
“I’m really good at reading out loud. I’ll make it sound just like the characters are talking to you, super realistic.”
“Stop talking and close your eyes.”
His curt reply left me pouting, but I couldn’t bring myself to snap at him for his tone. Instead, I reached out hesitantly, gently wrapping my hand around his arm and closing my eyes.
“…What happened to your forehead?”
My eyes shot open. In the dim light, I could just barely make out his features.
“Oh….”
How did he even see that? In the dark, with only a sliver of moonlight coming through the window, he’d somehow noticed the redness on my forehead. What kind of eyes does he have? Feeling embarrassed, I rubbed the spot he was staring at.
“Can you please stop hurting yourself?” Camian sighed, scolding me.
I couldn’t understand why he was so angry about something as minor as me hitting my forehead. Was his overprotectiveness ever going to ease up?
“It doesn’t hurt,” I mumbled, pressing my forehead against his chest in an attempt to soothe him. Normally, I would’ve argued back, telling him I wasn’t made of glass. But today, guilt weighed me down, and I kept my temper in check. Of course, Camian noticed the change in me. He didn’t scold me further, just lifted my face to inspect the mark for a while before finally letting go.
However, instead of his usual habit of clinging to me throughout the night, as if afraid I’d disappear, he turned his back to me. Seeing his broad back turned away from me felt like a slap in the face.
“…Camian,” I called softly.
I poked at his shoulder blade with my finger, even gently scratched it with my nail, but he didn’t respond. He must’ve already fallen asleep.
…I didn’t want to believe he was ignoring me.
In the end, I spent the entire night staring at his back. By the time dawn’s faint light crept into the room, I finally dozed off, only to wake later to an empty space beside me.
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