I’m Telling You, I’m Not The Villain! – Chapter 27

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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She had turned her back on Arnold all this time. It was an undeniable truth.

The Stenman family.

Everyone shuddered at the mere mention of their name. They frowned and clicked their tongues, condemning the wicked family.

‘Still, working here is better than for the Stenman family…’

‘Are you kidding? They’re notorious for corruption.’

‘Corruption aside, their biggest problem is how they treat human lives like toys…’

People condemned them as wicked, the bane of society. They whispered insults behind their backs, calling them a corrupt noble family.

She had often heard that they were greedy and enjoyed killing.

Even…

‘I shouldn’t have trusted the Stenman family…’

‘They acted kind, but they betrayed us so cruelly…!!’

Even her fading memories of her grandparents were filled with their disdain for the Stenman family.

That’s why… she had always believed they were evil.

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Grain. I’m delighted to meet you here today.’

She remembered Arnold’s sharp, beast-like gaze when they first met. Unfortunately, she had judged him based on his appearance and believed the rumors to be true.

‘Sigh, you don’t have to flatter me. Let’s be honest, the reason we’re here is just for show, right?’

That’s why she had kept her distance… She had blindly turned away from him without even trying to understand him.

And that was the biggest mistake of her life.

…….

…….

“Father, he saved me.”

The day she miraculously survived thanks to Arnold’s help, she went to see her father.

“The one everyone calls wicked, he risked his life to save me…!”

Although it was too late now… she remembered that her father had seen the Stenmans differently. He had even seriously encouraged her to marry Arnold. She finally realized that her father had known the truth all along.

“………..”

However, her father initially remained silent in response to her question. He kept his mouth shut with a serious expression, as if trying to hide something.

The way he squeezed his eyes shut, as if struggling to keep silent, made her feel like he was also suffering from keeping the secret.

“Please tell me… You know something, don’t you, Father?”

Her suspicion grew stronger, and an uneasy feeling gripped her heart.

“Sigh, I feel bad for him, but I have to tell you now.”

Had her desperate plea finally reached her father? After a long period of contemplation, he finally seemed to have made up his mind and slowly opened his mouth.

“First, take a look at this…”

He placed a sack on the table with a reluctant expression.

Thud… –

A heavy, dull thud echoed as he let go of the sack. What was inside?

“Look.”

“This is….”

Her father took out a pair of horns from the sack. They were the valuable horns possessed only by high-ranking demons.

“You know that our family was on the verge of collapse a few years ago.”

She recalled the painful memory. It was a dark time when their family was crumbling due to years of severe famine.

They were in no position to be picky about who they turned to for help to maintain their power, and they had eventually decided to reach out to the Stenman family again, just like her grandparents had.

It was also how she first met him.

“Yes… I know.”

“And you know the reason as well.”

“I do. But didn’t a skilled guard named Sophia defeat all the demons?”

But why was her father suddenly bringing this up? She found it a bit odd.

“Actually, the credit doesn’t belong to Sophia.”

But his next words shocked her…

“Yes…?”

“It was Arnold who eradicated all the demons. Sophia was just a survivor who was saved by him.”

It was actually Arnold who had annihilated the demon unit on that fateful night.

“What…!”

“Listen carefully.”

Her father told her everything in a serious and formal tone, leaving out no details.

“Actually -”

She learned about Arnold’s heroic actions, how he had selflessly given up the reward, and how he had asked to keep his involvement a secret, not for the sake of recognition but to allow her to see him as a person.

“That’s what happened… He actually told me to sell these, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

He said the demon horns were proof. If they analyzed them, they would realize that it was a foe far beyond their family’s capabilities at the time.

“Ugh…”

Knowing the truth, she bit her lip in resentment. But this time, it was directed at herself.

“W-What should I do…?”

The one she had loathed and shunned was actually the savior of her and her family…

Her heart ached… An overwhelming sense of self-disgust washed over her.

“I… I already… treated him… so…”

If only she had been kinder to him… if only she had tried to understand him… But it was too late for regrets.

There was no room for excuses. She had made the choice to reject him.

“I… Ah…”

She ran her hand through her hair, her heart aching. A wave of sadness stung her eyes.

“Elisha…?”

“F-Father…”

What should she do? What could she do? Would her fate have been different if she had opened her heart to him sooner…?

“I… I’ve made up my mind…”

Those regrets seemed to flash before her eyes.

“I… I’ll treat him well from now on… I’ll make up for all the pain I’ve caused him… and more…!”

She made a vow deep within her heart.

She had to apologize to him. She had to tell him she was sorry, that she had been wrong.

That she was sorry for despising him… and that she was grateful that he had continued to approach her despite her treatment…

“…Yes, that’s a good idea.”

She knew it was shameless of her. She knew it was unconscionable to ask for his forgiveness after what she had done.

But she had to do it.

Even if he… hated her now…

She had to convey her apologies and gratitude to Arnold.

And… if possible, she wanted to cancel the termination of their engagement and officially become his wife. She wanted to devote her life to him.

“Y-Yes… I-I will…!!”

She promised Arnold.

That she wouldn’t hate him anymore.

She would finally see him for who he truly was and devote everything to him.

She was truly… sorry…

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He couldn’t believe his ears.

“I’m so sorry for how I’ve treated you…”

Elisha apologized in a trembling voice. Her body shook, overcome with guilt.

“Huh…?”

He was bewildered by her unexpected behavior. Elisha was supposed to see Arnold as a villain, but her current actions contradicted that completely.

‘Could it be…?’

But then, he remembered what had happened over the weekend. Had her perception of Arnold changed because of the incident?

‘I’m sorry! For being so mean to you… If it’s not too late, let’s get along… as a married couple…!’

Her words echoed in his mind.
She wanted to be like a married couple…?

“Hey, hey, what did… that girl just say?”
“D-Did I hear that right?”
“What? Are they married? But I’ve never seen them together before…”

The other students began to whisper amongst themselves after hearing Elisha’s words. The peaceful atmosphere of the classroom was instantly disrupted.

“I was a fool… I shouldn’t have done that. I was so wrong…”

“Did they… have a fight?”
“Is that it…?”
“But… it looks like the girl was the one who got hit…”

The situation worsened as Elisha’s demeanor, desperate and pathetic, made her look like an abused wife.

“…….”

He felt the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on him…

“What?! Arnold! You were engaged to Elisha…!!”

Even Varis looked at him with confusion and disbelief.

“Arnold…!”

Suddenly, Elisha grabbed his hand with both of hers. Her touch was gentle and comforting.

“I’m not asking for your forgiveness…! But… I want to convey my sincere feelings!”

She apologized with a solemn expression. How should he react?

“I know I’m being shameless. I know I can’t undo what I’ve done, but I’ll make it up to you from now on…!”

She looked at him with sincerity, begging for forgiveness and blaming herself.

“I understand…”

He decided it would be best to acknowledge her apology and move on, considering the other students watching.

“If you know you’re being shameless, then shouldn’t you just leave him alone?”

But… just as he was about to say “I forgive you,” an icy, cold voice interrupted them.

“Huh?”

The single sentence silenced the entire classroom. Everyone held their breath, sensing the ominous atmosphere.

“If you know that, then you shouldn’t approach Master. ”

The voice belonged not to him, nor to Varis, but—

“Because you’re not worthy.”

—to Eilly, who glared at Elisha with dark, cold eyes filled with disgust and contempt.

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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.