I’m Telling You, I’m Not The Villain! – Chapter 29

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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“Master…?”

The affectionate air was suddenly replaced by a chilling coldness. Dark, deep eyes, like the abyss, stared at them.

“Why… why would you-”

Eilly’s words trailed off, and a heavy silence followed.

“Eilly?”

Her trembling figure filled him with unease. He felt like a thief caught red-handed.

“Ah, I see. So you forgave Lady Elisha?”

She forced a smile, but it was unnatural, strained, and insincere.

“I-It’s… It’s alright… It’s your decision, Master… I shouldn’t question it… Ugh…”

Eilly’s voice cracked, choked with sadness. But she seemed to be trying to suppress it, biting her lip.

“I thought you were staying in the dormitory?”

“I apologize. I came out to be by your side, Master, but… I think I should go back now!!”

“Eilly? Wait-”

She ran off somewhere. He tried to follow her, but he couldn’t. By the time he stood up, Eilly had already disappeared down the hallway.

“Arnold, about that…”

Elisha clung to his arm tightly.

“Could you… stay with me like this? It might be selfish, but… I want to feel your warmth and know that I’m truly forgiven.”

Her cheeks were flushed, and she asked him to stay with her, her voice shy yet filled with courage.

“…….”

He sat back down. He would talk to Eilly later.

“Hehe.”

Elisha smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder again.

“Thank you. You’re so kind. I should have realized this sooner…”

She whispered in his ear, enjoying his warmth. But he felt uneasy. A strange, ominous feeling lingered in his mind.

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“Haa – Haa -!”

Why… why was she running? She should be going back to Master. She had to protect him from that shameless hussy clinging to him…! But something felt wrong. She just wanted to run away.

Her heart ached with sadness.

She had known, she had a feeling… that Master would forgive Lady Elisha.

But seeing it with her own eyes… it felt like her heart was being torn apart.

“Ugh…”

She found herself in the outdoor garden, retching violently as if to empty her stomach.

Her mouth tasted bitter…

It was awful…

She had never felt this way before…

She wiped her mouth and looked up at the sky, her stomach empty. The image of Master together with Lady Elisha filled her mind, intensifying her sadness.

“…….”

Master…

So you decided to forgive Lady Elisha.

I’m just a maid, so I shouldn’t question your decision…

“Ah -”

What should she do?

The image of the two of them together kept flashing through her mind.

And soon, it would become reality.

The thought of her Master… her Master, being taken away by that impudent woman made her want to crumble to the ground.

Should she just stand by and watch?

“……”

No.

She couldn’t.

He was her Master.

She didn’t want to lose him to anyone.

Especially not to her.

Never.

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After lunch with Elisha, he went for a walk. He honestly wanted to be alone, but she had been clinging to him like glue.

“Hehe, Arnold~♪”

He wasn’t obligated to indulge her, but he couldn’t bring himself to express his discomfort seeing her so happy, humming a tune.

“Master!”

Just as he was feeling a bit overwhelmed, a familiar voice called out to him.

“There you are!”

It was Eilly. Her demeanor had completely changed from her previous sorrowful state.

“Eilly, are you alright?”

He asked if she was okay, remembering her distress earlier.

“Yes. I apologize for worrying you. I’m going to be fine now.”

She nodded with a bright smile and walked towards them. Then,

“E-Eek!”

with a cute little yelp, she suddenly hugged his other arm.

“…?”

He was confused by Eilly’s action. Elisha was already clinging to him, and now Eilly was joining in, doubling his bewilderment.

“Hehe… I’m okay now.”

What was going on…? But before he could ask, Elisha’s displeased voice cut through the air.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Can’t you see I’m having a moment with Arnold?”

She seemed quite annoyed, as if her precious alone time with him had been interrupted.

“Aren’t you being a bit presumptuous? Just because Master is kind enough to allow it, doesn’t mean you should be so brazen.”

But Eilly didn’t back down. She actually retorted and clung to his arm even tighter, asserting her presence.

“Ugh!”

Elisha glared at Eilly, her eyes narrowing. He felt the pressure on his arm increasing, almost to the point of numbness.

“…..”

“……..”

Eilly and Elisha glared at each other, their eyes filled with resentment and contempt, as if they were sworn enemies.

“Ugh…”

“Ugh…”

The atmosphere was tense, almost as if sparks were flying between them. Why were they competing over him…?

“Master!”

“Arnold!”

They both looked at him almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with a desperate plea, like stray cats vying for attention.

“Who is it?!”

“Who is it?! It’s me, your maid?!”

It felt like being a child caught between arguing parents, being asked to choose between them.

He couldn’t choose either of them, and the thought alone made his head spin.

“I -”

But he had to make a decision. They both looked at him nervously, swallowing their dry throats, as he put on a determined expression.

“I’d like you both to let go of my arms…”

But he chose neither of them.

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“…….”

“……….”

After some time, Arnold left, and only the two women remained, standing in silence in the chilly air.

“What was that?”

Elisha broke the silence, her voice laced with annoyance. It seemed she was displeased that her time with Arnold had been interrupted by Eilly’s intrusion.

“What was what? I should be asking you the same question.”

But Eilly didn’t back down, glaring at her ‘rival’ with clouded eyes.

Her previously innocent and affectionate demeanor was gone, replaced by a chilling, almost fanatical, gaze.

“It’s truly absurd. You’ve been acting like you couldn’t stand him all this time, and now you’re suddenly acting like nothing happened, just because you had a change of heart.”

Eilly lashed out at Elisha with venomous words, her eyes filled with disgust.

“Do you really think you deserve to be with him?”

“……”

Elisha’s expression faltered, and her confidence wavered under Eilly’s relentless attack. She knew that she had been in the wrong to treat Arnold the way she did.

“I… I just made a mistake…!”

But unlike before, when she had been reprimanded by Eilly, she still had some confidence left. It seemed Arnold’s forgiveness had a significant impact.

“A mistake? Five years of treating him coldly is just a ‘mistake’ to you? Are you an elf or something? How can you say that after all those years of tormenting him?!”

“Uh…?!”

However, Elisha was still in a disadvantageous position. Her desire to be with Arnold after all those years of rejection was difficult to justify.

“It was my mistake…! But I truly regret it, and I’m reflecting on my actions. So, I’m going to clear up the misunderstanding and face him properly from now on.”

But Eilly just scoffed at Elisha’s claim.

“A mistake? Regret? Now? Hmph… I’m speechless.”

“So, why… why did you despise Master in the first place?!”

“Master kept giving you chances and approaching you, but it was your choice to reject him and treat him cruelly!!”

Her voice grew louder, her tone far too aggressive for a maid speaking to a noble.

“That’s…”

But her words were true. Elisha’s confidence crumbled under Eilly’s sharp accusations.

“So, please leave. As Master’s maid, as a woman, I’m telling you. You’re not worthy of being with him!”

Elisha lowered her head at Eilly’s decisive words.

“Perhaps… you’re right. I might not be worthy of being with Arnold.”

Had she finally given in?

“But he told me! He forgave me-”

No. She actually looked relieved by Eilly’s words and declared with a newfound resolve,

“He gave me a chance, perhaps my last.”

“And I won’t let this opportunity slip away. I’ll make it up to him and never hurt him again!”

“Even if it means devoting my body and soul to him.”

She pointed at Eilly, not as a noble to a maid, but as a woman asserting her pride.

“I will never give up. I’ll atone for my actions by his side until he tells me to leave.”

But Eilly simply sighed, as if exasperated.

“You’re persistent. I will never give up my Master.”

“I’ll also be a proper fiancée and make it up to him. I won’t lose to you.”

They exchanged hostile glares and parted ways. Their relationship… showed no signs of improvement.

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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.