A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

'Double Awakening,' Avendial thought as he witnessed a radiant orb shimmering above Aria's body.

Slowly, the warmth of the aura began to ooze out, enveloping the nearby area.

As it expanded, the glow completely surrounded Aria, illuminating her form with a gentle light that obscured her bare skin yet revealed nothing.

"Huh? Huh? Wh-what is this?!" Aria exclaimed, her senses ignited by the warm, tingling sensation that enveloped her.

Though not painful, it was undeniably strange.

She instinctively let her hands wander, exploring her body.

As she looked at her fingers, she realized something astonishing: the pain she had felt moments before was fading away.

It was as if her body was mending itself, particularly in her lower regions where the agony had been most intense.

It felt like a miracle.

She could feel the healing coursing through her, but more compelling than that physical sensation was the rush of emotions surging through her mind.

Her gaze fixed upon Avendial standing nearby, and the moment her eyes met his, her thoughts froze.

'!?!'

'W-where is his title?!' Aria's mind began to calm despite the whirlwind of emotions.

For the first time, she noticed that the title she usually saw hovering above his head had vanished.

In her pain-ridden state throughout the night, she hadn't realized it, but now, a shocked expression spread across her face as she noticed an odd glitch shimmering above him.

It wasn't just the absence of the title; something more was amiss.

"Don't move, Aria!" Avendial commanded, acutely aware that the double awakening process could heal a person's body.

He understood that the absorption of psi energy not only enhanced one's abilities but also facilitated miraculous healing.

This phenomenon, although not yet fully understood, was a life-saver under critical conditions.

For instance, someone on the brink of death who underwent a double awakening would not only awaken their latent potential but return to their peak condition.

From Avendial's observations, the logical explanation for this extraordinary healing lay in the fact that double awakening only occurred during life-threatening situations.

A person needed to be in grave danger, teetering on the edge of death, to unlock their true capabilities.

As a result, going through a double awakening at the last moment effectively granted them a second chance at life, restoring them to their original state while making them stronger.

However, right now, his priority was to reassure Aria and show her that his intentions were genuine.

With that in mind, Avendial lunged forward and embraced her tightly, cradling her body against him.

'!?'

"Wh-what?! L-leave me! You're evil!" Aria shouted in protest.

Caught off guard by the unexpected hug, she felt the healing light enveloping her but was still haunted by the emotional scars from the torturous night before.

Desperate to push Avendial away, she struggled, but her efforts proved futile against his formidable strength.

"Stop, damn it! Ughhh!—kughh!?" Avendial tightened his grip around her waist, burying his face near her neck as he screamed—literally screamed—out in pain, or at least he tried to convey the intensity of his suffering to her.

"Huh? Wh-what happened to you?" Aria, initially enraged by his actions, suddenly found her mind locked in a moment of confusion.

Feeling him tighten his hold as he screamed in agony, she paused, unable to move, even as she clearly sensed his body trembling.

"N-nothing... kughh... A-Aria, just wait.

You will awaken your hidden ability soon enough... Cough!"

Avendial Koft, or rather the character he was playing, was acting as if he were on the verge of death.

Given that he had survived a forest teeming with beasts, he was more than equipped to handle the likes of a small rabbit.

His performance was so convincing that even a God would have to look twice to be sure.

"W-wait? What is happening to you?!" Aria felt her mind clearing, realizing that her body was now healed.

The faint light surrounding her was fading, turning into shimmering dust that gradually vanished.

In the chaos of the moment, the background faded as her focus turned toward the man—her tormentor—now crying in her embrace.

Despite the rage she felt toward him for the torment he had inflicted all night, seeing and hearing him scream—and feeling his temperature rise and body tremble—triggered a panic within her.

Her hand, resting on his shoulder, instinctively moved to console him, forgetting for a moment all the pain he had caused.

Cough!

"Khuckk!... Haa... Haa..."

"Aven! What happened? Tell me!" Aria felt her heart skip a beat when she heard another scream escape him.

Her mind raced as confusion swirled; she could no longer deny that he was genuinely in pain.

Desperate to understand the reason behind his anguish, she wondered if it was somehow connected to the light.

"Ugh… cough… I… I'm sorry," Avendial finally managed to say, forcing himself to keep his eyes open and redden them as he gasped for breath.

He slowly attempted to distance himself from Aria, whose face was painted with a clear expression of panic.

As he struggled to breathe, feigning a near-fatal state, Avendial noticed the expected concern written all over Aria's features.

He had taken enough time to observe her—two or three days was more than enough to understand her character.

Despite having lost the love of her life to a woman celebrated as a heroine, Aria displayed unwavering strength interwoven with an undeniable kindness, showcasing the complexities of her nature.

He concluded that, beyond her strong intellect, it was her inherent kindness that prevented her from taking action against the woman who had stolen her love—Lin

If he, possessing a somewhat capable mind, were placed in her situation, he would have done anything to eliminate such a rival.

Thus, it was clear to him that Aria was, above all, a kind person.

There is a common trait among kind-hearted individuals—specifically, those who harbor kindness deeply yet struggle to express it through charity or overt gestures.

Such individuals often believe that if someone has wronged them, there is an 80% chance they would forgive that person if they chose to apologize.

If the individual who inflicted harm on them was not a loved one or family member, they would likely extend forgiveness, provided the offender sought it.

However, it is another matter entirely that these same kind individuals, once pushed past their kindness, can become formidable foes—demons from whom even he must keep his distance.

But in the initial stages, tormenting them and demanding an apology in a manner that elicits guilt could provide relief, as evidenced by his own performance of pain, which allowed Aria, tormented all night, to momentarily forget her troubles.

He didn't view this as forgiveness but rather as proof of her anxiety and worry for him.

Her concern illustrated that her anger towards him was far outweighed by a space he had carved in her heart—a space he had himself created and secured.

But his aim for acting this way was definitely not to make her forget everything, considering it was impossible for her to forget this night.

But instead, what he wanted was two things.

First, to act this way so he could know and confirm what things she is able to see after her double awakening on him.

And second was, if she is able to tell about his curses.

So, the best way to know those things was to act and get himself caught while acting.

"What are you doing?!" Aria exclaimed the moment she saw him trying to distance himself, only to fall to the floor.

As he collapsed, her eyes widened in alarm, and she leaped out of the bed, rushing to his side.

Her gaze swept over his body, desperate to understand why he was in such agony.

Was he injured somehow? Did something happen due to that light?

"N-no, I'm fine, it's just—Ugh..."

Avendial observed as she leaped out of bed, completely unbothered by her nakedness.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression a mixture of shock and something else.

Her eyes darted away from his, focusing instead on an invisible point between them, as if there were something intangible separating them.

"Huh? Why are you acting?"

'Finally...' Avendial thought, momentarily relieved as Aria spoke those words.

He glanced at her, noticing her bewildered expression.

It was clear she was seeing something beyond the ordinary, probably his status window.

Her words suggested that she could perceive his emotional state.

Understanding this, he merely shrugged his shoulders; it seemed like the right moment to drop his act.

Her anger toward him had already vanished.

"So what? Would you have believed me if I told you this was all to help you awaken your power?"

'!?'

"Wh-what?" Aria exclaimed, her focus breaking as she blinked, confusion washing over her face.

The implication of his words seemed to dawn on her, making it clear that he had been acting all along.

If not for the screen that had appeared before her, she might have believed him.

Her eyes twitched in irritation as she regarded him, annoyance evident in her expression.

"Y-you..."

"I love you, Aria," Avendial added, deliberately crafting a moment filled with emotion, hoping to overwhelm her anger.

It felt akin to using poison to combat poison, as he shot an emotional arrow aimed directly at her now-calm mind.

badump

"Y-you....Eh? You're lying?" Aria's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly checked her status screen, which revealed something that made her frown.

'.....'

Avendial couldn't see what was on her screen, but as realization began to dawn on him, his expression turned blank.

It became apparent that she could discern whether he was being truthful or not, something he hadn't anticipated.

His eyes narrowed; given that if this was indeed true, it was a hassle. Naturally, in that moment, if she was able to really tell if he was lying or not, he would need to get rid of her.

He would never allow someone he couldn't control.

This prompted him to inquire for confirmation, while his hand clearly tightened, and his eyes coldly fixed on her, just to get the confirmation and eliminate her. "You can tell if I'm telling the truth or lying?"

".....It was just a fluke," Aria said, recalling how his heart rate had remained steady when he confessed his feelings.

She reasoned that if someone were genuinely confessing their love, their heart rate would naturally increase.

Faced with his blank stare, she began to understand that he had been deceiving her all along.

This awareness sent her into a wave of frustration.

Her mouth twitched as she closed her eyes and turned her body away from him, feeling simultaneously helpless and annoyed that he would lie to her given that he had professed his love more than a hundred times all night long.

"Go away! I hate you!