I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 871: Conversations on the Way Up

"I think that should be everything," Jeanne said.

She placed the final set of clothes into Orlin’s wheeled shopping box.

The box was full.

More than full, in fact.

Neatly folded jackets, trousers, shirts, shoes, and several accessories had been piled inside until the staff had to bring a second compartment for the items that no longer fit.

Eric looked at the collection and grimaced.

"I hope it is everything," he said. "You bought enough clothes for him to last at least five years."

Jeanne glanced at the box.

Then she looked at Orlin.

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"You do not have to take all of them," she said awkwardly. "You can choose only the ones you want."

She hesitated.

"And if you do want them, I can pay for everything."

Olga looked at her with confusion.

"Why would you pay for strangers?"

Jeanne looked away.

"Well... I do not spend much of my own money."

That was true.

Jeanne rarely bought things for herself. She had access to funds through Celesta, but most of the time, she spent what she had on other people instead. Gifts, food, supplies, small things that made someone else happy.

She had almost been about to tell herself that this was no different.

If Orlin and Olga could not afford the clothes, then perhaps she could help them.

"No," Orlin said quickly.

He smiled as he looked down at the clothes Jeanne had chosen for him.

"My father will pay. And I really like what you picked for me. All of it."

Jeanne blinked.

Then her expression softened.

"Then that is good."

"I hope I am not asking too much," Orlin said after a moment, "but could you choose some clothes for Olga too?"

Olga frowned immediately.

"Orlin, I do not need—"

"Just a few," Orlin insisted.

Olga looked at him.

There was no pressure in his expression. He simply seemed to want her to have something she liked as well.

"I do not mind," Jeanne said. "Should we go upstairs to the women’s section?"

"No," Orlin replied. "She likes the designs here."

Jeanne turned toward Olga in surprise.

Olga’s cheeks became faintly red.

She nodded.

Jeanne did not question it.

Instead, she began looking through the nearby racks with Olga. The men’s casual floor had more than coats and trousers. Several sections offered unisex designs, tailored shirts, fitted jackets, long overshirts, simple dark sweaters, and practical clothes that did not lean too heavily toward either masculine or feminine styles.

It suited Olga better.

Over the next half hour, Jeanne helped her choose several pieces.

Olga preferred darker colors, simple lines, and clothing that allowed her to move easily. Jeanne quickly understood that she did not like excessively decorative outfits, exposed shoulders, or skirts that made her feel uncomfortable.

She found Olga several dark trousers, a fitted black jacket, a deep-red shirt, and a long gray coat with a subtle silver lining that brought out the color of her eyes.

Olga tried on each one quietly.

And, to her surprise, she liked Jeanne’s choices.

"Thanks," Olga said when they were done.

Her voice was soft.

She had not expected Jeanne to spend so much time helping her. She had assumed the Hero of Celesta would be distant, proud, or too important to care about what two children chose to wear.

But Jeanne had treated her seriously.

"It is fine," Jeanne replied. "I was glad to help."

"Jeanne," Eric said, watching the two of them with a dry expression, "now that you have acted like a mother for both of them, I think we should join the princesses."

"R-Right," Jeanne said.

She looked faintly embarrassed.

Perhaps she had become too invested.

She looked at Orlin and Olga one last time and gave them a small smile.

"If you need help paying, I will be upstairs."

"Thank you," Orlin said gratefully.

Jeanne nodded.

Then she left with Eric, heading back toward the elevator.

As soon as they were out of the children’s hearing range, Eric looked at her.

"Was all of that really necessary?"

"I was only helping the children," Jeanne replied.

"Even though you hate being called the Hero of Celesta, you really do act like one sometimes."

"There is no need to be called a Hero to help children who may need help," Jeanne said.

Eric gave her an unconvinced look.

"Do they look like they are in difficulty? The fact that they are shopping in Crown and Silk already says enough about their family and status."

"I know," Jeanne said. "But I still could not leave them alone."

Eric sighed.

"You know," he said, "I feel like you would be happier working as some kind of caretaker for children than pursuing all the higher studies you used to talk about."

Jeanne glared at him.

"Your mother would kill you if you chose that path," he added.

Jeanne looked away.

He was probably right.

Her mother had always held high expectations for her. A stable career. Good studies. A future worthy of the effort Jeanne had put into school.

Jeanne did not reply.

They reached the upper floor where Aurora and Sylvia were supposed to be.

At least, Jeanne hoped they were still there.

The two princesses might have already gone to the private fitting rooms on the highest floor, where staff members had prepared dedicated spaces for them. Jeanne had also not seen Rubina anywhere, though Eric had been hoping to run into her again.

Then Jeanne stopped.

"I see them."

She pointed ahead.

Aurora and Sylvia stood near one of the displays.

But there was someone else with them.

A golden-haired boy stood close to Aurora’s side, looking around the floor with restless eyes.

Eric frowned slightly.

"Is that Aurora’s familiar?" he asked. "Why is he out like that?"

Jeanne did not answer Eric’s question.

Instead, she began walking toward Aurora, Sylvia, and Ruma.

"I will look for Ruby," Eric said.

He glanced around the floor, clearly hoping to find his younger sister somewhere among the displays.

Then he walked away on his own.

As Jeanne approached the royal siblings, Sylvia’s voice reached her first.

"I wonder who they are," Sylvia said. "They cannot be an ordinary group of girls, can they? And they do not look like they belong to the same family either."

"We are in Edenis Raphiel," Aurora replied calmly. "You can find all kinds of people here. It is not surprising."

Unlike Sylvia, Aurora was actually looking through the clothing displays.

She moved carefully from one rack to another, examining dresses rather than staring too openly at Samara’s group. Sylvia, meanwhile, had clearly been more interested in watching them than choosing any clothes.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Hya!"

Sylvia jumped slightly.

She quickly covered her mouth, muffling the small cry that escaped her. When she turned and saw Jeanne standing beside them, her face became red in embarrassment.

"You scared me, Jeanne."

"Is something wrong?" Jeanne asked.

Aurora looked awkward.

For a moment, she did not seem to know how to explain what they had been doing.

Sylvia, however, had no shame at all.

"We are spying on the girl Ruma took interest in," she said with a giggle.

"Spying?" Jeanne repeated, stunned.

She looked down at Ruma.

Then she followed his gaze.

Ruma was staring in the direction of Samara’s group, his sapphire eyes fixed on the pretty girl with bluish-gray hair standing among them.

Tihana.

Jeanne understood immediately.

The girl was beautiful, certainly. But she was not the only one. The entire group was beautiful enough to stand out even in a place filled with wealthy and fashionable people.

"Do you know them?" Jeanne asked.

"No," Aurora answered.

Then she looked toward the group again and sighed.

"And this has gone on long enough. Now that you are here, we should leave and stop wasting time."

"Wait, Aura," Sylvia protested. "We have not even learned her name."

"We do not have time for that," Aurora said. "And they have likely noticed us following them. Let us not create unnecessary trouble."

She rested a hand on Ruma’s golden hair, gently patting it.

Ruma looked disappointed.

But after a moment, he nodded.

"Okay."

"Alright," Sylvia said dramatically, walking past Aurora with a sigh. "I forgot that my sister hates anything remotely connected to romance."

Aurora shook her head slightly.

Instead of responding, she turned toward Jeanne.

"Where is Eric?"

"He went to look for Rubina," Jeanne replied. "We should go ahead. I am sorry for making you wait."

They had been in Crown and Silk for nearly two hours, yet Jeanne had barely begun choosing anything for herself. The entire time had been spent helping Eric, Orlin, and Olga.

"It is fine," Aurora said with a warm smile. "You seem to have enjoyed yourself."

Jeanne blinked.

Then she smiled a little.

"Yes. A little."

She looked around the store.

"I suppose going out like this without being recognized constantly makes things easier."

Since they were in Edenis Raphiel, Jeanne was far less known than she was in Celesta. People might recognize her face from broadcasts or public images, but she did not receive the same overwhelming attention she faced in the Dorian Capital.

Aurora nodded.

"I have to admit, it is better here too. We still receive attention, but it is nothing compared to Celesta."

"In Celesta, we cannot even walk outside without several dozen knights surrounding us," Jeanne said.

"That is true," Aurora agreed.

"The academy should be easier for all of us," Sylvia said. "There is no status there. Everyone is supposed to be treated equally."

"I do not think status will disappear so easily," Aurora replied. "But people may stop watching us quite so closely."

"Jeanne will definitely still be watched," Sylvia said with a playful smile.

She turned toward Jeanne.

"I heard there will be a formal gathering and presentation for all the Heroes summoned by Eden. Everyone will see you, Jeanne."

"Yes," Jeanne said quietly.

She already knew that it was unavoidable.

She had begun to understand how important her status truly was, though part of her still felt uncomfortable with it. She had underestimated what it meant to be summoned by Eden. To her, she was still Jeanne, a girl from Earth who had been taken from her life without warning.

But to this world, she was a Hero.

A symbol.

Someone people would look toward with hope.

Summoned by none other than the Supreme God ruling this world.

She wondered how Sharon and the others had handled it during the past years.

They had been lucky enough to be summoned into Edenis Raphiel, though by different Royal Houses. Jeanne assumed they had already met one another by now. They came from the same world, carried the same burden, and likely understood feelings Jeanne had been unable to share with anyone else.

"Has the Hero of Arvatra arrived as well?" Jeanne asked.

Aurora nodded.

"Oh, yes. She will attend the entrance ceremony. In fact, every Hero should be there."

Aurora smiled.

"You can meet her then. She is a good person. Though she seems quite young, I was surprised by how mature she was."

"Why?" Sylvia asked.

"Well," Aurora said, "I was told that shortly after she was summoned, she caused quite a commotion."

Jeanne listened carefully.

"She panicked and cried. She kept asking about her family and demanded to be sent back. At first, no one could calm her down."

Aurora’s expression softened.

She felt actually really bad for her upon hearing that.

"But thankfully, she eventually managed to settle."

"Different from Jeanne, I suppose," Sylvia said, glancing toward her. "You seemed quite calm when you arrived."

"Yes," Jeanne replied.

Then she looked down.

"But I was deeply disturbed too."

She had simply not shown it as openly.

Jeanne had been raised to control her emotions, to remain composed even when she was afraid or overwhelmed. She had not screamed. She had not cried in front of the people who had summoned her.

But inside, she had been terrified.

She had wondered whether the Hero of Arvatra had experienced something else that made her panic so strongly. Or perhaps she had simply missed her family more openly than Jeanne had allowed herself to.

"Regardless," Aurora continued, "when I met her, she seemed well. She asked about you too."

Jeanne looked up.

"She said she was eager to meet other people from her world," Aurora said.

Jeanne nodded slowly.

She felt the same.

They came from Earth.

They had been summoned into this strange world.

And they carried the same heavy title.

Jeanne wanted to meet them as well.

Flanked by Celesta’s knights, Aurora, Sylvia, and Jeanne followed a staff member toward the private elevator.

The woman led them with careful professionalism, though her hands were held a little too tightly in front of her.

She had two royal princesses of Celesta and Eden’s summoned Hero walking behind her.

No matter how experienced she was, that was not the kind of group one could guide through a luxury store without feeling pressure.

The elevator doors opened with a soft chime.

Everyone stepped inside.

A few moments later, the doors opened again onto the highest floor of Crown and Silk.

Beyond them stretched a long, quiet corridor lined with elegant private rooms. Each door led to a separate fitting salon, carefully designed for high-ranking guests who wished to choose dresses, have formalwear tailored, or avoid the attention of the public floors below.

The rooms were reserved for VIP customers.

Nobles, royal families, and anyone wealthy enough to expect complete privacy.

"This way," the staff member said.

She tried to sound calm.

Aurora, Sylvia, and Jeanne followed her, with two Celesta knights walking several steps behind.

They had only begun moving down the corridor when Aurora suddenly stopped.

"Sister?" Sylvia asked.

She blinked and turned toward Aurora.

Aurora was staring ahead.

Her expression had gone still.

Sylvia and Jeanne followed her gaze.

A man was walking toward them from the opposite end of the corridor.

He stood only a few dozen feet away.

His hair was silver.

His eyes were a cold, piercing silver.

His skin was pale in a way that seemed almost unnatural, and even from a distance, there was something inhuman about his presence. Not necessarily monstrous, simply too perfect, too distant, too unreal to belong to an ordinary man.

Sylvia’s breath caught.

"T-That..."

She had seen his face too many times during the past day not to recognize him.

The silver hair.

The silver eyes.

The distinct golden earrings.

Edward Falkrona.

The man who had recently been revealed to the entire world as the twenty-fifth Utopian King.

Edward noticed them at nearly the same moment.

His gaze shifted toward Aurora, Sylvia, and Jeanne.

He stopped briefly before resuming walking.

But there was someone else behind him.

A man had been following Edward down the corridor, speaking loudly enough that it was obvious he had been trying to get his attention for some time.

"Hey, I am speaking to you, idiot—"

He never finished.

In one sudden movement, the man was pulled down without Edward having to lift a finger.

His body fell forward against the floor. Before anyone could understand what had happened, Edward stepped aside and brought his foot down against the man’s cheek slamming his face against the ground before gravity did it.

"Arghh!!"

The impact echoed through the corridor.

Blood splattered across the pale floor.

The man cried out in pain, his front teeth knocked loose from the force.

Everyone froze.

The staff member stared in horror.

The knights instinctively moved their hands toward their weapons, though they stopped themselves when they recognized who stood before them.

Edward did not look angry in the ordinary sense.

His expression was cold, faintly annoyed now.

He looked down at the man beneath his foot, pressing him stronger against the floor.

Then Edward opened his mouth.

Only one word left him.

"Beg."