I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 892: Talk With Tanya Teraquin

(Master, I have a question.)

Edward continued walking through the corridors of the mansion without answering immediately, his footsteps echoing faintly against the floor as he listened to Jarvis speaking in his mind.

(I was wondering why Master hasn’t told your friends about Princess Ephera’s whereabouts.)

"Because she isn’t Ephera yet," Edward replied dryly.

He could have told Cylien and Rodolf that Ephera was alive, or at least that he had found a lead concerning her, but doing so would only create unnecessary complications before he was certain of what was actually happening to her.

Ephera’s situation was different from Rodolf’s or Cylien’s, whose memories had awakened naturally and whose identities had returned without the same complications surrounding her existence.

With Ephera, things were far more delicate.

He needed to be careful.

[Aren’t you afraid of Nihil intervening in that case, Master?]

Edward’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Nihil knew who Ephera was.

More importantly, he knew what needed to be done with her.

That alone was enough to make the situation dangerous.

Edward understood better than anyone that Nihil would not simply ignore an opportunity if one presented itself, particularly now that he had lost control of Nyrel’s body, and therefore lost the Aithra that had once given him another means of manipulating the situation.

If Nihil understood what Edward intended to do, he might attempt to interfere once again, searching for some advantage that would allow him to manipulate Edward or force him into a position where he could regain some shred of control.

That was simply Nihil’s way of doing things.

It was what made him so infuriating.

The worst part was that Nihil never behaved like the simple, shameless villain Edward would have preferred him to be. Even when he manipulated people and created situations that served his own interests, he insisted on maintaining some ridiculous sense of morality, as though having a few principles somehow made his actions acceptable.

To Edward, that only made him more hateful.

At least a true bastard had the decency to admit what he was.

"He wouldn’t dare," Edward finally replied. "And I think he’s currently occupied with something else."

There was a reason Edward believed that.

The mere fact that Nihil had not immediately appeared after Edward’s return told him that something had changed.

Nearly two years had passed.

Edward himself had spent most of that time being extremely cautious, remaining in Xenithia whenever possible because he knew that confronting Nihil or any of the other Gods while he was still weak would have been reckless. He had kept his presence concealed, giving himself time to recover and understand the situation before making his existence known again.

But now several days had already passed since he had revealed himself.

Nihil still had not appeared.

That was strange.

Perhaps something had happened to him.

Perhaps someone had prevented him from acting.

Or perhaps Nihil was simply watching.

Edward could not dismiss that possibility.

Nihil had always been patient when patience served him better than action. During the entire First Game Year, he had remained in the background and observed Edward carefully, seemingly content to gather information until he understood that he could no longer deceive or manipulate him as easily as he had hoped.

Then Cleenah and Nemesis began violating the agreement they had made with him.

That had changed everything.

Nihil must have panicked when he realized that his carefully constructed arrangement was falling apart, and that was when he had finally appeared before Edward and started revealing information about the Avatars.

Looking back, Edward considered that one of Nihil’s greatest mistakes.

It was probably exactly what Nemesis had been waiting for.

The moment Nihil exposed enough of his plans and allowed Nemesis the opportunity to act, she had seized it and completely removed his influence from Amael’s body.

Edward still wondered how Nihil could have been so naive.

How could he have trusted even a single word from two Khaos Princesses?

Especially Nemesis.

And then there was his own daughter.

Nihil had trusted her far more than he should have, while simultaneously underestimating just how much she had already planned behind his back.

Nevia had outsmarted him almost from the very beginning.

Regardless of all that, Edward knew that what had happened in this world was probably of little consequence to the Gods themselves.

But Central Vedelia was different.

Nearly two years ago, too many things had gone wrong for Nihil in a single chain of events.

Amael’s rebirth.

Nemesis taking complete control of the newly born Vessel.

Edward’s own awakening.

Every one of those events had disrupted whatever plans Nihil had been pursuing.

And Nihil had been the one handling the Vessel of Samael Eveningstar.

He had been holding Edward’s real body.

He had also been the Guardian of Sancta Vedelia.

Under normal circumstances, Edward was certain Nihil would have intervened.

He simply didn’t know what had stopped him.

Or who had stopped him.

Perhaps it had been Cleenah and Nevia, quietly interfering with Nihil’s plans to prevent him from intervening in what Nemesis wanted.

Perhaps it had been Nemesis herself, ensuring that Nihil could not interfere with her plans for the perfect Vessel of Samael.

There were too many possibilities.

For the moment, however, none of them mattered.

If Nihil was truly staying out of this matter, then that was a good thing.

It did not mean the danger was gone, though.

Edward knew better than to believe that.

There was always someone watching.

Someone had to keep an eye on this precious world, especially with so many forces moving behind the scenes.

The only question was who.

Edward did not have an answer.

Perhaps he should ask Horus.

The thought immediately brought another complication to mind.

Horus was clearly not on particularly good terms with Eden and the others, especially after everything that had happened in the Rewritten Past.

His daughter had been involved in it.

Edward’s mother.

Belle Falkrona.

Or, more precisely, as she was called, Belle Horeus Falkrona, being daughter of Horus himself.

And then there was what had happened to Edward during the Rewritten Past.

That was something Horus had every reason to be furious about.

Edward’s eyes darkened considerably.

Even after all this time, remembering that day was enough to awaken a deep, cold anger inside him.

They had taken everything from him.

Then they had erased the entire slate and treated it as though everything he had experienced, everything he had suffered through and everything he had fought for, had been nothing more than a meaningless story that could simply be rewritten whenever they desired.

As if his life had never belonged to him in the first place.

Edward’s hand slowly tightened at his side as he continued walking through the corridor, his expression becoming colder with every step.

He had not forgotten.

He would never forget.

Edward was not going to forgive anyone who had been involved in what had happened.

Although Nihil was ultimately responsible for much of the mess, Edward did not consider him to be the main target of his hatred, especially because the idiot had been manipulated himself, having trusted the wrong people far too easily and allowed himself to be dragged into a situation that had eventually spiraled completely beyond his control.

There was perhaps another, more irritating reason for that as well.

Some faint memories remained buried within Edward from the life he had once lived as Nihil’s son, and somewhere within those memories was the understanding that Nihil had genuinely loved his mother. As much as Edward despised many of the choices Nihil had made, he knew that the man would never willingly have allowed what happened to Belle if he had known the truth beforehand.

That did not absolve him.

But it meant that Nihil was not the one toward whom Edward’s deepest hatred was directed.

That hatred belonged to Michael.

A-Nihil.

Zeus.

And the last bastard who had taken part in that incident.

Those were the people Edward truly blamed for what had happened.

His mother had been worried about him, certainly, but she would never have simply lowered her guard in front of Michael especially. She knew exactly how dangerous he was and would not have allowed herself to be taken so easily, which meant that someone else had helped him, someone who had managed to catch her off guard and knock her down before she had any chance to properly defend herself.

The thought made Edward grit his teeth.

He exhaled slowly afterward, forcing the anger back down.

For now, there were more immediate matters to deal with.

He could think about the past later.

After asking several servants where Tanya was, Edward followed the directions they gave him through the mansion until he eventually reached a particular room whose large doors were closed.

The servant accompanying him stopped in front of it and knocked twice.

"My Queen."

"Enter."

Tanya’s voice came from the other side.

The servant opened the door, revealing a rather spacious hall that appeared to function as one of the mansion’s living rooms. Edward stepped inside without ceremony, his eyes immediately sweeping across the room.

He quickly spotted Alvara.

She was standing beside her mother, while Bryelle was nearby in her wheelchair with Neia standing behind her, both hands resting on the handles.

Tanya’s gaze fell upon Edward.

For several seconds, she simply stared at him.

Then her expression became slightly colder.

"Take Bryelle out."

"Yes."

Neia immediately nodded and began steering Bryelle’s wheelchair toward the exit.

"Um... good luck," Bryelle said nervously as she passed Edward.

Edward glanced toward her, then looked back at Tanya.

Once the door closed behind them, Alvara finally spoke.

"Mother, this is Edward Falkrona."

Perhaps the introduction was unnecessary.

Tanya obviously knew who he was.

But Alvara seemed to feel the need to confirm it anyway, perhaps because even she could scarcely believe that the man standing before them was the same Edward Falkrona who had once stood in front of Tanya at Vanadias.

Tanya slowly turned her body toward Edward, her eyes scrutinizing every detail of him.

"Are you really the same man I last saw at Vanadias?"

There was a faint trace of real shock beneath her otherwise composed expression.

"Not exactly the same," Edward replied.

He walked farther into the room without any hesitation before eventually settling into one of the armchairs as though he had every right to make himself comfortable there.

He leaned back slightly and raised his left hand to his temple, resting it there while his eyes remained fixed on Tanya.

"But overall, I am. There is no one else who would have taken your daughter’s heart."

Tanya’s eye twitched slightly.

"My daughter..."

Her gaze shifted briefly toward Alvara.

"I never believed she could ever fall in love with a man, especially a human. Yet two years ago, she told me that she loved you."

Alvara stood beside her mother, her expression becoming slightly embarrassed as she listened to them speak, but she did not interrupt.

"Two years ago or today, nothing has changed," Edward said, sounding almost tired of the obvious question. "It is still the same. I love your daughter, and she loves me."

He paused for only a moment.

"She has given me her innocence."

Tanya’s eyes widened.

Alvara’s entire face immediately turned crimson.

"M-My love..."

She stared at Edward in disbelief, clearly unable to understand how he could say something so private with such complete calmness, especially in front of her mother.

Tanya slowly turned toward her daughter.

"Daughter..."

The word came out almost dumbfounded.

Alvara looked as though she wanted the ground to swallow her, but after a moment she lowered her head and nodded.

"I-I did..."

"There is nothing to hide," Edward said.

Tanya’s gaze returned to him.

"I think you know your daughter well enough to understand that she would not make such a decision out of nowhere, nor would she offer herself to some random idiot."

Tanya immediately glared at him.

Edward ignored the glare.

Instead, he extended his hand toward Alvara.

She hesitated only briefly before quietly walking over and standing beside him, allowing Edward to take her hand.

"For elves, especially for elven women, their first time is very precious," Edward said more quietly. "I know that much. Alvara gave that to me because she trusts me. She knows I will never abandon her, and she knows that I intend to make her happy."

Alvara’s fingers tightened slightly around his.

Tanya continued looking at her daughter.

"I... would not have thought she would do such a thing recklessly."

There was something uncomfortable in her tone, as though from Tanya’s perspective, the decision had been made too quickly.

For elves, the first time was not something insignificant.

It was precious.

Sacred, even.

Traditionally, it was something that was supposed to be shared after marriage, and Tanya knew her daughter well enough to know that Alvara had always been deeply attached to their culture and its traditions.

"Recklessly?" Edward repeated.

His voice remained calm, but there was a noticeable annoyance behind it.

"She didn’t do it on a whim. We shared a precious moment together, so don’t describe it as though she simply spent a drunken night with someone."

His fingers gently tightened around Alvara’s hand.

"It was a wonderful night for both me and your daughter."

Alvara’s cheeks became even redder, and she immediately looked away.

Tanya stared at Edward for several seconds before speaking.

"You have certainly become very cocky compared to the last time I saw you. I’ll give you that."

"Cocky? Is that what you see?"

"You couldn’t even hold yourself straight back then," Tanya replied, her cold gaze never staying on him. "You looked hesitant whenever we discussed my daughter’s future, as though you weren’t even certain whether you could provide her with the life she deserved."

Her expression hardened.

"I would never have given my Freydis to you."

Edward stared at her in silence and sighed.

"I came this far because Alvara wanted your agreement for our wedding," he said. "She wants a proper wedding according to elven culture, with the vows and traditions that matter to her."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"But if it were entirely up to me, I couldn’t care less about such things."

Alvara looked at him.

Edward continued without looking away from Tanya.

"Alvara is already mine, and I won’t let anyone decide otherwise."

His voice had become colder now.

"As for her future, I’ll handle it. I won’t allow any harm to come to her. I won’t allow anyone to touch her, hurt her, make her cry, or make her feel as though she has no future worth looking forward to. I’ll make sure she has a life she can actually be fulfilled by, a life where she can look toward the future instead of being trapped in someone else’s pain."

Tanya’s expression changed.

Edward’s words had struck something.

He knew what it meant to watch someone drown in their own suffering, and he knew exactly how destructive it could become when a person allowed their grief to consume everything else around them.

"I will not let that happen to her."

Tanya’s face tightened into a grimace.

"You question how I raised my daughter?" Tanya asked. "My pain is as much as hers."

"I didn’t say otherwise," Edward replied. "But it is time for her to be happy. You’ve kept your daughter close enough, and every time she looks at you, she is going to remember the pain of the past."

Tanya’s expression darkened immediately.

For a moment, she could not tell whether Edward was provoking her or whether he had simply become so arrogant that he no longer cared about showing respect to anyone, but there was something particularly infuriating about the way he spoke. He was openly disrespectful, even insulting at times, yet he somehow managed to remain just within the boundary where his words could not easily be dismissed as meaningless provocation.

It was as though he knew exactly how far he could push her.

"Whereas when she looks at me, when she is with me, even a blind could tell the difference," Edward added.

Tanya’s gaze slowly shifted toward her daughter.

Alvara’s cheeks were still flushed, but there was a small, gentle smile on her lips, one that seemed to appear whenever she looked at Edward. The moment she noticed her mother’s eyes upon her, however, she quickly tried to wipe the smile away and composed herself.

She looked at her mother with a slightly awkward expression before finally taking a breath and speaking.

"Mother, I love him, and I wish you would accept that," she said seriously. "I want you to accept our vows and be present there as my mother. I am asking you."

She paused, her expression becoming softer.

"Above everyone else, I want you to be there."

Tanya’s expression softened when she heard those words.

For all the arguments she could have made, for all the concerns she still carried as a mother, there was one thing she could not deny.

Her daughter was happy.

And perhaps that was what mattered most.

"I wish nothing but your happiness, Freydis," Tanya said quietly. "I can see that you’ve already made up your mind, so I won’t go against it."

"Then..."

"I will arrange a proper wedding."

Alvara’s expression immediately brightened.

"Thank you."

Tanya gave her daughter a faint smile before her expression became serious again.

"Before that, however, let me speak with him alone."

Her eyes shifted toward Edward, and the coldness returned to her gaze.

Alvara nodded.

She slowly released Edward’s hand, then reached up and gently patted his shoulder.

"Please, my love," she said quietly.

Then she turned and walked away.

The doors closed behind her, leaving Edward and Tanya alone.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Edward eventually looked toward Tanya.

"I was afraid I’d have to tie you up and force you to attend our wedding, but it seems that won’t be necessary."

Tanya’s expression twisted in disbelief.

"You wouldn’t dare."

Edward’s silver eyes did not change.

They remained perfectly clear as he looked at her.

"For Alvara’s happiness," he said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Try me."

Tanya stared at him for a moment before deciding to change the subject.

"You have other women, I heard."

Her tone was colder now.

"And somehow, my precious daughter has become one of them."

"All my women are equal and priceless in my eyes," Edward replied without hesitation.

"You do understand my discomfort with allowing my daughter to place herself in the hands of a man who already has other women."

"I understand it very well."

Edward’s expression remained calm.

"But remind me, how much protection did your precious husband provide for his family when it mattered most, despite being loyal?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Tanya’s eyes narrowed immediately.

Edward then disappeared from his seat.

Before Tanya could react, he appeared directly in front of her.

She instinctively took a step backward, but Edward was already there.

His hand closed around her wrist, not tightly enough to injure her, but tight enough to stop her from doing anything rash in the anger that had surged through her the instant he mentioned her late husband.

"Release my hand," she warned.

Edward looked down at her, his silver eyes cold and calm.

"Tanya Teraquin."

She froze slightly at the way he spoke her full name.

"You, of all people, should understand this better than anyone," he said. "You’ve lost so much. You know better than most that loyalty alone isn’t enough in a relationship."

Tanya stared back at him.

"This world is cruel. People are cruel. You learned that the hard way, didn’t you?"

His eyes narrowed.

"And yet you’re questioning me about my loyalty to Alvara?"

Tanya’s expression hardened.

"I don’t want her to suffer."

"She will not."

Edward’s answer came instantly.

"I will take care of anyone who tries to make her suffer. I’ll make sure they regret it in the most painful way possible."

Tanya stared into Edward’s silver eyes.

They were calm.

Far too calm.

There was no rage burning within them, no wild emotion that could be dismissed as a momentary outburst. Instead, they seemed almost bottomless, carrying a darkness that Tanya could not quite understand as she looked deeper into them.

A faint chill traveled down her spine.

For the first time since the conversation had begun, she understood that Edward was not merely boasting.

He meant every word.

"If I’m willing to do anything for her," Edward continued, his voice quieter now, "then you should be willing to do as much."

Tanya remained silent for several moments.

Eventually, she nodded.

"So be it."

Edward’s grip did not loosen. Instead, he leaned closer, bringing his silver eyes level with Tanya’s.

"And to whoever dares to question your decision," he added quietly.

Tanya immediately understood what he meant.

Her decision to marry her daughter, a Princess of Sancta Vedelia, to Edward Falkrona, the Utopian King and, in the eyes of Sancta Vedelia, practically the leader of their greatest enemy, would not be accepted easily. The moment word spread, there would definitely be nobles who would object, officials who would demand explanations, and perhaps even those who would try to pressure her into cancelling the marriage altogether, especially with the Teraquin Kingdom still being part of Sancta Vedelia and therefore bound by its political interests.

It would not simply be a matter of a mother allowing her daughter to marry the man she loved. It was a political declaration, whether Tanya intended it to be or not.

Yet Tanya had already made her choice.

"They can rot in hell," she retorted coldly, staring straight back into Edward’s eyes without lowering her gaze.

For a brief moment, Edward said nothing.

Then the corner of his lips curved upward into the faintest of smirks.

He finally loosened his grip, though he did not step away immediately. Instead, he leaned closer one final time, lowering his voice until his next words became little more than a quiet warning meant only for her.

"Dare they threaten my Freydis’s happiness," he whispered, the faint amusement disappearing from his face as his expression hardened into something cold and merciless, "the Blood Wedding will pale in comparison to what I will unleash next upon their lands."