Chapter 399 Amael And Myrcella

Chapter 399 Amael And Myrcella

"Amael?"

"Yeah?" I responded, turning my attention to Elizabeth, who was watching me with a curious smile.

"Are you even listening?" She asked, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

I glanced around, my eyes falling on Sirius and Sephira, who were both engrossed in their own work. We were in the midst of our craftsmanship course, where Professor Brian Moonfang was making his rounds, meticulously inspecting each of our projects. His sharp eyes missed nothing, and I knew our work would be scrutinized with the utmost care.

Our group—comprised of Elizabeth, Sirius, Sephira, and myself—had dedicated several hours of our free time to this project. The assignment was simple in theory but challenging in execution: come up with a unique and useful item based on the theme provided by the professor, and ensure it was both functional and innovative.

"Amael, are you okay?" Sephira's voice broke through my thoughts, her tone tinged with concern.

Sephira, usually reserved and hesitant around most men except for Sirius, had gradually opened up to me since we'd been working together. I didn't care about her being a half-elf; in fact, her different background made her more open to me. It seemed that working together had made it easier for her to speak her mind as well.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, shaking my head slightly to clear it, though the truth was far from it. My mind was a whirl of thoughts, none of them related to the project in front of me.

The events of last week kept replaying in my head, particularly that night. It was Celeste. The memory of what happened still lingered, gnawing at my thoughts, refusing to let go.

Had she really kissed me? Or was it more of an awkward bite on my lips? The moment was so fleeting, so unexpected, that I couldn't be sure. Was it an accident?

Perhaps she just wanted to prevent me from leaving so pulled me down and it ended up in an accidental kiss?

But if it wasn't... If she did it deliberately, did that mean she liked me as more than just a friend?

I couldn't wrap my head around it. Celeste was an outgoing, social girl, full of life and confidence. But I knew, from both experience and from what I had seen of her in the game, that beneath her lively exterior, she was still a girl with deep emotions. She wouldn't take something like this lightly.

It had been a week, and the incident was still consuming my thoughts. Every time Celeste was near, I found it hard to focus on anything else. What made it even more confusing was her behavior since then. She acted completely normal around me, as if nothing had happened. She talked to me just like before, with the same friendly banter and casual ease.

It had been a week, and the incident was still consuming my thoughts. Every time Celeste was near, I found it hard to focus on anything else. What made it even more confusing was her behavior since then. She acted completely normal around me, as if nothing had happened. She talked to me just like before, with the same friendly banter and casual ease.

If she had feelings for me, wouldn't she show some sign of it? A bit of embarrassment? Maybe she'd be more self-conscious, like I was whenever I thought about that night. But no, she remained unchanged, leaving me utterly perplexed.

How could someone like Celeste fall in love with me to begin with?

It clearly started bad when she understood I wanted to become the Apostle of Nihil. She hated that after all.

Was it because I had saved her from Lomar? But then, Victor, who had been by her side much longer and had likely saved her countless times, didn't seem to evoke the same response. Was I overthinking this? Was I creating a scenario that didn't exist?

I needed to stop this train of thought before it drove me crazy. With a deep breath, I shook my head again, trying to push the thoughts of Celeste to the back of my mind. Because if I was wrong, and I confronted her about it, the sheer embarrassment and shame would make it impossible for me to face her again. The mere thought of it made my stomach churn. No, it was better to just pretend nothing happened, just like she seemed to be doing. Maybe she was embarrassed too and didn't want to bring it up, thinking it would bother me. If that was the case, then I should probably follow her lead.

"Amael, what's going on?" Sirius's voice broke through my reverie, snapping me back to reality.

I realized then that they were all staring at me, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern. I quickly fumbled for a response. "Ah, my bad," I muttered, reaching into my bag and pulling out a stack of papers I had spent a few hours working on. I spread them out in front of the group, revealing the sketch I had drawn.

Elizabeth immediately grabbed the stack, her eyes scanning over the pages. Sephira and Sirius leaned in, curiosity lighting up their faces.

"Wow... is this some kind of weapon?" Sirius asked, his voice tinged with amazement as he studied the detailed drawing.

"Sort of, yeah," I nodded, a small smile on my lips.

The design was based on a concept from Earth—a mine, deadly and efficient. But with the magical capabilities of this world, it was even more lethal. I had spent hours conceptualizing it, incorporating mana circles into the design to enhance its destructive power. Randor had helped me fine-tune the magical aspects. He initially resisted, as he usually did, but when I presented the new concept, his eyes lit up like a child discovering a new toy. In the end, he couldn't resist. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"You're not the first to tell me that," I replied. "But don't worry, she'll meet the fate she deserves soon enough."

Myrcella turned to me with a look that was hard to decipher.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow, puzzled by her expression.

"She's hurt. Deeply hurt inside. Whatever she's done, it's because of the people who hurt her. You don't seem to know anything about her, yet you've already judged her," Myrcella said, her tone neutral.

"Are you defending her?" I laughed, incredulous. "I think you don't understand what she's capable of or what she's destined to do. Burning people alive isn't exactly a minor offense," I added, trying to make her see reason.

"What will she do in the future? You're judging her based on that?" Myrcella asked with annoyance.

"Fine, if you prefer, judge her by what she's done already," I retorted. "She killed and tortured mere robbers for her own twisted satisfaction."

Myrcella's expression didn't change; she wasn't surprised or shocked by my words. It was as if she had expected as much.

"Mere robbers to you, but to her, they might have represented something far worse. It's difficult to judge someone who has suffered deeply," she said quietly, almost as if she was speaking more to herself than to me.

"Are you speaking from experience? Have you done something similar?" I asked.

"Yes, I've done worse. And I'll continue to do worse to those responsible for destroying my life," she said with a cold stare.

"..."

"I thought, as Christina's and Connor's brother, you would be more open-minded, more understanding of other people's feelings," Myrcella continued. "But you're more narrow-minded than I expected. You're unable to understand people like her, or me."

"Do you hate me?" I asked with a smile.

Myrcella's irritation was clear. My smile probably looked dismissive, as if I wasn't taking her seriously at all.

"I don't hate you," she replied. "I understand where you're coming from, but I can also understand why Alvara hates you and why others will hate you in the future." With that, she turned and walked away, heading in the opposite direction of the cafeteria.

I watched her go, scoffing quietly. I didn't bother to correct her or point her back to the right path. How could she call me narrow-minded?

"How's going with John?" Celeste's teasing voice rang as she asked an embarrassed Amelia.

I looked at Celeste.

I remembered how scared she had been of me, how I had treated her with a coldness that now seemed childish, like a child throwing a tantrum after being scolded. I had been immature, lashing out as if I wanted to make her feel guilty, even though she had been the one who saved me.

She had been scared of me and the third Goddess inside me which was fair. She may be the reincarnation of Nevia but she was a teenager. Rather, I should have spoken clearly to her instead of making myself the only victim...

Was that why she glared at me? Because of my behavior?

Maybe Myrcella was right.

Maybe I had been narrow-minded.

I looked ahead, my gaze settling on Alvara's retreating figure. Her posture was tense, and she looked as though she was barely holding back the urge to kill the next person who crossed her path.

The Villainesses were one thing.

But could a Major Antagonist be saved?