I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 641

Chapter 22: Dance to the End of the Night

Indeed, Alice’s situation was already so much better than in the original story.

But was that enough?

As the master, treating her like a pet, tossing a few perks her way when convenient, might not be entirely wrong.

But what about Alice? How did she feel?

Being a maid was just a new shackle for her.

This shackle wouldn’t starve her or subject her to abuse, but it trapped her heart, making it hard for her to even voice what she wanted.

It’s such a simple truth, yet it dawned on me only now.

Because, from the start, I saw her as the obedient maid, the flawless angel. The destined saint.

But in reality, Alice was just a girl like Charlotte and the others, someone who could laugh and cry, with simple wishes.

Thinking about this, Roy couldn’t help but clench his fist, cursing his own ignorance.

It was time to break this shackle for her.

But if I just said, “You’re no longer my maid,” it’d probably just make her cry even more.

The crowd bustled around, laughter and gossip mingling, but Roy didn’t care one bit.

Compared to Alice, the opinions of others were irrelevant.

Roy leaned down and gently wiped away the girl’s tears.

Looking into her misty-eyed gaze, Roy asked for the third time.

“Alice, would you dance with me?”

“I-I already said…”

The tears that had just stopped seemed ready to spill again, but this time, Roy quickly interjected: “I’m not asking you; I’m inviting you.”

“Tonight, you don’t have to think of me as your master, and I won’t think of you as my maid.”

Alice looked puzzled at first, but then her eyes widened in realization, disbelief written all over her face.

Seeing this, Roy smiled knowingly, confirming her suspicion: “Yes, I’m asking you if you’d accept my invitation as a girl.”

“But…”

Her evasive gaze, lowered eyes, and uncertain murmurs all hinted that the maid’s shackles still bound her heart.

Roy never expected to break those shackles easily, but he had the patience.

Noticing Alice’s instinct to retreat, Roy caught her hand with just enough grip to keep her there without hurting her.

“Tonight, you don’t have to care about anything.”

“I don’t care about the maid; I only care about you. You don’t have to care about the master; just care about me.”

Roy leaned close to her ear: “So, what do you want to do?”

The warmth of his breath ignited the vision in her heart.

If I’m not a maid, the master isn’t a master.

If I could be seen by him like the others.

What do I want to do…

The flicker of hope grew brighter, like a bonfire finally igniting Alice’s suppressed heart.

Looking at the boy before her, Alice finally gathered her courage.

“I want—”

The bonfire went out.

The world darkened.

The girl’s wish was swallowed by endless night, drowned in the ensuing chatter.

Surrounding men and women either lingered in the moment or left in high spirits, but the bonfire party came to an end.

The heartfelt words she wanted to share were drowned out by the noise, like a cruel joke.

The beautiful legend, at this moment, felt ironically profound to Alice.

It was said that when the sun sets, the stars hide away, the western wind dies down, and the moon sinks, dancing with fire would ensure that love glows bright like the fire, an everlasting bond.

But whether from the winds or the goddesses, it seemed she didn’t receive the blessing of the divine.

Maybe it was better to just forget about it—

Just as Alice’s mood darkened, Roy suddenly raised his hand and tossed a fireball into the nearest bonfire.

Gasps erupted, but no guards came to stop them.

The flames reignited, chasing away the shadows from Alice, revealing the boy’s smile.

“I told you, tonight you don’t have to care about anything except me.”

“Okay!”

Their eyes met, and words became unnecessary.

With a gentle tug, Alice shed her cloak, swirling like a golden butterfly in the hue of orange light, jumping into the boy’s embrace.

Transforming like a butterfly, she burst forth with a dreamlike golden glow like bubbly champagne.

The surrounding crowd cheered for the new bonfire, dancing again to continue the joy that hadn’t faded.

With great difficulty wanting to express herself, Alice’s voice was completely buried by the surrounding noise, as if it were some kind of unfortunate prank.

The delightful legend now felt like a deep irony to Alice.

According to the stories, in the moment when the sun sets, stars vanish, the wind calms, and the moon sinks, love dancing around the fire would shine eternally, binding together forever.

But whether from harsh winds or divine support, it seemed she hadn’t received any blessing.

It was better to let it go…

Just then, as Alice felt her mood darken, Roy suddenly threw a log with a spark into the nearest bonfire.

Gasps echoed, but there were no guards to intervene.

The fire reignited, driving away the shadows and outlining the boy’s smile.

“I said, tonight you don’t have to care about anything except for me.”

“Okay!”

Their gazes intertwined, eliminating the need for words.

With a gentle pull, Alice shrugged off her cloak and became a delicate, dancing golden butterfly, bathed in warmth as she leapt into Roy’s embrace.

Wings unfurling, she radiated a dreamlike golden light.

The crowd erupted in cheers for the renewed bonfire, dancing again in joyous spirit.

Under the notice of the “Shadows of the Sand,” the event organizers didn’t just let it be; they even ignited the other bonfires to prolong the celebration.

Watching the boy and girl finally unite from a distance, Charlotte and the others felt a sweet pang but didn’t feel sadness, even finding some consolation in it.

With lively music, flickering flames, warm light, and even more uplifting, joyous, and warm figures.

Just as Roy said, at that moment, Alice chose to think of nothing else but the boy in front of her.

For Alice, dancing with Roy wasn’t new.

But it was the first time not as a dance partner, not as a maid to her master, but as a girl, reflected in Roy’s gaze.

An uncontainable ardor blossomed, transforming into Alice’s most sincere dance steps as she surrendered herself into the boy’s embrace.

Wrapped in the warmth of fragrant softness, Roy finally witnessed Alice’s true feelings.

Those moist light blue eyes, the rosy blush on her pale cheeks, and the slightly upturned corners of her mouth resembled golden irises swaying in the evening breeze; surreal and endearing.

Once free from the constraints of being a maid, beneath that always well-mannered yet expressionless facade, was Alice’s true expression.

This was the look I wanted to see.

With this thought, Roy gently embraced the girl before him, as if making up for every previous shortcoming, offering her an ardent dance.

Following only the desires of their hearts, sometimes turning, sometimes holding each other, without concern for techniques, just moving freely as their souls intertwined.

“Alice, can you keep going?”

“I can! As long as you don’t dislike it, I can dance forever!”

“Master?” Roy raised an eyebrow, leaning toward her delicate neck, teasingly whispering, “Did you maybe call me wrong?”

Alice’s cheeks flushed even more.

But she didn’t shy away; instead, she leaned against the boy’s chest, slightly lifting her head to softly murmur his name: “Roy.”

In each other’s eyes, there was nothing else, just holding hands, nestled close, lost in the rhythm of their heartbeats, dancing to the end of the night by the unextinguished bonfire.

Even without the favor of the divine.

Even as the sun set, the stars vanished, the winds ceased, and the moon sank, the boy and girl would surpass so-called eternal flames, binding forever as they embraced the golden dawn.