I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Each Other’s Expectations

“What kind of cliché welfare development is this?!”

Roy’s first reaction was to run.

However, he quickly realized that what lay before him wasn’t the overly dramatic scene he had imagined.

The girl was simply wearing the pink pajamas from earlier that morning.

Just out of the shower, she looked like a beautiful flower glistening in the morning dew, her red hair hanging down wetly, her cheeks rosy like little apples, and her delicate, fair legs shimmering beneath the thin fabric. A faint, pleasant fragrance wafted through the air.

“I’m done washing up, it’s your turn… why are you staring?” Charlotte’s eyebrows slightly arched, and she tightened her top a bit.

But for some reason, even with her frown, her expression was still so gentle. Her hands, though seemingly covering up, hardly concealed anything.

Sadly, given Charlotte’s modesty, even without covering up, there wouldn’t be much to see anyway.

Damn it, how could this girl be so cute?

Seeing such a vivid sight all of a sudden, any man’s heart would race, right?

Fortunately, Roy was a master at facial management; he suppressed his unusual expression and casually said, “It’s nothing, just an illusion.”

“Oh.” Charlotte responded glumly, then barefoot, tiptoed, and clacked across the wooden floor to stand in front of Roy.

“What do you think of my outfit?”

Roy found it odd. Charlotte didn’t seem as upset as when he stumbled upon her in her pajamas earlier. Instead, she seemed more… nervous?

“It’s pretty cute.”

The fabric was so thin that it clung to her damp skin, revealing a stunning complexion, leaving Roy unsure where to look; he could only slightly turn his head away.

“Really? You like it…” The reaction she craved made Charlotte shy, and a satisfied smile crept onto her lips.

Charlotte picked up a basket nearby filled with clothes, her tone now even more cheerful.

Before leaving, she glanced back.

“About what I said at dinner—”

“I was just joking, don’t take it to heart.” Roy forced a bitter smile.

If he took it too seriously, he’d be the one feeling embarrassed.

“I’m really happy today!” Charlotte finally gathered the courage to say what was on her mind.

Her unexpectedly straightforward words felt like a little kitten prancing into Roy’s chest, leaving him flustered and caught off guard.

She gently pointed a soft, pale fingertip at him, her tone a bit firm, her little face tense, yet her eyes were so warm and tender.

Under the starry night, her rosy, glimmering gaze shone like the brightest star, sparkling with hope.

“Don’t forget our promise!”

“I’ve never danced with anyone before, so you better not stand me up!”

With that, she skipped away, disappearing into the shadows of the night.

Only Charlotte knew how much courage it took to say those words. Once out of Roy’s sight, she almost awkwardly ran back to her room, flopping onto the bed.

The little princess buried her already flushed face in the soft pillow, her heart racing like crazy.

“Ahh~ I said it out loud, I said it!”

Just thinking about the dance promise sent Charlotte into a flurry.

In this way, Roy should be able to feel her feelings too, right?

She originally wanted to play it cooler.

The flutter of their close encounter on the griffon, the joy of hunting together, and the warmth that belonged to boys during sunset—it all intoxicated her, making it harder to escape.

Though she had always had romantic fantasies, now it finally felt like those fantasies were about to come true.

She had to make this dream a reality herself.

But…

Charlotte got up, hugging her pillow, kneeling by the bed, gazing longingly at the broken crescent moon in the night sky, feeling a little blue.

“I wonder what he thinks…”

Under the same night sky, Roy soaked in a warm bath, also staring at the bright moon above.

As a villainous scoundrel, keeping a distance from the destined daughter of true heroine Alice was key to survival.

But if Charlotte didn’t like Alice, then there was no such thing as a predestined fate…

“When is the ball going to come?”

————————————————

After his bath, Roy returned to his room to sleep.

His anticipation for the ball had him feeling a little hyped up, tossing and turning until he finally slipped into a dream.

Dreams are usually peaceful and serene.

Yet in the midst of that haze, Roy suddenly felt an uncontrollable shudder from deep within his soul.

In the boundless darkness, there was a bizarre crimson fire.

It was a terrifying flame, utterly different from Charlotte’s noble beauty.

It was the color of blood.

In a blur, swords clashed, battle roared.

A colossal creature soared past, burning the sky, and a rain of flames poured down, making all beings shriek in despair.

At the edge of blood and fire, a young prince and eleven knights charged fearlessly atop griffons toward the mountain peak that pierced the clouds.

But that was just a moment.

More—an overwhelming sea of images surged forth, nearly suffocating Roy.

He remembered this heart-stopping sensation.

He had felt the same when he took the Iron Blood magic potion!

Back then, many images flashed in his mind, but he had no time to pay attention.

Now he realized he had only caught a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg!

He saw the young prince facing the fiery disaster head-on.

He saw the black-haired knight slicing at the black dragon from the sky.

He even saw an ancient, massive, awe-inspiring presence atop unknown mountains, gazing at him with unmatched authority, crossing the boundaries of time and space.

“…Nock… descendant…”

“Black-haired… eye, you are… descendent…”

Every word from the ancient presence felt like a tearing pain in Roy’s soul.

But compared to when he took the magic potion, he found he was gradually adapting.

And those vague murmurs were becoming clearer.

Just as Roy was about to decipher what the murmur was saying, everything before him was consumed by a raging flame.

Just like the very first painting he saw.

The fire of calamity that devours heaven and earth.

From the depths of boiling lava, at the end of the underground flames, something ancient—something meant to be forgotten by the world—slowly opened its eyes.

And at that moment, the pain of a burning heart assailed Roy.

He jolted awake from his dream, gasping, pressing his hand tightly against his chest.

He nearly squeezed his chest to confirm that his heart was still beating, that it hadn’t turned to ash.

“What the heck just happened…?”

Roy held his head in his hands, desperately trying to recall the dream, flames scorching through his mind.

In the excruciating pain, he could only piece together fragments.

The most important fragments were only two.

One was the towering creature standing atop the pitch-black mountain, whispering to him.

And the other…

“What kind of joke is this?”

Roy slowly looked out the window, feeling as if the distant towering volcano was about to come to life.