Looking at the faint but genuine smile on Livia’s face, Allen felt a quiet sense of relief as the heavy stone in his heart finally hit the ground.
It had to be said, Livia really was beautiful when she smiled.
Under the morning light, the softness of the young girl diluted the usual coldness between her brows, like a glacier beginning to melt and revealing the warm soil beneath.
If the original game were a gacha mobile game, the scene just now would definitely be a rare CG that required emptying the entire pool to unlock.
The title would probably be something like “Dawn After Eternal Night.”
However, Allen’s current mood was quite complicated.
Because this smile—which was supposed to be dedicated to her best friend, Marianne, as a symbol of redemption and rebirth—now completely belonged to him, the “Villainous Antagonist.”
This wasn’t right; this was all wrong!
The perfect image instantly flashed in Allen’s mind: Marianne sitting by the bedside, tightly holding her best friend’s hand, crying tears of joy.
And Livia, after experiencing countless despairing cycles of reincarnation, would finally see a happy ending where Marianne didn’t have to descend into corruption and destruction, thus showing a smile of relief and consolation…
What a pure, beautiful, and soul-cleansing yuri scene that would have been!
He, Allen de Laval, as a veteran yuri enthusiast and a gardener determined to protect this fragile garden, how could he be discouraged by a small deviation in the plan?
Although Marianne had missed this excellent “heart-conquering” opportunity because she was out on business, it didn’t matter.
Since all three of them were now living under the same roof, there would be plenty of ways to create “te-te” moments.
As a gardener, he couldn’t give up on nurturing the yuri blossoms just because of a little wind and rain.
‘Hmph, whether it’s Marianne or you, Livia, you will both step onto that happy yuri ending under the manipulation of my invisible hands!’
‘Just fall in love already!’
‘Heh heh heh!’
Having successfully turned Livia—the person most likely to send him to a dead end in the past—into an ally, Allen’s mood was indeed lighter than ever before.
With his anxiety reduced, he even had the leisure to indulge in these pleasant, wandering thoughts.
But he also knew that whether it was the Kingdom’s reform, the Evil God’s conspiracy, or the Revolution destined to come in the future, he still had too much work to do.
He was far from being able to stop and rest.
At the very least, Livia and Marianne could catch their breath for a moment.
He would block all the malice for them, whether it came from the Evil God or this turbulent era.
This was the duty of a responsible villain and a gardener who carefully tended to yuri seedlings.
Livia watched Allen quietly. The expression on his face changed constantly; sometimes he looked relieved, sometimes troubled, and finally, he even showed a trace of somewhat silly determination.
She naturally couldn’t read his inner yuri ambitions; she could only guess that Allen might still be somewhat uneasy.
She could understand that.
After all, being in the same room as a “murderer” who had personally killed him countless times would inevitably create some friction in one’s heart.
Livia was gentle by nature, but her past experiences were like a thick layer of ice, sealing her heart away.
But when Allen used that almost crude method to completely pry open her Heart Barrier, the gentleness and charm belonging to a young girl began to bubble out like a liberated spring.
Ultimately, even though she inherited the memories of countless cycles, she was still just a girl the same age as Allen in this current loop.
Those bloody pasts felt more like an overly realistic nightmare to her, lacking a sense of immediate reality.
Now, she wanted to make amends. Whether as a comrade-in-arms, as someone he saved, or as… his fiancée.
She felt she had an obligation to let this young man, who once fought against the entire world and the Evil alone, obtain the happiness he deserved.
Thinking of this, the smile on her face deepened slightly, carrying a bit of natural confidence.
Her next lighthearted words, however, caused Allen’s heart—which had just settled down—to leap back into his throat.
“Allen, as your nominal fiancée and a comrade fighting by your side,” she said in a serious tone as if discussing tactics, “my room should be that master bedroom right next to yours, right?”
Livia’s words sent Allen’s alertness to the maximum.
He felt a very bad premonition.
Theoretically, the master bedroom of the Laval House was indeed prepared for the mistress of the house, and it was only natural for Livia to move in as his fiancée. But… living so close together would really lead to big trouble!
There were two reasons.
First, of course, was his shadow-like, overly possessive, yandere little maid, Marianne.
Allen had repeatedly ordered her not to use the Brand of Shadow to crawl into his bed at night, but that girl always let it go in one ear and out the other.
If Livia discovered the “siblings” sleeping in the same bed, with Livia’s personality of hating evil, would she immediately assume her best friend was being defiled by a scoundrel like him and pull her sword to chop him down?
He would die such a pathetic death!
Moreover, what if Marianne got confused at night and entered the wrong room… Hmm? Wait, crawling into Livia’s bed?
A vivid and fragrant CG image instantly flashed through Allen’s mind, and his eyes lit up.
‘Ho ho ho, there’s even this kind of windfall? Hmm, thinking about it this way, that problem doesn’t seem so big anymore.’
The problem then lay in the second point: Livia herself. What exactly was she thinking?
As Marianne’s best friend, the two were strikingly similar in certain traits, such as… that incredibly heavy emotion once they committed.
If Livia also learned from Marianne and pestered him, or even simply solidified her status as his fiancée…
Wouldn’t his yuri heaven turn into a yuri-breaking hell?
Although the probability was low, this kind of dramatic development was definitely something the Evil God would love to see!
No, absolutely not!
“I can give the master bedroom to you and Marianne,” Allen said, staring at her with a heavy voice, trying to take the initiative. “I can live anywhere.”
“Are you really that greedy?” Livia opened her eyes slightly in mock surprise, putting on a jealous expression, but her look held no bitterness; it felt more like acting spoiled. “Even with me as your fiancée, you won’t even let your own sister go?”
‘Ah… Goddess of Yuri! Save me! Quickly return that cold, taciturn Feng Aotian heroine who would start a fight at the slightest provocation!’
“We are all family, family, do you understand?” Allen knew Livia was joking, so he simply adopted a gentle tone and took the initiative to change the subject. “Are you hungry?”
Livia seemed very satisfied with his flustered appearance and nodded obediently. Her deep blue eyes were as clear as the sky after rain.
“I am.”
“Mm, let’s go get something to eat first.” Allen wore his signature villainous smile, regaining his rhythm.
“Marianne, who usually accompanies me for morning practice, isn’t here. Livia, would you be interested in practicing with me in a bit?”
Hearing the words “practicing with me,” Livia’s eyes indeed lit up, but she still lowered her head first and said softly, “Our duel… you won. Whatever you want me to do, I will do it.”
“No, no, no, that’s not the case. It was a draw.”
“Is this… charity toward me?” Livia’s tone carried a hint of inexplicable grievance.
Allen irritably reached out his finger and gave her clear forehead a light flick.
“Do you really want to lose that badly? Are you actually feeling unsatisfied because I’m not doing something to you? If you want to win, then speak with your strength.”
Livia thought about the upcoming battle, and a spark of anticipation ignited in her eyes.
She looked up and suddenly made another world-shaking statement: “If… I am expecting you to do something to me, what would you do?”
“I will make you and Marianne the happiest yuri couple in the universe.”
Allen answered without hesitation.
“…”
Livia fell silent.
She was now certain that Allen de Laval was a noble person, a pure person, and a person who had moved beyond low-level interests.
A person who… like a Saint, burned himself just to light the way for others.
‘Why… did I never realize this before…’
A trace of guilt welled up in her heart.
“Oh, right.”
Allen seemed to have just remembered something. He turned toward the wardrobe and took out a set of neatly folded clothes.
“Your previous outfit was ruined in the duel. Wear this for today. When I had some free time while making suits and Lolita dresses, I prepared a set for you as well.”
Livia’s gaze fell on the clothes, and she froze for a moment.
It was a long dress with pure white as the main tone. The neckline, cuffs, and hem were adorned with exquisite blue embroidery in the pattern of irises.
The cut was sharp and smooth, possessing both the elegance of a formal gown and the convenience needed for movement.
“You made this by hand?”
Livia took the dress. The sensation from her fingertips was delicate yet resilient, a special fabric she had never encountered before.
“In the past cycles, you were always a standard battle maniac.”
Seeing that she liked it, the corners of Allen’s mouth curled up unconsciously with a bit of pride.
“Although you were the top student in every core subject, you never attended many interesting elective courses. As for me, having nothing better to do, I liked learning all sorts of random things. I’m fairly proficient in fashion design and pattern making. I’m not lying to you; if I wanted to, I could lead the fashion trends of the Capital at any time.”
He pointed to the dress and added, “This can be worn as casual wear, but it also works as a formal dress, and if necessary, it can serve as a combat suit. The material is the same as the Grand Inquisitor’s vestments; I had to be quite thick-skinned to ask the Grand Inquisitor for it. Try it on and see if it fits.”
Livia stroked the embroidery on the dress, her feelings complicated.
She was indeed not good at needlework and had never thought of learning it. Her time was spent swinging a sword, unlike Allen, who could settle down to do such fine handiwork.
However, there was one thing she was curious about.
“Why… do you know my measurements?”
Livia looked up, her deep blue eyes staring directly at him.
The pride on Allen’s face instantly froze.
‘Damn, the question of death.’
He couldn’t exactly say that these were three-size statistics clearly written in the game settings, could he? He even knew exactly what style of underwear she liked.
“Ahem.” Allen cleared his throat, his eyes darting around as he spoke vaguely. “We’ve been entangled in the cycle for so long… is there anything about your body I don’t know?”
Hearing these words, Livia felt a sharp pang in her heart.
It was true.
He knew everything about her—her habits, her past, even… her body’s measurements.
And she knew nothing about him.
Not long ago, she even treated him as an Apostle of the Evil God that had to be eradicated.
An indescribable sourness and guilt welled up in her heart, making her throat feel tight.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, lowering her head.
“Hey, hey, hey, why are you apologizing again?”
Allen was completely at his wit’s end. Had this girl’s “resilience” stat been wiped out? What was with the constant apologizing?
He felt that if he didn’t stop her soon, Livia would enter a self-indoctrinating Saint Mode.
“Just try it on. This outfit should suit you very well. Marianne said you used to like wearing dresses like this,” Allen said, quickly pulling the topic back.
“Thank you.”
Livia nodded. Then, under Allen’s watchful eyes, she reached out her slender fingers and began to undo the buttons of the silk nightgown she was wearing.
One, two…
As the silk slid down, her fair neck and exquisite collarbones were revealed bit by bit.
Allen was stunned by this sudden, uninhibited action. Seeing that a breathtaking scene was about to be fully exposed…
“Wait, wait, wait! What are you doing!”
Allen was like a cat that had its tail stepped on. He instantly bristled, and with one swift stride, he rushed out the door, slamming it shut with a heavy — bang!
His back pressed tightly against the cold door panel, his heart pounding wildly as he gasped for air.
“Are you trying to murder me?! Why didn’t you wait for me to leave before changing!”
From inside the room came Livia’s cold voice, tinged with a bit of innocence, as if she were puzzled by his reaction.
“Eh? I thought this was something you wanted to see.”
“I would never look! Also, Marianne has already prepared your undergarments; they’re in the wardrobe! I… I’ll wait for you downstairs!”
With that, he fled toward the stairs without looking back, his footsteps as frantic as if he were escaping some kind of monster.
‘He really is… a pure and kind man.’
She looked down at her half-unbuttoned nightgown and then at the dress in her hands that had been made to her measurements. A frozen corner of her heart was quietly melting.
The days ahead…
They would definitely be different from before.
She began to look forward to her new life in the Laval House.
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