A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

Outside, a grand structure resembling an auction house towered, surrounded by lush greenery and expansive parking lots, with security personnel stationed all around.

A procession of cars belonging to the Diego family arrived, drawing the attention of the security staff, who nodded in acknowledgment before checking their invitations and permitting their entry.

"Is there someone else here too?" the head of the Diego family inquired as he stepped out of his car. Discover hidden stories at M V L

He glanced around the parking lot and noticed a line of Rolls-Royce, Range Rovers, and sedan that clearly illustrated the level of wealth and luxury they represented.

This realization led him to understand that it would be improbable for someone of the Marquess' stature to even consider approaching any of these vehicles.

He directed one of his bodyguards to gather more information, and the bodyguard quickly complied.

"Laughable? We are surrounded by insects," remarked another figure as he exited his vehicle.

His appearance immediately caught the eye of the security staff, as he was a towering man, 6.5 feet tall, equally broad-shouldered and muscular, resembling a professional bodybuilder.

His body was adorned with tattoos, and he wore sunglasses that concealed the ink covering half of his bald head.

Bordy surveyed the security personnel, most of whom appeared to be women, and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

He viewed these nightcrawlers as mere insects, considering what they could do to anyone in his presence.

It was an amusing sight, and he contemplated the idea of crushing each one of them, but he ultimately decided to focus on his primary target: Marquess Croceaus.

"What's the situation? Did you find the name?" inquired the head of the Diego family, a man clad in a sleek suit, as he moved forward, flanked by vigilant security staff who remained alert with firearms discreetly held at their sides, alongside his own bodyguard.

He mused that it would indeed be surprising if those luxurious vehicles belonged to Marquess Croceaus.

"Um, sir, these belong to the William family," the guard reported upon his return, confirming that the vehicles in question were indeed from the William family, as verified by the patrolling security personnel.

'!?'

"What? What are those beggars doing here?"

The head of the Diego family was completely taken aback to discover that the information he received from the mayor seemed to confirm his suspicions about the William family scheming behind his back.

This revelation led him to realize that perhaps the entire auction affair was part of their elaborate plan.

No…

He was well aware of the head of the William family, a man who had previously struck a deal with him in hopes of marrying his daughter to Diego's son.

It dawned on him that this man lacked the backbone to even think about targeting him directly.

As he began to piece together the situation, he understood that the sudden interest of the William family in establishing a paper processing plant coincided suspiciously with the enlistment of nightcrawlers hired by Marquess Avendial Croceaus.

All of it was beginning to make sense.

It was evident to him that Marquess Avendial Croceaus was the true puppet master behind the scenes, backing the William family to give them the misguided confidence to challenge the Diego family.

"Bordy, after you eliminate that man, I want you to take care of some pesky insects afterward," he ordered, his fists clenched and jaw tight as he realized that these weaklings dared to oppose the Diego family.

The head was seething with anger, delivering a clear mandate to the man beside him—Bordy—who stood casually with his hands in his pockets, showcasing open sores that revealed his muscular abs.

Bordy glanced back at the head after hearing the command.

"Haha, fine, I'll take care of it," Bordy replied with a nonchalant air.

Normally, he would have outright rejected acting on this man's orders, but the prospect of killing the Marquess was enticing enough to motivate him.

He figured that granting this man the gift of eliminating the William family might just lighten his mood.

As they approached the grand door leading into a large hall of the auction house, they were met by staff members who greeted them with polite bows.

Guided forward, they made their way to a designated section where several bodyguards in suits stood watch.

One of the men appeared to be an assistant to the William family.

The head of the Diego family shot him a stern glare before signaling for his guards to halt.

Observing the rule that permitted only two individuals to enter, he and Bordy stepped inside.

Upon entering the room, they were struck by its amphitheater-like design, featuring tiered seating arrangements.

On one side, there were plush blue sofas, and on the other, luxurious red ones.

Their gaze quickly settled on two individuals already seated on the red sofas—the head of the William family and his daughter.

The Diego family head strode toward the red section before taking his seat.

"So, even bugs have begun to fly, huh?" Diego couldn't help but taunt, his icy tone laced with disdain as he glared at the head of the William family in the front seat, fixing his suit like it mattered.

His smirk revealed his disbelief that this man dared to confront his family.

"...Why did you do this, Mr. Diego?"

The head of the William family, rather than retaliating with a jab, proceeded to directly question the reasoning behind the Diego family's brazen actions against his family, even going so far as to hire assassins.

"What—"

Before Diego could finish his thought, a sudden spotlight illuminated the floor, drawing their attention.

A strikingly beautiful woman entered, her unique appearance immediately capturing the room's focus.

With a short, tomboyish haircut and golden-hued eyes, she exuded a commanding presence as she wore a stylish black outfit composed of pants and a shirt—clearly a trendy choice for women.

She confidently advanced toward the podium, ready to take the stage.

"Good morning, everyone. The bidding process begins now."

With no hesitation, Billie struck the bell, officially kicking off the auction in a single stroke—without any formalities.

"Huh? Where is the Marquess—"

The head of the Diego family was taken aback to see only four people present in the auction house.

The highly anticipated guest, Marquess Croceaus, for whom he and Bordy had come, was conspicuously absent.

Before he could finish his inquiry, the head of the William family raised his bid.

"500 million Imperial Crowns."

His voice resonated throughout the room, declaring an amount that represented half of his available wealth.

Clearly willing to go all out, he understood that his effort might be futile, but he aimed to at least undermine the Diego family's confidence.

"Huh? This...?"

The head of the Diego family felt his mouth twitch as he registered the bid.

The audacity of someone who wouldn't have dared to challenge him was infuriating.

His hands clenched in anger as he suppressed the temptation to question Marquess' absence.

Instead, he resolved to defeat the head of the William family decisively before seeking answers later.

"5 billion Imperial Crowns."

Without any hesitation, he declared his bid, plunging the room into a state of turmoil.

'!'

The head of the William family flinched, his heart racing; this amount far exceeded anything he could hope to secure in such a short time—even with a reasonable amount of preparation.

'N-no!?'

badump

Aria felt her heart plummet as the bid soared well beyond the William family's total valuation.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she hunched over, clutching her face.

Anxiety surged within her with each passing second, as memories of her suffering flooded her mind.

To many, luck was a trivial concept, but for her, it felt like a cruel joke.

Losing her mother at a young age, surrounded by false accusations, even despite being born into a prestigious family, she had never truly known happiness.

The man she loved blamed her for everything that went wrong, and her friendships always seemed to dissolve in the end—fated to be lost one day.

Life felt like a series of setbacks, each one pushing her deeper into despair, fueling her cynicism about those who believed they could change their destinies.

But no…

Seated in the oppressive darkness, accepting the reality that they had already lost before they ever truly began, she felt a chilling sense of finality.

No one would come to her aid—neither her love, nor friends, nor anyone else.

In that fleeting moment, however, one desperate thought crossed her mind, though she couldn't quite understand why: 'p-pl…eas…e, professor…m...y d..ad'

"50 billion Imperial Crowns,"

came a calm yet authoritative male voice, slicing through the tense atmosphere of the auction room.

'!?!'

'Huh? Is he...?'

A chill ran down the spine of the man who had just held the upper hand moments before.

The head of the Diego family slowly turned toward the source of the voice, realizing that such a colossal bid—one ten times greater than the entire wealth of the Diego family, which was one of the richest in City A—could only belong to one individual within the entire Arinphiam Empire, making the reality of the situation hit him like a bolt of lightning.

The moment his head turned back, he spotted a man standing at the door. Even in the dim light, the striking silver hair and those sapphire eyes gave away his identity unmistakably.

"Finally!" Bordy's smile widened at the sound of that familiar voice.

He loosened his tightly folded hands as he rose to his feet, pivoting in that direction without a hint of hesitation.

Despite the twenty to thirty meters of distance between them, and the fact that he was seated—which elevated that man by two or three feet—his body moved with instinctive efficiency.

swish

He leaned slightly downward, his leg muscles tightening in preparation, and then, in an explosive motion, he leaped.

BOOM!

The sheer force of his leap sent the surrounding sofas flying, creating a small crater beneath him—throwing the floors made of hard concrete destroyed within splitting moment turning into granules of dust particles.

Simultaneously, the head of the Diego family was thrown backward, colliding with the wall as his body lost consciousness in an instant, eyes rolling back as he slumped against the cold surface,"Kurghh!—THUD!"

But Bordy was unfazed by the chaos he had unleashed; his focus was solely on that man.

His colossal figure loomed four times larger than the man he was about to confront, and with a clear taunt in his voice, he prepared to deliver a punch. His body, as if teleporting, arrived just a few inches away from that strikingly handsome face.

"This ends here, you bug!"