Blessed to be the Villain

A Strange Encounter

At the entrance of the alleyway, a young man squinted, his sharp eyes scanning the scene before him.

Ethan stood opposite him, his posture slightly tense, his expression unreadable.

Their gazes locked, yet neither moved nor spoke.

A silent standoff.

At first, Ethan felt a subtle tension in the air, as if something significant was about to unfold. But as the silence stretched, it quickly morphed into something else. Something… awkward.

Scratching his cheek with a finger, Ethan couldn't shake the uncomfortable stillness settling between them.

He couldn't take it anymore.

"Umm… hey…"

His own voice sounded uncertain, and he immediately cringed inside.

The young man across from him seemed to realize just how weird the atmosphere had become. He coughed lightly before awkwardly responding,

"Uhh… yeah, hey…"

Another pause. Another bout of silence.

Ethan suddenly felt like some socially inept fool. What the hell is this?

Desperate to fill the void, he blurted out, "Umm… the moon looks nice tonight."

The second he said it, regret punched him in the gut.

The damn moon was covered by clouds.

The young man blinked, glancing at the sky as if to confirm Ethan's ridiculous statement. "Well… yeah, I guess…" he replied, sounding thoroughly unconvinced.

Ethan inwardly groaned. What is this bizarre conversation? He needed to shift gears—fast.

He cleared his throat. "Uh… so, why are you out so late at night?"

The young man raised an eyebrow, then shot back with a question of his own. "Why are you out so late at night?"

Ethan nearly clicked his tongue. Are we kids or something?

Fine. If this guy wanted an answer, he'd give him one.

With a sigh, Ethan spoke with exaggerated irritation, "Well, I got attacked by an assassin while I was sleeping, so I had to escape. That's why I'm here."

He meant it half-jokingly, expecting disbelief or maybe even laughter.

Instead, the young man's eyes widened in surprise. His initial tension softened into awkward sympathy.

"Well, that's… tough," he said, his voice holding mild concern. "I feel sorry for you. Are you okay?"

Ethan blinked.

For some reason, hearing that made him feel something he couldn't quite describe.

Like he had finally met someone who understood.

"…I'm fine, actually," Ethan muttered, surprised by his own honesty.

But before he could stop himself, he continued.

"This isn't even the first time my life's been in danger today."

The young man's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Ethan exhaled, rubbing his chest where he still felt a lingering ache. "And the last time was way more violent."

The memory flashed in his mind—Lara's flames surging toward him, the suffocating heat, the very real fear of being burned alive.

He shuddered slightly.

"The last time… was really bad," he admitted. "I actually thought I was gonna die. It was awful."

Something in his voice must have given away just how shaken he still was, because the young man's expression shifted.

"You really had a bad day, huh?" His tone was lighter, almost teasing, but underneath it was genuine sympathy. "I feel sorry for you."

Ethan didn't know what to feel.

His emotions were a mess—conflicted, tangled.

But at the same time…

There was a strange sense of comfort in knowing someone else acknowledged what he had been through.

The awkwardness still lingered, yet the tension had faded, replaced by something different. Something easier.

The young man hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, closing the distance between them.

Ethan's body tensed instinctively.

But he didn't move back.

He didn't sense hostility.

The young man stopped a few feet away and slowly raised his right hand for a handshake. His expression was calm, friendly.

"Hello," he said, his voice steady. "My name is Arthur. Nice to meet you."

Ethan stared at the offered hand for a moment.

There was no threat, no trick. Just simple, honest friendliness.

Finally, he reached out, clasping Arthur's hand in a firm shake.

"…Nice to meet you too, Arthur. I'm Ethan."

Their gazes met again, and for the first time, there was no unease.

Just a quiet, unspoken understanding.

Inside the Mansion

Elsewhere, deep within the grand estate, a shadow slipped through an open window, landing silently on the polished wooden floor.

The assassin moved swiftly, entering a dimly lit room where a man paced back and forth. His movements were sharp, restless—anxious yet eager.

This was Saka, the second strongest under Ralf, the former knight commander.

The moment the assassin stepped inside, Saka's head snapped up. His eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Did you do it? Is the job done?"

The assassin's face darkened. His voice was low, irritated.

"No. The mission failed."

Saka froze.

"…What?"

His expression twisted in shock. "Were you discovered? How? I personally made sure you wouldn't get caught by the guards!"

The assassin's jaw clenched. "I wasn't discovered."

Saka frowned, confused. "Then why—?"

The assassin cut him off, his voice laced with frustration.

"Because your information wasn't accurate."

Saka stiffened. "What?"

"You never told me the target could teleport."

Saka's breath hitched.

"Teleport…?" He muttered, stunned. "That's impossible. Ethan Mijuri has never shown an ability like that before. There was no mention of it in any of the reports I received from my lord."

His mind spun. This is absurd… how could I not know about something like this?

"What exactly happened?" he demanded.

The assassin's expression was grim as he recounted the incident.

Saka listened intently, his brows furrowing deeper with each word.

"So… he just vanished right before you could stab him?"

The assassin nodded reluctantly.

Saka paced again, his hands clenched.

This was bad.

This was the second time I've tried to kill Ethan… and for the second time, it failed because of something unexpected.

First, Lara.

She was supposed to kill him that morning. The moment her magic-binding ropes lost effect, Ethan should have died.

But instead—she let him live.

And now this?

Ethan had some unknown ability that wasn't in any reports?

Saka clenched his jaw.

Even if my lord accepts the excuse of Ethan having an unforeseen ability… the fact remains—I've failed twice.

He knew what that meant.

Even if he succeeded next time, he would no longer be trusted. His opportunities, his influence—everything—would be at risk.

No.

He couldn't let that happen.

This time, he wouldn't rely on someone else.

Next time—he would handle it personally.

Saka stopped pacing and turned to the assassin.

"…You can go now."

The assassin gave a short nod before swiftly slipping out the window, vanishing into the darkness.

But he didn't leave the mansion.

Instead, he moved through the shadows, heading toward a different room.

There was someone else he needed to report to.

Someone even Saka didn't know about.