Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

Shyamal remembered something.

When this happened...

...The day of the festival when the kindergarten was closed, but she forced Shane to bring her to Azariah.

And the same day...

...Shane died.

Her breath turned ragged as she looked at Shane carrying her sleeping child self back into the shade of a tree.

"Shane?" Azariah looked up, his childlike voice confused as he noticed the tense look on Shane's face.

"...Can you do me a favor?" Shane asked with a small smile as he passed Shyamal to him, "Please take her back inside."

Though confused, Azariah gently placed his hands around her knees and waist to carry her like a princess.

"What happened?" Azariah asked, his confusion growing.

"Just look after her," Shane smiled as he patted his back.

"Noah?" Ashlyn whispered, her eyes closed, her hand stretching to touch the space around her.

"Let's go." Azariah walked toward her, letting her grab onto his sleeve.

Ashlyn stood up as he guided her inside the building while carrying the child Shyamal in his arms.

Shyamal looked at everything unfolding in front of her with confusion.

"What actually happened?" she asked herself, her stomach twisting with anxiety.

She didn't remember anything like this happening that day—maybe because she was asleep.

"I know you are here." Shane's low, threatening voice echoed within the garden, the setting sun casting a crimson light on his face. "Come out."

"..."

A silence lingered before a rustling sound echoed around the place.

People in clothing that covered them entirely walked into Shane's view, their eyes holding nothing but coldness.

"...Sigh."

Shane sighed tiredly as he took out his long sword from his bracelet.

"I won't let you touch any of them."

He spoke coldly, his firm voice echoing within the garden as he took his battle stance.

Without a word, five of them rushed toward him.

"Huh?"

Shyamal's body yanked back as she watched Shane.

Like a kite, she flew back easily, passing through the wall of the kindergarten building before finding herself inside.

"Wait, Shan—"

"Would you not like to see how you first awakened?"

As Shyamal tried to run back to where Shane was, Taishareth's cold voice echoed in her head.

Shyamal halted as she slowly looked back.

Her child self was lying on the ground, breathing unevenly while Azariah sat right beside her.

Ashlyn sat in a corner away from him, her anxious face turning around, but all she saw was darkness.

"Shyamal?" Azariah's concerned voice echoed as he rubbed Shyamal's hand.

Her body increasingly grew hotter, turning her skin reddish.

Her chest heaved for breath at an abnormal speed.

"Shyamal?" Azariah called her again, trying to help as much as he could.

Boom!

His gaze turned toward the door as the sound of something exploding echoed within the place.

"...Shane," he whispered softly, looking back at child Shyamal, whose breathing slowly calmed down.

His words abruptly halted as explosive shockwave erupted from Shyamal's body, sending him flying, his body crashing hard against the wall.

A cluster of blackish threads emerged from her body, weaving around her.

"Shyamal," Azariah whispered softly, shaking her, trying to wake her up.

"Az." His gaze turned toward a girl who walked in from inside the kindergarten.

"Aria?" Azariah mumbled as he noticed the small girl with white hair walking toward him. "...What are you doing—"

His words abruptly halted as explosive shockwave erupted from Shyamal's body, sending him flying, his body crashing hard against the wall.

"Az!" Arianell shouted as she rushed toward him, but something slammed into her body before she could reach him.

Her body rolled on the ground, stopping when it hit a table.

"Noah!" Ashlyn yelled anxiously, standing up, her legs tangling as she moved, causing her to fall.

Blood dripped down Azariah's forehead. His hazy mind and the burning pain made it hard for him to move.

The cluster that emerged from child Shyamal's body slowly started to cover the area in an eerie darkness.

Azariah's blurry gaze turned toward Shyamal, whose body jerked before going limp, standing up like a puppet.

Shyamal trembled as she looked at her "child self" with an expression that didn't suit her age.

But what made her heart drop was her child self's eyes.

...They were glowing green like gems.

And only now did she know why she didn't remember it.

...Because it was Taishareth who had taken control of her body.

A crown slowly materialized, hovering just above her head.

The cluster of black obeyed her as she moved, forming tens of hands that slowly crept toward them.

"Wait, Taishareth!" Shyamal yelled as those hands crept toward Ashlyn and Arianell. "What are you doing!?"

"I did nothing, oh foolish girl."

Taishareth's cold voice echoed in her head as those hands slowly penetrated the girls' bodies.

"All that was your wish. You wished for them to die so they wouldn't take that boy away from you."

"Shyamal," Azariah called, confused, as he stood back up, resisting the pain. "W-what are you doing?"

The child Shyamal, possessed by Taishareth, walked toward him.

The tens of hands lifted both unconscious girls up, corrupting something that kept them alive.

...Corrupting their life sources.

The darkness slowly engulfed the light around the place as the child "Shyamal" looked down at child Azariah with her gem-like eyes.

"You ask why he doesn't choose you, but why should he choose the one who always caused him pain?"

Taishareth's cold voice made Shyamal's body tremble.

Her bloodshot eyes looked at her child self grabbing Azariah's throat, lifting him up, choking him.

"What right do you have to stay close to him?"

The door slammed open, making Shyamal's head slowly turn toward it.

"Shyamal?" Shane whispered in confusion as he slowly walked toward her.

'Shyamal' dropped Azariah as she turned toward Shane.

...

...

...

'I look fine, right, El?'

Fixing my suit, I asked El's opinion as I walked through the crowd.

[You look fine, don't worry.]

The firecrackers filled the sky, people holding each other as they looked up with warm expressions.

'Where did she go?'

I wondered as I looked around.

My height now allowed me to look past the people around me as I stood taller than most.

It shouldn't have been hard to find her because of her dress, but for some reason, I just couldn't.

The people around me looked at me curiously as I made my way toward the main gate.

'Anyway, where is Olivia?'

I wondered, confused as fewer people blocked my way.

Last time, she was with Christina, but when I entered the stage, Olivia wasn't with her.

...She didn't just throw my daughter somewhere random, right?

"...Sigh."

I sighed as I stood outside, looking around for her.

How can't I find her?

Did she enter a stall or something?

I still moved around in the dimly lit place.

Shops lined either side of the road as I walked aimlessly.

"Azariah?" I turned back as I heard my name in a familiar voice.

I sighed as I looked at the girl wearing a beautiful white gown walking out of a coffee shop.

Slowly, I walked toward her as she folded her arms, looking at me coldly, marks of dried-up tears still visible.

...That was expected, but it still hurts.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice strangely unfamiliar.

"Are you angry?" I asked, immediately regretting it.

What kind of dumb question is that?

"My future husband rejected me in front of everyone." She replied, her voice venomous, "...Is that not enough reason to be angry?"

"Fair enough." I mumbled, nodding quietly as I looked at her, and she looked back.

We stood like that for some time before I awkwardly asked, "...Where is Olivia?"

"Inside." She replied, glancing at the coffee shop, "...She is drinking a milkshake."

"Oh, should we go inside as wel—"

"No." She cut in sharply, her eyes crucifying me. "Say whatever you want, right here."

"Right." I mumbled, nodding my head before falling silent.

[Just say it already.]

'Come on, you don't expect me to just randomly say I love her.'

[So you want to add flowery words?]

'El.'

[What?]

'Shut up.'

[Fine.]

I drew in a deep breath as I looked at her, calmly waiting for my words.

"First of all, I am sorry for rejecting you—"

"I don't need it." She cut in, glaring at me.

"Okay, fin—"

My words abruptly halted as I felt something within me trembling.

'Huh?'

Confused, I looked in the direction of the forest as I felt Andarnaur's ring resonating with something.

'...No.'

It's not the ring but the divinity infused with it that's trembling.

Taishareth's divinity.

I turned to look in that direction, squinting as I noticed something.

Something dark and ominous slowly covering the place.

"...Shyamal."

I whispered softly as a tingling sensation ran through my scalp.

'No way, not right now.'

...How is she awakening again?

And why now?

[She is emotionally unstable; you just rejected her, remember?]

'...Ah, fuck me.'

"Azariah." I turned to look at Christina, who called me. "...What happened?"

"I will be right back." I replied, turning around.

"Where are you going?" But my steps halted as she grabbed my hand, "...What happened to Shyamal?"

"I will tell you everything truthfully when I come back," I replied, my voice urgent. "...I will be right back, I promise."

Her grip slowly loosened as she stepped back without saying anything.

Her face clearly showed she had so many things to say, but she remained silent, tears once again trickling down her face.

"I will be right back." I whispered softly as I turned and ran toward the forest.