I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 68

"Selina."

The name echoed in the steam-filled bathroom. Lukas listened to the name returning to him, then submerged his face into the water.

It was only after quite some time that he finally resurfaced with a gasp. He took a few deep breaths, then slowly tilted his head back.

Droplets of water clung precariously to his jaw, trembling on the verge of falling.

Drip.

The droplet landed in the still water of the bathtub, creating gentle ripples that disturbed the surface.

"Selina."

Lukas's red lips curved upward as he whispered the name once more.

Lately, he had begun to notice a strange confusion stirring within himself.

It had crept into his heart unnoticed, gradually growing until it consumed his thoughts entirely.

It was an emotion that compelled him to act impulsively.

It had made him offer Jacob a handkerchief, then want to chase him down and break his legs... It had made him suddenly visit the dress shop just to see Selina in a gown.

It had made him unreasonably uncomfortable watching Aiden get fitted for clothes, made him insist that Selina's partner was his, made him grab her wrist to stop her from going to meet someone else.

And today, Lukas finally realized what this strange, confusing, and impulsive emotion was.

When Selina's hand slipped out of his grip and she walked down the stairs without hesitation, her hair rippling like waves—at that moment, it was as if lightning had struck his heart.

Lukas let out a hollow laugh before closing his eyes. Even in the darkness behind his eyelids, he could still see those sky-blue eyes and silver hair.

"What a joke."

His small murmur resonated in the bathroom.

For someone so adept at using other people’s emotions and exploiting situations, it was almost comical how long it had taken him to recognize his own feelings. Lukas found himself both ridiculous and unbearably exasperating.

Now, he finally understood why Aaron had persistently asked him what he thought of Selina.

Why Aaron had growled at him like he was some kind of traitor.

As memories of the past drifted through his mind, another face surfaced—someone who had spent the most time with Selina, someone whose [N O V E L I G H T] status had risen significantly.

Aiden.

Lukas might have been slow to realize his own emotions, but when it came to reading others, he was sharper than anyone. Naturally, he had already noticed Aiden’s feelings for Selina.

Up until now, it had been nothing more than a suspicion... but after today, it was a certainty.

When Aiden saw Selina descending the stairs, his face had lit up with such joy—how could Lukas possibly miss it?

"Even so..."

As his eyes slowly opened, the usual gleam of unrestrained desire flickered within them.

Lukas had finally understood his emotions.

And he had no intention of letting them go.

"Selina."

Her name once again lingered in the steam-laden air before dissipating.

The four young people of House White sat together, drinking tea—Selina, Aaron, Lukas, and Aiden. In the past, such a combination would have been unthinkable.

"I was thinking of having Aiden escort me..."

As Selina spoke, Aaron shot a glance at his friend.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

There was no change in Lukas's expression... but was that really the case?

Thinking about the way his cunning friend was likely seething inside, Aaron felt an odd mix of satisfaction and pity.

Lukas might keep insisting otherwise, but from where Aaron was standing, it was clear—Lukas liked Selina.

Despite the ever-present gleam in his eyes when he looked at Aaron’s sister, he continued to insist that he only saw her as a sibling... Well, Lukas had always been strangely oblivious at times, so maybe he really didn’t understand his own heart.

‘But honestly, who wouldn’t fall for Selina?’

Aaron’s thoughts ended with a sense of pride in his younger sister.

"Aiden still hasn’t mastered escorting etiquette, so for now, it’s better for him to accompany us as a member of House White instead."

Aaron's calm voice made Selina pause in thought before nodding. His reasoning made sense.

"That does seem like a better idea."

Changing her decision as easily as flipping a coin, Selina took a sip of her tea. Aiden, watching her, swallowed his own tea with a bitter expression.

Even he had to admit—he wasn’t yet fit to be her escort. It was a relief that he wouldn’t embarrass her... but despite that, he still couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

He had only just become a mage, yet he already felt like a bottomless pit of greed.

"Looks like I’ll be your partner again this time."

Lukas remarked with a lazy smile.

"It does seem that way. You did insist on it..."

Selina responded, adding a quiet remark at the end. The room only held the four of them, so despite her soft voice, everyone heard her.

"Of course. I consider it an honor for my family."

Lukas raised his teacup in a mock toast.

Ah, clothes.

After ending the discussion disguised as a casual tea time, Selina returned to her room.

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Just talking about the event was exhausting—how much worse would it be on the actual day?

A sigh escaped her lips. As she glanced around, her eyes landed on a large box sitting on her table. Inside was her dress for the party, along with Aiden’s outfit.

She had meant to give it to him yesterday, but all she had taken was the cake. And even that had been the one she had already started eating.

"Mm... Jane."

"Yes, my lady?"

Jane, who had followed her into the room, smiled as she answered.

"Take this to Aiden. And I’m going to take a nap, so you can go about your business."

"Yes, my lady."

Jane picked up the large box and left the room with determined steps. Selina waited until she heard the door close before slipping into bed.

She had to conserve her energy for the party.

Living earnestly was exhausting.

She pulled the blanket up to her chin, then kicked it off when it got too hot. A warm summer breeze carried the scent of the season through the slightly open window.

Just as she was about to drift off in that pleasant drowsiness, someone came looking for her.

Perfect timing.

For a moment, she debated whether to just pretend to be asleep, but eventually, she sat up.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Lukas stepped inside. Not surprising.

"Were you about to sleep?"

"I was just thinking about taking a quick nap. What is it?"

Lukas took in her disheveled appearance before leisurely closing the door behind him. The heavy thud made it feel as though the warmth in the room had been trapped.

His eyes curved in amusement.

"I’ve come to claim my wish."

No wonder he was pleased. Come to think of it, she did owe him a wish. Damn that game of Five-in-a-Row. It had been a while since they talked about it... but since she wasn’t a shameless person, she nodded.

Lukas pulled out a chair at the tea table and sat down, as if he were in his own room.

"What’s your wish?"

Somehow, the thought of Lukas having a wish unsettled her. His fingers tapped against the table in a steady rhythm.

The brief silence only made her more anxious. He was supposed to be a male lead, but the way he sat there making demands felt more like a villainous boss.

Finally, his lips parted.

"A haircut."

Lukas sat in front of her vanity. A worn cloth was spread over the floor, and another was draped over his shoulders.

He looked like he had walked into a salon.

"Are you really sure about this?"

"Yes, of course."

Through the mirror, Lukas met her eyes. Even though he was entrusting his hair to her, he didn’t seem the least bit nervous.

His wish was for her to cut his hair. Using his wish on something like this... It was an uncharacteristically impractical decision for someone as cunning as Lukas.

Well, not that she minded.

Might as well make the best of it.

As she held his long, glossy hair in her hands, a question suddenly came to mind.

"Why are you cutting it?"

It was just idle curiosity. If there was some grand reason, he probably wouldn’t have come to her.

Lukas stared at her for a moment before closing his eyes. A faint smile played on his lips.

"Because the person I like doesn’t care for men with long hair."

Wow. That was... unexpected.

So he was cutting his hair just because the person he liked preferred it short...?

Well, in the original story, he was the devoted type.

But as she recalled the novel’s plot, her hands suddenly froze.

The original story...

In the original, the person Lukas loved was... Princess Ariel.

But Princess Ariel was now my brother’s fiancée. The two of them were deeply in love, without any villain’s interference, and were surrounded by nothing but blessings—a perfect, fairy-tale romance.

In other words, unlike in the original story, where she had been disappointed in my brother and ended up falling for this man instead, there was no way that would happen here. But if Lukas had someone he liked at this point... No matter how much I thought about it, the only person that came to mind was still Princess Ariel.

Oh, for god’s sake.

Could there be a more shameless bastard? Pining after his friend’s fiancée while asking her younger sister to cut his hair? Even Hollywood would balk at this level of audacity.

I glanced down at the scissors in my hand. They weren’t particularly sharp at the tip, but the blade was clean and well-honed, catching the light in a sharp glint.

Maybe, with these...

"Selina?"

Lukas's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I lifted my gaze from the scissors.

"Ah, I’ll start cutting now."

It felt like I’d been caught red-handed committing a crime. Well, technically, I had only imagined it, so I wasn’t actually guilty of anything.

Yes, exactly.

Adjusting my grip on the scissors, I took hold of Lukas’s silky, silver hair. The smooth strands slipped between my fingers, soft and cool to the touch.

It reminded me of the past. I had often cut Eunji’s hair.

Since she had spent most of her life in the hospital, she rarely had the chance to go to a salon.

So I had ended up becoming her hairdresser as well.

In the summer, I cut it into a bob just short enough to expose the nape of her neck. In winter, I only trimmed the ends. And whenever she underwent intense chemotherapy, I had to shave it all off with clippers.

Her hair had never grown past her shoulders.

Every time I cut or shaved her hair, Eunji would sob uncontrollably.

Slowly, I moved my hands and snipped a small portion of Lukas’s hair. Snip. The clean sound of the scissors cutting through the strands was accompanied by the soft cascade of silver locks falling to the floor like rain.

I repeated the action several more times, but the length of his hair barely seemed to change.

Well, it’s not like I’d ever cut hair this long before.

Would it be okay to go a little bolder? As I hesitated, uncertain, Lukas, who had been watching me through the mirror, let out a quiet chuckle.

"You can be a little more daring."