The adorable Villainess is mine

“Here.” The girl handed the bowls to Carter. He nodded in thanks and walked away.

In the distance, Grace sat near the campfire.

As he made his way over, his eyes lingered on her. Those blood-red eyes of hers… so warm, so calm, they somehow washed all his worries away. His heart felt at peace.

Have I always been this emotional? Or did Grace turn me into this? Either way, he had no complaints. He was hopelessly in love with her.

When he reached her, she looked up. “Thank you,” she said softly, taking the bowl from his hands.

Carter sat down beside her and glanced into his own bowl.

“I’m surprised she managed to cook rice in an earthen pot,” he said as he mixed some stew with it.

Grace almost blurted. It’s not that hard. I could do it too. But she held the thought back, not wanting to sound jealous.

The wood in the fire cracked, embers rising into the night. The gentle buzzing of insects filled the air, and the cool breeze set the perfect atmosphere for camping.

The other students were still finishing their jobs, most were engaged in collecting firewoods and setting the camp. Since there was no time limit, they were going on slowly and while enjoying their time.

After a moment of quiet, Grace asked, “Can I ask you something?”

“Mhm.” Carter nodded, still chewing.

She stirred her food, though her thoughts were elsewhere. “If that incident… in the past hadn’t happened, how would things have been between us?”

She was speaking of the moment that had driven a wedge between them.

That incident which made Grace the biggest villain of his life. The incident which might have led her to her death.

Carter looked at her. “If we never drifted apart, then we would have been the best couple alive. I might have married you already.”

Grace smiled faintly, her cheeks warm as she turned away.

But then, after a pause, she asked, “What about Lia? Would she have never caught your interest?”

Carter could tell where this was going. And he didn’t mind. She had every right to question him, even to be angry at him.

He let out a breath. “Lia was, at first, just a way for me to make you jealous… to hurt you.”

Grace stiffened, but he went on.

“I noticed it back then—when I helped her climb the stage during orientation. You flinched. I saw how hard you tried to stop yourself from attacking her.”

His gaze fell to the flames. “Call me a scumbag for playing with two women, but I wanted to see you cry. I wanted to torment you until you broke.” Initially, he was just using Lia to torture Grace. And maybe Lia noticed it too.

Grace’s eyes lowered, her heart tightening.

“But then,” Carter said softly, “I started seeing you in Lia. She was strong, confident, someone who supported me… but in the end, she was only a reflection of you.”

A quiet laugh escaped him. “Even when I hated you, I was searching for you in someone else.” He leaned closer, his voice a whisper. “Because beneath all that hatred, my love for you never died.”

Grace froze, her chest heavy, her eyes burning.

She bit her lip and refused to look at him.

Carter set his bowl aside, took hers too, and gently held her hand.

“Grace,” he called softly. “Can you do something for me? I’ll kneel if I have to.”

Her eyes glistened as she finally met his gaze. “What is it?”

His voice was tender. “Please… never hide your feelings from me.”

Her throat tightened. Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Won’t I become a burden to you?”

Carter brushed them away with his thumb. “Every part of you is beautiful. Don’t hide them from me. I want to see the real you… the unrestrained you. Please don’t lock yourself away. Show me everything.”

Grace’s heart trembled. His eyes were so gentle, so desperate—she hadn’t seen him like this in so long. He wanted to embrace her, even the ugly sides of her.

Her lips parted. “If you ever get angry because of something I do or say… then I’ll be mad at you too, okay?”

Carter smiled, a soft, joyful smile. “Then I’ll accept your anger gladly.”

Grace’s face grew hot—not from the flames, but from his closeness… from the warmth of his breath brushing her lips.

She suddenly realized how near they were.

Carter’s gaze fell on her rosy lips, those soft petals he had only tasted once before. Desire stirred in his chest. He longed to claim them again.

But then—

“Umm…” a voice broke in. “If you two have forgotten, you’re sitting right in the middle of the camp.”

“…”

Releases every 4 days on Kuupress.:

https://kuupress.com/read/the-adorable-villainess-is-mine