The adorable Villainess is mine - Chapter 4- Sorry

Lia had a frown on her face.

Carter hadn’t shown up for training.

That was unusual.

She went to check on him—but he wasn’t in the infirmary either.

When she asked the nurse, she was told he had left… with Grace.

That was odd.

His relationship with Grace had always been terrible.

After all, back when they were kids, Grace didn’t save the one person Carter cared about most. She had the power to do it—but she chose not to.

Why?

Because she was jealous.

Jealous of a woman Carter loved.

When Lia first heard that, it made her furious. And her anger only grew the more she interacted with Grace.

Lia usually didn’t show anger, no matter how others treated her. But Grace?

Grace was unbearable.

Always mocking her, calling her an orphan, a girl without manners. Telling her she didn’t belong here. Acting like she was better than everyone, just because she came from some noble house.

But the truth was, she couldn’t stand that Carter paid attention to Lia and not her.

Lia still remembered the night of the prom. Carter had brought her as his date.

Grace lost control. She walked up and slapped her across the face.

That was the day Carter ended their engagement.

Lia could still picture it clearly—that proud, cold look on Grace’s face shattering. The way she cried, the way she begged Carter not to leave her.

It was satisfying.

And Carter had done the right thing. He threw that arrogant girl out of his life.

She didn’t deserve his love. Not even his kindness.

She belonged in the streets, not at his side.

But now… why was he showing sympathy for her?

Lia’s chest tightened.

She didn’t like this feeling.

She could only hope her worries were nothing. That Carter hadn’t forgotten who Grace really was.

Because she hadn’t.

And she never would.

….

“You know?!” Grace panicked—and it was completely justified.

After all, the secret she had been hiding for so long… was no longer a secret.

Carter, who was quietly cooking porridge for her, nodded. “Yep… I read your memories last night. Sorry about that.”

The truth was tied to a painful memory.

There had been a nanny Carter loved dearly—someone who was like a big sister to him. Her name was Lara. She cared deeply for Carter, and the feeling was mutual.

Whenever Grace came over, Carter always included Lara in their games.

Grace never seemed to like Lara much. It wasn’t outright hatred, but it was clear Lara often got most of Carter’s attention—and Grace wasn’t fond of that.

Then came the day everything changed.

They were visiting a church when, suddenly, it was surrounded by fire.

The entire building collapsed into flames, and all three of them were trapped inside.

A monster ambush outside meant the soldiers couldn’t get to them right away.

Carter had breathed in too much smoke. He was barely conscious, but through his blurry vision, he saw something that haunted him ever since.

Lara—his beloved nanny—was crying, kneeling in front of Grace, pleading for help.

And Grace… simply turned away and used her skill, Barrier, to save only Carter.

That moment became the root of his hatred. He truly believed Grace left Lara to die out of jealousy.

But now…

“She was a demonized human, wasn’t she?” Carter asked quietly.

Grace gave a faint nod.

After a brief pause, Grace finally spoke. “She was losing control of her human side… so she begged me not to take her outside. She was afraid she’d hurt others.”

Carter let out a heavy sigh. “And she made you promise not to tell me the truth… because she thought I’d hate her if I found out she wasn’t human, didn’t she?”

Grace gave another small nod.

Carter clenched his fist and stepped closer to her.

Standing right in front of her, he said softly, “And like a fool, you agreed to her wish… and let me hate you all this time.”

Her wide eyes looked up at him.

She could see the pain in his gaze. And the anger—but it wasn’t aimed at her.

“C-Carter… I had no choice.” She stood up and reached her hand toward him… but stopped midway.

She didn’t know how to comfort him. But seeing him like this made her heart ache.

Then—suddenly—

“Ah—”

She gasped.

Her eyes widened. For a moment, her mind went blank.

She was in his arms.

His long arms wrapped tightly around her, pulling her close. Her face pressed gently against his chest.

That familiar warmth… after all this time…

“I’m sorry, Grace… please… forgive me…”

Hearing his voice tremble, her eyes welled up.

She bit her lip and gripped the hem of his shirt tightly, unable to say a word.

The world had been cruel to her.

But not anymore.

Carter was here now.

And he wasn’t going anywhere.

******

A/N:- Thanks for reading.