Struggling as a Villain

"How are the preparations going?" Through the wide halls of the palace, the figure of a blond middle-aged man traveled, accompanied by a lanky, bespectacled person.

"His body is more suitable than any other subject." The Prime Minister reported while fixing his glasses. There was a smirk of evilness on his face, which signified how much the success of the project could be beneficial to him.

The humiliation he has faced because of the redhead b*tch, he would soon take the revenge for that. With the new experimental subject in possession, cloning the traits and genes of a person would no longer be a myth.

"Have you searched for that boy's background?" The Emperor asked in his usual tone; completely unaffected by the fact that he was playing with the lives of several innocent beings just to accomplish his dream.

The Emperor has always been bothered about the fact that he himself wasn't strong enough to be called the strongest. Having someone like Bellarine and Bennet in the arsenal, Lucius always had the fear of retaliation and usurpation.

With clones of strong warriors in possession, Lucius finally could keep the reign in his hands and become a deterrent to not only the other Empires but the several strong entities within the continent as well.

Hearing the question of his lord, the Prime Minister took out the report he had arranged on the newest test subject. The report read;

"His name is Ethan—a commoner by birth and an orphan. He recently lost his mother during the invasion of the Headless Puppet in Awsperg."

Hearing that city name, the Emperor frowned and halted in his tracks before turning toward his confidante, and asking, "Isn't it the same place where Eli ran to? Is there a connection between her and the subject?"

The Prime Minister felt a chill running down his spine. He very well knew that once the Emperor knew that his daughter ran away to be with that brat, Lucius might as well stop this experiment and liberate Ethan.

And that was not acceptable.

"Not at all, my lord. How can a commoner, grown up in a backward town like Awsperg ever have a connection with Your Highness? It seems she just wanted to have a little adventure and chose that place since Awsperg is home to a war veteran."

Lucius narrowed his eyes, but in the end, he decided to trust those words.

Continuing his walk, they soon halted before nothing but a wall, which had the insignia of the Empire carved on it.

The Prime Minister pressed his fingers against the wall and after closing his eyes, he chanted a barely audible spell. The insignia glowed before the wall sunk back, and shifted to the left—exposing a pathway.

The duo walked inside as the wall got back in place before they reached a dimly illuminated room, containing several people.

They were moving about the whole place, noting things, discussing observations, and excitedly applying those observations to their next experiment.

The strong smell of medicine and potion assaulted them, but neither of the two cringed, thanks to their regular visit to the lab.

The head of the cloning experiment came forward to greet the Emperor, "I wish you a very good evening, Your Majesty." The man wore square glasses and was wearing protective gear and a mask on his face.

Lucius looked at the large cylindrical tank filled with longevity potion to not endanger the life of the person who remained suspended in the tank. His eyes were closed and his silver hair obstructed his face.

"The Divine Awakened...how did you even find someone like him?" Looking at the small girl standing beside the test tube, Lucius asked.

The short-haired girl smirked, "I have kept my eyes on him and waited for the right moment to strike."

The Prime Minister narrowed his eyes, "Then why did you change your appearance? Last time, you looked different."

Yulan shrugged, however, she had a certain reason to look like someone else.

When Ethan would wake up and look for the person who tricked him, Yulan's face would be the only thing he would remember.

The same face that belongs to the person who loves Ethan more than anyone else.

'I wonder how Nora would react when her beloved Ethan would look at her with hatred. Haah~can't wait.'

----------**---------

"My heart feels heavy." Suddenly, while they were en route to the teleportation portal, Lilia uttered.

Richard blinked in confusion as he asked, "Why? Are you not well?"

"No...it's not like this. Actually, ever since I heard that you are going with Madame Duchess, I am feeling restless." Turning her eyes toward him, she asked in a pleading voice, "Is it really necessary for you to go?"

Lilia was returning to Awsperg for a few days, that's why she wanted Richard to remain as safe as he could be in the meantime. However, this sudden plan to accompany the Duchess made her anxious.

Richard exhaled audibly before putting his hand on her shoulder.

Lilia leaned her head on his shoulder as she heard her lord saying, "There was a time when I used to just do whatever came to my mind. Reckless and wild. But now, I have people whom I have to return to. So don't worry, if something unfavorable arises, I will retreat immediately, okay?"

Lilia slowly nodded, but she still felt complicated in her heart.

Richard comforted her and then they went to the teleportation portal.

Once Lilia was gone, Richard returned to his room to prepare for his visit to the Capital. That place is the territory of his foes, so he must have to be cautious.

"Hmm...potions, batons, dagger hmm..." While he putting everything in his bag, he suddenly began to feel dizzy.

His vision began to turn blurry and in no time, Richard lost the strength in his legs.

He looked around to see if there was someone nearby and tried calling out Violet's name...but his whole body turned completely numb, and soon, Richard fell on the floor.

*Dhak*

-----------**---------

"Mmh...ah!" Jolting out of his slumber, Richard opened his eyes and looked around. His head was still slightly heavy, but fortunately, his vision was no longer dull, and his other body parts were working fine as well.

Standing up on his feet, he checked himself for any injury or changes. But there was none.

[You weren't harmed.]

Richard frowned and looked up. Unlike before, there was an orb of golden light floating across him. And that voice seemed like it belonged to a woman.

His surroundings were pitch black, and he couldn't sense any living being in the vicinity except for the orb.

"Who are you? What did you do to me?" Cautiously he asked.

[You were brought here to listen to my request. I, the one who resides among immortals, wish no more pain for the child of prophecy.]

"Child or prophecy? Who is that?" Although he somehow guessed who this child was, he had to ask.

[The one who suffered his whole life for the sake of others and died in the attempt to bring salvation. The Emissary of Light—Ethan Stronghart.]

That title was unfamiliar. Ethan was a commoner and never received a title for his whole life, despite the attempts from others. Maybe he got himself registered as an angel in the heavens. Who knows?

What Richard wanted to know was the intentions of this being.

"How can I believe that you are a heaven resident, not a Bate in disguise."

Suddenly, a surge of energy radiated from the orb which made Richard feel lighter. The energy resonated with his presence. His ether seemed to be getting pulled in the direction of the orb, and suddenly the redhead felt empowered.

[The chosen one shall notice the presence of the divine essence which the mortals regard as Ether.]

"...what do you want?" Richard asked, temporarily believing this entity to be an angel.

[The child of prophecy is in danger and needs to be reduced before disaster befalls. This one begs the benevolent chosen one, to save the child before it is too late.]

Richard frowned. So Ethan is indeed in danger. And it seems he might die as well if someone doesn't rescue him; after all, the immortal beings are descending to the mortal realm to ask for help.

After a bit of contemplation, Richard asked, "Why me?"

[The one who sincerely showed kindness without any greed in mind towards the child was you. The ones who were sent with the task to protect the child, failed miserably and shall repent when the time comes. But for now, this one couldn't find someone else than you.]

Richard heaved a sigh. So the four heroines failed, eh? What useless beings.

And possibly, the kindness this angel is talking about was nothing more than the medicine Richard provided and the letter of approval he gave to Eleanor. Although he did those things without much thought, it seems he ended up making a good reputation.

Looking at the orb, Richard said, "Okay, I will rescue him...but I need something in return."

-------------**-------------

A/N:- Wao....