I will not die a Villainess's death

"This place feels so stiffening. I cannot believe I agreed to live here for a single day."

Elysia looked at the pool in front of her in disdain. She did not want the water touching her body. It only felt uncomfortable but Elysia was also afraid of her curse triggering if she touched the pool again.

She could feel the magic inside her reaching out toward the pool in an attempt to reconcile with what it missed but Elysia decided to keep her magic and the one in the pool separated.

"Can I just not take this dip and pretend as I dipped into the ceremonial pool already? Will these people even notice?"

Elysia had the fleeting thought before she decided to get this bath over with. The sooner she was able to get through it, the sooner she would be able to forget all about it.

The pool water was cool and consuming when it surrounded Elysia. It was pushing all around her gently and Elysia let the water consume her. The magic that rushed at her was familiar and gentle this time.

It called out to her, asked her to trust it and to let it lead Elysia into the depths of darkness.

And like the fool Elysia was, she decided to let the water call her into its depths. The vision she did not want to have darkened her eyes and Elysia knew she was no longer in the pool but in a familiar castle.

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"Lady Eve, you need to eat. Your body cannot keep on going if you ignore it like this."

Elysia opened her eyes and blinked around in a tired haze. She had never felt her eyes feel this heavy even when she had pulled a couple of all-nighters during missions.

Every blink felt like it took tremendous effort and her stomach protested against its empty state.

There was food in front of Elysia that she could reach out for and quench her hunger. It would be all too easy to do as well.

But every time Elysia so much as tried to reach for the food, her brain, and her stomach protested against it. She was afraid to even eat anything.

"Your highness, please. This of your condition and what it would do to the emperor-"

"Don't say his name. This is all Adam's fault Elysia died. I will not forgive that man as long as I live."

Elysia had never heard a voice that angry in her life before. Eve sounded like she was boiling in anger and her red hard likely resembled her fury.

Even Elysia wanted to take a step back but she was currently in Eve's body and did not know how to achieve that.

"Y-Your holiness, please calm down. The emperor did what was-"

"I don't want to hear it. Do not take that bastard's name in front of me again and-"

There was a cry of a baby in the room which instantly turned Eve's head toward that cry. Elysia felt Eve's foreign terror fill her being as she rushed past the maid.

The girl looked down to see the most precious being in the world in front of her. Those black hair and golden eyes looking back at Elysia were so precious.

"P-Please don't cry. Everything is alright and I will protect you, alright?"

Elysia's heart swelled as her arms reached toward the kid in front of her. She recognized it as the kid she had seen before and she wanted to be close to the kid.

The kid also stopped crying as he looked up at Elysia. For a good minute, it looked like that was all the kid would do - look at Elysia and nothing else.

"Y-Your holiness, I d-don't think the c-crown prince wants to-"

Elysia's heart hurt as she noticed the hesitation in the maid's voice. It seemed like she intended to fail.

But the kid suddenly giggled and reached toward Elysia. She was frozen for a moment before she reached back and took the kid in her arms.

Her son giggled as he reached back for Elysia.

"-meet the others. The attack will-"

Elysia's eyes met the emperor who had suddenly barged into the room. The emperor looked stunned before his eyes softened.

"Your highness, should we-"

Adam held his hand up to stop the man from speaking. The retainers who had accompanied the emperor fell silent as soon as they noticed the emperor's mood

"Everyone, leave."

The servants looked at each other in a questioning manner, wondering if they should leave or not. Elysia only looked at the emperor, having no intention to leave her son alone.

She was even willing to entertain the emperor and his anger if it meant she would get to live with her son again. That was how much the person who did not even exist in her life yet meant to her.

Adam's eyes blazed as they looked at Elysia. They made her feel exposed and she hesitantly took a step back from Adam.

Her son cried out in discomfort as he felt Adam's aura pressing against his body. Elysia tried to shield him to the best of her ability but it was difficult to do for her.

After all, she did not have the best control over Eve's body and magic right now.

"Why are you backing away from me? It breaks my heart to see you behaving like this in front of me."

Elysia backed down until her back hit the wall. She clutched her son, hiding his head in her chest so that he did not see Adam's shining eyes.

She had thought that Adam and Eve will be on alright terms even if she was to die but it did not seem to be the case for her. And even then, to have her son in the middle of their fight was a disaster for Elysia.

"W-What are you doing? S-Stay away from me."

Elysia gasped those words out, her hand coming up to clasp her chest. She did not want to speak and break the atmosphere that had formed. She did not want to risk hurting or scaring her baby.

But her mild words and easy-going temperament caused Adam to push more into her. His face was inches away from Elysia's and she felt uncomfortable being in front of Adam.

Especially since this was a moment that was supposed to belong to Eve and Adam. Elysia had no business being here and ruining their happiness for them.

"Did you think you will be able to fool and deceive me? I don't know how did you this but I am not letting you go."

Adam's hands on Elysia's wrists were clasped tightly. It did not seem like she would be able to escape him easily even if she tried to.

Elysia did try to pull back from him but the tight clasp on her hand did not allow her this luxury. All she could do was look at Adam and pray that he would let Elysia go.

"W-What are you doing? Are you not going to let me go? U-Unhand me now."

Elysia's voice rose as she demanded for Adam let her go. Eve's body was sturdy but even then, Elysia could the bruises form on her wrist.

It burned her but Elysia did not have it in her to pull back from Adam.

"I don't want to pull back from you since I know you would disappear as soon as I do so. I will not allow you to disappear from my sight again."

Elysia's heart skipped a beat as she heard those possessive words. Her eyes were wet and she tried to pull away from Adam.

But the emperor was too powerful to do that. He only held on tighter to Elysia's wrist and she was sure Adam looked angry with her.

Elysia had no idea what Eve had done to anger Adam so much but she needed to correct their relationship before they both ended up hurting each other.

"Adam, listen to me here...are you angry with me for some reason?"

Elysia asked, her voice almost breaking into hesitation as she tried to make Adam calm down. The emperor was scaring her child and that was not alright for Elysia's heart or her mental health.

She expected Adam to calm down and listen to her, but he looked even more pissed off. And his grip tightened even more on Elysia's wrist.

"Angry? Angry doesn't even get to cover what I am feeling right now. You left me all alone and died. How dare you die on me like that, Elysia? I cannot live without you."

If Elysia was afraid before, she was terrified now. Adam's eyes looked right back at her with certainty.

This was the first time someone in her visions had recognized her for who she was and Elysia did not know what she should do anymore. Her mind was a blank slate that could not comprehend what was happening.

And then Adam worsened her confusion by kissing her right then and there.