Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Cautious steps
“So, what do you say? Do you want to conquer the world with me?”

Upon Allea’s question, Neonidas hesitated for a moment. It seemed as though countless scenarios were running through his mind, and when he finally opened his mouth, it was clear he had made his decision.

“No. I will cooperate with you and provide you with the information you need about the future. But I cannot agree with this deal.”

Allea’s expression froze, and a spark of anger flashed in her eyes. She clearly hadn’t expected this rejection. Despite her efforts to maintain her composure, she couldn’t suppress the wave of rage boiling inside her. Her fingers clenched involuntarily, and her lips pressed into a thin line. The tension in the room was sharp, like a blade cutting through the air. After all, she had always gotten what she wanted since childhood, and as she grew older and her beauty became more pronounced, there wasn’t a man she couldn’t have.

Yet ironically, she had been rejected by the very man she thought was madly in love with her. What made it worse was that for the first time in her life, she had taken the initiative, practically throwing herself at him like some kind of seductress, promising him sweet dreams of power—and still, she had been turned down.

“May I know why?” Allea asked, regaining her composure.

“Because I won’t abandon the women who love me more than their own lives for a woman who once abandoned me for another man.”

Neonidas’s words struck Allea like a dagger to her heart. For a moment, her stoic expression cracked, but she quickly regained control. Folding her hands in her lap, she tried to appear calm, though her voice was icy.

“Neonidas, what you’re referring to is a future that hasn’t happened yet. Technically, the current me hasn’t done anything like that to you.”

“But if I hadn’t altered the future, you would have done the same thing.”

As she gazed at Neonidas’s resolute expression, Allea clenched her teeth. He was right. While the mistakes she made in the future might not align with her present self, deep down, she couldn’t deny the truth in Neonidas’s words. Still, her pride and ambition wouldn’t allow her to remain silent in the face of such accusations.

“How many?” Allea suddenly asked as she stood and moved to her own chair.

Neonidas understood the question and began counting. In truth, the only woman who truly loved him unconditionally was Solara, but he figured there was no harm in adding more to the list. Yuanna, Cassandra, and Empress Velriona were also in his sights. Now that he thought about it, even in such a short time, he had more women than he needed. It was time to slow down.

“If the future remains unchanged, four women.”

When Allea heard his answer, her eyes widened. At first, she thought he was joking, but Neonidas’s serious expression made it clear that he stood firmly by his words. She frowned in disbelief and stayed silent for a few seconds.

“Four women…? Really? How did you manage to find four women in such a short time? Never mind… Who are these women?”

Neonidas smirked slightly in response to her curiosity. Her astonishment and intrigue amused him, though he also knew the question deserved a serious answer.

“You want to know who they are, don’t you?” he said casually. “The first is Solara. She is one of the women who loves me more than anything. Her heart is pure, and her love for me runs deep. The second is Yuanna… she’s slowly getting used to me. Then, there’s Cassandra Valen, the daughter of Duke Maximilian Valen. As for the last one… well, you’ll find out in the future.”

As he spoke, Neonidas leaned forward slightly, the flickering firelight from the hearth casting a menacing glow across his face.

“Let me warn you, if anything happens to any of these women, I’ll tell the person who kills you in the future everything I know. That way, they won’t have to wait a few more years.”

Allea’s neutral expression turned to shock. She was starting to believe with near certainty that Neonidas truly came from the future. And now… would she die in the future? How was that even possible? If she thought about it, Neonidas had mentioned she was the one who killed him. How could a dead woman kill someone?

Her flawless memory replayed Neonidas’s words.

“Are you saying I’ll die? But you also said I was the one who killed you. How is that possible? If I’m dead, how could I have killed you? Or, if you died first, how do you know I’ll die later? If this is some ridiculous bluff, let me warn you, my patience is wearing thin.” As she spoke, the surrounding mana began to tremble, radiating a threatening aura.

Despite her anger and piercing questions, Neonidas remained calm. Taking a deep breath, he locked eyes with Allea. Every word he spoke carried weight, filled with resolve and the scars of his past.

“I don’t know why, Allea, but I vividly remember seeing your death. It’s possible that some divine power sent me to the past and showed me certain events as visions of the future. As I said, I don’t know the reason, but I clearly recall witnessing your disgraceful end. Believe whatever you want—think it’s a lie or some scheme to manipulate you. I don’t care. But that’s the truth.”

The mana around Allea suddenly stopped vibrating, but this created an even more threatening silence. Her eyes narrowed, and she looked at Neonidas carefully. His words were like a puzzle, each sentence filled with its own mystery. Yet, at the same time, the calmness and confidence Neonidas displayed made her think that there might be some truth in what he was saying.

“Who…?” she asked with a trembling voice.

Initially, Neonidas thought of Hero Roman as the person he would blame. But if he did such a favor for Allea, he would, of course, ask for an even greater favor in return. It was his nature.

“I will tell you who they are. In return, I only ask one thing from you: that you truly fulfill the agreement you mentioned. But with one condition, the women I mentioned will remain with me. And also, you will kill our first target with me. Do you accept?”

When Allea heard Neonidas’s offer, she thought for a moment. Making an agreement with him made sense from her perspective, given her ambitions and goals. However, accepting those terms went against her pride. Still, what Neonidas had said was an enticing offer, especially since it presented the opportunity to change the future. She was particularly curious about who would be the ones to kill her. For that, she was willing to throw her pride away.

“Okay, we have a deal. I accept this agreement on my honor and my word,” she said calmly.

When Neonidas heard Allea’s determined words, he nodded with a slight smile. The soft glow of the fireplace illuminated his features sharply and mysteriously. Seeing that Allea had made up her mind and accepted the agreement showed him that she was more willing to go further than he had expected. However, Neonidas knew that this game was dangerous, and he had to calculate every move carefully.

“Good,” Neonidas said, his voice carrying a subtle satisfaction. “There were many who wanted you dead. Some were directly involved in your death, while others indirectly helped bring it about. First and foremost, trust your mother Velriona and your close friend Lyranna. They will never betray you, and they will sacrifice their lives to protect you.”

There was no lie in what he said, but there was a hidden agenda in his words. By mentioning Velriona’s loyalty now, he was taking a step to make it easier for Allea to accept when he eventually made Velriona his own.

When Allea heard Neonidas’ words, she took a deep breath. She knew he was telling the truth; she had never doubted Velriona and Lyranna’s loyalty. But Neonidas’s mentioning of it wiped away even the smallest trace of doubt in here. A faint smile appeared on her lips, but it wasn’t a smile of victory or pride, it was one of relief. However, after a moment, Allea realized that Neonidas hadn’t said anything about her father.

“Yes… your suspicions are right. Your father, Emperor Gredor, though not the one who killed you, was the one who opened the path that would lead to your death.”

Step two. Make Allea hate her father. If Neonidas wanted to reach his goals, this had to be done. He wanted to seize the throne, and for that, he had to get rid of the emperor. He hadn’t lied, either. Gredor was, in a way, the one who caused this calamity.

When Allea heard Neonidas’s words, she tried to hide the complex emotions rising inside her but failed. Her relationship with her father had always been filled with deep tension and conflict. But now, Neonidas’s explanation had taken this relationship to a completely different level. Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned slightly against the table as she spoke in a whisper.

“My father… he opened the path to my death? What does that mean, Neonidas? I need details.”

Neonidas looked at Allea’s angry and curious eyes and spoke sincerely. He carefully chose his words to deepen her doubts and completely destroy the trust she had in her father.

“Gredor never truly loved you, Allea. He only valued you because you were his best heir… But if someone were to come along who could shake that position… then he wouldn’t hesitate to support them.”