The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain! - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: 02/07- Selinthra’s Scolding

As Skye strolled through the moonlit garden beside Leona, her laughter light and unguarded, a sudden sharp voice cut through his ear.

“What are you doing, Skye?” Selinthra’s voice crackled through the invisible earpiece nestled against his ear.

Skye subtly tensed but didn’t let his expression betray him. He exhaled slowly, offering Leona a small smile before glancing away under the pretense of adjusting his collar. “I need a break, Selinthra.”

“A break?” Her voice was laced with frustration. “We’ve spent years working toward this. And now, you’re out here entertaining the oracle like some love-struck noble? You were supposed to manipulate her, not…” She paused, her tone turning dangerously low. “…fall for her.”

Skye clenched his jaw. “You’re overreacting.”

“Am I?” Selinthra snapped. “Because from where I’m sitting, you look like you’re getting too comfortable.”

Leona tilted her head, noticing Skye’s momentary distraction. “Something wrong?” she asked, her amber eyes filled with curiosity.

Skye immediately masked his irritation with a soft chuckle. “Nothing at all,” he assured her. “Just lost in thought.”

“Listen to me,” Selinthra hissed through the earpiece. “You need to get your priorities straight. We have a mission, and I won’t let you jeopardize it because you suddenly enjoy playing the role of a doting suitor.”

Skye sighed inwardly, running a hand through his hair. He could feel Selinthra’s suspicion pressing down on him like a weight, but at the same time, he wasn’t ready to step away. Not yet.

“If you don’t snap out of it, Skye, I will intervene,” Selinthra warned. “And trust me, you won’t like how I do things.”

As her voice cut off, leaving only static in his ear, Skye swallowed hard. He was walking a dangerous line, and for the first time, he wasn’t sure which side he wanted to fall on.

Selinthra’s voice turned sharp in his earpiece, her patience snapping. “That’s it—I’m coming over.”

Skye exhaled through his nose, already anticipating this reaction. Without missing a beat, he lifted his fingers subtly and murmured a silent incantation. A dark shimmer pulsed through the air around Selinthra’s location, invisible to the naked eye but powerful enough to sever her immediate connection to teleportation magic.

A moment of silence passed before her voice crackled through the earpiece again, livid. “You did not just put a forcefield around me.”

Skye smirked slightly, keeping his expression neutral as he turned back to Leona, who was blissfully unaware of the unseen conflict unraveling in his ear. She was admiring the luminous garden, her delicate fingers grazing the petals of a glowing moonflower. The sight was almost… serene. Too serene.

“I told you, I need a break,” he murmured under his breath, just quiet enough that Leona wouldn’t hear.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Skye,” Selinthra growled. “Blocking me from portaling? That’s a new low. Are you actually going rogue?”

He clicked his tongue in amusement. “Relax, Selinthra. I’m not going rogue. I’m handling things my way.”

“Your way?” she spat. “Your way looks an awful lot like you romancing the oracle instead of manipulating her.”

Skye rolled his shoulders, his gaze flicking back to Leona. She was speaking to a nearby servant now, her soft laughter drifting through the cool night air. He had to admit—there was something captivating about her. The way she carried herself, the unyielding strength beneath her gentle demeanor. Maybe, just maybe, he was getting too caught up in this.

Selinthra’s voice turned colder. “You can’t keep me trapped here forever, Skye. And when I get out, you’re going to regret this.”

He chuckled, knowing full well that he had just made an enemy out of one of his most dangerous allies. “Looking forward to it.”

Leona’s eyes narrowed, her brows furrowing in skepticism. “I don’t believe you,” she said quietly, her voice wavering between doubt and a touch of hurt. “This is all so sudden. Why me?”

Skye hesitated, taken aback by the weight of her words. He’d anticipated challenges, but not this level of questioning. He had known Leona to be perceptive, but now, her inquiry struck harder than any weapon could.

“Why you?” he repeated, his voice softening as he took a step closer to her. The moonlight illuminated his sharp features, but he made no attempt to mask the sincerity in his eyes. “Leona, I didn’t expect you to understand right away. This isn’t about some instant attraction, though, believe me, I’ve seen the beauty in you—your heart, your wisdom. But this goes back further than that, much further.”

Leona raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. “And what do you mean by that?” Her voice held a tinge of impatience, but also a spark of curiosity. She knew there was more beneath the surface.

Skye took a deep breath, his gaze flicking briefly to the darkened horizon before returning to her. “When I was younger, much younger, I was nothing but a street urchin. Orphaned and left to fend for myself, I had no one. No family, no friends… just hunger, poverty, and a brutal world that wanted to break me down.”

Leona remained silent, her expression unreadable. She could see something in his eyes that wasn’t just the typical arrogance. A flicker of vulnerability, of memories too painful to fully recount.

“I remember one day,” Skye continued, his voice quiet, “I was starving, barely able to stand. I had stolen a loaf of bread from a baker’s cart. It was the first food I had had in days. But before I could escape, a woman—a stranger—caught me. Instead of yelling at me, instead of calling the guards like everyone else would’ve, she gave me food. She didn’t even know my name. She just saw me… saw a kid trying to survive.”

Leona’s eyes softened for the briefest moment, but she didn’t speak. Skye could feel her hesitance, her walls still firmly in place.

“That woman, Leona, was you.” Skye said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, yet it carried the weight of years. “I didn’t know it at the time, but it was you. You were the one who helped me. And I’ve never forgotten that. All these years, I’ve carried that kindness with me. You were the reason I didn’t fall apart, the reason I pushed forward. You gave me something I didn’t know I could have: hope.”

Leona blinked, her heart racing in her chest. She didn’t speak right away, too stunned to form a coherent response. All this time, she had wondered if any of her past actions had ever truly made a difference in the world. And here was Skye, telling her she had unknowingly saved his life.

“You’re telling me… I helped you?” Her voice cracked slightly. “But I don’t remember any of this. I was an apprentice back then, still learning. How could it be me?”

Skye nodded, his eyes steady and filled with conviction. “You probably don’t remember. You probably never thought twice about it. But I did. I remembered everything—the look in your eyes, the kindness you showed, even when you didn’t have to. And that’s why I’ve come to you now. Because you were the first person who ever showed me that there was more to life than just survival. You showed me that kindness can change someone’s path.”

Leona’s breath caught in her throat. She had no idea that her actions, so small in her eyes, could have such a monumental impact on someone’s life. Her heart felt tight in her chest as she struggled to process the flood of emotions rushing through her.

“I—I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I never thought… I never knew that I had done something so important. I was just doing what I thought was right.”

Skye took a step closer to her, his gaze softening even further. “It’s not about doing something big, Leona. It’s about the small things—the little acts of kindness. And you’ve been doing that your whole life. You just didn’t know the effect it would have.”

Leona swallowed hard, her mind reeling. She had always believed she was destined for something greater, but to hear that she had made such a difference in someone’s life without even knowing it… it left her feeling both humbled and conflicted.

“But now… this is all so sudden, Skye,” Leona murmured, shaking her head. “You want to be with me, but why now? After all this time?”

Skye reached out gently, his fingers brushing against her hand. “I didn’t come here to manipulate you or to use you. I came because I know that I owe you my life. And even if you can’t accept my feelings, even if you can’t trust me yet, I just wanted you to know that I will never forget what you did for me. I can’t change the past, but I can fight for a future with you. A future where I show you that I’m worthy of your trust.”

Leona felt her heart hammering against her chest. She wasn’t sure if she could trust Skye just yet, but something about him had shifted in her eyes. He wasn’t the man she thought he was. There was something more to him, something deeper. And for the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of hope for something beyond the destiny that had been thrust upon her.

“I still need time to think, Skye,” she finally said, her voice quiet but steady. “This is all too much for me right now. But… thank you for telling me.”

Skye nodded, a bittersweet smile pulling at his lips. “Take all the time you need, Leona. I’ll be here when you’re ready. I’ll always be here.”