The Villain’s Confrontation
"Like I always say, evis comes from our bodies, and if we don't control its usage, it can be our downfall or even cause our death. So it's only right that—"
"Is that what you're studying in the middle of this forest?" Astrid interrupted while Livius was in the midst of explaining. "Even a young child knows about that. Shouldn't we be revisiting what we've been taught since we were young until now? If so, good luck finishing this before the day of the exam arrives," she continued, complaining with her arms crossed.
When they were arguing earlier, Livius just let them be. He didn't have time to meddle in their quarrel, and he didn't care about what they were arguing about. During those moments, he focused his time on practicing with his weapon, which caught the attention of the two, prompting them to stop arguing and invite Livius to start their training.
Verrell's gaze once again turned sour towards Astrid upon hearing her nagging. "If you had used your time to listen to what Livi was saying instead of complaining, maybe we would have made progress," he replied.
The two sat on the grass while Livius stood in front of them. But of course, before Astrid let herself sit on that grass, she ordered Livius first to fetch a cloth that could serve as a cushion. The young woman complained that she would never sit on dirty grass without any cushion.
Astrid's expression turned hostile when she faced Verrell. "Maybe the reason we can't make progress in our training is because of your slow understanding," she said, even smiling before continuing. "If it weren't for Livius, you probably wouldn't be able to pass the exam. Admit it, he's teaching you because you're ignorant, right? And because he feels sorry for you—"
"Ta-ce, insodax balier!" Livius shouted, leaving both Verrell and Astrid silent. In their language, it meant 'Shut up, insolent woman.' They exchanged glances, both unable to believe that Livius would shout something like that.
When Astrid realized what Livius said, she smiled bitterly at him. "Wait, am I the one you're talking to? Did you just badmouth me?" she asked, even pointing at herself, her face showing a mixture of surprise and confusion.
Livius swallowed hard, promising himself that he would do whatever it took to avoid a repeat of what happened before. But no matter how hard he tried to prevent it, he found himself in this situation again, being toyed with by Astrid. What frustrated him even more was that it seemed to have gotten worse.
"Please excuse my words, My Lady, but I can't tolerate you speaking like that to my friend in front of me. You know nothing about him, you know nothing about what he went through before reaching this point, and most importantly, you don't know why he wants to enter Magindale. So, you have no right to insult him," Livius said.
Astrid glanced back and forth between the two friends until she eventually stood up because she couldn't believe that these two commoners, whom she first accompanied like this, would treat her this way. She had thought that commoners had a different attitude compared to nobles, but it turns out they weren't any different.
The young woman bit her lip as if preparing herself for what she wanted to say. "If that's the case, then you don't know anything about me either! You don't care about me!"
"Are you really choosing to sulk instead of doing training as we discussed?" Livius immediately retorted. "Verrell and I are serious about our plan to enter Magindale, and you're wasting our time with your drama. I thought you came here to train, but it turns out you're just seeking sympathy. I'm disappointed in your behaviour, Domea."
Domea is another term used as a sign of respect for female nobles, which means 'my lady.' When Astrid heard those words from Livius, tears started streaming down her eyes, surprising both Livius and Verrell.
Livius was about to speak, but before he could say anything, Astrid ran away from them.
Verrell's gaze softened as he watched Astrid get farther and farther away. He wanted to chase after her and apologize for what he said, but he didn't know how to say it properly. So, when Astrid was completely out of sight, Verrell turned his gaze to Livius, who was now bowing his head.
It was the first time Livius had seen a woman cry because of him, and he felt like he was the worst person in the world because of what he did. He never expected that his actions could evoke such drama from a woman—it made him feel guilty.
But Verrell had a different thought than Livius. After Astrid left, he simply suggested that his friend start the training and let Astrid do what she wanted. According to him, Astrid would come back when she decided to join the training, and they shouldn't waste their time chasing after her.
The afternoon came, and the first day of training ended, but Astrid didn't return. She didn't show up.
Livius was worried for a second, but he realized Verrell was right. They shouldn't waste their time on her. It was actually favourable for him for Astrid to leave because he couldn't bear her rough demeanour. And since he managed to change the scene in the series, he didn't need to confront Astrid anymore.
However, while Livius and Verrell were resting, the two young men who had always been with Astrid arrived. They were the same two young men who were with her when they met at Magnus's shop. "Where is My Lady? Is she resting at your house?" one of them asked Livius.
Livius and Verrell exchanged glances before Livius answered the young man. "No, she's not at my house. She left this morning, and I thought she returned to your carriage to go home," he replied.
Astrid's bodyguard also exchanged glances, and then one of them looked at Livius to answer him. "She instructed us to pick her up in the afternoon, so we just arrived here."
The world seemed to stop for a moment for Livius when he heard the last words spoken by Astrid's bodyguard. In those few seconds, various thoughts raced through his mind, pounding heavily in his chest. Until his feet started moving on their own, and he ran in the direction where they last saw Astrid running.