Flag-Breaking Villainess: The Story of How Breaking the Romance Flags of the Otome Game's Protagonist Ended Up Creating New Flags Between the Reincarnated Villainess and the Heroine - Chapter 21.2

“Don’t worry, Liel. I’m fine. And I’ll definitely save you.”

“Amusing words, Lilia Fortina. You’re terribly out of touch with reality.”

“That’s my line. Now, would you care to enlighten me on your actual goal?”

“And why should I? …Well, I suppose I could grant you that knowledge as a parting gift before you die. Very well, listen closely.”

With an exaggerated flourish, he spread his arms.

“I want to be the greatest king this world has ever known.”

His voice brimmed with arrogance.

“Not some dull, forgettable ruler like our father, whose subjects can’t even remember his name. No—I will be a true king, one whose name will be spoken of for generations. One who will live on forever. And for that, I need the power of the cursed relics.”

With a smirk, he raised his right arm, displaying a silver bracelet on his wrist.

“Liel’s light magic will cleanse the relics, allowing me to analyze their mechanisms and develop purification spells. With those spells, I’ll cleanse every cursed relic stored in the royal palace—then use them to create my own invincible army. After that, I’ll launch a campaign to conquer every nation. The entire world will kneel before my greatness!”

His expression was overflowing with self-importance.

“So your proposal to Liel was just a ploy to lure her to your estate?”

“Not quite. I wanted to give her hope first—only to rip it away and crush her completely. But she will be my wife. Of course, she won’t live long afterward.”

“You’re planning to kill her?”

“Naturally. People love a good tragedy, don’t they? A sorrowful king who has lost his beloved is far more compelling. It will only solidify my legend.”

He glanced at Liel, his expression filled with contempt.

“But make no mistake—while I will take her as my wife, I have no intention of ever touching her. I wouldn’t lower myself to lay a hand on some commoner woman. Besides, I have no need for an heir. Only my name needs to live on in history. Even if I had a child, I would never pass my throne to them. There are cursed relics that grant eternal youth—I will rule forever. The people will recognize and revere me for eternity!”

It was almost laughable.

That such a pathetic man could be the mastermind behind everything was nothing short of absurd.

“Even if you have cursed relics, do you really think you can win a war so easily?”

“Of course. I’ve spent years studying the relics. I’ve even conducted controlled experiments to prevent them from running amok. Oh yes—speaking of experiments, I tested one on your mother at the royal ball.”

My mother’s illness had been completely cured with the Elixir, but we never figured out what had caused it in the first place.

So it had been Prince Tarmine’s doing all along?

“So it was you… You were the one who made my mother and the queen ill.”

“Your Elixir ruined my research, though. I lost valuable data because of you. You truly are a nuisance. But don’t worry, I’ll be sure to settle that grudge today.”

“You’re the one who should be worried. Everything—every tragedy—you’re the cause of it all.”

It was him.

He was the reason the original Lilia Fortina had become twisted.

“Well, that’s enough talk. Now that you know the truth, you can die with no regrets. But first—enjoy some quality time with my men.”

With a cruel smirk, he gave the order.

“Do whatever you want with her. Then kill her.”

One of the mercenaries stepped forward, his face twisted with a sick grin.

“Heh, today’s my lucky day. Don’t struggle too much, now. I promise I’ll be real gentle—”

Before he could finish his sentence, I snapped his arm clean in half.

“Huh?”

His dazed expression quickly twisted in agony as the pain hit him.

Before he could scream, I conjured a blast of wind, sending him hurtling into the wall.

The impact forced the air from his lungs, and with a pained groan, he lost consciousness.

“You little—!”

The remaining mercenaries raised their weapons, surrounding me.

“We’ll cut off those defiant limbs first. Then we’ll break you in properly!”

Their crude battle stance and lack of coordination made their inexperience painfully obvious.

It wasn’t even worth dodging.

With a swift motion, I cast wind magic, slicing through their armor and cutting them down in an instant.

As they collapsed, I swept them aside with another gust of wind, sending their limp bodies crashing against the walls.

“So? What now?”

I turned my gaze back to Prince Tarmine, who now regarded me with barely contained fury.

“I see… So that’s why you’re so confident. You’ve been using a cursed relic yourself, haven’t you?”

He smirked.

“But it won’t matter. Because the strongest relic—one that even you can’t oppose—belongs to me!”

Raising his right arm, his bracelet gleamed in the sunlight.

“This is the Wolf Ring—just purified this morning. The power that will make me a hero!”

As he shouted, his body began to transform—his figure swelling, his clothes tearing, fur sprouting across his skin.

Even his face twisted, elongating into a wolf-like muzzle.

“Urs!”

As soon as I called Urs’s name, a red blur streaked through the air like a shooting star, delivering a devastating kick to one of Prince Tarmine’s men.

The force of the impact was so intense that the man was sent flying before he could even scream, his body hurtling through the air like a ragdoll.

Urs swiftly caught Liel, who was on the verge of collapsing, and without hesitation, leaped off the balcony, landing gracefully beside me.

She gently helped Liel into a seated position, ensuring she was as comfortable as possible.

“Drink this.”

I handed Liel an Elixir.

The moment she finished drinking, the dullness in her eyes faded, and their familiar brilliance returned.

“Lady Lilia… I—I’m sorry. I never thought things would turn out like this.”

Tears welled up in Liel’s eyes as she apologized.

I gently reassured her.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Liel. None of this is your fault.”

Smiling softly, I pulled her into an embrace, rubbing her back in a soothing motion as I whispered:

“Let’s go home together.”

She trembled slightly but nodded.

“…Yes.”

Relief filled her voice.

Now, everything was finally—

A heavy thud echoed through the space.

Standing before us was Prince Tarmine, now fully transformed into a werewolf.

His right arm was bare—his bracelet had merged with his body during the transformation.

“You think you’ve won just because you took Liel back? Do you really believe you can escape from me?”

His jagged fangs gleamed as he sneered with unshaken confidence.

“Liel, you truly are unfortunate. You’re about to witness a live dismemberment—up close and personal.”

“Hic…!”

Liel flinched at his chilling words.

I gently ran my fingers through her hair, comforting her.

“Don’t be afraid. That mangy mutt doesn’t stand a chance against me.”

“Lady Lilia…!”

With determined resolve, I stepped away from Liel, positioning myself for battle.

“That’s enough!”

A commanding voice sliced through the tension.

In an instant, Prince Allen and his elite black-clad soldiers stormed onto the scene.