When I Finished Playing the Terminally-Ill Villainous Omega C39

Chapter 39

I paid no attention to the voices around me.

Instead, I imagined Locke wearing his formal attire with the citrine brooch pinned to his chest as I studied the chessboard.

Hmm…

Among the cornered pieces, I spotted one wearing a crown topped with a cross.

Judging from the little picture Locke had drawn of the queen on my palm, I guessed this one had to be the king.

Like the queen, there was only one of it on the board.

Following Locke’s instructions, I moved the bishop first to open the path.

To my amazement…

My opponent responded exactly as Locke had predicted.

Without hesitation, I advanced the queen and placed it in the empty square beside the opposing king.

“My goodness!”

“Oh!”

“So there was a move like that!”

“It’s checkmate!”

Gasps erupted from every direction.

I was surprised too.

It wasn’t my own skill…

But once again, I couldn’t help feeling proud of Locke’s brilliance.

Looking at the silver-haired man, I repeated exactly what Locke had said.

“That’s…”

“‘Checkmate,’ right?”

The silver-haired man had been staring intently at the board with a grave expression.

The moment he heard me, he looked up—

Then burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha!”

“Indeed.”

“The king has nowhere left to run.”

When my opponent admitted defeat, joy welled up inside me.

I immediately looked toward the balcony where Locke should have been.

But…

Standing there wasn’t Locke.

It was one of the Marquis’s servants.

I’d naturally assumed Locke would still be watching.

A little disappointed, I lowered my head.

Then—

“Huh?”

I looked up again.

The servant was no longer holding the parasol.

Could it be…?

Turning around, I found Locke standing beside a flowerbed a short distance away from the crowd of nobles, quietly holding the parasol.

Apparently he’d stepped back so it wouldn’t block everyone’s view of the match.

Without realizing it…

The corners of my mouth lifted again.

“It seems you enjoyed yourself.”

“I certainly did.”

“You claimed you’d forgotten how to play chess…”

“But that hardly seems true.”

At his words, I quickly turned back.

A long, elegant white hand appeared before me.

The silver-haired noble was smiling brightly, offering me a handshake.

He seemed to think I’d been smiling because I’d enjoyed the match itself.

I hurriedly shook his hand.

“I was simply lucky.”

I brushed it off modestly.

To my surprise, the man then announced that he intended to invite me to his workshop soon.

He’d said he’d give the winner an appropriate gift…

But now he was suddenly talking about his workshop.

Naturally, I was confused.

“A workshop?”

“The gift I intend to give you is there.”

“What sort of gift requires…”

I swallowed the rest of my sentence.

…bringing me all the way there?

The question almost slipped out.

But it felt rude toward someone who’d gone out of his way to invite me.

“It’s a surprise.”

“So I can’t tell you now.”

“But I can promise you this.”

“It’s the perfect gift for House Hestian.”

“If you refuse…”

“You’ll regret it greatly.”

When he’d first invited me to play…

I’d only intended to accept the brooch.

After all, the victory wasn’t truly mine.

I’d planned to give it to Locke.

But…

Locke had said he wanted to know what gift the man would choose.

That changed everything.

This victory belonged to Locke.

If there was something he wanted…

Then I wanted to grant it for him.

It didn’t matter who this man was.

Or how far away his workshop might be.

“Refuse?”

“How could I possibly do that?”

“I’ll eagerly await your invitation.”

The man released my hand and straightened his clothes.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly.”

Placing a hand over his chest, he offered a courteous bow.

“My name is…”

“Hestic Jatan Albre.”

No way!

Somehow, I managed to stop my gasp from escaping.

He…

He was the very person I’d been looking for.

The Marquis’s eldest son.

The joy on my face became impossible to hide.

I smiled so broadly that I completely forgot myself.

Only afterward did I realize my mistake and hurriedly return the proper greeting.

“I am Cedric Allure Hestian.”

Looking at me, Hestic chuckled warmly.

“You’re quite an interesting person.”

“A new board has been prepared.”

The next chess matches soon began.

Glancing toward the hourglass nearby, Hestic said,

“I’d like to continue talking…”

“But I have another appointment.”

“We still have two more days.”

“Please call for me whenever you’d like.”

“Haha.”

“You’re truly delightful.”

“Let’s definitely meet again.”

He pressed the citrine brooch into my hand before leaving, promising we’d meet again soon.

Watching his silver hair disappear into the crowd…

I suddenly remembered my dinner plans with Ciel and Eclat.

I hurried off.

Locke immediately came over and raised the parasol above me.

“Did you see that?”

I puffed out my chest proudly.

As always, he replied with complete indifference.

“Wasn’t it all thanks to me anyway?”

Would it kill you to celebrate with me just once?

Pouting slightly, I climbed the stairs.

Then suddenly remembered something.

“Oh.”

I held out the jewel.

“Here.”

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“You said it was thanks to you.”

Locke stared silently at the citrine brooch resting in my hand.

Then he looked away.

“I don’t want it.”

“It smells like that man.”

“…What?”

“He was gripping it too tightly.”

“It smells like sweat.”

I could only gape at him.

What is he, some kind of wild animal?

How much sweat could possibly have gotten on it?

“You really are strange.”

“In what way?”

“You’re probably the only person in the world who’d refuse a jewel.”

“It’s so pretty, too.”

“If you don’t want it, then fine.”

Grumbling, I pinned the brooch onto my own chest instead.

He doesn’t even know I worked up the courage for his sake.

Honestly… he’s so oblivious.

A faint bitterness quietly scratched its way down my throat.

❖ ❖ ❖

Dinner was served in the Marquis family’s magnificent outdoor garden pavilion.

Soft lanterns hanging among the trees bathed the night air in warm light.

The fragrance of blooming summer flowers filled the gardens like perfume.

After finishing dinner with Ciel and Eclat…

I excused myself.

It was time to take my medicine.

Perhaps because of the chess match…

Several nobles recognized me and approached with friendly greetings.

Many hinted that they’d like to play a match with me someday.

Forcing a smile, I simply answered,

“Another time.”

“I’ll try to make time.”

But I never committed to a date.

I keep telling you…

I don’t know how to play chess at all!

Still…

Meeting the Marquis’s eldest son on the very first day had been incredibly fortunate.

It was all thanks to Locke.

Everything had gone so smoothly that it almost made me uneasy.

Every novel I’ve ever read always follows sweet moments with a huge disaster.

Since this world was itself a novel…

There was no reason that rule wouldn’t apply here too.

I couldn’t fully enjoy my good fortune.

Instead, I kept scanning my surroundings, waiting for the inevitable crisis.

Please…

Just don’t let it be another mission.

The thought crossed my mind briefly.

But it was impossible.

The missions existed specifically to drag me into the role of the villain.

Before my regression…

Neither Locke nor I had attended this banquet.

In other words…

This entire scene hadn’t existed in the original story.

If a mission appeared here…

It would actually contradict the original plot’s progression.

When we reached the guest wing, Locke folded the parasol and handed it back to one of the Marquis’s servants.

Then he turned to me.

“Please go to your room.”

“I’ll bring your medicine.”

“Aren’t outside servants forbidden from entering the guest wing?”

“You need to take your medicine regularly.”

“So I asked the Marquis’s head steward whether I might personally deliver it instead of leaving it to someone else.”

“He said your circumstances are exceptional.”

“He’ll inform the Marquis that I’m permitted to enter at the designated times as long as one of the Marquis’s servants accompanies me.”

“Locke.”

“Yes?”

“I owe you an apology.”

“Earlier…”

“I called you insensitive in my head.”

“But you’re actually incredibly thoughtful.”

“You really have a talent…”

“For praising and insulting someone at exactly the same time.”

“And you…”

“Have a talent for completely missing sincerity.”

Locke simply told me to hurry inside.

Then he turned away.

The moment I entered the guest wing…

A crowd immediately surrounded me.

Everyone said roughly the same thing.

They praised my chess skills…

Then eagerly asked me to tell them later what gift Hestic had given me.

Apparently…

They were far more interested in Hestic’s mysterious present than they were in me.

Even so…

I was grateful.

If not for his promised gift…

This many nobles would’ve never approached me in the first place.

After politely greeting everyone, I headed back toward my room.

As I rounded a corner—

I bumped shoulders with someone.

I immediately lowered my head to apologize.

But before I could speak…

The man casually brushed off his shoulder…

Then suddenly leaned close to my neck.

In a tiny whisper, he murmured,

“…It really is you.”

“You smell like grapes.”

I flinched in shock.

Before I could react—

My balance completely disappeared.

My body tilted backward.

The foot resting on the final stair slipped out from beneath me.

“Ahhh!”

I desperately reached for the handrail.

But…

My fingertips barely grazed it.

As I fell…

I saw the expression on the man’s face.

I’d never forget it.

His eyes were filled with hostility.

One corner of his mouth curved upward…

As though he were already celebrating my injury.

A chill ran down my spine.

I can’t stop this.

Not this time.

Just as despair swallowed me—

“My goodness!”

“How dangerous!”

Crash!

A sharp shattering sound echoed through the hall.

Then—

Warmth pressed firmly against my suddenly cold back.

“Are you alright?”

Had I not heard that familiar voice behind me…

I would’ve remained frozen in terror for a long time.

Turning around…

I found Locke standing behind me, firmly supporting both of my arms.

Beside him stood a middle-aged woman whose face had gone deathly pale.

Judging by her attire—similar to the servants’, yet more distinguished—

She appeared to be the Marquis’s head steward.

Scattered across the floor lay shattered glass…

Along with my spilled medicine.

Locke must have entered to deliver it…

Only to discover me about to tumble down the stairs.

Thank goodness…

If he hadn’t been here…

I’d spent every day treating that medicine as though it were worthless.

Never…

Not even once…

Had I imagined it would end up saving my life.

“Locke…”

The fear and relief crashed over me all at once.

My nose stung as tears threatened to spill.