THE PERFECT VILLAIN: Another chance with a system
Chapter 12: Unseen Twist

Chapter 12: Unseen Twist

Blood gushed out of Vael’s chest as the blade dropped from his hands. He stumbled to his knees, holding his chest together, hands filled with his own blood.

Claire. Activate healing only when I am at the brink of death.

Notice: Affirmative.

Vael reached for his blade and hid it somewhere in his room. He stumbled out toward the archives. Only when he saw Langer did he fall to his feet, blood spilling from his mouth.

Langer ran toward him in panic. "Lord Vael!"

Before he could attempt to heal Vael, Vael stopped him by grabbing his hand.

"Go." Vael’s voice shook as his breathing became heavy. "Tell Valerie that Valak is behind it all. He is the one killing the heirs. Tell her what you saw here."

He instantly collapsed to the ground, blood spilling beneath him, as he muttered again in a voice that was barely a whisper: "Go!"

Langer shook himself and immediately ran out toward Valerie’s faction. Only then did Vael fall flat on the ground.

---

Langer reached Valerie’s section in no time. She stood in front of a mirror with a heavy brush in her hands, slowly brushing her hair.

"Lady Valerie!" Langer said, trying to catch his breath. She immediately turned around, and her eyes met the bloodstain on his wrist where Vael had grabbed him.

"Lady Valerie. Lord Vael has been hurt by Lord Valak. He sent me to warn you—he is coming for every heir," Langer said, panting.

Valerie stood silent for a while before walking toward Langer and instantly grabbing him by the throat. "Do you think so little of me? Do you think I would believe that?"

Langer struggled in her grip. "I swear—I swear it, on the name of Cronos. I—I witnessed it, my lady."

Valerie looked at him for a little while. Demons knew better than to lie while swearing on Cronos’s name. The result was often worse than death.

She let go of him and muttered, "I’ll see for myself."

Langer struggled to catch his breath first before finally nodding. He led her down to Vael’s chamber. Valerie was fully cautious, prepared for any form of attack, as she trailed feet behind him.

---

Soon they reached Vael’s chambers. They headed to the archives and found Vael lying feet away from the entrance.

Valerie walked slowly toward him and then stared at him—covered in blood, visibly pale.

She scoffed as she mumbled to herself:

Crazy. And I thought you were the one all along.

As she observed the body, she noticed a letter slowly slipping from his hands. She looked back at Langer and Vael’s body—her expression totally devoid of emotion as she muttered, "Get out."

Both froze for a split second before Langer caught himself. He pulled Vael’s body and took him out.

When Valerie confirmed they had left, she reached for the letter. Vael had written it with his blood:

"Go south. All demons are his pawns."

Valerie stood there for a while, staring at the letter. She wasn’t fully convinced this was Valak’s doing, but then she recalled him sending Dreece away. Dreece was his favorite—for reasons no one knew, he kept her close at all times. But now Valerie wondered deeply why he had sent her away.

His excuse about the danger made sense earlier, but now she felt it wasn’t right. It didn’t add up to her.

She looked back at Vael’s body on the ground again. Then she recalled the chess game—she recalled him not wanting to give out a name. A single phrase rang in her mind:

"Certainly not. If word got out, they’d cover their tracks properly, and I suspect they might be around somewhere, listening."

Valak was there. Vael knew all along. He was playing me too!

She immediately turned around and headed out. In that moment, the system activated the healing.

---

She came out through the hallway, and Langer and Vael’s body stood there. Langer looked like he was calculating something serious, while Vael’s body looked completely perplexed and out of it.

Valerie looked at Langer and muttered, "You go in and clean up the blood and also hide the body."

Langer nodded and ran in, leaving Vael’s body still outside.

She was going to play along with his plan, but she was going to make him believe Vael had survived. That was the plan she had in mind. She lifted her short gown, and on her thigh were three different kinds of blades. She intended to save her abilities for Valak himself—the demons she believed he had set on her path would taste her blade. That was her thought as she hurried south.

---

Langer hurried back into the archives, hoping to clean up as Valerie had commanded—but he was stunned at what he met.

There was no body on the ground, only a blood trail that he instantly followed. For a moment, he believed she had hidden the body somewhere not too obvious, so he followed the trail.

It led back to the direction Vael had come to meet him before he collapsed. He hurried up, believing Vael had hidden his body in his room.

---

Soon he arrived at the room and entered without knocking. Langer was stunned at what he saw. It was Vael—seated well on a chair with his legs crossed.

"Lo—Lord Vael, I—I thought you were dead."

Langer had not begun to process what he was seeing when Vael stood up from the chair and walked toward him.

Langer, still frozen in place, watched Vael approach with a casual smile.

"You are a very competent butler, Langer—and you’ve done absolutely well." He said, stopping less than a foot away from Langer. "—And for that, you deserve an award."

"—And an awar—"

Before Langer could finish his statement, Vael’s hand burst through his chest. Just like with Erna, his hand held Langer’s heart on the other side.

"Lord Vael..."

Langer managed to mutter as his gaze met Vael’s own. Vael slid out his hand, and Langer’s body hit the ground with a heavy thud, blood spilling from the hole in his chest.

Vael looked at him with a smile as Langer’s eyes slowly closed—the last thing he witnessed was Vael’s face changing to his own. Vael had worn his looks.

Vael, now wearing Langer’s face, looked toward the door where Langer had come from. His lips stretched in a cruel smile as he muttered:

"Now then...Let’s deliver the next message."