I Will Create a Good Ending for the Yandere Villainess - Chapter 526

Chapter 526: An Awaited Talk over the Phone?
“Mari~! How’ve you been?” Lillian asked excitedly, fidgeting in her seat on the bench.

“…”

Lillian, who had been waiting to hear the Assassin’s voice, felt nervous as she could only hear, apart from silence, heavy breathing on the other end. “Are you… Okay? Have I interrupted something important?”

“Ah. Sorry… Yes, I’ve been… Well… Have you?”

“Mhm!” Lillian hummed before fidgeting a bit like a bashful schoolgirl, “A lot better now that I heard your voice, though…”

Marionette paused for a split second on the other side, having not expected that response.

But…

“The feeling is mutual, greatly…” That same unexpected response was something she had been missing for oh-so-long…

“But anyway, where have you been? Why were you… Gone for so long…?”

Lillian smiled self-deprecatingly.

“I’m glad you’re well, as for where I’ve been… I was in a Trial, hehe.” Lillian giggled a bit. “But I’m back now—”

“Without me?” Marionette asked, her voice turning slightly envious. “Whom did you do it with? I doubt you were foolish enough to go alone, so who did you do it with?”

Sensing a cold change in Marionette’s tone, Lillian couldn’t help but pause before smiling a bit.

“Without you? Yeah, unfortunately… But I did have my reasons why I wanted to go into one, and the people around me were more or less perfect for what was needed to complete it.” Lillian explained. “As for who joined me, well, it was Viesta, whom you already knew about, a pirate, a bodyguard, and… A Nightraven.”

“Nightraven? Are you perhaps referring to those birds in the East of the Underworld?” Marionette inquired, subtly surprised. “Which one of them joined you? Tell me their name.”

Lillian tapped her chin, clearly pondering whether to give Emilio’s name or not.

“I can’t say, I’ll tell you all about my adventures inside the Trial when we meet in person, though!” Lillian suggested.

“… Very well…” Marionette then went silent for a moment, then asked, “Did you, during your time in there… Think about me at all?”

Processing the question, a smile couldn’t help but spread across her lips as Lillian nodded silently despite the Assassin being unable to see it.

“I thought about you a lot…” Holding a hand over her chest, a subtle blush appeared on Lillian’s warm cheek, “I’ve thought and missed you so much that every time I was about to die, I had you in my mind… There were even times when I was training that I thought about you…”

Lillian’s lips then unconsciously widened into a broad smile.

“Although you weren’t there, Marionette… I don’t think I would’ve been able to push myself the best I could if it wasn’t for you, hehe…” Lillian chuckled shyly, rubbing the back of her head, not knowing that her words seemed to have…

A strong effect on the Assassin.

***

“Haa… Hu… Haa…” Marionette’s breathing became ragged at what she heard.

Pressing the phone closer to her ear and hugging the white stuffed rabbit closer to her chest, Marionette continued to breathe harshly; for some reason, she could feel her body heating up.

Placing a hand over her chest, Marionette could feel her heart palpitate at a ridiculous rate.

Did she suddenly come down with a fever?

‘No… It’s something else…’

Was it because of Lillian’s words? If it was, why was her body having such a fever-like reaction?

As Marionette was about to respond, she was hit with:

“I love you so much, Marionette… I really, really love you.”

The hand that was placed over her chest tensed, clutching the area above her heart as an undescribable wave of emotions washed over her entire body.

And with it, the darkness around her began to stir ominously.

The dark veins that had only receded mere moments ago had already grown back to where they were previously on her face.

She didn’t notice its growth, for like the darkness, her mind began to stir as well.

“I missed you, as well…”

Her thoughts became imaginative.

“I missed you so much…”

So, imaginative to the point where even the sight of Lillian’s face in the photographs around her became inconveniently stimulating.

Lillian, having managed to pick up her ragged breathing, asked:

“Marionette? Is that you breathing? Are you sure you’re alrigh—?”

“I’m perfectly fine, Lillian… I just…” Stabilising her breathing, Marionette went silent as a question appeared in her mind.

Should she mention the surgery she had just undergone?

…

‘No… There isn’t a need to talk about it now.’

She didn’t want to talk about precarious or worrisome matters for now. Not only would it not help her, but it might cause Lillian an immense amount of worry.

“Lillian… Could I ask that you… Speak a bit for a while? I just want to listen to your voice…”

“O-oh?” Lillian, surprised by the request, accepted it. “S-sure! I just gotta… Hm… What do I talk about…”

Marionette continued to listen in on Lillian’s outward pondering on what to speak about, but she didn’t mind what the topic was.

She just wanted Lillian.

After a moment, Lillian finally came up with a topic to speak about.

It wasn’t grand or overly interesting, but with a good enough narrative, she managed to entertain the bedridden Assassin, although it was rather hard to figure out with the monotonous responses she received.

But she didn’t mind those responses.

Because she wanted nothing else but to be with Marionette at this very instance.

“To think you achieved Tier 3 before me.” Marionette muttered, internally pouting.

“Hahaha, well, I couldn’t stick to one place and be weak forever, now can I? I’ll make it up to you when I get the chance.” Lillian responded with a light chuckle.

Marionette smiled, satisfied and proud of Lillian’s drive to grow stronger; it was, after all, one of the few things that drew her attention to the girl.

However.

“I would’ve taken care of you regardless. Weak or strong.”

“Ehh~… If I remember correctly, we have this little contest of ownership between us, don’t we? How could I possibly take care of you, if I wasn’t competent enough~?”

“Hm? And here I thought you had already forgotten about that little one.”

“Hey! Memories may not be my strong suit, but I can at least function!”

Marionette rolled her eyes playfully at what she heard, finding her chest feeling warmer by the second as she talked with Lillian. And because of her eyeroll, she managed to catch a glimpse of her darkened veins.

Temporarily taken aback by the rate at which it grew, Marionette quickly consumed another one of her medications. Midway through, she had also identified that the darkness within her had yet to lash out like previously.

It was uncomfortably calm…

“What do you suggest?” Marionette asked, referring to Lillian’s offer to make it up to her.

“Hmm… I’ll let you decide~… This is a compensation, after all.”

“Mhm…” Marionette smirked as soon as she heard that, immediately coming up with an idea, “Very well. I do hope you don’t take back your offer.”

“Oh, please~ I’ll gladly take anything if it comes from you.” Lillian responded, causing Marionette’s smile to widen more.