[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-a-villain-so-what":3,"chapter-i-am-a-villain-so-what-i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-66":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Am a Villain, So What?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1506473,1956,"Chapter 66: Assassin","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-66",66,"\u003Cp>I leveled the gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right now, I’m only looking at you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"P-Please! Don’t shoot! I’m a noble! My father is a Baron!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I am an Ashborne,\" I replied. \"Do you think anyone will investigate if a corrupt businessman has an... accident in his own office?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric began to hyperventilate. Tears welled in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What... what do you want?!\" he shrieked. \"I’ll do anything! I’ll stop the attacks! I’ll fire the thugs!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s a given,\" I said. \"But that doesn’t pay for the window you broke. Or the food wasted. Or the stress you caused my head chef.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up, walking around the table until I was standing right next to him. I pressed the cold muzzle of the revolver against his temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He whimpered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I calculate my losses,\" I whispered into his ear, \"at one hundred gold coins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One... hundred...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Consider it a settlement fee. For mental anguish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s... that’s all the liquid cash I have in the vault!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then you better go open that vault,\" I said, pressing the gun harder until his head tilted. \"Or would you prefer I take the payment in lead?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’LL PAY!\" he screamed. \"I’ll pay! Just don’t shoot!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled the gun back and smiled—the kind of smile that didn’t reach my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wise choice, Cedric. Very wise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat back down on the sofa and gestured toward the door with the barrel of the gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well? Go get it. I don’t like waiting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric scrambled out of the chair, nearly tripping over his own feet, and ran out the door as if the hounds of hell were snapping at his heels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched him go, then calmly uncocked the revolver and placed it on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One down,\" I muttered, picking up another grape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s hope the others are just as rich.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked home with a spring in my step, the heavy pouch of one hundred gold coins jingling pleasantly in my coat pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is nothing quite like the feeling of \"honest\" earnings after a hard day of negotiation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun had already dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in deep twilight hues. I reached my front gate, humming a tune, expecting the usual smell of dinner and the warm light of the diner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment I opened the door, the tune died in my throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air inside wasn’t warm. It was tense. Sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s going on...?\" I muttered, stepping into the living room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the center of the room, a man dressed in dark, tight-fitting leather was kneeling on the floor. His hands were bound tightly behind his back with thick rope, and a rough cloth was stuffed into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked battered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing over him were Alicia and Lily. Alicia was tapping her foot impatiently, her arms crossed, while Lily stood with a grim, pale expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They turned at the sound of the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boss,\" Lily said, her voice tight. \"You’re back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, I’m back,\" I said, closing the door slowly behind me. \"But what the fuck is this? And who is that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger at the bound man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This trash,\" she hissed, \"was waiting in the alley behind the house. He tried to ambush Lily when she went to take out the garbage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My blood ran cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ambush?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He had a dagger,\" Lily added, her voice trembling slightly. \"If Alicia hadn’t sensed him and tackled him... I...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t have to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t a thug. He wasn’t a drunkard causing a scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was an assassin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hired blade sent to kill my head chef. My employee. My person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The happy mood from the gold coins evaporated instantly, replaced by a dark, searing rage that started in my gut and flooded my veins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t just want to ruin my business. They wanted to kill my people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dropped the bag of gold onto the table with a heavythud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see,\" I said, my voice dropping an octave. \"We were waiting for you to decide what to do with him, Boss,\" Alicia said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Decide?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked over to the man. He looked up at me, his eyes wide with fear and defiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need to know who sent him,\" I said calmly. \"Interrogation is necessary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rolled up my sleeves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I believe in direct communication.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grabbed the man by his collar and yanked him upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WHO SENT YOU?!?!?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SMACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My fist connected with his jaw. His head snapped back with a sickening crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ugh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t give him a second to breathe. I hauled him back up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WHO SENT YOU?!?!?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SMACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"S-Stop—!\" he tried to mumble through the gag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WHO SENT YOU?!?!?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SMACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood sprayed from his nose. His eyes rolled back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WHO SENT YOU?!?!?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SMACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They say men communicate with their fists, don’t they? I was just having a very enthusiastic conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled my arm back for another swing, aiming to dislocate his jaw this time, when a soft hand grabbed my bicep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... Boss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Lily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t stop me, Lily,\" I growled, not looking back. \"Can’t you see men are talking here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That person has already lost consciousness...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked down. The man I was \"conversing\" with had gone limp. His head lolled to the side, eyes closed, sleeping peacefully amidst the blood and bruising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let go of his collar. He flopped onto the floor like a sack of potatoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Falling asleep after just a bit of conversation,\" I muttered, wiping my knuckles on a handkerchief. \"This is why third-rate thugs are hopeless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clicked my tongue in annoyance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk. Alicia, take him to the spare room. Tie him to a chair. Inform me when he is awake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cracked my neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s save the rest of the fun for later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Mmm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Consciousness returned slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, focusing on a white-painted wooden wall. He blinked, turning his gaze. A bed. A desk. A simple room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body felt stiff, his arms wrenched painfully behind him, his ankles bound to the legs of a sturdy wooden chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panic surged through him, clearing the drowsiness instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memories came rushing back. The alley. The silver-haired girl moving faster than humanly possible. The blow to the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then... the demon in the academy uniform who had beaten him unconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He struggled against the ropes, his heart hammering against his ribs. He had to escape. He had to—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re awake~?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...!?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A face dropped into his field of vision from above—upside down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien Ashborne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man shrieked, a muffled sound against the new gag, and thrashed in the chair. The wood creaked and shook, but the knots held firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh come on,\" Lucien said, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. \"Honey, why are you whining again~?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He straightened up, walked around the chair, and—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He struck the struggling man’s head with his fist, casual and hard, like percussion maintenance on a broken machine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man went dizzy, his struggles ceasing instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lily! He’s awake! Bring it in.\" Lucien called out toward the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door creaked open. Lily entered, holding a tray with a pitcher of water. She looked at Lucien with a mix of exasperation and concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Did you send me out just for that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah,\" Lucien grinned. \"If you were standing next to me when he woke up, he wouldn’t be surprised. The jump scare is crucial for setting the mood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily sighed and placed the tray on the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien walked over to the assassin and yanked the gag out of his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man gasped for air, coughing. As soon as he found his voice, he glared at Lucien, trying to salvage whatever professional pride he had left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Torture is useless!\" he shouted, his voice hoarse. \"I won’t say anything! I am a professional! You can break my fingers, you can burn me, but I will never betray my client!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien blinked. He looked at Lily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s he talking about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He seems... spirited,\" Lily noted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s talking just fine while pretending to be tight-lipped—what a funny guy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien leaned in close, his face inches from the assassin’s. He wasn’t smiling anymore. His eyes were cold, devoid of the earlier playfulness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry,\" Lucien whispered. \"I’m not planning to torture you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin paused, confused. \"Y-You aren’t?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. Torture is messy. It’s loud. And frankly, it’s outdated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s torture anyway?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t it inflicting physical pain to extract a confession?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not going to do terrifying things like stabbing his legs with knives or dunking his head in water. I just want to mess with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hehehe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien reached into his waist and pulled out a small, drawstring leather pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin eyed it warily. \"...What is that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>********\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!\u003C\u002Fp>",1510,"2026-06-06T04:52:02.137Z",1,"novelbin.me","110ffd4f4d7c9bf3146a900940d45d4cec5ba7f4632529fb2c910a0875a15a13","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-183","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-182",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]