[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-108":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","THE VILLAIN'S POV",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},336745,598,"Chapter 108 108: Schemes in the Shadows","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-108",108,"\u003Cp>- Frey Starlight's Pov -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seriously?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was gone…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive door, large enough to accommodate ten people at once, had vanished completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should I ask someone about it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No… No one here would give me an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had wanted to explore that library further, but that was no longer an option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a reluctant sigh, I turned away and walked down the corridor, oblivious to the pair of eyes that had been watching me all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that I had time before my training with Carmen, I decided to put it to use—finding the one who cursed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone of high status. Someone stronger than the original Frey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My expression turned blank at that last thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in this castle was stronger than the original Frey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The SSS-rank aura had only appeared after I arrived in this world. At best, Frey's aura had been a mere D-rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, I needed to rule out those who wanted me dead. If one of them was responsible, I wouldn't be standing here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it had to be someone hidden in the shadows—someone who had yet to reveal themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to draw them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lost in thought, I eventually found myself back in the grand hall of Moonlight Castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place was lined with portraits of dozens of individuals—each one a figure who had carved their name into history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them was the father of this body… Abraham Starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, I observed the different historical figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some I recognized, others I didn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, I reached a frame much larger than the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing before it was a familiar figure, gazing at it with a vacant expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, she had already noticed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How ironic. In a place this vast, the two people who shouldn't have met were the ones who did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, I didn't ignore her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey's body was no longer beyond my control, and there was a chance I could get some information from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So,I approached her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our paths cross again, Seris.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always, she masked her emotions perfectly, her face unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you want?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unlike before… nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to the portrait she had been staring at.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man in his forties. White hair, a strong physique, a light beard, and sharp features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Drogo Moonlight, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just saying his name was enough to make her expression waver, if only for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A name she didn't like hearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew I wouldn't get a normal conversation out of her, so I decided to push a little further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still thinking about your late father, are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop. Don't talk about him. Just leave—I don't want any of this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she couldn't stand my presence, huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smirked and asked, \"Tell me… do you wish for my death?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't answer. She just stared at me with those crystal-like eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I caught her off guard when I pulled a slender sword from my ring and tossed it at her feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you want to kill me, then do it. Unlike everyone else in this castle, you're the only one with the right to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris glanced at the sword, then back at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What game are you playing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No game. I'm just tired of watching your family try to kill me while you sit there like it has nothing to do with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took a step closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pick it up and do it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite my provocation, she didn't move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was good at hiding her emotions… but not from me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rose would be proud to see you standing your ground like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a storm tearing through everything in its path, the calm shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any trace of composure vanished, replaced by pure hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah… that expression suits your face better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where did you hear that name?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cold aura surged, swirling around her in waves, but I paid it no mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where? Come closer, and you'll get your answer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was seriously considering attacking me now… but what truly surprised me was the fact that she held herself back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just how much self-control did she have?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Show your true colors. Come at me—like you did with the Mad Lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ugh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I said those words, I collapsed to one knee, clutching my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold breath escaped my lips as my vision blurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An unbearable chill coiled around my heart, tightening like a noose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The curse… activated?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I struggled to focus, searching for anyone—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who might be nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the only one standing before me was Seris, now holding the sword I had tossed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frozen in place, wracked with pain, I could do nothing but stare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does it hurt?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked, her voice calm, almost mocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only wisps of cold air escaped my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a swift motion, she drove the sword into the ground before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will die, Frey Starlight. But not today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The icy grip around my heart tightened, rendering me completely immobile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't just the pain—it was the sheer, crushing effect of the curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was utterly powerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slender hand rested on Seris's shoulder, gently pulling her back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ada…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada exchanged a glance with Seris before offering her a small smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forgive my brother's rudeness, Seris. But let me handle him from here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two locked eyes for a brief moment before Seris finally stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do as you wish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, she turned away, her icy expression returning to normal, leaving me alone with Ada.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after Seris left, the curse continued to gnaw at my heart, keeping me completely frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had I unknowingly violated one of the Caster's commands? Or had they activated it deliberately?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Seris… she seemed to know about the curse tormenting me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could she be the one who cast it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urgh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't think clearly, not with the waves of unbearable cold wracking my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I shivered, Ada placed her hand over my frozen heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's okay, Frey…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A… Ada?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pulled me into a firm embrace, allowing the frigid chill to seep into her as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don't have to do anything… just keep going as you have until now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to push her away, but my body was too weak, utterly drained of strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even my jet-black hair had begun to fade, streaked with hints of white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew this damn curse was devastating—that was exactly why I didn't want Ada to bear its burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she held on tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your sister will handle everything… It will be okay, Frey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to ask what she meant, but my mind couldn't hold out any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last thing I felt was the overwhelming force of the curse tightening its grip on me—stronger than ever before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, darkness swallowed me whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I awoke on a familiar bed, with the same woman seated beside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Carmen…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here we go again, kid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same room, the same bed as last time—when Frost had knocked me unconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've been blacking out too often lately…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instinctively, my hand went to my chest. The pain was gone, but a lingering cold still coiled within me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a sudden memory resurfaced—the last thing before I lost consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ada…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was she planning?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words still echoed in my mind—\"I'll handle it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Handle what? Did she already know what I was suffering from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the person who could give them to me was sitting right in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Carmen… what the hell is going on here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's going on? I'm about to have a smoke.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lit a cigarette, using it as an excuse to sidestep my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ada… she's up to something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen exhaled a slow stream of smoke, gazing at the ceiling before looking back at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That girl would do anything for her family. And right now, you are her family. So understand that well, and don't make things any harder for her from now on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I met her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You still haven't answered my question.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ask her yourself. I'm not the one you should be looking to for answers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a frustrated sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Answers… That's the one thing I haven't gotten at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pushing myself up, I steadied my senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmen smirked the moment she saw what I was doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Already thinking about training?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to move—to wield my sword and silence the chaos in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in part… it was because I had realized who the Caster of my curse was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a hunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was the worst possible one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of the thousands of people in this damned castle…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had the worst of them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I truly was cursed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>- Meanwhile -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Frey chose to silence his thoughts and immerse himself in training with Carmen, another of the same bloodline wandered through the castle corridors, following the signs leading her to a certain hidden place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After an hour of relentless searching, Ada finally came to a halt before a massive gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An eerie structure, standing in the heart of a vast hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door was there, yet beyond it—nothingness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what was hidden was far greater than what was seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the time for this gate to open had not yet come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, just as Frey had done before, Ada entered through the smaller door at the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she stepped inside, she found herself in a colossal library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its center sat a blind girl in a wheelchair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl smiled at Ada, but Ada did not return the gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What brings you here, Lord Starlight?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I came seeking the truth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ada strode forward, unfazed by the pressure Rem exuded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blind girl had been moments away from expelling her—after all, Ada was an uninvited guest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ada had already anticipated her intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Rem could act, Ada raised the back of her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange symbol flared to life—blood-red, as if painted with fresh blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant it glowed, Rem recognized it instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Lady will not be pleased if you turn me away… Iceflower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem's expression darkened before she let out another smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ada Starlight... Just like the Starlight Lords before you, you are anything but easy to deal with.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not at all. I'm a terrible Lady to this family. Everything I do now is for just one person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem already knew who she was talking about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brother—Frey Starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know how you uncovered my Lady's secrets, but very well. You shall have what you seek.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem's aura flared, sending waves of immense energy rippling through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The time has come to unveil the secrets of this family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1806,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.346Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","74eb63e3f5651f6bdd51363933108008ec339ac34f7191dce76d188432bca757","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-109","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-107",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]