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Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 62: Leading The Cat Out Of The Bag
Thorn was the first to make a move.
With a giant shit eating grin on his face, he clapped Ren on the back with a shake of his head. "I’ll leave you two to it." He said, before slipping out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Ren took a deep breath in preparation, before turning to face Lilith, who was still seated on his bed, arms crossed, eyes locked onto him with an intensity that made his instincts scream danger.
"Where were you?" She asked, her voice deceptively calm.
Ren rubbed the back of his neck, choosing his words carefully. "I was out taking care of something important."
Lilith arched an eyebrow. "Something important? And what, exactly, was so important that you couldn’t even tell me where you were going?"
He knew this wasn’t going to be easy. "Lilith, I—"
She held up a hand, stopping him. "You’re acting strange, Ren. You’ve been distracted for days, sleeping like you spend the whole night awake, which I can see is now true, and now you come back in the middle of the night, reeking of something other than battle."
Ren blinked. "Other than battle?"
He sniffed himself. How do I smell of battle? And what other things am I reeking of?
Lilith’s lips curled downward. "You smell different." Her eyes glinted as her expression darkened. "Like perfume."
Ren stiffened. Ah. That explains it.
The building whose rooftop they’d used to scout the Third Swordsman’s house had been a courtesan house. Basically, they were high-class prostitutes, who entertained wealthy patrons.
It was probably owned by a hidden noble, judging by its presence in the inner city. From what he’d heard, the nobles visit these courtesans because they provide companionship, intellectual conversation, and influence in addition to sex.
As that interesting bit of lore flitted through his mind, Lilith’s eyes narrowed further, and Ren could already see the storm brewing behind them. "Who is she?"
His brows furrowed. "What?"
Lilith stood abruptly, fists clenched. "You were with another woman, weren’t you?"
Ren nearly choked. "Lilith, no—"
"I knew something was off!" She seethed, stepping closer. "You’ve been distant, you vanish for hours, and now you sneak back smelling like someone else!"
Ren took a step back, holding his hands up in surrender. "Lilith, I swear, you’re misunderstanding—"
She wasn’t listening. Her breaths were coming faster, her emotions spiraling, and her energy was starting to crackle faintly around her fingertips.
There was only one thing he could do in response.
"Lilith!" He snapped, grabbing her wrist before she could spiral further. "There is no other woman! I was fighting. I’m on a mission."
She froze at his words, blinking in confusion. "A mission?"
Ren exhaled, releasing her wrist. "Yes. A secret mission. That’s why I’ve been leaving at night. That’s why I can’t tell you everything."
Lilith stared at him, her anger shifting into something else. Hurt. "You trust Thorn enough to tell him, but not me?"
Ren hesitated. "It’s not about trust, Lilith. It’s about keeping you safe."
She laughed, but there was not a drop of humor in it. "Safe? You think I need protecting?"
Ren sighed. "Not in the way you think. It’s not about whether you can fight. It’s about the consequences. If something happens and I’m exposed, I don’t want to drag the Underwood name into it."
Lilith took a step back, her arms falling to her sides. Her expression hardened. "And what if I want to come?"
Ren clenched his jaw. "Lilith, no."
"Why not?" She demanded. "If this is so important that you’re risking your life, then I should be by your side!"
"It’s not that simple."
"Then make it simple!" Her voice wavered, her frustration bleeding into something deeper. Hurt, disappointment. "You always push me away when it matters most, Ren. Why?"
Ren ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenching in frustration. "Because I can’t afford to be distracted when I fight. And if you’re there, I will be."
Lilith sucked in a breath, her lips parting slightly as if she hadn’t expected that answer. "I wouldn’t hold you back."
"You wouldn’t mean to, but you would." He admitted. "Because if you got hurt, I wouldn’t be thinking about the mission. I’d be thinking about you. And that could get both of us killed."
He was also worried about the fact that in battle, he wouldn’t be able to control her actions. And that could lead to far worse than just the exposure of their identities. But he couldn’t tell her that.
For the first time in the conversation, Lilith hesitated. She turned away slightly, biting her lip. "So that’s how you see me... as a liability."
Ren sighed heavily. "No, that’s not what I’m saying—"
"Then let me come." She whispered, turning back to face him. "Let me prove I won’t be a distraction."
Ren shook his head. "I can’t."
The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating.
Lilith’s shoulders tensed, and Ren could see the pain in her eyes before she turned away, hiding it behind a mask of indifference that he hadn’t seen in years.
"Fine." She said quietly, moving toward the door. "Do what you want, then."
With that, she walked out, closing the door behind her. Ren stood there, exhaling slowly, feeling even more weight settle on his shoulders.
He sat down on his bed, rubbing his temples.
Lilith didn’t get angry often. Not like this. Usually, she was playful, teasing, possessive, but this was different. This was real disappointment. And that stung more than he expected.
A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. Expecting Lilith to have returned, he straightened, but instead, Thorn peeked in, his expression unreadable.
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"That bad, huh?" He said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.
Ren exhaled. "She thinks I see her as a liability."
Thorn sat across from him, leaning back. "Well, do you?"
Ren shot him a look. "Of course not. But I do think she’d be a distraction and would be hard to control. She’s not weak. She could probably solve the issue of killing the third Swordsman in a minute if we take her but her Gift is easily recognizable."
"Besides, if she’s there, I would be so concerned about her that I wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else."
Thorn nodded slowly. "She’s strong, Ren. But she’s also yours. And if you don’t find a way to fix this, it’s going to keep eating at her."
He sighed. "I know."
Thorn clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Then find a way. Before she finds one for you."
With that, he left, leaving Ren alone with just another problem in a long list of problems.