I, the Villain, Want to Save Myself, But the Yandere Heroines Disagree - Chapter 18

As night fell, after dinner, Orson brought Litte to the training grounds outside the mansion.

“Litte, try using the knowledge from the magic book to channel the mana in your body,” Orson said as he demonstrated.

A fireball formed in Orson’s palm, flying about thirty meters before stopping mid-air and exploding in a burst of flames.

“You don’t have to reach my level; you just need to understand how to cast magic.” Orson turned to glance at Litte.

“Mm.” Litte nodded and mimicked Orson’s earlier movements with a determined expression.

Soon, Orson could feel the mana in the surroundings beginning to shift.

It gathered in Litte’s palm.

Then, a tiny flame sparked from Litte’s hand, flying barely a centimeter before a gust of wind extinguished it.

“That’s already very good,” Orson said, patting Litte on the head. “For a magic beginner, being able to cast even this is quite impressive.”

Litte, delighted at finally being able to cast magic, was about to celebrate when a wave of fatigue hit her. Without warning, she collapsed into Orson’s arms.

“Huh?” Orson blinked, startled as he caught Litte.

“Hey, Litte, are you okay?”

Orson gave his cheek a light pat, but seeing no response, he sighed.

It seemed that casting magic for the first time had drained him so much that he’d passed out from exhaustion.

But that was just a tiny flame—it wasn’t even enough to light a fire!

“What am I going to do with you?” Orson muttered. With less than a month left before the entrance exam, if this was Litte’s starting point, he might not be able to pass.

Well, if worst comes to worst, he’d have to rely on Father’s recommendation slot.

With that thought, Orson picked Litte up and carried him back to the house.

“Young Master Orson, is Young Master Litte alright?” Vivian, the maid, hurried over, concern evident as she noticed Litte’s state.

“Oh, don’t worry. Litte was just practicing magic outside and exhausted himself. He passed out from overusing his mana, that’s all.”

“Actually, I was just about to find you,” Vivian said as she took Litte from Orson’s arms.

“What is it?” Orson asked.

“The Duke has assigned you and Young Master Litte to handle the coordination with the Silver Moon Trading Company for the new district’s expansion,” Vivian explained.

Holding Litte in her arms, Vivian couldn’t help but notice how light and delicate he felt. “Litte is as light as a girl. If only he really were a girl…”

“Don’t say nonsense like that.” Hearing her remark, Orson quickly pressed a hand over Vivian’s mouth.

Vivian’s eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks flushing as she nodded. Only then did Orson remove his hand.

“If others misinterpret your words, it could cause trouble for me,” Orson explained. “They might think, ‘Oh, Orson wishes Litte were a girl so he wouldn’t be a threat to his inheritance.’”

“Refrain from saying things like that in the future, okay?”

“Uh… Mm…” Vivian froze for a moment before nodding. “Understood. Thank you, Young Master Orson, for the reminder. I nearly made a huge mistake.”

“It’s fine. Better to realize it now than to accidentally say something worse in front of others later.”

“Alright, take Litte back to his room to rest.”

“Understood.”

—

Back in his room, Orson sat at his desk, pen in hand, jotting down notes in his notebook.

Just then, the door to his room opened.

Orson turned to see who it was and immediately stood, bowing slightly.

“Father.”

“Mm.” Lucius nodded. “How is Litte’s progress?”

“As far as the entrance exam goes, I’m confident he’ll do well on the written test. But for the combat evaluation…”

“What’s the issue? Does Litte lack talent in combat?” Lucius asked.

“No, no, that’s not it. Litte is your son, Father. He undoubtedly has talent in combat. It’s just…”

“Just what?” Lucius pressed.

“It’s just that it hasn’t shown yet. Or rather, it’s not yet the right time for him to awaken to it.”

“Hmm.” Lucius listened to Orson’s explanation and seemed to understand what he meant.

“Orson, I’ve noticed how much effort you’ve been putting into helping Litte these past few days.”

“It’s what I should do as his elder brother, Father.”

“But,” Lucius continued, “while it’s fine for you to dote on Litte as his brother, don’t forget that you’re also his teacher.”

“A teacher shouldn’t shower their student with excessive care or affection, at least not until the student is capable of standing on their own.”

“You’ve had a smooth-sailing life, overcoming no real obstacles, so you’ve developed the mindset that success comes without hardship.” Lucius patted Orson’s shoulder.

“But Litte isn’t the same. He’s never had an easy life. If you suddenly elevate him to the heavens, he might not be able to handle it.”

“Especially when teaching him, you can’t let him think, ‘It’s only natural that I’m worse than others.’ If he always lags behind, how will he ever meet your expectations?”

Lucius gazed at Orson, his eyes sharp and penetrating.

“Though I don’t know why you seem particularly fond of Litte, I hope you won’t spoil him. You’re just his brother—you can’t protect him forever.”

“One day, he’ll have to step out from under your wing. If he’s overly reliant on you now, your indulgence will only become a hindrance to him later.”

“I understand, Father,” Orson replied with a nod.

It was true. Fearing that Litte might hold a grudge against him, as in the original story, Orson had been treating him with excessive care over the past two days.

He had been overly considerate of Litte’s feelings and unreasonably cautious around him.

Such an indulgent attitude wasn’t conducive to Litte’s growth and might even spoil him.

That said, if Litte were spoiled, he would no longer pose a threat to Orson.

But was that really what Orson wanted?

Knowing that Litte was the protagonist, was he really going to sabotage his potential from the start, ensuring he could never rise to prominence?

Would that be fair to Litte?

Clearly, it wouldn’t.

“Mm.” Lucius nodded, patting Orson on the shoulder. “To be honest, seeing how much effort you’re putting into helping your brother makes me very proud.”

“Tell me, Orson,” he said, locking eyes with him.

“What is it that you truly want?”

The two stared at each other for a long moment before Orson finally smiled and said, “Father, you might not believe me, but I genuinely have no interest in the position of Duke.”

“Rather than taking on a role I’m not fond of, I’d prefer to focus on training Litte to become someone capable of succeeding you.”

“Since you say you don’t want to be the Duke, then, as your father, I want to ask you—where do your ambitions lie, Orson?” Lucius stared intently at Orson.