I, the Villain, Want to Save Myself, But the Yandere Heroines Disagree - Chapter 50

Eighteen years ago, the Duchy of Antica did not yet exist.

Outside the city of Antica, a carriage raced down a dirt road.

Dozens of cavalrymen surrounded the carriage, providing protection. The driver, a man wearing an officer’s helmet, urged the horses onward.

They were soldiers under General Lucius, tasked with escorting the heavily pregnant Lady Margaret, the general’s wife, out of Antica.

The city of Antica had just been surrounded by an army of orcs on three sides, leaving only one route for escape.

The officer, Marcus, was General Lucius’s most loyal comrade and trusted retainer. For this reason, Lucius had entrusted him with the safety of his family.

The soldiers accompanying them were also among Lucius’s most loyal men.

After about two hours of travel, Marcus heard the cries of a newborn coming from the carriage behind him.

Startled, he turned to look into the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Lady Margaret had closed her eyes, her chest no longer rising or falling. The midwife cleaned the newborn and wrapped her in a cloth.

Marcus then asked, “Midwife, how is the situation?”

The midwife shook her head helplessly.

“The child has been born—a girl. But the lady… she didn’t make it…”

“I see.” Marcus nodded.

But before he could grieve, the surrounding soldiers spoke up. “Sir Marcus, a cavalry unit is closing in on us from behind…”

“I understand.” Marcus nodded and then shouted, “Soldiers! This is the time to protect the general’s family and his child. You will stay behind to hold off the enemy while I take the general’s wife and child to safety!”

“Yes, sir!” The soldiers saluted, then turned their horses around and charged toward the pursuing enemy.

Marcus drove the carriage another dozen miles before stopping outside a small village. He surveyed the area, then halted the carriage. Taking the child from the midwife, he looked at Margaret’s lifeless body and, with a heavy heart, removed the jade bracelet from her wrist and tucked it into the cloth wrapped around the baby.

He jumped down from the carriage and carried Lucius’s daughter into the nearby forest.

“Forgive me, child. This is the only way to save your life. I can’t take you with me—I just can’t…” Marcus whispered, kissing the baby on the forehead.

The newborn, having already cried her heart out earlier, now looked up at Marcus curiously.

“Please, don’t cry until the enemy has passed. I’m begging you…” Marcus pleaded, his voice trembling with desperation.

The forest bordered the village’s fields, and Marcus knew that the farmers would eventually come out to work the land. It wouldn’t be long before someone found the child.

When Lucius’s search for his child reached this area, the villagers, realizing the baby’s importance, would likely hand her over for a reward.

With this thought, Marcus took one last look at the general’s daughter, his eyes filled with tears, before returning to the carriage.

When he reached the carriage, the midwife had already stepped down and was anxiously waiting for him.

“Sir, where were you? We need to leave—the enemy is almost upon us.”

Marcus nodded, then turned to the midwife. “You should leave. I don’t want to drag you into this.”

“Understood.” The midwife nodded and turned to run.

But she had only taken a few steps when a longsword pierced her chest.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Marcus choked out as he withdrew the sword, his voice trembling.

Only he could know the identity of the general’s daughter. Any additional witnesses could lead to a leak of information, putting the child’s life at risk.

Having made this difficult decision, Marcus mounted the carriage and drove off once more.

Eventually, he was caught by the pursuing enemy near a small town and taken captive.

—

In a dimly lit basement, Marcus was jolted awake as cold water splashed over him. Slowly, he regained consciousness.

Seeing the figure before him, he let out a mocking laugh.

“I never thought… that the ones aiding the orcs in attacking the Empire would turn out to be humans…”

“Indeed.” The man in luxurious noble attire nodded calmly. “Now that you know I helped the orcs, may I ask—where is Lucius’s child?”

“How… how do you know about that…” Marcus stared at the man in shock.

“Come now. General Lucius is one of the Empire’s most promising young commanders and an absolute supporter of the Emperor. As someone who opposes the Emperor, how could I not know his affairs?”

“When my men reached the carriage, Lady Margaret’s body was there, but her womb was empty. So, tell me—where is the baby?”

“You bastards… you didn’t even spare the lady’s corpse…” Marcus cursed.

“Enough. I know you won’t willingly give me this information, so let me ask something simpler. If you answer honestly, I’ll let you go.”

“Really?” Marcus looked at the man, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes.

“Yes.” The man nodded. “Let me ask you this—was the duke’s child a boy or a girl?”

“She… she was a girl. She inherited the duke’s purple eyes…”

Slap! Before Marcus could finish his sentence, a sharp slap landed on his face.

Marcus froze, staring at the man in front of him, and exclaimed, “Sir, I swear I’m not lying to you!”

“Ha! Do you think I don’t know when I’m being lied to?!”

As he spoke, the man gestured toward the doorway. A soldier in uniform stepped inside.

The moment Marcus saw the soldier, he froze in disbelief.

“Alexius… you!”

The soldier in uniform was one of the cavalrymen who had been escorting Lady Margaret’s carriage.

As Lucius’s personal guard captain, Marcus naturally knew every soldier under his command.

“Forgive me, Sir Marcus. I… I didn’t want to, but they captured my family…”

“Liar! You don’t even have a family! You told me yourself you only care about their money! You treacherous, backstabbing traitor! You deserve to rot in hell!” Marcus glared at the man, his teeth clenched in fury, and shouted.

“We also found the midwife’s body at the location you left her. Did you really think staging it as an abandoned child’s location would fool us?” The nobleman chuckled. “Your attempt at deception was pathetic, Marcus.”

“What… what are you planning to do to the general’s son?! He’s just a child—he has no grievance or grudge against you!”

“Whether I have a grievance or grudge against him, I don’t know. But so what? He’s Lucius’s son, isn’t he?” the man said with a laugh, leaning closer to Marcus. “Tell me where he is, and I might just let you go.”

“Bah!” Marcus spat in the man’s face, his eyes burning with defiance. “I’ll never tell you! Even as a ghost, I’ll never let you off! You scum, you’ll burn in hell!”

“Well, well. How brave of you.” The nobleman wiped his face, his expression darkening. He turned to the guards outside.

“Take him away. Since Captain Marcus doesn’t want to cooperate, make sure he has a proper send-off.”

With that, the nobleman left the room, and a group of executioners entered.

Marcus watched as the gleaming blade was placed against his neck. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

General, Lady Margaret, I’ve protected your child…

I hope she grows strong and avenges us.

—

Meanwhile, in the forest, a farmer and his wife were gathering mushrooms when they heard the faint cries of a baby.

“Honey, did you hear that?” the man asked, looking at his wife.

“Yes, but what if it’s a ghost? Let’s not get involved. We can barely feed ourselves—how could we take care of a child?” the woman complained.

The poor harvest had left them struggling to survive, forcing them to forage for food in the forest.

“But it’s still a life…” The man hesitated, then turned back and entered the forest.

There, he found the crying baby.

When the baby saw the man, she stopped crying and reached out her tiny hands toward him.

Overcome with emotion, the man picked her up.

“There, there, don’t cry,” he said awkwardly, trying to comfort her. To his surprise, the baby giggled.

A few minutes later, the man returned to his wife, cradling the baby. She sighed.

“Fine. If you’re going to raise her, then take good care of her,” she said, her tone filled with resignation.

“Of course. I’ve already thought of a name. She’s a girl, so let’s call her Litte,” the man said happily.

—

A month later, Lucius led his army back to Antica City. He had repelled the orc invasion, driven them back to their desert homeland, and expanded the Empire’s territory to the east.

But upon his return, Lucius received devastating news.

Margaret had died in childbirth, and their child was missing.

Fortunately, a few of his personal guards who had stayed behind to hold off the enemy had survived and reported back to him.

From them, Lucius learned that his child was a boy, born a month ago, with black hair and purple eyes like his own.

Using this information, Lucius searched the area around Antica City and eventually found an orphan who matched the description.

That day, as Lucius held the sleeping infant in his arms, he thought of his late wife, Margaret, and tears streamed down his face.

After a long while, he composed himself, letting out a deep sigh. He looked at the peacefully sleeping baby boy in his arms and then said, “From now on, your name will be Orson, my child.”

(Author’s Note: This chapter serves to tie up some loose ends. Many of you previously wondered why the duke, as the biological father, didn’t know the child’s gender. Based on the duke’s intel, he was initially told his child was a boy, which led to a preconceived notion, and everyone around him also assumed the same.)