I, the Villain, Want to Save Myself, But the Yandere Heroines Disagree - Chapter 87

“Litte.” At that moment, Lianca walked in from outside.

“Mm?” Litte looked at Lianca in confusion.

“Um, let me take over serving Orson’s table.” Lianca said, “You’re Orson’s brother, so it’d be really weird for you to appear in front of him… dressed like a maid.”

“Ah! Thank you so much, Lianca!” Litte said, her face lighting up with gratitude.

Although she secretly enjoyed seeing Orson’s surprised expression earlier, Litte was still worried. What if Orson actually developed feelings for her in her male disguise? If that were to happen, how would he react if she one day revealed that she was actually a girl? What if Orson lost all interest in her then?

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Litte ultimately decided to agree to Lianca’s suggestion.

“Lianca?” Orson looked a bit puzzled when he noticed the change in server.

“Ah, Litte’s busy in the kitchen, so he asked me to take care of this instead,” Lianca explained while placing the three cups of coffee on the table. After bowing politely with the tray in hand, she turned and left.

For the rest of the morning, Litte stayed in the kitchen, helping with the food preparation. She didn’t cross paths with Orson again. Once Orson, Arthas, and Elsa finished their coffee, they moved on to explore other parts of the academy.

“This is wonderful,” Arthas said, unable to hold back his praise after touring the teaching building and visiting the various class activities.

“Even after all these years, the students here are still so full of energy,” Arthas said, looking at Orson with a hint of admiration in his eyes. “And you’re quite remarkable as well, Orson. As a second-year student, you’ve already taken over the Student Council and managed to organize everything so efficiently.”

“Your Highness flatters me. I’m merely doing what I should,” Orson replied with a polite smile.

“Alright, Elsa, I’ll need you to wait for me at the Student Council office,” Arthas said as they reached the top floor. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with Orson privately.”

“Understood.” Elsa nodded before leaving.

“Young Master Orson, shall we?” Arthas gestured towards the rooftop.

“Of course.” Orson nodded, though he wasn’t sure why Arthas wanted to speak with him, he followed nonetheless.

“I used to love coming up here when I was a student,” Arthas said as he stepped onto the rooftop, the breeze brushing past him. He closed his eyes, clearly enjoying the sensation.

“Do you know why I like this place, Orson?”

“I don’t.” Orson shook his head.

“Orson, there’s no need to pretend you don’t understand.” Arthas leaned against the railing, gazing down at the densely packed crowd below.

“Then I’d guess, Your Highness, that aside from this place, you must also like the tower, right?”

“Indeed.” Arthas nodded. “You know, there’s something special about this feeling of overlooking everything from above.”

“Your Highness is, after all, one who stands above all but the Emperor himself. It’s only fitting for a place like this to suit your status.” Orson offered a well-placed compliment.

“Above all but the Emperor, hmm?” Arthas murmured, nodding slightly. “Well then, Orson, would you like to stand here and see for yourself?”

Arthas’s words immediately set off alarm bells in Orson’s mind.

“Your Highness, I don’t quite understand your meaning. Could you please be more explicit?” Orson lowered his head respectfully.

“Orson, I’ve told you before—there’s no need to act like this.” Arthas said this as he leaned against the railing and extended a hand toward Orson.

“Ten years ago, I was hailed as the Empire’s genius. Now, that title belongs to you.”

“I will be the future Emperor, and you will be the future Duke of Antica. I believe you’re aware that my father and Duke Lucius share a good relationship.”

“And I wish to take our families’ relationship even further.”

“As the future of the Empire, Orson, you are brilliant. I admire you. If we join forces, the Empire will undoubtedly flourish. Together, we could create an era that belongs to us.”

“Think about it, Orson. Imagine how history will remember us—a great Emperor and a great Duke.”

Orson lifted his head to meet Arthas’s gaze, a polite, practiced smile appearing on his face.

“Your Highness, you jest,” Orson said. “I have always been loyal to the royal family. By that logic, haven’t we already been working together?”

“As for the future, when the time comes for you to ascend the throne, I assure you—I, Orson, will remain your loyal subject.”

Arthas stared into Orson’s eyes for a long moment before finally breaking into a smile.

“Haha, Orson, you’re absolutely right.” Arthas nodded.

He then stepped past Orson.

“Well then, Orson, I hope you’ll stay true to your words in the future.”

“Of course.” Orson nodded. “I have always supported you, Your Highness.”

“Hmm.” Arthas merely nodded before walking away. “Alright, I’ll go find Elsa myself. You should get back to your duties. For now, focus on your responsibilities at the academy.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness.” Orson bowed deeply, watching Arthas descend the stairs before finally straightening up.

A bead of cold sweat rolled down his temple.

Arthas had just tried to force him into taking a side.

Although the Empire’s succession seemed straightforward—with most expecting Arthas to inherit the throne—Elsa was no pushover either.

Emperor Odysseus was known for his fairness. If Elsa expressed interest in the throne, Odysseus would undoubtedly give her a chance.

Thus, Arthas had begun rallying support from the Empire’s influential dukes.

After all, if Arthas secured the backing of the Empire’s regional powers, even if Odysseus favored Elsa as his successor, it would be nearly impossible for her to claim the throne.

Naturally, Arthas sought Orson’s support, viewing him as the future Duke of Antica. Although Orson had expressed his lack of interest in inheriting the dukedom to Lucius, he had kept that intention private to protect Litte.

In Arthas’s eyes, Litte was nothing more than a poor boy from the countryside, newly returned to the family and now tagged with the label of “crossdresser.” Surely, such an unreliable figure could not be a viable heir. Hence, Arthas had approached Orson instead.

But Orson had cleverly maintained a neutral stance.

His unspoken message was clear: “I am loyal to the royal family. It doesn’t matter who becomes Emperor—whoever takes the throne will have my allegiance. I will not join any faction before a winner is decided.”

While joining a faction could lead to rewards if the chosen candidate succeeded, it also carried the risk of being labeled a traitor if the faction lost.

Nurturing Litte was already troublesome enough; Orson had no intention of getting involved in the kind of royal power struggles that could easily cost him his head.

—

Meanwhile, Arthas arrived at Elsa’s office in the Student Council building. Knocking on the door, he entered.

“Elsa.” Arthas walked over to the sofa and sat down. “This must be the first time we’ve had a private conversation at the Imperial Academy.”

“Yes,” Elsa nodded. “You’ve been serving in the Knights Order and stationed at the border for so long. It’s been ages since you’ve come back.”

“To think, you were just a little girl back then, and now you’ve grown so much,” Arthas said, a nostalgic expression on his face. “You’ve already reached the point where you can stand on your own, Elsa.”

“You overestimate me, Brother. I’m still far from qualified.” Elsa quickly shook her head, fully understanding Arthas’s implication.

“I’m not eager to bring this up, but Elsa, you’ve grown up, and there are some matters you need to face,” Arthas said, getting straight to the point of his visit. “It’s convenient that your elven attendant isn’t here, so I’ll be direct. Regarding the issue of succession, I’d like to resolve it through more peaceful means. What are your thoughts?”

Every imperial succession was accompanied by bloodshed. With multiple heirs vying for the throne, the royal family’s internal struggles were often far more brutal than those of ordinary nobles.

Plots, poisonings, assassinations, and underhanded schemes were common during the succession process.

Even after ascending the throne, it did not guarantee the stability of imperial authority, as there had been more than one instance of usurpation in the Empire’s history.

Of course, usurpers were always members of the royal family, possessing a legitimate claim to the Empire. Otherwise, they would face unified opposition from the dukes.

Instances of succession disputes ending peacefully were exceedingly rare in history.

“Me?” Elsa tilted her head. “I can’t compare to you, Brother.”

She continued, “Besides, aren’t you far more supported than I am?”

“So, what are you saying?”

“It’s up to Father, of course,” Elsa shrugged. “You know as well as I do—if I were to relinquish my claim, it would anger not only those who support me but also Father.”

“But I can promise you, Brother, that I have no interest in the throne.”

“Really?” Arthas looked at her skeptically.

Having spent much of his time away, Arthas hadn’t interacted with Elsa much. He only knew that she was exceptionally talented.

Naturally, he assumed such a capable individual must be ambitious. He had even prepared himself for negotiations, expecting Elsa to make demands. To his surprise, she claimed to have no interest in the throne.

If that were true, it would make things much simpler.

“Of course,” Elsa affirmed. “Do you really think everyone dreams of becoming Emperor?”

“Very well.” Arthas accepted her response. “In that case, I’ll thank you in advance, Elsa.”

Though it was only a verbal agreement, having a competitor promise to stay out of the race put Arthas at ease.

Nobody liked to see family turn against each other for the sake of power.

“Alright, Brother. I still have Student Council work to handle. If there’s nothing else, I’ll need to get back to it.”

“Understood.” Arthas nodded. “I’ll return to the palace to see Father. I’ll come back for the theater performance tonight.”

“Alright. I’ll accompany you then,” Elsa said, flashing a smile.

“Good.” Feeling a rare moment of familial warmth, Arthas returned her smile before leaving the office.

The smiles on their faces vanished as soon as the door closed.

—

Orson wandered around the academy before eventually returning to Class 1-1’s classroom.

It was nearing noon, and Orson thought he’d drop by to see how Litte was doing. However, just as he entered the classroom and before he could spot Litte, someone lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hi~” Olivia greeted him.

Turning around, Orson froze at the sight of her.

“Olivia, you…”

Standing before him, Olivia was dressed in the maid outfit Litte had rejected earlier that morning. The low-cut design accentuated her already stunning figure, making her curves even more prominent.

Orson’s gaze instinctively wandered to her chest, unable to look away.

Seeing him stare, Olivia felt both shy and pleased.

Although her confession to Orson had been interrupted by Litte last time, Olivia was confident her feelings had already reached him.

In fact, they had.

Since that day, Orson had been subtly avoiding Olivia under the pretext of being busy with academy festival preparations. He had realized that this woman genuinely seemed to like him.

“So, Orson… You’ve been staring at me. Aren’t you going to say something?” Olivia placed her hands behind her back, her demeanor shy yet teasing.

“Uh… Olivia, you look… beautiful today,” Orson blurted out. Realizing how awkward his words sounded, he quickly added, “Why are you participating in this activity? Aren’t you a Student Council member?”

“Who says Student Council members can’t join class activities?” Olivia beamed, delighted by Orson’s compliment.

“Just because we’re busy during the festival doesn’t mean we’re forbidden from participating,” she corrected.

“That said, I’m not officially participating,” she added. “I was just passing by when Professor Therese mentioned there was an extra maid outfit and thought you might like how I’d look in it.”

She giggled behind her hand. “It seems she was right—Orson, you really do like it~”

Hearing this, Orson quickly turned to look at Therese, who was not far away.

Sure enough, she was watching the two of them with a smirk, even giving Orson a thumbs-up.