Chereads / The Villainess Is A Little Crazy / Chapter 17 - CHAPTER 16: Oh.

Chapter 17 - CHAPTER 16: Oh.

"Stop."

The single word cut through the air like a sword, sharp, abrupt, final.

Lidia blinked.

Stop what exactly?

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the saddle, curiosity sparking in her chest.

"Stop what?"

The knight halted mid-step, boots scuffing against the dirt.

Then—

Slowly, oh so slowly—he turned to face her.

His face was blank, completely unreadable, but his eyes?

Those traitorous, stupidly pretty eyes—a shade so deep, so gem-like, that if she stared too long, she might actually start to believe he was sculpted by the gods themselves—were locked directly onto her.

And he wasn't blinking.

At all.

Lidia swallowed.

It was deeply unsettling.

"Stop calling me your lover."

Oh.

Lidia blinked again.

That's what this was about?

She tilted her head, intrigued.

"You mean that bothers you?"

No response.

Just more staring.

More of those damn, infuriatingly pretty, judgmental eyes staring right into her soul.

And for some completely ridiculous, unfathomable reason—

She felt her face heat up.

No.

No, no, no, no.

Absolutely not.

Lidia did not blush over knights.

Especially not ones who walked around all broody and serious, like life was one long, painful war crime.

But her body betrayed her anyway, and she felt the warmth creep up her cheeks, seeping into her ears.

Horrified, she immediately scowled, twisting her face into the most indifferent, unimpressed expression she could manage.

Because this?

This was embarrassing.

Lidia cleared her throat, forcing a casual shrug.

"I mean, technically, I never called you my lover. I just said you were worse than a jilted one. Which, by the way, you totally are."

Still, no reaction.

His expression didn't change.

His posture remained stiff, shoulders squared.

And yet—

Lidia swore she saw the faintest twitch in his jaw.

Which meant…

He was definitely annoyed.

She smirked, resting her chin in her palm, tilting her head in a way that could only be described as infuriatingly smug.

"What's the matter, Sir Knight? Afraid people will get the wrong idea?"

Still, nothing.

Just those damn, unreadable eyes.

Gods.

Was he even human?

She pursed her lips.

"I mean, I totally get it," she continued, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "It must be tough, having someone as stunningly beautiful as me teasing you. Probably makes your poor, knightly heart all confused."

And finally—

A reaction.

The knight exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for half a second, as if praying for patience.

Then, he did something she didn't expect.

He took a step forward.

Then another.

And another.

Until he was standing right next to the horse, right beneath her, far too close, his presence looming, his gaze locked onto hers.

Lidia froze.

Her cheeks burned hotter.

Oh.

Oh, okay.

This was—

This was a bit different.

She had expected a scoff.

Maybe an eye roll.

A dry, sarcastic remark, something like, I would rather be eaten by wolves than be your lover.

But this?

This was unexpectedly intense.

He was so close now.

Close enough that she could see the exact shade of blue in his eyes, the subtle flex of his jawline, the way his hair fell just slightly over his forehead, a bit messier than usual.

And worse—

She was still blushing.

Still betrayed by her own damn body.

Absolutely unacceptable.

"Just don't call me that," he finally said after what felt like eternity.

Lidia immediately leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright, alright," she huffed, forcing herself to look unimpressed. "I get it. No more lover talk. You win."

The knight studied her for a moment longer.

Then, finally—finally—he stepped back.

And without another word, he turned around and kept walking.

Lidia let out a slow, controlled breath, glaring daggers at the back of his head.

Gods.

Who even was this man?

The sun was relentless as they continued their journey, beating down on them with the kind of heat that made Lidia want to peel off her own skin and use it as a sunshade.

Her entire body ached, her legs were numb, and her butt?

Her butt had been through war.

She had been sitting on this stupid horse for what felt like forever, bouncing with every step, feeling every single rock, every uneven patch of dirt, every cursed reminder that she was not meant for travel by horseback.

And yet—

Sir Knight McGrumpyface just kept walking, leading the horse as if this was just another casual stroll through the kingdom.

No exhaustion.

No complaints.

No concern whatsoever for the poor, suffering passenger behind him.

Lidia wanted to die.

Or at the very least, collapse dramatically.

Then, finally, after what felt like years of silent suffering—

He stopped.

The knight exhaled through his nose, barely sparing her a glance as he spoke.

"We'll stop here for a while."

Lidia's heart soared.

Sweet mercy.

She almost threw herself off the horse right then and there—but quickly remembered that gravity existed and that if she attempted to dismount by herself, she would likely end up face-planting into the dirt.

Not exactly graceful villainess behavior.

So, instead, she turned to her gracious knightly escort, flashing her most charming, innocent smile.

"Help me down?"

The knight ignored her.

Typical.

Lidia huffed, crossing her arms.

"Sir Knight," she sing-songed, drawing out the words. "I'm simply a poor, helpless damsel. What kind of gentleman leaves a lady stranded on a horse?"

Still, nothing.

She pursed her lips.

"If I try to get down by myself, I might slip and hit my head," she lamented dramatically, placing a hand over her forehead for effect. "And then you'll have to deal with carrying my unconscious body all the way to wherever we're going. Do you really want that responsibility?"

The knight sighed sharply.

Slowly, as if this was the most exhausting request he had ever received in his life, he turned toward her.

Lidia beamed, holding out her arms expectantly.

He just stared.

"Seriously?"

She nodded eagerly.

He exhaled again, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "I swear to the goddess", before stepping closer.