A Villain's Survival Guide

Rosalith’s POV:

"That was the presence of a false entity... wasn’t it?"

Rosay lay in her bathtub, forearms at the edges, legs stretched to the far end, head perched as her gaze drifted to the ceiling.

Even the slightest movement spilled water over the rim, each splash against the tiled floor pushing steam into the air and drawing out the sweet smell of honey that clung to the walls.

"That presence I felt a few days ago... is definitely the presence of a false entity," she muttered.

"He isn’t a Philosopher, is he?"

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

"He only got his grimoire a month ago... he can’t be a Philosopher. Even the concept of a false entity should overwhelm his mind."

A few days ago, after Leomaris prepared his exquisite meal, he’d locked himself in his room right after.

That was when she felt it, a daunting presence strong enough to slip past the senses of a Magician.

She’d been none the wiser at first, but the past few days had been spent picking it apart. It was definitely the presence of a false entity.

"If the false entity were weak, Raine would have also perceived it, as she is a Magician. However, it is not strong enough to bypass the senses of a Sorcerer. The myth behind it must therefore be weak. But what kind of forbidden knowledge is it?"

And that was the pickle she was stuck with. The presence of false entities came through forbidden knowledge, mostly tied to myths, dark deities, or ancient tales.

On the surface, this was information even an ordinary person could stumble across. Recite it, call on a false entity, and though they’d never see or feel its presence, it would grant whatever wish they summoned it for.

It was the fourth wonder of the world, and it belonged to everyone.

For mages, it was another matter entirely. Once a mage reached the rank of Philosopher, they could possess the knowledge of false entities in full and, through their mastery, hold authority over them.

"Does Mother have anything to do with this... a Magician having a false entity?"

Her crimson eyes wandered across the ceiling, her body slowly sinking deeper into the water.

"I am finding it difficult to deny that fact now. I know she has always been obsessed with Leo, and that is precisely the issue. From the moment he was born, she has consistently led him on and given him opportunities that neither Samael nor I received."

The last word had barely left her before she let out a deep sigh, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

"I have always known that Mother is not a force to be reckoned with. She has always known everything, possessed answers for everything, and worse, even Father cannot disobey her. When I was younger, I believed she was the Lady of the Frozen Veil in human form. That Goddess is said to be the bridge between our world and the world of creatures. It is not true, yet I carry too much doubt to dismiss it and no evidence to disprove it."

With those words said, she rose to her feet and stepped out of the bathtub. Water ran off her bare body, and without so much as a towel, she padded toward her room.

The steam and smell of honey followed wherever she went, but she didn’t mind. She didn’t even give a second thought to the trail of water she left in her wake.

Back in her room, she caught wind of noise drifting through the corridor. As though her nakedness was the least of her concerns, she wandered over to the door and leaned against it, listening to whatever was going on out there.

She made out two voices: a man and a woman. The man’s was familiar; it was Leomaris. And the broken, childish voice clearly belonged to his mate, Charlotte.

"They’re still in the training room... aren’t they?"

With a shrug, she made her way to the table on her left. Lanterns and sheets of her strategies were scattered across it, with the map of Prism Kingdom spread wide at the far end.

Her eyes passed over all of it and settled on the two white envelopes. With casual gentleness, she opened the first, cracking the red seal and reading it through. Then she did the same with the second.

A soft smile played at her lips as she reached for the red wax on the table and resealed the envelope.

"So he’s asking Mother about the Firstlight Goddess... and this message to Samael is clearly an order to find him the Unholy Priests at this academy."

After Leomaris stepped out of his room yesterday, the first thing he’d done was hand Rosay letters for Rosemary and his older brother, Samael.

He lacked the resources to deliver them himself, and since he’d been skipping class, sending them through the academy’s address was out of the question.

"I do not know how he managed to obtain a false entity, but to remain cautious, I will state that Mother instructed the false entity to protect Leo and do his bidding. Judging by this message, it is clearly related to the Firstlight Goddess."

Leaving the table behind, she made her way to her bed and hauled herself into its comfy embrace.

"False entities aren’t particularly anything special, but rather the result of turning forbidden knowledge into dark forces and controlling them. They can’t function without enough conspiracies surrounding them. And rumor has it there is an entity that controls them."

She adjusted herself on the bed.

"I cannot have authority over one... but whether Mother gave Leo the false entity or not, it would be foolish of me not to assume he is someone special."

A sinister smile tugged at her lips as she grew calculating. Rosemary was someone she considered all-knowing, and if Rosemary was head over heels for her youngest child, that was all the more reason not to let Leomaris go.

She’d witnessed Leomaris’s potential firsthand: stopping his own heart to cheat death, having a false entity in his possession, and his physical capabilities on top of it all. Her brother was a gem, and she knew it well enough.

Her voice came low and cold, edged with something almost seductive, as she spoke:

"I just need to keep him close... and soon I might be able to use my third personality because of him. That would be enough to kill Father...

"After that, the one who holds Leo dearest... Mother."