Why do I keep attracting Villainesses?

Chapter 59: JACOB’S POV [BONUS Chapter]

"So, what do you think? Great story isn’t it?" I said, grinning smugly from ear to ear.

Truth be told, the story was something I’d made up to try and get her to feel better. How could I know a story about constellations when this wasn’t even my original world?

"But what if the master never really cared for the horse..." Artria said, her voice small and filled with a doubt that was clear in her tone.

She wasn’t looking at the stars anymore. Instead, she was looking down at the dark water around our waists, her fingers tracing idle patterns in the foam. It wasn’t the reaction I wanted.

She looked even more troubled than she had back at the reef.

"Then he wouldn’t have gone so far to make sure it was ok, now would he?" I snickered.

I thought the answer was obvious. In the story, the master had crossed a large distance, just to find the horse.

To me, that was the ultimate proof.

To which her expression froze, not knowing what to say.

She bit her lip, her eyes searching the surface of the water as if she was trying to find a hidden meaning in the ripples.

"Don’t you think the fact that he went out of his way to cross such a large distance is more than enough to prove how much he cares for the horse?" I said, pushing the point a little further.

I wanted her to understand that effort equals value. "And besides, he even took on a new lifestyle, living in a different place and changing his whole routine, just so his friend wouldn’t feel neglected. Isn’t that more than enough to show how much he cares for the horse?"

I was really laying it on thick. I was trying to tell her, in a roundabout way, that just because life changes and new people show up, it doesn’t mean the old connections disappear.

"B-But, doesn’t he love the dog as well? There’s no way the master could love both the dog and horse equally, right?" Artria asked, her voice cracking just a tiny bit.

She looked up at me then, and the moonlight showed just how much she was struggling.

She wasn’t really talking about the animals in the sky anymore, and we both knew it.

She was talking about the space between us, and the space Persephone was currently filling.

"And who says so?" I retorted, stunning her. I didn’t give her a second to retreat into her shells. "I said who says he can’t love the both of them equally?"

"They’re his companions are they not? Even if he’s paying attention to the dog right now, it still doesn’t mean he doesn’t cherish the horse who’s been through thick and thin with him," I said. I tried to keep my voice firm but gentle.

’It’s not like he’s marrying them both,’ I said to myself, a bit of my own internal humor bubbling up to keep me from getting too emotional.

Artria said nothing afterwards. She went quiet, her gaze drifting back up to the constellations I had pointed out earlier.

The silence continued to last more than I expected. The only sound around being the soft lapping of the waves against our chests and the distant sound of the wind.

The air was cool on my wet skin, and I started to feel a little bit awkward.

’Did I unintentionally say something wrong?’ I wondered to myself.

Maybe I had overdone it.

Perhaps the analogy was too close to home and I had just made her feel more self-conscious.

I watched her profile, trying to read her thoughts, but she was like a closed book.

"I think I’m ready to go back now," she suddenly said.

She spoke the words firmly, but when she turned to look at me, her face was a mask of neutrality.

Seeing her calm expression, I didn’t know what to make of it. Was she happy? Was she still sad? It was impossible to tell.

"Alright," I said, nodding in the end. I didn’t want to force her to stay if she was finished. We had been out for a long time, and the night was moving toward the early hours of the morning.

The both of us retreated back into the sea. We slipped under the surface, and the silence of the underwater world took over.

The transition from the bright, airy surface to the dark, heavy depths was always a bit jarring. I stayed close to her, holding her hand again as we began the long swim back.

I escorted Artria all the way to the village. We moved through the empty streets, past the sleeping houses and the glowing coral gardens, all the way back to the nest.

Along the way, I couldn’t help a prickling feeling at the back of my neck. It was that strange sensation that someone was watching us from the shadows.

I stopped a few times, glancing about into the dark alleys and behind the large sponges, but I couldn’t notice a thing.

The village seemed completely deserted. So in the end, I ignored it, putting it down to my lack of sleep and my nerves.

’We’re back...’ I said in my head, staring at the entrance of the house. It was dark inside, the bioluminescent plants having dimmed for the night cycle, so I couldn’t quite make out the interior.

I knew Persephone was in there, and the thought made me feel a little guilty for being out so late with Artria, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong.

’I’m just not sure if everything’s ok now, or maybe I should’ve tried to cheer her up more,’ I said to myself.

I felt like I had started something good but hadn’t quite finished it.

I turned to glance at Artria, wanting to say one last encouraging thing before we went inside to sleep, only to blink in surprise when I felt her hugging me the moment I turned around.

AN: Alright, I think this should help you all understand Artria better, but I’m not going to force you to like her either way, to each their own I like to say.

Also, there might be a wonderful new suprise in the next Chapters, so feel free to keep reading hehehe.