This Villain Ch.159

Chapter 159: Tempting the Villain

Yu Mo sat on the sofa, his face devoid of any expression.

He and Peruth maintained a subtle standoff in the silence.

Although his strength could not compare to the cardinal in front of him, and he had been subjected to unreasonable speculation and unnecessary suspicion, Yu Mo quickly understood him.

Someone possessing the power of the moon’s essence couldn’t really appear too normal.

Moreover, as the villain of this world, Peruth, who sought both the powers of the moon and the sun, was indeed bound to face the world’s trials.

Though Yu Mo wasn’t the one Peruth was concerned about, his suspicions weren’t entirely unfounded.

The most important thing was that Yu Mo wanted the magical books from Peruth, so he had to dispel his concerns.

Therefore, Yu Mo quickly shifted from his state of being “speechless” to trying to understand Peruth’s worries.

In the end, he offered a suggestion, “I can understand your doubts and concerns, my lord. How about this: I only need to borrow some magical books from you to read, without requiring any personal instruction from you.”

“I will also do my best to assist you in managing the matters of the Star Society. Beyond that, I will keep my distance and not have much interaction with you.”

“If you’re still worried about my personal inclinations, I can even marry a suitable lady and start a family, to show my sincerity that I have no such ambitions.”

Peruth listened, still smiling.

He set the teacup back on the table with a soft “thud” and, maintaining the curve of his lips, said, “That won’t do.”

He didn’t sound too satisfied.

Yu Mo asked, “Then what is your view, my lord?”

Peruth sighed, “Of course, I want to face the trial.”

Yu Mo: “…”

But I don’t really want to test you.

Peruth observed the changes in his demeanor, feeling a sense of delight that was completely at odds with the expression on his face.

“Now, let’s discuss how you should test me,” Peruth declared.

The true motive was finally revealed.

Yu Mo immediately suspected this was another one of Peruth’s manipulations, pushing him to take the initiative in satisfying his demands.

After an absurd conversation, Yu Mo returned as calm as ever.

After all, he was someone who had weathered many storms, and even the bizarre words of a madman only momentarily shook him.

Once he calmed down, Yu Mo quickly identified aspects that could work to his advantage.

…

“Brother, are you going to the temple again today?” Charli asked at the dining table.

Lately, her brother had been going to the temple almost every day. She had heard from their stepmother that the noble circles now knew how much Cardinal Peruth favored her brother, which had caused their family’s status to rise.

But Charli hadn’t forgotten that her brother was a heretical follower of the Moon. Each time he went to the temple, she worried he would be discovered.

“Yes.” Yu Mo knew what she was worried about. He didn’t offer comfort, instead saying, “Focus on studying the Light Magic book I gave you. When I return tonight, we’ll continue with the second lesson, and there will be a small test.”

At the mention of a test, Charli instantly forgot her worries about her brother and began to fret about herself.

Since her brother had started teaching her light magic, Charli had come to know the world’s strictest teacher.

She was a diligent student and fairly smart, but even so, she had to work day and night to meet her brother’s expectations.

Especially when it came to the tests. Every seven days, there was a test, and if she failed, there would be a punishment.

But the punishment wasn’t for her—it was for Makin and Amos, who lived on the estate.

If she failed a test, Makin would have to learn an additional subject, and Amos would have to take on more tasks.

Last time, when she failed the small test, Makin and Amos stayed up for three nights without sleep.

When she went to check on them, Makin couldn’t even smile anymore, resting his head on the piano keys and groaning.

Amos was faring slightly better, though his dark circles were enormous, and during meals, he almost fell asleep with his eyes open.

If the punishment had been for Charli herself, she wouldn’t have felt so much pressure.

Feeling the urgency, Charli didn’t even finish her breakfast and hurried back to her studies.

Yu Mo, on the other hand, leisurely fed himself until he was half-full, then got up and headed to the temple.

He had visited many times, and the people of the temple were growing increasingly friendly toward him.

Familiar with the place, Yu Mo walked directly into Peruth’s study, continuing his research on the magical books inside.

As for Peruth, he hadn’t seen him in several days.

Though they had exchanged such words, the cardinal hadn’t taken any corresponding actions. After allowing Yu Mo to freely access his books, he hadn’t met with him privately again.

It was said that Peruth was very busy—traveling to preach, handling matters for the pope, and being summoned to the palace to heal the emperor.

Even when he was at the temple, he was still busy.

Yu Mo had seen him twice, leading a group of priests down the corridor. Everyone maintained a respectful distance from him, gazing at him in awe.

Yu Mo glanced at them indifferently, then continued on to the study to immerse himself in his magical research.

Aside from the dark magic, the study was mostly filled with light magic. Yu Mo absorbed all the different types, not discriminating between them.

It was an entirely different system of power, a vast new world, and Yu Mo was utterly fascinated by it, almost forgetting about Peruth entirely.

The large desk in the study had been added after their last conversation, and Yu Mo had claimed it as his own.

Books were spread out across the surface, and he scratched notes onto paper with a quill.

His dark eyes were focused, completely ignoring all the noise from the outside world.

When his mental energy was finally depleted from studying magic, and a faint pain throbbed in his head, Yu Mo put down his pen and closed his eyes to rest.

When he opened them again, he saw a strand of platinum blonde hair floating by his cheek, its light color seemingly absorbing the sunlight.

The long-absent cardinal stood just behind and to the side of him, looking over his shoulder at the research he had been working on for the past few days.

“Hmm, you’re already learning Dark Summoning Magic? My dear, aren’t you progressing a bit too fast?” Peruth’s tone was gentle. “And you’re studying light magic at the same time? That must be a bit difficult for you.”

Eloren’s body, attuned to the moon’s attributes, naturally repelled the sun, making it difficult to harness light power.

Attempting to use light magic would drain Yu Mo’s mana significantly, and the results wouldn’t be ideal.

It was different for Peruth, whose body had undergone special modifications.

Yu Mo felt the cardinal’s hair brush lightly against his shoulder. He glanced at Peruth’s thin robe, then at the nearby bookshelf.

To his surprise, the bookshelf was actually a hidden door, which was now open, revealing a bed and wardrobe on the other side. On the bed lay the recently removed cardinal’s robes.

It was clearly Peruth’s bedroom, and he had just emerged from it.

Yet Yu Mo hadn’t heard a single sound and had no idea when Peruth had started standing behind him.

“This part here, you got it wrong,” Peruth said as he continued reviewing Yu Mo’s notes, pointing to a section with his finger.

Though Yu Mo had some reservations about Peruth as a person, he couldn’t deny that the cardinal was highly respectable in the field of magic.

With a few casual pointers and brief explanations, Yu Mo suddenly felt enlightened.

“Cardinal, I actually have many other things I don’t quite understand and have been waiting for your guidance.” Yu Mo’s tone grew warmer. “I wonder if you might have time to help me?”

“I’d love to accept your invitation,” Peruth said, taking a step back and leaning against the desk. “But spare me, I’m truly on the verge of exhaustion.”

The cardinal sighed, voicing his fatigue and frustration.

“That’s really unfortunate,” Yu Mo replied, his regret genuine. Equally real was how quickly his attitude turned cold again.

Just as Yu Mo was about to plunge back into his magical studies, Peruth snapped his fingers.

Yu Mo felt the chair he was sitting on shift, its four legs moving to turn him to face Peruth.

Peruth studied him for a moment, as though admiring a painting, then said, “Today, Eloren has been testing me.”

Yu Mo raised an eyebrow. “Really? How exactly am I testing you?”

“Your clothes.” Peruth traced a circle in the air with his hand, gesturing toward Yu Mo’s slender figure.

Today, Yu Mo wore new clothes tailored by his stepmother. In an effort to both please him and justify acquiring new dresses for herself, she had commissioned several outfits for him. The one he wore today wasn’t too extravagant, just adorned with a few patterns and lace.

“This outfit suits you very well,” Peruth said with an appreciative tone. “Looking at you like this, I feel my fatigue lessening.”

“I’d be happy for you to take a few more looks to ease your exhaustion,” Yu Mo said coolly. “Once it’s eased, could you teach me magic?”

Peruth laughed heartily, taking a moment to respond. “Tomorrow, then. Tomorrow, I can set aside time specifically to teach you.”

“But,” he added, his expression hovering between serious and playful, “if you want me to teach you with even more dedication, you’ll have to give me a greater test tomorrow.”

He winked, his tone a mix of jest and sincerity, making it hard to discern his true intentions.

With that, he turned and walked back into his bedroom, his tall, graceful figure disappearing behind the bookshelf.

Yu Mo quietly watched as the bookshelf silently moved back into place, then turned his chair around and resumed reading his magic books.

*

The next morning, Charli was in a lighthearted mood as she ate breakfast.

She had passed the small test from the previous night, and as long as she passed, her brother would take her to the estate to visit her friends in a couple of days.

For the next seven days, Makin and Amos would also be able to relax a little.

“Brother, are you going to the temple again today?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“What do you do at the temple every day?”

“Read and study.”

“Do you study with Cardinal Peruth? Won’t he figure out who you really are… and hurt you?”

Charli’s genuine concern made her notice a brief, strange expression cross her brother’s face.

Then he replied, “There’s no need to worry about that.”

Charli pressed on, “Then what should I worry about?”

“Nothing at all.”

Charli thought she saw the corner of her brother’s lips twitch into a smile, but it was so quick that she thought she might have imagined it. In the next moment, he had already wiped his mouth and stood up. “I’m leaving.”

..

It was a rest day, and the temple was closed to outsiders, but Yu Mo still entered through a side door.

When he pushed open the study door, Peruth was sitting on the sofa reading, leaning back comfortably in the chair.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the bookshelf and carpet.

Peruth turned his head when he saw Yu Mo, his gaze sweeping over his clothes with a hint of disappointment. He sighed, “I thought Eloren would bring me a greater test today.”

Yu Mo acted as though he hadn’t heard, feeling a bit warm after walking through the sunlight. He took off his coat, leaving only a shirt on, and grabbed his notes and a magic book from the bookshelf before approaching Peruth.

As he walked closer, confusion appeared on Peruth’s smiling face. Then Yu Mo sat down directly on the cardinal’s lap, facing him.

His tone remained as indifferent as ever. “Now, you should start teaching me, teacher.”

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