The Lost Chronicles of a Villainess

Chapter 13

Naomi skirted her gaze from Levi to the table, tilting her head until her right ear touched her shoulders, as if she was struck shy by his proclamation.

"Thanks, Levi," she said. "You're a good friend."

[LEVI'S FAVORABILITY: 76/100]

"And you're a good friend of mine," Levi returned, a ghost of a smile across his lips, his cheeks tinged with the barest hint of pink, rubbing a thick strand of blond hair at his nape between his fingers.

Naomi smiled. She only needed to guarantee he remained a true, loyal friend; because, unless she sealed their loyalty through completing their quests, their favorability would remain fickle and any chance of betrayal could occur.

She wasn't going to allow that to happen, especially with Levi's kind of character. Levi was the type of person who was great as a friend, but terrifying as an enemy. She had to be careful before Marianne could get to him and ruin all the work she built.

It didn't take long for Levi to leave soon after making plans to see each other this weekend in their quest to find him some sort of inspiration. He took most of the noise with him when he left, their schoolmates now fixated on their food rather than the fact someone as infamous as Levi had come into their side of the campus.

Louisa appeared the moment Levi left the premises, holding a tray with their food, staring at Naomi with a wide-eyed gaze. An ambiguous expression was over her face, stuck in between awe and astonishment. She sat on the seat across Naomi, sliding the tray on the table, and leaned her head slightly forward.

"Was that Levi Lee just now?" she asked with a thumb pointed over her shoulder, indicating the direction where Levi disappeared. "I didn't know you know him."

[LOUISA'S IMPRESSION: Naomi's never the type to befriend a guy because she was afraid Rowen would get the wrong idea. But it seems Naomi knows Levi well. How come I've never heard of it?]

It was no wonder why Louisa was surprised. Rowen had such great control over the Original's life, impacting her life from her diet to her relationships. The Original made Rowen her entire world, her focal point, to the point that she was blinded. Too immersed was she with the love she felt for the person she considered Prince Charming, the Original never realized she was drowning and killing herself in the process.

In a way, Naomi couldn't fully blame Rowen for the Original's actions because she, herself made her own choices in the hopes he would notice her sincerity and finally return her feelings. She was the one who chose him, again and again, and ignored everyone's warnings against him. She stubbornly clung onto him like he was her last lifeline, despite how blatantly he manipulated her feelings whenever he thought she was falling out of love.

If a tiny bit of hope could save a drowning, desperate man at the end of his rope, what more a mere slip of a girl who was desperately in love for more than a decade?

"I recently made friends with him, it's no big deal," Naomi replied, shrugging her shoulders as she helped herself with the French fries. "We met yesterday after"—she cleared her throat, a wince passing through her features, leaving a trace of a grimace behind—"Rowen rejected me. He comforted me a bit and helped distract me from what happened. He's very friendly and kind, and I saw no reason why I shouldn't be friends with him."

Remembering how broken up Naomi had been must've lowered Louisa's guard, if the way her eyes becoming a gentle curve with a tender smile gracing her lips was any indication.

"So, that's why you disappeared in the morning yesterday," Louisa remarked, her voice soft and considerate. "You were with Levi?"

"Yes, he had matters to take care of, so I decided to leave the school with him yesterday rather than stay longer. I didn't want to see Rowen again so soon after I was rejected." Naomi bored her eyes into her friend's, fluttering long lashes to give a doe-eyed and innocent appearance reminiscent of the female lead in this circle. "I'm sorry for worrying you when I left. To be honest, I felt really embarrassed when Rowen rejected me so loudly in front of everyone. I didn't want you to see me as someone... pathetic."