Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess

[Alert!]

[The host has exceeded the—]

Austin ignored it. The System had warned him before. It never mattered.

The dungeon was drowning in fire and chaos. Magmadons swarmed—towering, lava-spitting lizards with claws like jagged blades. The ground trembled as they crawled closer, their molten breath turning the air blistering hot.

He had already cut down more than thirty. It wasn't enough.

A Magmadon lunged, its molten tongue snapping toward his face. SZZZT! Austin twisted just in time, but the heat seared his shoulder, burning through his armor. The pain barely registered before another beast slammed into him from the side. CRACK! His ribs screamed as he crashed into a jagged rock, blood trailing down his lips.

Still, he didn't stop.

Raijin pulsed in his hands, lightning coiling around the axe like a living beast.

A Magmadon roared and lunged—he met it head-on. His axe came down like a thunderclap, cleaving the monster in two. Lava spewed from its corpse, splattering across his leg. The pain was instant, white-hot, but he pushed forward, tearing into the next beast before it could strike.

Another clawed at his back—flesh tore, blood splattered, but he just gritted his teeth and kept moving.

One. Two. Three more fell.

His vision blurred. His body was breaking. But his axe still swung.

Lightning surged, and he became a storm of death—unstoppable, merciless, drenched in the blood of his enemies and his own.

The System's warnings kept flashing. His wounds kept piling up.

Austin didn't care.

He just didn't want to think about what had just happened. If he thinks about Valerie and the way she left him, his mind will start repeating the worst outcome of the situation.

A life without Valerie.

He couldn't stop himself from assuming that since Valerie knew about his past and also the fact that he didn't love her all this time and lied to her, she would abandon me.

Truth be told, he couldn't blame her since this was a betrayal, and she had the right to be angry at him.

However, breaking up with him? No, Austin won't let it happen.

'There is no life without you, Val…' Just as the realization struck, the System forcibly ejected him from the dungeon, leaving a barely conscious Austin near the entrance of the mansion.

Austin remained lying there for a few minutes, when suddenly,

"Young master?!" A familiar voice resonated and reached Austin's ears.

Sebastian.

Sebastian came out to check on his Master since the lady(Valerie) returned to the mansion, and without answering anyone properly, she dashed toward her room.

Sebastian was worried since, despite how absurd it sounded, from her behavior, it seemed that Lady Valerie had a fight with her fiancé.

However, Sebastian never expected that in these few minutes, his young master would get into such a state.

He hurriedly picked Austin in his arms and headed inside the mansion.

"Sebastian?!" Cedric, who was conversing with Adam, exclaimed upon seeing his son being carried by Sebastian.

The butler hurriedly stated, "He seems exhausted and is barely breathing. We need to call for a healer."

"I have one at the residence. Bring him to the room, I will call the medic."

Sebastian nodded before, under the guidance of a maid, he brought his young master to a room on the ground floor.

--------**-------

"Ah…"

Valerie woke up in a daze, the dryness in her throat making her swallow hard. A burning thirst clawed at her, urging her to move.

She pushed herself up and reached for the glass of water beside her bed. As the cool liquid slid down her throat, her thoughts settled.

Now that she had gotten a few hours of sleep, her mind was clearer—no longer the chaotic mess it had been before. But clarity came with something else…

A sharp, unshakable guilt.

She could think properly now, and thinking meant remembering—remembering the way she had left Austin alone.

Her chest tightened.

'Will he be sleeping…?'

A desperate urge surged within her—a need to see him, to make sure he was okay.

Without hesitation, Valerie got out of bed and made her way toward the door.

It was close to dawn, the faint glow of morning barely creeping into the halls. She wasn't surprised to see maids moving about, their quiet footsteps echoing in the stillness. But something made her pause.

There was… something odd.

A few of the maids weren't just passing by—they were circling a specific room, exchanging worried glances as they moved with quiet urgency.

The room was close to where the King and Queen were staying.

A frown marred her face as unease crept into her veins. Her heart began to pound faster.

Her feet moved before her mind could catch up.

Down the stairs, past the flickering candlelight, toward that room.

And then she saw him.

Sebastian stood near the entrance, his normally composed expression lined with worry.

"Lady Valerie…" His voice was hushed, cautioning—warning.

But she didn't stop.

She ignored him, her brows furrowed, and stepped past the threshold.

And then—

"…Ah."

The breath left her lips.

The sight before her made her freeze.

On the bed lay a single person. His face was unnaturally pale, his chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. Labored. Weak.

Austin.

Cedric and Sophie turned toward her, their own expressions heavy with unspoken emotions.

But Valerie barely saw them. Her world had shrunk to the one person in that bed.

Her lips trembled as a whisper escaped—fragile, filled with disbelief.

"How… did this happen…"

Sebastian stepped toward her before speaking in a quiet, measured voice.

"We found him near the entrance last night. It seems he was involved in a battle... or perhaps it's the aftermath of yesterday morning's confrontation."

The words barely registered. They felt distant, as if spoken through water.

Valerie's feet moved on their own, bringing her closer to him.

She looked at his face.

Pale. Vulnerable. Unmoving.

He had been sad when she left him. And now…

Because of her.

Because of her actions… he ended up like this.

Her throat tightened painfully.

"He has been calling out your name since yesterday..."

The words came from Cedric, his voice hoarse, his exhausted eyes ringed with shadows.

Valerie's breath hitched.

"...W-Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

Her voice cracked—bewildered, but also carrying a quiet, aching complaint.

Tears welled in her eyes.

"You were suffering from a fever," came another voice.

Her mother.

A warm hand draped over Valerie's shoulder.

"That's why we didn't wake you."

Valerie bit her lip, frustration, and guilt warring within her. But she wasn't frustrated at them.

She was angry at herself.

Her fingers clenched, trembling slightly.

"Can you… leave us alone? Please?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

A plea.

Cedric and Sophie exchanged glances before the Queen gave a small nod.

"Yes, of course."

One by one, they left.

Sebastian was the last to linger, hesitating briefly before stepping out.

With a quiet click, the door shut behind him.

And then—

Valerie was alone with him.

Valerie sank into the chair beside the bed, her trembling fingers closing around his hand.

Tears continued to slip down her cheeks as she brought his hand near her lips, pressing a gentle kiss against his skin.

"Val..."

His voice was weak, barely above a whisper—half lost in a daze.

Her heart clenched.

"I'm here... I'm not going anywhere," she assured him softly, her voice thick with emotion.

Austin's eyelids fluttered open at the sound.

And then, as his vision cleared, he saw her.

The face his heart had yearned to see.

"Val..." He called again, this time with more warmth, more relief. But then he noticed the tears streaking her face, and his expression faltered.

A faint frown touched his lips.

"...I made you cry again..."

"No, you didn't."

She shook her head, gripping his hand tighter.

"It's just me... repenting my mistake."

She blamed herself.

Despite promising him—swearing—that she would never leave his side, even if the entire world turned against him…

She had left him.

Because she was weak.

"Don't cry, Val… it hurts…" Austin whispered, his voice strained with pain.

Valerie pressed his warm hand against her cheek, her eyes shimmering.

"I won't cry, so please recover soon… I can't describe how much it hurts to see you like this."

Austin let out a soft chuckle, his lips curling into a tired smile.

"Sorry... I went overboard. I just... couldn't bear the separation."

A choked sob escaped her.

She buried her face into his hands, whispering, "Why did you do that? Do I not have the right to be upset?"

Austin's eyes widened.

He hurriedly shook his head. "No, of course you do! It's just… I dreaded that you—"

"That I might leave you?"

Her voice trembled, carrying both hurt and quiet reprimand.

Austin froze.

He had offended her.

For a moment, a heavy silence lingered between them.

Then, without a word, Valerie suddenly got up.

Panic flashed across Austin's face. Was she really going to leave—?

But before he could even lift a hand to stop her, she climbed into the bed beside him.

His breath hitched as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into her warmth.

Her soft, familiar scent enveloped him, her steady breath brushing against his skin.

Using his arm as a pillow, she whispered, "I've told you before... Valerie can only belong to Austin."

She tightened her embrace.

"And that fact will never change."

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- And there, the fight between the two got resolved. I mean, I can't imagine keeping them separated for long.

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