Rebirth: The Villainous Young Master Doesn't Want to Follow the Script
Chapter 20: Neither a Saint nor a Sinner

**********

"So, have you made up your mind… Nariana? Or would you prefer me to address you as.... Leader of ARCANUM DE FLEUR, known as LOTUS KILLER…. RHEINA CLANDESTINE?"

The woman stood stiff at the mention of her real name and affiliation coming from Eclipse's mouth as if it were nothing.

"H-how did you…"

Before she could speak further, Eclipse cut her off immediately; "It doesn't matter what or how I know, as I am not obliged to tell you everything I know. Besides, that wasn't what we agreed upon in the contract."

He paused for a minute as he looked at the woman and smirked; "…... Or would you like to re-negotiate some of our terms and conditions, eh? You choose."

After he said those words, Eclipse saw how the woman's expression changed into something that he was quite familiar with.

'Heh. Would you look at that? Who would have thought that I would see her expression like this that I didn't see from the previous timeline?'

He smirks as he sees the fear in her eyes that she keeps on masking underneath that calm façade she's presenting herself, but that won't work with Eclipse.

...….

....

[FLASHBACK]

After Eclipse left the dining hall, he didn't want to be in the same room as those people that he called [family], and since no servants were on site as he walked through the hallway in the middle of the night, he thought of that servant back then.

'To kill or not to kill? Hmmm…. How bold of her to infiltrate this household without regard and it looks like she is pretty much confident in herself to do such dangerous tasks.'

Has that woman forgotten that this is the territory of the descendants of the Knight Warrior bloodlines who were known as the household of war heroes?

'The best course of action is to eliminate her, but killing her serves me no purpose at all.'

Eclipse wasn't a saint nor a sinner, either. His millennium years of world-hopping from various worldlines made his hands stained by the blood of neither the innocents nor not.

He wasn't that kind of psychopath to just outright kill someone without reason and the blood of neither his enemies has stained his hands nor not but he still has his morality, though.

As he thought of what course of action should take on this situation, he sighed and frowned;'I am not that ungrateful to just kill the one person who accepted my commission after listening to my reasons back in my previous life. This is the least that I owe her a little.'

As he thought of what course of action should take on this situation, he sighed and frowned;

'I am not that ungrateful to just kill the one person who accepted my commission after listening to my reasons back in my previous life. This is the least that I owe her a little.'

From the system archive that was sent to his interface about the other information regarding the worldline that was outside of the world plot of [Mystique Enchantress], there is additional information regarding the Arcanum De Fleur's Leader and her origins.

'With this information that I had; it would be a significant advantage for my plans. If I played my cards right, then.'

With no one around, Eclipse stealthily went over to the servant quarters and waited for that person to come. He made sure that no one else wouldn't detect his presence.

After some time had passed, Eclipse saw the person he was waiting for and noticed that she kept looking around back and forth to check if the other servants were there.

'I won't be surprised if she manages to detect my presence alone, though, since she's that skillful.'

"Come out, whoever you are. I already sensed your presence the moment I stepped inside this place. I am being generous enough to spare your life and not blindly attack whoever you are."

Her voice was calm but there was a hint of viciousness as she spoke and Eclipse smirked even more because of how brave this woman was.

'Ho. Would you look at that? Gone with the mask of the "pitiful servant" from earlier, and now all I can see is the fierce and ruthless Lotus Killer of Arcanum De Fleur.'

He didn't want this matter to be prolonged enough and before the said woman could speak any further, Eclipse went out from where he was hiding and confronted the said woman.

"I'm here. Now, what were you saying?"

When Eclipse showed himself up, he saw how the woman stood stiff with her wide eyes open in shock as she looked at him and was about to speak when Eclipse cut her off; "No need to explain yourself. I had heard enough. So, how about we chat for a moment? Hmm?"

He sensed that the woman was preparing for something as he continued; "Don't even think of doing something stupid, Nariana. Surely, you're not that reckless to cause an uproar within the confines of this household.

Especially, since this is the territory of the household of war heroes, may I remind you."

According to the information that was provided within the system archive, Rheina Clandestine is a smart woman and she wouldn't dare to make such a reckless move inside the enemy's territory.

Also, there is a reason for the Leader of Arcanum De Fleur to take this mission up personally and infiltrate this household.

'Desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say. Since she helped me before, I should lend her a hand at least then.'

Besides, Eclipse doesn't care about what fate lies within this household and he won't involve himself in it but as long as he is still one of the young masters, even if it's only for appearance's sake, he needs to, at least, act that he is protecting the prestige of the Chevalier's name.

Even if he didn't want to.

Eclipse; "I know the reason you're here, Nariana…"

He paused mid-sentence as he crossed his arms around his chest and raised an eyebrow at the silent woman who, in return, observed him from head to toe. Eclipse wasn't that much offended though.

If he was still that arrogant young master from his previous life then, he would throw a tantrum and accuse this woman of disrespecting him in the way she conduct herself in front of him.

However, he is no longer that person at all. Actually, in this world, he is the oldest among these people and Eclipse could just practically see these people are nothing but a bunch of children within his eyes.

"….. So, care to tell me now why you're planning to steal the…. ———"

He watched as the woman trembled at the mention of the item she was looking for and looked back at him with wide eyes; "H-how did you…"

Eclipse once more cuts her off as he speaks nonchalantly; "I think that shouldn't be your concern, for now, right? Instead of asking me that question, why not propose a deal with you, then?"

'I know she won't blindly accept this immediately, but who am I, anyway? I am Eclipse.'

As a person who experiences millennium worldlines, of course, Eclipse already mastered the art of deception and this one would be just a piece of cake for him.

"Why should I agree with this deal you're talking about?"

Eclipse smirks as he says one sentence that could make Rheina cooperate with him…

"How does it feel to have the power, which is not particularly yours from the beginning, then?"

[END OF FLASHBACK]

*******