An Important Villain

The sun was setting with a blood red hue. The water in the river was trying it's best to reflect the sun's beauty.         Once in a while, a fish would jump out and then dive back in. The gentle breeze blowing above the water was creating small ripples in the river.         Thick lines of trees on both side of the river were bending their branches trying to reach out to the water in the river. Their reflection in the water in contrast to the setting sun made the water look more mysterious and charming.      The atmosphere felt so surreal as if it was the sunset after an apocalypse.         Dangerous but breathtaking.      He was standing near the railing of the bridge. The gentle sunshine hitting his face felt almost heavenly.       It was so comfortable that it almost made him forget all his worries.      Usually in comics, this was the type of setting where he'd meet his long-lost lover or soulmate for life and start their very own journey. That's the type of setting it was.       'But why am I jumping down the bridge in such a nice atmosphere?? It should rain a little at least. The weather's so good it almost feels like the world is happy at my decision.'        One more song left. His favourite playlist was playing in his phone. All sorts of weird thoughts covered his mind as the promised time was approaching.        'Should I leave my phone behind? It was rather expensive after all. But it's not like my family lacks money or property.'      'Pfft...Ahaha..Really, what am I thinking at a time like this... I really have gone crazy.    Ahhh..It was a pretty okay life.. Well then, here goes nothing.'      BAM!!!      'Ugh! That hurt like a b***h!! No one told me jumping from a bridge would hurt so much.. And It's cold!!!      Who thought jumping in the river in the middle of winter was a good idea??      Ah, I'm drowning.'       There was no air. It was suffocating... He clenched his fist tight to stop his instincts from taking over and struggling to go out. His nails dug deep in his palm and a few drops of blood came out. But those too disappeared in the nearby water soon without a trace.        The scenery underwater was still so beautiful. It was probably the prettiest shade of blue he has ever seen. He was glad it was not raining.         It was slowly getting dark.         'Am I losing consciousness?    If I get another chance at life, I'll definitely die in a more comfortable way next time. I swear.'      With a stupid resolve that matched his personality all too well, his body finally sank to the deepest part of the water.    .    .    .    For a long time everything was quiet. But the silence was oddly comfortable. All his pain and worries became non-existent. It felt like nothing else mattered.      'I don't want this silence to end, this comfort to disappear.'      Who knew death would feel so freeing. All his shackles were broken, all those broken parts of him became whole.      'I want to stay like this forever.'      Deep inside death's embrace, very few could find the comfort he was feeling. To most others, it was a horrifying feeling that crept all over their body like hundreds of bugs crawling under their skin and made them suffer for an insurmountable amount of time.    .    .    .    But nothing lasts forever. After staying in that dark place for an uncountable amount of time, fate decided to let him go. His will didn't matter.    .    .    .    Waking from his peaceful slumber, he started to hear human voices again. Voices that felt unknown to him.    .    "An.....Ian...wake.....please..."      Sniff.        'Huh? Someone's crying? Lady, can't you see I'm trying to die peacefully? Please go somewhere else.'        "Don't worry, honey. He'll be fine."-a man spoke with a heavy tone.        'Yes, I'll be fine so please leave me alone. Wait.. I'm trying to die so why'd I be fine?!    Don't speak so thoughtlessly old man!'    .    .    .    .      'Hmmm...They're finally quiet.. Something is weird. Can people think even after they die?      It hurts too. My whole body is aching. Should I open my eyes for a bit?'        After contemplating over whether to open his eyes or not, he finally decided to give in to his curiosity.        'Whoa! So bright.. Where am I?     It looks like a mansion. But isn't it too shiny? '        "Huh? Ian?! You're finally awake! Oh my god! Doctor! Bring the doctor quick!"        The first thing he saw after his vision became clear was a blond woman sitting beside him.        'A celebrity? Foreigner? Wait, where exactly am I? '        "Honey, calm down now. See, I told you he'll be fine. Here, use this handkerchief."        '...So handsome. Is he also an actor? '        An Extremely handsome man, probably in his early forties was standing beside his bed. His hair was a similar shade of blue to the one he saw just before closing his eyes.        'Did he dye it? Such a pretty colour.        But where am I right now? And why are they crying? This room looks  pretty luxurious. Like a historical palace.'        'Wait. Historical palace? Also people wearing weird clothes with weird hair? Is this still Earth?'        He suddenly felt a chill down his spine.         'No way, right?'        "Umm.. Excuse me, Where is this place?"- He asked looking towards the gorgeous couple in front of me.        The woman in her late thirties looked at him with a bit of a surprise, as if she wasn't expecting his question.       'What do you want me to ask then? About the weather?'       "Oh my, look at me.. I was so relieved that I almost forgot you're still very weak. This is your bedroom of course, don't you remember? Wait a little bit, the doctor's on his way."- she finally replied with a gentle smile.      'Wow! So freaking pretty. Is this even legal? '      He tried to sit up while admiring her dazzling smile. Her smile looked similar to his mothers.      "Careful now! Your body is still in the process of recovery after the fall. Here, I'll help you."-said the handsome man while carefully helping him sit straight.      Although his tone was somewhat cold, the concern and care in his actions clearly showed what type of person he was.      "Honey, didn't we decide not to talk about that before he's fully healed?!"-the woman looked shocked as she said that.      "Ah, I'm sorry. "      'Hmm.. They were so beautiful that I almost forgot, why is my point of view so low? Huh? What? Whose body is this???       A kid? No.. A teen.. Really, what the f**k's happening right now? And why do I feel like I know them? I definitely don't know such beautiful creatures.'       Finding himself in this sort of bizarre situation, he decided that it was better to be a little honest.         "I'm sorry, my memory is a little hazy. I can't seem to remember anything. Who am I and where exactly is this? "        Gasp!        The servants around us gasped as they all looked at him with a shocked expression.        'Uh.. Should I not have done that?    But I don't have any other method at hand right now. I'm in an unknown place with weird, beautiful strangers surrounding me.'      "It's fine if you don't remember. It's only normal to have a hazy memory after being unconscious for so long. Your name is Adrian. Adrian Dicarious. The only heir to the Dicarious household. I'm your father, Miller. And she's your mother, Olivia."      Miller had a gentle expression unlike his rough build when he finished answering Ian’s question.       ‘Miller...Olivia...and Adrian? Is this a coincidence? They sound like the characters of a novel I used to read from time to time.       Anyway, it's pretty clear that I'm not me right now. So being inside a novel is nothing out of the question.'    He was pretty quick to accept the situation even though he was having a nervous breakdown moments ago.    'Did I really get isekai'd? This is hilarious.      Don't you usually get transmigrated after being hit by a bus? Did they change the settings or something?      What should I do now? Can I go back?       .......Do I even want to go back?'       Many thoughts and emotions washed over him in that short moment as he contemplated over his choices and decisions.      "Ian? Are you okay?" -Miller had a worried expression on his face as he called out to him.      "Yes, I'm alright. Thank you for worrying about me." -He answered absentmindedly.      "......."      "......."      "......."      'Hm? Why's everyone being silent all of a sudden?'      He looked up only to see this Adrian's parents looking at him with a horrified expression.      "Is everything alright? Why is everyone making such an expression?"- He asked impulsively since they looked too shocked.      After a long silence, Olivia finally managed to control her expression as she replied to my question.      "Yes, everything's fine, Ian. Don't worry about us and just focus on your recovery, my child. You don't know how worried I was when you didn't wake up even after all the treatment. "- her eyes teared up as she expressed her worries for her son.      Throb.      "Ugh..." The sick looking boy let out a low groan after feeling a sharp pain in his chest.      "Son? What happened? Where does it hurt?" Miller asked with a worried expression as he examined my body.      "Where are the doctors ?! What's taking them so long to come? Where are the healers ?! Do I pay them to let my son suffer like this?" he burst into anger as he tried to leave the room to find the doctors.      "I'm fine. Please don't worry." He said with a bitter expression.      'Was that guilt? Did her worried face remind me of my family?'       The pain was there only for a second before it disappeared.       'This won't do. I need to clear my hea-'      "My lord! We're here, my lord. Please forgive us for our delay." -An old man in a white coat and several other people entered the room in a hurry.      'Are they the doctors and the healers? Hmm.. Will I be able to see magic right in front of my eyes? '      With Miller's permission, the doctors started checking his body. At the same time, the healers used their magic.       ‘What are they doing? Healing me? But I don't feel any better.      Let's just ask.’       "What are you doing?" It was a question with no other meaning than the words that were spoken out of pure curiosity.       ‘Hmm. Was that too rude? I wondered since the healers flinched significantly after hearing my question.’      'Wait. Is he scared? Wait wait wait. Why are you turning pale all of a sudden? '      Seeing him too scared to reply, He felt a bit wronged. He was a pretty gentle person, normally.      'I should calm him down somehow. Will this work?'      "I was just curious, why are you not answering? I don't bite." I just said what I thought would calm him down but instead he started trembling.      "P-please f-forgive me, young master. I-I was just t-trying to check if you had any internal injuries w-with my probing magic. " The healer almost turned purple from pale in fear as he answered the question.      ‘Why is he so scared? Hmm. Come to think of it, the Adrian from the novel was a pretty heartless bastard. Short tempered and getting rid of things that were useless was his specialty.      Am I actually in the novel right now? It's so hectic that I can't even think properly.      Let's just be my usual self. I can just use the excuse of memory loss if anyone gets suspicious.’      "Alright. Thanks. " ‘But let's keep it short since I don't want things to get too messy.’      "I-I'm sorry, young master. P-please don't punish m-huh? Excuse me?" The healer was in a daze as if he couldn't comprehend what bullshit he was spewing.      'Dude, I'm just saying thanks. Why are you reacting like that?    This is difficult. I need time to think. I need to organize my thoughts.'      "Mother"      "What is it, dear? Does it hurt anywhere? Do you need anything?"-Olivia answered with a worried expression.      "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt anywhere. But I'm tired. Can they continue their check-up at a later date? I want to sleep. " - Ian said with an expressionless face.      "Are you sure, honey? Won't it-"      "That's okay. If you're feeling fine then they can come at another time." After saying that to Ian, Miller looked towards Olivia.      " Honey, let our son rest for a while. Since he's awake, he's out of danger now. We'll come again later. Let's go. Everyone, leave. "- said Miller and left the room with the others.      "Call me if you need anything, dear."      With that, Olivia also left the room.      Ian was finally alone. He still couldn't believe this was happening. Was this a dream?      Pinch.      'OUCH! That definitely hurt. This isn't a dream. This is crazy. '      "Ha..haha.."         "The origin of Salvation", a famous novel ranked first in the wuxia world and him, a regular reader of that novel.       That's how it was even hours ago. And now here he is. Possessing the body of Adrian Dicarious, a handsome scumbag who is even more well-known than the main character.      Don't get it wrong. He's not famous. He's infamous.       'Well, if you ask me if I hate him, I don't. One of the reasons why this novel got so famous even with it's similar storyline is because of its villains.'       Unlike other novels, this one actually focused evenly on the heroes and the villains.       The way the author depicted human nature through the heroes and villains is what made it so famous.       I wasn't an exception either. I liked the MC. I also liked the villains. I didn't support their actions but it was interesting to see the world from their perspective.      And our guy Adrian here wasn't even the main villain. He was one of the many secondary villains of this novel.       An important role that helped the MC become complete.       'Anyway, when is this? How old is he right now? 18? 19? Which flashback was this again?      More importantly, how'd he get hurt so badly?    .....      Let's just sleep. I'm too tired to think and my body hurts like hell if I try to move even an inch.'         Although the broken bones were attached and cuts got healed, the lack of energy was making his whole body ache. He decided to sleep and get better first.    .    .    .    .    Chirp. Chirp.      Yawn.       'It's morning already? I slept pretty well.'      'Alright then. Let's decide on my goal for now. Let's not aim for something big.    Yeah. That's it. My only wish that I couldn't fulfill. Having a painless death.'      Adrian was planning his future actions when suddenly...      Knock knock      "Come in."      "Y-young master, will you be having your breakfast in your bedroom?" Said the servant with a tense face.      " No, I'm coming down in a bit. Prepare it"      " Yes sir."      Step. Step.      " Hm? Ian? You're having breakfast with us today? " Miller asked with a slight surprise on his face.      "Yes father", I replied as I sat down on the opposite sit from him.      Since I already told them my memory was hazy, it's no problem if I act a bit differently, right?      But this is new, having breakfast with other people, how long has it been?      Adrian was thinking to himself while the servants served his food.      Since he hadn't had proper food for a while, he focused on his food after finishing his thoughts and failed to notice the strange gazes of the people around him.      Adrian, who was he? At this point he could be called nothing but a troublesome young master who had rich, doting parents. That Adrian was eating his food without making a commotion.      His parents were clearly worried about their son's behaviour but couldn't ask anything.      Finally, Miller opened his mouth, " Are you feeling alright now? Is the food to your liking?"      Adrian was so focused on his food that he just replied absentmindedly , "Yes, I'm fine. The food is delicious."      "...!!!"      Everyone present had a shocked expression at his calm attitude and answer but couldn't say anything seeing him genuinely enjoy his breakfast.      Only his mother had a subtle smile of relief in her face.      "What!? How could you go out while you're still in recovery? If you need anything just ask the serva-"           Miller was in the middle of having a mental breakdown when Ian cut him off mid-sentence.      "What?? How could you go out while you're still in recovery? If you need anything just ask the serva-"      " Father", Ian looked Miller in the eyes as he called out to him.        "I'm fine now, all healed, see?" Ian said while smiling from ear to ear in an attempt to look hale and hearty.      They were in a daze before they finally replied after a few seconds, but instead of Miller, the reply came from Olivia.      "Are you sure, honey? But if it makes you happy, then I guess we could do something about it." She said before looking towards Miller.      "Ahem, then after the healers and doctors take a look, I guess it's fine." Miller agreed finally.      After the doctors examined his body and the healers casted healing spells on his healthy body again and again, they finally decided to let him go.      'What a bother.'      Step. Step.      He got dressed in some plain clothes and came down, finding Ian's mother and father standing near the door. They looked surprised with his normal getup since Adrian always dressed extravagantly when he went out.       'But I'm not him. I don't want to copy his lifestyle, at least not his extravagancy. Or things will get tiresome for me in the future.'      Even after witnessing their son's weird behaviour again and again, they didn't question or complain. The only emotion they showed were care and concern. Just goes to show how much they care huh.      'Adrian, you bastard. You were such a loved child.'      "Dear, be careful out there. Return immediately if you feel unwell, okay?"       " I prepared some guards for you, if you need anything, just let them know."      Olivia and Miller spoke after each other.      "Alright mother. Than-!!!" Ian flinched and stopped speaking after seeing one of the guards face.      But it was only for a moment before he turned his head and finished what he was saying "Thank you father, I'll be careful."      Ian said his goodbye and started walking out of the mansion.      Unlike his calm demeanour, Ian was feeling quite chaotic inside.      Just like any other novel, this novel also had a protagonist. Arthur, a very handsome and strong MC. He had compassion and returned gratitude a thousand fold, but showed no mercy for his enemies.    ‘And right now, that protagonist is walking behind me and working as my guard.    This is crazy.’