Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 217 -: 216 Returning back to the past.[2]

[Regression has been completed.]

[Cause of regression: death!]

[Beep!]

[The host must think of a way to escape the imminent death!]

The glowing blue texts appeared before Crypian’s eyes one after another while he struggled to steady his breathing.

Cold sweat continued to slide down the side of his face as the memories forced into his mind slowly settled into place.

They were not fragments, they were complete memories. The memories of his own death.

Commander Cassian’s sword cutting through his neck with terrifying precision, the floor of the prince’s chamber rushing toward him, blood spreading beneath his body while horrified voices echoed around him.

Even now the memory of that cold sensation crawling across his throat felt so vivid that Crypian instinctively touched his neck with trembling fingers.

Blasphemy was the charge used to execute him.

Crypian’s breathing turned uneven again as another memory surfaced within his mind.

A recording artifact playing his own voice throughout the chamber, his voice insulting the Goddess herself before the Saint, the Commander of the Paladins, and countless nobles.

But he had never said those words. Crypian knew himself better than anyone else.

Even if he truly wished to insult the Goddess, he would never do it within the Holy Empire. No matter how arrogant he was, he was not suicidal.

Which meant someone had fabricated the recording. His thoughts immediately began moving despite the lingering terror clawing through his chest.

The artifact replayed his voice perfectly in those memories, so perfectly that not even Sebastian or the surrounding nobles questioned it for a moment.

Either there existed some unknown artifact capable of replicating voices, or someone had prepared this trap long before his arrival.

Neither possibility mattered right now; the only thing that mattered right now was his survival.

Crypian slowly forced himself to calm down as he lifted his gaze toward the palace corridor.

The prince’s chambers stood directly ahead of him exactly as they had in those memories, while servants and guards surrounded him with worried expressions after his sudden collapse.

Which meant the future had not changed yet. The meeting had not begun.

That realization flashed through his mind almost instantly and with it came another conclusion far more important than the others.

He still had time to escape. Crypian quietly clenched his teeth while forcing his expression to remain unstable and weak.

Explaining the situation was impossible. The moment he mentioned the recording or the future execution, suspicion would immediately fall upon him instead.

Most of the knights stationed within the palace were loyal to the Church before they were loyal to the royal family, and if blasphemy was even mentioned, they would draw their swords first and ask questions later.

His gaze briefly swept across the gathered nobles before stopping on Count Kalan.

A devotee of the Church. Not unusual within the Holy Empire, but enough to remind Crypian of the reality surrounding him.

The Church’s influence reached every corner of the palace. If word spread carelessly, he might never even leave this corridor alive.

’No....this won’t do,’ he needed to disappear before the meeting ever started.

And for that, he needed an excuse serious enough that even Sebastian could not delay him.

Crypian’s thoughts rapidly moved through one possibility after another before finally settling on the simplest solution.

Illness.

Not an ordinary illness either, but something urgent enough to force immediate transportation back to Thorne territory while also preventing further inspection from palace physicians.

The moment the idea formed within his mind, Crypian already began acting.

’There is no time...’ he thought while slowly pushing himself back onto his feet.

"Lord Crypian!" Sebastian immediately stepped forward and supported him before he could fully stand. "What happened? Why did you suddenly collapse?"

"What exactly is wrong with you?" Duke Rayne asked with a deep worried frown as he moved closer as well.

The woman named Risana remained kneeling beside him, her expression serious and confused at the same time.

"You should rest for now, Lord Crypian. I cannot find any visible abnormalities, but your condition is clearly unstable. It would be best for you to receive treatment from the royal physicians."

Crypian immediately shook his head weakly as if even that movement exhausted him.

"My apologies... for causing such a disturbance," he said quietly while lowering his gaze. "But I cannot stay here any longer."

His voice sounded unstable enough that none of them questioned it. Inside, however, his thoughts remained frighteningly calm.

The more severe he appeared, the less they would suspect him. The more urgent the illness seemed, the faster they would prioritize sending him away.

Crypian suddenly coughed violently before discreetly biting down against the tip of his tongue hard enough to draw blood.

"Cough—!"

Dark red blood spilled from his mouth onto the palace floor. The atmosphere instantly changed.

"Lord Crypian!" Sebastian’s expression shifted as he immediately tightened his grip around him.

"Lord Xavier, call the royal physicians immediately!" he ordered sharply.

Count Xavier hurriedly moved at once, but before he could leave, Crypian suddenly raised one trembling hand to stop him.

"No..." he said weakly before coughing again. "It’s useless... this is a chronic illness..."

More blood stained his lips as he lowered his head slightly, carefully controlling even his breathing now.

"I left the medicine... within Thorne territory," he continued with visible difficulty. "The seizure struck earlier than expected..."

Sebastian’s expression darkened immediately. "Then tell us the name of the medicine. We can send someone to retrieve it at once."

Crypian slowly shook his head again.

"It cannot be found within the Holy Empire," he replied while forcing another rough cough from his throat.

"The medicine is produced only within our territory... so please..." his voice weakened further as though he was struggling to remain conscious, "connect the intercontinental transportation gate."

The surrounding nobles exchanged uneasy looks while Crypian continued speaking in an increasingly strained voice.

"If I do not take the medicine within the next hour..." he said quietly, "I may truly die."