Ascension Of The Villain-Chapter 335: New Job?

"What?! Two to three weeks? That's... a long time."

Adrian gave him a flat look. "And?"

"What am I supposed to do until then?" Vyan asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and growing restlessness.

Adrian shrugged casually "I don't know. Maybe just keep doing what you've been doing the past couple of days?"

Vyan threw his hands up. "I've been babysitting and playing tag. That's what I've been doing. Basically... doing nothing. I have so much work back home. There's an entire dukedom waiting on my every breath. Who's going to take care of that?"

The words came out sharper than he meant them to, laced with frustration, but underneath it all was something heavier.

Ashstone... again without its ruler.

Still, a small comfort stirred in his chest.

Freya.

He had told her—warned her, even—in case the worst ever happened and he died. She would know what to do. He had arranged everything in preparation of his possible demise. So, things weren't that bad. But that didn't make the ache go away.

It wasn't just about duty. It was about home. He missed it.

Adrian leaned back on the couch, arms crossed. "Look, time isn't exactly a shared concept between worlds, is it? You don't even know what pace yours is running at right now. Maybe it's been a day. Maybe it's been an hour. Or maybe, for them, it hasn't even been a blink. Or worse, already a year has passed. You have no way of knowing."

Vyan stared at him. "…So you're saying I should just chill?"

Adrian shrugged again. "I mean, what else can you do? Worrying won't make the clock tick faster. Trust me, I've tried multiple times."

Vyan let out a slow sigh, eyes falling to the soft carpet beneath his feet. "You're right. No point stressing over what I can't control."

But inside, the storm kept rumbling inside him.

Two to three weeks just for the documents. Then the journey to find the center of the Bermuda Triangle. Then the actual process—if there was a process. And if it didn't work? If he couldn't go back?

He was staking everything—his time, his remaining financial assistance, his literal existence—on a theory stitched together from a half-lunatic scientist named Eira.

But he had to go back. He had to.

He missed her.

Iyana.

Her smile, soft and bright like the dawn. The fierce glint in her violet eyes when she sparred. The way her fingers brushed his knuckles whenever they sat beside each other and she thought no one was looking. The sound of her laughter, the scolding he secretly liked, the way she loved touching his bare skin, her kisses...

Dear goddess, he was having withdrawal symptoms.

Living in this world was... peaceful, yes. Strangely warm. Adrian's family had been nothing but kind. Elian clung to him like he'd always belonged. Emma ensured his comfort without expecting a word in return. It was cozy in a way he never got to experience before.

But it wasn't his life.

It wasn't his family.

His family was back in Ashstone. Where Iyana waited—or at least, he prayed she still did. Where Clyde annoyed him but stood by his side like an anchor. Where Benedict quietly ensured he never missed a single responsibility. Where 124 staff members bowed their heads each morning, waiting to serve a house that now stood... without its master.

His chest tightened.

He had to go home.

Adrian leaned forward, propping his elbow on the table with that familiar grin that always meant trouble. "Well," he said, dragging out the word as he caught Vyan's attention, "to pass the time these next two or three weeks, why don't you… be the babysitter?"

Vyan blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then slowly turned to face Adrian with a deadpan expression that could curdle milk. "Me? Babysit children?"

"You've been doing it already," Adrian pointed out, too cheerfully for Vyan's liking.

"That was under supervision," Vyan snapped. "Julia barely taught me how to not kill a toddler and not let Ellie eat crayons today. You want me to look after two of them? Alone?"

"Basically, yeah."

"What about Natasha?" Vyan asked, desperate for a life raft. "Isn't she their babysitter?"

Adrian scratched the back of his head. "Technically, yes. But she's been asking for a few weeks off. She wants to go on some grand tour with her boyfriend. And Emma and I were kinda... dreading what to do. Finding a new sitter isn't exactly a cakewalk, especially someone who can handle those two."

Vyan's eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Wait… so today, the reason Natasha wasn't around was because she's already on her little tour?"

Adrian gave a small, sheepish smile. "Yep."

A long pause followed.

Vyan stared. "So... I never had a choice, to begin with."

Adrian nodded with the calm of someone who had successfully passed off a ticking time bomb. "Exactly."

"You tricked me."

"I prefer the term 'gently guided.'"

Vyan closed his eyes and let out a deep, soul-weary sigh, like the weight of a thousand snotty tissues and toddler tantrums had already descended upon his shoulders. "Fine. I guess I have no choice. But I swear, if something goes wrong—"

"I will hold you responsible," Adrian interrupted brightly. "You are the babysitter. You are, by default, responsible for their well-being."

Vyan glared.

"But," Adrian added quickly, raising both hands in mock surrender, "don't worry. I'm not throwing you to the wolves. I'll make sure you're well-prepared. I wouldn't risk my babies on someone who doesn't know the difference between a juice box and cough syrup."

Vyan muttered something in his native tongue that sounded suspiciously like a curse.

Adrian laughed. "Come on, you've got this. You survived demons, witches, or whatever back home, I don't know. Surely you can handle one tiny lovable baby and a slightly older ball of undetained energy."

Vyan groaned. "This is the real battlefield, isn't it?"

"Welcome to Earth," Adrian grinned. "Your greatest trial has begun: parenthood without the parenting."

Vyan raised an eyebrow, arms folded, still reeling from the absurdity of what he'd just agreed to. "Did you even talk about this with Emma?"

Adrian nodded, unfazed. "Yep. Actually… it was her idea."

Vyan stared, lips parting in disbelief. "You both trust me way too much."

Adrian offered a one-shoulder shrug and a lazy smile. "Come on. I know you. You might have been a villain but you wouldn't hurt the innocent. And let's be honest, there's no one more innocent than kids." His eyes softened slightly. "Especially Elian and Amy."

Vyan looked away for a moment, expression loosening with a quiet sigh. "I guess I can't argue with that…"

They were innocent. Chaotic, yes. Emotionally unpredictable, absolutely. But their laughter was unfiltered joy, and their trust–so easily and willingly given—was something Vyan would always be grateful for.

Still, he groaned and ran a hand down his face. "But this is still ridiculous. Me? A babysitter? This has to be some kind of joke. I didn't fight demons and screw over the imperial family just to end up negotiating snack times and bedtime tantrums."

Adrian grinned. "Hey, look at it this way: you don't need to feel indebted to us anymore. You're paying us back with honest work. And between you and me, professional babysitters make serious money. You're basically a domestic mercenary now."

Vyan deadpanned, "You did not just call me a mercenary nanny."

Adrian raised both hands innocently. "You said it, not me."

Vyan let out a dramatic exhale and shook his head slowly. Then, clasping his hands together with exaggerated reverence, he tilted his face toward the ceiling.

"Whatever divine entities exist in this strange world," he muttered, eyes squinting in mock prayer, "please… grant me the patience of a saint and the stamina of a sportsperson. I'm going in."