I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain-Chapter 123

‘Yeah, you were always that kind of person. Military principles, duty—none of that matters to you, does it? All you care about is building your achievements, making a name for yourself, and earning enough merit to secure the position of Supreme Commander.’

The voice was undoubtedly his own, yet it felt unfamiliar. Like a flood bursting through a broken dam, the memories he had buried surged forward all at once.

When Hayes had brought up that incident, how had Theo felt? Like the ground had disappeared beneath his feet, leaving him unable to think. That day, instead of tending to Luke’s wounds, he had lashed out with harsh words, spitting them with nothing but contempt.

Why hadn’t he asked first? Why are you here? What are you thinking? Why hadn’t he tried to understand the situation before condemning Luke? Back then, his anger had clouded his usual reasoning.

And so, he had failed to notice.

Failed to see the look in Luke’s eyes as he stood there, not even attempting to refute him. That tired, defeated expression—now that Theo thought about it, it had been the face of someone who had been wounded.

Realizing his own feelings for Luke had made him arrogant. And now, he was paying for it.

"..."

Theo clenched his fist against the table. Now, he understood. Luke hadn’t snuck into the Membren War out of some selfish ambition. There had been a reason. He must have had his own thoughts, his own purpose.

But Theo hadn’t trusted him. He hadn’t even considered listening to him.

"It’s in the past."

That same look—Luke’s quiet, exhausted expression—overlapped with another memory. That time, when Theo had left him standing alone on the hill. When Luke had temporarily rejoined the military as an advisor, some of the officers and soldiers had sent him nothing but disdainful, judgmental glances. Theo had been so furious at their narrow-mindedness that he had issued direct orders to curb their hostility.

But what about himself? Could he really say he had been any different?

Without so much as an apology, he had brazenly asked Luke for help.

"How pathetic."

Theo let out a self-deprecating laugh. Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Commander, Officer Fail has arrived."

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"Send him in."

Theo slowly rose from his seat and walked to the table in the center of the room. At the same time, the door opened, and Fail entered, his face slightly tense.

"Good day, Commander."

"Yes. Sorry for calling you in so suddenly."

"N-not at all."

Fail swallowed nervously, his eyes briefly scanning the office that still felt impossible to grow accustomed to. Theo gestured toward the seat across from him.

"I called you because I need to have an important conversation with you."

"What kind of conversation, sir?"

Fail averted his gaze as he asked the question. He couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of discussion the Supreme Commander would want to have with an ordinary soldier like him.

"Fail, what do you think of Luke?"

"...Pardon?"

Fail’s expression instantly darkened. The unexpected question caught him off guard, and he hesitated, but Theo simply waited for his response with a steady gaze.

"I... I don’t really know."

After much deliberation, Fail chose the safest, most ambiguous answer he could. If he tried to avoid the question, he might end up saying something unnecessary.

Silence fell between them. Theo lowered his gaze to the floor before nodding slightly.

"You spent your leave in Kailum at Luke’s estate."

"Yes..."

"You managed his meals, helped with the gardens, and even reported the unidentified beast that Luke found near the Kailum branch."

Fail tensed but nodded in agreement.

"But weren’t you merely being used by Luke?"

"That..."

"As I reviewed the events, something felt unnatural. A subordinate wouldn’t harbor positive feelings toward a superior who abused his power and forced him into criminal activities. Yet, your actions in Kailum suggest the opposite."

Fail squeezed his eyes shut. Even while staying in Kailum, he had feared that Theo might notice something and had considered leaving Luke’s estate. But Luke had covered for him, claiming he had only kept Fail there to make use of him. That had allowed him to dodge suspicion—until now.

Of course, Theo’s sharp instincts hadn’t dulled with time.

Fail had known something was off the moment he was summoned. His fingers fidgeted anxiously. Because this conversation was inevitably going to lead to that.

"I’ll be blunt. Is there something I don’t know about this case? What’s the truth?"

Fail let out a short breath. I knew it.

"There’s... nothing, sir."

Fail denied it immediately. Luke had wanted that chapter of his life to remain closed. Even when Fail had been angry enough to spill the truth to his fellow administrative officers, Luke hadn’t wanted it.

It was as if he didn’t want anyone to know what he had really done, what had been on his mind that day.

And Fail wanted to respect that.

"Fail."

"..."

A heavy, almost oppressive voice fell over him. Theo didn’t need to say anything else—his tone alone was enough to make Fail shrink back.

"If you know something, you need to speak up."

"I-I really, I don’t..."

"This is a direct order. Are you refusing to obey the Supreme Commander’s command?"

Fail flinched and looked up in alarm. Theo rarely showed anger, but now, his expression was hard, radiating overwhelming pressure. The sheer weight of his presence made Fail’s shoulders tremble.

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Disobedience was a serious offense in the military. As the suffocating atmosphere pressed down on him, Fail’s face grew paler. But just as he was about to panic, Theo’s sharp gaze softened slightly.

"...I’m sorry."

"Sir...?"

"I didn’t mean to intimidate you. To make a subordinate afraid... it means I’ve failed as a commander."

Theo let out a deep sigh and, uncharacteristically, ran a hand through his hair. Fail blinked in surprise.

"When it comes to Luke, I lose my composure."

Theo wiped a hand down his face, his fingers pressing into his forehead as if trying to suppress a headache. His every movement was heavy with frustration and concern.

"I should be asking you, not ordering you."

"A-a request, sir...?"

"Fail, Luke is arrogant, insatiably ambitious, obsessed with his achievements, and willing to use any means necessary to secure them."

"..."

Fail didn’t agree, but he didn’t refute it, either. He knew that was how most people in the army saw Luke.

"But that isn’t who he really is."

"...Excuse me?"

Fail’s mouth fell open slightly. His voice came out as a stunned whisper, but Theo simply nodded, as if he had already expected that reaction.

"He cares about others. He can’t ignore someone in need. He is thoughtful, diligent, and more upright than anyone I’ve ever met."

Fail was speechless, only able to stare at Theo in disbelief. His eyes practically asked, How do you know that?

"For a long time, I failed to see Luke properly. But when I reunited with him in Kailum, my perspective changed. It started with simple curiosity—I just wanted to know what kind of person he truly was."

Then, after facing countless crises together, after being tangled up in his life again and again, Theo had uncovered a different side of Luke.

"No, that’s not it. I didn’t just learn about him—I discovered the truth. Luke is far greater than I ever realized. And I want to treat him with the care and respect he deserves. That’s why I need to know."

Once Theo finished speaking, Fail remained silent. He seemed lost in deep thought, trying to decide how to respond.

"Fail, I’m not asking as the Supreme Commander. I’m asking as a man who truly cares about Luke. Can you tell me the truth?"

Theo was desperate. He didn’t want to hurt Luke any more than he already had. If Luke was wounded, then Theo wanted to be the one to mend that pain.

Perhaps he was being selfish—prying into something Luke [N O V E L I G H T] clearly wanted to keep hidden. But if he could get closer to Luke’s heart, then he didn’t care.

"You don’t need to ask so earnestly, sir. I..."

Fail hesitated, overwhelmed with emotion.

"I’m not worthy of this kind of trust, Commander."

His voice no longer wavered. He had made his decision.

"Luke saved me. He took the blame for something he didn’t even do."

The hesitation in his eyes had long disappeared.