I Am The Game's Villain Chapter 829: As Hated Commoners

"Oh, Milleia."

Hearing her name, Milleia turned around.

The moment she saw who it was, a gentle smile spread across her face.

"Finally awake, Jayden."

Jayden laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah... that’s my fault."

He shrugged.

"But I’m not the only one who slept in, am I?"

The ship they had traveled aboard belonged to the New Celesta Empire’s royal family.

It had been dispatched specifically for this journey, carrying several of the Empire’s most important figures.

Jayden.

Milleia.

Along with numerous high-ranking nobles, royal officials, distinguished guests, and a considerable escort of knights.

There had never been any question of allowing the Apostle of Lumen and the Daughter of Raphiel to travel across the sea without proper protection.

Most of the accompanying nobles had awakened before sunrise.

Many had already disembarked to meet with the White Knights of Edenis Raphiel, discussing the arrival procedures and confirming the schedule for their immediate transfer to the floating archipelago.

Ordinary visitors often had to wait an hour, or sometimes even longer, before being allowed to continue their journey.

Today, however, the White Knights had been informed well in advance about the identities of those aboard the Celestan royal ship.

As a result, their processing would naturally receive priority.

Milleia let out a small sigh as she looked at Jayden’s carefree smile.

"You’re spending far too much time around Tyler."

She folded her arms before giving him a mildly reproachful look.

"We’re supposed to set an example, you know."

Jayden raised both hands in surrender.

"I know, I know, my mistake."

He smiled sheepishly while walking toward her.

Then he looked beside her.

"Hey, Ceatha."

He greeted her with a friendly wave.

Ceatha silently nodded in acknowledgment.

Without saying another word, her body dissolved into countless tiny particles of white light before disappearing entirely.

Jayden watched the place where she had vanished.

Then he sighed.

"...She really hates me."

Milleia immediately shook her head.

"She doesn’t. Ceatha’s just very shy."

Jayden gave her an unconvinced look.

"I don’t know about that."

He scratched his cheek.

"I’ve gotten pretty good at recognizing when people dislike me."

He laughed quietly.

"Especially back at the Academy."

He paused.

"...Mostly the boys."

Milleia smiled knowingly.

"I understand."

She looked out toward the bustling harbor.

"For me, it’s usually the girls."

Her smile became a little more bittersweet.

"I still wish I could get along with everyone, though."

Jayden leaned against the railing.

"It can’t really be helped." He shrugged. "We both started as commoners."

He glanced toward her.

"And then, we climbed way too fast."

He smiled.

"The Daughter of Raphiel, the Apostle of Lumen, the Heroes of Celesta," he laughed softly. "That’s a pretty ridiculous jump when you think about it."

Many nobles admired them.

Many respected them.

But there were also those who quietly resented them.

To certain old aristocratic families...

Their rapid rise had disrupted an order that had existed for centuries.

Two commoners, standing shoulder to shoulder with royalty.

It was difficult for everyone to accept.

Milleia looked at him before giggling.

"You should just ignore them."

She smiled teasingly.

"Take Tyler as an example."

Jayden laughed.

"I don’t think anyone could copy Tyler."

Tyler had also been born a commoner.

Unlike Jayden or Milleia, however, he possessed no divine title.

No sacred bloodline, no legendary destiny.

Everything he had achieved had been earned through relentless effort, stubborn determination, and the Legacy he had.

Perhaps because of that, he received even more criticism than either of them.

Yet Tyler never seemed bothered.

He simply laughed, smiled, and continued walking forward without ever looking back.

Jayden smiled helplessly.

"So you’re telling me to ignore Ceatha too?"

He glanced toward the spot where she had disappeared.

"I was actually hoping we’d become friends, she’s your familiar after all."

Milleia shook her head.

"I’ll talk to her. It really isn’t anything personal. Ceatha has always been like that. Ever since I met her, she’s naturally quiet; she doesn’t easily open up to people."

Jayden tilted his head.

"...To anyone?"

"Um..."

Milleia hesitated.

Someone did come to mind.

Someone who had managed to earn Ceatha’s trust surprisingly quickly.

Edward.

Or rather...

Nyrel.

Back then...

When he still wore another face.

She still remembered how shocked she had been seeing Ceatha willingly approach him.

Allow him close.

Even allow him to touch her without pulling away.

It had been completely unlike her.

The memory resurfaced so suddenly that a faint melancholy appeared over Milleia’s expression.

After a brief moment, she quietly shook her head.

"...Yes."

She finally answered with a small nod.

Jayden smiled.

"That actually makes me feel a little better."

He stepped beside Milleia and rested his forearms against the railing.

His eyes wandered across the enormous floating harbor below.

Ships stretched as far as the eye could see.

White Knights moved with perfect coordination between colossal platforms. Countless passengers filled every walkway.

"...Wow."

He let out a quiet whistle.

"This place is enormous."

He looked toward Milleia.

"How many people do you think work here?"

She followed his gaze.

"Thousands."

She paused briefly.

"...Probably even more."

She watched several White Knights directing arriving visitors.

"The security here is incredibly thorough."

Jayden nodded slowly.

"I guess that’s only natural."

His eyes instinctively drifted upward.

Far above the clouds.

Toward the legendary floating archipelago barely visible in the brilliant morning sky.

"...We’re talking about Edenis Raphiel, after all."

As he was lost in thought, the sound of the door leading from the ship’s interior quietly opening pulled Jayden back to reality.

He turned his head, and the moment he spotted Jeanne, a smile immediately spread across his face.

She was dressed more casually than usual, wearing a simple skirt that reached just above her knees along with a short-sleeved top that fluttered lightly in the sea breeze. There was nothing extravagant about her outfit, yet it suited her perfectly, giving her a softer appearance than the stern image she often carried.

Walking beside her was Eric.

"Hey—"

Jayden had barely opened his mouth when he felt someone tug on his arm.

Milleia.

"Leave them alone."

"Huh?" Jayden looked at her in confusion. "Why?"

Milleia simply smiled as she watched the pair continue walking ahead of them, seemingly immersed in their own conversation.

"Don’t you think they need some time alone?"

Jayden blinked, following her gaze before slowly realizing what she was implying.

"You mean... they’re together?" He asked.

"Aren’t they?" Milleia replied with an amused smile. "Ever since Jeanne was summoned, I’ve never seen her smile at anyone the way she smiles at Eric."

"And Aurora," Jayden pointed out almost immediately. "I’ve seen her get pretty close to Aurora too. Even Sylvia. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything."

"They’re women," Milleia answered matter-of-factly. "Eric is a man."

"Yeah, but it’s different." Jayden shook his head. "Trust me, I know a thing or two by now. It feels more like they’re just... really close friends."

His eyes drifted back toward the pair ahead of them.

It was true.

Jeanne wasn’t someone who smiled often. Most of the time, she carried herself with quiet composure, keeping her emotions carefully hidden behind a calm expression.

Yet whenever she was around Eric, those walls seemed to lower ever so slightly.

Even from where he stood, watching the faint smile on her lips was enough to catch his attention. It suited her so well that he couldn’t help thinking it was a shame she didn’t smile like that more often.

He had tried plenty of times himself.

He would strike up conversations, tease her from time to time, or simply spend time with her whenever the opportunity arose. But Jeanne had always remained reserved, answering politely without ever truly opening up.

Still...

As someone who somehow ended up with more than sixty women, Jayden had learned to trust his instincts when it came to relationships.

And those instincts were telling him something different.

To him, Jeanne and Eric didn’t give off the feeling of a couple.

They looked more like two people who had grown incredibly comfortable around one another, close friends who enjoyed each other’s company without any awkwardness.

For some reason, it reminded him of his own relationship with Jennyfer.

They laughed together, teased each other, and could spend hours talking without ever getting bored.

Of course, that comparison wasn’t exactly fair. Jennyfer was his sister, connected to him by blood, while Jeanne and Eric had only met after Jeanne had been summoned.

If anything, it was surprising how quickly they had managed to grow so close.

"Has Eric always been this talkative, by the way?" Jayden suddenly asked.

Truthfully, he didn’t know Eric all that well.

They had crossed paths countless times, but actual conversations between them had been surprisingly rare. From what little he’d seen, though, Eric seemed like a genuinely decent guy.

Milleia tilted her head thoughtfully.

"I don’t really know..." She said. "Although, now that I think about it... I mostly see him talking a lot with John."

"Oh..."

Jayden nodded absentmindedly, his attention returning to the two walking ahead.

Jeanne was smiling again.

This time, she lightly shoved Eric’s shoulder after he said something that she clearly found amusing.

Eric simply laughed, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed grin before saying something else that made her smile linger.

It was a pleasant sight, he wished he could share as well with both of them.

"You should get ready, Jayden."

Milleia’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts once more.

"We’ll be disembarking soon."

"Right."

Giving the pair one last glance, Jayden nodded before turning around and hurrying back toward his cabin.

Arete should have finished getting ready by now.