Became the Villainess’s Guardian

After firmly grasping Edan’s hand, Freugne first glimpsed one month into the future.

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, in the cozy living room atmosphere, she and Edan were lounging on separate sofas, separated only by a single table.

Then, brushing aside her slightly disheveled hair, she peered one year into the future.

Perhaps due to the chaos, the household had a somewhat gloomy atmosphere, but neither she nor Edan seemed to be in any particular trouble.

While she did not know what that man in the white suit was scheming, at the very least, she had confirmed the safety of herself and Edan, which was the most important thing.

“Heheh, I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Freugne deliberately concealed her earlier unease.
Though some uncertainty lingered, her ability had never lied to her thus far.

So regarding the future, she could take her time pondering it.
Would it not be hypocritical for her to urge Edan to take it easy while failing to do so herself?

“Ah, right. The teacher said to have you sign a confirmation form if I’ll be missing school.”

“Sure, here it is. We’ll be leaving early, so get some rest early, alright? We’ll have lunch at one of the famous restaurants there.”

“I heard there’s even an aircraft manufacturer. Will we get to ride one?”

“It’s probably still a bit too risky. But we might be able to watch an expert demonstration flight.”

As they chatted leisurely, just as Freugne was about to return to her bedroom, she asked Edan one last question, just in case:

“By the way, Mr. Edan, do you happen to know anything about someone in a pure white suit?”

“Never heard of it. Is it some sort of metaphorical expression?”

“No, it’s because I saw someone dressed like that on the street today.”

“Is that so? An unusual person indeed. Normally, no one would wear such an outfit outside due to soot and dust.”

“You’re right. A truly unusual… person.”

Indeed, this was an issue she would have to resolve herself, without dragging Edan into it.

And Freugne was confident she could handle it.
Perhaps a bit overconfident, even.

The world had only recently become interconnected.
However, once connected, people were gradually grasping the concept of globalization.

And an interconnected world meant increased trade.
Especially during such a prosperous period, it went without saying how active it was, and events like this fair presented opportunities for self-promotion.

Unlike academic conferences where papers were scrutinized and rebutted, this exhibition was purely for product introductions. To be precise, it was a venue for promotion.

“Take a look at our new aircraft model. We’ve doubled the range compared to the previous version, and by removing a few seats, you can install additional fuel tanks if needed.”

“Is it safe for us to board?”

“One of our mages will be conducting a demonstration flight later. You can watch from the northern hill.”

“Here we have a color camera! More vibrant than black-and-white, and sharper than anywhere else! We’re offering a special discount today, so be sure to take some pictures!”

“We’ve prepared a theatrical performance utilizing more intricate fire magic techniques! It’s the very magic demonstrated at the prestigious Royal Academy!”

In any case, would it not be a waste to simply ignore the latest magic and magical devices on display?

All those participating, whether businessmen or mages, had at least one foot in that industry.
Naturally, having caught the scent of money here, their course of action was obvious.

“I want… I want to see too!”

“Of course, we must go. Get me five tickets, we’ll make it a family outing this weekend!”

They could even receive real-time customer feedback and reviews, killing two birds with one stone.
If they were truly concerned about leaks, they would have kept everything tightly secured in their company basements from the start.

Thus, the magic fair grounds became a motley mixture of tourists, businessmen, and mages.
Aside from the swarming crowds, everyone seemed satisfied with the outcome.

“Form orderly lines! With so many people, guardians must keep a close watch on their charges!”

“Hold on, over there! Someone’s acting rather suspiciously. Did he just reach into that lady’s bag-”

“He’s fleeing! Catch him!”

And upon arriving at the fairgrounds, there were many police officers spawned as well.

“The experiences visitors have here represent the very face of our kingdom! The chief inspector has strictly cautioned against any untoward incidents.”

“It is when things appear most peaceful that we must be most vigilant! Do not be lulled by the dazzling spectacle before you.”

“Stand up straight! Why were you unable to apprehend that pickpocket? The inspector is greatly disappointed.”

“For such a major event, they seem to be taking security quite seriously, even in the city.”

“Well, perhaps that’s a sign of how safe we are?”

The Londinium police officers were on high alert, scanning their surroundings more intently than usual.

It was not as if there had been any terrorist threats, otherwise the fair would have been shut down from the start.

They simply seemed exceptionally motivated for some reason, though the reason itself was unclear.
From the perspective of those being patrolled, it was not Edan’s concern in any case.

As Freugne glanced around the fairgrounds filled with wondrous items, she asked:

“Is there a Keres Martop booth as well?”

“Yes. Though originally, we had planned for a larger scale, but it was revised downward.”

Had the original plan proceeded, they would have already established their first overseas branch by now, and the production of new, innovative air conditioners would have begun.
However, due to the delay, the scale had been reduced.

At the very least, the Keres Air Conditioner™ was on display, and what appeared to be foreign employees wandered around, likely finding the surroundings unfamiliar.

While news could now travel swiftly from anywhere in the world, written explanations were one thing, but nothing could quite match the experience of witnessing it firsthand, without the ability to transmit video footage.

“When are you planning to start exports? I heard there was some hiccup in the plans.”

“No need to worry too much. By this time next year, the factory will already be in operation.”

“Even if just the product! If an exclusive sales contract is… a bit difficult, how about securing priority rights in advance?”

“Ah, a customer, I see. You can discuss the details with that employee over there.”

After briefly observing the Martop employees at work, I decided to divert my attention.
Since I had decided to spend time with Freugne today, what was the point of coming here only to be preoccupied? It would defeat the purpose of taking a vacation.

“There’s so much to see, it’s hard to decide where to start. What should we do first?”

“Well, how about taking a picture? Let’s capture this moment as a memento. It’ll be nice to look back on when you’re older and reminisce.”

I led Freugne into the crowd.

By evening, the streets had become deserted.
While the lamplighters had illuminated the lamps, most were weary, and the booths had one by one closed up for the next day, leaving little to see.

However, Freugne and Edan strolled, gazing at the clear sky and the stars dotting the dark canopy above.

The fairgrounds were located on a secluded hill in the outskirts of Londinium.
It had been quite some time since they had seen a sky free from the city’s billowing smoke.

After all, the natural environment of a city where morning mists brought smog, and severe cases caused stinging eyes, could hardly be described as pleasant.

“I ended up buying too much, it seems. What should we do with all this?”

“Just put it in the fridge for now and eat it tomorrow.”

“But we don’t have a place to stay, do we?”

“There’s the Keres Martop booth. We can just stash it there, no big deal.”

With the crowds came a wide array of foreign cuisines for sale.
Edan, perhaps indulging a bit, had purchased more than they could finish, his arms laden with food, thinking this might be his only chance to spend money so freely.

As they strolled, reminiscing about the day’s events, Freugne spotted a familiar face.

“No incidents today, I take it?”

“Whew, with so many people, maintaining control was difficult. But there were no crimes beyond petty theft.”

“Good, that’s proof you did your job properly. Still, stay vigilant.”

Chief Inspector Baldur was personally present on site even at this late hour.
The message relayed to him that Saturday morning had been effective. Of course, all Freugne had told him was to pay a bit more attention to public safety, not necessarily to take it this far.

No, considering the weight he likely placed on the information she typically conveyed to him, perhaps it was only natural for him to take those words so seriously.
Seeing how the day had passed without incident, her concerns now seemed unfounded.

Well, she had already confirmed their safety one month into the future, after all.
Looking further ahead, the future was at least guaranteed to be free of any major harm to herself or Edan, even years later when Edan aimed a gun at her.
Perhaps she had simply been overly sensitive.

Freugne leaned against Edan, her fatigued body urging him to quicken their pace.

“You worked hard today too.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“With most of the visitors gone, leave only a minimal force behind and withdraw. If anything happens, report it immediately-”

“Wait a moment, Chief Inspector. That person’s behavior over there seems a bit odd…”

And just as Freugne was about to begin indulging in carefree thoughts of what they would do tomorrow, someone staggering drunkenly from the opposite side of the street reached into their pocket.

Freugne felt a familiar sense of unease at the sight. It was an image she had witnessed countless times before, after all.

Sure enough, the unidentified person was holding something that glinted faintly in the dim glow of the streetlamps.

Bang!

By the time Baldur turned his head in response to his subordinate’s belated, urgent call, he was struck by the bullet and fell.

“Kyaaahh!!”

“Someone’s been shot! Everyone, run!!”

“Somebody call the police! There’s blood spilling onto the ground!”

“But the one who got shot is a police officer?!”

Catching a glimpse of the assailant’s face in the lamplight, Freugne momentarily held her breath.

“Revenge… my position…”

“…What?”

Although emaciated from imprisonment and his face slightly altered by starvation, he was the same talkative businessman Freugne had once marked as an example.

And as he muttered softly, his eyes suddenly turned crimson, and now the gun was aimed at her.

Freugne generally emphasized results over process.

This was not because she had received the self-destructive upbringing that the ends justify the means by any means necessary.
Rather, for the highly practical reason that she could not trace the process step-by-step.

The future she could witness was at most about 5 minutes, sometimes even less, depending on her condition.
Yet even for the simple conclusion of “a hamburger was made,” the process would include shopping for ingredients, preparing them, and then cooking – an extended sequence.

So instead of trying to discern what would happen the next day, she opted for broader time frames.
After all, if she was unharmed in the future, she would be unharmed in the present as well. And Freugne disliked having the thrill of direct experience spoiled by life’s spoilers.

Had it been a convenient ability that showed the cause all the way to the effect, she would not have had to rack her brain wondering why Edan aimed a gun at her.

‘I have no choice.’

That was Freugne’s simple justification for moving on.

To be blunt, yes, she had grown complacent.

While fully aware of the future as if reading her own palm, she could manipulate influential figures like marionettes, though an ordinary girl would struggle even to catch a glimpse of them.
If not a sense of omnipotence from having everything under control, Freugne had undoubtedly developed considerable self-confidence from never experiencing a proper failure thus far.

Ordinarily, such arrogance would not have posed an issue.
But today, that very mindset became her undoing.

Click

The gun barrel she had once so feared, aimed first at Baldur, and now at her.
This time, held in someone else’s hand.

And as the finger moved, a spark flew.
Simultaneously, Freugne’s face was splattered with warm blood.