They Asked Forgiveness From The Villain

Chapter 1: A Cross-Dressing Villain

'Why is it so cold?' Celeste thought,her mind blurred by the waves of pain travelling up and around her body.

Flinching as something wet drips down her face, stiffened fingers twitched as she blinked unclearly. Concentrating on the shrill and echoing sounds of chains ringing, which had bound both of her feet.

Ragged and uneven breaths let out a trace of steam, exposed to low temperatures feeling the toughness of jagged rock against her blistered fingers.

A gun shot sounded in her mind, making her eyes wide and finally sober: 'Where the hell was she? Shouldn't she be dead? The bastards betrayed me, if I'm still alive...I.'

Bright purple eyes stare shockingly at the huge ice wall opposite her, icicles like sharp daggers point towards her.

Small hands and feet marked with purplish-blue bruises, coming to the conclusion: 'This is not my body.'

Clothes are greyed, stained full of an assortment of colours though mostly red, the snow at her feet thick with frozen pools of blood-looking like she'd fallen from a high cliff.

An ice cave, a malnourished-seemingly abused...girl, tied up in chains and dressed in rags.

"Impossible." Celeste denied hoarsely, the weak voice trembling a little.

Thin strands of onyx hair bristling against the gradually red rimmed eyes, water merging with the blood stained face rolling down the small face.

A Perfect Rose.

The name of a fantasy-romance manhwa she'd read casually in her last life and a name, most suited to her current situation... Celeste Nicht.

Living in a countryside village which had suddenly been attacked, the weak child was kidnapped-mother murdered in cold blood. Travelling to sell her off at the largest slave market in the North, an accident struck and left Celeste injured.

Awakening her mana heart, blood steadily pumping and absorbing higher levels of mana as the days go by growing in strength.

Earning the title of Archmage before the age of twenty.

Burning with hatred against the Temple for murdering her mother to take away commoner children, to be used as their subjects.

Celeste vows revenge.

Saving the life of the young Emperor who recognises her talents, he promises to help in her revenge due to the temple being in cohorts with the Empress.

Constantly trying to kill him being the first son of the Emperor, despite herself not given birth to a male heir.

Having an initial hatred towards the temple, changing drastically as a result of meeting Rose Adams the newly conferred Saint. Quickly realising his love for her he breaks his oath, causing Celeste to further blacken.

Inciting other mages to commit violence against the members of the clergy especially the heroine, the Septimus Empire heavily overrun by monsters, Celeste eventually dies at the hands of the Emperor himself.

But there's one problem, 'Wasn't Celeste a man?', the whole character surrounded in a veil of mystery as a result of her silent temperament and always wearing a mask.

Archmage Celeste Nicht the Villain.

Grabbing fistfuls of dark hair she pondered, 'Also didn't Celeste have white hair?', painfully crossing her legs to try to open up her mana heart.

After all she was a weak twelve year old wearing thin clothing in frigid temperatures, waking up her mana will at least help heal her injuries and prevent her from getting sick which is enough for now.

With the memories of a previous life of killing to get her next meal like a tamed wolf, Celeste knew what she was doing was wrong kept awake at night. The frightened faces filled with horror and fear as they slumped to the ground, left her with sleepless nights listening and bowing her head because she couldn't escape.

Poisoning her until she wasn't necessary and shot to death, a bullet lodged deep in her neck.

Revenge being an endless cycle of hate and killing, she was fed up of it. Planning to live her own life away from the drama, considering she wasn't close to it in the first place.

No existence of a villain, no one to impede on their love.

Maybe she can get a job as a mercenary, sure that monster corpses and cores sell for a lot of money, only knowing how to kill it seems like the perfect job for her.

Heat surging round her body making her sickly looking face appear rosy, ignoring the shooting pain of twisted limbs that slowly healed.

A faint blue light outlining the frame of her immature body shielding her from the cold, crossed legged in a constant state of mana absorption her mind numb and empty of all thoughts.

Only wanting to get better, closing her eyes and swept by fatigue Celeste fell asleep alone. The wind and snow caressing her hair and dirty clothes, but no matter how bloodstained and dirty she looked it couldn't hide the solemn beauty that radiated from her.

A lone pine growing high above on a barren mountain, an abandoned girl unfazed by blood asleep in an empty snow covered cave.

'Fuck the Plot: the Emperor, his knight, the heroine and the duke.'

'Who the hell are you?'