Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

The rain fell in a steady rhythm against the high, obsidian walls of the palace, a dull murmur against the restless silence that had settled over the grand halls. Enara stood by the arched window of her chamber, her arms crossed as she gazed out over the courtyard below. The torches burned dimly in the drizzle, casting elongated shadows against the stone.

Three years.

It had been three years since Liria vanished from her life.

The memory of that night was still fresh, burned into her mind like a scar that refused to fade. One moment, Liria had been there—her sharp tongue, her irritating stubbornness, her unwavering presence always just a step behind Enara. The next… she was gone.

And no matter how hard she searched, how many leads she followed, Liria was nowhere to be found.

Enara exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair, which had grown longer over the years. It cascaded down her back in sleek waves, darker than it had been before, with subtle hints of violet in the firelight. She had changed. She had grown.

And yet, no matter how much she had changed, she still felt the hollow absence of her.

Her bodyguard.

That's what Liria was.

Not her best friend.

Not… anything more.

Just her damn bodyguard.

And yet, the absence clawed at her ribs like something more.

A knock sounded at the door, breaking the spell of her thoughts.

"Come in," she said, turning her gaze back to the window.

The door opened, and a figure stepped inside. Tall, regal, with deep red skin and burning gold eyes—her mother, Verida.

"You missed training," Verida said, her voice carrying its usual sharp authority.

"I had things to do," Enara replied smoothly, not bothering to turn.

A beat of silence. Then, "Thinking about her again?"

Enara stiffened, fingers curling against the cool stone of the windowsill. Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire

She should have known.

"You never stop, do you?" Verida's voice was softer this time, but there was no pity in it. Just observation.

Enara turned, her dark eyes narrowing. "Should I?"

Her mother studied her for a long moment before stepping further into the room. "She made her choice."

A flicker of something sharp twisted in Enara's chest.

"You don't know that," she snapped.

Verida arched a brow. "And you do?"

Enara opened her mouth but found no answer.

Because no, she didn't know.

That was the worst part.

The uncertainty, the not knowing.

If Liria was alive. If she was safe. If she chose to leave.

Or if she had been taken.

A shift in the air behind them signaled another presence.

"Still brooding, are we?"

Enara groaned, turning to face the new intruder. "For the love of—Ananara, if you don't have anything useful to say—"

The enormous pineapple creature stepped into the room, his golden leaves sleek and polished, his form now larger than a damn warhorse. His eyes, still full of that unbearable superiority, gleamed in the dim light.

"Just an observation, darling," Ananara drawled, settling onto a plush cushion far too small for his now absurdly large body. "Three years and you're still just as lovesick."

"I am not—" Enara stopped herself before she could finish the sentence, heat crawling up her neck.

Ananara just smirked, because of course he did.

"Right, right," he continued, stretching his leaves lazily. "You just happen to spend every waking moment thinking about your 'bodyguard.' Totally normal. Completely professional."

Enara turned to her mother in exasperation. "Are we seriously allowing this thing to roam the palace freely?"

Verida smirked. "Your mother finds him entertaining."

Enara groaned. "Of course he does."

Ananara grinned. "And why wouldn't he? I am an icon."

Before Enara could strangle the sentient fruit, another voice interrupted.

"Still making a mess of things, I see," came the smooth, cool voice of Nyssara as she entered the room, her midnight-blue robes flowing behind her like a river of stars. "It's refreshing to see some things don't change."

Enara sighed. "Is everyone just walking into my room today?"

Nyssara gave a small, knowing smile. "Would you rather sulk alone?"

Enara huffed, crossing her arms. "Maybe."

Nyssara shook her head before stepping beside Verida, her lilac eyes sharp with unspoken thought. "We need to talk."

Enara frowned, glancing between her mothers. "That serious?"

Verida and Nyssara exchanged a glance before Verida spoke.

"There have been… rumors."

Enara's fingers twitched. "About Liria?"

Silence.

Then Nyssara nodded.

A cold weight settled in Enara's stomach. "What kind of rumors?"

"That she's alive," Verida said bluntly. "And not just alive. Stronger. Changed."

Enara felt her heartbeat quicken. "Where?"

Nyssara hesitated. "That part is… unclear. But if the information is correct, she has been sighted beyond the Rift."

Enara's breath hitched.

The Rift.

A place of legends, of nightmares. A place where demons of unfathomable power once ruled before they were sealed away.

And if Liria had been seen there…

"What are we waiting for?" Enara demanded. "We need to go—"

"No," Verida said sharply, cutting her off.

Enara whipped around, glaring. "What do you mean no?"

"We don't know enough yet," Nyssara said. "We can't risk walking into something blind."

"I can," Enara countered.

"You won't," Verida corrected, stepping closer, her golden eyes fierce. "Not yet. Not until we know exactly what we're dealing with."

Enara clenched her fists.

She hated this. The waiting. The uncertainty.

Liria was out there.

Three years.

Three years of searching.

And now, finally, there was something.

Even if it was just a whisper.

A whisper was enough.

Ananara, for once, was silent. Watching. Thinking.

And for the first time in years, Enara allowed herself to feel hope.

Because if there was even the smallest chance that Liria was alive…

She would find her.

No matter what it took.

The tension in the room thickened, pressing against Enara's ribs like a weight she couldn't shake. She stood stiffly between her mothers, fists clenched, mind racing through every possibility. If Liria was out there if she had been seen then she wasn't going to just sit here and wait for more rumors.

But before she could argue again, the door swung open hard, slamming against the wall with a crack.

"—Alright, who the hell is getting sentimental without me?"

The gravelly voice cut through the heavy atmosphere like a blade, and Enara turned to see Daena, her obsidian skin gleaming under the torchlight, her massive horns curving back as she strode inside. She looked about two seconds away from throwing someone through a wall an expression Enara had learned to recognize over the years.

Nyssara let out a long-suffering sigh. "Does anyone in this palace know how to knock?"

Daena ignored her, eyes locked onto Enara. "What's this I hear about Liria being spotted?"

Enara crossed her arms. "You heard correctly."

"And you want to go find her."

"Obviously."

Daena scoffed, arms crossing over her chest. "You're not going anywhere."

Enara bristled. "Oh, for the love of not you too!"

"Yes, me too," Daena snapped, stepping closer. "You're not running off on some half-baked lead with no plan, no backup, and no idea what we're actually dealing with."

Enara clenched her jaw. "You all act like I'm some reckless child."

"You are reckless," Daena said bluntly.

Enara's eye twitched.

Nyssara looked vaguely amused as Verida pinched the bridge of her nose.

Daena sighed, her expression darkening. "Listen, kid. It's not just about you wanting to find Liria. We all do. But if these rumors are true, then she's different now. And not in a she-got-a-new-haircut kind of way."

Enara frowned, but before she could respond, Daena continued, her voice lower now.

"I saw her that night," she muttered. "The night she vanished. I saw what she became just for a second." Her golden eyes darkened. "It wasn't human. It wasn't demon either. It was something else. And now she's been seen near the Rift?" She shook her head. "You don't just go there, Enara. If she's strong enough to survive there for three years, then we have to ask ourselves: is she even the same person anymore?"

Enara's stomach twisted.

Of course, that thought had crossed her mind.

That maybe when she finally found Liria… it wouldn't be Liria at all.

That maybe she had changed too much.

That maybe she wouldn't want to come back.

Or worse—

That maybe she chose to leave.

Enara straightened her spine. "I don't care," she said finally, her voice firm. "She's still Liria. And I'm going to bring her back."

Daena exhaled through her nose, rubbing the back of her neck.

"You're just as stubborn as she was," she muttered.

Enara's lips twitched. "Obviously."

Daena rolled her eyes, but there was a flicker of something else in her expression something fond, despite the frustration.

Ananara, who had been way too quiet for too long, finally spoke up.

"If I may," the massive pineapple said, shifting on his oversized cushion. "I think we're all missing the most important issue here."

Everyone turned to stare at him.

Ananara narrowed his beady eyes. "Who the hell told Liria she was allowed to get stronger than me?"

Silence.

Enara groaned, rubbing her temples. "Ananara—"

"Because let me tell you," the sentient fruit continued, voice filled with righteous indignation, "if she comes back here richer, cooler, and more powerful than me, I swear to the gods, I will be suing for emotional damages—"

Nyssara sighed. "Why do we still let this thing live here?"

Verida smirked. "Entertainment."

Ananara huffed dramatically. "You wish you were this entertaining, your highness."

Daena muttered something under her breath about turning him into a fruit salad.

Enara let out a very deep sigh.

This was going to be a long day.