Supervillain Idol System: My Sidekick Is A Yandere

Chapter 682 682: Normality (Part 2)

A little over half an hour passed back inside the Bentley.The road remained empty all around while cool night air pressed lightly against the windows, the dashboard casting a soft glow across the cabin.

Somewhere beyond the trees, insects filled forest with their steady chorus.

What had begun as hesitant conversation gradually became something far more natural.

Elle had relaxed.

The uncertainty that had lingered at the beginning of their meeting disappeared little by little as she spoke.

Her shoulders loosened. The nervous fidgeting faded. Even the occasional pauses between sentences grew shorter.

She talked about her days inside the Citadel.

Not the dangerous parts and certainly not the strange things.

Just the ordinary routines.

Hours spent sorting data streams, maintenance schedules for the supercomputer pillars, reports that needed organizing, minor system failures that somehow became major problems because the minions assigned to them ignored the warning notifications.

Don listened.

Most of it meant very little to him, but that wasn't the point.

What mattered was the way she talked about it.

There was genuine interest in her voice.

A subtle pride and satisfaction.

At first he had assumed she spent countless hours buried beneath work because she felt obligated to support him.

Now he wasn't so sure.

The more she spoke, the more obvious it became that she cared about what she was doing.

She believed in it.

Believed in the Citadel.

Believed in the future they were trying to build.

Quite frankly, it made him feel slightly inadequate.

While he spent most days stumbling from one crisis to another, Elle and the others had been laying foundations behind the scenes.

Building something that might actually last.

Meanwhile he was still trying to survive long enough to see tomorrow.

"...and then Trixie left another vibrator in the command center."

Elle sighed.

Don smiled slightly. "Another one?"

"Yea." Her expression carried genuine disappointment. "Again."

"Maybe she's collecting them."

"She already has a collection."

Don blinked. "A collection?"

Elle nodded.

"Twenty-three vibrators."

"...Twenty-three?"

"They were hidden behind one of the diagnostic consoles."

For a moment she looked genuinely offended by the memory.

Don laughed, the sound filling the cabin.

Elle smiled immediately.

Then continued talking.

The conversation drifted naturally from one topic to another.

The Citadel, the minions and at one point she described walking through one of the larger sections of the facility during the night cycle.

"The halls felt bigger."

Don glanced at her.

"Bigger?"

She nodded.

"When you weren't there."

The words were simple.

Quiet. But they lingered.

For a moment neither of them spoke.

Then Elle quickly continued talking as though she hadn't said anything meaningful at all.

Don let her.

There was no need to draw attention to it.

Some things spoke clearly enough on their own.

Eventually she reached the end of another story.

"So we're currently cracking the eight remaining e-currency accounts."

Don nodded.

"I know you can do it."

Elle smiled. The expression arrived instantly. Warm and genuine.

"Thanks."

The conversation faded naturally after that.

Neither seemed in a hurry to fill the space immediately.

Outside, darkness had settled fully over the valley.

The trees existed only as silhouettes beyond the windows.

Inside the Bentley, the dashboard lights painted soft shadows across Elle's face.

Don looked at her for a moment.

Then he sighed quietly.

"I need to head back."

The reaction was immediate.

Her smile weakened and the brightness in her eyes faded.

For an instant disappointment crossed her face so openly that it almost hurt to see.

Then she gathered herself.

Straightened slightly and forced her lips into something resembling acceptance. "I understand."

Don stared at her.

Even a blind man would've known she didn't.

But he didn't challenge it. Instead, he leaned forward slightly.

The distance between them shrank.

Her eyes widened a little.

"When everything settles down," he said quietly, "let's do some operations."

Elle watched him closely.

"Outside Santos City."

The amber within her eyes brightened. Just for a second, a warm glow surfaced beneath the surface.

"Yess." The word slipped from her lips almost like a breath.

For a fraction of a second, something else appeared alongside her smile.

The subtle possessiveness and hunger from earlier.

A tiny twist at the corner of her mouth formed.

The expression would've looked alarming on almost anyone else.

Then it vanished and her usual smile returned. Soft. Sweet. "We should."

The glow in her eyes lingered briefly before fading again.

Then she closed them as her chin lifted slightly, lips parted and waiting.

Expecting.

Don leaned forward and have locked their lips into a kiss, though it was brief and simple.

Gentle. Nothing dramatic.

Just enough.

When he pulled away, Elle remained still for a moment before she lowered her head slightly.

"I'll miss you." The words came out quietly.

And when Don opened his eyes… the passenger seat was empty.

Blue mist drifted where she had been sitting only moments ago.

Thin wisps curled upward before gradually fading into nothing.

The faint scent she always carried remained behind.

Something floral. Something familiar.

Don stared at the empty seat for a few seconds.

Then he exhaled and shook his head before shifting the Bentley into drive.

A moment later Winter's voice emerged from the speakers.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

Don's hand paused briefly on the steering wheel.

His gaze moved toward the infotainment screen. "Were you watching?"

"Quite the opposite." Winter sounded almost offended by the suggestion.

"I disabled all audio and visual monitoring systems within the vehicle immediately after your departure from the estate."

The infotainment display flickered slightly as she continued. "Privacy protocols."

A brief pause followed.

"I have also restored the memory seat calibration to its original settings."

Don wasn't entirely sure why she felt the need to mention that.

Unfortunately, Winter continued.

"The motion sensors recorded extensive activity across both front seats."

Don immediately regretted asking.

Winter pressed onward.

"Initially, I considered the possibility that you had become engaged in prolonged physical combat inside a confined environment."

Another pause.

Shorter this time.

"However, the data strongly suggests the alternative explanation."

Don stared ahead at the road.

The steering wheel suddenly became very interesting.

"I see."

Winter seemed satisfied. No further commentary followed.

Thankfully.

The Bentley continued through the valley roads back toward the estate.

Some time later, the mansion appeared ahead.

Warm lights illuminated the distant grounds.

The gates stood closed across the entrance road until the approaching headlights caught the attention of the security team.

Flashlights swept across the vehicle.

Across the windshield. Across the license plate and across the driver's face.

After several moments, one of the guards gave a signal.

The gates slowly opened and the Bentley rolled forward.

Don understood the caution.

After everything Santos City had endured, nobody was taking chances.

The vehicle followed the curved driveway toward the estate.

The central fountain came into view.

Moonlight reflected across the water while streams arced gracefully through the air.

The sight lasted only a moment before the Bentley continued past.

Soon he reached the front entrance.

The vehicle stopped.

Before Don could reach for the handle, a guard had already stepped forward and the door opened smoothly.

Cool night air drifted inside.

"Welcome back, sir." The guard stood respectfully beside the vehicle. "Shall I park it for you?"

Don hesitated.

A few months ago the idea would've felt absurd. Now it barely surprised him.

"Thanks."

The guard nodded as Don stepped out.

A moment later the man slid into the driver's seat and pulled the Bentley away toward the garage.

Don watched it go briefly.

The entire situation felt strange. Not unpleasant.

Just strange.

He wasn't poor. Far from it now.

Yet this level of convenience belonged to a different world entirely.

A world filled with chauffeurs and private estates and staff who somehow appeared before you realized you needed something.

For a brief moment he wondered how easy it would be to get used to it.

The answer was probably concerning.

He pushed the thought aside and headed toward the mansion.

The entrance hall greeted him with subdued lighting.

The massive chandeliers overhead had been dimmed considerably.

Their crystal surfaces reflected scattered points of golden light across the marble floor.

Several guards remained stationed throughout the hall.

Alert… yet relaxed.

Watching.

They offered polite nods as he passed.

Farther ahead, several maids moved through the room carrying candles. The flames flickered gently with each step, while their light shifted across the marble and stone.

At the center of it all stood Miss Claire.

Don slowed slightly.

She hadn't changed. The same clothes remained, along with the same signs of exhaustion.

Yet somehow she still looked composed.

Still looked like someone entirely in control of herself.

As though the past several days had failed to shake her.

Miss Claire turned and a small smile appeared.

Before either could speak, something unexpected happened.

The maids excused themselves.

One after another.

They gathered their candles and moved toward the front entrance.

The guards followed.

Doors opened and people departed.

Then the heavy entrance doors closed.

THUMP~

The hall became noticeably quieter.

Don glanced around. The shift felt odd.

Though he couldn't determine whether it had been planned or simply understood.

Either way, they now stood alone.

Miss Claire spoke first.

"How was the drive?" Her voice sounded softer than usual.

Perhaps because nobody else remained nearby.

Perhaps because the hour had grown late.

Don considered the question. "Reflective."

His gaze drifted briefly toward one of the tall windows overlooking the grounds.

"I didn't realize how much I needed it."

Something warm appeared in her expression. "I'm glad."

A comfortable pause followed.

Then Don asked, "And yourself?"

Miss Claire looked toward the doors where the others had departed.

A candle's fading glow remained visible through one of the nearby windows.

"I'm holding a candlelight ceremony for my staff."

Her voice lowered slightly.

"It's also a form of reflection."

Don nodded slowly. That made sense.

More sense than most coping mechanisms he'd witnessed recently.

"Then I'll leave you to it." He took a step toward the staircase. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The exchange ended there.

Simple and natural.

Don turned and headed upstairs.

His footsteps carried softly across the marble floor before gradually fading into the upper levels of the estate.

He never looked back.

Had he done so, he would've found Miss Claire exactly where he left her.

Standing beneath the chandeliers.

Moonlight streamed through one of the upper windows.

The pale light touched one side of her face.

Her expression revealed nothing.

She simply watched him disappear up the steps.

Only after he was gone did she finally move.

Turning toward the entrance.