“Made him an absolute loser except for his face.”
I sighed deeply again, redirecting my gaze from the direction of the room where Raven had entered.
“A monster who doesn’t hesitate to kill people.”
“Especially if they’ve betrayed him, he’ll chase them to the ends of the earth and kill them.”
“Don’t ever tell him your name. He’s the kind of person who remembers and tracks down even the scent associated with a name.”
“The reason he desires the Holy Grail is to create an army of monsters from the Shadow Forest and destroy the world.”
…Descriptions like these often appear in the novel.
They were all about Raven.
“…”
I sighed deeply once again.
I hoped desperately that it wasn’t the world of that novel, but the unsettling feeling from earlier was too heavy to dismiss.
And if, just if.
If I really had entered that novel.
“Evelyn.”
“A girl who, when she was young, deceived the villain and brought him home, only to sell him off to a slave trader.”
A girl… 1.
That was Evelyn.
In an extra theme that seemed to require a number, a girl who had a huge impact on the entire life of the villain.
Because of her, Raven was sold as a slave and ended up in the palace, rolling around like a dog, robbed of blood by the emperor who coveted the power of the North family…
And during those 10 years, every person Raven had loved in the family had tragically died.
Even his father, who had waited for him until the end, went berserk because of the emperor and became a demon, so Raven had to personally subdue his father.
“…”
Suddenly, Raven’s words from earlier came to mind.
“You told that to me. If you don’t want to freeze to death, come find me.”
Coincidentally, it was the same line Evelyn said to Raven in the villain’s prequel.
And the bodily pain that had been creeping up since earlier…
“It reminds me of the symptoms Evelyn suffered from.”
It’s a terminal illness.
“Ah, really…”
I slumped over the table, tears welling up in my eyes.
The more I thought about it, the more the ominous feeling seemed to fit.
So instead of just thinking about it, I decided to take action.
In the worst-case scenario, even if I really was Evelyn, there might still be a way out.
I just had to not sell Raven out, and as someone who practically memorized the novel’s settings, I knew of a cure for the terminal illness.
Alright, first things first, Raven.
I need to take care of him and send him back safely.
…Even though I had deceived him into coming home with lies.
I got up from my seat and quietly walked over.
There was no sound coming from the room Raven had entered.
“He can’t be sleeping.”
It was unlikely that the boy who had been so vigilant would be able to sleep soundly in a stranger’s house.
“So what’s he doing?”
I cautiously opened the door and peeked inside, only to find Raven sitting neatly on the bed, reading a book.
Despite looking unwell, he had no awkwardness in his posture as he sat.
Quietly observing him, I called out softly, afraid of startling him.
“…Raven?”
No response.
I took a few steps closer and called out again.
“Raven.”
Even as I approached the point where I could see the title of the book he was reading, the boy remained motionless.
“He’s really focused.”
His eyes were burning, shining intensely.
I glanced at the book he held.
“Deadly and Harmless?”
At that moment, the contents of the novel came flooding back to me.
Raven had been poisoned and became addicted to it when he was sold out by Evelyn.
“It was because of the traitor in the family.”
During a sequence where the family’s traitor secretly poisoned the patriarchs and matriarchs and then escaped with the family’s secret documents, Raven, at the age of twelve, lost everything and became a fugitive, addicted to poison.
There were reasons for everything, including why he couldn’t resist being sold as a slave to a powerless girl.
“…”
Oh, please.
This can’t be happening.
I swallowed a sigh and quietly left the room, returning to the living room.
Then, I silently pulled a chair and brought it into the room.
I place the chair at a comfortable distance from Raven, who is sitting on the bed. Sitting down, I observe the focused expression on the child’s face.
“I’ll talk to you after you finish reading the book,” I decide silently.
Though I intended to ask after bathing, feeding, and putting Raven to bed, seeing Raven now, I feel it might be okay to have a conversation.
If Raven speaks exactly as I remember, then I’ll have to accept reality.
Suddenly, despite my turbulent thoughts, I notice Raven’s remarkably lovely features.
That face, the one my brother worked so hard to perfect with buffs…
No, no, not yet. I don’t know anything for sure yet.
“…,” I pause, redirecting my thoughts.
Besides, Raven was just a child.
Whether it’s because of Evelyn’s struggles with eating or not, Raven appears larger than Evelyn, but there were signs of hardship.
“A child with nowhere to stay, no comfortable place to eat,” I feeling sorry for Raven’s seemingly exhausted expression while concentrating on the book.
After watching Raven for a while, I carefully take out a book, worried that my gaze might be uncomfortable.
“A Requiem for the Dead Princess?”
I’m not sure if it’s romance or something else, but the title was striking for a book from my grandmother’s room.
As I flip through the pages, the story of a tyrant and the princess he loved unfolds before me.
“It’s related to the Holy Grail, too.”
I find it interesting to see a situation that I didn’t make myself.
I quietly immerse myself in the tragedy.
‘How much time has passed?’
I hear a surprised sound from ahead.
But I pretend not to notice, not wanting to show my surprise.
Then, I hear the sound of the book closing.
It’s like a call to me, so I naturally lift my head.
“Oh, have you finished reading?” I asked, meeting Raven’s confused gaze.
But after a moment, Raven’s face stiffens.
“What are you doing here?” Raven asks, suspicion creeping into the tone.
“What do you mean?”
“When did you come in, why are you here?”
“I came in a little while ago. Since you were reading, I read along while waiting.”
Raven, momentarily speechless, clears their throat.
“So, why are you… here?”
It seemed Raven was more surprised than I expected by my proximity. Well, with all the thoughts going through my head, I guess it’s understandable.
“I wanted to talk to you. But no matter how many times I called, you didn’t seem to hear. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I waited.”
I spoke in a gentle tone as if to reassure Raven, who blinked rapidly as if his eyelids were itching.
His eyelashes were incredibly long.
As I watched quietly, Raven, who had been staring awkwardly at the book he was holding, got off the bed and stood up.
Then he spoke coldly.
“Leave.”
“Huh? You want me to leave?”
That’s a bit…
“Let’s go. To talk.”
“Ah, okay.”
I lightly closed the book, marking where I left off.
“Alright, let’s go.”
A moment later, we sat facing each other across the table where we had previously placed the bread.
The boy looked at me with cautious eyes.
I waited for a moment, wondering if there was anything to say first, but seeing no sign of Raven opening his mouth, I decided to speak first.
“Can I ask you something? As I mentioned earlier, my memory is a bit fuzzy.”
“Sure.”
Even though Raven was just a child, his tone was surprisingly adult-like and firm.
He didn’t really try to speak in a manner suitable for a twelve-year-old.
“What exactly did I say to you in the early hours of the morning?”
“You said you’d give me something to eat.”
“…Anything else?”
Thinking about the prequel to the original story, that wouldn’t have been all.
The golden eyes met mine calmly.
“You also said you’d give me a place to wash up and rest. You mentioned that you were bored because Grandma passed away recently.”
“Ah, I see.”
So, it wasn’t just “let’s live together if you don’t want to die.”
And not even “I’m lonely,” but “I’m bored.”
I recalled my brother’s words, carefully chosen for the image of a capricious villain extra.
With almost a sense of resignation, I said, “Right, and then did I give you a white bread and a thin blanket?”
“…Yes. You also said not to freeze to death and to come find you.”
“I see.”
I handed over precious bread and a blanket.
Well, I did all that, so Raven would probably expect me to come here.
If I just said it, why would he believe me?
And seeing how even these small details fit, there didn’t seem to be much need to doubt that I’d entered the novel.
‘Let’s accept it.’
Alright, I’m definitely in this novel.
“Um, I remember now.”
When I smiled broadly and replied, the cool glint in the boy’s eyes, which had been present since I mentioned my memory issues, noticeably softened.
Realization dawned on me as I observed it.
“I wasn’t angry, I was just anxious.”
Seeing Raven like this, he was just a kid.
But even so, he must have killed several people to get here.
Even in a weakened state from the poison, a twelve-year-old can easily kill an ordinary person.
I made sure not to forget that fact as I kindly spoke to them.
“Thank you for telling me. My memory was a bit fuzzy, so I was feeling anxious.”
Now we were supposed to live together for not just a day or two, but for months.
‘I should take care of him and send him back in good condition.’
I had intended to feed him anyway.
At my suggestion, Raven looked puzzled.
It seemed that this was all they wanted to talk about.
“Do you have anything you want to say?”
I asked with a wry smile, and Raven slowly shook his head.
“Nothing comes to mind right now.”
“I see. Let me know if you remember anything.”
As I started to get used to Raven’s chilly gaze, I tapped the table.
Now it was time to feed him.
Bread from last night was all they’d eaten.
After fleeing without rest, they were mentally exhausted as well.
“Something with broth would be better, right?”
But there’s no rice here.
Can’t make porridge, so…
After some thought, I placed the bread I had brought on the table.
The boy’s gaze naturally followed the bread.
“Oh, I’m hungry after reading. Want to eat together?”
“If you want to.”
His reply was curt, but it was kind of cute how it came out so quickly.
Though it was clear he was still sharply on guard against me.
“Well, that’s inevitable for now.”
After experiencing betrayal, he would still be wary no matter what.
Time would heal that.
“Alright. Let’s wash up, eat, and then rest.”
…Now that I’ve confirmed what I wanted to know the most.
I smiled and spoke.
“Before we eat, why don’t you go back to the room we went to earlier and wash up?”
I explained the small space attached to Grandma’s room.
“There’s water there that I left while washing yesterday, but if it’s not enough, you’ll have to go outside and get more. Need help?”
“No.”
“Got it.”
As soon as I mentioned washing up, Raven, who had been subtly tensing his jaw, jumped up and headed there.
Shouting from behind, I said, “Then while you wash up, I’ll toast the bread!”
“…Okay.”
The boy hesitated at my words, then slightly tilted his head and nodded.
Right. Good.
I smiled broadly, giving him a thumbs up. The boy blinked back slowly.
Then he muttered, “Even so…”
“Hmm?”
“…Never mind.”
With a trembling head, the young villain headed to the bathroom.
“Oh, wait!”
I belatedly shouted loudly.
“Just washing your hands and face because you’re hungry isn’t enough! Even if it uses a lot of water, you need to wash everything thoroughly!”
There was the sound of a tumbling tub.
The little villain had no response.
—
Raven dropped the tub he was holding at the sound of Evelyn’s voice.
It was the only thing he could grab as his body was still paralyzed.
He turned around to glare back at her with his cold eyes.
“…”
After a moment of standing there, Raven picked up the dropped tub and thought.
Indeed, something was off.
“It’s so different from what I knew.”
His golden eyes narrowed.
He was aware of the relatively stable life of the girl, even though she was an orphan.
It had been a week since he entered this town.
A week was enough time to grasp the surrounding situation.
“Monster!”
“Speak.”
He had skills beyond his age.
Even though his abilities were not functioning properly due to the poison and his body was barely moving, he could still handle the Criminal coming at him in the back alley.
That’s why the first thing he did when he entered this village was to step on the approaching Criminal.
“Tell me everything you know about this village.”
“End Village.”
The village Raven had hidden in was one of several places known as the “End Village.”
Located on the border between the North Territory and the Empire’s territory. The villages established on that border were places abandoned by the Emperor’s touch.
Villages are called “End Villages” because they were located at the end of peace.
In those “End Villages,” there were plenty of criminals in the back alleys.
Because there were many people hiding from the law.
That’s why children were rare in this seemingly ordinary village.
And unless one had a proper identification, there would be no prey as good as a child.
So, Raven could easily find prey in the back alleys filled with criminals.
—
“The mayor’s house, his weaknesses, the houses where citizens with citizenship live, and their characteristics. Tell me as much detail as possible.”
“Oh, um, yes!”
The approaching Criminal easily poured out all the information and was buried in the ground.
Places where all sorts of rejected people gathered under the Emperor’s rule.
So, even in such an “End Village,” there were occasionally people with citizenship from the Empire or those who were well off.
Raven had taken note of such people.
“I have to stay here for a few months until I can contact the family.”
Criminals easily opened their mouths, and thus Raven could easily extract information about the village.
—
Only two people had citizenship.
There were a bunch of people living the easy life.
“One of the two people with citizenship was Evelyn.”
Among the extracted information was information about Evelyn.
“That, that girl is not very useful.”
Evelyn was a child who shouldn’t be touched by the Criminal.
She was nothing more than an orphan with citizenship, and she was about to be sold off to slave merchants as payment for debts soon.
Since the slave merchant had marked her, the Criminal couldn’t touch her.
“Yeah, thank you.”
“Yes, hehe. Oh, oops!”
After meticulously burying the last Criminal’s body, Raven turned around and etched what he had learned.
