I held out the paper and pencil I had prepared in advance. Then number 782 narrowed her eyes and screamed.
“Why should I?”
At first glance, it seemed like a temper tantrum, but it was no different from the struggles of a small animal trying to make itself look bigger and more intimidating. Deep within the two wide-open eyes, I could see a deep-seated fear. There is a sense of relief at being free from Fata-Morgana at last, but even the slightest lifting of the veil reveals a tattered and wounded heart. A muddled expression of fear and desperation creeps across 782’s face like a spider’s web.
She is afraid. Afraid of the same thing happening again.
I looked her straight in the eyes and spoke firmly.
“I’ll get rid of it.”
“… what? What can you do? Even though you turned your back on your clan, your face is bright. It must be because you ate well and slept well. So what are you trying to do now?”
It didn’t seem to be a lie that Villainess #4 and No. 782 were like sisters. Number 782 was blaming me and being sarcastic, but she also didn’t want me to walk into danger. Hatred and worry. Such conflicting emotions were embedded in her voice.
I squeezed 782’s hand. It was rough and bony, unlike my own hands, which had been so well cared for that they were soft and smooth.
“I lost my memory, but I have found a new grudge about Fata-Morgana. I’ll get rid of it. so that the same thing doesn’t happen again.”
A guy named Giogio, who was related to Fata-Morgana, stabbed Lacius. Even though Lacius repeatedly told me that he would be okay, I couldn’t shake the unease about that black spear. ‘God’ or whatever it is, I want to go to him, grab him by the collar, and ask him about it. That would definitely make me feel at ease.
“Just draw what you can. Everything about the environment you lived in.”
“… … you.”
“And please keep quiet about this bell. Tell that to other painting wizards as well. You don’t know anything about this bell.”
Eyes filled with complex emotions look at me. In the end, No. 782’s dry hand, which picked up the pencil, trembled. I once again made a firm promise to 782.
“I guarantee your personal safety. The other painting wizards will probably be promised good treatment and employment on Terran… But if you don’t want to live like that, I’ll find a way to get you out of it somehow.”
In the original, Villainess #4 abandoned her clan and fell in love with Lacius. She probably wanted Lacius so much that it eventually became an obsession. So, even though she knew that he couldn’t be hers, she couldn’t leave and clung on, trying her best to forget her clan’s long-cherished wish. She had betrayed her clan, so she had to have him. To do otherwise would be to deny herself everything.
‘Seriously, couldn’t the original author have included such details?’
It would have made things so much easier for me.
I pulled out a chair from the table and sat down while looking at the picture being drawn. And I waited patiently, looking at the colourful patterns on the wallpaper. This building was said to have been used as a harem about 300 years ago, but of course it is now empty.
It was a structure that allowed many people to occupy one room each and stay comfortably, so it was useful in its own way in the current situation. There were exactly twenty-seven painting wizards rescued this time. Among them, those in severely poor condition were sent separately to the physician, leaving the remaining nineteen here. There was no need to describe how delighted the painting wizards were to receive individual rooms.
“Here.”
“Thanks.”
Soon, number 782 threw a pile of parchment at me. I deftly caught it and unfolded the pages. Her drawing skills were quite impressive; despite the short time, the illustrations she created were rather good.
I flipped through each drawing and asked questions.
“782, what’s your name?”
“You really forgot everything.”
“Yeah. So tell me.”
A smile of disappointment appeared on the lips of number 782. I felt a bit guilty, but it wasn’t my choice to possess this body. There’s no reason to apologize. Number 782 looked at me quietly and then pursed her lips.
“Dua.”
“Nice to meet you, Dua.”
“… … Yes, Shay.”
An awkward silence fell between us. A relationship that I don’t know about, but the other person knows. I’m sorry, but it definitely had to end here. Because I am a completely different person now.
As I rolled up the parchment, I spoke again.
“Ah, about that name Shay.”
“You’re not going to say you abandoned your name too, are you?”
“I didn’t abandon it, but the situation is a bit complicated. Can you keep it a secret that I was a painting wizard who was also imprisoned?”
“Is that going to get you in trouble?”
“Not necessarily, but there’s no reason to tell anyone, and it’s not in my best interest.”
I could do some noise marketing, publish emotional articles, and get myself on the front page of the newspaper as a self-made entrepreneur from a disadvantageous background. The fact that an emerging business figure was a rare painting wizard would be a significant event.
Interviews would pour in, and public attention would skyrocket, leading to the flourishing of my business. I’d orchestrate it that way. However, that would mean no longer being a “noble”. Even if I were a daughter of a poor noble family, I would still be a noble because of my blood, But ì it became known that my birth was no different from that of a commoner…
Then, first and foremost, it would affect my marriage to Lacius. I could push through with it, but imagine the uproar. There will surely be those who claim Lacus is making a mistake and should break off the engagement right now. Then my poor fiance will be under a lot of stress again. What the future holds is as predictable as the back of my hand.
‘Or should I receive a title? But for that to happen, my dedication to the country must be recognized.’
Princess-unnie would definitely make me work by her side! Maybe, in exchange for a title and the ability to run my business smoothly, she will push me into a contract to work for the imperial palace for 50 years… … .
‘That’s a nightmare.’
I shuddered at the horrifying thought. It’s okay to be known as a ‘Painting Wizard’. But not as a ‘Painting Wizard who was captured by Fata-Morgana and has questionable origin’.
Dua glanced at me and cleared her throat.
“If I promise to keep it a secret, what will you do for me?”
“Nothing. I’m just asking you not to say it because I don’t want to be bothered.”
You must not reveal your weaknesses. That is the basics of business, politics, transactions, and diplomacy. I replied calmly and stood up.
“Don’t forget. You might think I betrayed you, but if you live in Terran, I’ll be your strongest ally.”
“… since becoming a noble lady, you’ve gotten quite annoying, huh?”
“I’m just telling the truth.”
You can now sponsor a chapter by buying me a Kofi! 1 Kofi = 1 extra chapter
