The Sickly Youngest Member of the Villainous Family

I finally found a way to approach Evan Taylor.

 

Whether it was a special ending or not, the sight of Evan, consumed by darkness without dreams or hope, was truly shocking, which made me feel the need to discuss the future with him seriously.

 

“If the Duke finds out, I’m as good as dead.”

 

“Don’t worry. You won’t be caught. Just trust me!”

 

While Maya diverted the attention of the guards, Robin guided me to a secret path leading to the underground prison.

 

“But how do you know this path, Robin?”

 

“This path? Well, I’ve escaped a few times before. Haha.” Flicking his eyes to the side, Robin continued, “Believe it or not, my brother and I used to be street thieves. That is until my brother came face to face with the duke at the age of twelve.”

 

Robin entertainingly explained the story behind his brother’s street encounter with Wincester.

 

“We stole the Lady’s jewelry, and it happened to be an important item.”

 

It seemed they were bold enough to steal from the Winchester Duke’s possessions.

 

“I was branded a thief and nearly beaten to death. When I was ready to draw my last breath, the duke said he would like to use my brother and me. I don’t know what he saw in us, but…….”

 

I wonder if he saw a millstone.

 

Perhaps that was why Rowen, who had received formal swordsmanship training, now ranked among the top of the knights while Robin was also unrivaled in his age group.

 

“Ah, we’ve arrived. Here we are.”

 

As Robin stepped aside, a narrow passage appeared.

 

“With my current size, it’s difficult for me to enter.”

 

“I’ll go alone,” I replied without hesitation.

 

“You’ve been begging me to, so I’m giving in, but please don’t make me regret this choice,” Robin advised me sternly.

 

“Of course.”

 

I smiled sheepishly and went inside.

 

* * *

 

As I passed through a narrow opening, I saw a lone prison cell. Within the bars, I could see the figure of a young boy.

 

~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~

 

Despite the scars covering his body, his face appeared untouched by the cold. His clothes were tattered and ragged, but his eyes were frighteningly clear.

 

“Whoa…….”

 

I took a deep breath and stood in front of Evan Taylor. He had a nonchalant look on his face, as if he knew I was coming.

 

Awkwardly, I raised my hand.

 

“……Hello…….”

 

“…….”

 

There was a heavy silence, and I lowered my hand, feeling a little embarrassed.

 

“I’m Sasha Winchester, youngest daughter of Recardo Winchester, and you’re…….”

 

When he didn’t respond, I continued and posed a question he wouldn’t be able to resist.

 

“Evan Taylor. You’re a regressor, right?”

 

Evan, who had kept his lips tightly sealed, finally moved his eyebrows in response to my question.

 

‘So, he knows what I’m asking.’

 

After a few seconds of silence, Evan opened his mouth.

 

“Are you Phersetos this time?”

 

He was looking at me with cold eyes.

 

I couldn’t understand the meaning of his words.

 

In the version of the future that Secret of the Blue Falcon had shown me, Phersetos was resurrected from Jin’s body.

 

So why would Evan, who had obviously been through that, ask me if I was Phersetos?

 

“Phersetos is the devil. Are you asking me if I’m the devil?”

 

I firmly replied while looking into Evan’s eyes.

 

“That’s impossible.”

 

Suddenly, a question arose in my mind.

 

If Evan is truly a 28-time regressor, then why, knowing that Phersetos resurrects from Jin’s body in the first regression, couldn’t he kill Phersetos in the following regressions?

 

What kind of story led him to die twenty-seven times and reach the 28th regression?

 

Is Jin too strong? No, that’s not it.

 

Evan is a munchkin protagonist.

 

(T/N: Munchkin = Op character)

 

“Of course, you would deny it,” Evan scoffed.

 

And the answer to my question came too easily.

 

“No one realizes he’s Phersetos until he awakens at the stage of destruction.”

 

If it’s the stage of destruction, it undoubtedly refers to a specific time period.

 

When I was twenty, Evan Taylors was twenty-five. The time when Winchester meets its demise.

 

And as for the story of the sleeping devil, no one knows he’s Phersetos until he awakens…….

 

“Could it be that Phersetos resurrects in a different body in each regression?” I asked in surprise, and Evan furrowed his eyebrows.

 

Then he spoke.

 

“That’s correct.”

 

I stared at him in shock.

 

“Just as I have the privilege of returning, Phersetos has the privilege of returning.”

 

So, this is the story of the 28th regressor.

 

I really wanted to grab the reaper by the collar and shake him.

 

There’s no point in curing the illness this way! Is the world really going to end? Has it already ended twenty-seven times?!

 

Of course, there was a part of me that was relieved.

 

What I saw in “Secret of the Blue Falcon” was Evan’s first regression.

 

If that’s the case, it means there’s a high probability that Jin is not Phersetos in this life.

 

“…And based on my judgment, I think there’s a high chance you’re Phersetos in this life.”

 

What are you talking about…?

 

“I know that you’ve invaded the <Square> multiple times.”

 

Suddenly I remembered that the owner of the <Square> was Evan.

 

Hmm… I knew it. That’s probably why he invaded my room.

 

I even drew a large ‘X’ mark on his notebook…

 

“I’m sorry. I don’t know how it might sound, but I didn’t know from the beginning that it was your space.”

 

Suddenly, I felt a bit awkward.

 

I invaded Evan’s room first, but now he’s invaded my room.

 

“Anyway, I have nothing to do with Phersetos, and I’m not a regressor like you… I just have some complicated circumstances. We can talk about it later. For now, I will go and talk to my father… so that you can leave…”

 

Ignoring me, Evan opened his mouth again.

 

“You’ve caused numerous variables.”

 

“Well… that’s true.”

 

“Which is why I have no choice but to suspect you of being Phersetos, and unless you can provide some hard evidence, killing you would be the best option.”

 

Eerie eyes and even more eerie words. The momentary confusion I felt disappeared instantly.

 

“You came to my room to kill me?”

 

My heart pounded.

 

“You’re not still planning to……, are you?”

 

For a long moment, there was no answer.

 

Not “I’ll kill you because you’re Phersetos,” but “I suspect you of being Phersetos, so I’ll kill you.”

 

I gathered my thoughts and spoke again.

 

“You’re trapped by Phersetos.”

 

Evan’s eyebrows twitched at my words.

 

“I’m trapped by Phersetos?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

The original Evan Taylor was cool, but like all heroic characters, he was righteous.

 

He defined the direction he should go and relentlessly pursued his goals.

 

But if that inflexibility is fixed in one direction throughout twenty-seven regressions….

 

“They say the human brain can’t withstand the concept of negativity. The more you try not to think about what you hate, the more you think about it. Right now, all you can think about is eliminating Phersetos…,” I continued in a calm tone. “If you only have such thoughts, you’ll lose yourself.”

 

Evan’s eyes widened.

 

“Look, the ‘me’ you’re trying to kill is seven years old.”

 

I could see his eyebrows tense up at my words.

 

I don’t know how much those twenty-seven regressions have damaged his character, but seeing Evan Taylor, who is supposed to be a righteous figure, declaring that he would kill a mere seven-year-old like me, I realized that he was no longer the righteous Evan I knew.

 

A broken hero, full of self-righteousness. I don’t know if you can call that a heroic protagonist.

 

~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~

 

Evan looked at me with a cold gaze.

 

I spoke again.

 

“You may not know me, but I knew you, and I always thought you were amazing.”

 

There was a part in the novel that impressed me.

 

When the enemies had to choose between sacrificing innocent lives or surrendering, Evan…

 

“I remember Evan Taylor waiting at the foot of a cliff for ten days and ten nights to save just one child.”

 

As I spoke with a slightly emotional sentiment, Evan’s pupils seemed to flicker for a moment.

 

“You never surrendered. Even if you had to endure.”

 

He had an unwavering sense of justice. That was Evan’s identity.

 

And at that moment, a window appeared before me.

 

[You have earned the achievement ‘Enlightenment of the 28th Regressor’.]

 

[Achievement increases skill level.]

 

[Skill: Black Dominion (SS/LV.4).]