The Villain's Sister - Chapter 0

Prologue

2 p.m.

My brother left for work a little earlier than usual and gave me a warning, “Deva. There are some strange rumors going around lately. I hope they’re not about you.”

“What kind of rumors?”

A pair of eyes identical to mine stared straight into my face.

To others, he might seem scary beyond measure, but to me, he was just the easygoing older brother who used to tie my hair and let me scribble on his face when I was little.

So even when he stared at me like that, trying to read my expression, it didn’t scare me.

The only reason I looked away was because I was tired of his scrutinizing attitude.

‘I’m not scared, seriously!’

My heart pounded—thump, thump!—but I ignored it.

“I heard a faint rumor that an esper with healing powers appeared in the city.”

“Woooow—how cool. An esper with healing power, huh.”

“You think that’s cool? Deva, you’re still so immature.”

With a short sigh, my brother reached out and messed up my hair.

“Ack! You ruined my hair!”

“It’s not like you’re going out anyway. Just stay home and guard the house. If anyone asks you to open the door, tell them to get lost.”

“Do I look like a kid to you?”

“You are a kid. You’re still very much a kid. It hasn’t even been a few months since you stopped being a minor.”

Listing off the kind of nagging only moms would do, my brother handed me a large amount of money, saying it was for snacks, and left the house.

Once Raphael’s car pulled away from the front gate, I returned to the house and finished getting ready to head out.

Just like in the movies, I put on gloves and a trench coat, wrapped a scarf around my face, and put on sunglasses.

“Today is…”

Maybe word had spread from the homeless shelter I visited last week.

So this time, I needed to find someone who wouldn’t leak rumors.

‘That only leaves this place!’

After confirming the location, I immediately flagged down a taxi and set off.

My destination was a hospital.

I headed straight for the children’s ward.

― Following the government’s announcement of anti-magic bullets developed through magical engineering, there is renewed hope for the capture of criminal wizards and espers…

The taxi radio played news about new technology.

“Instead of using great technology to make more weapons every day, they should focus on finding ways to heal people too,” grumbled the taxi driver.

I nodded in agreement.

The person I was going to meet was also a patient.

A child who had appeared on TV, paralyzed from head to toe due to a traffic accident.

Through the small window in the hospital room door, I could see the child lying down.

‘Was he thirteen?’

At thirteen, I’d thought I was all grown up, but now, looking at him, he seemed so young.

His baby fat was still round, and his downy hair soft and fluffy—it made my heart ache.

The child’s mother was talking to a doctor with a grave expression.

‘I need to get the two of them out of the room…’

After a moment of thought, I told a nurse, “The detectives outside said they had information about the suspect in the child’s traffic accident and asked to speak with the guardian.”

“Oh my, they’re not coming in themselves?”

“Ah… Their clothes were covered in blood. I think it’s because this is a children’s ward.”

At my words, the nurse nodded, looking sympathetic. “I heard there was a shooting nearby yesterday, maybe it’s because of that.”

After the nurse relayed the message to the guardian, the child’s mother soon left the room.

I used that moment to slip inside.

“Hi.”

Up close, the child looked even younger than he had from afar, and it made me feel worse.

I quickly took off my gloves and covered the child’s eyes with my hand.

Then I whispered, “I’m not a bad person.”

Oh. That didn’t sound right.

In movies, the people who said stuff like that were always the real villains…

“I came to give you a little help. It might feel a bit hot for a moment, but just bear with it. It’s not something bad.”

Weird.

Saying it like that only made it sound more suspicious.

With my other hand, I held the child’s hand and channeled my energy into him.

The power flowing from me began to circulate through his small body.

“See? It’s not as hot as you thought, right? You can handle it.”

I am an esper.

In the original work, there’s a very powerful esper called “White Hands,” but I’m nowhere near that level.

White Hands is a legendary esper said to be able to heal all diseases, poisons, and injuries in the world, but I can only treat external wounds.

That said, I didn’t come here to imitate White Hands with my measly powers.

It’s just that I have the power to heal people, and doing nothing with it makes me feel guilty.

‘If I save as many people as Raphael kills, maybe it’ll balance out.’

Raphael lives in a world where killing people and disposing of bodies is an everyday thing—and I hate that fact.

And yet, I live off the money he earns through those filthy means.

That’s why it’s so hard to bear the guilt I feel when I see someone I could heal.

‘Even if it’s hypocritical to act with this trivial power, I can’t help it.’

If my small acts of kindness could somehow lessen the weight of Raphael’s sins, then I’ll do as much as I can.

Raphael is my family and my salvation.

“I-I think I’m all better now,” said the child.

He must’ve been surprised that his body, which couldn’t even twitch just moments ago, was now moving freely—he sniffled.

Under the thin sheet, his toes wiggled.

“Th-thank you.”

“Listen to your mom, and from now on, always check the crosswalk before you cross. Got it?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Today’s events are a secret. If anyone asks what happened to you…”

Things like this are best pinned on someone else.

“Tell them a pretty angel came and helped you.”

“Okay. Sniffle.”

I made the sniffly child promise to keep his eyes closed until I counted to a hundred.

After quietly slipping out of the hospital room, I was just passing through the hallway when—

“Stop her!”

‘What the?’

I didn’t know who the voice belonged to, or even what subject they were yelling about, but having lived as a villain’s little sister, my first instinct was to run.

“Huff, huff.”

I kicked off my shoes and bolted down the stairs like a madwoman.

I was out of breath, but I didn’t even feel tired.

Who knows what might happen if I got caught?

Just as I reached the first floor, I spotted a taxi pulling up outside the lobby.

“Ta―”

I raised my hand to hail it, but—

Smack.

Someone grabbed my arm from behind.

I was done for.

No matter how much I flailed and struggled, it was no use.

Is this really happening? Getting kidnapped in broad daylight inside a hospital?

“Help—”

Just as I was about to scream, ‘Help me!’, a furious voice rang in my ear from behind.

“Giselle Deva Moltke. Stay still unless you want to get scolded.”

“R-Raphael?”

It was my brother.

What’s he doing here?

Getting caught healing someone—if anything, being caught by my brother was the most dangerous outcome.

I was frozen with fear, goosebumps rising all over my body. Then my brother stepped in front of me and placed the shoes I’d kicked off earlier at my feet.

“Running around barefoot… I didn’t raise you to behave like this.”

“Uh…”

“Well? Why aren’t you putting them on?”

“Ah, right. Uh, someone tried to grab me earlier…”

“My men will handle them. More importantly, we should get going. Sigh.”

Mom in heaven, Raphael looks really mad.

The vein bulging on his forehead was terrifying.

And hearing him say my full name—Giselle Deva Moltke—was downright chilling.

I silently followed Raphael and got into the front passenger seat.

He was the one driving.

― While Black Pistols’ magical engineering can’t compare to that of professionals, it’s still considered impressive among amateurs.

― What aspect was particularly impressive?

― The way they layered the magic stones in triple and quadruple stacks to create new effects was quite striking. The design is extremely creative…

Raphael remained silent the entire drive.

When the radio started blaring chatter about a newly remodeled motorcycle belonging to a hero who’d been trending for years, he reached over and clicked it off.

As I rolled my eyes around nervously, Raphael let out a short sigh and asked, “What the hell is that scarf on your head?”

“This one?”

I was about to explain that I just copied something I saw in a trendy movie, but that wasn’t the point.

“Isn’t that mine? You went through my closet again, didn’t you?”

“It looks good on me, right? Purple suits me, after all.”

When I grinned smugly, Raphael scolded me, “You’re only nineteen. A kid your age wearing a scarf like that looks ridiculous. Cut it out.”

“Tch…”

As my lips stuck out in a pout, Raphael gave a low warning, “And whatever it is you’ve been doing, it’s best if you stop now.”

“……”

He had known everything when he said that to me before he left for work.

“Did you follow me?”

“Yeah.”

“What? Are you serious right now?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

While the car was stopped at a light, Raphael turned to glare at me.

I tried to meet his gaze head-on—but!

It’s not easy for a civilian girl to stare straight into the raw eyes of an underworld boss.

It’s not that Raphael is hard to deal with or anything… but in moments like this, I just can’t help shrinking back.

“Your name is spreading through the underground world. Do you know what they’re calling you?”

“What are they calling me? Miss Beauty? Or maybe Young Lady?”

I fluttered my eyelashes on purpose as I looked at him, and Raphael rubbed the corner of his eye with a thick finger.

His face looked deeply tired and troubled.

While I was trying so hard not to be weighed down by the heaviness of life, Raphael just couldn’t see that effort at all.

He paused for a long time before answering as the light changed and the car started moving again.

“White Hands.”

“What? White Hands?”

The only things different from the original story were my knowledge of it and a few individuals.

But if I was being called White Hands…

‘Was I the White Hands from the original?’

I don’t even have the power that the White Hands in the original had.

“There’s no way I’m that White Hands!”

“Quiet. Miss Beauty or whatever—your hero act ends here. Go find some other fun to entertain yourself with.”

Raphael warned me, and I swallowed dryly, afraid of the story about to unfold.

“Other organizations are desperately searching for you. If you use your ability one more time, I won’t let it slide. I don’t want to yell at you, so just behave.”

“…Fine. I won’t do it anymore.”

What I want is to twist the original story.

No, I want to save Raphael.

Now that continuing as White Hands is no longer an option, there’s only one thing for me to do before the story kicks off in earnest.

“Sorry.”

You’re a villain in this world and fated to die tragically, so I’ll do whatever it takes.

“For what?”

“Just… for everything.”

“Forget it. Kids your age are bound to cause trouble. I expected as much.”

“What did you say?”

Even while fuming, I made up my mind.

A year and a half from now, when the original story begins, no matter what happens, I will stop Raphael.

Even if that means sending my only family to prison.

Looking back, it feels like that decision was what led us to our end.