The Villain's Sister - Chapter 103

On the channel Tristan switched to, last year’s professional basketball finals were playing.

I had washed up, eaten breakfast, and taken my medicine, so I was planning to lie down and rest again.

As I stretched my arms, Johan quietly got up from his seat.

He was planning to go out and buy me some winter clothes.

“Would a sweater, cardigan, and coat be enough? Is there anything else you need?”

“Hmm. Drawstrings. You can pick the color yourself, just buy the one you like most.”

“Last time it was yarn, now it’s strings.”

“Go on.”

Johan quietly left the house. Tristan, who saw him off, flopped down on the couch and started nagging.

“He even offered up his place for you. The least you could do is see him off properly.”

“No.”

“Why not? Because you like him?”

Feeling like he’d seen straight through me, I turned my head sharply and met his disapproving face.

“If you plan to let go of your feelings for him, that’s fine by me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No matter how good you are at lying, you can’t fool a cop. Whether it’s because of Raphael or something else, I don’t know, but don’t act like that. Just use the guy properly and make sure you’re safe.”

“I’m doing this because I hate that idea.”

“Then use me.”

Maybe I was still hearing nonsense after that trip to the emergency room yesterday.

I stared at him, trying to figure out if I’d missed something he said, when Tristan spoke again.

“I can’t leave with you, but as long as it’s within this city, I’ll do anything you need.”

“What are you even saying…?”

“You approached me, planning to use me anyway. I said I’d let you. I’ll set the stage, so just take what you can.”

“And what makes you think I’ll ask you for anything?”

“As long as your conscience allows it, anything’s fine.”

I had no idea what Tristan was thinking.

Putting aside any feelings he might have for me, there had to be a reason he was acting like this.

Maybe he felt indebted because I’d healed his leg.

“Anyway, since Johan’s not here, I’ve got something to give you.”

“Something to give me? What is it? If you had something like that, you should’ve said so sooner. Is it something good?”

Ignoring his sly smile, I dug through my bag.

From the bottom, I pulled out a crumpled paper envelope and handed it to him.

When Tristan shook it open, a red scarf slid out.

He froze instantly, so I hurried to explain.

“Linda asked me to give it to you. She made one for your brother, but she couldn’t finish yours.”

Even after coming here, I’d knitted scarves, but I ran out of yarn, so I had to ask Johan to buy more.

“She asked me to tell you she’d been doing well.”

“…I’m glad.”

“She really loved you.”

Tristan’s jaw tensed as he ran his fingers over the scarf.

I hadn’t wanted to hand it over so abruptly, but with how uncertain things were, I couldn’t wait any longer.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed something down.

“Thanks.”

He broke the silence at last. His voice was rough and low.

“I didn’t do it for thanks. And—”

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

The fire alarm blared throughout the entire apartment.

We rushed toward the door to get out.

Just before I grabbed the doorknob, a thought hit me.

“Wait. What if it’s a false alarm?”

“Ah, seriously.”

Tristan wrapped the scarf tightly around my face.

With only my eyes visible, he placed his hand over mine and pushed open the door.

Following the other residents, we ran down the stairs.

“Ah!”

Because the scarf blocked my view, I nearly lost my balance on the steps.

“Careful!”

Tristan caught my arm, stopping me from tumbling down the stairs.

Beeeeeeep! Beeeeeeeep!

The fire alarm blared endlessly.

He slid his arms under my back and knees and lifted me up.

“Put me down!”

“It’s easier if I carry you.”

He was right.

It was faster for Tristan to carry me than for me to try running down myself.

When we reached the first floor, he set me down and went straight to an older man who was explaining the situation to everyone.

“Is anyone still inside? Any elderly or kids?”

“Oh, no, it’s not a real fire. Hold on. The alarm’ll stop soon.”

Just as the man said, the fire alarm stopped less than a minute later.

He frowned at me, probably because I looked strange, wrapped up in a scarf that covered most of my face.

“Some safety inspectors must’ve messed with the air-blocking magic stone while checking it.”

Clicking his tongue, the man tilted his head at Tristan.

Come to think of it, Tristan’s face had been all over the news.

“Johnny! Glad it’s nothing serious.”

Pretending to look elsewhere, Tristan turned his body and started back toward the stairs. I quickly grabbed his arm and followed him up.

‘They didn’t recognize him. The news said he was getting treatment in another city anyway.’

Tristan seemed a bit uneasy too, but we both quietly went back inside.

“Still, it’s a relief there wasn’t an actual fire.”

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Miss!”

At first, I didn’t realize she was talking to me.

“You there! The lady with the red scarf!”

When I turned around, a woman was rushing up the stairs.

Her neatly styled blonde hair gleamed as she looked between me and Tristan with curiosity.

“Ahem.”

Tristan subtly turned his head to hide his face.

“I haven’t seen you before. Did you just move in?”

“Ah… yes. It’s been a little while.”

“Mind telling me which unit?”

“Why do you ask?”

“We’re neighbors, you know. Just trying to be friendly. That scarf’s color is really pretty, though. Bit early in the season for scarves, isn’t it?”

Her too-bright smile looked fake. She glanced at Tristan, then back at me, and scrunched her nose.

“There are a lot of empty units in this building. Sometimes strange people sneak in without permission and make a mess of the place.”

It was true that Johan’s apartment was old. It was the perfect kind of place to hide away in a big city.

‘She’s never seen me before, and my face is covered. Of course she’s suspicious.’

And the landlord just happened to be out right now. Perfect timing.

“Room 401.”

“401? That’s where a bachelor lives… oh my, there were rumors that young man got married, but….”

The woman quickly covered her mouth.

Me, desperately hiding my face, and Tristan, standing beside me in comfy sweatpants after running out together.

‘Damn it.’

It was the perfect setup for a misunderstanding.

‘I should’ve gone with Maria to get my tarot read at the start of the year.’

It might not have prevented misfortune, but at least I could’ve avoided this kind of humiliation.

“He’s my brother.”

I regretted the excuse the moment it left my mouth. It only made it sound worse.

“I’ll be going now.”

I ran off—no, actually ran—back to the apartment.

Click.

As soon as the door shut, I buried my face in the sofa and let out a silent scream.

‘Aaaaaghhh!’

Even smacking the cushions over and over didn’t make me feel better.

I’ll never forget today’s humiliation. I’ll make sure to repay the landlord for being conveniently absent at a time like this.

***

A few days earlier, the task he had requested was completed neatly.

After buying the drawstrings, Johan stopped by a dessert shop near the apartment and bought a bunch of Giselle’s favorite snacks.

‘There’s no place to hide, so I guess I can’t use magic to go back.’

He was just entering the apartment building, arms full of shopping bags, when a middle-aged woman who’d come by a few days ago to get his signature called out to him.

“Is there another problem?”

“The fire alarm went off across the entire building earlier. Your wife came out too.”

Johan’s face stiffened as he asked urgently, “Was she alright? She didn’t get hurt, did she?”

“Oh, don’t worry. It was a false alarm. No harm done. But you know….”

The woman exchanged glances with her neighborhood friends.

“Who was that man in your house?”

Sensing the odd tone in her voice, Johan asked calmly, “Oh, just a friend visiting.”

“A friend? Not her brother or someone from your wife’s family?”

Having Tristan Lindbergh mistaken for his brother irritated Johan more than he expected. He couldn’t hide his displeasure.

“Is there a problem?”

“Oh, no, no! It’s just that he was so handsome, I was thinking of introducing my niece if he happened to be your brother.”

“He was recently laid off, so I doubt he’s in any state to meet women. Excuse me.”

Something in her gaze rubbed him the wrong way.

It wasn’t fear or nosiness; it was the look of someone pitying him.

But worried that Giselle’s face might’ve been exposed, Johan missed the gossip that followed behind him.

“If we see her face, her husband’s bound to find out, so she’s avoiding us.”

“Poor thing. The husband even works weekends, looks so tired all the time.”

“He’s cold, sure, but polite. Still, a man like that… when he snaps, he’ll lose it completely. Ugh. What’s so great about a guy who just got laid off?”

“People crave opposites. You eat spicy food, you want sweets; you eat sweets, you crave spicy. Both of them are good-looking and fit, guess she wants to taste both.”

Completely unaware that he’d become the lead in a neighborhood love affair rumor, Johan returned to the apartment and immediately checked on Giselle.

“Did anyone see your face?”

“No….”

Giselle was sprawled out weakly, reading a light article from a magazine.

“And you? Looked like someone might’ve recognized you earlier.”

“I keep telling you, who’d care enough to recognize me?”

Too drained to argue, Tristan had his face wrapped tightly in the scarf.

“That thing….”

Johan narrowed his eyes, forcing himself not to show his irritation.

He hadn’t realized the scarf lying around the apartment was meant for Tristan.

Ignoring the disappointment pressing against his chest, he handed Giselle what he’d brought.

“You’ll need to memorize and keep these details in mind.”

“…A fake ID.”

[Charlotte Wright]

Like lightning, Tristan snatched the ID from Giselle’s hand.

He tilted it toward the light and let out a hollow laugh.