The Villain's Sister - Chapter 35

I couldn’t fall asleep after meeting Big Bear during the day.

It hadn’t even been a few days since I left home, but I was already worried about Raphael.

The fear that Big Bear might barge in here any minute sent a chill down my spine. I felt unsettled in many ways.

‘Let me just get some fresh air for a moment.’

Tristan was sound asleep, not even making a sound as he breathed.

I quietly slipped out of the house. As I stepped into the apartment hallway, the cool night air made my shoulders shiver.

Even though it was only the fifth floor and not that high, the area was elevated enough that I could see quite a bit of the surroundings.

The darkened city looked just like the night sky. The yellow streetlights glowed like stars scattered among the black sky.

“Mm-mm-mm. Mmm.”

There’s a massive flow beneath my feet.

Fate flows, and life continues.

Do my struggles hold any meaning?

I couldn’t even stop Raphael from running the organization.

“The song’s nice. Just humming, but still.”

A familiar voice came from the darkness.

Startled, I turned around. Johan was walking toward me.

“Johan?”

“What song is that? I don’t think I’ve heard it before.”

“It’s a song from a place you don’t know. You’d faint if you heard the lyrics.”

I led him to the stairs.

No matter how deep asleep Tristan was, he was still a hero.

With his heightened senses, if we talked in front of the door, he’d surely hear everything.

“How did you know the address?”

“The day you went to that man’s house, I checked all the basic information about Tristan Lindbergh.”

“You’re insane.”

“You’re one to talk, throwing your life away for love.”

“Why are you here? Just say what you came to say.”

“I came to see if you’re still alive. I heard you ran into Big Bear. And yet you didn’t call me. I can’t tell if you’re just gutsy or completely reckless.”

“Did you tell Raphael?”

“Not yet.”

“Don’t tell him.”

Johan gave a scoffing laugh at my words. “Is that because you want to stay close to that man? Or is it for Mr. Raphael’s sake?”

“A whole street was blown away last time with Two Star. I can’t let that happen again.”

“Is that all you have to say about running into Big Bear? Not that you’re scared and want your brother’s protection, or that you want to run away?”

This man makes me uncomfortable.

He barely knows me, and yet he understands my circumstances better than anyone.

He approached me to use me, and he doesn’t even bother to hide his hostility.

Sometimes, Johan feels like a mirror reflecting me—the beast who corrupted Raphael and lived off dirty money.

Even though he’s a crazy hero with blood on his own hands.

“Shouldn’t your first question be if I’m okay?”

“What?”

“Instead of asking what song it is, shouldn’t you be asking if I’m hurt from running into Big Bear? Out of courtesy, human decency, or even the sense of duty as my bodyguard.”

“……”

We hadn’t moved for a while, so the stairway light turned off.

Good. I didn’t want to see that man’s face.

He’s probably laughing at me, thinking I expect too much for someone who’s the sister of Death Adder’s boss.

Whether it was thinking of Big Bear or because I came out in thin pajamas, my shoulders began to tremble.

He took a step toward me.

The light came back on, casting deep shadows across his face.

His icy blue eyes scanned me thoroughly.

I tried to meet his gaze, not wanting to seem weak, but my head turned away instinctively.

His gaze was too cold, too heavy.

Maybe it was because his eyes felt like they’d dissect me.

“You’re trembling.”

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

It was only after I spoke that I realized my body was shaking.

I didn’t cry.

But the fear I felt when I faced Big Bear still lingered vividly.

If there’s one thing I realized today, it’s that neither a graceful death nor a long life awaits me.

If this were a movie, I might expect a happy ending. But this is reality.

And I know just how cruel reality can be.

“You’re so scared of Big Bear, but not of Anti-Venom? If he finds out you’re with another man, he might tear you apart. Maybe even kill that cop.”

“You don’t know him at all.”

As soon as he mentioned Anti-Venom, a chuckle slipped from my lips.

He still didn’t know that Anti-Venom and Raphael were the same person.

Annoyed at how he treated me, I decided to play a nasty prank on him.

“You’re not a spy planted by the police, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what about a hero infiltrating the organization, waiting for the right moment?”

“Nonsense.”

“Now that I think about it, you were the only one. Red Shadow, I mean.”

Johan raised one eyebrow.

As I took a step closer, his sharp features became clearer.

If Tristan resembled a wild beast, then this man was like a finely honed blade.

That’s why it was amusing to see him pretend to be calm, holding his breath like that.

“Aren’t you really Red Shadow? You’re about the same height, and the fit of your clothes looks similar.”

“You speak as if you know Red Shadow well.”

“I’ve seen him up close.”

“What kind of person was he?”

“A person? That’s a funny thing to say. You think he is a human? He’s a beast.”

“Is that so?”

He pressed a finger to my neck.

It wasn’t a threatening grip.

It was just a light touch of his fingertip, as if checking my pulse.

Even so, his hand was so large, and the identity of Red Shadow carried such terrifying weight, and the touch was so cold… my body flinched on its own.

He whispered into my ear, “Relax. I won’t hurt you. Like you said, I’m your bodyguard.”

“…Take your hand off.”

“You kept trembling, so I thought maybe you had a fever.”

I wondered if I’d messed up when I provoked him, when I needed to win his favor.

No, honestly, I think I ruined that chance long ago.

This time, I reached out to him.

I grabbed Johan’s shirt and pulled him toward me.

The crisp, ironed fabric was soaked with the same nighttime chill I felt.

His Adam’s apple protruded.

Even under the yellow light, his pale skin looked ghostly white as my fingernail brushed against it.

I undid the top button of his tightly closed shirt.

Since he’d warned me with his hand on my neck, now it was my turn to give a warning.

No matter what, I was the one in control.

“I don’t like my bodyguard dressing like Red Shadow. It’s not like you’re going to a ball. Who even dresses like that?”

For a moment, his Adam’s apple moved.

To be precise, he clenched his teeth, and the tension in his jaw made it move.

I could feel his gaze burning into me like he wanted to devour me.

“A ball?”

“It might be a cheap shirt for a place like that, but who knows. Maybe a fairy will show up and give you a pumpkin carriage and a tuxedo.”

A wrinkle formed between Johan’s elegant brows, and he gently pushed my hand away from his shirt.

He looked at me with an unusually complicated expression.

It seemed like he had something to say, so I waited for him to open his mouth.

But Johan only parted his lips and said nothing.

His gaze was heavy.

Hot.

And delicate.

He carefully examined my face, my expressions, my thoughts, as if trying to read something I couldn’t guess.

I didn’t know which part of what I’d said made him like this, but I just wanted to go inside now.

“What’s your dream?”

“……”

“I wanted to be an actress. The moments I watched movies with my mom left such fond memories. But with Raphael doing what he does, there’s no way I could become an actress.”

“What is it you want to say?” Johan’s voice trembled slightly as he asked.

“I want you to ask things like that. I gave an example, so next time, ask something like that. We may not be close, but I’d like you to treat me like a person. Just like I saved you out of concern.”

Johan’s face twisted. He bit his lip slightly, looking confused.

What’s with him all of a sudden? He really is hard to understand.

“I’m going to the department store tomorrow. There were a few things I didn’t get to buy today because Big Bear startled me. So come by 10 and wait on the first floor.”

After arbitrarily informing him, I turned and left the stairs.

For some reason, the stairwell felt colder than the hallway outside.

As I was about to pass the corridor, Johan called out from behind me.

“So, what are the lyrics?”

“……”

“You said to ask different questions.”

The words he tossed out like an excuse were filled with awkwardness and embarrassment.

For a moment, I thought I might cry.

I didn’t know why.

Maybe that pathetic question felt like comfort to me.

Johan was a man who’d stab back with a blade if pricked with a needle, and yet he was trying to match my pace.

That alone felt strangely hopeful.

Holding back the urge to cry, I answered, “That man drives me crazy. So either take me to bed or bury me beneath the ground. One or the other.”