The Villain's Sister - Chapter 4

“Oh my God! You ran into that psycho? What awful luck! Deva, what are you going to do?” Maria shouted as she checked the thermometer.

A few days after encountering Red Shadow, I started feeling chills, and eventually, I came down with a fever.

Raphael had been gone a while for Death Adder business, so Maria came to take care of me at my place.

Last night, my fever spiked so high we spent the night in the emergency room and only returned in the morning.

Not to my place, but Maria’s.

“The fever’s gone down. You must’ve been so traumatized your temperature hit 39 degrees just from being at the scene.”

“Don’t tell Raphael. Got it?”

“Deva. Raphael should at least know why you’re this sick.”

“No. If he finds out, he’ll throw his life away trying to take down Red Shadow.”

When Raphael learned I’d almost died in a bank robbery, he tracked down the robbers like a madman, beat them half to death, and strung them up in front of the police station.

Sure, Raphael can handle bank robbers. But Red Shadow is in a whole different league.

He’s one of the few real wizards in the world—a powerhouse who single-handedly sweeps across Mist Island.

‘The Red Shadow I saw that day wasn’t just powerful. He was the apex predator.’

“Shhhh—”

The sound of Red Shadow’s voice made my shoulders tremble.

‘I have to prevent Raphael and Red Shadow from ever clashing.’

Maria gently patted my trembling shoulders and said, “Got it. Just focus on getting better.”

“Thanks. Oh, has anyone called?”

I used Maria’s last name with Tristan to keep him from finding out I’m a Moltke.

Since Raphael often uses the name Giselle Rodriguez when working for Death Adder, Maria didn’t mind.

Honestly, she drops Raphael’s name when she’s in danger too, so we’re even.

“Not a single call.”

“That guy must really be dysfunctional.”

Grumbling with half resentment and half spite, I clenched my teeth.

Maria burst out laughing and handed me some soup.

“Drink up and take your medicine.”

“If he calls, cover for me, okay?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll say, ‘Giselle went to the shop across the street to buy underwear. Please wait a moment.’ That should work, right?”

“Oh my God, Maria.”

“Better than Raphael picking up the phone at your place, don’t you think?”

“Well… yeah.”

I ranted about Tristan the whole time I drank my soup.

From him calling me a squid to me blurting out that date invitation in a fit of anger.

“How could he treat me like that? Does he have no eyes?”

Maria laughed so hard the whole house echoed.

“You’ve met your match, huh?”

“Just wait. I’ll make that man beg me in tears.”

That’s what I said, but truthfully, I wasn’t confident.

I’ve never been in a relationship, and I have no real skills when it comes to seduction.

All I have is a pretty face, and Tristan acts like I don’t even exist.

After that encounter with Red Shadow, I felt increasingly desperate to become friends—or something more—with Tristan Lindbergh.

‘I refuse to die like in the original.’

I want to survive and create a different ending, no matter what.

Rrrrrr.

The phone rang.

Maria, who had gone to the living room to answer it, shouted toward me, “Giselle! Come get the phone! It’s Mr. Lindbergh!”

I shot up and ran into the living room, where Maria let out a silent scream.

Is this it? Am I finally losing my virginity?

Flustered by Maria’s teasing, my face flushed bright red.

She’s my friend, but sometimes she really gets on my nerves.

“Mr. Lindbergh?”

― Giselle Rodriguez, is that you?

“Yes. I’ve picked up.”

― Can we meet for a bit?

“Uh… is it something urgent?”

― Can you or not?

“I-I can!”

― Good. Then be at the café in front of the police station by five-thirty.

Click.

He hung up after saying what he needed.

It was the kind of rudeness that might have made me angry, but maybe because I’d been sick all night, my head was foggy and I couldn’t feel much of anything.

If anything, I just felt dazed and confused.

“What did he say? Did he ask you on a date? Did he say he wanted to see you?”

Maria was making a fuss beside me, so I held up my palm and motioned for her to calm down.

But Maria didn’t calm down at all—instead, she got even more excited and pressed for an answer.

“Come on, tell me! What did he say?”

“He said to meet this evening.”

“What? No way! You need to meet him after you’re fully recovered.”

“That’s not what matters right now. It’s two o’clock, and it’ll take thirty minutes to get there, so I have to wash up and get ready.”

“Deva. No matter how important a guy is—”

“This is just as important as your dream of debuting as a singer.”

“Oh, I get it.”

My hair was matted from being sick for days, my face unwashed, and my body covered in sweat, so I rushed to the bathroom to clean up.

When I came out after a quick shower, I saw Maria had already laid out some makeup products.

“Wear this! It’s my favorite outfit.”

When I saw what Maria handed me, my jaw dropped in surprise.

“Uh… Maria? This is a bit much…”

Maria dreamed of debuting as a singer and worked at a cabaret to earn money.

So naturally, her clothes were always bold.

Whether it was cleavage, back, or legs—at least one part was always daringly revealed.

The dress she gave me clung tightly to my body and came down just to the knees.

“It’s too tight. I’ll just swing by home and change into something of mine.”

“Why do you think he asked to meet for dinner? Even if you don’t end up at a hotel, this is your chance to keep him on edge.”

With that, Maria sprayed me with her favorite perfume without holding back.

After doing my makeup and hair, I looked in the mirror—just a little pale, but not sick.

Wearing such a clingy dress made me uncomfortable, so I threw a big coat over it, which helped a bit.

“Do your best. And if you happen to run into that psycho Red Shadow on the way—”

Maria slipped a pistol into my coat pocket.

Anyone living in Mist Island keeps at least one gun by their bedside or in their bag.

“Shoot him. Raphael will handle the aftermath.”

“Don’t you start with the scary talk too. I’m heading out.”

I gave the gun back to Maria and left the shabby apartment.

On the way to the tram, I passed the place where I’d run into Red Shadow.

There were still bloodstains on the ground, which sent a chill down my spine.

“Haa.”

My head throbbed, so I quickened my pace.

After taking the subway to the police station, I spotted the café Tristan had mentioned.

There were plenty of cafés, so I’d wondered how I’d find the right one—but the place was literally named “Café.”

More than that, being right across from the police station, most places nearby were fast, cheap diners, and this was the only actual café.

I went in and took a seat by the window.

I could feel the customers stealing glances at me, but I was used to ignoring that.

From a TV in the corner of the café came the voice of a news anchor.

― A baby born to a blue gas addict has tested positive for drug substances and has been diagnosed with permanent neurological damage.

Tick.

Tick.

Listening to the news, I found myself biting my nails without realizing it.

Raphael had recently gotten into the drug business. I had to stop him before it went any further.

Should I cooperate with the police and have him thrown into the central government’s underground prison…?

― Last year, Black Pistols arrested the boss of the drug cartel Lucky Ginger, putting the drug trade into a lull. But now Two Star and Death Adder are reaching into drug distribution…

I could guess the rest.

The city was in chaos again, and the central government had opened new facilities for drug addicts.

Thud!

Tristan bumped his forehead against the window and looked inside to find me.

Startled, I clutched my chest, and in that moment, he quickly came inside.

Wow.

Maybe because I’d always seen him angry or surprised, I hadn’t noticed before—dressed in a white shirt and casual clothes, he looked incredibly attractive.

Of course, Tristan Lindbergh was a handsome man.

His rare gray eyes drew your gaze, and the sharpness of his eyes, the defined nose, and full lips looked like they belonged on an ancient god’s statue.

His rugged features, broad shoulders, tall frame, and the powerful physique visible even through his clothes were impressive.

‘Wild masculinity’ summed it all up.

Without hesitation, Tristan pushed open the café door, plopped down in front of me, and placed his order before even greeting me.

“Old man! Just one coffee!”

“I haven’t ordered yet.”

“Old man! Two!”

And this man was supposed to be the main character.

What on earth was the creator of Mist Island thinking?

‘Well, nothing in Mist Island could possibly be sane.’

In the original, the only character who wasn’t insane was Black Pistols.

He wasn’t purely good, but he was the city’s last line of justice—a final hope, constantly fighting to protect what was right.

“So, are you interested in dating me now?”

Ignoring the pounding in my head, I gave Tristan my smoothest smile and asked.

My goal was to become his lover.

If that wasn’t possible, I needed to at least become a friend—someone close enough to influence him.

“Ugh, this damn popularity. Fine. I’ll go on a date with you. But in return, I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Pretend to be my girlfriend.”

“What?”

“Due to some circumstances, I need a girlfriend. Just act the part a few times, and I’ll give you dates, money, whatever you want. Think of it like a part-time job or barter deal.”

I take it back.

Tristan Lindbergh may not be insane, but he’s definitely not in his right mind.

‘Does he not have eyes?’

When I leaned back into the café chair, my coat parted slightly, revealing my figure.

Wearing the tight dress had been a smart move.

I crossed my legs on purpose, the smooth line of my legs extending down to my feet.

Tristan’s gaze fell on them.

Will he fall for it? No matter how much of a main character he is, he’s still a man…

Just as I was thinking that, he frowned slightly and said, “By the way, if you’re going to act like my girlfriend, dress modestly, giggle sweetly, and act all innocent. If you can’t manage that, better say no now. Also, your stockings have a run. Tsk.”

Just in case, I’d taken a fever reducer before coming out—but now I could feel the heat rising in my forehead.