The Villain's Sister - Chapter 68

“Huff! Hah!”

Johan gasped for breath.

In that moment, he felt no sensation in his legs.

Even though he could see, it felt like he was swallowed by darkness.

“Ghhkk! Ughhh!”

Collapsed under the sofa, Johan pressed his hands over his eyes.

Crackle! Crackle!

The moment the blade sliced his eye kept replaying.

The horrific pain, and fear that was worse than pain.

The bullet that pierced his spine as his body tilted.

“Hhh… Huff!”

Johan panted for a long time, drenched in cold sweat, before his breathing finally steadied.

His clothes were soaked, and he trembled from the cold.

Even wrapped in a blanket, the chilling sensation from the moment his body broke wouldn’t go away.

In the end, he went into the bathroom and turned on the water randomly.

Before even undressing, he soaked his head in cold water.

The water that dripped down clung to his clothes.

Whether it was because of the dream or the cold water, he didn’t know, but he shivered. At some point, warm water began to flow.

Ah, it was all because of the dream. The trembling wouldn’t stop.

His eyes had been destroyed so badly they couldn’t be restored even with magic.

The damaged spinal nerves couldn’t be revived by anything.

“In the Principality of Chemelhofen, assisted death is permitted under certain conditions.”

After a long argument, his great-aunt had left the hospital room to hide her tears.

To say he wasn’t afraid of death would be a lie.

But the life left to him was even more frightening.

He didn’t want to endure a state where he could no longer affirm himself.

The miracle came then.

The kindness shown by a girl who suffered violence saved Johan.

It became hope and helped him see the world positively.

Though she became only a fleeting hope as she died, the deep gratitude he felt in that brief moment could never be replaced.

His great-aunt kept his miraculous recovery a secret and gave him parting words before she left.

“Don’t give your heart over to suffering. You have to be strong.”

He hurt easily, got angry easily, and grieved easily.

Though his body had grown, he hadn’t become an adult. He wasn’t strong.

That hadn’t changed much, then or now.

After changing clothes, Johan checked the time.

3:52 a.m. His mind was too clear to go back to sleep, and it was too late to find something to pass the time.

Giving up on sleep, Johan began assembling the cabinet placed in the corner of the living room.

He screwed in bolts with a screwdriver and used sandpaper to smooth the unfinished, sharp edges.

Creak. Creak.

The sound of turning screws echoed in the quiet living room like the chirping of insects.

“You’re not asleep?”

The door burst open and Giselle, with messy hair, stepped out.

“Did I wake you?”

“I woke up from sleep. I had a weird dream…”

“A dream?”

“Mm.”

Giselle, biting her lip, looked very pale. Johan, unable to watch, handed her a glass of water.

“Thanks.”

After gulping down the water, Giselle buried her face in her palms.

“It happens sometimes.”

“Must’ve been a nightmare.”

“No. It was a really happy dream.”

“Excuse me?”

Flopping onto the sofa, Giselle pressed her temples with a frown.

“I was happy. Really happy.”

“…What was so happy about it?”

“I don’t know. I just know I always meet someone. I look at that person and smile… my chest feels so full I don’t know what to do.”

“……”

Was it a dream about meeting Tristan Lindbergh?

While Johan’s mood quietly sank, Giselle slowly continued explaining.

“Then when I wake up, I forget everything, and only emptiness remains.”

In Giselle’s eyes, searching for the forgotten dream, sorrow shimmered.

The emotions piling up in her chest were more than just emptiness.

Disappointment, sadness, regret… a tangled mess of feelings that made it hard to even breathe.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”

It hadn’t even been 24 hours since they met, but maybe her guard was lowered because they were from the same hometown.

Lying down as if collapsing onto the sofa, Giselle looked at the cabinet Johan had finished.

“I’m going to put a helmet in there.”

“A helmet?”

“A movie prop. Black Pistols’ helmet.”

“No Red Shadow?”

“Were you a fan of his? I liked Black Pistols.”

Johan gave a short snort of disbelief and set the screwdriver down.

“And Red Shadow doesn’t have any special props. The mask is outdated too, not great.”

Johan snapped back indignantly. “Classic is the highest form of beauty.”

“That’s what we call old. You don’t really think Red Shadow is cool, do you?”

“Is there a problem?”

Though his response was curt, Giselle didn’t mind. She replied indifferently, “Of course leather jackets are cooler than suits.”

“Ha! Isn’t it just that you don’t like Red Shadow?”

This time Giselle snapped. She turned her head, feigning innocence.

“No? I don’t dwell on the past. It’s all over, isn’t it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t look like that at all— Ack!”

While assembling the last metal plate, Johan quickly pulled his hand back and scraped it on a sharp edge.

Plop.

Blood flowed, and Giselle shot up and brought some tissues.

“Are you okay? Does it hurt? I must be crazy, I’ll call the furniture company first thing tomorrow.”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing—”

“It is something. You’re bleeding.”

She brought out a first aid kit and poured disinfectant on his hand.

Seeing Johan’s scarred hand, Giselle muttered bitterly, “You must’ve had a rough life too.”

“The world was rough. I’m glad your hands are still soft.”

Johan looked at her pale, smooth hand and smiled with satisfaction.

He was relieved there wasn’t a single scar on her hand.

He didn’t seem to know what kind of expression he had on.

Giselle noticed his trembling gaze and asked cautiously, “By any chance, um, were you my patient?”

“Yes. First, you treated me as White Hands. The second time, you saved me when I lost consciousness from my wounds. I searched for you for a long time because I didn’t know your identity. I even used Fog’s code.”

“You went that far to find me? Why?”

“There were many reasons.”

“And now?”

“Now that I’ve met you, all those reasons feel meaningless.”

He had been curious about many things and wanted to confirm even more.

Why did she help him? Why did she ask for nothing in return? Did she find the fairy godmother of her own life? But more than anything…

“I wanted to make sure you were happy.”

The thought left him uncomfortable.

He was about to become the brute who would shatter her happy dream.

“I always wanted to say thank you. For giving me a new life.”

Giselle exhaled a warm breath a beat later.

To hide her reddened eyes, she bowed her head and pretended to focus on placing a bandage on his hand.

After a moment, her trembling voice asked him a question.

“Was the new life you were given happy?”

She tried to sneak a glance at him, but when their eyes met, she couldn’t look away.

The smile on Johan’s face was full of sincere gratitude.

He answered politely and gracefully, “It was meaningful.”

At the end of his breath was a slight quiver, and his bloodshot eyes carried old emotions.

It was too much for him to stay indifferent.

Giselle looked at him for a long time.

It felt like the moment she looked away, the dream she had chased would vanish.

***

“Ah. Ah. Ah. Ha. Ughhh—”

Giselle, sprawled on the sofa, pounded a cushion to shake off the tension.

Johan sipped his coffee and said nonchalantly, “Relax. It’s just a talk show. You just have to talk.”

“I’m nervous because I have something to explain.”

“Explain? Did something happen?”

“Nothing like that! But if they took a mugshot, at least I wouldn’t feel so wronged!”

“If it’s not a crime, what’s the problem?”

His irritating words made Giselle glare at him sharply.

Then suddenly, she tilted her head.

“Tsk.”

Giselle got up on all fours on the sofa and crawled toward Johan.

The distance was too close, so Johan leaned back, but she was faster.

She raised one knee and pulled him closer, staring him down.

He asked, flustered, “What’s wrong? If you’ve got a complaint, just say it.”

Instead of replying, Giselle’s eyes trailed down his body. She looked like a butcher evaluating livestock.

Even in the army, no one had stared at him so openly.

“Smile.”

“No.”

“Hmm.”

Giselle suddenly cupped his cheek.

Johan’s jaw tensed, but Giselle, lost in thought, didn’t notice.

“Accepted.”

“What?”

Giselle smiled and narrowed her eyes.

It was the classic look of someone about to make a request. Her white hand held Johan’s jaw. He let out a faint breath and then held it.

“I’ll give you two choices.”

“You’re not listening to me.”

“One. You get kicked out.”

“So it’s not a request but a threat.”

“Two. You become my boyfriend.”

Johan’s eyelid twitched faintly. Giselle teased him with a playful tone.

“I need a man right now.”

It wasn’t just confusing. It was maddening.

Giselle was a woman who knew exactly how to shake him up.