The Villain's Sister - Chapter 77

“You just want to believe that.”

Willy kept rambling on about what he wanted to say, not even noticing Johan raising one eyebrow.

“Listen. Red Shadow may have had a ruthless sense of justice, but like Black Pistols, he had firm convictions. To destroy evil and protect good! As long as he had the conviction to wipe out villains, he was a hero!”

Johan watched the flushed and excited Willy with interest.

“He was injured in the war, so how did he recover his body? Since Giselle is White Hands, could there have been something between them? And besides, he was a noble. Why would someone like him struggle as a hero? If it were me, I would’ve lived comfortably, burning through my fortune.”

“He must have felt emptiness.”

As he recalled that time, Johan’s eyes grew distant.

“He returned home with a body injured from fighting for his country, but his hometown, tainted with evil, didn’t even give him a chance to be grateful for the miracle.”

His parents had used each other only to protect the family’s fortune and honor.

A child born without love. Inherited money and a hollow title. And the status he would one day inherit—that was all that made him up.

‘A person’s worth cannot be defined by such things.’

In short, Heinrich von Valkenstein was a worthless man.

And so Heinrich’s life had no meaning.

Loneliness stayed by his side, and every moment, solitude gnawed at him.

When he reached the depths of hell on the battlefield and resolved to die, White Hands appeared like salvation.

“Maybe I just wanted to be your fairy godmother.”

He was grateful for hope.

Determined to start a new life, he was full of expectation, but before even a day had passed, the young girl was killed.

The emptiness and anger he felt then shattered the last shred of morality he had been holding onto.

“Black Pistols believes sinners can be reformed, but I’m skeptical. While waiting for reform, more victims may appear.”

So it was cleaner to just kill them.

Johan, watching Giselle in a mantilla veil praying, let the corners of his mouth faintly rise.

Smiling as he looked at Giselle, he seemed like a young boy in love.

Suppressing the urge to touch the poster with his hand, a faint warmth seeped into his cold, dry face.

“But now he really would be nothing but a murderer.”

No different from the villains.

But it didn’t matter.

War makes life worthless.

He was a veteran who had experienced war, and the city was like a battlefield, so bloodstained hands were not heavy to him.

Before going to bed early in the living room, he fixed his gaze on Giselle’s praying hands.

Her white, delicate hands were everything he had to protect.

***

Giselle had a small booth at the charity event.

She planned to donate the proceeds from selling clean, second-hand goods she rarely used.

She sold clothes, shoes, and rugs she had bought but seldom used, and perhaps because the designs were unique and pretty, everything sold out by the morning.

“Today’s sales queen is me.”

At Giselle’s half-joking remark, the charity event organizer laughed and gave her a thumbs-up.

“Since the booth is all cleaned up, go have a quick meal.”

“Okay. I’ll be quick.”

Dusting off her hands, she stood up and headed to a nearby restaurant not far from the charity event.

She ordered a simple meal and was glancing around the interior when her eyes met Johan’s, sitting across the room.

‘How long has he been watching me?’

Pale skin, dark shadows under his eyes, sharp gaze that pierced even through the gloom.

He had introduced himself as Johan, but his true identity was Red Shadow.

“This is your dream.”

Nonsense.

It would be easier to believe she had gone mad and was seeing an illusion of Red Shadow, rather than accept words that she could not and must not believe.

Giselle quickly turned her head. Just then, the waiter brought her food.

Afraid their eyes might meet again, she ate with her face practically buried in the plate.

But her efforts were in vain.

Clatter.

Johan sat down across from her. Now that his identity had been revealed, the modest demeanor he had shown before was gone.

Leaning deep into his chair, he looked comfortable, as if the restaurant were his own home.

He naturally crossed his long legs.

“Have you thought about it?”

“Why would I waste time thinking about your ridiculous claims?”

Giselle focused on her food without sparing Johan a glance.

Watching her murmuring red lips, he warned her again, “If we don’t escape this place by tomorrow morning, both you and I will be swallowed by this world and die. Unfortunately, mind-related magic isn’t my specialty.”

“Good. My dream was to kill you anyway. Looks like it’ll finally come true.”

“When your life is at stake, shouldn’t you pay more attention?”

“Go to hell.”

“Giselle. If you’re curious, ask me more. Depending on the question, I’ll answer sincerely.”

“How did you even get into this world? Oh, right. You’re a wizard. Then if your goal is Raphael’s secret safe, I’ll tell you where it is, so take it and get lost.”

“If it’s about money, I have more than Raphael.”

“If you’re rich, why do you live like this? Do you have some kind of fetish for violence?”

Her sarcastic tone and choice of words that dug under his skin made Johan press the corner of his eye.

“Don’t test my patience. I’m doing my best to be polite to you.”

“If you’re angry, then get lost right in front of me.”

“…Raphael was injured. It looked like a very deep wound, but even then, he entrusted you to me.”

Only then did Giselle lift her head. When she looked at Johan, she let out a scoff.

Judging only by appearance, the siblings didn’t look much alike, but in that moment, anyone could tell they were family.

The clear malice in her eyes, the cynically raised corner of her lips—those were the same.

“Red Shadow helping Raphael? Don’t make me laugh. Spouting nonsense about things I don’t remember, insisting things that never happened are reality, I think you should check yourself into a psychiatric hospital.”

“You must have felt it too. There are things in your life that don’t add up.”

Giselle’s lips trembled briefly before she dropped her utensils onto the plate that still had food left.

Her rough breathing was loud and clear.

“This is reality.”

“No. It’s a dream.”

“Then live trapped in a dream. I’m curious to see what kind of dream you’ll have.”

“Don’t make me force you to believe.”

“Then I’ll prove it myself.”

With that, Giselle picked up a knife and, without hesitation, stabbed her hand.

“Giselle!”

Johan jumped up and snatched the knife from her hand.

Rip. Rip.

Blood flowed like water from her torn skin.

While Johan checked the wound, Giselle focused her mind, trying to use her ability.

If it had been Mist Island, she would have healed the wound instantly, but now nothing happened.

“My ability isn’t working. You’re the strange one, using magic.”

“Damn it! The wound is deep. We need to go to the hospital.”

“If this is a dream like you say, then there’s no need to treat it.”

Giselle’s eyes gleamed triumphantly, like a team that had won a sports match.

And Johan exploded in anger at the sight.

“Wherever this is, I don’t want to see you writhing in pain!”

For the first time, Johan raised his voice at Giselle.

Until now, even if he had mocked her, he had never shouted.

From the start, Johan had never been a man who needed to force his opinion.

With just a low voice, he could easily achieve what he wanted.

He was the master of a long-standing ducal house and one of the wealthiest men on Mist Island.

But now, watching Giselle’s blood drip down, he ached as if it were his own wound and breathed heavily with rage.

“I don’t want you to be in pain! Especially not because of that damned city!”

Groaning, he confessed his true feelings and grabbed her wrist to keep her from running away.

Giselle twisted her arm, shouting as she tried to break free, “This has nothing to do with you! Let go!”

Ignoring her cries, Johan cast his magic. Fog rose quickly and swallowed them both.