The Villain's Sister - Chapter 80

I had a long dream.

A ridiculous dream of living with Raphael in that other world.

It seemed like there was someone else besides Raphael, but I couldn’t quite remember.

“…Hey, hey! Are you awake? Hey, Giselle!”

Someone shook my body, jolting me awake.

My head hurt and my stomach churned.

When I forced myself upright, a large hand handed me a glass of water.

After wetting my lips, my head cleared a little.

“Are you okay? Do you recognize me?”

Tristan, looking like a mess, snapped his fingers in front of me.

Why is he in my house…? More than that, he’s in his hero outfit.

Without even a helmet.

But what about Maria?

“Where’s Maria?”

“That’s your first question when you wake up? Maria Rodriguez is safe. She’s under police protection right now. The situation is complicated. First—”

Tristan paused.

Because I had spotted Red Shadow lying unconscious like a corpse beside the bed.

“His identity was exposed?”

“Not exposed—more like we figured each other out. I’m at more of a disadvantage, but since I serve the country, there’s nothing I can do.”

“…The name Johan is an alias. This puts you at an absolute disadvantage.”

“I know. I’ve been at this long enough to know. Did you know from the start that bastard was Red Shadow?”

“……”

Reading affirmation in my silence, Tristan continued, “Raphael demanded that in exchange for surrendering to the police, they help you, since you were unconscious. As for that bastard… I don’t know. When he wakes up, you can ask him yourself.”

“Let me check your wounds first.”

“I just need to go to a hospital.”

“If you go to a hospital, your identity will be exposed. If both the Black Pistols and the police have the same injuries in the same places, even a seven-year-old would figure it out.”

A policeman with the same injuries as Black Pistols would be valuable information for the villains.

When I got up from the bed, my head spun.

My body felt brittle and dry.

I placed my hand on the bandages, darkened where dried blood had clotted.

“Don’t touch it. If you mess with it—”

When I drew up my ability, Tristan jumped in shock.

“Well? The pain is slowly easing, isn’t it?”

“You, you, you… You were White Hands?”

“I kept your secret. So keep mine.”

“Shit.”

Tristan grabbed his hair in frustration.

I didn’t understand why it was such a big deal to him that I was White Hands.

I unwrapped the bandages to check the wound.

It was more severe than I had thought. Even though the injury was visibly closing, the wound was still deep.

“Now’s not the time for you to treat me. Raphael—”

“Is he dead?”

He studied me cautiously. I pushed my power further.

Judging by how drained I felt, I must have been unconscious for a long time.

I asked him again, my voice trembling, “He’s not dead, right?”

“For now. He’s in surgery, but his condition is bad. They say interrogation will be difficult.”

“Which hospital?”

“If people find out you’re Raphael’s sister, Big Bear will carve you up within twenty-four hours.”

“I’ve been threatened like that plenty of times. I can handle it.”

I shook Johan.

Since Tristan’s leg wound had already been treated with my ability, it would heal on its own even if I let go.

“Johan, help me. Wake up. I need to see Raphael. I’ll do whatever you want, just wake up.”

Johan hung limp, like someone unconscious.

On a hunch, I placed my hand on the back of his neck to check his pulse.

His breathing was faint, his pulse barely detectable.

And what I felt inside him—

“…Why…?”

Inside Johan’s body, I could feel my own ability.

But it raged wildly, as if it didn’t belong to me.

“Th-this is strange. Johan? Johan! Tristan! Something’s wrong with him! Is he hurt?”

“Calm down.”

Tristan was not just calm, but cold.

As if he had expected this all along.

“…It must be because he used mental magic. That’s not his specialty.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Since you weren’t waking up, he entered your consciousness. Looks to me like he couldn’t get back out… but neither of us are wizards.”

Tristan rubbed his warped face with his palm, worn out by the helplessness of the situation.

“Can’t your power do something? White Hands’ ability is limited to external wounds, right?”

“My power…”

Could the ability I felt within him be tied to why he wasn’t regaining consciousness?

I grabbed Johan’s hand.

Unlike his elegant face, it was rough, like a carpenter’s hand.

When I moved the energy inside me, the ability within Johan began to resonate.

The swirling energy gradually lost momentum and settled down.

I didn’t know if Johan had been injured, but just in case, I let my ability flow into him.

“…Strange.”

The energy flowed to Johan’s eyes and legs.

‘The ability inside Johan hasn’t been reclaimed.’

The ability stirred Johan more than I intended.

It was the first time my power moved on its own like this, but the situation ended almost absurdly simply.

As his pale complexion returned to normal, Tristan, who had been watching, said, “His pulse is back.”

Pressing down hard on Johan’s nape, Tristan suddenly clenched his fist, looking like he might punch him any second.

“This guy’s completely insane. I knew he was crazy, but I didn’t think he’d be someone who didn’t even value his own life! Damn it!”

He rubbed his face harshly, as if he had been deeply shaken.

“He’ll wake up with time. We need to go to Raphael quickly. You’re fully recovered now, right?”

Since it didn’t seem like Johan would wake soon, I searched for the car keys.

After tucking the gun into my handbag and finishing preparations to leave, Tristan grabbed my wrist.

“What’s your plan? Don’t tell me you’re going to march proudly through the hospital’s main entrance for a family visit and treatment. Forget it. The moment Raphael recovers, you’ll become the target of this entire city.”

“Then should I just let Raphael die? I’ll save him. I will never just stand by and do nothing.”

“Someone like Raphael is banned from family visits. Even if you go to the hospital, you won’t be able to see him.”

“I’ll take care of it myself.”

“Take care of it yourself? And what exactly can you do?”

“I’ll make a deal with information. Helping a villain isn’t a hero’s job, so you stay out of it.”

When I twisted my arm, Tristan released my wrist.

Letting out a heavy sigh, as if suffocated, he glanced at his leg, now completely healed, and swallowed back curses.

“Why the hell did you approach me, drag me into this… Damn it… You’re that anonymous whistleblower, aren’t you? Yeah, it must be. If not you, then Liam Fabian, but Raphael’s lackey would never have smuggled out documents like that.”

“Yes. It was me.”

“Then it was you who tipped off our economic team about Death Adder’s shell company?”

“Yes.”

Tristan ran his hands roughly through his hair and glared at me with eyes sharp enough to skewer.

Anyone else would have been cowed by that terrifying gaze, but I wasn’t. I was too worried about Raphael.

All I could hear was the ticking of the clock, loud and clear.

“The police are obligated to protect informants, and I’m not Red Shadow. You’re just an ordinary citizen with a villain in your family, but you’re not a villain yourself.”

With a nervous sigh, Tristan cursed and stood up.

“I can give you exactly ten minutes. You’d better finish Raphael’s treatment within that time.”

***

“Thanks to you, the Organized Crime Division’s had more promotion parties than I can count.”

“Upset you didn’t get promoted? But you already got a special promotion.”

“Please. Do you think I’m an idiot? We could’ve made those arrests even without your help.”

“No. You’ll be promoted to a very high position. That’s why you should block Raphael for me.”

I confessed my sincerity as if joking.

I saw people heading to work, cutting through the morning sunlight. Today, I was among them too.

‘When I’m with Tristan, I feel like a normal person.’

That thought came to me.

“Even without Red Shadow, Raphael will be ruined eventually. That’s why I approached you. I thought maybe if he came face to face with the police, Raphael might stop.”

“He’s already in too deep.”

“I wanted to believe in a hero.”

“How the hell did you even know my identity?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, so don’t ask. I don’t plan on telling anyone, so don’t worry.”

Tristan let out a bitter laugh.

Of course it must have sounded ridiculous for a villain’s family member to say she believed in him.

“Raphael’s not sick, is he? Unless he had someone watching you, how else would he know where my house was?”

“Because you stirred up things around Maria while trying to find me. Raphael keeps Maria under surveillance too.”

The car stopped a little distance from the hospital.

Police were stationed at the entrance, and if I went in with Tristan, it would draw too much attention, so I had to enter with another ID first.

“Stand by in fifteen minutes. I’m protecting you, not helping Raphael. Don’t expect more.”

I looked toward Langfester Hospital in the distance and replied, “Don’t worry. I’ve staked my life on this too.”