The Villain's Sister - Chapter 94
Liam sat on the bed in the master bedroom of a house.
Leaning against the wall, his unfocused eyes wandered through the air as he sobbed, as if dazed from drugs.
“How could you do this to me… ngh.”
No matter how many times he cried, the sadness showed no sign of easing.
He’d wanted to get to know Deva over a long time, slowly building a bond.
To do that, he’d thought it best to join Death Adder and become family with Raphael.
He’d proven his loyalty and gained Raphael’s trust. All that was left was to open Deva’s heart and win her affection.
Sometimes her actions drove him mad with rage, but his love for her was genuine.
“Do you know how happy I was when I was allowed to call you Deva? I’ve loved only you all this time, so how could you… this is too cruel to me.”
That’s why I have to set everything right.
Where to start, how to turn things back? No matter how he thought about it, the problem was that bastard.
“Johan.”
He’d learned it thanks to running into him at the police station.
That his true identity was Red Shadow.
‘He was Red Shadow?!’
He’d thought he was just one of the many nobodies.
Because he’d instinctively shielded his face during the explosion that day, he never saw Red Shadow’s real face.
“If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve slit his throat instead of just warning him with a few punches when he was tied to that bed. Damn it!”
Because he didn’t know the face under Red Shadow’s mask, he’d stood before him unable to do anything.
It was obvious that bastard had ruined everything, and fury turned his mind blank.
“Deva. I know. It was Johan and Tristan Lindbergh who made you betray Mr. Raphael.”
They must’ve brainwashed you somehow.
Ah, I understand. Unlike Oscar, Mr. Raphael never taught you how to become ruthless.
It makes me angry, but I can understand. Because I love you enough to give you everything.
Liam gasped for air and wiped his tears with the back of his hand.
He’d already punished Tristan Lindbergh. Though it seemed Deva had used her power, judging by the condition he’d seen, the healing hadn’t been complete.
As for Johan… next time they met, he’d strangle the life out of him without hesitation.
What mattered most now was Mr. Raphael.
“I can’t break into the central government’s underground prison twice.”
Mr. Raphael would guide you back onto the right path.
He’d make you abandon that arrogant idea of sending your only family to prison.
“You’ll pay for betraying me after everything’s over.”
After collecting his thoughts, Liam left the bedroom.
In the hallway lay the corpses of the married couple he’d killed.
Each time he took a step, the dried blood crumbled into powder.
The shadow stretching along the floor wavered.
Slowly, it crept up and wrapped around his body, becoming a black cloak.
***
While Tristan and Johan were stacking groceries into the refrigerator like a game of Tetris, I unpacked and hooked up the television.
The screen flickered with static a few times, then an advertisement played.
I cheered briefly, “Tristan! How did you even think of going out to buy a TV? I’m seriously grateful! I could stay here for a month or a year and still be happy!”
“This is my house, Giselle.”
“When I asked you to buy one, you didn’t even pretend to listen, but now that Tristan’s here, you go and get it? Do you like Tristan? Is that your type?”
“Let’s stop before I raise my voice.”
Since Johan looked deadly serious, I shut up and ate the chocolate ice cream he’d bought.
“Did your heart flutter when I called you honey earlier?”
“If it didn’t, I wouldn’t be hiding you in my house.”
“I don’t think captivity romances are my thing.”
“I think I like this life more than I expected.”
His hand suddenly reached out and brushed against the corner of my lips.
His thumb moved slowly from the edge to the center.
Just as excessive heat and cold can feel similar, I couldn’t tell where my lips ended and his fingers began.
Because of the ice cream, my lips were cold, but his fingers were hot.
The look in his eyes was chillingly blue, yet the heat within them burned like sunlight on summer asphalt.
And under his touch, I gripped the cold ice cream tub tightly to keep from showing how shaken I was.
“Maybe the problem isn’t the story, but the male protagonist.”
The fingers brushing my lips froze. I turned away from his gaze.
He was an antihero.
That day, when he said he’d kill Raphael if he saw him at the police station, it was only natural.
An antihero who failed to put justice first was nothing more than a serial killer.
Even so, an antihero was still a hero.
I hoped Johan would remain a hero, not a murderer.
And I was the subordinate of a villain who wanted to save one of Mist Island’s greatest evils, Raphael.
‘That’s why, when I disappear, it’s only right to leave Johan behind.’
From the start, it was a relationship that could never last.
No matter what feelings I held for Johan, they were nothing but a foolish choice.
“Unlawful confinement carries a five-year sentence. Don’t act up in front of a cop.”
Tap.
Tristan pushed Johan’s hand away and snatched the ice cream tub from me.
His gray eyes, resembling the city’s fog, skimmed over my lips before looking away.
It was the kind of indifferent yet sharply observant look only a police officer could have.
“What’s his deal anyway? He’s carrying around checks worth a million Rafen each. Yet his house is tiny as hell.”
“Uh….”
Does Tristan not know Johan is Duke Heinrich von Valkenstein?
But anyone living on Mist Island should know who the Duke is.
Watching Johan sip his tea, I realized something.
‘His face has changed a lot.’
The newspaper photo of Duke Valkenstein had been taken when he was about eighteen.
Now he was twenty-six. The boy had become a man.
The delicate features had sharpened, maturing into the face of a full-grown adult.
His time in the military had hardened his expression, making him look so different that it was easy not to recognize him as the Duke.
‘Besides, if you’re not interested in the military, you’d barely even know the name.’
I was only an exception because I’d read every article about the war for Raphael’s sake.
“Secrecy is part of his identity. Let’s just leave it at that.”
I giggled, looking for another snack, when the movie started.
It had been released about three years ago, but I hadn’t bothered to watch it back then because it looked dull.
The story was a typical one: an ordinary citizen losing their family to a villain and seeking revenge.
“When I watch movies like this, I never know who I’m supposed to sympathize with.”
Tristan replied as he sprinkled sliced almonds and chocolate syrup over the ice cream.
“There’s no need to sympathize. You watch for the thrill of the destruction.”
“That’s true.”
Our eyes met for a brief moment.
I could tell Tristan had been watching me closely all along.
He handed the ice cream back to me, hesitated for a moment, then said, “When I was a kid—before I even hit middle school—my little brother got curious about drugs, so I yelled at him in anger. I told him, ‘If you’re that curious, go ahead and try it yourself.’”
He was talking about Sunshine. The same Sunshine Raphael had killed in the original story.
That was also why Black Pistols had teamed up with Red Shadow to hunt Raphael down.
On the final day, the two heroes, Raphael, Oscar, and the Black Cloak had clashed, triggering an explosion that shook the world.
“When that bastard left home, I thought everything was over—being brothers, being family. But when I found out he’d started making drugs, what I felt wasn’t anger. It was responsibility.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“You’re right. It wasn’t my fault. My words didn’t push him into that life. He chose to throw himself into the gutter. Just like Raphael.”
“…But he’s still your family. Raphael killed Andrew because of me….”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be honest. While investigating Raphael, I learned about your situation too.”
“I expected that.”
Tristan set his spoon down and spoke seriously.
He’d sent his own brother to prison himself, and caught him with his own hands.
I couldn’t help but focus on what he was saying. And he, in turn, could probably see parts of himself in me.
“In that case, you were a complete victim. If anyone was at fault, it was the police who ignored the domestic abuse and the community that let it happen. What kind of law blames a minor?”
“….”
“Crime syndicates aren’t built by personal will alone. They’re products of a flawed society. Raphael becoming a killer, escaping prison, and turning into a professional criminal—half of that was society’s doing.”
“Raphael was an adult. It can’t be excused.”
“You’re right. That’s why he has to pay for it. We call that responsibility.”
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Torryy
I knew it. That damned Liam was ‘Black Cloak’ all along. I’ve been suspicious since the stalker incident where Gizelle got that nasty letter and Raphael killed some waiter from a cafe that Gizelle frequented. Something seemed very suspicious since then.
Liam is so freaking sick in the head. and it’s worse that he remembers the previous timeline. The sacrifices that this Oscar person made… it costed him his very existence. It’s making me so sad.