Chapter 20. The Scoundrel

A few days after Neumonte Acarlipto stole Mine Molière’s lips, he sent her a bouquet and a bottle of perfume as a gift.

While Mine, enchanted by the heady scent, fluttered with excitement, two women met their misfortune.

The maid who had delivered the script to Mine developed a severe skin condition, her face pockmarked beyond recognition. Meanwhile, the maid serving Princess Agnès died after her tongue swelled from an allergic reaction, blocking her airway and suffocating her.

As calamities unfolded one after another, suspicion naturally fell on Mine. Though there was no evidence pointing to her, people believed what they wanted to believe. It was during this time that the image of Mine as a villainess who tormented loyal maids began to take root.

But to someone who had already let the seed of love blossom in their heart, such rumors meant nothing. Every night, Mine secretly met with Neumonte. Like a snake slithering over a wall, he claimed her body as his own.

On a night when Mine had surrendered both her body and heart to him, whispering her love, Neumonte made a request of her.

❖　❖　❖

I woke up in tears, unable to shake off the turbulent emotions that clung to me.

As if he somehow sensed I was awake, Ralpido entered the room.

“So the saying about sleeping beauties being heavy sleepers is true, huh? Sorry for giving you such strong—wait, are you crying?!”

Ralpido rushed over, clearly flustered. His booming voice must have reached Yona, as the door suddenly flew open.

“What? The witch is crying?!”

“You fool! How many times have I told you not to barge into a lady’s room? Get lost!”

At Ralpido’s roar, Yona was promptly chased out of the room.

I sat trembling on the bed, barely able to muster the strength to sit upright. While I managed to get myself out of bed, I couldn’t bring myself to move any further.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Ralpido pressed the back of his hand to my forehead.

“Doesn’t seem like you have a fever. Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Hey, why are you still crying?”

“I… I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to apologize for, huh?”

Ralpido pulled a handkerchief from the console drawer and roughly dabbed at my tear-streaked face and damp cheeks.

“Ugh…”

“Did you have a nightmare or something?”

The best way to describe it was that I had seen Mine Molière’s memories in the form of a dream. I nodded hesitantly, and Ralpido let out a sigh.

“How long… how long was I asleep?”

“Let’s see, probably about ten hours or so?”

Not only had Ralpido graciously offered me a room, but this also meant Yona had waited here for me for ten whole hours. The thought made me feel both guilty and embarrassed, my face heating up in response.

“You skipped a meal while you slept—it’s already past dinnertime. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I don’t usually eat much, so I’m fi—”

Growl.

Why does my stomach always betray me at the worst times? Ralpido burst into hearty laughter, his mouth opening so wide I could almost see his uvula.

“You should eat something. Just wash up and come out—one of our staff will guide you.”

“I… I’m sorry…”

“Ah, ah, no more apologizing. It’s banned.”

“…”

“Don’t tell me that’s the only phrase you know how to say?”

“N-no, of course not.”

“Anything you can’t eat?”

“I can eat anything.”

“Then how are you this thin?”

“…I think it’s just my metabolism.”

“If it’s your metabolism, it’s your metabolism. What’s with the ‘I think’ part?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Ralpido told me where to find the medicine they kept for feeling unwell and left the room.

By then, my tears had stopped. Still, Ralpido’s unconditional kindness reminded me of the Kimber couple.

Mr. Kimber, who ran to me in a panic just because I tried to cut my own hair, worried I might harm myself. Mrs. Kimber, who meticulously wrapped the fox fur scarf around me, saying it was part of her wedding dowry.

Now, they were nothing but ashes…

Could it be that I bring misfortune wherever I go?

A wave of guilt and unease washed over me.

“Nexiard…”

I shook my head, forcing myself to brush off the negative thoughts. I had decided to help Nexiard, and wasting time on such gloomy imaginings would do no good. I needed to act.

❖　❖　❖

After Dinner, a Late Night Departure

After dinner, Ralpido suggested I stay the night since it was already late, but I adamantly refused. I couldn’t owe him that much. Even Yona had vehemently objected to the idea of me staying.

“Now you’ve stooped to seducing women?”

Yona’s remark earned him a swift kick from Ralpido.

Ralpido told me to come back in a week to pick up my new ID. Having grown accustomed to next-day delivery, a week felt excruciatingly long. Besides, I needed the ID to officially rent a property.

“Can’t it be done in three days?”

“Do you think new IDs just sprout out of the ground?”

“Still…”

“Is it urgent?”

“I just want to move out as soon as possible.”

“Where are you staying now?”

“Near the Shina District.”

I deliberately dropped the name. It was a neighborhood notorious for illegal activity—the very place the real estate agent had warned me to avoid. I felt a twinge of guilt for exploiting Ralpido’s sense of justice, but sure enough, her face twisted into a scowl.

“That’s a neighborhood full of random ID checks. Why would you stay there? Oh, right, no ID.”

“…”

“Fine, come back in three days, young lady.”

While I spoke with Ralpido, Yona stood nearby, arms crossed and shifting his weight impatiently. As soon as I said goodbye and turned to leave, he practically punched the elevator button.

Before the doors closed, Ralpido shouted at him.

“I hope the next time I see you is at your funeral!”

“Hmph. Who said you’d be invited to mine?”

“Going up! Hold on tight!”

The elevator jolted, the floor shifting beneath my feet and giving me that nauseating weightlessness I hated. It was why I never rode Viking ships at amusement parks.

By the time we left, Livre Bookstore was already closed. A staff member helped us exit through the back door.

The night was dark, the kind of darkness where stars lit the sky like a dream. In a way you could never see in Seoul, the Milky Way stretched across the heavens like a celestial river, so dense with stars that it seemed they might spill over.

As I stopped to marvel at the night sky, a thought crossed my mind: Yona had spent the entire day waiting for me.

“Thank you for waiting, Yona.”

“Hmph! How could I leave you alone at Ralpido’s house, not knowing what kind of nonsense she might pull?”

“…”

“Remember, you’re my precious blood supplier. Don’t forget your role, witch!”

Right. Yona and I were strictly bound by mutual interest. How long could I keep my secrets from this perceptive mage?

‘I’ll cut ties before I get caught.’

After all, I’d promised myself to use every tool available to survive.

 

As we walked, we eventually approached the central station. It was long past the time for the last train, and the station was eerily empty. Torn scraps of paper and magazines fluttered in the cold wind.

Unlike the dazzling lights of bustling cities that stung your eyes even at night, this place felt completely different. Here, people retreated to their homes as soon as the sun set. The gas lamps lining the deserted streets only added to the desolate atmosphere.

I suddenly turned to Yona.

“Are we heading in the same direction?”

“What?”

“I don’t know where you live, so…”

Yona raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

“Are you stupid, or just pretending not to know?”

“Pardon…?”

“How could I let you walk home alone at this hour? Do I look like some trashy scoundrel to you? Unbelievable.”

“Oh…”

“What? You really think I’m some scumbag?”

Yona habitually pouted his lips, then launched into a lecture about how gentlemanly he was, all while matching his pace to mine. He walked me all the way to the edge of the inn’s street but stopped short of the front entrance—likely his way of showing consideration.

‘Surprisingly thoughtful.’

Before he turned to leave, Yona spoke.

“See you in three days.”

“I think I can find my way back on my own next time.”

“…”

“Um… I just need to ask the staff to find *The Fall of the Ying Empire*, right? We’ve met each other now, so…”

“…”

Why did he look disappointed?

“But now that I think about it, I don’t remember which section it was in. I think it was written in Imperial, but I’m not familiar with the language…”

Yona’s face brightened.

“Knew it! You’d be lost without me. Looks like I’ll just have to make time.”

“I’m counting on you, Yona.”

And with that, we parted ways.

 

According to the plan, I was supposed to meet Yona at Livre Bookstore in three days. But when I arrived at the clock tower that day, it wasn’t Yona waiting for me—it was one of Livre’s employees.

“Where’s Yona?”

The staff member thumped his chest with a confident grin.

“Just follow me!”