Translator and Editor: Skye and Nabi

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Chapter 8

Arin’s consciousness became blurry. A voice escaped Viola’s lips.

Viola’s eyes were a little red.

“Did you just point a knife at me?”

Viola slapped Tundra on the cheek.

Slap!

Tundra’s cheeks swelled red and just collapsed helplessly.

It happened in a blink of an eye when Viola slowly crushed Tundra.

“This hybrid dog.”

Soon, Viola crushed Tundra’s back with her knees. She pushed Tundra on his back and shoved the dagger into his mouth.

“Hmm. What happens if I put pressure on the side?”

Arin’s consciousness struggled, shouting, ‘This isn’t it!’

Her body was out of control. It felt like it was taken over by the real Viola.

‘I have to take over again.’

She had to get back somehow.

‘If I leave it like this…’

It really seemed like something terrible was going to happen.

And Arin knew. ‘Tundra can resist if he wants to.’

It wasn’t because he couldn’t resist and just stayed still. Tundra’s talent and Viola’s talents were neck and neck, assuming that neither received any education.

It was not like the male lead was helpless.

Though, he’s not resisting.

Arin read Tundra’s mind.

‘I came all the way here for revenge, but I just want to give up.’

‘I think it’s over now.’

Arin knows how that feels. That was how she felt in middle school.

Her mom died a long time ago, so she wasn’t there. Her dad said that he was coming for her, but he just left her behind.

People around her shuddered due to the fact that she didn’t have any parents or guardians. She didn’t have much reason to live.

‘I’ll be there for you.’

If it wasn’t for Kang Han-Joon, Arin might have jumped off the roof that day. Tundra’s psychological state was clearly visible.

He must already have a hunch that his sister is dead. So, he is afraid to move forward.

He doesn’t have the courage to face his father’s body.

‘So I’d rather just die here.’ He was heartbroken.

It was heartbreaking to think that he would be thinking that way with that kind of reaction on his face and body.

‘Huh? He’s moving.’

His body moved, and he slowly regained his consciousness.

She glanced behind her. Xenon stood there with a very pleased expression.

When Vixen came, he looked a little defeated. His lips just went agape.

Xenon said with a grin.

“Clean work, princess.”

Viola was heartbroken.

She didn’t expect it. ‘Is this a side effect of her possessing this body?’

But first, she felt like she had to deal with the current situation.

“This bastard, I like this person.”

She hid the dagger in her arms.

It was a relief that she came to her senses before she stabbed him in the throat.

Viola pointed to Tundra.

“I’ll make this my toy.”

***

In a carriage going back to the duchy.

Vixen showed off his strength. “I killed seven bad guys.”

It wasn’t such a beautiful story to tell. It’s like it went in one ear and out the other.

“But Viola.”

“What?”

“Who else did you apply medicine to, besides me?”

“No one.”

“Then, I am the first?”

“Yes.”

Vixen’s eyes narrowed.

He looked out the window with a murky breath. He felt strange.

“Hmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

“You know, Viola.”

Vixen did not hide his innermost thoughts.

“Don’t apply ointment to anyone other than me.”

“Why?”

“Well, that’s…”

Vixen actually didn’t know how he felt.

He just hated it.

“That’s a dangerous poison, right?”

The ointment is a dangerous poison?

…Since when?

“My heart feels so thin, and my body is floating. I’m laughing and crying. The side effects are very serious.”

Ah.

Please be my guest.

“It would have been very dangerous if you were an ordinary person who isn’t a Verratoux.”

“An average person?”

“Verratoux are born with a blessed body and a large amount of mana. Though it’s dangerous for me, too, so how would it be for an average person?”

Viola sighed.

“Why are you sighing?”

“It’s just…”

My mind felt complicated in many ways. I care about Tundra, who was being carried like groceries in a cart, and I feel sorry for Vixen, who believes it is poison from the bottom of his heart.

“Vixen.”

“I said to call me brother.”

“Yeah, Vixen oppa.” Vixen smiled brightly after hearing that.

“Yes. Why?”

“An ointment is not a poison. So, it’s not dangerous.”

“It’s dangerous.”

Vixen is stubborn.

“You know it’s medicine, right?”

“…”

Vixen’s face turned red.

As he talked to Viola, he could understand. Why does he not like it?

“I don’t like when others feel.”

Vixen wanted to monopolize the mood.

“If you apply ointment, others will feel the same way I do.”

Normally, I don’t feel that way when applying ointment.

Viola was about to say something.

That’s when Vixen clapped his hands. We spoke over each other in the process.

“Oh! I have an idea.”

He grinned. What if Viola applied ointment to someone else?

“We can just get rid of it.”

“…What?”

“Then, I would be the only one in the world who would receive ointment from you.”

Vixen’s heart was relieved to realize the fact.

There was a smile on her face. She felt like she was out of it.

***

When Viola came back to her room, Xenon laid down Tundra around his shoulder.

Tundra was still unconscious.

Tundra’s wrists and ankles were chained together with harnesses [ magical equipment ] that control movement and mana.

It was heartbreaking to see him wearing harnesses on his hands and feet, covering his mouth like a slave. Viola looked at Tundra silently.

‘No, it’s not him.’

And even though it’s not.

They looked exactly the same. It’s just their eyes that are different.

Viola moved away and sat on a chair.

Viola could see herself in the mirror. No wicked woman should do such a wicked act. She still doesn’t know. Whether it’s good or bad.

“What about the toy, princess?”

Viola replied in the most Viola’s way. “Pretty good, put it on display.”

“Okay.”

When Xenon injects a little mana, the chain moves on its own. It then unfolded.

Tundra’s limbs spread out from side to side.

It looks like it’s crossed.

Viola grinned.

“That’s all right. Get out.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Well, since he’s a dog, he needs discipline, right?

“If you need anything, please call me, Princess.”

“Yes.”

For now, I need to send Xenon away.

Viola, who sent Xenon out, racked her head.

“Oh, what do I do?”‘

How can I discipline him? I only brought him here to save his life.

There was a sound of chains moving.

Ugh. A faint groan was also heard.

Before I knew it, Tundra began to wake up.

“W-what the!” Tundra, who came to his senses, was shocked.

He couldn’t pronounce his words properly because of the harness that blocked his mouth.

Viola sat in a chair and watched Tundra for a while. He glared at Viola.

“Let me out of here!”

His mouth was watering. Tundra’s spirit did not die even after he had just been treated like an animal.

He felt shocked for the first time since he met Viola. He met such a young girl in that kind of cottage, but now, the situation has changed. In Tundra’s head, Viola is the perfect enemy.

A monster who pushed a knife into his mouth and spread his flesh.

“God, I will kill you!!”

He was able to recover his senses even after he saw the scene.

Right. He’s not her brother.

He would always smile in front of Arin. He would stand beside her like a strong tree.

…He looked at the wild animals and didn’t act so badly

‘They just look alike.’

She made up her mind. ‘Yes, it was just the face.’

Clack, clack, clack!

Tundra kept struggling, and the harnesses rattled violently.

Tundra, who was screaming with excitement, looked as though he wanted to tear Viola apart.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Phew.

Viola took a deep breath.

It’s all right. Everything’s going to be okay.

She knows what character Tundra is better than anyone else.

“What’s your name?”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Let me go!”

Viola waited in silence until Tundra calmed down.

‘Tundra is a reasonable and smart character.’

He’s just too young now, and he didn’t receive a proper education. Tundra lost all his family members, and now he was kidnapped, so he seemed to have lost his reason to live.

But now, he had to bring himself together.

“You went into the cabin by yourself. How was the result? You’ve only killed two people, and you’ve been terribly injured.”

Viola deliberately poked Tundra in the chest.

“And you ended up doing nothing, hiding in a corner and shivering, without even knowing about your sister’s death. Isn’t that right?”

“Uggghhh!” Tundra roared.

“If I were you, I would have wanted to give up everything. Cowardly. You might have thought that it would be better to die, me, too. I was an orphan.”

At that moment, Tundra’s body stopped.

“My mother died, and my father abandoned me. And now I have been adopted.”

When I entered the orphanage, Kang Han-Joon said this.

‘My name is Kang Han-Joon.’

“My name is Viola Verratoux.”

He told me this.

‘You’ve been abandoned.’

He didn’t always comfort me with warm words. He told me the reality with his soft eyes. Looking back, it was better that way. He said he’d come back someday.

It’s going to be okay.

Adults’ lies made young Arin imbued with useless hope. And that hope made her suffer more.

The higher the hope he built, the more it would hurt when I crashed.

“Your father and sister are dead.”

There was another thing Kang Han-Joon said to Arin, who thought the world had collapsed.

‘It’s not gonna be okay.’

‘But I’ll still be there for you.’

With what he said, it was like magic that made Arin rise.

“It won’t be okay.” Although the situation was different, the situation was still similar.

“But I’ll be there for you.”

What Kang Han joon said to Arin.

Viola said it to Tundra.

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