Failed To Abandon the Villain

Chapter 83

“No, I’m perfectly normal. I just did what Miss Valletta told me to do.”

“Me?”

“Yes, since you said I would not be able to get to where I am today….. I will try to be on the same level as you.”

Valletta laughed in vain and slowly swept her face. No matter how many times she rubbed her face, the frustration did not go away easily. Her expression darkened slightly.

‘What is the same level as me?’

She couldn’t bring herself to ask that back. She felt like she would get a fire inside her if she did. Valletta struggled to take a deep breath.

“Same level as me……”

“Yes, apart from that, it’s hard for me to sympathize with Miss Valletta, who uses and kills people as experiments.”

She went quiet, as if she was speechless.

“I used humans as test subjects and killed them?”

Milord nodded in response to Valletta’s perplexed question. In fact, Milord couldn’t believe it either, so he investigated this and that. The conclusion was all too easy to reach. All the evidence pointed to her as the culprit, so there was no room for doubt. Unable to bear to look into Milord’s blue eyes, Valletta left her seat.

‘Let’s be patient.’

It would be easy to call Jin here and run away. But she had to resist her urges, because exposing her defeat would only bring the emperor another victory.

“I’m tired. Can I go rest?”

“Why did you kill?”

The emperor looked at Milord with curious eyes. He didn’t know if those were the eyes of a child or a well-grown pet.

As she was turning around, Valletta stopped moving. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced for a moment at the bookshelf standing behind the desk. She eventually turned her face away, seemingly unconcerned, and swallowed her breath. 

“Will I be able to get back my Snorta that I brought? And my bag, too.”

“I’ll return them both once they’re confirmed. You’re not answering me.”

“What is the importance of my answer?”

Valletta asked back with an absurd look.

“You’re sure of it anyway. It’s a waste of time talking anymore.”

“I’ll take the Young Lady to her room, father.”

“Let’s do that.”

The Emperor gave Valletta a cursory glance with a subtle gaze and nodded.

Valletta stepped out of the office without delay. As she walked, Milord followed her, not more than a few steps behind. He too seemed to be well trained and didn’t look weak.

“Are you angry?”

“No, I’m just frustrated. Please don’t talk to me.”

Valletta drew the line. There were things she wanted to think about, and she was going to explode if she kept talking. Let’s just say that Reinhardt was that kind of guy by nature. She got used to it and some of it made sense to her.

“I’m disappointed, Young Lady.”

“Of course you are.”

“But still, I can’t let you go.”

So you took a person’s heart hostage?”

Milord was speechless for a moment at Valletta’s words. He became quiet for a moment and then slowly swallowed his breath.

“If I don’t do that….”

His lips moved hesitantly up and down. Valletta glanced at the man.

Milord reached out and grabbed her wrist firmly. The strong force stopped her from walking. It was not of her own volition. She had no strength to shake off his hand and had to stop.

Valletta’s gaze sank lower.

“I thought I wouldn’t reach you forever.”

“Are you happy that you reached me?”

She said, shaking her arm lightly. Milord was silent for a moment as she said with a hint of sarcasm. He just looked at her quietly and opened his mouth shortly after.

“If I say yes, will you despise me?”

“…….”

Without a word, Valletta lowered her gaze and stared at her captured wrist. They were bound tightly, but it didn’t hurt or leave a mark. She didn’t despise him but it was surprising.

He was always gentle and kind. He was considerate of her and could laugh at her cold attitude. He was able to step back and wait. She was the one who kept drawing the line, not caring about him.

‘…… I didn’t expect him to come back like this.’

She didn’t think she did well. However, there were some things that came naturally to her as she became more familiar with this world over time.

Even if she gave her heart to someone, it would eventually disappear. Because this was such a world. There were transcendents, wars, classes. There were many things that were lost before her eyes. It was all too easy to kill and to be killed.

She pushed people away. She hurt them. It was the same for Milord as well as for Reinhardt. She didn’t regret it because it was for survival. However….

‘I don’t think there was any other way.’

She didn’t mean that they should all fall into the abyss together like this, but those words she said to Milord were words that told him to give up. It meant to stay there as it was because he was not the one to fall so far. It did not mean that they should roll through this mud together.

“…… What do you want to do now? You’ve finally reached me as you wanted. What else is left to do?

“I will make you mine.”

Milord’s words were calm.

Valletta, who was looking up at him, slowly turned her head. She let out a low sigh of exhaustion as he held her wrist, and she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them.

“I want to rest.”

“I’ll guide you there.”

That was all the talk she had with Milord. He gently took her to her room and placed a knight in front of it. It was a third floor window from which there was no escape. Even that was a structure that could not be opened without a key.

‘It’s like a prison.’

‘Should I be consoled by the fact that my bed seems fluffy?’

‘When on earth are Snorta and my bag coming?’

She took a step into the room. At that moment, she gulped as she felt something press down on her shoulder.

‘It’s the same as before. As expected, this is….’

A similar feeling of deja vu and a strange queasiness existed when she went to the emperor’s office earlier.

Valletta pretended not to notice and spoke.

“What about Snorta  and my things?”

“I will bring them to you tomorrow.”

“Don’t let the child starve.”

Milord nodded with a light smile as Valletta spoke. Valletta couldn’t get used to this changed man, and touched her forehead.

“I’ll tell you in advance. This is a room where no magic or even alchemy can be used.”

“…… what?”

Milord’s words bewildered Valletta. Her face was completely contorted in a simultaneous expression of bewilderment and perplexity. She clenched her fists.

“As I told you, I used a magic and alchemy circle to seal it.”

“And you locked all the windows as well?”

“Because we’ll never know when and who will visit. Just in case.”

Milord’s blue eyes stared outside for a moment. His gaze eventually met Valletta’s again. Seeing the expression on Valletta’s face, Milord slightly lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand.

“I will see you tomorrow morning. Good night.”

“Are you really going like this?”

Milord smiled silently at Valletta, who asked back and stepped out. Staring at the tightly closed door, Valletta gasped for air, stomping on the ground repeatedly, and soon sank into the bed.

“Oh, I think I’m going crazy. Really.”

She had been following along honestly, and she had nothing to say about the thoroughness with which the emperor had properly prepared the prison.

‘If you’re only sealing alchemy and magic…’

If only alchemy and magic were to be sealed off, it would mean that spirits would be quite possible. Sitting on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands, Valletta’s eyes took on a different look. She stood up and put her ear to the door. It was quiet on the outside. Even if there was a guard, fortunately, no noisy light leaks out when summoning the spirit.

“Jin.”

She said in a low voice.

Whoosh, a whirlwind began to blow. Seeing the curtain about to flutter, Valletta hurriedly grabbed it and quickly opened her mouth.

“Jin, come out quietly! Jin!”

She hurriedly opened her mouth in a small voice mixed with a deep wind. Then the rumbling tornado gradually became smaller and smaller, and eventually it was the size of the palm of her hand.

A hawk the size of her palm approached her, flapping its wings. It was fortunate for Valletta that she had no dignity at all, but she was surprised. Jin looked very unhappy.

<What do you really think I am?>

“Jin? Oh, I heard that there is a way to unseal the magic and alchemy circle here, do you understand?”

<If you don’t feel well, it’s enough. It’s engraved on the floor.>

“Can you erase it?”

The hawk sighed and narrowed its eyes as if asking what she was talking about. The hawk sat down quickly on the back of her hand, but then shrugged.

<I’m sure I can erase it. But your opponent will notice.>

“……Is that so?”

<Of course. It’s deeply connected. It’s only natural to notice.>

Valletta touched her chin. It was a strange feeling that could be felt everywhere in the Imperial Castle. The same feeling she had when she entered here, she also felt in the Emperor’s office.

<Still, you prepared too quickly. I think it will take quite a while to erase a formation like this.”

“What do you mean?”

<I think the seal is to trap you, to prevent you from using your abilities and contacting Reinhardt.>

Jin’s head tilted. Its neck trembled and it shook its head.

<This is not something that was simply made yesterday or today. It is a little older than that. At least it was made before you were born.>

“Before I was born…?”

What’s the need to keep a device like this here since that time?

Valletta’s expression darkened. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure out why. If she had to put it together, it would be most appropriate to say a wizard or an alchemist was imprisoned here. Speaking of which……..

“I could feel traces of alchemy in the Emperor’s office.”

<Traces of alchemy?>