VFAI 18

Chapter 18

Yancy Perdida Has Gone Crazy

Was this the true power of the original heroine?

She had only given Yancy a fraction—less than a quarter, less than a tenth—of the comfort Estelle had given in the original story, yet he was already calming down.

Soon, Yancy’s painful groans gradually subsided, leaving only rough breathing.

“…Ha.”

Yancy slowly lifted his head. His unfocused, hazy eyes turned toward me. He moved his lips weakly before speaking in a drained voice.

“…What. Get lost.”

So this was where that line finally came.

Still, since this was the second time I was experiencing it, I wasn’t surprised at his true nature when he dropped the act.

I already knew what kind of person he was.

A man who wore a mask of civility while despising others inside.

“Disappear… please.”

“Yes. I will leave.”

“Get lost.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll be gone in a bit.”

I casually responded while continuing to pat his back, even though he would probably not remember any of this anyway.

Yancy kept muttering “get lost, disappear” a few times, unable to even properly control his slumped body.

Fortunately, there were no signs of his power going out of control anymore—but there was another problem.

‘Do I really have to keep doing this… until morning?’

I had followed him out of guilt, but I had no idea how long I was supposed to stay.

I had just stepped out during dinner. What if they started looking for us?

Yancy would never want others to see him like this. As the heir of the Perdida family, he always wanted to present a perfect image.

‘He really lives such a tiring life.’

Just as I was aimlessly patting his back without any solution—

Yancy, who had been staring blankly at the ground, suddenly turned his gaze back to me. His handsome face twisted slightly.

“…Elodie?”

Did he regain consciousness? That wasn’t in my expectations.

Yancy, who was the most gloomy and dangerous person in the original story, could do anything if he found out I had seen his weakness.

He slowly raised his upper body, rubbing his forehead, and forced the corners of his lips upward.

“How did this happen?”

His polite-sounding question made me slightly more at ease.

‘So he doesn’t remember when he loses control?’

Otherwise, he wouldn’t need to act polite right now.

I stepped back slightly and answered with a concerned expression.

“Oh, I just came out for a moment because I felt stuffy, and I found you collapsed.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes. Are you alright?”

I glanced at Yancy.

He wasn’t gasping or in obvious pain, but his eyes were still unfocused.

“I’m fine. Thank you.”

He answered with a habitual smile.

But since it was still a night of an eclipse and dawn was far away, I felt uneasy leaving him alone like this.

“Should I call someone—”

“No.”

“Then…”

“I’m fine, so you can go. Don’t worry. No, I mean… you don’t need to worry.”

“Alright. I’ll tell them you went back to your room because you were tired.”

“Good.”

He looked a bit dazed, but at least the conversation was possible, so I assumed he was fine.

“Um, if you’re stressed, you should get enough sleep and exercise. Please don’t worry too much and go rest. I’ll be going now!”

After giving him the most useless yet standard advice—sleep and exercise—I quickly left.

Halfway back to the main house, I realized I had left my lantern behind. Just like six years ago.

Too lazy to go back, I used the faint light spilling from the main building as a guide and carefully walked forward.

‘This should count as repaying my debt.’

*****

Yancy Perdida.

Others admired the power of his inherited ability.

The power to erase anything he touched—what could possibly be more fitting for destruction than that?

But for Yancy, this ability was a curse.

From the moment it first manifested.

The power of “erasure” was too great for his vessel, making it extremely difficult to control.

Whenever his mental strength weakened even slightly, his control over the power would slip, and whatever he held would be erased.

If it were objects, that would be fortunate. If it were a person, it would be fatal.

Yancy lived every day under the fear that his own hands could kill someone.

But he could never show that to anyone.

‘Because I am the Perdida heir.’

He was the direct descendant of Perdida, who inherited the sealed sin of gluttony, and the future head of the family.

Yancy never once forgot his duty.

Except on the night of the lunar eclipse.

Every time the eclipse came, Yancy barely managed to endure it.

He would secretly hide where no one was, suppressing his rampaging power until sunrise.

But this year was different.

The Perdida Duke, who normally never scheduled anything on eclipse nights, had declared a family dinner.

Yancy had no choice but to attend.

But as the meal continued, he could no longer endure it.

He nearly erased the utensils in his hands multiple times.

“Excuse me, I’ll go wash my hands.”

That was the last thing he remembered clearly.

After that, his memory became fragmented.

He wandered the dark garden, then instinctively collapsed into a secluded place and struggled to suppress the power.

It felt like his heart was being set on fire.

He groaned, twisting in pain as if his insides were being burned away.

At some point, the grass beneath his fingertips withered as life was drained from it.

His gloves, which he always wore, had already been erased.

And then, in what felt like an eternity—

Tap. Tap.

A steady rhythm began patting his back.

“…It’s okay.”

What?

“…It’s okay.”

His foggy mind slowly began to clear.

Gradually.

But he still couldn’t properly think or speak.

“Get lost…”

A sense of urgency filled his mind—he couldn’t let anyone see him like this.

“Please… disappear… get lost…”

Harsh words poured out endlessly.

But the patting continued, and strangely, the pain slowly faded.

Eventually, the rampaging power calmed.

Like a storm passing over a quiet sea.

Only then did he recognize the person beside him.

“…Elodie?”

Elodie Perdida.

She was there.

Blinking calmly.

And then he remembered what he had said.

“Get lost. Disappear.”

What expression had she shown when she heard that?

‘How can she… not be hurt?’

He had shouted at her, yet she remained calm.

Instead, she stayed beside him, patting his back.

Saying it was okay.

“It’s okay.”

She didn’t even understand what was hurting him.

So why?

Every time her hand touched him, his panic eased. Truly eased.

It was incomprehensible.

He had only ever been slightly kind to her before.

And yet she continued patting him, regardless of his words.

And as her hand continued, Yancy realized something.

Unbelievably… absurdly…

Whenever Elodie’s hand touched him, his rampaging power actually began to stabilize.

“I’ll be going now!”

Elodie ran off quickly.

Soon after, a lantern was left in front of him.

Déjà vu.

He had seen this before.

Six years ago, on a night of eclipse, in a hidden garden—

A lantern left in front of a curled-up boy at sunrise.

Elodie.

“…Was that you too?”

His heart sank.

*****

I was on the verge of developing a nervous condition.

“Lili.”

“….”

“Lili?”

A full-blown Lili-related nervous breakdown.

I stared at Yancy Perdida with a cold, exhausted gaze.

‘Why is he like this?’

A man who normally never came anywhere near the annex suddenly barged into my room claiming he came to see his sister and then just… stayed.

Because Yancy wasn’t leaving, I couldn’t find time to make the antidote.

Once I made it, I would be bedridden for days, and it would be suspicious if anyone noticed.

“Are you not busy, brother?”

“Is my little sister worried about me?”

“No.”

“Even your cold attitude is adorable.”

“…Haha.”

I awkwardly laughed and avoided his intense gaze.

I had a rough idea why.

It was probably related to the night of the eclipse.

‘He definitely remembers.’

So he was trying to silence me. If he eliminated me, no one would know his secret.

That gloomy, dangerous Yancy would absolutely do that.

So I had to pretend I knew nothing.

“Brother, aren’t you… busy?”

“Are you worrying about me? How kind.”

“I’m not—!”

I almost snapped, but held it back at the last second.

I couldn’t give him any reason to target me.

“Yes, I’m worried. So please go back to work.”

At my words, Yancy’s smile disappeared instantly.

“Lies.”

“….”

“You’re not worried.”

He had been acting polite, but now his true nature was showing.

At that moment, I became certain.

‘He remembers everything.’

He was testing me.

‘This is bad.’

What exactly was he planning?

I couldn’t read him at all.

Before I could respond, Yancy smiled again.

“Hey, Lili. I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Can I see your hand?”

A sudden request for physical contact.

I hesitated but slowly extended my hand.

Yancy grabbed it.

“…!”

Is he going to erase me?!

He smiled gently at my reaction.

“…Just as I thought.”

J-just as he thought?!

Does that mean I’m about to be eliminated quietly?

It seemed I had been marked by Yancy Perdida.

Before I could pull my hand away—

“W-what the… what are you two doing?!”

Carlo suddenly appeared, looking shocked.

Like he had just witnessed something scandalous.

‘What is wrong with him now…’