MPBGS 9

Chapter : 09

Did Kanna also see the cat’s eyes? Hena glanced back, worried that her younger sister might be scared, but Kanna was staring not at the cat, but at empty air.

“Kanna?”

“It’s nothing, unnie. Huh? That cat is…”

It seemed Kanna had just noticed the cat. She tilted her head briefly, then checked the cat’s collar and, with a bright expression, ran over to Miss Evangeline.

“It’s your cat, miss? So you were here all along.”

As Kanna stroked its chin, the creature purred as if it truly were a cat.

Hena wanted to pull Kanna’s hand away and hide it behind her back immediately, but the atmosphere between them looked so harmonious, almost like a painting, that she couldn’t bring herself to approach.

The cat was acting coy because Kanna didn’t know its true identity. Hena feared that if she moved, the cat might suddenly change, leaving her stuck in place.

Unaware of Hena’s worry, Kanna followed Miss Evangeline into the room.

“Unnie? Why aren’t you coming?”

Kanna urged Hena, who had paused. Though her beloved younger sister felt slightly unfamiliar in that moment, Hena eventually followed her inside.

Miss Evangeline, probably tired, said there was no need to prepare a bed for her and went upstairs first. Hena held Kanna’s hand as she seemed about to follow, remembering the fourth floor and opening the door to the room just below Evangeline’s.

As Hena expected, the room had once belonged to the Countess. Hena had never entered it before, having been employed only after the Countess had passed away.

Though the Count had decreed that no one should wander near his wife’s room, someone must have disobeyed and cleaned it secretly. The room was remarkably intact, almost lived-in.

As Hena looked around, Kanna, having changed clothes, jumped onto the bed. At home, she always insisted on sitting rather than lying down, but today she seemed truly exhausted.

She had only just recovered enough to move about, and now she was injured again… Wearing pajamas, the marks around her neck and the tied-up scars were even more visible.

“Unnie, I hear the young lady walking upstairs.”

Kanna, who seemed to have closed her eyes to rest, suddenly spoke.

Walking? Hena focused and listened, but she heard nothing. The Rohanston estate was unusually quiet at night, and with thick carpets in Evangeline’s room and Evangeline herself walking softly, how could Kanna hear anything?

Looking at the ceiling, Hena noticed the chandelier swaying as if caught by a breeze. It seemed Kanna had mistaken the sound.

“Maybe it’s just the chandelier moving?”

“Really? Maybe. Anyway, I’m glad we’re in this room. I like it.”

Kanna nodded without replying and then turned the conversation.

“The bed is big enough for both of us to lie down.”

Miss Evangeline had intended to give Hena a room as well, but Hena desperately refused, fearing to leave her sister alone. The Countess’s room was larger than their own house, suitable for both of them, and as Kanna said, the bed was big enough for two.

Hena finished preparing and lay down beside Kanna. It had been a long time since they had lain together like this. In the darkness, they played hand games while facing each other. Perhaps because the day had been so long, sleep quickly overcame them. Just as she was about to drift off, Kanna spoke quietly.

“Unnie, thank you for coming to save me today. I was really scared.”

Hena held her sister’s hand tightly. She felt a pang of guilt for briefly finding her younger sister unfamiliar, despite Kanna pretending to be okay while still frightened. No matter how Kanna acted, she would always be Hena’s beloved little sister.

From now on, my goal changed: I need to get close to Kanna. Trying to approach the knight captain would just make me look like a clingy villainess. I don’t want to date the book’s character; the shortcut to escaping the villainess role is to be on the heroine’s good side!

I’ll bet my life on Kanna!

Judging by how people in this world get kidnapped from the very first encounter with the male lead, it’s a bleak fantasy setting. Kanna would definitely need rescuing often. So I asked if it would be alright to stay in the mansion, to help her whenever incidents happened. Thanks to my built-up favorability, Kanna gladly agreed. And I get to stay too!

When I went to announce that we’d be using the third floor, the butler said the Count was away on business. The lights had been on until last night, so he couldn’t have been sleeping in.

I glared silently; the butler apologized and bowed. Ah, why am I taking it out on him? It’s the Count’s fault.

“If there’s a message to deliver, I will convey it.”

I told the butler I would deliver it myself. I couldn’t risk saying it first and losing all the favor I’d gained.

The butler asked me to write a letter, so reluctantly I sent a note to the Count about using the vacant third-floor room. Thank goodness for the language patch!

To make sure he didn’t reject it coldly, I tore a page from the Countess’s diary and attached it. It was filled with curses on her husband after a fraudulent marriage. That villain! If he felt guilty, maybe he’d be okay with it. I handed the letter to the butler.

“Do not open it—just deliver it. I’ll be watching.”

I even used the trick of putting “eyes” on the back of the teacher’s head. If the butler saw the Countess’s cursed diary, he might remove it, which must never happen.

I thought it would take a day, but it took three for the letter to arrive. The Count scribbled back, saying to do as we wished, but that next time, when he was away, we should speak with the butler and never send letters to him directly. Shouldn’t he meet in person if he wants to talk?

The next day, the Count’s room lights turned on. He must have returned. I didn’t greet him; I’d likely have been refused at the door anyway.

When I delivered the news to Hena and Kanna, Kanna was very pleased. Hena was still slightly uncomfortable, but Kanna, as the heroine, adapted remarkably well.

“Please, eat something at least! You’ve been holed up in your room for three days.”

A voice knocked urgently at the door, but I ignored it. Who could it be? My wife? My mother? Did I even marry? The identity didn’t matter.

Right now, fulfilling my mission was the most important thing. I dipped my brush and drew lines. On the canvas, as if ashes were flying, I captured flames. I portrayed a sacred angel reduced to charred remains.

I was a painter by profession. At my debut, hailed as a genius, I quickly lost fame for not fitting noble tastes and ended up parasitically living off my wife. I needed to complete a masterpiece quickly.

While searching for inspiration, I noticed strange flames. The flames that had resembled the sun died out, leaving only a few knights behind. As the crowd lost interest, someone peered inside and shouted, “I saw the angel!”

Controlling the remaining knights to manage the crowd was impossible, so verifying the scene was not difficult. As someone had said about the burned building, I could only think about drawing the angel the moment I saw it.

I immediately returned and picked up my brush.

I didn’t even sketch. I just had to finish the painting before the memory faded. I had no appetite. I didn’t care if I starved.

I lost track of days. A week? A month? Or maybe only two hours had passed.

As I neared completion, I felt something was missing. Could my painting not capture that scene? Miserable. Anxious, I bit my fingertip, drawing blood. The iron smell filled my mouth. A strange compulsion whipped me onward.

My hand—I had to keep painting. I stabbed my thigh with a painting knife. Pain and blood soaked my pants. I dipped the brush into the blood and continued painting. Now, the angel’s halo was perfect.

Done!

Proudly examining the fully covered page, Kanna suddenly popped up behind me.

“Miss, what are you writing? I can’t read it.”

“It’s nothing.”

Yikes! That startled me. I had been so focused, I hadn’t noticed Kanna looking at the page. Thank goodness it was in Korean; otherwise, she might have discovered my villainess escape plan. Absolutely must not let the heroine Kanna see.

I closed the page, pretending nothing happened. This was my carefully devised villainess escape plan, deducing from the original story how I must act to survive. It took me two full days.

“Kanna, don’t be rude to Miss Evangeline.”

“It’s fine, unnie. The young lady likes me anyway.”

Hena, returning with meals for the two of them, scolded Kanna clinging to me. I didn’t want to go down to the dining room, so since living with Kanna, we ate together in the room to bond.

“You should eat with us too.”

“I’m fine with the dining room.”

I asked Hena to join, but she got uncomfortable and pretended to be ill, so we agreed I’d just eat with Kanna.

“I ate well.”

We finished quickly and drank tea. Kanna ate heartily, making the meal go smoothly.

Even my lost appetite returned… Could this be the power of a romance fantasy heroine? In reality, a food broadcast would probably be wildly successful.

Wait—if someone became famous for eating, would it be the fantasy heroine? My ridiculous deduction logic made Hena call me.

“Miss Evangeline, a letter has arrived.”