Chapter: 17
Evnia stared blankly at the surreal scene before her, her voice laced with disbelief as she ventured a guess.
“Seven? You don’t mean to say that’s…?”
“That fish-head from earlier? Yeah, right. Looks just like him, doesn’t it?”
The moment Seven confirmed it in his usual offhand tone, Evnia scrambled to grab the water bottle and rushed over to Guillermo.
Her earlier worry—that he was struggling to breathe out there—had apparently been correct.
The moment she scooped Guillermo’s elongated body into the water, his desperate thrashing ceased.
The immediate change in his condition drew a sigh of profound relief from Evnia, who sank back onto the floor without changing her posture.
Seven watched this and asked, incredulous.
“You want to take care of a guy who just made you willing to die?”
“I don’t think Sir Guillermo acted out of pure malice.”
As she spoke, Evnia adjusted her grip on the now-heavier water bottle, holding it with both hands.
Had his consciousness remained intact despite the change in form? The creature that was once Guillermo gazed up at her intently, his eyes holding the same question Seven had just asked.
Earlier, Guillermo had told Evnia that he truly hoped Ram would find a new love. His methods had been atrocious, but the intent behind this whole affair hadn’t been purely malevolent.
If he had known her sister was alive, and thus realized his own impending freedom from the contract, he likely wouldn’t have resorted to such drastic measures.
‘I guess I shouldn’t have lied in the first place.’
They hadn’t asked, and she hadn’t offered the truth. She had thought such a small omission, a little deception, wouldn’t cause any real harm. She had forgotten that greed beyond one’s station always invites disaster.
“But Seven, my reasoning was theoretically sound, wasn’t it? Doing it this way would naturally nullify the marriage… There’s no problem for Sir Ram, right?”
“Just how were you raised to turn out like this?”
Seven’s voice finally laced with irritation at Evnia’s persistent questioning. It seemed he avoided the topic precisely because he knew the answer to her question.
Confirming her suspicion hadn’t been wrong, Evnia let out another small sigh of relief.
It was a relief that the situation wasn’t entirely beyond salvaging.
If everyone couldn’t be happy, then it was better for the majority to be happy—that single sentence perfectly encapsulated Evnia’s life philosophy.
“Seven, did you know? Out there, everyone calls Sir Ram a monster. They say he went mad from living too long and started eating people.”
“Not entirely wrong, that. The bastard is a bit crazy, I’ll give them that.”
Seven sneered, never missing a chance to badmouth his friend.
His words coaxed a small, breathy laugh from Evnia, unable to hold back her amusement.
If only she knew Ram well enough to treat such rumors as mere jokes.
A flicker of bitterness shadowed her smile.
“I’ve known I’d come here since I was eight. I spent more time imagining what the inside of a monster’s mouth looked like than wondering what kind of person I’d grow up to be.”
“…….”
“But when I actually got here, everyone was so kind. Even Sir Ram—he keeps getting angry whenever I say I’m willing to die. It’s strange. People have gotten angry because of me before, but no one has ever gotten angry for me. People have told me to die, but no one has ever told me to live… I’ve always been the kind of child who was more useful dead. Sir Ram is the first person who ever told me my life was worth more than my death.”
“…….”
“So, it’s okay. I think I can be satisfied with this much. At least now, it’s a choice I’m making freely.”
Here, Evnia was no longer someone who had to die, but someone who shouldn’t die—and she could die as that person. It was a monumental difference.
Evnia looked back at Seven, as if asking if that explanation was sufficient.
But Seven showed no sign of agreeing with her words.
Furious beyond measure, he stormed over to Evnia and abruptly snatched the water bottle from her hands.
His stance suggested he would yank it away completely and smash it on the floor the moment she let go.
Startled, Evnia held on tight, and as they struggled, Seven shouted in frustration.
“Let go! Do you think he looks like an ordinary fish?! That bastard won’t die just from struggling to breathe for a bit!”
“Let go, Seven! You’re going to break it!”
“No, you let go! Ugh, you look like some tragic heroine, so why are you so freakishly strong!”
After a brief tug-of-war, Seven, defeated by Evnia, ended up flat on his back.
Considering it was a physical contest between a boy and an adult woman, the outcome was perhaps inevitable.
He lay sprawled on the floor for a while, catching his breath, before quietly sitting up.
Evnia watched him warily, clutching the water bottle even tighter.
Seven glared murderously at Guillermo, cowering in Evnia’s arms.
“Hey. You want that fish-head to be safe, right?”
“……Yes.”
“Ha, fuck… You treat your own life like a disposable tissue, but you’re desperate to save this bastard who’s worse than your worst enemy…”
Muttering loud enough for her to hear, he bowed his head, then snapped it back up.
He pointed a finger accusingly at Guillermo and snarled, his voice menacing.
“Then from now on, don’t you ever pull that crap in front of Ram again. No more talk about dying in his place. The moment you do is the day this bastard here kicks the bucket.”
“…….”
“Answer me!”
Seven bellowed, demanding a response.
Intimidated by his fierce outburst, Evnia unconsciously nodded. Only then did Seven allow Hanna to help him to his feet.
Even so, his grumbling didn’t cease for a moment.
“If someone has to die, it should be an old man who’s lived long enough, not some kid butting in where they don’t belong. Honestly, kids these days have no respect for hierarchy.”
He seemed to hold a considerable grudge against Evnia for their physical contest, glancing at her with clear disdain before irritably shaking off Hanna’s assistance.
Evnia flinched instinctively, bracing herself, but it was unnecessary.
Instead of trying to take Guillermo from her again, he simply extended his pipe and tapped it against the mouth of the bottle.
The ashes inside fell into the water, instantly clouding it.
Seven looked down at Guillermo, who was writhing in discomfort, a look of satisfaction on his face.
“You should be grateful I just gave you a gift. No matter how much Ram wants to chew you up, bones and all, he won’t be filleting a fish that’s been swimming in lye.”
He shoved his pipe back into his pocket and stormed out of the dining hall, slamming the door open.
Through the still-swinging door, his muttering drifted back in.
“And why the hell did that diamond shrink to such a shabby size? Looked so different from my memory I didn’t even recognize it.”
Evnia, dazedly listening to his fading footsteps, suddenly snapped back to reality and scrambled to her feet.
Carrying the bottle with Guillermo, she dashed into the kitchen, grabbed a deep dish, and filled it with fresh water.
Only after carefully transferring Guillermo to the new container did she relax, slumping bonelessly against the counter.
Burying her face in her arms, she muttered in a hopeless voice.
“Maybe I should have just gone out to eat like Sir Ram suggested…”
