Failed To Abandon the Villain

***

“Give it a name and raise it. I’m sure it’ll pay you back by growing up well.”

“I won’t give it a name. And do you think I can raise this well?”

“I think you can do it if you try.”

In response to his answer, Valletta leaned back on the chair without answering.

Everyday was comfortable, but she couldn’t get rid of the feeling that she was sitting on a thorny cushion.

She seemed to be walking towards the sea by herself.

The water is up to her chest at the moment, and if she goes in a little more, the water will reach beneath her neck, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.

“Come to think of it, this snow tiger needs affection to grow big enough. I don’t know how the cub parted with its mother, but if Valletta would give it affection, it would grow up.”

Valletta did not dare to say yes. No matter how hard she thought about it, she wasn’t confident.

“Now that I think about it, in the end, you didn’t tell me anything.”

“Just as you thought, the Emperor and the Lost were related, I was just wondering if it had something to do with alchemists or magicians.”

“A magician or an alchemist?”

“Why does Your Grace…”

“Carlon.”

Carlon Delphine stopped talking.

Valletta breathed in through her opened mouth. She did not expect to hear the same request that Reinhardt would always ask for again.

“The reason why you don’t want to give that cub a name or call us by our name, is it because you’re afraid that we’ll die?”

“…”

“Will you call me by my name if I promise that I won’t die?”

At the sound of the voice mixed with laughter, Valletta blankly stiffened and blinked her eyes.

The reason why she doesn’t call people by their name was because her habit from the mansion still remained.

Since she knew that Reinhardt would kill all the servants in that mansion. It was so she wouldn’t get attached to those who would die.

Everyone really died by his hands, so she thought it was a good thing she didn’t get attached to them.

It had embedded into her like a habit, and as she thought about it, it had continued up to this day.

“… It’s similar.”

“Neither I, nor Duke will die.”

Valletta, who was still thinking, suddenly remembered Reinhardt.

“Did you meet Rein… No, that hateful guy yesterday?”

“… Yes.”

Carlon Delphine, who frowned, nodded obediently. In the first place, even if he wanted to hide it, he couldn’t do so anyway since it would show in his expression.

“You heard something from him, right?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?”

Carlon Delphine kept his mouth shut.

He doesn’t know if it was okay to say it to the child or not. It was an unusual obsession. Even if she’s broken, he’ll still take her.

E/N: Reinhardt’s unusual obsession with Valletta, and he would still take her even though she’s broken.

When there was no answer, Valletta opened her mouth first again.

“I fear him the most. That hateful guy would casually take everything away from me.”

His obsession of course, rarely escaped from his attention unscathed.

She still could not forget the day he first confessed that he killed someone in front of her. Of course, he didn’t confess that he personally killed them. He just said that two servants who used their tongue recklessly ran out of luck and died.

“But why didn’t you push him away whenever he came?”

Valletta could not say a word at Carlon Delphine’s question. Because she feels sorry for him? Because if she sacrificed herself then the other’s would be fine? Was the reason really that noble and pure?

Valletta’s forehead narrowed. She couldn’t come up with an appropriate answer.

“I’m not really sure.”

Valletta shook her head.

“You can just learn step by step. Don’t rush it. Duke must have given you that cub with that in mind.”

“Yes.”

Valletta answered meekly and lowered her head again.

“Your alchemy skills are honestly beyond my teaching capabilities. It’s nearly perfect, but it would be better to rebuild your foundation.”

To compare her skills to a building, the top was an antique building, but the bottom was messy with roughly stacked bricks.

However, if the foundation was messed up, a hole is bound to be formed somewhere and would collapse.

“Please open up the store first.”

At Valletta’s resolute words, Carlon Delphine held back a smile with a troubled expression.

He blankly stared at Valletta. Valletta pursed her lips, and managed to open her mouth.

“Carlon…”

She murmured in a voice like a crawling ant.

“… I understand. Let’s turn in the permit tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

Carlon Delphine nodded at Valletta’s answer.

She slowly got up from her seat. Still, one could feel that she was being careful not to wake up the cub in her arms.

Carlon bit his lip. He shouldn’t alarm her by laughing.

The child may not know, but there was still kindness that remained in her. It was just that her way of thinking was a little out of order.

“And also about Gillian, I’ll tell you as much as I know tomorrow.”

“You know about him?”

“I can’t not know about him”

Since they were in the same industry, there were rumors rolling around. They weren’t good rumors usually, but since he was the best alchemist in the Imperial Palace, there were quite a few rumors going around about him.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Have a good rest today. You can go visit the market… Or maybe it’s better to go to the underground in the evening.”

Valletta’s eyes widened in interest. She nodded her head.

“Okay.”

“Okay, then go and take a rest first.”

“… I’ll try my best.”

Carlon nodded his head at her answer.

***

“Protests are constantly coming from the Imperial Palace.”

“What protests?”

Reinhardt asked in a crooked posture at Ceylon’s worried voice. The Sky Room was a mess. It was because his abilities would often run wild.

“They said that if we don’t apologize for touching the Crown Prince and for the murder of Count Delight, it will adversely affect our relationship.”

“What do they want?”

“An apology letter, additional support for the magicians affiliated with the Imperial Palace, and 1 ton of mana stone.”

Reinhardt held back a laugh. Was it worth it for those dogs and pigs? Even if he offers one rotten apology for each head that he chopped off, was asking his opinion needed just for a rotten apology?

“Ignore it.”

“The magicians sent to the imperial Palace have begun to come out now.”

Ceylon said in a soft voice. It was a voice filled with difficulties.

Reinhardt was well aware that the Magic Tower was not on his side. At best, he only had the watchdog and these two people in front of him.

“So what do you think I should do? Kill them all?”

“It’s not a good idea to try and solve work problem with violence and slaughter.”

“Quilt.”

Quilt responded by holding his hands behind his waist.

Ceylon, who was standing next to him, was startled and stopped speaking, but he didn’t change his words and only narrowed his eyebrows slightly.

His short hair looked refreshing, but his expression was cold. Reinhardt frowned.

“You now know how to bark… you sure have grown up a lot.”

“If my barking would turn you into an honorable master, I’ll bark as much as needed.”

“… Ha.”

Reinhardt narrowed his eyebrows and fiddled around with his hair in his thin fingers. He doesn’t know what on earth he wants. He doesn’t know what to give. What the hell is he supposed to do?

“If it’s about the purging of the magicians rotting the Tower, I’m confident.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t know how to be merciful to pitiful people who are swayed by others and have no will of their own.”

Reinhardt said, lightly clenching his first. Even though it’s just an insignificant action, it’s terrifying.

“…”

“It’s simple to kill all those who would stand in my way.”

“Lord.”

“I don’t know what else you want me to do. If you have knowledge shoved into your head, forget about those crazy people, and let me know how to use them.”

Gone are the days when surviving was the only way. Maybe that’s why she left this place as well.

Perhaps they needed more experience because they were locked up.

“You can ask if you do not know. Do not hesitate to use things. We are your tools.”

“…”

Reinhardt narrowed his eyes and sat down on the bed with an irritated expression. Then he clicked his tongue and let out a low sigh.

“Master hates blood. No slaughter, no violence. I want to bring my Master here safely. For that to happen, this place has to be quiet and stable.”

“… Are you talking about that polite Sokor?”

As soon as Quilt finished speaking, Reinhardt smiled and lifted his finger.

Dozens of ice spears were created in an instant, densely blocked and flashed around Caspelius, Ceylon and Quilt.

“I’m your Master, right?”

“Yes.”

“Right, she’s the master of your master, so be careful with your words.”

Quilt just narrowed his brows without answering. The grudge against Sokors was deep for any magician.

Ceylon blocked in front of him and lightly bowed his head.

“Then what should we call that person?”

“Valletta-nim should be okay. Or maybe Master?”

“… We will call her Valletta-nim.”

Ceylon answered.

Reinhard nodded lightly, and turned his head.

His power would sometimes overflow, she wasn’t there, and his head hurt. Reinhardt narrowed his brows.

“She’ll be mad if I kill however I want…”

There was too much to endure.

Reinhardt lightly snapped his finger to remove the ice spears. Ceylon and Quilt, who were tense, relaxed their body.

***