The Villain is Being Suspiciously Kind

Chapter 8

While Citrina was busy changing Aaron’s fate, Desian was returning to his place.
The hot summer day and his meeting with Citrina caused him to feel confused.
“Go in, Desian-nim.”
The butler said in a dull voice as he opened the door to the cellar.
“The duke has ordered you stay here for the time being.”
Citrina and Desian’s meeting ended shortly. That was the duke’s intention. The Duke of Pietro did not want the public to know that he was abusing Desian.
Desian had always followed the duke’s orders completely.
Slowly, quietly.
‘…It’s dark.’
Desian realized he had returned to a dark and gloomy world after visiting the world of light. It was a sensation he had never felt before. Everything was new.
“Take this book. This is from Toloji.”
The butler placed it on top of several books on an old desk in the basement.
The covers were old on these ancient, forbidden books. Some had red bands around them.
Desian looked at the covers with an expressionless face.
“Toloji nim is returning by order of the duke. You have to master it before then. Please look at it.”
The butler put down the book while talking. His expression was full of scorn.
Seeing his face, Desian had a sudden thought.
‘You’re bothering me.’
He looked at Desian as if he wasn’t a living being. But this was the butler’s normal face.
It was different this time though.
The butler turned away before Desian could gather all of the tangled thoughts in his mind. It was obvious the butler did not want to spend any more time with him than necessary.
-clang-
The door closed.
With the door closed, Desian’s cage became dark. Only one candle lit the interior. Only a candle light that could extinguish with one gust of wind remained.
‘I’m used to the dark.’
He had never once felt it was too dark in here. Because this was all he had. With his emotions limited, boredom was the unending emotion that occupied his thoughts before.
However, Desian recalled that beautiful summer day once again.
“It’s weird.”
Desian read the ancient books Toloji gave him one by one.
How to kill people easily, how to control their minds, how to pop, cut, and bend their necks, and… how to obtain a magic sword and give it a soul.
He read the books with a blank expression. Toloji wanted him to learn all of this. It wasn’t hard to memorize the contents. He could read a book and repeat it back in his head.
It was all so easy that it was boring.
‘I need to follow Toloji’s commands.’
Desian recalled her strange green eyes that were indifferent to everything. Eyes that shone in the light.
They were quite…shiny. Like a star.
He thought this was the first time he had thought of something like this impulsively.
He felt a ringing on his arm.
Desian looked at the band vibrating on his arm.
In recent years, the restraint had often vibrated.
Desian thought about Toloji. Toloji had taught him everything. Everyone kept a distance from him except for that dark wizard, except for Citrina. That woman didn’t tell him why she had that expression or that voice.
This was the first time he had felt such curiosity.
He slowly put down the book he was holding in his hands. Toloji’s whispers echoed in his ear- how to kill people easily and how to control them with power.
However, he felt curiosity for the first time in his life.
‘One time, let’s go out.’
The underground door was unlocked. It was merely closed.
Desian eyes moved slowly. With all of his desires cut off for so long, he slowly felt the desire to open the door and go out.
What was outside of that door?
He lived in a parched world. It was the first time in his life that he was curious about something.
He was confident he could hide his body in the shadows.
It’s just that he hadn’t tried it until now.

***

Citrina thought. What does family mean to Aaron?
Feeling a bit strange, she decided to exit the library.
It was awkward to leave Aaron there. Nevertheless, she slowly descended the circular staircase.
The annex was as quiet as the dead. Had the Duke of Pietro left? Strangely, there were only a few people in the ducal annex today.
Citrina took out the book she had brought from the library.

She was looking for more information about the jewel spirit she wanted to meet.
Circling around the annex, she got to the garden. Citrina slowly walked over and sat in a small chair under a tree in the garden. It was cool with the leaves obscuring the bright sunlight.
Sitting back in the chair, she slowly flipped out the guide to the spirits.
“The jewel spirit, Gemma.”
The page she wanted was easy to find.
At this time, the spirits were in hiding from others. In fact, there was only a crude explanation from the guide.
Contracts with special spirits, such as jewel spirits, are made with an equivalent exchange.
‘I can become a contractor if I give Gemma what she wants.’
Citrina was lost in thought. She can ask for a contract using jewelry as bait. After getting Gemma, she could start her jewelry business. Everything became clear.
Citrina took her eyes off the book with a small smile.
It felt good under the garden tree, with the shade and sunlight mixing harmoniously. She yawned softly with the book in her lap.
Citrina turned her head and saw him.
Desian Pietro.
He was looking at the sun. With his black hair, black eyes, and black clothing in the beautiful garden, he looked like the only free person in the world.
Did he notice Citrina’s eyes on him? He turned his head slowly. They looked at each other slowly, closely but not too closely.
It was like a staring contest,
“Desian nim?”
Citrina’s clear voice ended the contest. It was a beautiful and unfamiliar voice that awoke his spirit.
Citrina did not understand. Desian’s childhood was not completely explained.
However, she knew he had lived a life full of boredom. The brainwashing of the Duke of Pietro and the wizard Toloji was absolute.
Therefore he always lived in a prison-like basement without being curious about the world. Being in this place was unexpected.
He came over to her slowly and spoke.
“Citrina.”
“What brings you to the garden?…”
Citrina looked at him, slurring her words. She was still sitting in the chair, so he looked down at her while standing.
There was a distinct difference here.
“I’m curious.”
Desian’s eyes met hers. Captured in his direct gaze, Citrina bit her lip.
She wasn’t doing anything right now. But these circumstances were different from what appeared in the original.
Was this a good or a bad thing?
The strange words of the work’s original villain gave her goosebumps.
‘I wonder if I should ask what he’s curious about. Would asking produce good results?’
Citrina didn’t know the outcome. So she decided to throw caution to the wind.
“What are you curious about?”
After asking, Citrina bit her lips again. Desian’s gaze moved slowly along her lips.
The mere thought of Desian staring at her lips made her nervous. Citrina moistened her lips with her tongue.
His face looked calm and indifferent. Clearly, she was not going to get the answer she hoped for. The situation hadn’t progressed much, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.
“I wonder why it’s not dark, Citrina.”
“… I like that response.”
This was more than she expected from him.
A bored man showing curiosity about the world.
It was the perfect bait to latch onto to try and steer the villain in the right direction.
She didn’t know what led to this development. Nevertheless, what was important now was that he was important about the bright world.
“Desian nim, there are many beautiful things in the world.”
Citrina hoped that the light would permeate his life so that he would not blacken.
“I’ll let you know.”
It was an expression close to hope. She was desperate to succeed to avoid dying.
Desian faced Citrina’s gaze and answered softly.
“Alright, Citrina.”
She paused for a moment. Was it a good thing that he had a strange expression on his face as he waited for an answer?
She asked herself to keep her mind from getting derailed, but there was no answer back. She just needed to answer and continue living,
“We’ll see each other often in the future.”
“From now on, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. Good job.”
As she said that, Citrina heard her heart beating in her ear.
‘How could they meet often? Would he be sneaking out of the basement again?’
It was unclear what direction Desian’s curiosity would go.
As she was rolling her eyes, Desian watched her. Well done, it was like this was the first time he had heard those words.
He asked.
“Did you say ‘well done’, Citrina?”
“Yes.”
Citrina smiled and nodded. A small dimple appeared on the side of her mouth when she smiled.
Desian, who was staring at it, lowered his eyes. It was like he didn’t know how to answer.
Citrina, who was looking at him with a strange expression, suddenly looked around. It was getting chilly little by little, and…
Citrina looked around. The garden was designed so that those outside of it could see everything inside. Then, Citrina saw two figures standing in the pathway outside.
“Desian.”
“Yes.”
Citrina rose reflexively and grabbed Desian by the arm. She pulled him to hide behind a tree.
Desian let himself be pulled along by her. Luckily, the tree was dense enough to hide both of their bodies.
But it would only be a matter of time before they were caught.
“There’s someone out there.”
Citrina gasped and whispered.
It wasn’t ‘just’ a person. It was a man with pointed ears and a wrinkled face.
It was probably Toloji, the evil wizard. At his side was an old man who looked like the main building’s butler.
In the empty hallway, the two were talking.
Citrina felt out of place all of a sudden. There was no way Desian had not noticed people nearby.
It was weird.
Citrina slowly loosened her grip on his arm and looked up at him. He spoke as if he had been waiting for her to look up.
“Citrina.”
He smiled.
“I need to go back and read a book.”
“…a book?”
“Yes.”
He spoke lightly as if he was going to deal with an everyday matter.
He headed towards the door. Citrina looked at his back disappearing.
Something was changing. Something she wasn’t aware of.