I Received a Request from the Villain Boss - Chapter 2

Munch munch.

Nibble nibble.

Eclise shook a black pouch with invisible contents in front of Rodi.

“There’s something inside this.”

Rodi glanced up briefly before focusing back on her bread.

“Jewels.”

Crunch munch.

Each bite of bread made a “hap!” sound.

“What kind of jewels?”

As he kept pressing for answers, Rodi’s brow furrowed slightly, annoyed at being interrupted while eating.

Despite being only the size of a chestnut, she seemed to have quite the temper.

When Eclise raised his eyebrow urgently, Rodi gulped down her bread.

“I don’t know the jewel’s name, but it’s red. That’s expensive, right?”

Yesterday, the lady in the pink dress had them too. In her hair and on her wrist.

She mumbled while eating her bread.

Her hollow cheeks puffed up and deflated with each chew.

Watching this sequence, Eclise spoke.

“These are rubies.”

Rodi’s eyes grew round.

Her pupils sparkled like stars being embedded in them.

“Ah, I know that! It’s really expensive, right?”

“Yes.”

“But are both of them rubies? Or just the big one? The small one? They’re both red but slightly different colors. The small one is darker.”

Eclise hesitated.

He came because of her ability to see through things, but he didn’t expect she could identify numbers and sizes too.

Even distinguishing between different grades of jewels by color.

The tightly sealed black pouch didn’t let any light in, making color distinction even more difficult.

Though he needed to verify more, this child possessed remarkable abilities.

Right now, she was like an unpolished stone rolling in the dirt, with unknown contents inside, but if properly refined, wouldn’t she become an even more brilliant jewel?

He did know another one with extraordinary abilities.

But Eclise particularly liked those sparkling black eyes.

“So you really can see them.”

“That’s what I said.”

The headmaster told her to hide her ability, but Rodi knew.

That there was no point denying it to the god right in front of her.

That he had already known and came looking for her.

And most of Rodi’s intuitions usually turned out to be right.

While talking and eating, she had already finished one bread.

After stuffing the large bread into her tiny body, she stared intently at Eclise.

She seemed to want something more.

“What, why.”

“Um, that bread in your left inner pocket… if you’re not going to eat it, can I have it?”

Eclise looked at her with displeasure at her boldness.

“Here, eat it.”

He pulled out a crumpled paper bag with rustling sounds.

When he opened the bag, there was another piece of the same white bread she had just eaten.

Though he seemed a bit odd for a god, he still gave her two pieces of bread.

“Thank you!”

She pressed the bread to test its softness, and when it gave way easily, she started stuffing it into her mouth with a bright smile.

***

Rodi’s stomach bulged after cramming two pieces of bread inside.

Though her stomach felt a bit heavy from eating too quickly, it was better than being hungry.

And she had never had such delicious bread before.

It was sweet even without cream and soft enough to bite with just her lips.

If he would give her more bread, she could use her x-ray vision as much as he wanted.

But now that she was full, maybe she could go somewhere else?

Just as she was trying to sneak away, the man’s voice caught her ankle.

“I’m Eclise.”

“Eclise? Is that your name?”

When she asked back with a completely clueless face, Eclise’s expression turned sour.

“Well, yes.”

Looking at it now, Rodi thought he must not be a god since he has a name.

Now that she noticed, even his posture of crouching with bent knees seemed casual and roguish.

With her stomach full, the rose-tinted glasses had completely fallen off.

“I need your ability.”

“Okay.”

“Want to work with me?”

“Um… what?”

“If you succeed, I’ll pay you well. If you want, it can be in food.”

“Work… with you?”

Rodi thought carefully.

This was the first time she’d received such an offer.

She thought only adults had conversations like this!

But it seemed better than the begging that the headmaster made her do.

Begging was what Rodi hated most.

He’d give her food and money to use her ability?

Then she wouldn’t have to wander the streets, but…

“How can I trust you?”

Eclise raised an eyebrow and let out a dry laugh.

“…You really don’t know who I am?”

“Nope.”

“Eclise Til Cheiles.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Cheiles Lord.”

“Uh-huh.”

Rodi nodded earnestly.

She was regretfully savoring the taste of the bread that had already disappeared into her stomach, but gradually her nodding slowed down.

Finally, her body froze like a doll.

Then, as realization struck, her eyes grew huge and sparkled. Paah!

Ah…!

“Cheiles!”

While she didn’t know who Eclise was, she definitely knew the name Cheiles.

All the land in this area was called Cheiles Road.

They said it was where the most money circulated in the capital.

The headmaster had said Cheiles was an incredibly wealthy person, the existence she envied most in the world.

Cheiles was supposedly an amazing person who could do anything, and all his subordinates were incredibly wealthy too.

Rodi had thought that someday she would become someone like Cheiles.

Then she wouldn’t go hungry!

But he was also notorious…

Realizing this, Rodi shuddered for a moment. But that was only briefly.

“All this land you’re sitting on belongs to me.”

Cheiles Road?

This Cheiles was that Cheiles?

Rich person! The richest!

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Really really?”

“Have you been fooled all your life?”

“Wow! Wow! So you’re really the boss of all Cheiles?”

Eclise’s eyes narrowed.

“Watch how you address me, kid. ‘Mister’ is too casual.”

“…Then what should I call you?”

T/n: 아저씨” (ahjussi) which is a somewhat casual way to address an older male, but this doesn’t translate well directly to English. The key point is that Rodi is addressing him too informally for someone of his status.

Eclise smirked.

“Well, whatever. The point is, I’m not someone who would scam a little runt like you.”

“Ah!”

Rodi had a deep realization.

True. The boss of Cheiles wouldn’t lie for just one bread or one gold coin.

If that were the case, rumors would have spread everywhere that the owner of Cheiles Road was stingy.

“Still don’t believe me? Don’t want to work together…?”

Eclise smiled like a devil at that question.

“Then you’ll have to pay for the bread.”

Rodi gulped nervously.

While she had the ability to see hidden things, she didn’t have the ability to un-eat what she’d eaten.

“I… don’t have money.”

Of course, she had a few coins hidden somewhere in the alley, but she would absolutely never take those out.

Rodi looked up with the most pitiful eyes she could manage.

It was a look that said ‘Please let me off…’

Eclise retorted with a look of derision.

“Why don’t you experience being in debt firsthand? You’d be the youngest debtor. Cheiles is famous for collecting debts even if we have to go to the depths of hell.”

“…But you gave them to me first!”

“Who told you to accept them so readily?”

“….”

Ugh, what kind of person is this?

Not a beautiful god but a devil instead.

But the bread was already in her stomach.

As Rodi touched her protruding belly, her mind filled with images of being tied up like luggage and sold to scary people.

‘Heup, no!’

Then she had no choice but to accept his offer.

“Is it dangerous?”

“You just need to answer what you see.”

Just what do I see?

Rodi fell into thought again.

Should she throw up the bread?

Or do the work?

Rodi slowly got up.

With a light brush of her hands, she patted off her worn dress that dangled at her knees.

Rodi looked up at Eclise who had already stood up.

He was tall like a giant even when she had to look up at him while he was crouching, but now that he was standing, he was even taller.

He seemed to be a head taller than the headmaster.

She’d never seen someone this tall before.

When she stared at him openly, Eclise met her gaze equally, making Rodi look away.

Though she thought carefully, she still needed more time to decide.

To change the subject, Rodi pointed at the pocket where the extra bread had come from earlier.

“Umm… but are you not going to eat the bread left in that pocket? Give it to me. The one in the inner pocket.”

Pause.

Eclise’s expression twisted subtly.

“Didn’t you just eat two?”

“I haven’t eaten for three days so I want to eat three.”

“…Go ahead. Where does it even fit in that tiny body? Something so small with such terrible efficiency.”

“Efficiency?”

“Just eat your bread.”

Rodi quickly grabbed the bread with both hands and took another bite big enough to make her cheeks bulge.

Delicious.

It was a taste she wouldn’t get tired of even if she ate ten every day.

Rodi glanced at Eclise.

It was just high-quality black clothing, but it had three pieces of bread hidden in it.

It seemed like magical clothing that would produce delicious bread whenever pressed.

It reminded her of the magic pot story the teacher had read to them.

Though she never heard the ending because the last page was torn out.

Rodi stuffed the last piece of bread in her mouth at once.

Her chewing looked combative, as if she had made up her mind…