Is It So Wrong that I Like Seeing the Villain Suffer? - Chapter 18

‘What… is this really written by Allenheim?’

At the last page of the letter, there was indeed the handwritten signature of Lize’s father, Ron Allenheim.

It seems it was truly written by him.

That’s why I was even more shocked.

‘…Was Allenheim always this uptight?’

There was no information in the letter about a plan to rescue me or anything I expected.

The main content of the letter was simply a reminder not to forget my pride as an Allenheim and a promise to strengthen my ‘protection’ once I was retrieved.

Even though it was called protection, judging by Ron Allenheim’s words, it was no different from confinement.

[…It seems it’s better to reduce your outing time even more. Two hours a day was too much. From now on, make it thirty minutes a day, and always with my permission and accompanied by knights.]

‘Isn’t this abuse?’

The next part was even more ridiculous.

[Do not let those filthy Cayenne people corrupt your pure and innocent soul. As I have always said, losing purity is the same as losing life.]

Sorry, but my soul was already corrupted long before anyone tried to corrupt it.

If losing purity was the same as losing life, I would have died a hundred, no, ten thousand times already.

The letter ended with a statement that my pride as an Allenheim would protect me.

‘Did you really give Calain a fortune just to convey this…?’

You must have money to burn, Father.

I crumpled the letter and put it back in the envelope, then tossed it carelessly on the floor.

I felt I understood why Jean Allenheim infiltrated the Cayenne family alone to rescue Lize.

‘By the way, you only allowed her to go out for two hours a day? How overprotective can you be?’

The original Lize seemed to have a docile and gentle personality, so she probably followed her father without protest….

‘I can’t live like that! I’d rather remain a hostage.’

Having lived a life deprived of all freedom in my past life, I would know.

That a life where you feel nothing is not a life at all.

Returning to Allenheim is the same as dying for me.

‘Anyway, as long as I’m here, Jean will definitely come to rescue me… I thought I’d just go back if there was no particular reason, but….’

I swallowed dryly and looked down at the piece of paper rolling on the floor.

‘Now I have a reason.’

It seems it was impossible from the start to spend my remaining days comfortably and peacefully in Allenheim.

‘If that’s the case….’

There’s only one way left.

Stay here, save money, and become independent when I have enough.

If I can succeed like I did with the deal with Gillian Moril, it won’t be impossible.

‘For that, I need to prove my usefulness to Arkle even more.’

Luckily, Calain Cayenne has come.

I quietly left the room and went to find Juan.

‘If it’s Juan, he should be able to see the Cayenne family’s ledger, right?’

Calain Cayenne. That man had not only leaked the Cayenne family’s secrets for years to sell information but also secretly embezzled funds.

Martha, upon discovering this later, tried to execute Calain, but he had already fled to another country with the money.

And now, I plan to find the confidential documents and evidence of embezzlement that Calain hid and show them to Arkle.

‘Sorry, Calain Cayenne, but you’ll have to leave as soon as you arrive.’

One person trying to leech off Cayenne is enough, and that person is me.

Besides, his interest in my healing ability was unsettling.

The way Calain looked at me was like a beast contemplating how to devour its marked prey.

‘Whatever it is, he seems to plan on using my ability somewhere….’

Does he think he can?

I’ll use you before you can use me.

My steps quickened toward Juan’s office.

❖ ❖ ❖

On the way back to my room after meeting Juan…

Fortunately, Juan was resting without much to do.

As soon as he saw me burst into his office, his face turned pale and he shouted.

“I’m busy—!”

Then put down the magazine you’re reading and say that.

With an angelic smile, I handed him a list of documents to investigate.

“Can you do it in five hours?”

Speaking softly, Juan looked at me as if I were a demon.

“Why are you doing this to me…? It’s my first break in a month. Please, I beg you….”

“You made the deal with Gillian Moril. You got the Wensle Mine by doing what I said, right?”

“…….”

“This time, it’s an even bigger deal. I was going to tell Arkle that Juan contributed too, but… if you don’t want to, I guess I’ll have to find someone else.”

Just as I turned away, pretending to be disappointed…

“Wait.”

At that firm voice, the corners of my mouth lifted. I turned back without a smile.

Juan adjusted his glasses as he looked at me.

The lenses of his glasses gleamed.

“—Three hours will do.”

Very good.

I gave him a thumbs-up.

‘Even when he says no, he listens so well.’

And now, as I was returning happily….

‘What is it?’

I stopped and looked back.

There was no one behind me, but I definitely heard footsteps.

‘…….’

When I quickened my pace, the footsteps also quickened, and when I stopped, they stopped too.

Someone was following me.

‘…I see.’

After pausing for a moment, I caught my breath and then sprinted down the corridor.

The person behind me hurried to chase after me.

‘Surely, there was that thing around that corner?’

I was running forward when I suddenly turned and hid behind the statues lined up on the right corner.

“Huff, huff… Where did she go?”

The moment the pursuer came in front of the statue,

“Excuse me.”

I pushed the statue to topple it over. Just in case they were here to threaten me, I needed to immobilize them.

‘Come on, get pinned. Let’s see your face!’

I heard something shatter, but it wasn’t the sound of the pursuer being pinned by the statue.

Crash—

Bang—!

It was the sound of the statue, made of solid mineral, shattering into pieces.

The fragments of the statue, which scattered like powder, settled, and I could see the face of the person who had destroyed the statue with a kick.

“Sylvia?”

Sylvia, whose eyes met mine, quickly turned her head. Her ears were as red as her hair.

“Was it you who followed me?”

“Hmph… Don’t get it wrong, I wasn’t worried or anything.”

Far from thinking she was worried, I thought she was here to harm me.

Even if misunderstood, I have nothing to say because she just shattered a statue with a kick.

But Sylvia didn’t even glance at the fragments rolling on the floor, as if she hadn’t done anything at all.

“I, I wasn’t worried about you wandering around alone, so I didn’t follow you on purpose…. And I wasn’t hiding because I didn’t want to be caught.”

She’s telling me everything without me asking.

I nodded roughly, smiling, “I see.”

“But why were you worried about me wandering alone? It was fine before.”

“I said I wasn’t worried…!”

Sylvia shouted, embarrassed, but soon mumbled to herself.

“That’s… because I was told to be careful of that person.”

“That person?”

“Calain Cayenne.”

My eyes narrowed at Sylvia’s words.

That man, is there more to him than I know?

Come to think of it, Arkle and Naran’s reactions were strange when they heard Calain was coming back.

‘They don’t know yet that Calain embezzled funds and leaked secrets. Yet their reactions were strange, so there must be something else.’

“Why about him?”

After hesitating, Sylvia cautiously spoke.

“When I first came to the Cayenne house, there was an older lady who taught me the ropes. She had worked at the Cayenne house for a long time. She advised me to avoid Calain Cayenne as much as possible. She didn’t explain why….”

That’s a suspicious and unsettling warning.

I groaned, “Hmm…” and stroked my chin.

“So what I’m saying is… You need an escort now. Not that I particularly want to, but if you want, I, I… can do it.”

Sylvia said, her face turning bright red, her voice barely audible.

An escort, huh.

Doesn’t sound bad.

I beamed and extended a hand to Sylvia.

“Please take care of me, Sylvia.”

“……!”

Sylvia’s mouth gaped open as she trembled and barely grasped my fingers.

“I, I’m not doing this because I like it…!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Thus, I unexpectedly gained an escort and returned to my room under Sylvia’s protection.

❖ ❖ ❖

At that time, in Calain Cayenne’s room.

Lying down staring at the ceiling, Calain rubbed his face with one hand, looking tired.

He had tried to extract some information while having tea with Arkle just a moment ago, but gained nothing.

For some reason, every time he brought up the topic of that woman, Lize Allenheim, Arkle clammed up.

‘Tsk—ungrateful brat. Does he have no gratitude for the uncle who raised him?’

“Healing ability….”

Muttering, a sly smile appeared on Calain’s face.

Ron Allenheim, Arkle, they’re all just fools.

“Why are they just leaving such a profitable ability alone?”

The amount of money that could be earned from that ability was beyond imagination.

Even if he charged a bag of gold coins per person, it would be an enormous amount.

The usefulness of Lize Allenheim did not end there.

‘If only I could put her on the experiment table….’

Calain licked his lips.

Returning here after five years seemed to bring back old memories.

Born as an illegitimate child of the previous generation, he turned to magical research to find a way to survive.

He had been recognized for his talent and even worked at the magic tower for a time, so his skills were undeniable.

“The lab should still be there, right?”

While living here, taking care of the three siblings left after his half-brother and his wife died, he had secretly built a lab in the bas*ment of the detached library building.

“I had a lot of fun playing there….”

He licked his lips, reminiscing about those times.

Coincidentally, a familiar voice was heard from outside the door.

“It’s me.”

Calain jumped up and opened the door.

Standing in front of the door was the beloved youngest, Naran Cayenne.

“When did Uncle arrive that you’re only showing your face now? This is disappointing.”

“…I have something to tell you.”

“What a coincidence. I was just thinking I should go see you myself.”

A smile spread across Calain’s lips.

“Now that Uncle is back… shall we spend some cozy time together after so long?”

Naran’s body flinched.