《I Got a Brother-in-law Who Was a Villain》 Chapter 1 ¡®Dear Diana, How did this happen? I don¡¯t understand why Kiryan Hishleger, the dark side of this novel and the villain who will destroy this country, is sleeping next to me.¡¯ *** ¡°Oh my god.¡± A sigh escaped reflexively and covered Yvonne¡¯s mouth. She tried to trace her memory of what happened yesterday. But the more she did, the more she had a headache. Yvonne carefully lowered her gaze. ¡°No way¡­ No way. I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± She was dressed in something she had never seen before. It was a large shirt designed for men. Yvonne had no recollection of wearing that clothing. She felt extremely humiliated. She felt nauseated when she checked her blatantly exposed shoulders. Some parts, including her shoulders, have red marks or bruises. ¡®Yvonne Moore you are crazy! What did you do yesterday?¡¯ She had been drinking until she couldn¡¯t remember anything and then fell asleep. She can¡¯t believe she spent the night with a man. She had lost faith in herself. She had no idea she was that foolish, no matter how stupid she is. Furthermore, she spent the night with a known psychopath, Kiryan Hishleger. Evil enough that he considers people¡¯s lives to be similar to cockroaches. ¡®This doesn¡¯t make sense. Someone tell me it¡¯s a lie.¡¯ She was afraid she was about to let out a moan. ¡®You¡¯re a coward, yet you did something like this to Kiryan.¡¯ She rolled her eyes and turned to face Kiryan. The exposed upper body muscles above the blanket attracted attention on their own. It resembles a carnivore. Every time he breathes, it¡¯s silky. The texture of the surface was revealed. His muscles were hidden behind his clothing. As she looked at his bare body, her face became pale for a bit. ¡®Who would have thought.¡¯ ¡°Do you like what you see?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The low, resonant voice made her heart race. His intense golden eyes move slowly as he moves his gaze. Although yellow is a warm color, Kiryan¡¯s eyes are gold. It used to be as chilly as a frozen lake in the winter. Today, though, the eyes were as hot as the sun. A summer sun that will evaporate all of the lake¡¯s water. ¡°Ki¡­ Kiryan.¡± ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­ Ouch!¡± Yvonne couldn¡¯t speak properly because she was afraid of Kiryan. She swallowed her breath for fear of hiccups. ¡®Why am I such a coward¡­? How much did I drink yesterday? No, how crazy am I?¡¯ She doesn¡¯t know if she did it with Kiryan? ¡®Yvonne Moore, you are the most foolish idiot in the world!¡¯ ¡°Yvonne.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. What happened yesterday was an accident¡­¡± Kiryan flashed his eyes. ¡®He hated me.¡¯ Yvonne thought. This is because Kiryan and she met under the most inconvenient of circumstances. He even attempted to murder her. ¡°An accident? What does that mean?¡± ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯ll get going now. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± She tried to jump up, but Kiryan was faster. He held her wrist tightly and pulled her back. He sat down and asked. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Home, of course.¡± ¡°Home? But this is your house.¡± ¡°What? This isn¡¯t my house.¡± ¡®No way¡­ I don¡¯t remember anything about last night.¡¯ Something happened yesterday. Her heart was pounding and she heard beats in her ears. She couldn¡¯t stand it because she was out of breath and her heart was shaking. She wanted to run away quickly. If all of this was a nightmare and it¡¯s not an ¡°accident¡±. ¡°What?¡± ¡°This situation is not an accident at all.¡± ¡°Of course, agreed¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t complete her sentence because she was crying so hard. Perhaps her life is coming to an end. The villain¡¯s pinnacle. Kiryan Hishleger, she can¡¯t believe she did it with him. Despite this, she has high hopes for resolving the matter. She summoned the confidence to request it. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t that meaningful. Isn¡¯t it?¡± There are many women in the world who want him, so Kiryan is often tempted by women several times a day. So a night with a kid like her would be nothing. It must be just instant entertainment. Then, they can make it as if this didn¡¯t happen. ¡°No way. You spent the night with me. Now pay for it.¡± Hiccup! She was so surprised that her hiccups popped out. She can¡¯t believe it. She¡¯s not even the female protagonist. ¡®Why me!¡¯ ¡°Calm down.¡± Kiryan patiently pat¡¯s her back. Yvonne waited for the hiccups to stop. His touch is so sticky that whenever his hand touches her back turns numbed. When the hiccup stopped, Yvonne spoke with strength in her trembling hands. ¡°Uhm¡­ Duke Hishleger.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kiryan.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said just Kiryan. Yvonne, let¡¯s stop the formality. Call me by my name.¡± ¡°How can I do that? How can I call the Duke by his name?¡± She doesn¡¯t want to get tangled up with Kiryan after calling his name carelessly. Okay. ¡°Of course you should. You¡¯re my brother-in-law ¡°FRANZ¡±.¡± ¡®Ah¡­ That¡¯s why.¡¯ ¡°Yes. I see¡­ What?! What do you mean I¡¯m Franz?¡± Franz is her name when she dresses up as a man. ¡°He¡± was the brother-in-law. And Kiryan didn¡¯t know that Franz was really her, Yvonne Moore. ¡®How does he know who I am? If we spend one night together, do I naturally get exposed?¡¯ ¡°Franz Bernike, you¡¯d better stop playing.¡± Kiryan¡¯s big hand approached her face. She closed her eyes because she thought he was trying to hit her, but she felt a soft touch stroking her cheek instead of pain. When she opened her eyes, Kiryan turned to her face in an unexpected way. ¡°It¡¯s strange that you haven¡¯t noticed it yet.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. That¡¯s¡­ I was going to tell you¡­¡± ¡°Yvonne.¡± Her name from his mouth was like the crying of a grinning beast. It¡¯s low and has a good echo. She got goosebumps. Her heart trembled like a fool and she wanted to cry. She doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s because she¡¯s afraid of him or because he doesn¡¯t like her. ¡®This is going to be hard.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s okay. But if I had known you were a girl, I wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much.¡± She wants to pretend that she doesn¡¯t know what Kiryan says. ¡®That¡¯s right. I hated myself for understanding uselessly.¡¯ He confessed to her now. He likes her. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to leave this country like a fool.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have. I have work, so I have to go.¡± ¡°Work?¡± He snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to the theater and work in the dust.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t it. Work is fun.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s hard work. You have an expensive jewelry necklace and a dress made of imported silk. You deserve to enjoy everything.¡± In Kiryan¡¯s way of speaking, it¡¯s a sticky obsession. ¡°Can you let me go please?¡± Kiryan lets go of her wrist and makes his face look ugly. He asked while rumbling. ¡°Why are you treating me like a stranger?¡± ¡°What? What? That can¡¯t be but it¡¯s a little uncomfortable¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known you already, but you¡¯re still uncomfortable? Nonsense. ¡°Franz¡± didn¡¯t speak to me like that. You didn¡¯t hesitate to get along with me.¡± ¡°That was ¡°Franz¡±¡­¡± She realized that she was completely caught. ¡°Yes. Franz of the night, Franz Bernicke of the back alley. That¡¯s you, too.You didn¡¯t even say a word while living a double life. I¡¯m upset.¡± In fact, she was afraid of Kiryan then, too. In the original story, Kiryan wanted to have a heroine and do things without hesitation. Even if it becomes a crime, and destroys even the last favor the heroine had with him. And Kiryan used to be a selfish and evil villain as in the original book. So she always treated him cautiously. Nevertheless, Franz was able to get along with him. Kiryan didn¡¯t have any family, and Franz (Yvonne) is the only family member he has. In fact, Kiryan was impatient because he couldn¡¯t do anything more to her when she was Franz. He bought her clothes and gave her his house key. Yvonne Moore, who ¡°Franz¡± hated. ¡®I¡¯m a woman. Isn¡¯t he going to be angry with the feeling of betrayal? Is there anyone who thinks that I, Yvonne Moore, cheated on him?¡¯ ¡°What are you thinking about? Are you thinking of Paradis Laurent?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not! Paradis is¡­¡± ¡®Oh my god! Paradis!¡¯ Her mind went blank. Last night, she asked Paradis to meet her at the fountain, and now she¡¯s here. ¡°I have to go. Can you let go of my wrist?¡± ¡°What?¡± Paradis must be waiting for her. She¡¯s sure he¡¯s angry. The words circled in her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t say a word because she was afraid of Kiryan. Kiryan was scary. When she was Franz, she had the title of ¡°brother-in-law¡±, so she could talk to Kiryan. She was able to gossip, but everything is revealed now so the situation is different. Above all, he is a villain of crazy possessive desire to break the ankle of the woman trying to escape and keep her by her side. Maybe if she¡¯s right¡­ Kiryan¡¯s obsession is directed at her, not the original heroine. Otherwise, she can understand his burning eyes and his actions to hold her wrist. She won¡¯t lose. And she spent the night with this villain, leaving her fiance Paradis alone. She¡¯s telling him¡­ She can¡¯t do this without going crazy. ¡®Oh my god! Diana, my beloved sister. I think I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ Chapter 2 ¡°Now¡­ I think it¡¯s time to let you know.¡± Diana mumbled. ¡°What do you mean? You don¡¯t have to tell me anything. Just stay by my side.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a crybaby, Yvonne. Don¡¯t cry. You know how heartbreaking it is to see you cry¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t cry. I won¡¯t cry, so please be strong. Don¡¯t die, Diana.¡± ¡°Yvonne¡­ My little brother, Franz¡­¡± ¡°Franz¡± was Yvonne¡¯s nickname given by her parent¡¯s from a children¡¯s book called ¡°Franz Bernicke¡¯s Great Adventure¡±. They hope that Yvonne, who cries a lot, grows up bravely. Because of that she was given the nickname of ¡°Franz¡±. ¡°You asked one day why my body hurts everyday, right? Did you keep the diary?¡± Diana¡¯s hand holding Yvonne was so strong that it could not be felt as a patient¡¯s. Diana continued to speak with her dying voice. ¡°I¡­ remember my past life.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yvonne thought her sister was losing her mind as her death drew near, so she started crying again. ¡°This world is a fictional.This world is a romance story I read before I died. A novel.¡± ¡°Diana¡­¡± ¡°I know you can¡¯t believe it but Yvonne please trust me. Remember my words carefully. You are the supporting role of the female protagonist. You lived a horribly unhappy life.¡± ¡°I trust you. I trust you. So¡­¡± ¡°Keep listening. Yvonne!¡± Diana screamed as she choked on her breath. Her eyes were red and bloodshot from squeezing her strength, and her breathing was rough. ¡°As soon as I found out you were the Yvonne Moore with a miserable life, I tried to change your future but I couldn¡¯t change my natural death. After I die¡­ Our auntie and uncle will want your fortune. They¡¯re going to make you marry Daniel.¡± Daniel was their cousin. ¡°Yes¡­ So please¡­ Diana, my¡­¡± Diana¡¯s hand, holding Yvonne¡¯s hand, fell helplessly. Yvonne was enchanted by the great shock, and her tears were dripping down. She wanted to scream and cry, but she couldn¡¯t. So Yvonne wept silently and smiled brightly. So that her sister¡¯s soul could see her and be relieved. So that she can go up to heaven with ease. *** Yvonne found the diary that Diana was referring to a week after the funeral. She admitted that she hadn¡¯t even looked through the diary. Throughout the event, she was on the verge of collapsing due to her inability to hold back her tears. The reason she took out Diana¡¯s diary in that state was because it was her sister¡¯s last will. As soon as Yvonne, who cries a lot, checks Diana¡¯s handwriting, she burst into tears and sobbed until her eyes were swollen. It was not long before she could confirm her future, as Diana said in her diary. ¡°This is the world in a devastated romance novel called ¡°The End of Abyss¡±, and I was born as Diana Moore, the sister of Yvonne Moore, who died when I was young.¡± The gist was like this: The basic plot of the romance novel ¡°End of the Abyss¡± is that Selena, a local fallen aristocrat, gets a job as an imperial official and develops love with the Crown Prince. Yvonne Moore was a supporting role saved by Selena after living an unhappy life. Diana is the only family left that Yvonne lost when she was young. After realizing who she was and in what world she was born, she made many attempts to escape her fate. Diana tried her best to prevent the death of their parents, but she failed, and afterward she was concerned about her sister who might be left alone. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Yvonne couldn¡¯t believe what Diana had written. According to her diary, Yvonne dies after drinking poison sent by the villain ¡°Kiryan Hishleger¡± instead of the woman named Selena, who she doesn¡¯t even know the face of. Yvonne was nothing more than a tool to shake off Selena¡¯s last affection for the villain. ¡°The world in a book? That¡¯s ridiculous. Diana, why are you lying like this?¡­¡± Yvonne decided not to believe in her diary. ¡®If her life is a tool for a woman named Selena, what of the death of Diana and her parents? Is it only an event to create her loyalty to Selena? That was unacceptable!¡¯ ¡°I hate you. Don¡¯t joke like this. Ugh.¡± Eventually, Yvonne burst into tears. She was only a fourteen-year-old little girl. A teary and tender child. The shocking truth that Diana left behind is up to her. It was bound to be too much for Diana and even more so for Yvonne, who lost her sister, her only family member after their parents died. But Yvonne soon came to believe what Diana said. Three days later, their aunt¡¯s family picked up their luggage and came into their house. ¡°What brings you here, auntie?¡± Yvonne asked. ¡°Yvonne. Poor baby. I couldn¡¯t sleep at night because I was worried about you. Look at how thin you are. What on earth are the employees here feeding you? You have to eat well!¡± ¡®Anyone can expect something like this.¡¯ Yvonne thought while looking at her aunt hugging her tightly. But she believed Diana when she saw that she had written down all of the major events and accidents that would occur that year. It¡¯s not because Diana took care of the stock and legal concerns before she died, that Yvonne became one of the world¡¯s wealthiest minors but she couldn¡¯t help but believe that she was guided by the Prophet¡¯s knowledge of the things she needed to know. She has no way of knowing when floods and flames will strike. Above all else, her mother¡¯s belongings were in her aunt¡¯s hands. ¡°Aunt. That¡¯s what my mother brought when she got married.¡± ¡°I was just looking at it for a second.¡± Yvonne found that her aunt¡¯s eyes shine greedily. Her anxiety became doubt and her doubt became distrust. ¡°Yvonne. Aren¡¯t you lonely when you¡¯re alone in this big house? There are employees, but children alone can be ignored. I can¡¯t stand it because I¡¯m worried about you. So an adult should be with you¡­ Somehow family is the best. Oh honey, we¡¯re here for you Yvonne at least. Oh, my hometown is the best, but what can I do? I can¡¯t leave my little nephew behind!¡± Yvonne¡¯s auntie cried. This reminds her of Diana¡¯s message. ¡°Yvonne. When Auntie comes, go see the lawyer Mr. Bearson. He¡¯ll take care of it. And he would never appoint our aunt as a legal representative.¡± So, the next day, she immediately went to see Mr. Bearson, an attorney. Yvonne saw her aunt trespassing and her cousin Daniel unintentionally smashing pottery in her house, so she reported them. She filed a lawsuit against them for property damage. She didn¡¯t have to wait long to hear her aunt and uncle in court. Yvonne examined her bare skin. ¡°Young lady, you are cunning and ambitious! Adults who put in long hours for you go unnoticed? You wouldn¡¯t be able to do this if you knew how much your aunt cried for you!¡± ¡°Judge, look at her revealing her true self only for money at such a young age! I¡¯ve known you since you didn¡¯t even cry at the funeral! I was trying to feed someone like you as my nephew!¡± As a result, she shook off the couple altogether. Yvonne stumbled loudly at the end of the trial because she couldn¡¯t stop her legs from shaking. She would have struck her head on the stairs if her maid Beth hadn¡¯t intervened from the side. ¡°Mr. Bearson, thank you for your assistance.¡± ¡°I was simply following through on my promise to Ms. Diana.¡± Mr. Bearson reached into his pockets and handed Yvonne something. ¡°Miss Moore, this is a theater ticket; you may come see it if you wish.¡± Yvonne and Diana had a good time at a play. Yvonne cried since this was also a trace of her sister. For fear of bursting, she had to bite her lips. ¡°It was Diana¡¯s last request that I go. After all of the trials, I feel like watching a play to unwind. Many thanks¡­¡± Yvonne confirmed the date after receiving the ticket. It was a mid-afternoon performance. ¡°If you leave right now, you¡¯ll be able to make it to the show before it starts.¡± Beth, her maid, pushed her back and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yvonne was desperate to rest, but Diana¡¯s trace¡­ She couldn¡¯t merely ignore the traces any longer. She adored her sister above all others. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± says Yvonne. ¡°And Miss Moore, if you¡¯re having trouble, call me. I owe Miss Diana and this is how I¡¯ll be able to repay her.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± Yvonne said goodbye and walked straight into the center of town. She¡¯s been in the capital for a long time, but she never went out of the house. She didn¡¯t go out often, thus she had no idea how to get there. She went around for a while and asked questions before arriving at the theater after mistaking her alley and flowing into the market. When she checked the time, it was 10 minutes before the start of the performance. ¡°I¡¯m glad I wasn¡¯t late.¡± Mumbling quietly, she froze while searching for her wallet. ¡°What should I do?¡± Her wallet was stolen from her. Yvonne didn¡¯t have any money or tickets. Her eyes welled up and she began to cry. She didn¡¯t want to make a fool of herself and lose Diana¡¯s trace. She shook her hands and took a long breath. Then she approached the ticket seller and inquired politely. ¡°I¡­ Is it possible for me to get a ride home?¡± The staff ordered a person to drive Yvonne away. Yvonne, who was rolling on the floor, bit her lower lip in humiliation. She thought my face was about to burst with shame. She wasn¡¯t about to give up like this. She was Diana¡¯s sister. She lost her parents early and told her that Diana was her only friend, her sister and her parents. Yvonne clenched her fists and she stood up bravely. She headed to the back of the Largon Theater. ¡®You can do it. It¡¯s bad, but¡­ I don¡¯t have any money. All I have to do is pay it back.¡¯ She spotted a dog hole leading to the back door. After taking a big breath she pressed her body on it. Her skirt became dirty on the filthy floor, and her delicate skin was scratched, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. She was surrounded by shadow after passing through the hole. She raised her head with goosebumps. With its arms folded, someone peered down at her. Yvonne¡¯s heart began to sink. Chapter 3 Her heart beat so fast. When she thought about crawling back, the person standing in the background opened its mouth. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± It was the voice of a boy of the same age. A calm voice pierced through Yvonne¡¯s sullen tone. Yvonne thinks he¡¯s scolding her for what she¡¯s doing there. It seemed like she was going to die of suffocation. She can¡¯t do this. The boy sat down and looked at her. ¡°Are you here to watch the play?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re here to watch ¡°The Umbrella of Tenan¡± or ¡°Rose of Oscar¡±?¡± The boy was asking what kind of play she wanted to watch. The boy gently grabs Yvonne, who is struggling with embarrassment. He pulled her up then, she stiffened because he brushed off the hem of her skirt. ¡°You¡¯ve never done this before, have you? It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t care about the back door here. If you¡¯re here to watch ¡°The Umbrella of Tenan¡±, let¡¯s go in together.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯m here to watch ¡°The Umbrella of Tenan¡±.¡± Yvonne¡¯s face was flushed as she gazed up at the boy. With his dark curling hair and droopy eyes, the slim, tall lad looked stunning. The young man approached her. His huge, large hands are ready for her. He eventually grasped Yvonne¡¯s hand when she hesitated, unsure of what to do. ¡°That¡¯s great. Today is the last concert, so it¡¯s going to be incredible. You¡¯re lucky.¡± She was led somewhere by the boy. She walked up and down the corridor, avoiding people, while she opened the back door. He whispered into Yvonne¡¯s ear as she followed him inside the theater. Her heartbeat became louder as well. Her tension, fear, and guilt gradually dissipated. Suddenly, a sense of anticipation and exhilaration spread. ¡°Shh. Quiet. It¡¯s a thief watching, so hold your breath as much as possible, okay?¡± At the boy¡¯s whisper, Yvonne quietly nodded her head. The boy smiled contentedly and ruffled Yvonne¡¯s hair. ¡°Ah.¡± It¡¯s the first time Yvonne has been treated in this manner. People with money tended to be stock up. She isn¡¯t from the capital, so she can¡¯t be confident. It was challenging to adjust to the environment. She lived in rural M¨¹nster before moving to the capital. Being a wealthy aristocrat was difficult for her. Yvonne finds the boy¡¯s demeanor comfortable. The boy brought Yvonne to the top of the second-floor stairwell. The two sat close together and hid behind the slid-out drapes, which revealed virtually just their eyes. Yvonne enjoyed the play despite the cramped and uncomfortable surroundings. She was content simply to be able to see the play. She was delighted to be able to listen to Diana¡¯s upkeep, and the fact that it was an almost deviant thief watching was exhilarating. The show was also a lot of fun. ¡°Oh my gosh! The heroine is dead!¡± Yvonne was enthralled by the actor¡¯s performance throughout the show. When the actor took over, she trembled, and when the actress sobbed fiercely, she swallowed a slight sniff and wiped away tears with her hand. And the boy had a proud expression on his face as he stared at her. The boy dragged Yvonne at the end of the performance. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°We need to get out of here as soon as possible.¡± ¡°You punk! Where did you hide this time?¡± said a theatrical official, who hunted them down with umbrellas. ¡°The bruise hit by that umbrella doesn¡¯t go away even after more than a week.¡± Yvonne got up quickly and ran away as the boy led him. When they can run back and forth through the hallway, they gasp out of the theater and their bodies through the dog¡¯s hole. Yvonne left first and then the boy came out. ¡°You two came this time, huh? If I caught you two you¡¯re dead!¡± The official yelled as he was caught in the hole due to his belly fat. The two couldn¡¯t stop laughing because the sight was amusing as they ran together. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± They have to arrive at an alley far away from the theater. Yvonne was laughing while rolling on the wall. Lying down on the street, they giggled for a long time. ¡°¡°The Umbrella of Tenan¡± is the best, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was really fun. It was unique. The lines were classical, but the overall theme was modern. I love the character, not the waiting! and kicking the male protagonist who was taken to war is the right thing to do. It was impressive.¡± ¡°Do you think so too? Wow, you have good eyes.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Because you liked the play.¡± ¡°I have a great sister.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Paradis. Paradis Laurent. What about you?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m¡­ Wait, Laurent? No way¡­¡± ¡®Is there an imperial person who doesn¡¯t know the last name Laurent? Laurent was a family name allowed only to one family.¡¯ ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Laurent of the Marquis Laurent.¡± The boy answered bluntly. Yvonne blushed at his reaction as she expressed her regret. Apart from the imperial family, the Marquis Laurent is the only one who possesses power. Other families with superpowers existed hundreds of years ago. The other family is claimed to have collapsed, leaving just the Laurent war hero, Marquis Laurent, and his only grandchild. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m Yvonne Moore.¡± ¡°Moore?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ If you¡¯re talking about the well-known trial, it¡¯s probably me.¡± Yvonne lowered her head. The story of a wicked, greedy heir was widely circulated in the capital as a result of the trial¡¯s intensity. The boy responded with a soft look in his eyes. ¡°What? I thought you¡¯re an amazing person, but you¡¯re just a stupid kid.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid!¡± ¡°Okay, okay. You have a lot of money, so what are you doing in the hole? Is it a prize to see you become a fool?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because my wallet was stolen. Then, how about you!¡± ¡°Me? I used up all my allowance. Opera performances tend to be expensive. Anyway, Yvonne. Doesn¡¯t your knee hurt?¡± ¡°Knee?¡± Yvonne looked down at her legs and saw her skirt smeared with blood. Her knee was scratched and bleeding. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, wear this.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Paradis handed Yvonne a handkerchief. She wrapped her knees with the handkerchief. ¡°How can you play like this? Are you having fun? Do you plan on ending your day with me?¡± Paradis asked. ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s not¡­ If you¡¯re with me, you¡¯ll be cursed too¡­ Rumors are really bad about me.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I think it¡¯s all just a misunderstanding.¡± Yvonne¡¯s eyes were filled with tears when he responded to her cynical response. When she sniffled again, Paradis clicked his tongue. He brushed her hair. ¡°You¡¯re a crybaby.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be sorry about that.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°First of all, I think you should go home because of your legs. I¡¯ll take you home. Let¡¯s go.¡± Paradis skillfully held her carriage. He murmured as he learned the way to the Moore mansion. ¡°It¡¯s not very close. It would have been nice if it was close.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No. Nothing.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my house.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s as nice as the rumors say. Your garden is so beautiful. Show me around next time.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll definitely invite you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up in the afternoon the day after tomorrow. Be ready.¡± ¡°You¡¯re coming to pick me up?¡± As the carriage drew closer to the mansion, Paradis spoke hastily. ¡°Yes. The lead actress who appeared in today¡¯s performance. I have a meeting with her. You want to go?¡± ¡°I want to go!¡± As the mansion got closer, his tone got faster and faster. ¡°Why don¡¯t you dress up as a man if you¡¯re bothered? There is a limit to playing outside in a skirt. You should tie your hair up and dress up as a man because you will also care about other people¡¯s eyes.¡± The carriage stopped. Yvonne opened her eyes and pursed her lips. At this, Paradis had lost his relaxed appearance and showed a slightly impatient look. He answered Yvonne after she got off her carriage. ¡°Okay. It was nice to meet you, Nini. From this day forward, I will nickname you Nini, because you are courageous and hot-tempered.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Thank you so much for today. Nice to meet you, Paradis.¡± Only then did the Paradis smile. Then Paradis went and disappeared along with the wagon. Yvonne stood there for a long time before moving away. She looked at the carriage. Yvonne doesn¡¯t have a personality, so Paradis is the opposite of her. For her it felt like a miracle to meet Paradis. It was like a present from Diana. Yvonne felt her heart pounding and entered the mansion. She knew that she would be able to sleep without crying tonight. *** On the day he promised, Paradis arrived to pick up Yvonne. Yvonne transformed herself into a guy. She waited for Paradis with her long hair tied up and dark clothes on. Because she had a beautiful line, it would have been evident that she was a woman, but Yvonne had carefully prepared it and hidden all the feminine aspects. A heavy leather vest covered the chest, and a handkerchief was tied around the neck without Adam¡¯s apple to hide it. Yvonne stands out in her high-heeled boots. ¡°Youlook nice.¡± He confesses that he is thinking about playing with her. Paradis was embarrassed about it. As a result, Yvonne gives a modest smile. And it was noticed by Paradis. An hour later, Yvonne had obtained the actress¡¯ autograph and jumped and clung on Paradis. ¡°She called me a pretty young master!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the real young master, what the hell is she saying?¡± Paradis who didn¡¯t get an autograph is sulking. She stuck out her tongue. Yvonne smiles brightly as she places the autograph in her bag. When Paradis saw her smile, he frowned his brows. Paradis was well aware of it. Yvonne was a great kid to hang out with. ¡°She probably thought you¡¯re getting her autograph for your girlfriend. Look at the paper.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a boy right now but the autograph is for Yvonne Moore.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Yvonne¡¯s cheeks became flushed. Paradis laughed and chuckled, and Yvonne seemed to like it. Then Paradis slipped. There is no way that Paradis will fall for a clumsy step. Yvonne wrapped his shoulder and asked, bothering him, ¡°So, I¡¯m a young master who got autographs instead of his ¡°GIRLFRIEND¡±.¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Of course you should but I think we have to be careful now.¡± ¡°Be careful? What do you mean be careful? There¡¯s more to be careful about?¡± ¡°Well. I just didn¡¯t want to make you feel like a woman because you loved dressing up as a man.¡± It was quite free and nice to pretend to be a man, Yvonne thought. The Heiress, the last descendant of the Moore family, friend of the greedy Yvonne. She felt a sense of liberation just from being absurd. She didn¡¯t like that she was an heir. In the first place, she didn¡¯t want to receive inheritance. She wanted to get pocket money from her parents but she never wanted to be alone and have a lot of wealth. Maybe that¡¯s why she¡¯s wearing pants and acting like she¡¯s not Yvonne. It was easier and more enjoyable than she thought. A memory suddenly flushed to her. ¡°It¡¯s Franz Bernicke.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My name. My name when I dress up as a man will be Franz Bernicke.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°The Adventure of Franz Bernicke is a fairy tale. The nickname given to me when I was a child is Franz so I thought that name would be appropriate. So from today on, I¡¯m also Franz. Okay? Nice to meet you, Paradis.¡± Yvonne smiled brightly at Franz¡¯s birth. With that spotless smile, Paradis couldn¡¯t say that she looked like a woman even if she dressed up as a man. So, he answered. ¡°Okay. Nice to meet you, Franz.¡± Chapter 4 Seven years have passed since Yvonne and Paradis first met. Kiryan Hishleger listened to his subordinate, Eric¡¯s, report while he prepared for his departure. They gathered people called ¡°Franz¡± who were in Furtra and its vicinity. ¡°I looked for a couple of people, but no one had the description you mentioned.¡± Eric went through the personal details on the document once again. Bright-blonde, blue-gray round eyes, pearl-colored skin, and a roaring voice. The person in the document is ten years old. It¡¯s a boy. It¡¯s been eleven years already, and the boy¡¯s blonde hair might have darkened, and turned dirty blonde or brown. It couldn¡¯t be ruled out that the skin was clean, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the voice didn¡¯t match the appearance. His clues we¡¯re only the names without surnames, age, and some simple descriptions. Only righteousness was everything. Still, Eric, as he has been doing for the past few years, is a professional. ¡®I had to find the boy named ¡°Franz¡±, who must have been a young man now. The orders of Duke Kiryan Hishleger need to be done because he is scary when he is mad.¡¯ he thought to himself. Kiryan Hishleger. He was the ¡°King of the Night¡± ruled Furtra, the world¡¯s worst crime city, and the nephew of the country¡¯s emperor. He was a powerful man with the title of Duke. Of course, only a few people know that he is the real owner of Furtra. Externally, the king of Furtra was known as the Emperor. ¡°However, in the capital, there was a guy with a similar description.¡± ¡°In the capital?¡± Kiryan, who was wearing cufflinks, turned to Eric like a golden beast. Eric shivered. ¡°Yes. One of the members of the Aliosa Theater. The age is unknown, but the description was similar.¡± Eric laid on the table the portraits that were secretly painted by the street peddlers. It was difficult to recognize precisely because it was drawn quickly with black charcoal, but Kiryan¡¯s gaze stayed on the portraits for a long time. Especially around the eyes with the bright smile. ¡°Blonde and blue eyes were confirmed. It is said that he is quite small for a man.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been small since he was young so there¡¯s a possibility it¡¯s him. I¡¯ll go there after visiting the imperial palace.¡± ¡°Understood. I will mark his location.¡± Kiryan thinks that he may be able to reunite with Franz this time, and prepares to go to the Imperial Palace. *** ¡°The rose garden is open?¡± Yvonne, who visited the Imperial Library after a long time, widened her eyes when she heard the news from the librarian. Yvonne, the greedy woman who spread rumors in the silver capital, was nowhere to be seen. In fact, she is so clear and beautiful that anyone who meets Yvonne Moore will know that the rumors are just rumors. She was a determined person. ¡°Oh my gosh. That¡¯s great news! I¡¯m going to take a look at lunchtime later.¡± ¡°Yvonne, please go quickly.¡± ¡°I would. Thank you for letting me know.¡± ¡°Oh! and please be careful not to wander in the garden of the Empress.¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Yvonne grabbed her borrowed books. She shoved the cards loosely between the books then she headed to the Rose garden. It was one of the things Yvonne looked forward to every year, to see the imperial gardens, which are open seasonally. The imperial gardens are said to be the most beautiful in all of the empire. Couples usually flock the garden but Yvonne was always alone. She didn¡¯t mean it. This is because she was not very interested in love, and was naive enough to be satisfied with seeing flowers in full bloom in spring. ¡°I should also plant a white roses in my mansion.¡± Yvonne thought, while tapping the petals of a white rose When her parents were alive and lived in the rural area of M¨¹nster, the Moore mansion had many flowering trees. Her mother and Diana loved spring. It¡¯s a pity that they all left in the spring they love, but when the season of blooming comes, she can feel the tender love welling up with memories of the time she spent with her family. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Paradis to come with me before the flowers bloom.¡± For the past seven years, Paradis has been Yvonne¡¯s one and only best friend. They know what the other is thinking just by looking into each other¡¯s eyes. As she wandered through the garden, she did not realize that she had unwittingly wandered into the Empress¡¯s garden. ¡°Huh?¡± Wild flowers are also blooming in the Imperial Palace. Yvonne went to see the little nameless flowers under the tree. ¡®Maybe the gardener didn¡¯t clean it up.¡¯ She bowed down. Then, over the bushes, with the sound of footsteps, and a proud neck, a sound was heard. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the half-royal blood flowing through your body, you would never have been able to enter my garden.¡± Yvonne shranked at the sharp, cold voice. ¡°I do not believe in the loyalty of the Lord. An illegitimate child who was rolling on the floor has earned such a prestigious title.¡± ¡®What should I do?¡¯ ¡°I admit. They were loyal to wealth and honor, not to your half-blood.¡± A very low, resonant voice sounded like the sound of a beast. Even without looking at his face, it was clear what the man looked like. Yvonne held her breath. Her senses were correct. For a man, he had the ability to bite the opponent¡¯s neck right away. He warns with an inward laugh at the Empress¡¯s attitude, with her chin held up in fright. ¡°Did Your Majesty recognize you as his nephew, just because you were the son of the deceased Archduke Hishleger. How dare him give the status of the imperial family to an illegitimate child who inherited the blood of a lowly prostitute.¡± The man¡¯s eyes twitched but he did not show agitation. The bright gold eyes that look just like the sun has been hidden between his black pupils. Without this ability, the duke would still be at the bottom. ¡°This is true but I also have a sense of pride.¡± The man¡¯s golden eyes flashed viciously. It was the detachment peculiar to those who had experienced all the filthiness of the world. It was dark and it was dangerous and had a dizzying color. The man raised the corners of his lips. The Empress¡¯s eyes were trembling. Even if the man was still, his presence was enormous. With a sharp force, the Empress unknowingly grabbed the hem of her skirt. Because of this, the man smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for families to fight like this.¡± Just in time, a maid came and whispered to the Empress. Another Ginger murder case in the capital has occurred. ¡°That was all?¡± The Empress turned white and disappeared, leaving the man alone. ¡°There was a rat.¡± The man said suddenly. The man strode forward in the bush where Yvonne was hiding. Yvonne came forward and stood there white and helpless, patting the back of her dress. The man snorted at the sight. He picked up the books that Yvonne had dropped on the floor. Loan cards came fluttering down that were stuck between the books. The man picks up the loan card and looks at the name written on it and read¡­ ¡°Yvonne Moore.¡± Yvonne sighed and swallowed her breath. She was so white that her complexion couldn¡¯t be paler. ¡°Moore¡­ Yvonne Moore¡­¡± ¡°Si-Sir¡­¡± She felt like she was going to die of suffocation. No, she¡¯s scared and not sure what to do. She was numb. She can only think of Paradis. Undoubtedly, the man in front of him was Kiryan Hishleger, the villain of ¡°The End of Abyss¡±, who was responsible for destroying this world. He was also the one who killed Yvonne Moore in the original novel world that Diana told. ¡°You know me¡­ No, you have no choice but to know.¡± ¡°The Emperor¡¯s nephew, son of Archduke Hishleger¡±. There is only one person in the Empire who fits these words. Yvonne shook her head violently at the appearance of the villain she had not cared about since she was fourteen. Her tears rolled around the tip of her nose. The time has come. Kiryan didn¡¯t care about Yvonne¡¯s reaction. There are few who do not feel fear in front of him. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop.¡± Yvonne struggled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Although Kiryan maintained his calm old attitude and tone, Kiryan was very angry to the top of his head. If they¡¯re not in the imperial palace but a back alley or his house, he would have killed Yvonne Moore right away. The Empress left and insulted him for being the son of a prostitute. He¡¯s pride was hurt by the words that didn¡¯t make sense and he was caught by an unknown person. Kiryan felt terrible shame and aimed his hatred towards Yvonne. ¡°Did you come here through the rose garden?¡± ¡°I got lost¡­¡± Yvonne answered, her mind running. ¡°For something like that, you¡¯re just casually eavesdropping.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Hic! Yvonne, who was sobbing, got startled and hiccuped. According to Diana¡¯s diary, Kiryan Hishleger, the original villain, was proud of himself and had a very short temper. Selena didn¡¯t fall for his second courtship and instead chose his cousin the Crown Prince. And when he wasn¡¯t chosen, he killed the Crown Prince and built up his pride. For Yvonne, who is not a person with strong self-esteem, that part was impressive. So she remembered the part, even though it had been a while since she had read the diary. ¡°Paradis¡­help me¡­¡± Paradis was Yvonne¡¯s only family in a world without Diana. Every day they quarreled, but he was like Yvonne¡¯s twin brother. So, in difficult moments, Paradis came to her mind first. ¡°Oh, what I heard today is something I haven¡¯t heard forever!¡± as Kiryan¡¯s eyebrows narrowed, Yvonne¡¯s voice became more silent. Kiryan thought that he would pretend he didn¡¯t hear Yvonne¡¯s wails, but his pride was hurt. Of course, he¡¯ll get more and more furious if he just goes around and kills Yvonne in the most painful way. And so, he¡¯s now talking to her. Chapter 5 Returning to the mansion as if running away, Yvonne literally got sick. This is because she was too weak to handle the existence of Kiryan Hishleger. The sudden appearance and existence of the original character. The original villain. Unfortunately, the fact that the villain kept peeking at her despite hiding her face made Yvonne shiver. ¡®I bothered him.¡¯ Yvonne¡¯s maid, Beth, asked her in a worried voice. Yvonne looked at her. ¡°Miss Yvonne, what¡¯s the matter? Did you fight with young master Paradis?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± answered Yvonne. ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Yvonne sighed. If she told her maid she met the original villain she wouldn¡¯t believe it. Kiryan Hishleger is one of the few in the royal family that possesses a special ability. ¡°Even if you make a mistake, you can still apologize.¡± Beth chided. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Apparently, one of you made a terrible joke and hurt the other¡¯s feelings, so you fought again. Anyway, you¡¯re like a child even though you¡¯re over 20.¡± Beth kept on. Not wanting to hear Beth¡¯s nagging, Yvonne pretended to sleep with her blanket all over her head. Beth clicked her tongue and left the room. ¡®Diana. The day when the novel starts is already approaching.¡¯ Yvonne Moore¡¯s unfortunate fate had changed, but the world¡¯s impending doom remained uncertain. If the world is to be destroyed by Kiryan Hishleger, she must assist Selena Waltz, but she may be killed in the process. ¡®I had to come up with ways not to approach Kiryan Hishleger. If I think backwards, I just have to sabotage the connection between Selena Waltz and the male protagonist.¡¯ Yvonne thought. However, the male protagonist was the Crown Prince. ¡®Me interfering with the Crown Prince¡¯s love affair? Nonsense.¡¯ ¡°In the end, Selena and the Crown Prince won¡¯t be able to meet.¡± she kept muttering. Yvonne¡¯s head hurts. ¡®I didn¡¯t even know what Selena looked like, so I had to find her.¡¯ Of course, she knows the rough appearance of Selena Waltz, the female protagonist. She¡¯s tall, red haired and has a cheerful impression. However, it is not easy to find someone just by that. Yvonne, exasperated by the thought, didn¡¯t hear that someone came to her room. ¡°¡­ne! Yvonne!¡± a man¡¯s voice called. While she was deep in thought, someone came to her room. The man came in and took the blanket that was covering her. ¡°Aahh!¡± Yvonne shouted. The man frowned and cupped his ears to shield himself from Yvonne¡¯s scream. ¡°Why are you so surprised? People might think I hurt you.¡± the man teasingly said. ¡°Paradis?¡± Yvonne was so startled that she wasn¡¯t able to recognize him right away. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Paradis smiled at her. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Yvonne said while still recovering from the shock of Paradis¡¯s sudden arrival. When asked, Paradis tilted his head with a face that saw something strange and gave her a finger flick on her forehead. ¡°Ouch! It hurts!¡± ¡°Do I have to get permission to go to your house?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± Yvonne said while rubbing her forehead. ¡°Beth said you were sick, what¡¯s wrong with you? Body aches?¡± asked Paradis. ¡°No, I¡¯m okay.¡± Yvonne reassured him. ¡°Don¡¯t lie. You look dead and this alcohol bottle?¡± Paradis asked while looking at the bottle. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink yesterday.¡± Yvonne retorted. ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± ¡°Nini, my Nini.¡± Paradis said while ruffling her hair. He sat beside her on the edge of the bed. Paradis looked at Yvonne as if looking at his younger brother. In fact, she was two years younger than him. It was the unique arrogance, overflowing confidence and full self-esteem that made Yvonne be aloof no matter what problems she has. ¡°You¡¯re really bad at lying. Tell me the truth.¡± Paradis nudges Yvonne. ¡°If I suddenly said that this world is inside a romance novel, would you believe me?¡± she started saying. ¡°No matter how much you trust your opponent, if you say such a strange thing, they will think you are making fun of them or be mistaken for being crazy.¡± Yvonne closed her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± she agreed. When she appeared to have no intention of talking, Paradis stared at her. Paradis¡¯s dark green eyes seemed to dismantle everything and analyze her thoroughly. When the light yet tremendous power reached her, Yvonne felt relieved that Paradis was on her side. Unlike her, who is weak, he radiated strength. Yvonne exhaled a long shaky breath. ¡°This is a secret between us. Promise me you won¡¯t speak a word of it to anybody.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± Paradis promised. ¡°It¡¯s not that serious.¡± Yvonne said as if trying to escape his intense gaze. ¡°You think I won¡¯t believe it.¡± Paradis sounded hurt making Yvonne quiver. Because lies exist between them, the two of them need to be careful with their words but then again they are close to the point of being siblings. At the same time, the two knew nothing about each other. The past seven years seem to pass them by like an hour. It¡¯s enough for the two to be reborn as soulmates. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not forcing you to talk. It¡¯s not right.¡± Paradis removed his gaze at her. ¡°Sorry.¡± she said. ¡°No need to apologize. But Nini, you have to keep this in mind.¡± he looked at her again. His low voice sounded like a boy somewhere. Yvonne thought that Paradis is really pure-hearted. When it comes to topics about life, he¡¯s more mature than anyone else. She truly loved Paradis. Not as a man, but as a human being. ¡°I will believe in you no matter what.¡± he stated it as if it¡¯s a matter-of-fact. ¡°¡­You¡¯re so sly. If you say that, I can¡¯t stand it without saying it.¡± Yvonne smiled. ¡°What can I do? You¡¯re too soft-hearted.¡± Paradis playfully smiled at her too. ¡®This is complicated. This was a story I hadn¡¯t told anyone yet, but it wasn¡¯t technically a secret.¡¯ Yvonne thought to herself. ¡°You¡¯ll think I¡¯m crazy.¡± she told Paradis. ¡°And I¡¯m Tenan¡¯s crazy playwright.¡± ¡°For the first time, your faith will be shaken.¡± Yvonne is still trying to buy her way out of the conversation. ¡°My faith is that there¡¯s no God in hell the moment I met you.¡± Paradis said keeping her from changing the topic. ¡°¡­wait.¡± she has given up from trying to divert his attention. Yvonne got up from her bed and fetched an old diary from the drawer. ¡°If it¡¯s hard to say, don¡¯t say it.¡± Paradis said, considering Yvonne¡¯s expression. She glanced at Paradis. The things intertwined between them were never weak. The seven-year friendship they shared was dense, thick, and tight. Yvonne said in a solemn manner after taking a deep breath, ¡°This is Diana¡¯s diary before she died. Truth is, this diary contains things about the future.¡± she started. ¡°Are you saying she was a seer?¡± Paradis asked. ¡°No. Diana says this ¡°world¡± is a fiction.¡± Her heart fluttered when Paradis furrowed his brows. Thinking that he might say she was crazy and push her away, it would be painful as if the world would collapse. So she quickly said it as if she were making excuses. ¡°Diana remembered her past life. The last novel she read before she died was about this world where we live. And she wants me to support the heroine of this world. To be a supporting role.¡± ¡°Keep talking.¡± Paradis urged her. ¡°After my parents died and Diana left me, I became an orphan. My aunt covets the inherited property I inherited, and forces me to marry their son, and monopolizes the property. And I was kicked out of my unhappy marriage and continued my miserable life.¡± She goes on citing what was written in the diary. Paradis clenched his fist making a crumple on the bed sheet. A thick tendon had sprung up on the back of his hand. Yvonne could not look at him. ¡°While dying like that, I was picked up by the female protagonist and became her maid. I was loyal to her and died instead because of the villain who tried to kill her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a novel. The ending of Diana¡¯s novel.¡± Paradis said not sure what to feel from what he¡¯s hearing. ¡°That¡¯s right. Because Diana kept the story from flowing into the plot. I can¡¯t believe it completely either because I couldn¡¯t confirm that the future was going the same way. I have to live a miserable life to prove Diana¡¯s words. But what¡¯s clear is that it went to a similar conclusion.¡± ¡°Then why did you start to grumble over this?¡± ¡°I ran into someone who she said was the villain. He was scarier in real life.¡± Just thinking of the memory of their encounter made Yvonne shiver. ¡°Who is he?¡± he said grimly. Yvonne was scared of Paradis¡¯s dark expression. She hesitated to answer and opened her mouth with a sad look. ¡°Kiryan Hishleger.¡± ¡°The Duke of Hishleger? That illegitimate child?¡± Paradis lost his composure. Yvonne, surprised by the word illegitimate, said nothing in return. ¡°You can¡¯t call him an illegitimate child even though it¡¯s just the two of us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you don¡¯t know what kind of person he is. That guy¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s move on. Let¡¯s go to work.¡± ¡°Can I see the captain?¡± she asked Paradis. ¡°Yes.¡± As soon as she was about to get the diary, the window broke and a sharp rupture filled the room. Paradis quickly hugged Yvonne and rolled under the bed. An arrow was embedded in the place where Yvonne was seated earlier. Paradis pushed Yvonne who was still under the bed and was surprised about the commotion. ¡°Don¡¯t come out until I tell you to.¡± he whispered. Tapping the tip of Yvonne¡¯s nose, he stood up without hesitation and meet the assassins. Yvonne closed her eyes under the bed, so there was no way to know how things were going. She felt relieved that Paradis was with her but she became concerned at the scream of a stranger and the smell of blood. ¡°Paradis¡­ Paradis.¡± she continued muttering. He was the only successor to the historic Marquis Laurent family and was one of the people with only four talents in the country. Even after the scream stopped, Paradis did not say to come out. He stacked the dead body in one corner and sent a man to the marquis to give several orders and looked under the bed. ¡°Yvonne. Did you close your eyes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then keep your eyes closed and stay still. I¡¯m going to take you out and move you to another room. Don¡¯t be surprised. Close your eyes tightly. Got it?¡± he instructed her. ¡°Okay.¡± she answered in a shaky voice. After a while, Paradis reached out to her under the bed. She took his hand and hugged it. They came out into the hallway and moved to another room, Paradis still grumbling with rage for what happened while still calming Yvonne, who¡¯s scared. ¡°Move to another room. It was hard to get into your room through the balcony. It doesn¡¯t get much sunlight and it¡¯s small. Do you just want to move house? Come to our house.¡± Paradis suggested it to Yvonne when she finally calmed down. ¡°¡­That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Yvonne said. Her heart was beating so fast but with Paradis by her side, her heart has found its peace. While patting her hand as usual, Paradis laid Yvonne on the bed in the guest room. Yvonne finally opened her eyes and Paradis showed his hands to her. It doesn¡¯t have any blood but there¡¯s blood splattered on his clothes. Yvonne isn¡¯t scared of blood, but it¡¯s on his clothes. She didn¡¯t want to remind herself of the attack through blood. ¡°Okay, close your eyes and listen to me. There¡¯s an assassin in your house, Ni. The military is aiming for you. Did you know anyone there?¡± he slowly said to her, making sure she understood him. ¡°No. There¡¯s no one I know in the capital. But it¡¯s possible that my aunt¡¯s family did that.¡± Yvonne said while calming her nerves. ¡°What¡¯s their last name?¡± Paradis pressed on. ¡°They¡¯re not so bad that they¡¯re like this.¡± Yvonne still hasn¡¯t gathered her thoughts as to who wants her killed. ¡°We¡¯ll find out if we do a background check. Let¡¯s stay together at my house for a while. I¡¯ll tell Beth to pack up, so just take a nap.¡± Paradis ordered her. ¡°But Paradis I¡¯m the owner of this house¡­¡± said Yvonne, trying to sound unshaken with the event. ¡°You;re a victim of attempted murder as the owner of this house. So, listen to me. If you can¡¯t sleep, just close your eyes. No. I¡¯ll ask Beth to bring the sedative first. I think it¡¯s better to eat first then sleep. I¡¯ll make a statement of the suspect to the security. Grandpa and I will take care of it. Take a rest.¡± Paradis doesn¡¯t take a no for an answer this time. Even if he ran like a fool in the back alley every day, he was the successor of Marquis Laurent and possessed the qualities of a high-ranking aristocrat. He was a lot more experienced regarding this matter than Yvonne who doesn¡¯t know the world. He knew better. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Yvonne finally agreed to his suggestion. ¡°If you¡¯re grateful then calm down quickly.¡± Paradis kissed her forehead lightly. This much was the usual skinship between the two. It¡¯s not because he is a master or a close friend. It¡¯s a sign of affection that shows deep love as a person. It was a red string of fate. ¡°Your hands are still shaking a lot.¡± Paradis held her hands because it still doesn¡¯t stop from shaking. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay soon.¡± Yvonne squeezed back. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Yvonne flashed a nervous smile to Paradis and he took it as cue to leave the room. ¡°Find out who sent them here. Search every nook and cranny to gather information about them. We¡¯ll hunt them down.¡± Paradis told his servants. His commanding voice was colder than ever. The butler of the Marquis Laurent who came to dispose of the body, looked calm as if he had been in that situation often. He was Paradis Laurent. Laurent, who swept the war with this power and became the hero of the country. The last remaining successor. Chapter 6 After Paradis confirmed that Yvonne was asleep, he went back to his room. He took a quick shower and brushed his wet hair. He took out the diary of Yvonne¡¯s sister that he hid when they got out of her house. The moment he was attacked, he wasn¡¯t able to return it to Yvonne and just shoved the diary into his arms. His hair was wavy with characteristically curly hair. He roughly brushed his hair, then pulled Diana¡¯s diary from his robe. Yvonne had no intention to keep the diary, and he had the spirit to give it back, but he was curious. Paradis trusted Yvonne. He would accept anything even if she said the sun rose in the west this morning or a miracle happened today. But Diana didn¡¯t even trust her sister. The naive Yvonne may believe her sister, but Paradis is not as naive as she thinks. ¡°A prophet or a sick person.¡± he muttered to himself. He turned on the lamp and looked at the diary. He quickly read the diary from the front. The start was light. After an accident while living in a different world, she said that she was a child when she woke up. She only realized it after Yvonne was born. That this place was the last romance novel she was reading before she died. According to the novel, she was due to die at a young age, and she struggled to change her future. Unfortunately, she could not prevent her illness from coming and she failed to prevent the wagon accident which killed their parents. ¡°You¡¯re too cruel to Yvonne.¡± Paradis frowned and flipped through the diary. It doesn¡¯t matter who¡¯s dating who. As long as Yvonne¡¯s misfortune had nothing to do with the novel, it was out of his interest. He opened it up and read it again from the second half. ¡°735 years. The spring of the year when the original work began.¡± he continued to read. ¡°In winter, the empire¡¯s grain prices are rising due to the burning of the grain ships coming to¡­ It also the start of a series of red-haired murders.¡± Searching the diary, it turns out that the red-haired serial murder case is the story of the Crown Prince solving the case, earning the trust of the imperial people, and confirming his love with the heroine. It was a gimmick. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit.¡± he cussed. He roughly threw out the diary. ¡®Grain transport ships have been specially designed to be resistant to fire, so they have been safe from fire for the past 20 years. Also, it¡¯s a serial killer. That¡¯s nonsense.¡¯ he thought. Paradis lay flat on the bed, pressing his throbbing temple. The future, the diary, and if Yvonne is right, he doesn¡¯t know. What matters now is who tried to kill her and why. ¡®Are you targeting Yvonne because of me? But we do not know each other outside.¡¯ he kept on. Even if they knew each other, Laurent Paradis dared to join the empire. ¡®Where is the guy who wants to hurt Yvonne?cNot the imperial family.¡¯ Paradis is still deep in thought. The imperial family wishes for an amicable relationship with Marquis Laurent as the two families¡¯ superpowers were on par. Also, his grandfather was a war hero who supported the country. ¡°Kiryan Hishleger?¡± he asked himself. He has no connection with him. Eventually, Paradis stopped guessing further, and just stared at the silk wallpaper that is attached on the wall beside the bed and beyond this wall, Yvonne was asleep. ¡®Yvonne. If you¡¯re wrong I¡­¡¯ Paradis¡¯s mind went in circles. Yvonne was special. She understands him as much as he does. She understood how he thinks. She was the only person who instinctively knew with her eyes alone, even if he didn¡¯t explain in words. She loved the things he loved, and he is the same with her too. She respected the things he wanted to be respected. She didn¡¯t think that the screenplay he was writing was an unusual hobby of an aristocratic young man. She knew how much he loved the play and how fascinated he was with the story. He only speaks about the play to her. That¡¯s why she was a friend before she was of the opposite sex and before anything else, she was his soul mate. Because she is Yvonne Moore. *** ¡°Young master.¡± his butler quietly woke him up. Paradis yawned and went out of his room. It was already dawn. As he was walking in the hallway. ¡°If you want to be lazy, you can do it, but I¡¯m sorry.¡± his butler said. Unfortunately, he was a very diligent person. When the moon sets over the horizon and dawn comes he is already awake, working. Every now and then, he would get up and read a book or train his body. Even if he came back from drinking alcohol while running around in the back alleys he still couldn¡¯t shake his routine. Laurent was Laurent. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake, young master.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I slept so late yesterday but I woke up when the time was right.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t believe how the young master acted differently last time thanks to Miss Yvonne.¡± his butler teased him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t go away.¡± he shrugged at his butler¡¯s taunt. ¡°Please, forget about it. At that time, I was a little bit excited, that¡¯s all.¡± he added. The butler let it go. ¡°Young master, please come down at mealtime today and have breakfast. Aren¡¯t you worried about skipping every day?¡± he asked instead. His expression was full of worry. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Paradis quickly answered. ¡°Oh yeah. Yvonne knows our breakfast is early, right? She must have been very surprised yesterday, so prepare something light and then give it to me.¡± he added. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry.¡± his butler assured him. ¡°And I think you should give it to me.¡± Paradis reaches for the newspaper on the butler¡¯s hand. ¡°Yesterday¡¯s event was not published.¡± the butler said while handing the newspaper. ¡°A gangster broke into the house of an heiress, who lives alone.¡± the headline says. ¡°And if I say that Laurent¡¯s successor was there at that time, how much more will the media chew and rip it off? Not because of Miss Yvonne.¡± the butler gruntled. Mumbling anxiously, Paradis handed back the newspaper to the butler. Yvonne heard everything in the press at the young age of 14. Since she has no family to protect her, they misunderstood everything about her. It¡¯s okay to tell Yvonne¡¯s acquaintances, but Yvonne is exposed to the media for good or bad that is why Paradis was reluctant to do so. ¡°I¡¯m worried because you¡¯re too soft on her.¡± his butler reminded him. ¡°It¡¯s okay because I¡¯m already tainted. I just have to fill in what she lacks.¡± Paradis, who replied bluntly, went outside and skimmed through the newspaper stands as he walked down the street. Fortunately, yesterday seemed to be completely buried. Then his footsteps stopped in the middle of the hallway. ¡°This¡­what?¡± A look of surprise spread across Paradis¡¯s face. He grabbed the newspaper he saw on the road, quickly turned and headed to Yvonne¡¯s house. His footsteps got faster and faster, almost jumping. Upon returning to the room, he opened Diana¡¯s diary then he took turns checking the newspaper and the diary. ¡°The murder case of Lady Ginger¡­burnt grain line¡­¡± he muttered. The newspaper carried the incident Diana was talking about. It was too dreadful for a coincidence. He compared the journal to the newspaper again with a pale complexion. It was the same no matter how many times he compared it. After some time passed, he quickly admitted without any further doubts. Whether this was a fictional world or Diana was a visionary prophet, she foretold the future. Paradis sat down helplessly and shut his eyes. He let out a short sigh. He opened Diana¡¯s diary again. Then, from beginning to end, he read through it thoroughly without missing a single word. It was as if the criminal who tried to kill Yvonne had written everything on it. *** ¡°Hmmm.¡± Paradis pinched Yvonne¡¯s exposed ankle. Yvonne, waking up from her sleep, screamed in surprise to find Paradis sitting cross-legged by the bed. ¡°Ouch! Paradis, what is it? You surprised me!¡± Yvonne shouted at him. Paradis told Yvonne, who almost fell out of bed, the things he thought about what Yvonne said to him yesterday and he said without even giving her a second. ¡°First, Selena Waltz can¡¯t work in the Imperial Palace at all. It certainly twists the future. Next, we¡¯ll mess up her relationship with the Crown Prince and so they¡¯ll hate each other. Lastly, let us absolutely make sure that Kiryan Hschlegger toss Selena Waltz.¡± he said with conviction. ¡°What a terrible thing to say. Wait a minute, I woke up¡­ What is it?¡± Yvonne, still puzzled by the sudden instructions Paradis was saying. ¡°It¡¯s going as written in your sister¡¯s diary. So there¡¯s nothing wrong with being careful, right?¡± Paradis said. ¡°So how many times?¡± Yvonne asked. ¡°Only once.¡± She nodded. ¡°Great. Drop Selena Waltz from the Imperial Palace Examination. I¡¯ll put my hand on it to help you.¡± Paradis continued with his plan. ¡°Do you believe what I said?¡± ¡°I always believed you. Come on.¡± He shuffled Yvonne¡¯s frizzy blonde hair. His long, thick knuckles gently stroked her hair. Yvonne is used to his touch. Paradis believed her. ¡°The future has already changed. What we have to watch out for is that the illegitimate child destroys the world, not your unhappy future.¡± Paradis said. ¡°Stop making it so sad.¡± she grumbled. ¡°Yes, it is. But I feel uncomfortable because I feel like I am shaking someone¡¯s fate at will.¡± Paradis continued to stroke her hair while saying it. ¡°It¡¯s about changing the future that ends with a sad ending, so why are you worrying? Get up and wash now. We have to go to the theater.¡± he patted her and got up too. Yvonne didn¡¯t take long to wash off and was ready to go to the theater. With her long hair tied and wearing a baggy shirt and trousers, she looks like one of the three musketeers that was popular two hundred years ago. ¡°Phew. If I was just a little bit taller, all the women in the capital would be captivated by me.¡± Yvonne said while looking proud at her disguise. ¡°We¡¯re just going to wander around and yeah, you¡¯re still small.¡± Paradis snorted. ¡°168 cm is not small.¡± Yvonne retorted. ¡°It was small compared to men. If it¡¯s not for those boots that hide your heels, you would have been the real ¡°Little Bastard Franz¡±. Paradis continued to annoy her. Yvonne rolled her eyes on Paradis but the man didn¡¯t mind it. He shouted and chuckled. ¡°Little boy Franz!¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Yvonne scolded him. ¡°Okay. Okay. Franz with a little chili.¡± Paradis is still teasing her. ¡°OOF!¡±said Paradis as Yvonne rushed to pinch him, Paradis giggled and rushed towards the alley. They continued to run until they reached the theater. Paradis, who kept on teasing Yvonne halfway through, pinched her cheek that left bare traces. He put his arm on Yvonne¡¯s still bruised shoulder then he opened the backdoor. As she was about to enter the waiting room, he grabbed her again and pulled her backwards. The atmosphere in the waiting room was awful. Paradis¡¯s droopy eyes narrowed as he sensed the power emanating from the room. ¡°What?¡± Yvonne asked him. ¡°Ah, here you are, Franz Bernicke.¡± Inside, it was full of men with thick flesh and thicker muscles. Anyone can see that their kind flocked in the back alley. Yvonne¡¯s face turned white at the appearance of these guys. ¡°Hey Boss, won¡¯t you get caught for it?¡± asked one of the men. Yvonne instinctively stepped back. Her hand that Paradis was holding behind him wriggled lightly. It was astonishing. They darted back on the alley. ¡°Catch the bastards!¡± a man shouted at the others and started to come at them. Yvonne as Franz would not normally get caught in this mess. They ran until they were out of breath. Paradis grabbed Yvonne¡¯s back whenever she stopped running and shrugged. The reason he didn¡¯t fight was simple. He only uses his powers during real battles. The thugs who chased them were not sent by Kiryan. They¡¯re the thugs who once had an argument with him at the bar, both in drunken states started a fight with him but he won. As soon as they arrived at the beach where the abandoned ship was located, they laid down on the sandy beach and burst out laughing for a long time. ¡°Hahahahaha! Hahahahaha!¡± Both of them laughed with tears in their eyes. ¡°When I ran over the fence in the alley, I saw their faces.¡± Paradis said while still laughing. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s the funniest expression I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Yvonne laughed at the memory of it. Yvonne also said that the sand makes her hair sticky like those of a dog¡¯s. They rolled on the sandy floor like children, and enjoyed the situation itself. ¡°Oh, but what if we meet again like this next time?¡± Yvonne jokingly asked. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± Paradis answered. ¡°You have to run again. What to do If you ever get caught¡­¡± Yvonne said, grasping for breath from laughing too much. ¡°Just say, you have a lot of money.¡± Paradis giggled. Saying so, he lifted her up and headed to the water. ¡°Oh, no! Yah! Paradis!¡± Yvonne shrieked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s all right!¡± Paradis grinning ear to ear while holding Yvonne. ¡°Ahh!¡± Yvonne shouted. Paradis threw her into the water without hesitation. Struggling and coming to her senses, she opened her eyes and tackled him. In the end, they both ended up near drowning and then went back to the theater. ¡°Oh come on.¡± Paradis urged on Yvonne. ¡°Today is the day of the final rehearsal for the new play. I couldn¡¯t miss it.¡± he continued. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Yvonne, still catching her breath from all the running they did that day is looking at Paradis grimly. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± He imitates her tone and opens the door but they were no thugs. Yvonne, no, Franz¡¯s complexion turns pale in an instant. Paradis pulls her away with a serious face. Kiryan Hishleger looked at Franz. It was like he could see through her disguise. Before Franz could even step back, Kiryan Hishleger already came over and hugged her tightly, and said to her. ¡°You grew up just like that, crybaby Franz.¡± Chapter 7 She looked like she was going to die of embarrassment. She couldn¡¯t understand how Kiryan knew about Franz and why he hugged her. Paradis¡¯s body was stiff due to fear and the only thing he could move was his blue-gray eyes. ¡°You, who are you?¡± he said to Kiryan who was still hugging Yvonne dressed as Franz. Paradis removed her from Kiryan¡¯s arms roughly which made her lose balance and stumbled and made her recline in his arms. ¡°I think it would be better to reveal your identity first.¡± Kiryan retorted to Paradis. ¡°Who are you?¡± his eyes fixed on his arm which still shielding Franz from him. ¡°The owner of this theater, Paradis Laurent.¡± Paradis proudly announced. ¡°Laurent? You must be the grandson of Marquis Laurent. I¡¯m Kiryan Hishleger and Franz¡¯s older brother.¡± he said irritatingly. ¡°Your brother?¡± Paradis, still puzzled by Kiryan¡¯s revelation, turned his head to look at Franz. How come Yvonne has a brother he didn¡¯t know about and most of all, how Kiryan Hishleger knows Franz Bernicke is what Paradis wanted to ask but cannot find the right words to do so. Yvonne shook her head at this, and she didn¡¯t even know. ¡°I-I, I don¡¯t know you!¡± she stuttered. ¡°That¡¯s not true. I expected our meeting to be like this, but it¡¯s still making me sad.¡± Kiryan said while looking at Franz with a longing expression. ¡°Sorry.¡± is the only word Yvonne muttered since she can¡¯t even understand what is happening and seeing the original villain in front of her which she wanted to avoid the most made her mind go blank. Kiryan approached Yvonne again, ignoring Paradis. Then, he gently patted her right cheek and drew his face close to Yvonne making her back away a bit. ¡°Look at me carefully. You might remember something.¡± Kiryan urged Yvonne, making her nervous. ¡°H-huh¡­ I don¡¯t really know you.¡± Yvonne is trying to not look at his face, especially his eyes for the fear of her being caught in disguise. Yvonne trembled and a small voice wanted to escape from her throat. ¡°You don¡¯t know, huh? Stop talking nonsense.¡± Kiryan is still not convinced with her answer. ¡°Laurent is gone. Franz, look at me.¡±Kiryan continued. He wanted ¡°Franz¡± to not be conscious of Paradis who is still protecting her and to continue searching her memories of him. ¡°No¡­ I¡­¡±, Yvonne still wanted to protest but if she said she could not remember she knew he would cut her head off there and then. Being stared at by those blazing eyes so bitterly, she just couldn¡¯t speak. What¡¯s more, Kiryan Hishleger killed Yvonne and was the villain that destroyed the world. He looked terribly handsome but he looked as dangerous as he was handsome. No matter how much it softened, it was basically unsettling from the taut, sharp eyes. In addition, Kiryan Hishleger exudes a dark and dreary atmosphere just like his original status as the head of a dark house. But the strange thing is that that face isn¡¯t very unfamiliar. It¡¯s obviously a strange face, but feels somehow familiar. ¡°I seem to remember¡­¡± Glancing at him, Yvonne felt a little dazed. ¡°I can¡¯t remember, but I think I saw it somewhere.¡± she admitted. Paradis¡¯s face darkened after hearing her. ¡°What do you remember?¡± he asked. ¡°N-no. Memory¡­Huh¡­¡± Yvonne struggled to find her memories of Kiryan, so she just stared at him. ¡®He told me to look at his face first, so this should be fine.¡¯ she thought. Black hair that was gracefully handed over, sparse skin, and pitiful, terrifying eyes. Long eyebrows and golden eyes revealed through the eyebrows. ¡°Golden eyes¡­ Golden¡­ ¡­ Eyes?¡± she thought out loud. ¡°No way¡­¡± she gasped. ¡°You must have remembered.¡± The corners of Kiryan¡¯s lips formed into a smile. Kiryan pulled away at last. ¡°Okay, enough. It seems that you¡¯ve forgotten so much and as an older brother, I feel sad.¡± he said as he put distance between them. ¡°Hey, Franz. What the hell? Please explain quickly.¡± Paradis¡¯s nervousness is already showing but his words could not reach Yvonne. Her mind was already wandering into the past long ago. *** It was Yvonne¡¯s tenth birthday. ¡°Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday, my dear Yvonne¡ª hey! Diana! Ahh!¡± Everyone was singing for Yvonne and it made her heart pounded at the thought of blowing the candle. But she was next to Diana, who was sitting on the couch clapping her hands, suddenly coughed and collapsed, vomiting blood. Red blood splashed on her white whipped cream cake. Mother and father screamed and jumped up. In the process, his father accidentally touched the table, spilling grape juice and soaking Yvonne¡¯s skirt. Yvonne¡¯s birthday cake has the blood of her sister splattered on it and her skirt was drenched with grape juice. She stared blankly at her skirt. She was afraid of the blood that Diana vomited. She was afraid of losing her. The scream came up to the tip of her lips, but she held it down because she feared that if she gave a surprised expression, her parents would have a harder time. ¡°Diana!¡± her father shrieked. ¡°Oh my gosh. Oh God.¡± her mother cried. Their parents took Diana up to the room. All that was left was a blood-splattered birthday cake and a lump on her throat. ¡°Miss Beth, I¡¯m going up to change clothes.¡± Yvonne squeaked. The maid, Beth, looked at her pitifully. Yvonne pursed her lips as her eyes made the sad situation even more sad. She hates being pitied. ¡°I¡¯ll go alone.¡± she muttered to Beth. Showing melancholy was miserable even in her young mind. She left Beth alone and went up to her room. As she walked through Diana¡¯s room, their parents stood close to Diana, comforting her and whispering that she was okay. ¡®It¡¯s my birthday today, is it that bad if I want to celebrate it with everyone?¡¯ Yvonne thought. Thinking about it makes Yvonne so sad she couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°I hate you¡­ I hate everyone¡­ ¡± she whimpered. Although she was concerned about Diana¡¯s health, she also wanted to celebrate her birthday merrily. She was upset that she couldn¡¯t even be greeted by her family. So Yvonne pulled out her cousin¡¯s trousers, put them on, and shoved a bag full of sweets and left their house. At a young age, she thought it was dangerous to wear women¡¯s clothes when going alone outside so she also tied her own hair. Sneaking through the back door with a bag full of biscuits leaving the house was her form of rebellion. ¡°No one will be worried without me.¡± She left the mansion on the hill and walked to the neighborhood below. She hoped that they would make a fuss after she disappeared. After walking for a long time while imagining receiving the love of her parents, her legs started to hurt. Then, the regret of not being able to properly congratulate her on her birthday faded. Young Yvonne is really a brat and because of that, she started whining quickly. ¡°Ouch, my leg hurts. Where am I?¡± she muttered to herself. Yvonne was heading to the south of M¨¹nster, where she lived at the time, on the northern border of the city of Furtra. Her neighborhood, where she lived, is located on the outskirts of the city and is a short walk away. Furtra was the worst city in the Kircheta Empire. A crime city of gambling, entertainment and slums wherein bad people swarmed. Yvonne arrived at the border between Furtra and Munster. It was a forest she saw when she was young, but she can¡¯t remember it perfectly so she didn¡¯t even know where to go. Without realizing it, she sat down on the floor and rubbed her tired legs. And there he met a boy. Dark skin that goes well with black hair and it was a boy with a wild atmosphere. Even though he was her age, his eyes were impressive. There was something in his eyes that looked like a grown adult, something that you couldn¡¯t normally see in a child. Something about it made Yvonne sad. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off those grown-up eyes. The boy¡¯s yellow eyes were both beautiful and painful, so she said hello without knowing. ¡°Hello.¡± Yvonne said. ¡°What are you¡­? Why are you here?¡± she got ignored. Then the boy started climbing a tall tree. ¡°Wow¡­ You are awesome¡­¡± she said awed with the boy¡¯s ability. ¡°What¡¯s your name? What are you doing here?¡± the boy curtly said. The boy sharpened his blade like a beast that invaded his territory. She couldn¡¯t really notice the boy¡¯s hostility, so she answered brightly. ¡°Me? I¡¯m Franz!¡± she chirped. When she wears pants and dresses up as a man, her family used to call her Franz instead of Yvonne. Since she was a child, she has been called by her first name Franz, so she prefers the name Franz than Yvonne. ¡°What is your name?¡± she asked back. She is still looking up to the boy on the tree unaware of the danger. ¡°Go away.¡± the boy said. ¡°Max? Or Luca? Pin?¡± She continued to say names without listening to his warning. ¡°I told you to go away.¡± he repeated a little bit louder this time. ¡°Huh¡­ Is this your forest?¡± she innocently asked while looking at her surroundings. ¡°What?¡± the boy was baffled. There was no malice in her. She just wanted to know if this forest is his property, but the boy didn¡¯t seem to take it that way. ¡°Is it your forest?¡± she asked again. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ Anyway, don¡¯t wander around here and go away!¡± he hissed at her. ¡°Then I will live here.¡± Yvonne set her bag down and sat as well. ¡°What?¡± The boy was so surprised to witness this kind of behavior among others. He was speechless. ¡°Hey. My leg hurts and I don¡¯t want to go home. Come down, please.¡± Yvonne pleaded. ¡°Come and eat sweets with me. I¡¯m hungry.¡± She continued to befriend the boy. She opened the bag and took out the cookie bag. She tore the paper bag and came the stuffed walnut cookies and almond cookies. The sweet smell made her feel good. ¡°Come on!¡± She called him again. She ate the sweets with powder all over her face. In fact, the boy was hungry so he climbed down the tree. ¡°Come quickly.¡± she said, offering him a cookie. The boy was still wary of her. So, from quite a distance from her, she looked at him with her sad blue eyes. His eyes were as sharp as a wildcat, but he noticed that she had hidden chocolate, not cookies and became angry. So he got up and snatched the food away from her. She also ran towards the boy and was able to catch him. He flinched a little, but raised his chin and rolled stiffly. ¡°Liar!¡± he shouted at Yvonne. ¡°What is this?¡± he continued to flail his arms to wiggle his way out of Yvonne¡¯s hold. ¡°Chocolate.¡± Yvonne answered while gasping for air. ¡°Chocolate?¡± he said. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s chocolate. Aren¡¯t we gonna stop this game of tag?¡± Yvonne said. ¡°I won¡¯t eat alone anymore.¡± she continued. The yellow gold eyes stared intently at her. Every time it caught the sunlight, it twinkled with golden light, and when she saw the color up close, she fell in love with the boy again. So she took out the pumpkin chocolate she had hidden in her pocket and forced it into the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Eat this too¡­¡± Yvonne offered. ¡°Well, what are you doing¡­¡± The boy accepted the pumpkin chocolate. Yvonne smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together!¡± Yvonne happily said to him. ¡°This¡­ ¡­ You mean chocolate?¡± the boy quizzically asked. ¡°Have you tried chocolate?¡± she asked while munching the chocolate. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be!¡± the boy said in an arrogant tone. Yvonne sat down in front of him and the boy looked at her with a dazed look, and then took a seat a step away from her. ¡°But do you live here?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± he answered quietly. ¡°Sorry.¡± she said thinking she might have asked something too personal. ¡°Why did you come all the way here? What did you come to the forest for?¡± It¡¯s his turn to ask questions. ¡°Yes? Me? Me, umm¡­¡± as she was thinking of what reason she could say to the boy without giving herself away, their eyes met. A delightful reply came from her, then she ate the pumpkin chocolate and that made her feel better. ¡°I guess I came to see you. Hehe.¡± she said while grinning. The boy¡¯s face seemed a little red. She must be mistaken. Thinking like that, she even forgot the chocolate. ¡°Can¡¯t I live here too? I don¡¯t want to go home.¡± she pouted. ¡°I want to live here too. I have a sister, her name is Diana and she is three years older than me but she is sick.¡± Yvonne started thinking about her family again. ¡°Diana fell sick while celebrating my birthday. It shouldn¡¯t be, but Diana suddenly collapsed today.¡± she looked so sad while telling him. ¡°Woah. It¡¯s my birthday today.¡± she remembered and she became more sad. She felt pathetic for herself to think like that, but if she didn¡¯t talk about it, she would feel upset and it would be unbearable. In the end of her ten-year-old life, the sadness that had been bottled up for a short time burst. ¡°I love Diana, but I hate her for being sick today. I also want to celebrate my birthday.¡± she cried. She sighed and wiped away her tears. ¡°What if Diana never got better?¡± she sniffed. ¡°That¡¯s not okay. I¡¯m so sorry, Diana.¡± she bawled her eyes out. When she cried out of nowhere, the boy seemed to be perplexed and became fidgety. ¡°Hey, hey! Don¡¯t cry!¡± The boy tried to comfort Yvonne to no avail. ¡°Dianaaaaa. I hate mom and dad! Waaaaaahhh!¡± she continued to cry. ¡°Hey, stop crying!¡± The boy doesn¡¯t know how to make her stop bawling. ¡°Hey, hey! If you stop crying, I will tell you my name.¡± the boy said instead. Yvonne made a strange noise as she was curious about the name of the most beautiful boy in the world. The boy smiled when he saw her cross her palms and covered her mouth. He looked at the boy as if possessed by his long eyelashes. There was a strange charm in the boy¡¯s eyes that seduced people. ¡°Hic!¡± hiccups escaped from her while trying to stop herself from crying. The boy sighed and shook his head. He said, ¡°I am Kiryan.¡± ¡°Kiryan.¡± she repeated. She whispered the boy¡¯s name again. It seemed to fit him perfectly. She liked it, and Yvonne smiled like a fool without realizing it. ¡°Okay. Kiryan.¡± she said it again. Kiryan looked at her and smiled too. That was their first meeting. It was a pretty refreshing episode for the start of making friends with the villain. Chapter 8 Upon returning to reality, Yvonne aka Franz was so startled that she covered her mouth, forgetting to breathe. ¡°Oh my gosh¡­¡± ¡®Oh my God!¡¯ Yvonne thought to herself still shocked with the sudden turn of events. ¡°You still have a girly side.¡± Kiryan said to her. ¡°No. Hey, are you really Duke Kiryan Hishleger?¡± Yvonne still can¡¯t believe who the man was. ¡°Huh?¡± Kiryan answered while stifling his laughter. ¡°Okay. Is there any problem?¡± It was Paradis who spoke and broke the trance between the two. ¡°Uh, how¡­ No¡­ How the hell did this happen¡­ Oh My God! Let¡¯s wake up from the dream! I think I¡¯m still asleep!¡± Yvonne said, still trying to make a dream out of reality. He patted her cheeks and shook his head. Paradis clicked his tongue at him when he saw that he was pathetic. Kiryan smiled as if it was funny. Yvonne, who saw that smile, was more embarrassed and faced the wall. Paradis and Kiryan simultaneously grabbed her shoulders wherein their eyes met in the air. ¡°This is not a dream, you idiot.¡± Paradis pinches her shoulder and pulls her towards him. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a real dream?¡± With blushed cheeks, she asked, exhaling harshly. ¡°No. Take care of yourself. Ugh, act more like a brother?¡± Paradis said to Yvonne. ¡°You don¡¯t have any brothers?¡± Kiryan asked Paradis. ¡°He is not my brother but I am his guardian.¡± Paradis points to Yvonne. One of Kiryan¡¯s eyebrows rose at the word ¡°guardian¡±. To Paradis¡¯s knowledge, Yvonne had no brother. He doesn¡¯t even know of a sister named Diana. Then, he gently wrapped his arms around Yvonne¡¯s shoulders and pulled her closer to him. ¡°Because we are like family.¡± he said to Kiryan. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not a family more like a guardian for grown-ups. What¡¯s more, someone who seems to still need protection is protecting them. You¡¯d better go to Marquis Laurent and learn how to be a man.¡± ¡°Nonsense! A duke like me should go and learn some etiquette? Where did you learn the habit of visiting without greetings?¡± Kiryan looks like a boy compared to Paradis¡¯s skinny body. It was a derogatory remark which caused the awkwardness of the atmosphere, and Paradis was Kiryan¡¯s opposite, an illegitimate child. When the atmosphere became hostile, Yvonne quickly went between the two. ¡°Hey, stop it. stop it. just¡­ For now, uh¡­ ¡° she mumbled. ¡°Okay. It is understandable that he was very surprised because we came without notice.¡± His hand paused in mid-air for a moment. Then he carefully brushed the grains of sand off Yvonne¡¯s head. As Kiryan remembers, even as a child, Franz ¡°still¡± had good eyes, small stature, and even a fierce temper. It was the ¡°Franz¡± he knew. Because of this, Kiryan casually ignored Paradis, who was wary of him, and left the theater. Paradis was the only one running wild in the situation. Forgetting the rehearsal, he grabbed Yvonne¡¯s back and dragged her to the dressing room. ¡°Tell me everything from start to finish. If you hide something, you know that I¡¯m gonna smack you.¡± he told Yvonne. ¡°We were friends in childhood. Who remembers a friend when he was ten! I¡¯ve known you for a while. But how¡­ How could he be Kiryan Hishleger?¡± Yvonne wondered. ¡°Are you sure? Didn¡¯t Diana¡¯s diary say that?¡± Paradis asked her. ¡°Think harder! You don¡¯t take that kid¡¯s money or anything like that?¡± He said to her with a worried expression. ¡°No way! I¡¯m embarrassed too.¡± She went back to being Franz once again. ¡°I¡¯m going to refrain from doing this for the time being.¡± ¡°Okay. But you have to stay at home for a while, do you understand?¡± Paradis warned her. ¡°I know even if you don¡¯t tell me.¡± Yvonne sighed. She brushed her hair helplessly. It was the part that Kiryan had touched before. The feel of his rough fingers was clear. Yvonne shrugged her shoulders. Even if the world collapses, they need to practice. Especially if today is ¡°Franz¡¯s¡± last day. Franz Bernicke is the master of famous children¡¯s children¡¯s books. Yvonne longed for Franz¡¯s adventure in meeting the dragon and saving the country from the Demon King because she wasn¡¯t as courageous as Franz. So, saying she wanted to become Franz, a few days before her tenth birthday, she cut her hair short like a boy. But that was for a nominal reason. It was in anticipation that if she did that, her parents would pay attention to her. Anyway, thanks to her short hair, Kiryan had mistaken Yvonne for a boy. A terribly sweet boy. That was his first impression of ¡°Franz¡±. ¡°Men don¡¯t cry.¡± If Kiryan finds out that she is a woman, she thinks he will not play with her. But then again, Yvonne is dressing up as a man. She decided to let it go. ¡°Sorry.¡± Franz sniffed. ¡°Are you not going home?¡± Kiryan asked him. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not going home now. I¡¯m going to live here in the forest.¡± She finally stopped crying and puffed her chest like a dignified man. ¡°You will live here?¡± Kiryan asked, puzzled on what¡¯s on his mind this time. ¡°Can¡¯t I live here too? I won¡¯t eat much rice. I¡¯m a boy too. Let me stay with you.¡± She begged. ¡°You don¡¯t know where I sleep. Don¡¯t be weird and go home. You don¡¯t know how dangerous this place is.¡± Kiryan ignored his protests. She looked at him, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not going back.¡± She stubbornly declined. ¡°It¡¯s noisy, go to your house quickly. There will be someone waiting for you back there.¡± Kiryan said. ¡°It¡¯s not a place.¡± Yvonne said, looking sad once again. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t want to go home. I hate both Mom and Dad.¡± Kiryan clicked his tongue. Yvonne, a ten-year-old kid, had to prove her worth even as Franz. She exclaimed confidently in her thoughts. ¡°I can sleep in a secret cave or in a tree house!¡± she happily suggested. ¡°There is no such thing as a cave or a house.¡± Kiryan said getting exhausted with their conversation going nowhere. ¡°Isn¡¯t it in the book?¡± Yvonne wondered. ¡°This is not a book. Are you stupid?¡± Kiryan irritatingly said. ¡°Hehe. I hear that often.¡± Yvonne chuckled. Diana used to say this often. ¡°Stupid Franz. How can you live in this harsh world because you are so naive? I¡¯m worried about you.¡± remembering those words made Yvonne smile. Kiryan took a deep breath and got up from his seat. So she also got up and followed Kiryan. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± Kiryan brushed her off. ¡°Don¡¯t you follow me.¡± he repeated. ¡°Why?¡± she said. ¡°Then do I have to be here alone?¡± she pouted. ¡°Whether you are alone or not is not my business.¡± Kiryan continued to walk leaving Yvonne behind. She still followed him, ¡°Weren¡¯t we friends?¡± ¡°What nonsense.¡± It was a cynical tone for a child. She ran to Kiryan recklessly and grabbed his arm. ¡°If we ate pumpkin chocolate together, we would be friends!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be funny. Can you let go of my hand?¡± Kiryan shook off her hand. She said nothing to Kiryan, who was being mean. The way she was being rejected by her new found friend caused her tears to fall for the third time on that day. ¡°Am I crying again?¡± she mumbled, wiping her tears. ¡°Ugh! Okay. If you can follow me, you can come with me.¡± Yvonne¡¯s tears made Kiryan weak-willed. In order to hide this, Kiryan quickly crossed the forest path. Yvonne was only used to the paved road, but in the forest, the roots of the trees sticking out. The forest road is unfamiliar, so Yvonne, no, Franz is notable. She followed him at a slow pace. She fell over and over again, but she got up bravely and found Kiryan. She chased him because she didn¡¯t want to go back home. Home was a lonely place for her, for Yvonne. All of her parents¡¯ attention was directed to Diana, who often felt like she had become a bum. ¡°Hey! Come with me!¡± Kiryan shouted far ahead. Kiryan glanced back at her and looked at the tree nearby. Then he climbed a tall tree at once. Yvonne, who can¡¯t climb trees, asks him how she looked up and rolled up her sleeves then she climbed the tree. ¡°Kiryan!¡± she jumped and hung with all her might, but it all was about going up to the chest. She fell to the ground and held back the tears that were about to burst out. Then she tried again and again. Kiryan ignored Yvonne and climbed into the tree trunk. She leaned over and closed her eyes. After several attempts, she gave up and Kiryan dropped her off. She decided to wait for him to come back. ¡®Is it because I am tired from walking many steps?¡¯ Her sleepiness hit her and she fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up, no one was with her. A little bit of fear washed over her. ¡°Kiryan? Kiryan!¡± Yvonne found him and shouted. The sunset pushed through the leaves and the sky was shone. She walked quickly and went deep into the woods for a long time. Upon entering, a shabby town appeared. She was welcomed by a foul stench and the damp, sunken air was filled with a sense of defeat. Standing in front of him the worst city on earth, the poorest of the poor, Yvonne was left speechless. Being awoken from a nightmare and finding herself in an unfamiliar place, she spoke with a voice like an ant and called Kiryan again. ¡°Where are you?¡± As she passes by the vacant lot, the neighborhood children chase Yvonne. Unlike the neat clothes she was wearing, she was dirty and worn out. The grime clinged to her face, and her skin was full of dust. ¡°Ah, nah¡­ I am Franz¡­¡± she quietly introduced herself. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s from this town.¡± said the one kid who still had a snot dangling on his nose. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been looking for Kiryan.¡± Yvonne said to them. ¡°Kiryan? Is it Kiryan Heger?¡± this time it was the kid with a missing front tooth. ¡°Heger? I do not know. It¡¯s just Kiryan. His hair is black and his eyes are golden. And he¡¯s very handsome.¡± She shyly described him to them. ¡°Pu ha ha ha! Isn¡¯t this kid an idiot? Kiryan?¡± They laughed at his description. ¡°You are looking for Guerne!¡± said the little girl with a ponytail. ¡°What is that bag? What¡¯s inside-¡±, ¡°You smell good. That dress, my size!¡±, ¡°They look similar.¡± they bombarded him with comments wherein she cannot hear anything else nor speak with them. The children surrounded Yvonne and the distance narrowed. She was terrified of them and hugged her belongings against them. ¡°Give me the bag.¡± A big boy demanded for her things. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Yvonne protested. ¡°Do you want to get hurt? If I say give it to me, give it to me immediately!¡± The big boy shouted at him while making a balled fist aiming at his face. Then, a tall boy took the bag. At the end of the fight, she was pushed back and slumped to the floor. The boy opened her bag and her eyes lit up. ¡°This kid is really rich. Look at this!¡± the children scrambled to have a look and at the same time get something from his bag. ¡°Please¡­ Take me to Kiryan¡­¡± Yvonne said while still getting up from being pushed down, aching all over. ¡°Hey, this is mine. Peter, Moritz, the three of us share.¡± The tall boy said to his friends. ¡°You will lose.¡± The boy who¡¯s holding the bag looked at the direction where the voice came from. ¡°It¡¯s mine¡­¡± It was just before she burst into tears. At that moment, Kiryan appeared behind the boy. His bright eyes met her gaze. Kiryan¡¯s face under the rosy sunset was utterly gorgeous. It¡¯s like a kind of elegance that doesn¡¯t suit in a slum. There was something in his natural hand gestures that were elegant and his appearance was aristocratic. ¡®Kiryan!¡¯ She wanted to shout, but her mouth was frozen in fear. Kiryan glanced at her and the boys and turned around. He ignored Franz. ¡°Kiryan, did you properly ask for a drink? I thought he was just a maniac, but he was useful too.¡± The boy asked him and laughed with his friends. ¡°Like an idiot!¡± Peter and Moritz laughed at him. ¡°Don¡¯t curse Kiryan!¡± Franz ran towards the boy with her whole body and punched him in the forehead. The boy shed a nosebleed and screamed. The other boys quickly grabbed her and pushed her away. When Franz fell, they kicked her and cursed her. ¡°Ugh. Kiryan.¡± Franz cried. Kiryan was Yvonne¡¯s first friend. It was like that for her. She is the only aristocrat in the region, and at least within the empire and because she is a woman from a long-established family, it was difficult for the other people to approach her in the neighborhood. She was sad that her first friend turned away from her. So, she called out Kiryan¡¯s name the whole time she was beaten. ¡°Ouch!¡± Franz continued to call Kiryan¡¯s name despite being ignored and getting beaten by the children from the slums. *** Yvonne woke up and looked around reflexively. The imperial palace could be seen through the slightly opened windows. ¡°Miss, what are you doing?¡± Beth asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Yvonne assured her. Yvonne gathered her belongings and got out of the wagon. It¡¯s been a week since she first met Kiryan. She didn¡¯t live as Franz and didn¡¯t leave the house without Paradis, but she was not confined to the residence. She wanted to make sure Selena Waltz wasn¡¯t on the list of testers for the Third Imperial Palace Examination above everything else. Yvonne was tired of dreaming about dying in different ways every night. ¡®I¡¯m sorry Selena Waltz¡­¡¯ She thought to herself. Yvonne walked down the hallway towards the Imperial Palace library in order to return the books she had borrowed the other day, but as she was reaching the corner¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± Kiryan Hishleger appeared. Chapter 9 Yvonne quickly bowed her head at Kiryan Hishleger¡¯s appearance. No matter how much she pretended to be a man, lowered her voice and acted harshly, it still wasn¡¯t enough to hide her pretty feminine features. Above all, since the same face is not going anywhere, Franz resembles Yvonne enough to be considered brothers. ¡®Let¡¯s call it a cousin relationship with Franz.¡¯ Yvonne shrugged her shoulders and tried to pass him by. The last time they met at the Imperial Palace for the first time, became the worst meeting immediately. ¡°Stop there.¡± Kiryan¡¯s eyes on her were different from the last time he saw her as ¡°Franz¡±. He is now savage and fierce. This made Yvonne sad so she just bowed her head but deep inside, she¡¯s crying. ¡®I must be crazy to come to the Imperial Palace alone.¡¯ She thought to herself but the famous Duke Hishleger did the same today. ¡®Who would have thought that he would enter the palace and work on a happy weekend? Of course, he¡¯ll be relaxing at home drinking coffee.¡¯ she thought once again. ¡°You¡­¡± Kiryan menacingly uttered. ¡°Y-Yes?¡± Yvonne trembled with his tone. Kiryan¡¯s eyes narrowed. He wondered why she was still alive. He apparently ordered the death of Yvonne Moore, but now he knows that this woman is alive. ¡®Luckily, you must¡¯ve been down somewhere in the countryside.¡¯ With that in mind, he waved his hand. ¡°Nothing. Just go.¡± Kiryan clicked his tongue as he watched Yvonne run away. He could tell how scared she was just by looking at her wrinkled shoulders. He despised people like Yvonne Moore. He grits his teeth when he sees weaklings like her. As his thoughts reached that point, his brother Franz came to mind. The young Franz he remembers was a crybaby and a coward. Sticking his lips out and being stubborn. He was often too bright because he was ignorant of the world. Those were the only redeeming aspects Franz had but still he was different. ¡®It still looked like it.¡¯ He thought fondly of him. Franz, whom he had reunited with a week ago, was trembling with a pale complexion. He must have been brave enough because he was entangled with the rumored gang causing accidents in the back alleys, but it didn¡¯t seem like that. ¡®In all likelihood, such a guy is his friend.¡¯ It was surprising that the successor of Marquis Laurent was his close friend. Since Franz is from a good family it means that he grew up without suffering and a soft guy like Franz might need a good-tempered guy. While thinking about it, he arrived at the emperor¡¯s office. ¡°Welcome, Duke Kiryan Hishleger. Your Majesty was waiting for you.¡± The butler said to Kiryan and silently opened the door for him. The emperor, the older brother of his biological father, was very similar to the former Archduke Hishleger and was something Kiryan often thought whenever they met. But whenever somebody asks if Kiryan resembles them, that¡¯s not true either. His dark hair and golden eyes were features of foreign origin. Features he had gotten from his mother which was a prostitute when he was born. ¡°Are you there?¡± The emperor called. ¡°You look very good, Your Majesty.¡± Kiryan greeted the emperor with a slight bow. ¡°Maybe he is happy to see his nephew.¡± The emperor smiled. Kiryan snorted inwardly. The emperor never once recognized him as his nephew. If he hadn¡¯t manifested the powers unique to the imperial family, he would have ceased to be a wild dog of Furtra forever. In fact, Kiryan¡¯s outstanding business acumen also contributed to his recognition. As he joined the imperial family, the imperial treasury rapidly expanded. It is thanks to the great success of the businesses he proposes and receives investment from the imperial family. ¡°Are the preparations for the diamond business going well?¡± The emperor offered him to be seated. ¡°Yes. You have nothing to worry about.¡± Kiryan answered. ¡°Okay. By the way, Kiryan, I have one problem.¡± The emperor grimly said. ¡°What is it?¡± Kiryan asked because he has always been doing errands for the emperor. ¡°Your great-grandfather, Anterta III, regarded the diamond mine to be at the end of its life. Nonetheless, mining technology was not as advanced at the time as it is now. It was nothing more than a deserted mine,¡± the emperor began. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Kiryan, still puzzled about where the conversation is going. ¡°For your great-grandfather and for my grandfather, I sold mine to others at a bargain price because I thought the mines were no longer useful. Of course, the mining rights were also transferred.¡± he continued watching Kiryan¡¯s expression. Kiryan¡¯s eyebrows gathered gently. It is difficult to say out loud that there is nothing to worry about when it comes to providing mines. It was a project that was pushed forward, but the person concerned, which is him, made sure it would go smoothly. The Emperor took an old paper from the drawer and showed it to him. It was a mining contract. The buyer identified in the documents is ¡°Edmund Moore¡±. Kiryan can¡¯t believe the name written in the contract. ¡°As far as I know, the descendants of the Moore family have a young heiress, Yvonne Moore.¡± The emperor said while looking at the document. ¡°Hmm. We can either take over the mining rights from Miss Moore or get the mines back.¡± the Emperor added, contemplating on their options. Kiryan resisted the contortion of his face. He never imagined that he will be dealing with the heiress soon, and taking something from her nonetheless. It was like taking something from a store. Of course, he said this was no big deal to him. However, the Emperor had a bad attitude towards him. ¡®How lowly does he think he was to announce this kind of news at the end of a project?¡¯ There are even no words of apology, Kiryan thought. ¡°I¡¯m glad Yvonne Moore is still alive.¡± He muttered. If she had died, things would have been more complicated because all of her fortune would have been inherited by her close relatives. On the way home, he checked the papers about Yvonne Moore. She was an orphan with many relatives as a child, but she was wise enough to hire a lawyer to defend her wealth from relatives who claimed to be her guardians. She socializes, without leaving the mansion. She was uninterested in the outside world, and unidentified visitors come and go from her mansion. Her status was everything about her. It would be even rarer if the young girl, who was still only twenty-one, had any other problems. Kiryan immediately composed a letter to Yvonne upon his return to his home. It¡¯s perfect because he has a business with her and needs to meet her right away. The letter was delivered to Yvonne within the evening by her maid, Beth. However, the letter was placed in the corner of the desk and was blown by the wind through the slightly opened window and fell to the floor. Because of this, Yvonne was unaware of the existence of the letter and left for the library. She found a book and left to see Paradis. ¡°It¡¯s evening, so it¡¯s okay if you play Balzac¡¯s Spring 2nd movement. Right?¡± Yvonne asked Paradis. ¡°Look. I have something to do today.¡± Paradis¡¯ refusal made Yvonne¡¯s eyebrows rise a bit. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± She asked then. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Paradis dodges her question. ¡°What? Why are there so many secrets today?¡± Yvonne insisted. ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool and stay at home until tomorrow. I suppose you need to go into hiding. Kiryan Hishleger would have done it if he had known you were Franz. Do you have any idea what Franz¡¯s nickname is?¡± Paradis said to her. ¡°I know. ¡°Backstreet dwarf¡±, ¡°Mad geek¡±, ¡°Eater of affection¡±.Yvonne enumerated those with a smirk. ¡°And there¡¯s nothing good about being tangled up with that illegitimate child. The rumors are bad.¡± Paradis exclaimed. ¡°How bad is it?¡± She asked then. To keep from learning that Kiryan appears to be the owner of Furtra, Paradis bit his lip all the way. But Yvonne had to find out since it would have surprised him even more. ¡°In any case, be careful, there¡¯s something wrong with that guy and the assassins who showed up at your house. I¡¯m worried that even after looking at it, it didn¡¯t turn out well, so why don¡¯t you come back to my place tomorrow?¡± He offered it to Yvonne. ¡°I can¡¯t be, sorry Marquis.¡± She teased him. ¡°How inspiring of you.¡± Paradis retorted. ¡°Who sent them?¡± She still won¡¯t let go of the topic. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The important thing is that I decided to sit in your house according to your intention that you won¡¯t be able to stay at my house. Who the hell plays on the piano to look like this?¡± Paradis, who was tuning the piano, sighed deeply. Yvonne played with Paradis outside and returned drunk to play the piano. She couldn¡¯t say that she ran all over the place. Then, following the ban on going out, a ban on alcohol was also issued. ¡°I will read a book while you finish that.¡± Yvonne said. ¡°Alright.¡± Yvonne opened a book. Her calm voice resembled that of Paradis with her temper. It tickles his ear. A smooth but subdued voice. ¡°I don¡¯t believe erotic affection is solely motivated by love. The world thinks it is the best value, but when you close your eyes, you can feel the essence of love infiltrate deep into your soul.¡± She read aloud. Paradis glanced at her as he touched the piano. He loved seeing her reading her books. It seems like she only reads adventure novels, but in fact she is used to devouring any field. The world didn¡¯t know Yvonne¡¯s true worth. They said, ¡°The greedy Yvonne? That¡¯s funny.¡± He wishes they knew her sincerity, but even if they don¡¯t does not matter. He said he didn¡¯t know who Yvonne Moore was to them because he couldn¡¯t stand it without loving her. He didn¡¯t want to make a competitor. Paradis, who had finished tuning the piano, asked when she was ready to listen to him play. ¡°I have a new poem I wrote this time. Would you like to hear it?¡± He said. ¡°Yes. Great.¡± Yvonne nodded. A gentle melody started from his fingertips. It was romantic like the twinkling stars in the peaceful rural night sky, and it was soft like the warm sunlight and soft wind of a spring day. Yvonne closed her eyes and listened to him play. ¡°If a person lives by love, it is love toward you that gives me strength, I love your eyes that are as lively as summer grass, I love a smile like the sun shining on the waves, And it is the only reason to love.¡± Yvonne¡¯s heart pounded at Paradis; she felt he was in love with someone. He had great affection for her eyes and smile. But that wasn¡¯t the reason for love. She pondered his poems in secret jealousy and smiled longingly. Paradis¡¯ woman seemed to fit him very well. They were like pieces of torn paper. They were the kind of beings that could be perfect with each other. ¡°I want to be with you forever, No matter who you are, if anyone listen to your poem, everyone will fall in love with you, And I will be very happy to be that person.¡± Paradis ended his performance. He looked at Yvonne. ¡°The piano and the poem went well together. I feel it.¡± Yvonne commented after. ¡°Is that all?¡± He asked. ¡°Well. I can feel how much you love her. It felt good to hear everything. Is this someone I know?¡± At her question, Paradis glanced at her. As Yvonne tilted her head at her unknown gaze, he let out a sigh of relief and he jumped up and came over to her then he slapped her on the forehead. ¡°Hurt.¡± Yvonne rubbed her forehead. ¡°Idiot. I am proposing.¡± Paradis simply said. ¡°Yes. I know. So you said you would be very happy.¡± Yvonne ignored him. ¡°Sigh. To you.¡± He quietly repeated himself. ¡°To me?¡± This caught her off guard. ¡°Yes. You.¡± He once again said. ¡°Uh¡­ Why, me?¡± The sudden proposal doesn¡¯t sink in Yvonne¡¯s reasoning. ¡°Why? Anyway, that is not important.¡± Paradis knelt before her on one knee. He pulled out a small jewel case from his arms. Standing in it came a very old-style diamond ring. ¡°This is a proposal ring that my great-great-grandmother, Princess Renee, received before marriage, Nini. My Yvonne, I ask you now.¡± Paradis held her hand. ¡°Quit messing around.¡± The only words Yvonne uttered. Chapter 10 Yvonne¡¯s reputation in the capital was worse than expected. Even though they don¡¯t know her face, the people of the capital are afraid of her, believing she would bring misfortune. In turn she lost her parents and her sister. In reality, many orphans are abandoned when they are young so Yvonne¡¯s story was extremely common. However, the fact that she was the only heiress of the venerable count, and that her mother was a beautiful woman who was known for her beauty at her time and the accusation that made the capital noisy, made her special. ¡®Paradis? Proposal of marriage¡­ What does it mean?¡¯ Yvonne received several requests for marriage proposals within a month. They covered her fortune but she wasn¡¯t interested. Yvonne¡¯s wealth was of no use to Paradis. His family was already wealthy enough. Authority? He is the heir who will soon inherit the title of Marquis. There was only one thing that made him propose to Yvonne, ¡®Kiryan Hishleger¡­ the illegitimate child.¡¯ The last attack on Yvonne was sent by Kiryan Hishleger. Kiryan¡¯s motive for wanting to kill Yvonne is unknown to Paradis, but after she becomes the fiancee of the Laurent¡¯s heir, Kiryan will be unable to bother her anymore. Then Paradis¡¯ grandfather, Marquis Laurent, would learn of the incident. He adored Yvonne, and if Kiryan did something to her, their powerful relationship with the royal family would be distorted. ¡°It¡¯s a strategic engagement. It¡¯s not marriage, it¡¯s engagement.¡± Paradis said to Yvonne while thinking about their next plan. ¡°It¡¯s a proposal.¡± Yvonne said grimly. ¡°An engagement is for marriage. Of course, I¡¯m not going to go there.¡± he said to her in a convincing tone. ¡°Why all of a sudden? Is the Marquis pressing for marriage again?¡± Yvonne asked. Paradis sneakily pulled Yvonne¡¯s hand and put the ring on her hand. She asked anxiously, not knowing that there was a large diamond on her finger. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± she asked him again. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong but I¡¯ve been thinking about it, this engagement, it will make you more free. I¡¯m freed from the pressure of marriage and you don¡¯t have to worry about any ridiculous scandal if I or anyone else comes into your house.¡± Paradis reasoned with her but Yvonne can¡¯t get engaged for that reason. He couldn¡¯t even tell the real reason. Yvonne was a timid person, and the truth was that she was so nervous that she almost didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Okay. The family is begging me to get married. I have to go to the interview tomorrow as well. Whenever I have spare time, and there¡¯s a girl from a certain house who is pretty, and someone said that she has a pretty heart¡­ Oh, I¡¯m gonna die, you know.¡± Paradis even made a fainting impersonation. ¡°Aren¡¯t you planning to settle down as the Marquis said?¡± Yvonne asked. ¡°Are you really saying that even though you know my personality?¡± Paradis did this for her, but hated that she didn¡¯t know. He slapped her on the forehead with her beanie. Of course he wanted Yvonne to know nothing. ¡°It hurts.¡± Yvonne rubbed her forehead. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t like it, I will inherit the family when I become older, but when the opportunity comes up, I must work hard and play in the theater. My heyday is just around the corner, so please do something for me.¡± he said to Yvonne, smirking at the thought. ¡°No.¡± Yvonne said firmly to Paradis. *** ¡°Is Franz still there?¡± Kiryan asked his assistant, Eric. ¡°Yes. However, it is said that they often go out of their way. If someone doesn¡¯t show up for more than a week, it could mean that something is wrong. Oddly enough, no matter how much I search, there is no mention of Franz Bernicke.¡± Eric said. No information is coming out. It¡¯s as if he doesn¡¯t exist in the world. It could be because it¡¯s a false identity. When he appears, he needs to hear it from him directly. Kiryan listened to the next report. ¡°There is no reply from Miss Moore. It¡¯s even more questionable because she hasn¡¯t been out of the house for three days.¡± Eric continued. Yvonne Moore did not reply after three days. This was disrespectful to anyone who looked up at Kiryan. He wrote a letter that he was expecting her immediate reply but her attitude of ignoring it was pretty good. He¡¯s been busy with business, that¡¯s why he can¡¯t contact her. Yvonne ignoring him makes it more interesting. Reluctantly, Kiryan decided to visit her directly. As an uninvited guest, it is against etiquette, but in the first place, he was not a person who cared about manners. Growing up in the world¡¯s worst crime city, where polite people don¡¯t exist. Right now, he¡¯s just mimicking people, but he grew up watching things don¡¯t go anywhere no matter how proper you can be. ¡°Duke. We¡¯re here.¡± said the driver of his carriage. The Moore mansion was as beautiful as it was rumored to be. He got off from a distance from the entrance and knocked directly on the gate. There are no servants inside. He continued to knock but still no luck for someone to hear. There seemed to be no system because the owner was young, then a loud voice was heard inside. ¡°Listen, Franz. I need Yvonne and Yvonne needs me.¡± the man said. ¡°No. Yvonne doesn¡¯t need you.¡± another voice said. Kiryan passed through the gate and saw Paradis Laurent and Franz. They were fighting fiercely without noticing Kiryan. ¡°Tell me honestly. You¡¯re trying to use Yvonne. Isn¡¯t that just because you¡¯re comfortable with it?¡± Franz hissed at Paradis as he continued to walk towards the gate. ¡°Franz Bernicke! How can you say such a thing!¡± Paradis gasped. ¡°Then what? Engagement with the one you love. You¡¯ll get a lot after the engagement ceremony, but this isn¡¯t Bonne. Withdraw the proposal immediately.¡± Franz continued. ¡°Because you don¡¯t know, I love Yvonne enough.¡± Paradis said, trying to calm him down. ¡°Since when did you become a wolf? Do not lie.¡± Paradis¡¯ confession of love made Franz fumed more. ¡°You really need to stop. It¡¯s because you don¡¯t realize it, but they love me too in Bonne. How many deep memories and deep affections there are between us.¡± Paradis explained. ¡°Gibberish!¡± Franz snapped back. And until just 50 years ago, most marriages without affection were prominent. On the other hand, they are best friends. They trust and rely on each other and do not know each other. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Paradis asked. ¡°This¡­ I really don¡¯t get you!¡± Franz shrieked. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry if you want to stand in the groom¡¯s seat, but the seat is mine.¡± Paradis was sarcastic to mean that she wanted to live alone forever, as she kept talking about Yvonne like someone else, as Franz for the groom and Yvonne for the bride. But Kiryan, who was listening, was different. He did not know that Yvonne was Franz. ¡®This is going to be fun.¡¯ Kiryan understood that Paradis and Franz had a relationship with Yvonne. Close friends are in love with the same woman, and one of them is his brother, and the woman was the person whom he wanted to kill because she saw the part he didn¡¯t want to be found out. Kiryan smirked at the complicated situation and sneakily hid himself so as to not to be seen by them. When Kiryan confirmed that Franz left Yvonne Moore¡¯s house, he then got up from his hiding spot and surprised the Moore¡¯s maid that he spotted at the parlor. She was one of those who knew Yvonne was Franz and supported and cheered for Yvonne¡¯s secret. The virtue of Yvonne having another identity no one knows about. It was because Yvonne as Franz was able to lead a free and lively life away from criticism from the people of the capital. ¡°Where did Miss Moore go?¡± Kiryan asked Beth as if it¡¯s normal to just come out of nowhere in somebody¡¯s mansion. ¡°She¡¯ll go down to the local monastery to pray, and she won¡¯t return till tomorrow. I¡¯ll give it to her if you leave a separate note.¡± Beth offered. ¡°Alright. Give it to Miss Moore again and at this time tomorrow I will come.¡± Kiryan demanded. ¡°Understood, Duke Hishleger.¡± was the only answer Beth was able to utter. After leaving the Moore mansion, Kiryan went straight to see Franz. Yvonne didn¡¯t care wherever Paradis Laurent went. She had been drinking alone since broad daylight. ¡°Ah. Damn it. Here¡¯s another bottle!¡± she continued to chug down a bottle of wine on his seat. ¡°You were more of a drinker than you looked.¡± Kiryan took a seat across from Yvonne. The bottle was full of wine. Yvonne, who is drunk and has darkened eyes, is confused. She just looked at Kiryan. Kiryan was in front of her. Not believing what Yvonne was seeing, she rubbed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Whoa. Guess I¡¯m having a hard time if I can see Kiryan Hishleger in front of me now.¡± Yvonne muttered, already drunk. ¡°Is getting tangled up with me a problem?¡± Kiryan smirked. ¡°No. Kiryan Hishleger is¨C ah! Kiryan Hishleger speaks!¡± Yvonne was so surprised she tumbled over the back of his chair. Fortunately, Kiryan¡¯s hands were quick and she didn¡¯t hit the back of her head on the floor. They have just avoided the disaster. A strong hand gripped her wrist by chance and it was as if she was holding Kiryan¡¯s arm tightly, but she was still unable to come to her senses. Kiryan¡¯s golden gaze seemed to pierce her. The color of his eyes are full of fondness for her. The sound of his heart rang in her ears. She hiccups in surprise at Kiryan¡¯s appearance, but Kiryan is surprised that the hiccups she heard was too familiar and it comes from Franz. ¡°Oh no¡­ I am now¡­¡± Yvonne muttered. Yvonne Moore. The girl that isn¡¯t worth caring too much about as a person. Kiryan remembers the name Yvonne and her face while looking at Franz. This is so messed up. However, Kiryan is heartbroken by the slander of the woman he hates. And his illusion of her was completed without knowing Yvonne very well. ¡°Okay. If you¡¯re offended, I apologize.¡± Kiryan said while helping her get her balance. As the rumors in the capital say, he¡¯s not that bad even if he is a Duke of Hishleger household. ¡°Found you, Franz Bernicke!¡± a man shouted across the room. ¡°Huh?¡± The sound of calling someone full of emotion made their heads turn towards the voice on that particular day, it¡¯s from one of the thugs who finally found her. A weapon was held in his hand and the thick hand holding the weapon was a weapon by its very existence. Yvonne, disguised as Franz, and is already drunk, feels her day is ruined. She quickly took control and looked around her arms. She carried a pepper spray with her just in case. ¡®Driving me crazy.¡¯ she thought. There was a hole in her pocket and the spray is nowhere to be found. ¡°You¡¯re like this damn mouse.¡± one of the men said to Franz. ¡°Hey, why are you all here? It¡¯s your boss¡¯ fault first. No matter what you say, I¡¯m not gonna back down.¡± Yvonne declared. She¡¯s wary of thugs approaching her. She picked up the bottle of wine that was lying around. They didn¡¯t seem to want to let Franz go. In fact, as Franz, she had this kind of commotion once or twice. Paradis was always at the center of events and thoughts, and Yvonne as Franz was so much that her personality seemed to have changed. In other words, she was prepared that something like this might happen without Paradis at any time. ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t come close.¡± She broke the bottle on the table. At the sound of a sharp burst, Kiryan raised one eyebrow to see this. A sharp cross-section was exposed over the elongated snout. She smiled as she lifted up the broken bottle. ¡°Otherwise, you will die.¡± Chapter 11 ¡°Blah-blah. Just a brave front, eh? You don¡¯t have a good guardian today, so what are you going to do alone?¡± The man who first went there mocked Franz. ¡°Even a rat bites when it¡¯s cornered.¡± Franz snorted, clenching his fist on the neck of the broken bottle. ¡®I¡¯d be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t scary. But Franz was different when she was Yvonne. Franz doesn¡¯t need to pay attention to social views like Yvonne. It was a non-existent existence. He was a fictional character and his identity had no honor.¡¯ Yvonne thought to herself. ¡°Come on. Today, just be an obedient fellow and follow us without a fight, alright?¡± The man said to Franz. One of the bullies approached her. Yvonne was terrified and her heart was beating fast, but she held onto the broken bottle. She didn¡¯t have the courage to stab her opponent, but she had the courage to threaten and bluff. It was also the bluff she learned from Paradis while living as Franz. Of course, Paradis has the ability to crush real opponents. ¡°A crazy man with a hole in his mouth!¡± Her trembling steps were menacing. she swings the bottle prepared to attack her opponent. ¡®Drinking alcohol makes me less scared than usual, huh.¡¯ Yvonne proudly thought to herself then she screamed and ran at them. ¡°Ahhh- Kiryan!¡± But Yvonne¡¯s shout did not last long. Kiryan grabbed her back as she jumped and dragged her down. ¡°Kek! Whoops!¡± Yvonne, who was choked by the collar of her shirt, grabbed her neck and clenched her fists, and Kiryan took out the gangsters with weapons. It was only with bare hands. Nevertheless, he flexibly avoided the weapon his opponent was wielding and stabbed the vital point. He took the sword of the fallen man and pierced the hand of one of the thugs. Then screams from both of them at the same time came out. ¡°Aww!¡± One was from the man with pierced hands. ¡°Aaaah-! Evil! Evil! Ouch!¡± The other was for Franz, who saw the scene. Franz hurriedly covered his eyes and shook his hand. He seemed to be making a bit of a fuss, but his face turned white. This seemed to tell how surprised he was. At this, Kiryan clicked his tongue so softly that he could not hear it. ¡°You¡¯re weaker than it looks.¡± Kiryan muttered. By his standards, this was insignificant. ¡°Eric! Take Franz with you. If possible, give him a sedative. No, it would be better to buy some Rado and feed it to him.¡± Kiryan shouted his orders. At Kiryan¡¯s call, his servant Eric jumped out of the darkness. He catches Franz with his legs loose. It was lifted up like a sack and went out of the bar. As soon as Eric put him down outside, Franz began to vomit non-stop. Blergh! Her stomach was stimulated by the force when she was lifted up by Eric. Franz bangs his forehead against the wall and nearly faints. Eric held back his breath. By Kiryan¡¯s standards, Franz was defective. He was timid and soft, and he didn¡¯t even know how to use a sword. According to the investigation, he knows Paradis Laurent and lives in Yvonne Moore¡¯s house. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a situation where you¡¯re messing around? A person like this who vomits at a trivial spectacle is the brother of Kiryan Hishleger, the king of Furtra? It was unbelievable.¡± Eric said in utter disbelief. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Franz croaked. Eric grabbed him just before he fell between the vomit and forced him to drink water. At that time, Kiryan got rid of the thugs and called one of his subordinates working in the capital. It was Jean Logan. He is the leader of assassin guilds that grow in the capital. Kiryan flicks his lighter on and off repeatedly, almost igniting Logan. Logan was on the verge of death when Kiryan¡¯s unexpected call came. Even if something important occurred, Kiryan constantly communicates through Eric. It was unclear how crucial it would be for him to issue commands directly. ¡°Logan.¡± Kiryan finally said. ¡°Yes.¡± Logan answered. Logan identified the men lying dead behind Kiryan. The floor is covered in their blood, but Kiryan seems unshaken. It was an impeccable scene. Logan swallowed dry saliva. Who is Kiryan Hishleger? He rose to power in the lawless zone, the land of demons, and reached the pinnacle of that place. ¡°Did you check on the blond-haired boy when he came in?¡± Kiryan asked him. ¡°I saw him at first glance.¡± Logan said. ¡°You¡¯ve seen that guy that smells like alcohol. It¡¯s only been half a day in Furtra and he was already dead drunk at a bar. He was the kind of guy who could have been robbed and found dead in a back alley. Remember that face.¡± Kiryan ordered Logan. ¡®Who is he?¡¯ Logan watched as Kiryan put out the lighter by blowing air through his mouth. ¡°Is he a subject of your responsibility and protection in the capital?¡± Kiryan¡¯s order picked up Logan¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Ah, maybe he has an important position in the power struggle of the nobles. Maybe he¡¯s an ignorant nobleman or someone who is in charge of accounting for a wealthy man?¡± He continued. ¡°Yes. Watch him closely¡ª If you dare do this to my brother again, your neck will be blown away.¡± Kiryan menacingly said. Logan, who answered, almost bit his tongue at the aura of his words. He couldn¡¯t believe that the timid man outside was Kiryan Hishleger¡¯s brother. It is because there was no contact point from his appearance to his eyes. But he soon understood. It was a famous thing under the water for Kiryan to find his long-lost brother. ¡°I will tell the underlings firmly until tomorrow.¡± Logan answered. Then he grabs the collar of the guy that just came to his senses after being thrown by Kiryan. ¡°Kiryan was such a person. There is no mercy in his hands, such a cruel man.¡± He uttered to himself. Kiryan went out and checked on his brother. Franz. The young boy¡¯s name that such a man called was as warm as the sunlight on a spring day. Yvonne, who was the real party, felt that his call was like a hand gesture from a messenger, but those who knew Kiryan well had an inappropriate tone to keep the conversation cold. ¡°It looks like you haven¡¯t taken any sedatives.¡± Kiryan ignored the startled gazes of his subordinates. He sat down next to Franz, who was squatting. The sun is setting and the stars are densely settled in the sky. It was Franz who distinguished his face in the dark ¡°Mmm, I ate¡­¡± Franz said weakly. Hiccups again. It made Kiryan¡¯s eyebrows narrow down. He was terrified and buried his face between his knees. He hates his reaction but he has patience. He gently stroked the round back of his head. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, so feel safe.¡± Kiryan consoled Franz. ¡°You always cry. On the subject of fear and tears.¡± He continued. ¡°I- Me?¡± Franz stuttered. ¡°Okay. You can¡¯t seem to remember. Caught by the locals and beaten, screaming at them not to curse at me while bawling.¡± Kiryan started saying. Franz remembered what he was saying, in a dream some time ago, that was the scene he saw. *** ¡°Kiryan. Waaaahhh!¡± Even in the midst of being beaten, Kiryan turned away from him. Yvonne still cried out his name. The place she was hit hurts so she crouches and cries, but at some point the beating stops. Then there was a scream that wasn¡¯t coming out of her mouth. ¡°Ahh!¡± The tall boy screamed in pain. ¡°Kiryan!¡± Peter shrieked. When she slowly raised her head, the first thing she saw was Kiryan, who at once knocked down the boys and subdued them. Kiryan¡¯s face was full of annoyance. ¡®Was it because he was excited, or was it because the red glow was reflected on his skin?¡¯ Yvonne still doesn¡¯t know why. ¡°Ki- Kiryan?¡± Yvonne said in a small voice. ¡°These idiots! Dare to touch what¡¯s mine? You wanna die?¡± Kiryan kicked the boy who beat her and cursed him. Astonished Yvonne stared blankly at him, then to the boys. Having finished beating them, Kiryan stood in front of him. ¡°Hey. Why are you being beaten like an idiot!¡± Kiryan scolded him. ¡°Uh¡­ huh?¡± Yvonne, still in shock with the sudden turn of events. ¡°Wake up! Aren¡±t you going to wake up?¡± Kiryan started to pull him up. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll get up!¡± As soon as she got up, the sky started spinning. ¡°What¡¯s on your face?¡± He asked Yvonne. ¡°Huh?¡± Yvonne touched his face. It was coffee, and a dripping nose bleed wet to her clothes. She saw a nosebleed and a bloody vomit while blowing her birthday cake. She remembered Diana. ¡°Is Diana okay? I¡¯m bleeding too, but I don¡¯t know about mom and dad.¡± Yvonne licked her lips in annoyance. Kiryan grabbed her bag and yanked it from her grasp. Then he tossed her a handkerchief to wipe her filthy face. Kiryan became enraged and grabbed it instead after her touch to wipe the nosebleed. ¡°Can¡¯t you clean one of these? That¡¯s why you¡¯re getting beaten up!¡± Kiryan stopped the bleeding with a damp handkerchief and that was completely brave. ¡°What makes you so angry? I thought I was your friend. Was it just me?¡± Yvonne muttered. At that thought, Yvonne unwittingly smiled and raised the corners of her lips. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± Kiryan irritatingly asked. ¡°Hey, Kiryan.¡± Yvonne continued. ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± He is still annoyed. ¡°Thanks. Hehehe.¡± Then, she hugged Kiryan. It was different with Diana. Diana is soft and Kiryan is stiff. She could feel the hard bones in the dry skin. She thinks that¡¯s a source of health that Diana doesn¡¯t have.She was hugging Kiryan for a long time. ¡°Kiryan. Thank you for being my friend.¡± Yvonne didn¡¯t know. The sunset was soaking into Kiryan¡¯s face and his darkened skin. *** She seemed to remember. ¡°Huh¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Yvonne took a deep breath. When she first appeared on stage, she didn¡¯t seem to be as nervous as she is now. But even now, if she didn¡¯t confess to the villain, ¡°The promise of a brother to the villain was just a joke to me as a child,¡± he would become even more angry in the future and point a sword at her throat. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t remember that moment, Duke. For me, it¡¯s just a short memory of my childhood. Sorry¡­¡± Her body trembled with the beating of her heart. She came out today because of Paradis¡¯ proposal. She couldn¡¯t stand him arguing for an engagement, so she almost ran away. Paradis¡¯ absurdity influences her and she wanted to avoid that but ended up meeting Kiryan instead. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna say anything?¡± She was stunned at Kiryan staring at her with his mouth shut. It made her blink fast. Kiryan responds to the honest reaction and he cannot see it as a lie. Without realizing it, he burst out laughing. ¡°I know.¡± Kiryan said, still laughing. ¡°Yes? Yeah? You know? So have you been making fun of me?¡± Yvonne widened her eyes. She was so surprised, she didn¡¯t even know what he was talking about. ¡°You were a little kid back then. Conceptually, there¡¯s no way you can remember all of it.¡± Kiryan said. ¡°But why¡­¡± Yvonne said, taken aback. ¡°Nevertheless, I remembered you. First, unlike you, I was neither immature nor young. And secondly, since that day we have never been brothers, it¡¯s because we¡¯ve never been.¡± The moment he finished speaking, she cried loudly because the way he phrases it makes her heart ache. She remembered the feeling she had for him. ¡°Kiryan! Don¡¯t forget about me! Don¡¯t forget it!¡± Yvonne cried because she doesn¡¯t know what to feel about him anymore. ¡°Crybaby. Let¡¯s eat first before we go back and stop crying. Come on.¡± Kiryan patted her head. At that time, Kiryan was everything to Yvonne. So, the parting was so sad that she even got sick of it. He hasn¡¯t forgotten her. ¡°Okay.¡± Yvonne sniffed. As promised, he remembered Franz after all these years they were apart. Some people forget their family like the mother of young Franz, whom he no longer remembers. It must have been a precious memory for this person. That brought Yvonne¡¯s eyes to tears. Her heart feels full and the feelings of the young boy Franz came alive inside her. The man in front of her is definitely a cruel villain. For this moment, he seemed like a boy who was tickling her. That was really a strange feeling for her. Chapter 12 It¡¯s been an hour since Kiryan told Franz to stop crying but to no avail. This made Kiryan raise his voice at him suddenly. ¡°Uuuugh!¡± Being startled by his voice, Yvonne shuts her mouth and bursts out crying more due to swallowing the sound coming from her throat. Kiryan smiled involuntarily at the sight of her holding back her hiccups while wheezing. He took a deep breath, not giving her time to calm down. ¡°Are you crazy? A guy who doesn¡¯t even know how to fight tells them to jump on? What¡¯s really going on with your head?¡± Kiryan scolded her. ¡°No. I know how to fight!¡± Yvonne defends herself. ¡°You are funny for someone who has never been kicked. I often fight with my dog over sweets! We roll around on the dirty floor and growl at each other! Let¡¯s not talk. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Kiryan said to her while calming herself down. ¡°How are you going to save this guy? What are you thinking? You came all the way here.¡± A kid with broken glasses asked him. ¡°Kiryan. Are not you hungry?¡± Yvonne asked while choking back her sobs. Kiryan sighed once more at her distraction. Yvonne took off her bag, not paying attention to his reaction. He found some dry bread that had been shaken and handed it over. Unconsciously receiving it, Kiryan clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Yvonne urges him. ¡°What does that mean? You¡¯re stupid.¡± Kiryan muttered but still took a bite of the bread. Diana often says that too. ¡°Franz, how are you going to live in this harsh world because you are so blind? I¡¯m worried about you. I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°Where is your house?¡± Kiryan asked. ¡°No. I¡¯m not going home.¡± Yvonne , finally being able to breathe normally, refuses to tell him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared here?¡± Kiryan told him. ¡°Scared¡­¡± Yvonne said in a small voice. Kiryan raised his voice in response to the gloomy answer. ¡°Today, the sun is setting soon, so go home early tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Go back. Your brother Kiryan is saying something right. A child like you cannot survive alone.¡± The kid with glasses agreed with Kiryan¡¯s suggestion. Yvonne ignored their protests. ¡°Ummm¡­ I also have sweets¡­ Oh, yeah. Eat sweets. It¡¯s not wet yet.¡± She was hungry, so she handed them a snack that she had been chewing on. Kiryan looked at her and her sweets alternately, seemingly at the bottom of his absurdity. Yvonne thought as she lifted her chin and turned her head. ¡°This is delicious.¡± She was sad that Kiryan didn¡¯t try her favorite chocolate-studded cookie. So she forced the cookie into his hand. ¡°This is so delicious. Kiryan, you eat too.¡± Kiryan carefully ate the cookie with a face like a dolphin seeing a puppy for the first time. Contrary to her expectations, Kiryan¡¯s face did not brighten and rather, Kiryan¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Tasty¡­ No? It would be delicious.¡± Yvonne continued to munch on her food. ¡°Too sweet.¡± Kiryan muttered with a crumpled expression. ¡°Then it¡¯s delicious.¡± Yvonne smiled at his tastes. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you like sweets too much?¡± Kiryan asked him in disgust. ¡°Why? Do you hate sweets?¡± Yvonne asked. ¡°Hey, what town are you from? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen someone like you. I am from M¨¹nster.¡± Yvonne started talking to the kid with glasses instead. ¡°If you¡¯re from the countryside like that, you¡¯ll love sweets.¡± She continued. Kiryan shook his head at Yvonne¡¯s behavior. He just let heer be and started to stand up instead while dusting his clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yvonne asked. ¡°My home.¡± He simply answered. Hearing the word home, Yvonne took a deep breath. Kiryan narrowed his eyes in wonder. ¡°What? I¡¯m dirty now and Kiryan¡¯s mother and father can¡¯t be greeted like this.¡± Yvonne started to somewhat fix her appearance. ¡°Gibberish. Follow me.¡± Kiryan said. Yvonne groaned as his reply. And they left for the road. Kiryan heard the most pathetic sound in the world. He let out an annoyed breath. Yvonne followed him and walked a lot. Because her leg hurts and she whined over and over, she got flicked on the forehead several times. After passing through the narrow alley, everything came to light and what was shown to him was a shabby house. There was a hole in the corner of the ceiling, and in front of the door was a mouse that was not afraid of people. ¡°Aww!¡± When Yvonne saw the mouse running away, she screamed in amazement. Kiryan ignored her like that and opened the door. The joint is rusted and the door squeaks but then it opens easily. As she shrugged her shoulders at the creepy sound, Kiryan snorted then they laughed. ¡°Go, go inside!¡± She rushed after him and went inside. She had never seen such a house until she was ten years old. Dust was piled up white, and all things were messy and scattered. There was no sunlight and it was very dark. At that moment, she clapped at the door and grabbed Kiryan¡¯s arm, terrified. With a sigh that was not childlike, Kiryan lit all the candles. ¡°Coward. From now on, I will call you Coward Franz.¡± Kiryan teased him. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not a coward ah, no¡­ I think. That¡¯s right.¡± Yvonne let go of his arm. Kiryan burst into laughter at her reaction. ¡°You are really stupid.¡± He said to Yvonne. ¡°What kind of bread is Erbong?¡± Yvonne asked to change the subject. ¡°It¡¯s a kind of bread that resembles an ugly guy like you.¡± Kiryan continued to tease him. ¡°Diana said I was the prettiest in the world!¡± Yvonne pouted. ¡°Can a guy be called pretty? Not even a girl gets complimented like that.¡± Kiryan snorted at her remark. ¡°What if I said that I was a girl?¡± Yvonne asked with a numbness in her foot. ¡°You don¡¯t like girls?¡± She looked at Kiryan weighing the weight of her question to him. ¡°All women are terrible. There¡¯s a nervous and crazy corner inside their head. Why am I telling you this?¡± Kiryan said, puzzled by Yvonne ¡¯s sudden question. Kiryan passed her and entered a small closet. It was so narrow that there was no room for a bed. He was lying on his back in the room. ¡°Hey, can I lie down next to you?¡± Yvonne asked him. Kiryan sat up suddenly then. ¡°Do you want to die? Who are you going to lie down next to?¡± She saw Kiryan giving him an evil eye over the flickering candle. Scared of his dark house, ¡®Diana, I desperately wanted to see you.¡¯ Yvonne and Diana would fight like they would never see each other again, and then they would snuggle together to sleep in the same bed. Even if everyone has a bed. So Yvonne missed Diana¡¯s warmth so much. All about her. Her red hair reminded Yvonne of a burning candle. ¡°Are you crying again?¡± Kiryan heard Yvonne sniffing. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t cry! Come on, go to sleep on the sofa.¡± Kiryan tried to comfort a crying Yvonne again. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± He asked him then. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Yvonne told him. ¡°Lies.¡± Kiryan said. Yvonne squatted and crumpled up next to Kiryan, causing Kiryan to exclaim vigorously. ¡°Go away!¡± Kiryan tried to push her away. ¡°Aww! It¡¯s scary!¡± Yvonne held on to his arm instead. ¡°You still can¡¯t even sleep alone even though you¡¯re that old?¡± Kiryan said in disgust, pushing her away again. ¡°Yeah, it could be! Will you stay by my side until I fall asleep? You can¡¯t go anywhere! Understand?¡± Yvonne kept hugging him with no intention of letting go. Every time she got nervous, she grabbed his arm even tighter. Kiryan¡¯s body temperature was slightly higher. As he was about to let go of her wrist, he grabbed her hand. ¡°You really are a coward.¡± Kiryan quietly surrendered to her whims. ¡°You are brave.¡± Yvonne said. ¡°Until there is a crybaby.¡± Kiryan teased him again. He just sat still with Yvonne¡¯s arm hugging his arm, Kiryan looked at her, ¡°You are not crying.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m all grown up. I have grown up too.¡± Yvonne said convincing him, though to Kiryan, she is convincing more of herself than him. ¡°Do not be ridiculous. You still have some mother¡¯s milk on your lips.¡± Kiryan looked away. ¡°I am over ten years old! I am much more than that.¡± Yvonne retorted and got sleepy as well. Yvonne wondered if Kiryan would disappear while she was sleeping. She took his hand and yawned. As she felt his warmth in her hand, her fears went away and like all business people, Kiryan started camping with a bonfire. It felt like a maze adventure or a dragon adventure. The bonfire is a dream candle, and the night sky is a black ceiling, it made Franz giggle. ¡°Hehehe. Kiryan, good night.¡± She turned to her side and smiled at Kiryan. Their eyes met in the dim light of a moment before the candle went out. It is reflected in a golden hue. It was a twinkling light. Yvonne thought it was because his eyes were like stars ¡°Hey, crybaby. Are you not afraid of me?¡± Kiryan asked him. ¡°Why? Are you scary?¡± Yvonne asked back. ¡°Everyone in my town is afraid of me. I didn¡¯t do anything. Because of my parents they think I¡¯m crazy too. Ha ha!¡± Kiryan laughed bitterly with this memory. ¡°No, I¡¯m just a coward. But Kiryan is not scary.¡± Yvonne said. After a long yawn, her eyes were closed. She was sweating but her body was cold. Kiryan put a blanket to cover her. Yvonne instinctively fell into Kiryan¡¯s arms. ¡°Hey, hey.¡± Kiryan tried waking her up. ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± She groaned then she hugged Kiryan tightly like how she hugs Diana when sleeping. She loved Diana¡¯s arms. The two often fought, but they loved each other more than anyone else. Kiryan¡¯s arms were different from Diana¡¯s, but he was strong. ¡°Kiryan. Sleep well.¡± Yvonne mumbled and fell asleep. At dawn, Yvonne woke up to a loud noise. Kiryan was not by her side. Without a moment to cry in an empty seat, outside Kiryan¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Die! Die! Why are you doing this to me!¡± It was a desperate scream. It was the first time she heard a scream like that, but one day Beth cried like that of the ¡®cat that is cornered and raises its claws¡¯ Yvonne thought the sound would be like that. ¡°Do you know what my life has been like because of you? Huh? It¡¯s been ruined! I shouldn¡¯t have given birth to you!¡± The woman continued to scream. ¡°Shut up!¡± It was Kiryan¡¯s voice this time. ¡°It was a mistake to have you and to raise you.¡± The woman continued. ¡°Go away! Get out! Why did you crawl into the house?¡± She continued to hurl insults to Kiryan. Yvonne heard something break and sharp bursts and sounds not familiar to her. She was terrified, crouching down on her body and holding her breath. ¡°You bastard who doesn¡¯t even know grace! Leave me alone! Just go to your useless father!¡± The woman said hysterically. ¡°Okay. Who is that handsome father? Do you know who my father is? Do you remember him apart from the guys you¡¯ve been through?¡± Kiryan snarled back. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know about him. I don¡¯t even remember his face.¡± His mother spite him with disgust. It was a sound that anyone could hear. At that sound, Yvonne felt her chest sink. It was unimaginable for a parent to beat their child. Of course, the same goes for their conversation. It was a very frightening situation for Yvonne. Fighting with evil as if the world was destroyed, and the fierce hatred that spreads through the closed door. ¡°Ahhh! Why are you hitting me! What are you hitting!¡± Kiryan groaned. ¡°Shut up! Shut up!¡± His mother continued to hit him even though he wasn¡¯t even fighting her back. The pounding sound and the strong air vibrations choked Yvonne. She wanted to cry right away, but she was so scared that she didn¡¯t even have the courage to cry. ¡®Mother, Father, Diana¡­ I¡¯m so scared.¡¯ She silently pleaded for the beating to stop. ¡°Crazy bastard. I gave birth to a monster like you and raised it, and then now it¡¯s my fault. What a crazy life! Go to hell!¡± She shouted as if it would make her miserable life better. Then there was the sound of banging footsteps and the door slammed shut. The door of the closet where Yvonne was located squeaked and opened naturally in the recoil of the wall throughout the house. Kiryan, who was standing in the living room, turned his head towards her. When he saw that she was awake, Kiryan¡¯s face showed a little bit of embarrassment. But soon the feeling turned to shame and he blushed right away. She knew how much Kiryan¡¯s face was going to suck, and that he was ripe like a blush even in the early morning when the day was not yet bright. Kiryan didn¡¯t say anything. He just went to the front door, opened it and ran out of the house. ¡°Kiryan-! Kiryan!¡± Yvonne felt it was all her fault that Kiryan ran away, so she was instinctively convinced that her existence had hurt him, so she hurried to pursue him. She hurts her first friend just like how she hurts Diana just by being there.