Chapter 13

Viola felt as if she had messed up something major.

"So, you shouldn't die? Viola, I'll definitely be the one to kill you. Hehehe."

Her chest felt heavy and suffocated, but she had to do what needed to be done. This was hardly a crisis.

She composed herself and spoke in a dry, expressionless tone.

"Lie down."

"Why?"

"I'll help you sleep."

Bichen tilted her head.

"Why?"

"Brother, you can't sleep, can you?"

Since she had been possessed in this crazy world, she decided to use all the information she had as a reader.

"How did you know I can't sleep?"

"It says insomnia on the family tree."

"Really?"

Bichen's eyes widened.

She looked at Zeon, as if to say, "Your information is impressive, isn't it?"

Zeon smiled.

"It's famous among the butlers, Miss."

"I see."

Bichen nodded.

"But how will you help me sleep?"

She had a serious expression.

"Are you going to use a sleeping poison?"

"No."

"Then a general anesthetic?"

"First, lie down."

Viola grabbed Bichen's wrist and led her half-forcibly.

Bichen didn't resist much.

She giggled, and Viola felt a chill down her spine and a wave of unease.

"Why are you laughing?"

Bichen was looking at Viola's wrist with curious eyes.

It was too thin.

It seemed like it would break if she squeezed it hard.

Bichen's wrist was much thinner than that of a typical seven-year-old, which made her inexplicably irritated.

The smile faded.

"I was just thinking about how to cut the artery most effectively."

She didn't know why, but she felt bad.

Why are you so small!

We're only a year apart!

I'm irritated.

Eat more.

Anger and a murderous aura surged within her.

Anyway, Viola laid Bichen down.

Thanks to the magical ointment, the bleeding had stopped, and new skin was starting to grow.

Viola sat beside the lying Bichen and stroked her head.

Swoosh, swoosh.

Her indifferent touch swept through Bichen's hair.

At this moment, Viola was not the seven-year-old Viola but the twenty-one-year-old Arin.

She knew the world's information well.

She whispered deliberately in a small voice.

"Don't relax. I want to kill you."

"Okay."

Bichen tried to open her eyes wide but failed.

"But I'm sleepy."

"If you sleep, you'll die, Bichen."

Viola curled her lips and smiled.

She slowly lowered her hand, which had been stroking Bichen's head, and gently gripped her neck.

Rumble - snore.

Surprisingly, Bichen fell asleep.

Bichen was afraid of the night.

Because when it got dark, the Duchess Isabella left baby Bichen.

Since Bichen started talking, the Duchess Isabella had put her to sleep like this.

" 'If you sleep, you'll die, son.' "

The Duchess Isabella would hold Bichen's neck as if to strangle her.

Bichen had to make great efforts not to sleep.

From the time she started walking, she had to fight against sleep.

" 'Don't relax. The enemy will kill you, Bichen.' "

Bichen had been trained like this since she was very young.

She would endure, endure, and endure until she could no longer, and then she would fall asleep.

Years passed.

When the Duchess Isabella no longer came at night,

Bichen began to fear the night.

Because her mother, who used to be with her every night, was no longer by her side.

From then on, Bichen's insomnia began.

Softly.

She looked down at the sleeping Bichen.

'She looks so innocent when she's asleep.'

Her chubby cheeks were visible, and one side of her face was slightly squished.

She looked so cute, sleeping so peacefully. Her hair was all tangled, but even that looked somehow messy and endearing.

'She's so cute when she sleeps...'

Emotionally, she was a very unstable child.

It was strange that she could grow up properly in such an environment.

Her heart was heavy. The orphanage in Korea seemed better than this wealthy duchy.

Viola slowly got up from her seat.

"Don't go."

Bichen grabbed Viola's finger.

'Sleep-talking?'

It was sleep-talking.

Despite being deeply asleep, her grip was incredibly strong.

A tear rolled down Bichen's eye.

Her body shuddered once. She made a soft sound, as if she were dreaming.

Bichen mumbled, sobbing.

"Stay by my side."

She didn't know what dream Bichen was having, but it seemed like a nightmare.

After suffering from insomnia every day, she finally fell asleep, but it didn't seem very peaceful.

Tears fell from her tightly closed eyes.

"Alone, Bichen."

In the end, Viola sat back down.

She sat at the head of Bichen's bed.

She looked down at Bichen's sleeping face for a while.

She was beautiful and pitiful.

Viola reached out and wiped away the tear marks.

She didn't know what dream Bichen was having, but Bichen was smiling faintly.

How much time had passed?

Her eyelids felt heavy. She tried to get up, but her body slipped over involuntarily.

She fell asleep on Bichen's chest.

Viola's purple hair covered Bichen's bruised body.

That day,

Bichen didn't have a nightmare for the first time in a long while.

*****

3:30 AM.

Zeon scratched his head.

"Should I not wake her?"

He carefully picked up Viola.

He walked down the hallway.

Viola was really deeply asleep.

Viola returned to her room with Zeon.

Zeon covered Viola with a blanket.

Just then, Viola opened her eyes.

Zeon didn't miss the opportunity.

"Miss, may I ask a question? I'd rather just let you sleep, but it's the day to submit the report."

Viola answered half-asleep.

"Zeon? It's 3:30 AM (now? It's 3:30 AM)......?"

Zeon smiled awkwardly.

"Yes, I'll be quick."

"Ugh (oh)."

Viola nodded once.

She was extremely sleepy. A seven-year-old's body was very vulnerable to sleep.

"You were a great actress."

Suddenly, she snapped to attention.

Zeon seemed to have noticed something.

Zeon has good eyes.

It's even mentioned in the novel.

He has good eyes and is very sharp, which is a great help to Viola.

His sharpness seemed to be shining through here as well.

'Was I found out?'

Pretending to be a villain, pretending to be cruel, pretending to be charismatic.

He might have read through all those pretenses.

"I saw your true self."

Viola didn't answer, just listened.

Her scared self.

Her intimidated self in front of the Duchess Isabella.

He seemed to have read all of that.

'How should I answer?'

She couldn't be found out. The butler Zeon only serves capable people. The novel says so.

If Viola wasn't capable, he would have killed her and committed suicide.

He said it jokingly, but it wasn't entirely a joke.

"You had a truly bloodthirsty look in your eyes."

...

...Huh?

"When you held the Duchess's dog, you had the same look."

Suddenly, Viola felt a chill.

It felt like a cold wind had swept through, even though all the windows were closed.

'Me?'

Zeon asked again.

"Why are you pretending to be so warm?"

Zeon had it backward.

He thought she was deliberately putting on a warm act.

Zeon took out a notebook and pen and kept writing.

It seemed he was organizing the content of the report to the Duchess.

"You put on a warm and benevolent act. And the act of an instinctive killer. You were thorough with your mask. Sometimes, you even showed a slightly intimidated look, even in front of the Duchess Isabella."

Zeon was definitely sharp.

Arin wasn't really Viola, and she did sometimes flinch and feel intimidated.

Even if she pretended to be fine, she was often afraid.

Zeon's eyes narrowed.

"But that's impossible. Someone with those eyes would never be intimidated. No matter who the opponent is, even the Duchess Isabella."

"......"

Zeon continued.

"So, you were deliberately acting intimidated in front of the Duchess Isabella? Your act was perfect."

No, she had tried desperately to hide her intimidated look.

It was so intense.

Zeon had only seen a little bit of it because of his sharp eyes.

"Then, may I ask the reason? Why did you put on that act?"

Zeon smiled again.

"Oh, by the way, this isn't a test. It's the content of the report to the Duchess."

"That's..."

Viola opened her mouth.

But then, something unexpected happened, something neither Viola nor Zeon had anticipated.