WDIHTVYB Chapter 25

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This wasn’t just about Raizen’s gift.

Suppressing a sigh that was becoming second nature, I set down my fountain pen.

“The second tragedy that occurs on Raizen’s fourteenth birthday.”

From the ducal mansion to the entire duchy, every animal was swallowed by a black shadow and died.

This tragedy dredged up old rumors that had long since been silenced.

As if waiting for the chance, whispers of Raizen being cursed spread like wildfire across the empire, delivering an enormous shock and wound to him.

“To be exact… it was the start of his defeat to the black mass.”

A heart beginning to crack would eventually be entirely consumed by darkness.

“I need to stop this…”

How could I?

All I could do was gamble.

Every day, I held his hand, hoping the divine power Raizen claimed I possessed would actually work.

That’s when it happened.

[Quest: Prevent the tragedy set to occur on Raizen’s birthday.
Reward: Knowledge on how to wield your power.]

“…Seriously?”

Life’s just a never-ending mess.

“If I stop the tragedy on Raizen’s birthday, I’ll be taught how to use my power?”

But wouldn’t stopping the tragedy mean I’d already figured out how to wield it?

What kind of backward logic was this, like hiring someone with experience for an entry-level job?

“And all those times I asked if I really had divine power, you just ignored me.”

And now you throw me this measly quest?

“Are you feeling unwell, young master?”

Did I clench my teeth without realizing it?

Or scrunch my face?

Mila, walking a little behind me, asked with concern.

I quickly forced a bright smile and shook my head.

“Oh, no! Nothing like that.”

Wait.

This could be an opportunity.

“Actually… it’s about my brother’s birthday present.”

“Oh my, is that so?”

“Do you have any good ideas, Mila? If you do, let me know. And keep it a secret from him, okay?”

“Of course! I’ll think about it.”

Chances were Mila would bring this up to the duchess, and if I was lucky, she might give me a hint.

We were soon near Raizen’s room.

I waved to Mila.

“Mila, I’ll head to my brother’s room now.”

“All right, young master. Don’t forget to pull the bell rope when you’re done!”

“Got it!”

Mila hated me wandering this massive estate alone.

Even though I’d told her several times it was fine, she refused to budge.

Once she was out of sight, I trudged toward Raizen’s door.

“Will Raizen come up with the right answer?”

He’d asked me for two days to think about it.

“Could I… think it over a little?”

His calm demeanor had caught me off guard.

I never expected him to make such a request.

And today was the day he’d give me his answer.

“Did I overplay my hand?”

The quest made me nervous.

“But sleeping together? Really?”

When he first suggested we share a bed, my immediate reaction was:

“Has this guy lost it?”

Sure, I needed to stay on his good side.

And yeah, he was handsome like his brother.

But this was too much.

From what I could guess, my so-called power seemed to activate through physical contact or being in the same space.

But why did it have to involve sleeping together?

Honestly, I could understand why he suggested it.

“It’s convenient for him. Once asleep, he wouldn’t have to deal with me, just endure a bit of discomfort to make his life easier.”

It was probably the most efficient option Raizen could think of.

But that was his perspective, not mine.

“Sleeping together, though…”

It was bad enough that he resembled his brother.

When the sharp chill faded from his face, it made me flinch.

And now he wanted us to share a bed?

No way.

I had no intention of falling for someone like him—a future villain planning to kill me.

“I need to maintain some distance.”

Anything else would only end in misery for me.

I swallowed the sigh bubbling up and knocked on his door.

---

“Come in.”

I’d expected a simple invitation, but to my surprise, the door opened from within.

Raizen had opened it himself.

Startled, I froze for a moment, and he smiled.

“What are you waiting for? Come in.”

What’s with this guy?

His gentle tone gave me goosebumps.

Weren’t we past the point of pretending to be nice?

What brought on this sudden shift?

“Why?”

He asked again, kindly, almost as if saying, “You’d better come in if you value your life.”

Shaking my head, I quickly stepped into his room.

The interior was spotless, not a speck of dust to be found.

Taking the seat Raizen offered, I looked at the table.

Cookies, strawberry tarts, and milk were laid out neatly.

Raizen, sitting across from me, naturally cut the tart into bite-sized pieces and placed them on my plate.

“…This isn’t steak, you know.”

Annoyed, I stared at him.

But as soon as my gaze met his, he looked up.

Startled, I quickly glanced away, and he chuckled softly.

“What’s wrong? Wondering why I’m acting this way?”

Was he provoking me now?

I barely managed to suppress my irritation, forcing a smile.

“Just… feels awkward, that’s all.”

Raizen’s smile deepened.

For a moment, I was entranced, staring at him in a daze.

How could a thirteen-year-old look so captivating?

Even at his age, his perfectly formed features were enough to steal someone’s soul.

“Snap out of it!”

I couldn’t forget.

Raizen already knew how powerful his looks and position were as weapons.

At ten, he’d realized this and wielded them skillfully.

“It was all there in the ‘Raizen’s Bonus Chapter.’”

At ten, the disappearance of the servants attending him had left a profound impact.

The most notable result was his understanding of how terrifying and threatening people’s perceptions could be.

The only heir to the House of Pantheon, Raizen was beautiful, intelligent, and admired.

Until that incident, the worst he’d faced were jealous stares.

But after the disappearances, the gazes turned to fear, unease, and even disgust.

A typical ten-year-old might have been scarred or withdrawn.

But not Raizen Miel Pantheon, the budding villain.

Just as the duke and duchess had replaced the staff and silenced rumors, Raizen had done what he could: acting kind and showing maturity far beyond his years.

Thanks to this, he cemented his image as the perfect heir.

Though not explicitly stated in the Bonus Chapter, the implication was clear.

At ten, Raizen learned the value of public image.

It explained how, despite his internal rot, he grew into the flawless model heir.

“And the reason he killed Sein in the main story…”

It was likely because Sein’s loose tongue threatened to ruin his perfect image.

“Awkward?”

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the gentle, slow voice.

Pretending I hadn’t been thinking about anything, I nodded calmly.

At that, Raizen smiled faintly.

“It makes sense for you to feel awkward. If it were me, I’d wonder what’s going on too.”

Raizen pushed a neatly cut strawberry tart in front of me and continued.

“I think I’ve been too sensitive toward you. I’m sorry. You’re already struggling because of the curse, and I think I overreacted when someone new joined us.”

“…Hyung…”

‘Wow. This guy’s laying it on thick.’

Raizen hadn’t been particularly sensitive toward me from the start.

Sure, he hadn’t gone out of his way to be kind, but he’d treated me with an appropriate level of friendliness and a faint smile.

The reason I’d found him intimidating was because I already knew certain things about him.

‘If anything… he started to lose it once he realized I could be useful in alleviating the curse.’

Oh, of course, I did warn him once: if he was just pretending to act clueless, it’d be better to drop the act.

‘Maybe he took that to heart?’

To be precise, it wasn’t about him being considerate.

It was more like he found me bothersome.

He probably realized he’d need to keep me on his side and that his previous actions might make that difficult.

‘Still, at least he doesn’t think I’m a complete idiot.’

Which, frankly, was scarier.

It meant Raizen had been observing me closely.

“Thanks, hyung, for apologizing.”

I smiled as I spoke, then took a bite of the strawberry tart he had prepared.

The sweet yet slightly tart strawberries paired perfectly with the cream cheese beneath.

“But about that task I gave you… Have you thought about it?”

The moment I finished speaking, a barely noticeable crack appeared in Raizen’s expression.

‘Seriously? Was he planning to just skate by without addressing it?’

No way he didn’t figure it out.

Someone as sharp as Raizen would’ve caught on immediately.

“…You don’t know?”

If he truly didn’t, I’d need to run far, far away.

Great.

This was a disaster.

But as if nothing had happened, Raizen smiled faintly.

“I was just about to bring that up.”

‘Doesn’t seem like it, though.’

“No matter how much you’ve forgotten, your parents must still be precious to you. Suggesting you only survived because of your power was wrong. I’m sorry.”

‘Hmm…’

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