* * *

His response was logical, but it lacked sincerity.

It wasn’t “I’m sorry,” but “I apologize.”

At first glance, it seemed formal and polite, but on second thought, it was an empty gesture.

Come to think of it, has Raizen ever truly apologized to anyone in his life?

Not that it matters to me.

“I see…”

I muttered quietly, and Raizen smiled in satisfaction.

His face showed no doubt, as if confident he had the right answer.

‘A face practically begging to be messed with.’

Suppressing a laugh, I brushed my chest with one hand.

“But… something still feels off.”

“What feels off?”

“My heart… still feels heavy, hyung.”

Raizen’s slightly parted lips pressed shut.

“Hm, I wonder why.”

Why?
Because you didn’t apologize properly.

I deliberately put on a firm expression.

“Hyung, are you seriously asking because you don’t know?”

Instead of answering, Raizen tilted his head slightly.

“Shane.”

His tone sounded like he was soothing a sulky child—or maybe a strict teacher.

He probably thought I’d back down quickly if he approached me like this.

But predictable behavior is boring and quickly tiresome.

“It’s because my heart hasn’t been set at ease. You didn’t apologize properly.”

‘Was that too much?’

I regretted it for a moment but figured it wouldn’t come across as overly harsh since I said it in a somewhat sulky tone.

Judging by the slight surprise on Raizen’s face, my assessment seemed correct.

It shouldn’t be too easy, but it also shouldn’t be too difficult.

Something Raizen could figure out but not predict entirely—a level that might frustrate him slightly.

‘That way, he’ll try harder to win me over.’

Attachment isn’t complicated.

When you see someone often and think about them frequently, feelings develop, whether fondness or irritation.

As long as he doesn’t kill me, I can work with that.

“I see…”

Raizen hesitated briefly before speaking again.

“I’m sorry.”

His gaze seemed to ask, ‘Are you satisfied now?’

I responded with a beaming smile.

“Thanks for apologizing.”

“So… does that mean we’ll be sleeping together every night now?”

His predatory question was delivered with the precision of a beast pouncing on its prey.

I lowered my gaze.

“Sorry, hyung.”

“Hm?”

Even without looking, I could tell what Raizen wanted to say.

The implication behind his words—that he was willing to pretend not to notice and give me another chance to reconsider—was painfully obvious.

“I guess… my heart hasn’t fully healed yet.”

“Shane, you promised that if I guessed correctly, you’d do as I asked.”

“Sorry…”

Looks like I need to hit him with something stronger.

After fidgeting with my fingers for a moment, I spoke.

“I think… I still resent you, hyung.”

“…Resent me?”

“Yeah. You said something mean and hurt my feelings.”

I extended my fidgeting hand toward Raizen.

Amusingly, he grabbed it immediately.

“Still… I’ll hold your hand every day.”

In other words, ‘I’m not ready to sleep with you yet, Raizen.’

A long silence followed.

‘He’s not going to kill me for this… right?’

Just as that worry started creeping into my mind, Raizen finally broke the silence.

“I’m sorry, Shane.”

“…”

“I think I’ve been too selfish. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

‘Wow, this guy’s persistent.’

It was clear Raizen was dead set on sharing a bed with me.

I could guess why—probably something to do with efficiency.

But shouldn’t that be tested first?

‘Not that I’d agree to testing it, anyway.’

At the very least, I had nothing to lose in this situation.

Raising my lowered gaze, I met Raizen’s faintly smiling face.

“If we grow closer…!”

I caught a fleeting change in Raizen’s expression.

But true to his nature as a shadowy schemer, he quickly composed himself and nodded.

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

His clenched teeth betrayed his words, but maybe that was just my imagination.

“Okay!”

In any case… this counts as a win for me.

Haha.

…Or so I thought.

∗   ∗   ∗

Correction: I lost. Completely and utterly!

“Sei, are you okay?”

The voice calling my name jolted me back to my senses.

Right in front of me was Raizen, looking at me with concern.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine!”

At that, he gave a faint smile—a smile that seemed so sorrowful.

“This must be boring for you, huh? All these history stories….”

‘Yeah, it’s boring as hell.’

“A-Ah, no! It’s not that! It’s just, um….”

I couldn’t bring myself to say, “It’s interesting!”

It would’ve been a total lie.

The history of this world?

Thanks to the novel, I already knew the basics.

Listening to it all over again wasn’t exactly unbearable.

‘Besides, there might be differences from the novel, like with all that alpha and omega stuff.’

So I’d been listening earnestly enough to compare the two.

That is, if it had been a simple overview suitable for a child.

‘But why is he explaining things like the imperial family’s genealogy…?’

Who’s the child of whom, which family has distant royal blood, and so on.

Why did I need to know any of this?

‘Does he actually think this is fun?’

No matter how I looked at it, it felt like he was doing this to mess with me.

There’s no way he could be serious about this otherwise.

And to think, all of this started because of my own big mouth.

‘Let’s try to get closer…!’

That was my clumsy ploy to avoid having to share a bed with him.

But Raizen seemed to take my words quite seriously.

The next day, when I went to hold his hand, he came out with:

‘I feel like we don’t know each other very well. How about we spend some time introducing the things we like to each other? That way, we can grow closer.’

For someone destined to be a villain, it was a surprisingly thoughtful suggestion, so I eagerly nodded along.

Not knowing what a twelve-year-old kid might enjoy, I let Raizen take the first turn.

‘Then, how about we start with what you like? It’s fine if it takes a few days!’

I really need to sew my cursed lips shut.

The first day wasn’t too bad. It was just watching a swordsmanship training session.

Raizen must’ve realized my scrawny frame couldn’t even lift a wooden sword, so he didn’t bother trying to teach me or make me participate.

Thanks to that, I got to sit cozily wrapped in fur enchanted with warming magic, eating snacks and watching him train.

‘But the second day? This is just cruel.’

Even thinking back on it now, it felt deliberate.

Suspicious as it was, I had to say something.

‘If I tell him I don’t understand because it’s too complicated, he might give up on his own.’

Just as I was about to open my mouth, Raizen beat me to it.

“Sorry. I must be a boring person, huh?”

His voice was utterly drained, his drooping eyes adding to his dejected expression.

That signature coldness of his was completely gone, and before I knew it, my heart sank.

His face was uncannily similar to his.

‘Hyung.’

I couldn’t help it.

When emotions you’ve suppressed start to overflow, there’s no holding them back.

Hyung.

His face, our shared memories—everything was still vivid.

But I couldn’t remember his name.

I couldn’t recall the number of his apartment.

The scrap of paper with his number, just in case I ever got a phone to call him, had vanished.

I wanted to find him, but I couldn’t.

Sometimes, I even wondered if Hyung from my past life ever existed.

Had I gone so mad with loneliness that my subconscious invented him?

Or maybe…

‘Maybe Hyung was someone from another world.’

Like in fantasy novels.

Or like me now—a being from another world.

Those kinds of beings naturally fade from people’s memories once they’re gone.

Without realizing it, I stared at Raizen.

‘Could it be…?’

What if, really, somehow…

“Hey—”

“Sei?”

Raizen’s quiet call snapped me back to reality.

‘Get a grip, you idiot.’

Smack!

I slapped my own cheek.

The sharp sting brought me fully back to my senses.

“Sei…?”

His crimson eyes narrowed, filled not with worry or shock, but curiosity.

That gaze pierced straight into my heart like a cold blade.

Yeah, this is all I am.

I’d gotten too used to Raizen being kind to me and forgotten who he truly was.

The kind of guy who doesn’t feel normal human emotions.

“Oh, uh… there was a bug. It landed on my cheek!”

“A bug?”

“Yeah! But I guess I was wrong. Haha.”

I forced myself to laugh like an idiot.

Raizen’s eyes curved slightly as he smiled.

“Then, shall we call it a day?”

Finally, some good news.

As much as I wanted to nod enthusiastically, I rolled my eyes around in faux reluctance instead.

“But I kind of want to spend more time with Hyung….”

Act like you like him.

Pretend to be fond of him.

That’s the only way to survive.

“Hmm. But if I stick around, I’ll just be a bother, right? You’re busy, after all.”

I’d already held his hand plenty and spent more than enough time together.

Surely Raizen wanted to send me off now, which was why he’d brought it up.

However, instead of replying, Raizen pulled out a pocket watch from his coat.

“I could spare another 30 minutes, I think.”

“…Huh?”

Raizen picked up the fountain pen he’d set down earlier.

“How about we go over the Pantheon duchy’s family tree next?”

“U-Uh… okay.”

Yeah, this has to be revenge!

* * *