Failed To Abandon the Villain - Chapter 2

‘I moved him for now, but…’

Valetta wore a troubled expression as she wrestled with her thoughts. Of course, she hadn’t moved him herself; a servant had assisted her.

Despite being a slave, Reinhardt was assigned the room next to hers. That was on Count Delight’s orders—so he could protect her, even at the cost of his life, should anything happen.

“…He looks more likely to die before he can protect anyone,” Valetta muttered, staring at the poorly wrapped bandages around his wounds.

The servant had done the bare minimum, merely wiping the injuries clean before wrapping them haphazardly. Even someone like Valetta, who knew nothing about medicine, could tell the servant had no medical knowledge either.

Knock, knock.

The sound of someone knocking on the wooden door made Valetta turn. It was the same servant who had bandaged Reinhardt earlier. He came in carrying a basin of cold water and a towel, likely due to Reinhardt’s fever.

“Don’t bother with that. Call a doctor already. He’s going to die at this rate.”

“Young Lady, forgive my saying so, but… calling a doctor for a slave is a waste. These creatures have an uncanny knack for clinging to life. Just leave him be; he’ll recover soon enough.”

The servant’s dismissive tone, treating Reinhardt as less than human, made Valetta frown deeply. Anyone could see that the boy’s condition wouldn’t improve without proper care.

“Do you think I was asking for your opinion?”

“Pardon…?”

“If we leave him like this, he’ll die. So call a doctor,” she said firmly.

The servant’s eyes widened in shock. Valetta’s violet eyes, so reminiscent of violets, had taken on an icy edge, chilling him to the core.

“I gave you an order. Do you understand? Shall I tell my father that you dared to defy me?”

“…No, my apologies. I’ll summon a doctor right away.”

“Tell them to hurry. Offer extra payment if needed.”

“Yes, my Lady.”

The servant bowed deeply, hastily placing the basin of cold water and towel on the bedside table before rushing out of the room.

Watching his pale, terrified face as he fled, Valetta scratched her cheek and let out a long sigh.

She wasn’t used to this kind of hierarchical dynamic, but there was no helping it. Count Delight was notoriously strict, and because he treated Valetta as a mere “useful tool,” some of the household staff openly disrespected her when he wasn’t around.

Of course, they’d never dare behave that way in front of the Count.

In such cases, invoking her father’s name usually silenced them. It was an ugly tactic, but an effective one.

‘I usually just let it slide…’

Valetta sighed internally. Normally, she tolerated unfair treatment from the household staff. The reason was simple: complaining to her father would inevitably lead to her suffering as well.

Most servants only mocked her behind her back, but occasionally, there were tactless newcomers like the one earlier.

Particularly the young ones, who often spoke down to her, assuming her age made her ignorant of the world. While she was used to such condescension, hearing someone dismissively claim that Reinhardt’s “slave status” made him unnaturally resilient had irked her more than usual.

‘And if they keep tormenting him like this…’

The consequences could be catastrophic.

Reinhardt wasn’t quick to anger. In the novel, he was always described as wearing a calm, pleasant smile. Yet even as a character confined to the pages, the descriptions of his unnerving presence had sent chills down her spine.

He was the kind of person who quietly stored every slight, waiting until the perfect moment to unleash everything in a catastrophic explosion.

‘An unawakened mage is weak, right?’

The greater a mage’s talent, the later they typically awakened. Most mages gained their powers in their mid-teens, but Reinhardt’s awakening didn’t occur until Valetta’s 20th birthday.

On that day, he wiped out every living thing in the Delight household, including the servants, and ascended as the master of the Mage’s Tower.

‘Including me.’

Valetta let out a deep sigh.

“Haa… haa…”

Reinhardt’s breathing was labored, each breath sounding more like a struggle to stay alive. She was still baffled by how he’d managed to kneel before her earlier with sheer willpower.

While it was true that, as the servant had claimed, he likely wouldn’t die from his wounds, she couldn’t just leave him to suffer.

‘I’ll heal him and send him away.’

Granting him freedom was the only way to avoid her own death. Valetta wrung out the cold towel from the basin and placed it on Reinhardt’s forehead. He flinched at the chill, his body trembling slightly.

“…Who?”

His silver eyelashes fluttered before he slowly opened his eyes. His crimson irises, dulled by fever, met hers.

“I called a doctor. Rest a bit more. Once you’re better, I’ll find a chance to send you away. You need to leave this house. Understand?”

“…Why?”

His lips barely moved, yet Valetta could hear the question clearly.

Why? Because she knew he would kill her someday. She needed to get rid of him while she still could. If she needed a slave, she could just ask her father for another—but Reinhardt? Absolutely not.

He was already a lunatic, even now when weakened by his wounds. Anyone who had seen the way he smiled earlier, with his eerie gaze, would understand the truth.

There was an old saying about the dangers of raising black-haired beasts. Reinhardt was exactly that—a beast. Not just any beast, but one destined to bring calamity.

And it wasn’t just calamity he’d bring; he’d bring her death along with it.

“I don’t need you,” Valetta said curtly.

If Reinhardt ran away with the red bead, Count Delight would undoubtedly fly into a rage.

But Valetta preferred the punishment her father would dole out—whether it meant going hungry for a week or being hung upside down again—over being killed by this future madman.

“…Strange human…”

Reinhardt murmured faintly before closing his eyes again.

‘As if you’re one to talk about being strange.’

Valetta scoffed inwardly, wringing the towel again before placing it back on his forehead.

It was an hour later when the doctor finally arrived.

“The blade pierced him, but thankfully it was a clean wound. While the lacerations are severe, his condition isn’t too dire,” the doctor explained.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Have him take this medicine three times a day after meals and sprinkle this powder on the wounds. Change the bandages daily, and make sure to keep the area dry until it heals.”

“Got it.”

Valetta nodded, taking the doctor’s instructions to heart. She’d see to it that Reinhardt recovered… before finding a way to rid herself of him for good.

“Alright, thank you. I’ll call you again if needed. Just name your fee, and the servant will take it from my personal allowance,” Valetta said casually.

“Of course, please feel free to summon me anytime,” the doctor replied, bowing deeply before leaving the room.

He had administered antipyretics and painkillers, and Reinhardt’s complexion already looked noticeably better than before.

‘Once he recovers, I’ll give him some money and send him away.’

She had made this resolution dozens of times throughout the day.

In the novel, Reinhardt wasn’t a frequent presence, but his impact was immense.

Whenever he appeared, it was either to obliterate an entire village or to toy with the male lead, a Swordmaster, using just a finger. Descriptions of his actions were always over-the-top and terrifying.

His personality was equally abysmal—he could smile kindly, as if offering the world on a platter, only to turn around and slit someone’s throat without hesitation.

“Even as a child, he’s really something else,” Valetta muttered, observing him.

If she hadn’t known all of this, she might have gone out of her way to win his favor. After all, the real Valetta from the novel had liked him.

[“Do you love me, Valetta?”
“Yes, I love you, Reinhardt. I’d go anywhere with you. So… after you’ve avenged yourself on this household, let’s leave together. I’ll help you.”
“Really? That’s a shame—I don’t love you.”
The man whispered sweetly, caressing her cheek with his voice dripping with honey.]

In the novel, Reinhardt used Valetta’s love to his advantage. Then, after annihilating her family, he killed her last, with a smile.

There was supposedly a reason for his actions, but Valetta couldn’t quite remember what it was. Still, the thought alone gave her chills.

‘Why did he kill Valetta too? I can’t recall…’

She shook her head vigorously, dispelling the unsettling memories.

“Right, I’m definitely getting rid of him.”

Nodding to herself, Valetta took one last glance at the deeply sleeping Reinhardt and quietly exited the room.