Failed To Abandon the Villain - Chapter 8

“Your clothes are crooked, master.”

Reinhardt, who had been silently watching her dress herself, strode over and lightly grasped the hem of her garment. Loosening the knot, he deftly retied it with precise movements.

“No matter how many times I teach you, you never seem to remember.”

“…At this rate, isn’t it time for you to leave?”

With a radiant smile spread across his face, Reinhardt dramatically placed a red-cursed necklace around her neck. Then, as if to add the finishing touch, he draped a thick shawl over her shoulders.

“Such unkind words.”

Valetta let out a sigh. Two years had passed since Reinhardt had clung to her desperately, bruised and battered. Time had flown by mercilessly.

Since that day, Valetta no longer resisted the Count’s words unnecessarily. She complied and obeyed. After all, any misstep on her part would only result in violence being unleashed on Reinhardt.

Of course, part of her compliance stemmed from the Earl of Delight’s final warning. With four years left, Reinhardt still showed no intention of leaving.

“Let me fix your hair once more.”

“…It’s fine.”

“If you’re okay with it getting messed up by the wind, then by all means, head out as is.”

Was that an excuse or a threat? By now, she was so accustomed to his attentiveness that Valetta simply closed her mouth.

The peculiar master-servant dynamic between them remained as superficial as ever. When she sat down without resistance, Reinhardt skillfully styled her hair with his long fingers.

Earrings adorned her ears, while her wrist—unlike the one wearing a bracelet that acted like a tracking device—was fitted with a simpler, less ornate bracelet. Around her neck rested a necklace imbued with the magic of obedience.

The designs were simple, entirely to Valetta’s taste. She couldn’t fathom how he knew her preferences, given that she had never once voiced them aloud.

“Why are you going to the market?”

“To look for herbs.”

“Hmm…”

Reinhardt even helped her into a robe over her shoulders.

“May I come with you?”

“No.”

“…I see.”

Faced with her outright rejection, Reinhardt quietly shut his mouth. He was well aware that she had recently been making efforts to exile or send him elsewhere. Pretending it didn’t bother him would be a lie.

“What could my lady possibly dislike about me so much?”

His murmured words fell on deaf ears. Valetta remained silent, her lips tightly sealed as if glued shut.

Her refusal to even spare him a glance caused Reinhardt’s brow to twitch briefly.

“If I wring her neck, she’ll die.”

Slowly, he reached out and let his fingers hover near her neck. Valetta, frowning slightly as if uneasy, lifted her gaze to meet his.

“You’ve got dust on you.”

Reinhardt lightly brushed the back of her neck with his thumb before pulling away. If she died, her expressions and voice would disappear forever. The thought wasn’t particularly pleasant.

A chill ran down Valetta’s spine where Reinhardt had touched her, prompting her to rub at her neck vigorously with her own hand.

“Since Master dislikes it, there’s nothing I can do. Then, take care on your way.”

Reinhardt backed down obediently. Valetta glanced at him silently before giving a small nod. After seeing her off, he truly didn’t follow her. It was freedom for the first time in a long while.

* * *

“I deeply apologize for visiting so late. We should have come sooner.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like we could send a signal from here or that you’d have found us even if you were searching.”

“The binding is a spell of subjugation. It won’t be difficult to break. Once it’s removed, please come with us to the tower. You’ll stay there until you reach adulthood.”

A faint voice pierced through the haze of Valetta’s mind, slowly bringing her out of deep sleep.

‘Where is that voice coming from?’

This was not her room. Turning her head, she noticed the curtains by the open window of the adjacent room fluttering in the breeze.

‘The next room?’

It was unmistakably Reinhardt’s voice. No one else used that room, and since the door hadn’t been locked, he could enter whenever he pleased. Yet, she hadn’t expected him to be there.

As Valetta replayed the conversation in her mind, she covered her mouth with both hands, holding her breath.

‘…Did we meet this early? A whole year earlier?’

Currently, Reinhardt was twenty-one, and Valetta was nineteen. Five years ago, she had been engaged to the crown prince, with their wedding planned for the day she turned twenty. It was a deal struck between the imperial family and Count Delight, entirely ignoring her own wishes.

“His confidants…”

Valetta muttered to herself. In the novel, Reinhardt had two confidants who were so loyal they would feign death if he ordered them to.

‘The story doesn’t delve deeply into Valetta’s perspective, but…’

Given the timing, it wouldn’t be surprising if those people had already reached out. It was also possible Reinhardt had contacted the magic tower to reveal his whereabouts.

‘I’ll try talking to him again tomorrow.’

Since that day, when Reinhardt grazed her neck with his gaze filled with madness, time seemed to pass unbearably slowly.

She’d begged Count Delight to get rid of Reinhardt at least once a week, so much so that a year and a half ago, he finally assigned her a new servant to replace him.

‘But that wasn’t what I wanted.’

Everything had taken a strange turn. The problem was that Reinhardt was still in this mansion.

She had even suggested to Count Delight that Reinhardt be sold off somewhere else, only to be harshly scolded.

‘Stop being childish,’ he’d said.

Was this really a matter of maturity? It wasn’t about punishment or confinement—it was about her life hanging by a thread every day.

Creeping silently on tiptoe, Valetta carefully closed the window and drew the curtains. Then, she perched on the edge of the bed, feeling unsettled.

‘When will this bracelet finally come off?’

She raised her hand, staring at the magical bracelet still fastened around her wrist. She had thought it would be removed when she came of age, but Count Delight had yet to release her from it.

Was marriage the condition for its removal? The thought deepened her furrowed brow.

That night, Valetta stayed awake until dawn.

Since about a year and a half ago, Reinhardt had no longer been assigned to attend to her. Count Delight had issued the order after she rejected Reinhardt’s service.

Although Reinhardt had looked visibly hurt, Valetta knew it was all an act. Above all, seeing his face every morning had been too much for her.

As soon as daylight broke, Valetta headed straight to Count Delight’s study. Fortunately, only the count was present. After checking her surroundings one more time, she spoke up.

“Father.”

“…Valetta? What brings you here so early in the morning?”

“It’s just that…”

“And what are you wearing this time? Even if you’re inside the estate, haven’t I told you to carry yourself modestly? You’re soon to be the Crown Princess, and eventually the Empress.”

At Count Delight’s words, Valetta’s expression twisted. After nearly twenty years of hearing the same thing, just listening to it sent shivers down her spine.

“That… slave who serves you, Father…”

“If it’s about that slave, I don’t want to hear another word.”

His tone was dismissive, as if exhausted by the topic.

“How many times must I repeat myself? If you’re not looking to get into serious trouble, go back and practice your embroidery or something.”

“But, Father…”

“I’ve already told you that once you come of age, the slave will be sent to the back estate with you.”

How many times did she have to say it would be too late by then?

Send him away before I come of age!

How could he not understand that the problem was her reaching adulthood? Valetta clenched her fists, her anger simmering beneath the surface.

“I understand you dislike the slave, but you’re nineteen now, aren’t you? It’s just one more year. Bear with it a little longer.”

“…Ah.”

That one year was precisely the problem. It was the one year. Valetta lowered her trembling fists and bowed her head. There was no room for discussion—no chance for her to voice her opinion.

Forget it.

She gave up and dropped her head, her eyes catching sight of the bracelet set with emerald gemstones around her wrist. Raising her arm, she swung it lightly in front of the count.

“And when will this bracelet come off? Walking into the capital with something like this will make me the laughingstock of the court.”

“It’s for your safety. Once the wedding is over, I’ll remove it.”

So, in other words, she’d have to wear it for another year. Safety, her foot.

Anyone could tell it was to prevent her from escaping, getting kidnapped, or causing trouble.

Another layer of despair piled onto the weight already crushing her. She couldn’t escape, and her father wouldn’t entertain the idea of letting Reinhardt go. He was too focused on calculating how to sell off that “valuable asset” for the highest price.

Would a pair of pliers work to cut this off?

Valetta glanced at her wrist thoughtfully before turning to leave. As she opened the door to the study, her eyes met Reinhardt’s, who was standing just outside.

…Did he hear all that?

For a moment, his cold, expressionless gaze froze her in place. Then, as if it had never been there, a gentle smile crept across his lips.