Home/I Saved the Villain and Fell Asleep/ch 47

Chapter 47

I broke into a cold sweat trying to shake off Colton, who clung to my hem begging me not to leave so soon, to stay a little longer.

I told him I'd be back soon, and he pouted like a sulking child—leaving behind a 2-meter-tall man with that expression, we headed for the village with the teleportation portal to the ducal estate.

After taking the portal I'd arranged in advance, we reached the ducal territory in no time.

Passing through the massive gates, we crossed the garden. Having not been to the main house in years, it felt unfamiliar, almost like it wasn't our home. Though it was definitely the ducal castle I remembered.

"Welcome back, young lady, young master. I'm relieved you're safe."

Simon came out to greet us, his eyes glistening.

"Simon, any trouble? Where's Rachel?"

"The Duchess is in her office."

"Hari and Kali, go to the office first. Irein, follow me."

"Okay."

We're going to get scolded, aren't we? 100%?

This wasn't just a trip to the back hills—it was a full-scale disappearance in the middle of the night, followed by participating in an underground auction to buy a haunted mansion.

"Let's go. Get scolded..."

Afraid Kali might run off, I grabbed his wrist firmly.

"Oh, right. Hari."

"Huh?"

"I'm confiscating that bracelet for now."

Father's calloused palm appeared before my eyes. I looked up at him with a pout, but he just shook his head, refusing to let it slide.

I had no choice but to remove the bracelet and place it in his hand. The sudden drop in my height made me stagger, and Kali caught me.

I missed being at eye level without having to look down.

"Now, go on. Your mother is waiting."

"Okay."

Taking a deep breath, I gently pulled the office door open. The moment I peeked through the gap, I met Mother's eyes.

"Goodness! You two!"

Mother shot up from her seat and rushed over, pulling both Kali and me into a tight embrace.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Do you know how worried I was?"

"Sorry, Mom."

"...I'm sorry for making you worry."

Kali, who hadn't said a single apology to Father, immediately apologized to Mother—how infuriating.

You sly little thing.

"Honestly, you have no idea how dangerous the world can be! If either of you had gotten hurt, I would have been bedridden again!"

"I'll be careful."

"What about saying you won't do it again?"

"Hehe."

It's better not to make promises you can't keep. Mother caught me trying to laugh it off and pinched my cheek, sighing deeply.

"Kali, dear."

Mother bent down and grabbed Kali's shoulders with both hands.

"Are you okay? Weren't you scared?"

It was an unexpected question. Weren't you scared?

"Kali. When I heard you chased the intruders alone... I wanted to tell you this. Just once—please remember that we're here. We're always ready to take your hand when you reach out."

"...Madam."

"Is our youngest suddenly being formal? Aren't you going to call me Rachel?"

Mother smiled mischievously.

Mother, who had allowed Kali to call her by name, always smiled with a sense of emotion whenever he called her Rachel. She said it reminded her of Eve and brought back old memories.

"Even if I were to leave this place right now? Even if, in the future, I find my place and become Grand Duke?"

"Oh my? What are you saying? Of course. Just as Irein is still family even after he becomes independent, so are you. Kali, no matter what you do, the Algenprina ducal house will always be on your side."

"...And you?"

"Hm?"

Kali's gaze fixed on me. For a moment, I felt as if I saw black flames flickering behind his green eyes.

"Can you be on my side too?"

"Of course?"

Why are you asking that now? I've been working so hard to make your life easier! If I'm not on your side, who is?

"Don't you think you're answering too easily? You don't know what I'll do. I'll do whatever it takes to take revenge on Isaac—even if it means staining my hands with blood."

"Goodness, Kali!"

Mother pulled the expressionless Kali into an embrace as he spoke those cruel words.

...Wait, seriously. You've already killed someone in front of me, remember? Did you forget? You snapped a guy's head off! Thump! Drop!

"Dear. You don't have to think about those things yet. If I could, I'd take away that knot of revenge in your heart myself—but I know you wouldn't want that. I'm not trying to stop you from taking revenge. I just want you to know that you don't have to carry it all alone."

As Mother finished, Kali's face began to crumple. Mother, flustered, held him tightly.

"Kali, it's okay. It's okay. Calm down."

"You really do think too much."

Kali lowered his head to hide his tear-streaked face. I bent down and looked up at him.

Ignoring the sharp look he was giving me, I stared at him—specifically, at the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"Kali, are you going to set a village on fire when you get mad?"

"What? Are you crazy?"

"Or are you going to blow up the Grand Duke's mansion and take everyone down with you?"

"Rachel, I think she's lost it."

Both Kali and Mother were staring at me in shock.

"If you're not planning any of that, what's there to worry about? Our family's already used to Irein's chaos. No matter what you do, we won't even blink."

Honestly. What goes on in that little head of yours?

"Ah, stop looking at me!"

"Ehe. Fine."

"Alright, you two cuties. Let's go downstairs. Where are your father and Irein?"

"They went off together—said they had business. Mom, where's Sier?"

"Sier's in the library. Should I call him for some tea? I want to hear about what happened from you two directly."

"Sure!"

"Ah, ah!"

We chatted so much yesterday that my throat was raw. I was sprawled on the bed, blinking my tired eyes, when I heard a knock.

Who's here this early?

Before I could answer, the door swung open. Without turning my head, I snapped.

"Kali, are you going to keep flinging my door open like that? What if I was changing?"

"You? At this hour?"

...It is a bit early.

"What brings you here? Not sleeping? Aren't you tired?"

"Curious."

"About what? Don't tell me—my just-woke-up face?"

"You're still half-asleep. Did you already forget about the hat you worked so hard to get?"

"Ah, the hat!!"

I jumped out of bed, finger-combed my messy hair, and pulled out my club.

"You didn't seem interested, but now you are?"

"I thought it might be useful. What I'm curious about is whether it really doesn't burn."

"What?! The Mountain God said it doesn't burn!"

"Let's just test it once."

Why is he so obsessed with things that don't burn?

I glared at Kali with fiery eyes, and he shrugged, gesturing for me to pull out the two halves of the hat.

When I took both halves out of the club, the green gems flickered. Even split in two, the hat still shimmered faintly.

"...So how do we combine them?"

I held them together and shook them, but nothing happened.

"Maybe they're not supposed to be one piece?"

I got off the bed and stumbled over to the sofa where Kali was lying. Then, like the Little Match Girl's cloak, I wrapped both pieces around Kali's face.

He just frowned slightly but didn't pull them off.

"The Mountain God only said it was half and I should find the other half—he didn't say how to combine them."

"...Maybe you're supposed to sew them together?"

Kali fingered the edge of the hat and asked doubtfully.

"Eh? That would be so ugly."

I grabbed both dangling ends of the hat under Kali's chin and tied them in a knot. The hat was long enough to tie into a bow.

As I moved my hand to check if the bow was tied properly, Kali's face disappeared.

"Oh my god!!"

"What?"

"Whoa! No, this! Wow!!"

I couldn't form proper words. I let out a series of strange, half-formed sounds and stumbled backward.

"Your, your face is gone!!!"

The part of Kali's face covered by the hat was invisible. It was as if his face had never been there—only the back of the sofa was visible.

His body was still there, but his face was gone. When Kali sat up, a headless body moved.

"Aaaah!!! Horror!! This is horror!!!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and waved my hand over where Kali's face should be. My hand touched warm skin. Groping for his chin, I untied the hat, and Kali's fair face reappeared.

"Ah? It combined!!"

Once I untied the hat from his face, the two separate pieces had fused into one.

So tying the knot was the answer?

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