I Reject the villain’s ending.

Episode 4

‘What, dude, you know how to laugh?’

He mumbled dazedly like he’d been hit over the head with a hammer.

I’d picked him up when he was twelve, so in the almost nine years we’d lived together, I’d never seen him smile so beautifully.

The smile faded quickly, as Iros quickly lowered the corners of his mouth when he realized he was smiling, but it was not easily forgotten, as if etched into his retina.

‘Let’s go, we’re running out of time to get round today.’

‘Hey, hey, come with me!’

I said dumbfoundedly, watching Iros’s back as he strode away.

‘No, I’m going to tell her what that means…….’

I like being called pink.
does that mean you don’t hate me?

And it’s proof that we’re closer than everyone else.

‘You don’t hate me?’

Even after I called you into my room and did all that crap to you?

I thought he would hate me, of course, he would, but what the hell did that warm voice and smile from earlier mean?

‘You’re acting like… like you like me.’

The words muttered to myself, unheard, disappeared into the wind. I jumped to my feet and ran panting after Iros, who was walking away.

‘Iros! Pink! What does that mean? Yaaaah!’

‘I’m not going to tell you.’

‘Are you going to be cheesy and call me pink all the time?’

‘Whatever, you called it pink anyway, so it’s not my loss.’

With that, he whirled round and threw open the carriage door, bowing politely and offering me his hand.

‘You’re off to clear the air, so take it.’

‘What a cheeky pink bastard.’

‘If you delay any longer, you’ll miss dinner again.’

‘Go, go.’

Instead of getting an answer, he was taunted.

Iros’s casual mockery irritated me, so I took off my watch and smiled thinly as Iroh sat in the front seat.

‘I didn’t realize you didn’t like being called Pink, my Pink.’

‘The person I’m going to apologize to this time is a maid named Mei. She was fired because she accidentally broke a strand of hair while brushing the saint’s hair.’

‘Pinky-pinky.’

‘She is still unemployed because her forehead was cut by a jewelry box thrown by the saint. Maids‘ hair is an important factor in getting a job.’

‘…….’

I clamped my mouth shut as I teased Iros. My teasing only confirmed that I was scum.

After I wiped the mischief off my face, I straightened up and asked seriously.

‘When was it that you got fired?’

‘A year ago.’

‘And your family?’

‘Just a commoner, with a mother who’s frail, and her medicines are expensive. She has six younger siblings, too.’

‘And the father?’

‘He ran away.’

I must be rubbish to have dismissed such a child, I thought, as I stretched out in the carriage, Pink nagging me.

‘It’s dangerous to lie down like that in the carriage.’

‘I’m fine.’

‘If we make a sudden stop, you’ll be…….’

‘Boom!’

Before Iros could finish his sentence, the carriage jerked to a screeching halt and threw him forward.

Lying defenseless in the carriage, I was pushed forward and squeezed my eyes shut in anticipation of hitting the floor.

But as I expected, I didn’t hit my face on the cold floor.

Instead, I felt a firm arm and body grab me from the end of the carriage seat.

Feeling a hot body that didn’t belong to me, I slowly opened my eyes to see an unbuttoned shirt and Iros’s muzzle.

A low, sighing voice came from above my head.

‘This is why I told you not to lie down in the carriage.’

I lifted my head, and violet eyes, partially hidden by pale pink hair, looked at me with piercing clarity.

‘Because it’s dangerous.’

The words jolted me to my feet. My heart pounded as fast as a sprint.

‘Now, stop nagging me, I know now.’

‘Are you sure you know?’

‘Yes. I won’t lie down in the carriage anymore.’

It was dangerous. Dangerous.

This was the same Iros who, in the future, would be a blackened shadow, sleeping with the Emperor, and who would slit my throat with his sword.

I was so comfortable with him that I lost my guard, and my heart leaped at his appearance.

‘Come to your senses, Kim So-won. No, Sierra!’

He’s the one who’s going to kill me in the future!

I snapped out of my trance, pulling myself together.

‘Let’s go. Let’s finish apologizing.’

‘Yeah.’

Escorted by Iros, we stepped out of the carriage and pulled up in front of a ramshackle house that looked like it was falling apart.

Knocking cautiously on the door, which looked as if it would shatter if knocked on, Iros opened it.

‘Mei, I’m from the temple, would you mind opening the door?’
‘Shi, the temple? Wait!’

There was a waddling sound from inside, and a girl with orange hair and freckles burst through the door.

‘What are you doing here, hee hee hee, I’m looking for a saint!’

‘No, I’m……. You don’t have to be so overly polite.’

As if she hadn’t heard me mutter, Mei shuddered and bowed with her head on the ground.

When I went to apologize, ten or fifteen people fainted, four were overly polite, and the other one ran out the window or back door.

I ruffled Mei’s hair, wondering if this time would be any different.

‘Get up, Mei. I’ve come to apologize to you, not to harm you.’

‘Seo, how can a saint apologize to me, a commoner like me?’

Still on the floor, clutching her head, I try to help Mei to her feet, but her siblings, who have heard the commotion and rushed in, find us.

‘Sister!’

‘Auntie, what are you doing bullying our sister!’

‘Huh? We’re not doing that…….’

The kids’ eyes widened as if they had been firmly misunderstood, and fists balled up, big and small alike.

I grabbed Mei’s arm and pulled her to her feet, feeling like she was going to lunge at me at any moment, and raised my hands above my head.

‘Oh, no. Guys, wait!’

‘Yay!’

Seeing the children lunging at her, Mei scrambled to her feet and grabbed them, but they escaped her grasp…….

‘If you bully my sister, I’ll beat you all up!’

‘Don’t bully our sister, you naughty witch!’

‘Yuck!’

‘Ouch.’

In a flash, the children rushed at me, punching and kicking Iros.

I didn’t dare push them away for fear of hurting them, but I greeted them, while Iros and Mei pulled them off me one by one.

‘Are you all crazy?! She’s a saint!’

‘A saint?’

‘A saint?’

‘Yes, she’s a saint! Can’t you all just beg her to stop?’

The children, who had stopped beating her for a moment when they heard Mei’s words, glared at me, but soon made fierce faces.

‘That damned saint who hurt our sister?!’

‘The same damn saint who scarred our sister’s face?!’

‘…….’

Perhaps it wasn’t the best choice to reveal my identity as a saint while drying them off.

I felt my blood run cold and smiled smugly with a Parisian complexion.

The children’s reactions made Mei and Iros’ faces turn white with embarrassment.

And then they were back at me, shouting non-stop.

‘Charge! Avenge your sister!’ they shouted.

‘We’ll never forgive him for bullying our sister!’

‘Iyaab!’

Wudangtang, kudangtang. They all fell on their stomachs and pounced on me, and I laughed until I vomited blood.

‘Ah. I want to go home.

I knew clearing the past would be hard, but I didn’t think it would be this hard. The old me, why did I live like a piece of shit?

I was pulled by the hand that pulled my hair and punched all over my body, and when I remained unresisting, Mei and Iros were startled.

‘Saint!’

‘Saint!’

Iros dropped the children in his hands and rushed over to catch me in his arms as I was being beaten.

‘Pinkie……?’

‘Don’t move, or you’ll hurt yourself.’

‘Why would you…….’

Why are you wrapping me up?

I hastily channeled divine power into his body, unable to stop myself from asking.

Iros’ eyes widened for a moment as the holy power flowed into their touching bodies, and then he closed them with a small smile.

‘Warm, still.’

‘Why, why, you’re right, you fool.’

‘We can’t let the saint get beaten up, I’m afraid she’ll kill you like she used to.’

‘You pink idiot.’

I don’t understand why you’re saving me when I’ve been so mean to you when I have had laughed at your humiliation.

Perhaps it’s harder for me to understand you because our only interactions so far have been physical.

As I hugged Iros’s body tighter and used my divine power, Mei shouted in a terrifying voice in front of me.

‘Everyone stop moving!’

‘……!’

‘What, sister?’

‘Hic. Sis is angry.’

At the sound of Mei’s voice and the sight of her reddened face, her siblings stopped slapping Iros’s back and shrank back sharply.

With his back to Mei, Iros was glad he couldn’t see her face. Mei’s face was contorted like a lion’s in anger.

Hands on her hips, Mei’s brown eyes glared and her voice was heavy.

‘Gather under me, everyone.’

‘Yi!’

‘Yi!’

‘…Six! That’s it!’

I stared in disbelief as the children lined up in front of Mei. What was it, that fast-paced, coordinated system?

It was like an army.

‘Everyone, turn around.’

‘Yes!’

‘Now we’re going to hit you in the head, execute.’

‘Eh? No!’

Frowning openly, Mei squeezed her rebellious brother’s head, then spoke sternly again.

‘Headbutt. Do it.’

‘Shi, do it!’

Seeing that the children had their heads on the floor, Mei’s commander-like gaze softened and she turned to me and bent down so that her head touched the ground.

‘I’m so sorry, Saint and Protector, my siblings are still young and don’t know the difference between heaven and earth, please forgive me!’

‘Oh, no, I came to apologize to you.’

How did we get into this messy, messy situation……?

‘Just get the kids upright first. They’re going to cut their foreheads off.’

‘Oh, yeah! Straighten up!’

At Mei’s command, the children jumped to their feet in unison, glaring at me with innocent eyes before being slapped by Mei.

Iros brushed the hem of my dress as he helped me to my feet, and I giggled like a malfunctioning robot, still clutching his arm.

Mei, who had been leaning back, poked her head out and asked.

‘Uh……. So, what brings you to my humble abode?’

Mei asked, shaking her head in confusion as if she thought I had come for some other reason, even though I had told her several times that I was there to apologize.