I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand

 

✿

 

Merria stopped turning and stood there like a rooted tree, staring at the old woman.

 

Four years later, I’ll be 20. And originally, I was supposed to be executed that year at the hands of Altheon.

 

The pupils, which were shaking violently, quickly subsided. She quickly approached the old woman and crouched down, unaware that her clothes were getting dirty.

 

“What are you saying…”

 

I frowned, as if telling her to talk more, the old woman continued in a joyful voice.

 

“Oh, it took me a while because something kept happening while I was making this.”

 

The old woman sounded as if she were dealing with a friend she hadn’t met in a long time.

 

“No, excuse me.”

 

“I’ve got someone to accompany, and I’ve been busy getting into trouble every time I take my eyes off it…”

 

When the old woman scratched the tip of her nose and looked away, Merria, who ran out of patience, cut her off.

 

“Hey!”

 

However, despite Merria’s serious expression, the old woman giggled regardless.

 

Merria spoke, crumpling her face and glaring at her. “Please don’t just talk about catching clouds and say it properly. What do you mean, I’m going to die?”

 

The old woman shrugged off one eyebrow and soon spoke in a low voice.

 

“There must be something more important than that, wait…”

 

“I don’t think so,” Merria replied quickly and calmly.

 

The old woman continued to talk about what she wanted to say without concern for what Merria was saying.

 

“Let’s make a deal.”

 

“Deal?” Merria pointed her index finger to herself.

 

“Yes, a deal.”

 

The old woman lifted her index finger in the same way as her gesture, teasing Merria, pointing at herself and Merria alternately.

 

“I’ll give you this as a promise.”

 

The old woman gave out a gold ring with trembling hands, saying that she had spent almost all her energy making it.

 

‘Promise? What promise?’

 

Merria received the ring in a mess. Then she poured out all of her questions.

 How do you know I’m dying? Who are you? and what is this ring for? 

Even if I couldn’t escape death.

 

Unlike usual, it was the words that came to my mind immediately.

 

The old woman laughed at her after being silent for a while.

 

“Was it so scary to behave normally now and die later?”

 

As Merria urged her and narrowed her eyebrows, the old woman nodded her head and spoke.

 

“This is the key. This is what I made just for you.”

 

“Key? What key? Rather than that, who the hell are you.”

 

“You have to find someone who needs this. If he owes you, he might be able to save you at least once.”

 

“You know I couldn’t understand what you’re saying?” Merria muttered while frowning.

 

The old woman shook her head, saying that Merria wouldn’t understand even if she explained it anyway.

 

“Give me your hand.”

 

“Wait, what are you doing?”

 

Despite her resistance, the old woman put the ring on her little finger.

 

“This is the best we can do for now. So if you want to live, do it.”

 

I seemed to hear her say at the end of her words, “Never remove this from your body.”

 

At the end of the scene, Merria passed out for a while, and by the time she woke up, she was already in a room.

 

A restaurant owner found her sleeping against a wall at the entrance of an alley when she came out to clean outside.

 

As soon as Merria recovered, she went back to the alley and searched for the old woman.

 

I asked Mrs. Elisha, the owner of the cafe, I asked her about the situation at that time and inquired about the old woman sitting there, but I couldn’t find anything.

 

‘And still.’

 

I still haven’t met the old woman since that day.

 

She could have identified a person, but to do that, she needed a justification.

There were many secrets to explain her suspicious encounter, and trying to find the old without explaining it to others was difficult.

 

It would be strange for anyone, to ask to look for an old woman I met on the street once.

 

I sometimes thought that it might have been just a dream, but I have something in my hand that proves that encounter really happened.

 

Merria fiddled with her ring, which she always wore as the old woman said. The thin gold ring fits snugly on her finger, which grew a little over time.

 

A suspicious ring was left by a more suspicious old woman. She didn’t think she had to pull it out.

 

It reminded me that someone would save me if I wore it, so when I woke up from a nightmare, I was comforted by this ring.

 ‘It gives me strength that I will survive.’ 

Like her habit, she stared blankly out of the window, touching the little finger of her left hand.

 

Her gaze still reached the alley where she first met the old woman. Reukis, looking across from Merria, asked her with a curious face.

 

“What’s out there?”

 

He also followed Merria’s gaze by the window, only to see an empty alley.

 

Usually one would prefer the opposite window as the center of the shopping street could be seen, but I thought there was a reason why Merria insisted on this seat.

 

Reukis was asking out of pure curiosity, but Merria took it a little differently.

 

I felt as if I had been asked, “

Why are you looking away with your lover in front of you?”

 

Reukis’ question was also plain, and the two were not a sweet couple, but for the time being.

 

Maybe it’s because of his friendly eyes or soft voice. Merria shook her head with an awkward smile.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I have a question in my head but I don’t know the answer. I was just thinking about things…”

 

Who is the old woman? Where is she now? Why did she give me this ring? and…

 

What the hell is this ring?

 

As she stared at her ring for a moment, she quickly turned her gaze and looked at Reukis.

 

It’s because he might wonder why I’m staring at my empty hands.

 

Besides the fact that this ring always fits perfectly on my finger, there were a few other things that seemed suspicious.

 

One was that this ring was only visible to her. Not figuratively, this ring could only be seen by Merria herself.

 

Even if I asked Lexie and my family, they only thought Merria was playing a joke and moved on.

 

After all, she had never taken the ring off since that day, but no one had seen it.

 

And one more thing. It was because of that strange blue power.

 

When she first used that power unconsciously, at the time she thought she had divine or magical powers.

 

Someone said that some people’s power manifests late. However, neither the temple nor the Ministry of Magic had any significant results.

 

A few months of observation alone like that but still there was no result.

 

Eventually, I realized that the source of power was this ring.

 

But that was it. It wasn’t enough to grasp all the principles and utilize the power of the ring with Merria’s ability.

 

Fortunately, it’s not dangerous or harmful.

 

There were no side effects or adverse consequences for her or others. She concluded that the experiments so far seemed to have a power similar to the calming effect.

 

‘So in the end, I’m using it to soothe Derek to sleep.’

 

This power, which works particularly well with my younger cousin, eventually became a secret between Derek and me.

 

Even if it’s a way to survive, I don’t even know who to look for, and now I’m at the point where I forget about it except when I come to this place.

 

Merria, who recalled her cute cousin, raised the corner of her mouth, smiling softly.

 

“I was curious about what you’re thinking about…”

 

After Merria sorted out her thoughts, she saw Reukis staring at her. As she looked at him, Reukis blinked his eyes so quickly that his eyelashes fluttered.

 

Merria waited for his next words, gesturing that she was listening.

 

“Do you have any questions for me?”

 

“What?”

 

Reukis’ eyes sparkled when Merria asked back, maintaining a smile around her mouth.

 

He was steadfastly practicing,

‘Ask questions to each other’

, one of the

‘How to become intimate between men and women’

that he had heard before.

 

The thing he was most curious about Merria was the identity of the

‘blue power’,

but it was too early to ask that.

 

If we continue to talk about what she’s curious about…

 

“Do you like cake?”

 

Reukis’ head, which was spinning fast, temporarily stopped.

 

(Reukis POV)

 

I’ve prepared a lot of exemplary answers because they usually ask about hobbies or interests.

 

For example, the most impressive book you read, the flavor of the wine you drank recently, or your favorite color.

 

But Merria missed it all and asked a question I never expected.

 

Nevertheless, I quickly answered with shaking pupils.

“…I don’t like it.”

 

“Oh, I see.”

 

Merria already knew that he was secretly ordering his aide for cake errands.

 

What would Reukis’ reaction be if she said, “

I actually gave the cheesecake that your subordinate bought before.”

 

She emptied the teacup thinking she wanted to see that emotionless man embarrassed.

But she didn’t do it. That’s more of a casual and intimate thing to do.

 

After that, as time passed, we left the cafe, changed clothes, and went to a nearby restaurant to have a nice dinner.

 

There was also sweet wine with a scent that went well with our first date.

 

“I had a great time today.”

 

Even the stereotypical greeting that Merria gave to Reukis who walked her towards the carriage.

It was a fairly common ending for a silly couple.

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