I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand

 

✿

 

The power, which began with a small soft hand, slowly leaked out like a loosely locked faucet and reached Reukis.

 

It was quite a different level of force than when Merria intended it, but Reukis could sense her power around him like an air freshener.

 

As the blue power spread to his fingertips, he felt like a man thrown in the middle of a quiet soft cloud.

 

“Ha…”

 

In the end, a part of Reukis’ fallen heart popped out from his lips.

 

“So Serinia played with Miles again yesterday… Reukis?”

 

After chatting for a long time, Merria tilted her head at Reukis’ unusual response. As soon as he was called, the eyes of the two met.

 

Normally, it’s normal for Reukis to chat quietly.

 

‘Didn’t you just sigh as we went down?’

 

It was Merria who interpreted his happy sigh a little differently.

 

“What’s the matter?” Merria asked, staring intently into his eyes.

 

As Merria knew, it was rare for Reukis to sigh, but only when he was alone in his thoughts.

 

I was a little curious about what was important enough for his mind to be away from our conversation.

 

Merria expresses her willingness to listen to him, through the expression on her face. Despite her benevolent face, Reukis’ mind was complicated.

 

He felt like an apprentice who lost his sword while thinking about something during a one-on-one match.

 

And in front of the apprentice, the unremarkable leader looked straight into his eye…

 

“Reukis, what’s going on?”

 

After experiencing the illusion of a leader who didn’t even exist for a moment, Reukis quickly returned to reality at the call of Merria.

 

His pupils trembled as he met the red eyes staring up at him. Reukis tried to read Merria’s expression based on the previous situation, but it was in vain.

 

There was no way to know whether what Merria said was a literal question or a roundabout expression of displeasure because he didn’t focus on what she was talking about.

 

It was a crushing defeat due to an apparent lack of experience.

 

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

 

I belatedly realized that I was distracted by reading Merria’s expression and had been making eye contact with her all the time.

 

I slowly averted her gaze and tried to make my brain work fiercely inside.

 

It was just that I was so happy with the power she was giving me.

 

‘I could never say that.’

 

Reukis stood there trying to shake his mind inside.

 

Once I say that to her, not only would I confess that I know Merria’s secret, but also expose the fact that I pretended not to know.

 

Reukis’ objectivity, which was only exercised at this time, was drying him out. We weren’t in a relationship to have such a deep conversation yet.

 

Reukis answered in moderation with the thought of escaping the situation.

“I like…”

 

“Well?”

 

When Merria expressed her doubts with an awkward smile, Reukis’s mind, which had been far away, quickly returned.

 

At his sudden confession, both of them stopped walking. 

 

“…”

 

As he repeated what he had said, Reukis’s ears gradually turned red.

 

Maria was also embarrassed, but this man in front of her couldn’t have been more embarrassed, so she was able to regain her composure.

 

“Oh… maybe a cake?”

 

She asked, looking at where Reukis’ gaze briefly touched earlier. At the end of Merria’s gaze, there was a dessert shop where the two of them were standing.

 

Reukis looked over there simply to avoid Merria’s eyes, but now it doesn’t matter. He nodded his head violently like a diligent student.

 

Merria smiled at his appearance, shaking off her stiff shoulders.

 

I thought you had a big problem, but it was only because of the cake.

 

It was a discouraging conclusion, but from Merria’s point of view, this kind of issue was just right. It was light and empty like a paper boat floating on a lake, and we shared our worries.

 

That much was in line with the direction that Merria was pursuing.

She nodded with a smile on her lips.

 

‘Actually, even Reukis might think of me as a dessert comrade.

‘

 

I felt that way even more recently, as I recalled that every time I met up with him, we never missed a dessert shop.

 

Merria felt a strange sense of unity and led Reukis’ hand. With her bold steps, Reukis’ large body fluttered like a paper doll.

 

At her sudden request, Reukis called her urgently.

 

“Merria?”

 

“I’m going now, let’s go.”

 

✿

 Clank— 

“Thank you.”

 

A satisfied smile hung on their lips. Unlike their simple appearance, egg tarts were very delicious.

 

Merria and Reukis, who were fully charged with sugar, walked slowly.

 

“What did you like most, Reukis?”

 

Reukis thought about the simple question with all his heart. After pondering for a moment, I soon looked at her with clear eyes.

 

“I liked everything. What about Merria?

 

“Hmm… I like the egg tart because it tastes better than other places.”

 

“Oh, so did I.”

 

“Then let’s go again.”

 

Next time…

I liked how Merria naturally put me in with her plans, hoping for the next time.

 

I pursed my lips and nodded my head. My frizzy hair swayed as I shook my head.

 

Merria looked at the scene with delight and smiled brightly.

 

“Thanks to you, I found another good shop.”

 

She was feeling very relaxed right now.

 

Would I have imagined a situation where I shared my hobby with a man who failed to qualify on the first round from my candidate list and walked side by side?

 

It felt strange that it has become more natural to call each other’s names and share each other’s daily life.

 

Reukis shyly smiled in response to Merria’s heart. But Reukis, noticing the figure approaching from behind, pulled Merria who was smiling.

 

“Oh my!”

 

Suddenly, Merria, hidden in his arms, made a shrill voice.

 Thud, 

Before understanding the situation, I heard something bumping and a small echo was heard in contact with Reukis’ body.

 

“Wasn’t it dangerous?”

 

Contrary to her friendly hands that wrapped around my head, Merria’s head tilted to the side that seemed to be reproaching someone.

 

I think I bumped into someone who was running from the back, but being held in front of others like this was a little different.

 

“Come on.”

 

Merria called out to him in a small voice that only Reukis could hear. However, Merria’s words did not reach Reukis, who was concentrating on something.

 

It was not too difficult for me to escape from Reukis’ body, whose body was like human armor.

 

“Who… Reukis?”

 

In the end, she tried to escape several times, but Merria, still trapped in his arms, tapped Reukis on the chest.

 

Only then did Reukis move his body out of Merria’s sight.

 

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

 

He looked at Merria like an animal lover who treats kittens. Merria burst out into a small laugh at his cute gesture.

 

“No.”

 

If you block it with your whole body, even if a volcanic eruption occurs, I will be safe. While I was thinking of little things, a small voice was heard on Reukis’ back.

 

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

 

Merria’s eyes became round in surprise at the noticeable innocent voice and looked for the source of the voice.

 

It was so close that I could quickly find it when I tilted my head a little.

 

“Ah…”

 

Recognizing the owner of the voice, Merria put her head back into Reukis’ arms. Shannon turned her head around to check Merria’s face, but she could not see it in the end.

 

Somehow it was because Reukis, who knew Merria, who was reluctant to Shannon, cleverly blocked her view.

 

Shannon stared at the two of them with quite disapproving eyes.

 

Merria couldn’t feel the gaze, but she could feel it because Reukis was watching her closely.

 

A woman who had appeared from this vast capital, stumbling several times. Reukis, who had unintentionally led a life with many enemies, did not pass this sense of deja vu.

 

Looking at Shannon’s disrespectful attitude and Merria’s passive attitude alternately, Reukis concluded that he should later ask about the woman and hugged Merria tighter.

 

“Then go on your way.”

 

I got an apology, and you go do what you want. It was a clear word.

 

However, despite Reukis’ cold words, Shannon did not move her legs. An awkward silence continued, and immediately another figure appeared behind Shannon.

 

“Hey, Lady!”

 

A young man’s urgent call filled the alley.

 

It was an ambiguous title, but Shannon seemed to be the main character of that call, judging from her trembling body.

 

As the urgent footsteps drew near, Shannon took off with a sigh of irritation.

 

Shannon wiggled her clean silver hair and quickly disappeared into the other alley. As she turned to the corner, a man running from the other side approached.

 

“Did you happen to see a young woman pass by here?”

 

He took a deep breath and looked carefully into Reukis’ arms. He seemed to make sure that the woman Reukis was holding wasn’t Shannon.

 

“That way.”

 

He diligently pointed in the direction Shannon escaped, but the man did not leave easily.

 

‘Today, there are a lot of persistent things.’

 

He couldn’t shake the feeling of being disturbed, so his flat forehead seems to distort. Reukis gently stroked Merria’s hair, revealing her bright platinum blonde hair.

 

“Oh, thank you.”

 

As soon as the man saw the woman’s hair, he walked without hesitation.

 

“Everyone’s gone.”

 

On the quiet side of the road again, Reukis spoke to Merria softly.

 

‘Did I avoid it too obvious…’

 

When he said that he had hidden it on purpose, Merria avoided his gaze and straightened herself up.

 

It was cute to pretend to tidy up her hair while pretending otherwise, but her eyes were harsh.

 

“But did you tell that man? The direction the woman went earlier.” Merria shook her head and asked Reukis.

 

“Shouldn’t I?”

 

“Sha-, no, that woman… She argued with someone else the other day. What if that’s the case again?”

 

Reukis felt the heat stuck in his eyes to deny the truth to resentment, but he couldn’t.

 

“Even if I didn’t tell him, there’s only one direction…”

 

He glanced at the end of the alley, blurring his words.

 

As I followed Reukis’ gaze, I saw the end of the straight alley. If a person walking in the opposite direction from a narrow but straight road asked a question, there would be only one answer.

 

Merria accepted the justification of the situation and nodded her head.

 

After Reukis and Merria had left the alley, Shannon returned to the alley. With the man who was after her.

 

Shannon moved slightly, looking at the place where the two were standing.

 

“Was the girl you were with, the rumored princess?”

 

“Well, I don’t know.”

 

The man smirked and shrugged his shoulders. Shannon, who neatly ignored the unhelpful man’s words, frowned.

 

“Hah! The real thing was different.”

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