I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 78 - The Only Ones for Each Other (3)

We lay tangled together for a while.

My shirt was loosely unbuttoned, its front open, revealing the gruesome traces scattered across my skin.

A heavy silence settled over us.

“…”

Irene looked down at me.

My body, covered in scars, barely had an inch left unmarred.

Cuts, burns, tears, and stitches—all haunted reminders of a brutal past.

I finally broke the silence.

“So… you’ve seen it.”

A soft question, and she gave a quiet nod.

“Yes… I saw it when I was helping you change out of your wet clothes.”

“This was… a precious secret.”

“So this is it. The reason why you insist on those suffocating suits, even in the summer—you can hide the scars that way.”

“It seems I’ve been found out.”

I admitted it easily, a bitter smile on my face.

Then Irene’s hand moved without warning, touching my chest.

Her warm hand ran over the scars, her dark eyes trembling faintly.

She couldn’t look away as she spoke.

“What on earth happened?”

“…”

“Another secret?”

“…”

I stayed silent.

We remained at an impasse, with barely a breath of space between us.

Perhaps because my shirt was half-off, we could feel each other’s bare skin, the warmth of it mingling together as we lay there.

A few minutes passed like that.

Finally, Irene was the first to pull away.

“...Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

Her voice was a quiet tremor as she withdrew, her drooping ears showing the weight of her own complicated emotions.

“It’s just… it’s frustrating.”

“…”

“You know so much about me, even things I’ve never told you. But I feel like I barely know anything about you.”

Her expression was a complicated mixture of emotions.

“I guess I was being unreasonable. Forget I said anything.”

She mumbled to herself, rolling over slightly and resting her head on my arm.

The distance between us closed once again.

Her warm scent filled the air.

Resting against me, she spoke.

“Come to think of it… I’ve never really shared my story with you either. If you’re interested, would you like to hear it?”

“And what story would that be?”

“My past… the parts I’ve kept hidden.”

“I already know most of it.”

“Hearing it from me directly is different. It’s different in both content and meaning.”

“Yes, I suppose that’s true. I’d be glad to hear it.”

I listened quietly.

Even though I already knew, hearing her tell it herself would add another layer of depth.

Sharing hidden scars this openly showed the level of trust between us.

Little by little, she seemed to be letting me in.

“It’s not a particularly happy story.”

Recalling her past, her gaze softened.

After a short pause, she spoke, choosing her words carefully.

“The village I grew up in was a quiet countryside. My kind are easy targets for humans, so we usually hid away in secluded areas like that.”

Her story didn’t stray far from what I already knew.

A simple but happy village.

People filled with kindness.

And a young girl who grew up strong and upright among them.

Everything passed peacefully—until, inevitably, disaster struck when they least expected it.

It happened when Irene was about three years younger.

—It’s nice to meet you all.

—I run a small business in the capital.

A man came to the village.

He brought a pile of gifts and went around introducing himself politely.

—I happened to be near your village for work, so I thought, why not get to know you all?

—I want to be a friend to all of you.

The villagers were wary at first, but after months of steady kindness, they eventually let their guard down.

Before they knew it, the man had blended right in as one of their own.

And that was when it all began.

—Capture them all! Don’t let a single one get away!

—Erase any trace of this place! Drag out the ones hiding and burn everything left standing!

They should have known.

Humans… were cunning creatures.

The smiles he had shared with them were gone, replaced by eyes gleaming with greed.

Cruel and malicious, he devoured every one of the foxes.

It was a pitiful end.

The village burned, the adults were killed, and the children were taken as slaves.

The girl had been there through it all.

Her lips curled into a bitter smile, pained memories flooding back.

“...My master remained in the burning village, insisting that I escape with my siblings.”

Her voice was calm, utterly devoid of feeling.

There wasn’t a tremble in her words.

She spoke of it with an almost eerie composure.

“But I failed. We didn’t make it far before the hound found us.”

It must have been her most painful memory.

Her delicate brow creased slightly, as though she were recalling the moment she’d been forced to her knees in front of her sobbing siblings.

Irene bit her lip briefly before concluding her story.

“After that, we were put in cages. And eventually, I met you at the auction.”

“I see.”

“Sorry if I went on too long.”

“Not at all. But, if I may ask… Are you alright, Miss Irene?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Her answer was soft.

“But sometimes… sometimes I find myself wondering.”

“Wondering?”

“If I’d been different. If I’d been crafty enough not to trust humans… or strong enough not to be helpless, maybe I could’ve protected those I held dear.”

“…”

She was alone.

Bearing all the responsibility for that day, tormented by a relentless guilt—just because she had survived.

“Sometimes, I can’t help but feel like it’s all my fault.”

“…”

It was foolish to think so.

But I understood.

Even when you know it wasn’t your fault, people still collapse under the weight of their own regrets.

I understood that kind of guilt.

I had felt it before.

In my past life, even years ago, and perhaps… even now.

—Big brother! Play with me!

An echo from the past lingered in my ears, and I shook off the thought.

When I turned to look beside me, her dark eyes were gazing back.

We lay there facing each other.

Slowly, I raised a hand and touched her cheek, white against the darkness.

“Miss Irene.”

It was an old nightmare that had plagued her life.

I couldn’t heal her, but there was one thing I needed her to know.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“It wasn’t your fault.”

In my past life, there was no one to tell me that.

I had been alone.

And so, I believed that every tragedy that happened was because of me.

It took me years to realize the truth.

“Even if you’re sad, you mustn’t let it turn into self-loathing.”

What people in pain need most isn’t a mountain of medicine, but one kind word to soothe their heart.

“Otherwise, it becomes impossible to keep on living.”

“…”

Irene’s expression softened, her dark eyes wavering slightly.

She seemed unsure how to respond, then managed a faint smile.

She leaned closer into my arms.

“…You’re so considerate in strange ways.”

“Did I overstep?”

“No… It’s just surprising. You’re the first to tell me it wasn’t my fault.”

“To be precise, I think there just hasn’t been anyone who could.”

“That too.”

We lay there, unmoving.

Time seemed to stop.

Our lips were close, almost brushing.

In the tense space between us, our unspoken breaths mingled.

In her clear gaze, I could see only my own reflection.

Breaking the silence, she whispered.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“About?”

“I want to join your organization too.”

“Organization… Are you talking about Astro?”

“Yes.”

What brought this on so suddenly?

She had never shown much interest before, but now she was firmly stating her intention to join.

She added a bit of an explanation.

“All this time, I’ve just stayed by your side as a servant. If I’m going to keep supporting you, I thought I should make it official.”

“Suddenly feeling loyal, are we?”

“I suppose you could say that.”

“It’s not a bad idea. We’ll be together for at least three years, so I was planning to bring it up eventually.”

“So, you’ll accept?”

“Gladly.”

I replied with a smile, extending my pinky.

Given the lack of ceremony, I planned to conduct her initiation here, for now.

Without hesitation, she hooked her pinky around mine.

Then—

Mana shimmered.

A single strand stretched between us, glowing blue and tying our fingers together.

As the soft light spread, I spoke.

“From now on, many things will change.”

To be tamed is to forge a bond.

It means becoming something irreplaceable to each other.

Now, you’re the only one in the world for me, and I am the only one for you.

As if defining the future, I spoke in a low murmur.

“The only ones for each other.”

The mana thread weaving between us formed a clear knot.

I bent my head down.

Irene, just below me.

Our foreheads touched as warmth seeped through us.

I looked at her with a gentle smile.

“I look forward to being by your side.”

“Mm.”

Her quiet response hung in the air.

The faint glow of mana.

In the dark dawn, it shone beautifully.

And as we waited for the night to pass, we fell asleep with our fingers still linked.

It was a peaceful night.

***

Meanwhile,

In the Empire’s underworld,

“…”

The Unnamed kept his head bowed.

Kneeling on one knee, he offered respect to the shadowed throne before him.

The room reeked of blood.

Silently, he waited, until a voice finally broke the stillness.

“So… you’re saying you broke the alliance and returned?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Unnamed replied toward the throne, and the shadow seated there let out a deep, menacing laugh.

“This alliance was quite important… It’s likely our relations with the Businessman will sour significantly now.”

“Accepting punishment for disobeying orders. I am prepared for any sentence you see fit.”

“Even if that sentence is death?”

“If that is Your Majesty’s will, I will comply.”

The Unnamed responded without a hint of hesitation.

The shadow laughed in satisfaction.

“I was only testing you. No need to worry.”

“I am honored.”

“Abandoning a loyal servant would be wasteful. That alliance was insignificant from the beginning.”

The shadow stroked its chin thoughtfully.

“That aside, I didn’t expect the Snake to act. It's been missing for the past year.”

“It was as overwhelming as ever.”

“As expected. It brought down an entire kingdom, after all. If it had weakened in just one year, I’d be disappointed.”

“The contract that bound my heart… I lost my chance to strike because of it.”

“Ah, he calculated that from the moment he boarded the ship. He knew you couldn’t make a move. Truly a cunning villain.”

“What will you do now, Your Majesty?”

“Hmm.”

The Unnamed’s questioned.

The hidden corners of the shadow’s mouth curved into a sinister grin.

“Well… it would be nice to see that face again.”

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]