The Villain's Ending is Only Death Chapter 36
I strutted out, pretending I didn't need it, but within five minutes, I was shouting for the quest reward.
“Huff, huff...”
“...”
A cold silence fell inside.
Surprisingly, Bauter was still standing right where he had blocked my path in front of the door.
His large, navy blue pupils were dilated, and his face was flushed as if it would burst.
Fortunately, I was wearing a mask. My thoughts flipped like a palm, contrary to my earlier complaints about wearing it.
“...First, close the door and come inside.”
Bauter, who had been staring at me with wide eyes, soon moved aside.
“Cough, cough.”
‘Damn, embarrassing.’
I forced a fake cough to hide my embarrassment and quickly closed the door.
Before it was fully shut, I scanned the dark alley through the crack, but Derrick was nowhere to be seen.
‘Did I lose him?’
But that wasn't necessarily a good thing. If he returned to the mansion and found me not in my room, it would be over.
“Sorry for changing my mind, but is the help you offered still valid?”
“Of course.”
“I need that help now. I want you to take me to Hamilton Street. Right now.”
I blurted out the words without taking a breath, my heart racing with the urgency to reach the mansion before Derrick.
Bauter, who could use magic, must have some way to do it.
“Hamilton Street...”
He seemed to be thinking about the street name I mentioned.
‘Where else?’
It was just one block from the Ecart Manor.
Since my true identity was already exposed, it would be much easier to ask him to take me directly to my room.
But I decided to continue the act of not knowing. After all, I wouldn't see him again after today.
“It's hard to catch a carriage because of the festival crowd.”
I muttered an excuse a bit late.
“Didn't you bring a guard?”
The eyes visible through the rabbit mask were filled with seriousness.
I thought of my only guard, who I had left at the mansion.
I called him a guard, but I never intended to use Eclis that way.
‘Since I’m fully committed, I need to treat him like a baby from now on.’
I shrugged and gave a completely different answer from what I was thinking.
“...A lady should have at least one secret.”
The puzzled look disappeared. Bauter seemed to accept my answer.
He took out his cane from his coat and extended a hand to me.
“Would you place your hand on mine?”
As expected, he was going to use magic to move.
‘Thank goodness.’
I sighed in relief and willingly placed my hand on his. Suddenly, he gripped my hand tightly.
At that moment, a white square window appeared before my eyes.
〈SYSTEM〉 [Wizard's Help 1 use] has been used.
〈SYSTEM〉 Moving to [Hamilton Street].
“It might make you feel a bit dizzy.”
With those gentle words, the scene before my eyes flashed white.
* * *
When I opened my eyes again, Bauter and I were standing in a deserted alley next to a familiar street.
We had moved to Hamilton Street in an instant by magic.
‘Good. This should definitely put me ahead of Derrick.’
I smiled in satisfaction but then felt something odd.
The sensation of moving by Bauter's magic was very similar to...
‘...the way I teleport using the system.’
I tilted my head in confusion at the eerie familiarity.
“Now you can let go.”
Bauter suddenly spoke from beside me.
“Huh? Let go of what...”
“Your hand on mine.”
His words made me look down reflexively.
I saw that I was tightly holding his hand, interlocked with mine.
“Eek!”
I gasped and shook off his hand as if it were a hot potato.
‘What? When did I hold his hand so tightly?’
After a moment of fluster, I felt a bit guilty seeing his hand retract.
Regardless, I had used his help effectively, so I sincerely thanked him.
“...Thank you for your help.”
Bauter modestly shook his head.
“No, it's a pleasure to repay my debt to you, Lady.”
“Trust is definitely restored.”
I chuckled at his sharp reminder of the debt. After all, he was a viscount.
His willingness to lower himself so much for the guild was, in a way, a perfect fit for the 'eccentric wizard' character.
Bauter looked at me with a strange expression in response to my joke.
“Then, will you visit our guild again?”
“...I don't know.”
I wiped the smile from my face and looked at him.
“Will we meet again?”
A cold night breeze swept through the alley.
The two of us, wearing masks and hiding our true identities, looked at each other.
‘He has no idea that I know his true identity.’
It was better to keep pretending. He would soon find the heroine, as would I.
We would only hold secrets that would do us no good.
“Goodbye.”
I murmured a low farewell and turned to leave. Just as I was about to step out of the alley,
“...If the Lady wanted me to deliver something.”
Bauter's voice, carried by the wind, stopped me in my tracks.
“And if I hear a response to that...”
“...”
“Can I relay it to you?”
I paused and glanced back at him. The rabbit mask standing in the dark alley seemed eerie.
“No.”
I couldn't see his face under the mask, but I could sense his expression.
[Goodwill 15%]
The rising goodwill despite my firm refusal was a bit surprising.
* * *
After parting with Bauter, I immediately went to the street and headed to the Ecart Manor.
More precisely, to the tall wall surrounding the mansion.
“I'm sure it was somewhere around here...”
I squinted and scanned the wall, looking for the hole.
The wall was vast, and the dark surroundings made it hard to distinguish between the wall and the hole.
As I grew anxious, thinking Derrick might return soon, I broke out in a cold sweat.
“Found it!”
I finally spotted the hole and crouched down in front of it. The hole was so narrow that I had to crawl on the ground.
Just as I was about to squeeze my head through the hole,
Thud, thud. Heavy footsteps approached.
“Penelope Ecart.”
A voice as cold as ice fell on my back.
“Sure enough, it's you.”
I froze in my crouched position.
‘Please...’
I called out to every god in a short span, denying the reality.
‘Please, let it be a hallucination.’
But there were no gods in this damned game.
“Get up.”
The sound of grinding teeth made me jump to my feet.
In the darkness, his icy blue eyes, more vivid than [Goodwill 13%], glared at me fiercely.
I was speechless at the absurd turn of events.
“How... how...”
“There's no one else who would wander around in such a ridiculous mask.”
Derrick, understanding my question, sneered.
‘Ridiculous!’
Anger surged at his mockery, but I remained silent, bowing my head.
His black hair shimmered dangerously.
“So, why are you doing this?”
Derrick frowned and demanded an answer.
“Speak.”
“...”
“I let you go to the festival late at night. I even allowed you to bring a guard, a slave of unknown origin, into the house.”
“...”
“So, what's your complaint that you're doing this again?”
By 'this,' he meant sneaking out without a guard.
But unfortunately, there was nothing I could say to answer his demand.
“...I'm sorry.”
I repeated the apology like a parrot.
I wasn't entirely wrong, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't tell him the truth—that I was doing this to find a way to survive from the likes of him.
“I'll accept any punishment, Young Master.”
“That word, punishment, punishment, punishment.”
But it seemed this method no longer worked on Derrick. The previously silent man suddenly contorted his face.
“All you ever say to me is that you want punishment.”
“That's...”
“Do you really want punishment?”
I was taken aback by Derrick's agitated appearance.
‘Who in the world wants punishment?’
Of course, I didn't want it either.
But before I could deny it, he grabbed my hand.
“Follow me.”
“Wh-what...”
I was dragged along helplessly as he walked forcefully.
‘Why is this happening! What kind of punishment is it going to be?’
I was terrified by his ominous demeanor.
I never expected such contact with someone who despised Penelope so much.
“...Where are we going?”
“...”
“Young Master.”
I looked up at Derrick's head with anxious eyes, but he didn't answer.
‘Sigh. Why is he so aggressive today...’
Should I beg and cling to his pants now?
The unexpected turn of events plunged me into deep worry.
‘Surely, even if he hates me as a fake sister, he wouldn't stab me to death like a prince just because I went out?’
I desperately tried to think positively. But a chilling thought soon surfaced.
‘...Of course, he won't stab me, but he might torture me to death.’
For example, by dragging me back to the mansion and exposing my 'ridiculous' appearance to all the members of the Ecart family.
He would exaggerate even the smallest mistake to make me a target of everyone's disdain, especially in the eyes of the duke who adopted Penelope.
This was something they often did in the game when I made the wrong choices.
‘Sigh. Fine, do as you please.’
I chose to give up quickly.
It wouldn't change anything to beg now.
In fact, I had experienced this several times in my real life, so I was used to it.
Unlike Penelope, who couldn't control her anger and screamed until her last breath, I let go of everything and followed Derrick.
He was heading towards the main gate of the mansion, as expected.
The gatekeepers, recognizing the approaching Derrick, bowed deeply.
Until then, I thought he would naturally drag me inside the gate.
“Huh?”
But Derrick walked past the gate.
‘Where is he going?’
I stared at the back of his head with wide eyes.
The suppressed anxiety began to explode.