ODFEN 05

Chapter 05  …

 The Origin of a Villain’s Birth.

Calix grew up enduring abuse from the emperor. Because people feared Calix, who could not control his magical power, no one approached him—so he was always alone. He mostly lived confined in his room, and on days when the emperor’s mood was poor, he was sometimes imprisoned in the underground dungeon like a criminal. One day, while watching his second brother, Prince Alec, running around the garden through the window, Calix escaped his room, avoiding the emperor’s notice.

“Brother!”

Alec welcomed his elder brother, whom he had not seen in nearly a year, and they played freely together. However, just as Alec was about to fall, Calix instinctively released his magic to protect him, and Alec suffered injuries from magic resistance and collapsed in bed. The emperor, enraged, struck his first son’s cheek mercilessly. Smack! The small body was sent tumbling down the stairs, yet no one helped him up.

“I told you never to leave your bedroom! Are you a fool that you cannot understand? I said you are a being who harms everything around you, and must be isolated!”

Afterward, while the emperor cared for Alec, Calix was confined to the underground prison. He endured loneliness in the pitch-dark dungeon, hugging his knees. The brief description of Calix’s past in the original work was so sorrowful that even I, while reading it, burst into tears. Given this, it was only natural that someone who had never received love would be poor at expressing emotions, and naturally become emotionally stunted due to emotional deprivation. Perhaps he destroyed the Kingdom of Tethan because he did not know how to grieve his younger brother’s death. I let out a deep sigh as I returned from my recollection. Still, even so, this was not right. While I could understand that being raised in an abnormal environment led to abnormal values in education, it was far too cruel to a child. Shouldn’t he have been embraced warmly so he wouldn’t suffer the same fate? I approached Rubelin.

“I thought I told you to stop.”

Before I could take more than a few steps, a chilling, growling voice stopped me in my tracks. I hesitated, my lips moving slightly. Should I say it or not? The hesitation was brief. Even if my head were to be cut off for speaking out of turn, I had to say this. Even in the past and now, people hesitated to offer advice due to that overwhelming power.

“Your Majesty. This isn’t a matter of life or death, or injury or no injury.”

Calix frowned deeply. His expression showed that he did not understand my words.

“What is the problem? Isn’t it fine as long as he didn’t die?”

“It’s the heart.”

I turned to face Calix.

“Sometimes, things that cannot be seen are injured as well, Your Majesty.”

A fact that your late father, who damaged your heart dozens of times, never told you. Calix’s eyes widened as he stared at me in a daze.

After some time, he lowered his long lashes, casting a shadow over his face.

“You sound exactly like Alec.”

A faint, distant voice followed. I walked past the people standing nervously nearby and approached Rubelin.

“Princess, are you alright?”

As I bent down, my stiff legs trembling, to meet Rubelin at eye level, a faint light shimmered in her red eyes. Soon after, she burst into tears with a loud “waaah” and threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. I gently patted her back.

“It’s alright, Princess. Don’t cry.”

Suddenly, gasps echoed from all around. A man adjusted his glasses and exclaimed in admiration.

“Th-the Princess has succeeded in controlling her immense strength….”

The man, his eyes sparkling with curiosity, approached us.

“H-how is this—”

“Mevern.”

At the stern voice, the man called Mevern quickly turned back toward Calix. Under his scrutinizing gaze, he broke into a cold sweat and spoke.

“I-I’m not sure, Your Majesty. Until yesterday, this was clearly impossible….”

As Mevern muttered in a low voice, Ken stepped forward.

“I will explain, Your Majesty.”

I slowly looked around. This was Rubelin’s room. In other words, the bedroom of the person second only to the emperor in the empire. Could a child’s room be this extravagant? I surveyed the high ceiling and the room filled with furniture. A canopy bed large enough for three or four people to lie and roll around on, mahogany furniture, smooth-textured sofas, and even a rocking chair covered in animal hide. Strangely, there were no dolls or cute toys typical of a child. Ah, perhaps because it required the emperor’s magic. It was said that protective magic against immense strength was cast throughout the imperial palace. Otherwise, the slightest movement of Rubelin would bring everything crashing down.

“Why aren’t they coming.”

Ken and the emperor had disappeared after saying, “Your Majesty, I will explain,” and showed no sign of returning. Before the emperor left, he had stared straight at me and said:

“Lock her up.”

So “lock her up” meant locking me in a room. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have resisted.

“No! I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Thus, I was dragged by attendants and an instructor holding my arms and brought into Rubelin’s bedroom. Locking me up—so not a dungeon but a room. I felt sorry for the emperor and princess, who had been educated in such an abnormal way, where confinement in a room was normal. And for this world that would soon be destroyed by their hands, and for my own future as well. I fell into deep thought. The empire would be annihilated shortly after the princess comes of age. Then what would happen to my life? What about the villagers? The citizens of the empire? I wiped my face with both hands. Should I tell the emperor the truth? That this is a novel, and Rubelin will soon kill you and destroy the world, so please work on repairing your relationship. I shook my head. No—what if the emperor ends up killing Rubelin instead? Lost in thought without an answer, Rubelin suddenly leaned her face into my view.

“Mom, are you cold?”

Rubelin blinked her clear eyes as she looked at my pale face. No, I’m not cold. I’m just afraid of what punishment might befall me.

“Hand!”

Rubelin held out her hand as if asking me to take it. After hesitating, I took her small, fidgeting hand. After confirming twice that her immense strength did not affect me, some of my hesitation faded. Unlike in the carriage, Rubelin seemed delighted that I held her hand, and she smiled brightly.

“Mom!”

Flowers and stars seemed to float around her face like an illusion.

“Ugh, too bright.”

I covered my eyes to avoid going blind.

“Mom, mom, look at this!”

“W-wait a moment, Princess!”

Suddenly, Rubelin grabbed my hand and led me somewhere. I tried to resist by planting my feet, but my upper body was pulled forward instead. Rubelin, seemingly unaware of my weak resistance, bounced forward in place as she moved. As a result, my arm was shaken up and down violently, as if the ground itself was trembling.

“Mom! Wait!”

Rubelin suddenly let go of my hand, ran swiftly to the bedside table, and opened the first drawer. Standing on tiptoe, she rummaged inside with both hands. Soon after, her eyes widened—she had found something.

“Here it is!”

What Rubelin held up was a yellow envelope. What is that? I tilted my head and approached.

“What is this, Princess?”

“Mom’s!”

Rubelin handed me the yellow envelope with her tiny hands. As soon as I accepted it, she jumped up and down in excitement, smiling brightly. Flowers seemed to bloom around her face.

“Ugh.”

My heart hurts. Overwhelmed by her cuteness, I let out a soft groan and composed myself.

“Hurry!”

At her urging, I opened the envelope. Inside was a yellow letter bordered with geometric gold trim. On it were ten items written in uneven, childish handwriting. Could this be written by Rubelin? I was surprised that she had already learned to write. I read the first line.

“Have mom sing a lullaby?”

“Yes!”

Rubelin nodded vigorously.

“And next, next!”

At her urging, I looked at the second item.

“Go on a picnic with mom?”

“Yes! Let’s definitely go!”

Rubelin came over and hugged me tightly. Only then did I realize—it was a list of wishes related to a mother. I bit my lip and looked down, feeling sorry for her. I wasn’t her mother, so I couldn’t fulfill them. That such simple things were her dreams—it made her both pitiful and lovable. I gently patted her head. Rubelin rubbed her head against me like a puppy, her face full of happiness.

“A wish!”

“Hmm?”

“When Rubelin makes a wish, it comes true! The best!”

It came true? Surprised, I looked at her, then checked the letter. On the very last line, it read: “Have mom pat my head.” Rubelin raised her hands above her head and waved them, smiling brightly. I wasn’t her biological mother—was it okay to let her be this happy? After a moment’s hesitation, I spoke.

“Princess, I’m not your mother—”

“Just as I thought! Mom is the best!”

Mom…? Wait, did she just say “mom”? Since “mom” was pronounced as “eomma” in her speech, could “angma”… mean—

“Ah, demon?”

I looked in disbelief at the attendants standing near the door and Mevern, whom I had seen in the office. They nodded as if confirming I had understood correctly. I didn’t know how it worked in this world, but typically, children should be talking about Santa, fairies, or angels—not demons. Even thinking of the child in the next room who always sang about wanting to become an angel made me reconsider. Should I check again?

“Princess, do you like demons?”

“Yes!”

Rubelin nodded repeatedly, her face flushed.

“W-why demons, of all things…?”

I murmured, feeling somewhat drained. Until now, I hadn’t fully grasped that, despite her adorable appearance, she was a villain. But now, I realized it to my core. Ah, the world really will be destroyed—and I will die too.

“Sniff…!”

Overcome with sorrow, I buried my face in my hands and stifled my tears. There was still time before Rubelin grew up… Until then, I should at least live diligently… Quickly clear up the misunderstanding, leave the palace, repay my debts, try shark roe dishes, and travel… Thinking about debts made me tear up again.

“Mom, are you crying?”

I opened my eyes and looked at Rubelin through the gaps between my fingers. She looked pitiful, her expression on the verge of tears. If I cried, she seemed ready to cry along with me. I quickly composed myself and forced a smile.

“No, I’m not crying.”

At that moment, someone knocked on the bedroom door, and a unfamiliar attendant entered.

“Princess, Lucina. His Majesty summons you.”

Finally. I swallowed and clenched both fists. Rubelin was adorable, but I couldn’t stay here forever.