Yue Yue's eyes snapped open like someone splashed cold water on her soul.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Sweat clung to her forehead, her palms, and even the back of her neck. Her entire body felt sticky from the barrage of information that had just crashed into her mind.
She blinked once and twice. Then her eyes darted around the room. It was completely empty.
The soft bed, the blanket, the strange walls… all exactly the same, but there was not a single trace of the tall, black-haired, violet-eyed orc who had been hovering around her before she fell asleep.
She let out a shaky breath of relief and slowly slumped back against the pillows.
"Good… good… he's not here…" she muttered, wiping her forehead. "If I woke up and saw him right after learning he turns into a world-destroying villain, I would have died on the spot."
Her legs trembled beneath the blanket just remembering it.
Han Soi was the first villain she had already encountered.
The gentle, soft-spoken, polite man who helped her hunt the meat, who smiles so gently and warmly.
But in the world's memories? He was a walking nightmare.
A murderous monster who slaughtered thousands of people because he felt annoyed. A man who ripped hearts out with his bare hands like he was picking fruit from a tree.
She gulped so hard her throat clicked.
"So which one is the real him?" she whispered in fear. "The one who was acting nice… or the one who kills people like he's sweeping the floor?!"
Her back felt cold. Her little soul shrank like a frightened hamster.
Just imagining him standing there with blood dripping from his fingers made her want to turn into a tiny snake and hide under the bed.
"I can't do this… I can't control villains… They will chew me, digest me, and use my bones as toothpicks…"
She covered her face with her hands, trying to calm down her breathing.
But just as she took a deep breath, something touched her soft cheek; it was cold and wet.
Her entire body froze, and her heart stopped. Her brain screamed seven different languages at once.
WHAT...WHAT...WHAT...WHAT WAS THAT?!
Her eyes went wide as full moons, and before she could react...
Her eyes met with the dangerously red eyes of a predator.
Yue Yue almost screamed so loudly she could have broken the roof...but Han Soi moved too fast and covered her mouth.
Her scream was crushed into a tiny squeak.
"Mmmph...!!"
Her entire soul left her body and went on vacation. Because standing there, leaning over her like a nightmare wearing a handsome mask…was Han Soi.
He was entirely covered in blood and looked like he bathed in it.
His clothes were soaked. His sleeves were red. His face had streaks of dried dark blood from his cheek to his jaw. Even his neck had splatters like someone painted him violently.
Han Soi looked at her and tried to smile sweetly.
Yue Yue's scalp almost flew off. All her hair tried to stand and run away without her.
WHAT KIND OF SMILE IS THAT?!
In her mind, alarms went off:
Villain mode detected!
Villain mode detected!
She has to run!
But run where? He runs faster than you!
Then die quietly!
She stared at him with trembling pupils, her voice muffled under his palm.
"Y-you…" she squeaked helplessly.
Han Soi stood there, staring at the trembling little figure curled on the bed.
His red eyes softened immediately.
When he had stepped onto the twentieth floor just moments ago, he heard her labored breathing. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest. He thought a polluted beast had somehow broken through his security. Or maybe one of the unstable monsters followed him from the hunt.
So without thinking, he sprinted to her room.
He didn't even notice the blood dripping from his clothes, the metallic scent that filled the hall, or the sharp aura he carried back from battle.
He only thought one thing: "Is Yue Yue in danger?"
So he kicked open the door and rushed inside.
But instead of seeing a beast attacking her, or her injured, or anything logical, he saw… only her, sitting frozen like a terrified rabbit in front of a wolf.
Her whole small body shook from head to toe. Even her hair seemed to be trembling.
His heart dropped. He walked quickly and gently grabbed her cheek with his hand, hoping to calm her down.
But the moment his cold, blood-stained fingers touched her soft skin, she trembled even harder.
Her lips quivered. Her eyes filled with water. She looked like she'd cry if he breathed too loudly.
Han Soi froze.
Did he make it worse?!
Why?!
He leaned closer and whispered in an almost panicked voice. "Yue Yue, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"
But it seems it was a very wrong question.
Because in Yue Yue's terrified mind, all she heard was
"Where does it hurt so I can cut it out?"
Her breathing hitched sharply, and she scooted back until her spine hit the headboard.
Han Soi blinked at her with a worried expression.
"T-then… Did something sneak inside? Did someone touch you?" he asked, voice deep with worry.
Han Soi felt his heart shatter violently when she did not reply with anything and only her eyes watered.
Why was she crying?!
Who bullied her?!
Was it him?!
No...impossible...he didn't do anything wrong!
He just came in with blood all over his body and held her cheek without warning, that's all!
So just what had happened to frighten her to this degree? Just looking at her pitiful condition, he felt like murdering someone.
He couldn't bear the look as she looked at him like he was some kind of monster who would devour her any time.
He would never harm her, but why can't she believe him...his heart felt like it was squeezing with countless hands...making it hard for him to breathe.
She is the only female he likes, but she is looking him like he is worse than a polluted beast.
Is he that bad? If she wants, he is willing to change himself for her.