1. I Will Refrain From the Death Penalty
Episode 2
After rubbing my face, I glanced at the dead assassin.
What dream? This can’t be a dream. Even if I wanted to escape from reality, I couldn’t ignore this sense of realism. The color of my hair, and the unfamiliar physique.
“Isn’t she crazy? Of all people, Giselle.”
When I read the novel, I thought I had a lot of resentment, but when I sat down and experienced it, the original Giselle seemed to have made a lot of people around the world an enemy.
Thanks to this, more than five assassins have just come to my prison. Even the poison they brought was of different kinds.
“Here you go! Guard! Guard!”
As I raised my voice familiarly, the soldiers rushed in. The soldier now breathed a sigh without being surprised at the dead assassins.
“I told you to get rid of the evil witch, Won.”
“Why do you blame me for these people coming all the way here and drinking poison?”
“…It’s really completely crazy.”
The soldier didn’t even want to deal with me. Already branded as a crazy person, I no longer desperately insisted on my innocence to the soldiers. Instead, I just grumbled. Rather than an appeal to be released, it was more of a complaint made alone.
Because the only people I can talk to are the assassins and soldiers because I’m stuck in a solitary room all day long. If it’s not now, I would have put a spider web in my mouth for a long time.
No. I’ll move on to becoming a wicked woman, this is it. Shouldn’t they give me at least one chance to fix it? What if you become a evil woman who is about to be hanged? I don’t want to die, but it’s scarier to hang myself to death! Isn’t that too cruel?
“Excuse me, how long do I have to stay here?”
When I asked about my hanging schedule, the soldier stared at me with a face of annoyance. But soon he answered.
“The date will come soon.”
“Is it really necessary?”
The soldier was dumbfounded by my question. Then he turned around without replying.
“What does that mean…?”
Mumbling sullenly, I sat on the floor. I was abandoned in the dark again. I should force myself to sleep until a new assassin comes, because I don’t want to go crazy.
Lying on the cold prison floor made my body ache. The funny thing is that I’m not as hungry as I thought. I couldn’t even take a few bites because they didn’t give me enough food to eat, but I’m not hungry.
Is this all because I took poison? If that’s the case, it was a little sad.
“I can’t believe I’m full from poison.”
Is there another prisoner like this…
“Haha.”
Someone’s short laughter was heard in the desolate prison.
I raised my head and looked around, but it became so quiet as if it were my illusion. Just in case, even if I listened carefully, I couldn’t hear anything like human breathing.
Did I hear it wrong?
“Did I drink too much poison?”
This is why drugs should not be abused.
“…Haha.”
It wasn’t an illusion. There was definitely a sound! The laughter that burst out because they couldn’t hold back is certain!
“Hey, I think it’s too late to hide. Aren’t you going to come out?”
“Oh, really.”
I heard a murmur full of laughter. Where is this person?
Even when I squinted and looked out of the bars, I couldn’t see anything. The sparsely lit lights did not illuminate the entire prison, so it was completely dark where it could not be seen. My eyes tingled as I tried to force myself to look through the darkness.
“Excuse me? Are you an assassin?”
“…Hmm. Then what?”
A voice that seemed to have barely cleared his laughter asked calmly. It was still unknown where that person was.
So far, the assassinations have been at least a few hours apart, so I thought they were holding a waiting line, but I didn’t know another would come this soon.
Staring out of the empty space, I gave up looking for him for now. Obviously, he will give me another poison, so he will have to reveal himself even if he doesn’t want to.
“I just drank poison and I need some time to digest. Can you wait?”
“Hahaha!”
The assassin did not even try to hold back his laughter. What was interesting was the fact that he laughed so loudly, but the soldiers did not come in. I still couldn’t find where I could hear this laughter.
‘I didn’t get hearing problems because of poison, did I?’
I was suddenly worried and fiddled with my earlobe with both hands, and suddenly a bottle fell in front of me from the air. It was only a black bottle.
Upon receiving it with both hands, the assassin, who was busy laughing, spoke in a sly voice.
“It’s okay because the amount is small.”
No, it’s not okay.
“Hurry up and drink it.”
Although I couldn’t see his face now, it felt like an owner feeding their pet dog from only their voice.
Looking down at the bottle, I opened the lid first. Until now, all the poisons had a sweet scent, but the poison in my hand now smelled confusing whether it should be sour or refreshing. I don’t know what it is, but it was certain that it was a smell that made my appetite drop.
“I don’t think it’s going to taste good.”
“Are you afraid you’ll die this time?”
“More than that… But if I don’t die, will you stab me?”
In the original work, Giselle’s cause of death was poisoning. So far, I thought all assassins would attempt poisoning. However, I felt that this assassin who appeared now was different from those before.
If I don’t die from poison, I think he’ll try something else.
“I don’t use swords.”
“You are an assassin. Didn’t you bring one to kill me?”
“Poison is usually enough. I think you’re a bit unique. If you drink it and live, wouldn’t that be your destiny?”
“A drop of this can make the worst thing happen…”
“Don’t drag on and drink.”
The voice was both cheerful and coercive. My loosened mind suddenly tightened when I heard the voice.
No matter how light the tone was, the opponent was an assassin. This is poison in my hand. Just because I didn’t die until now, can I guarantee that I won’t die even if I drink this?
No way.
“Hey, I’m going to drink it, but can I ask for a favor?”
“What?”
“If I don’t die after drinking this, save me since I can’t be poisoned anyway.”
“You’re not dead. What do you mean to save you?”
“I’m asking you to help me escape from here. If this continues, I’ll be hanged anyway. I’ll live like a dead mouse. Like I’ve become someone else.”
Even if I survived again now, I couldn’t sit here forever and eat poison from the assassins. But I can’t be mesmerized waiting for the hanging date.
It’s something to think about later why I’m in this situation, and the urgent thing was to get out of here.
Of course, the soldiers guarding the prison will not help me escape, so in the end, the person I will persuade is an unknown assassin.
“Do you think you can live even if you get out of here?”
I was speechless when he asked back with a smile. If I leave here…
“You’ve already been declared an evil witch throughout the empire. People will throw stones as soon as they see you, and they will have wanted flyers everywhere once you run away. Your family is destroyed and there is no one to help you, so you will be stabbed to death while wandering around the streets miserably. It’s the same whether I die here or outside.”
The conclusion continued like flowing water. I frowned, forgetting that I was trying to gently coax the other person.
You want me to sit down and hang out and take more poison since I’ll be bored?
“You’re very pessimistic. It’s not like it costs money, but if you think positively, will it get worse?”
“…What?”
“Of course… I’ve caused a lot of resentment here and there, but isn’t there a place to stand on a large chunk of land? If there are good people, there are bad people too! I can get a job under a villain! The villains need to help each other!”
Of course, the question of whether the villain employs me is an exception.
Fortunately, in the meantime, my mutual aid logic seemed to have been absorbed by the assassin. The returning question was filled with interesting signs.
“Is there a villain in your mind?”
“There is. A very evil villain.”
There’s no villain in mind. He was the only villain I know in this book who is strong enough to ignore the wanted leaflets.
When I shut my lips dissatisfied, the assassin said to me.
“Tell me too. If it’s fun, I’ll do you a favor.”
The assassin was an easier man than expected. I’m speechless because he took it so easily.
“That, I… It’s not agreed yet, but I’m seeking a job.”
“I know. You were busy taking poison in prison, so what agreement would I have made?”
‘Why can’t you just tell me?’
I agonized for a moment at the words of the annoying assassin.
But when I encounter a new assassin after the conversation breaks down like this, there is no guarantee that the new person would listen to my proposal like this man now. Also, the hanging, which might come anytime, was a big problem.
I thought I could get out of this dream-like situation if I were hung like this, but the hanging was also too scary to lean on that uncertain possibility.
What was the name of the villain?
“He’s a stranger to me. Hey, it’s Wayne. What was his last name? Wayne Eye…?”
“Wayne Eyeore?”
“Right! Do you know him?”
Isn’t that villain whose identity is not revealed? Do they know because they’re in the same industry?
“…Coincidentally.”