tl/n: this chapter was originally in 3rd person! please remember that korean novels switch point of views like it’s socks so it’s not going to be consistent because sometimes it’s hard for the translator to change a whole chapter to one pov/person
“That’s the first thing you should’ve asked Miss Viper. You should find a way so that Your Highness will not be accused of being the crown prince’s assassin.”
The competent butler, Owen, who gave the same advice as the Viper had expected, was on his way back late in the morning.
Because as soon as she wrote her contract, she asked Owen to run an errand.
From a few herbs that seem to be needed to make poison, to chemicals he has never heard of, to minerals…
The way to Rexid’s room had a variety of materials whose names are confusing, and it was like the Viper’s workshop in the basement.
Owen paused as he quietly walked in the hallway.
‘What?’
An unfamiliar shadow came out of Rexid’s room door, creaking carefully.
Holding his breath quickly, Owen, hiding in the corner of the hallway, raised his senses.
He saw a stranger passing under the moonlit window.
It was a face he didn’t know.
She was a small girl with short pink hair and blue eyes.
In her hand, she even held several papers that seemed to have been taken from Rexid’s room.
She was an intruder.
It didn’t take three seconds before Owen, who was quick to judge, pulled out the dagger he had hidden in his arms and ran to subdue her.
Since he had a reputation as a former assassin, he was faster than light.
In an instant, Owen grabbed the woman from behind and thrust the dagger under her chin.
“Woah…”
“Who are you? How did you get here?”
How could a woman with such small stature and without any power break into the castle and rob Rexid’s room?
It took some time for him to ask such a realistic question, so Owen had no choice but to suppress the unfamiliar face and look at her.
“Sir…?”
“Ah…”
Suddenly, Owen, hearing the familiar voice that came out of the woman’s lips, released his strength from her.
“Uh… Viper?”
Squeak.
At the same time, the closed door opened and Rexid appeared.
Upon seeing the sight as soon as the door opened, Rexid quietly grasped the situation and then hurriedly approached the two of them.
“Hey, you idiot. Are you crazy?”
“Oops, my mistake.”
Owen, who had put the dagger back into his arms, raised his hands and gave an apologetic smile. He then asked.
“Looks like it was the Viper. Was the face I saw the first time fake?”
“Ah, yes…”
The Viper, Rosica, answered with an awkward smile.
For some reason, she was trembling with a pale face. Her blue eyes flickered frantically from fear.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Rexid grabbed Rosica’s shoulder and asked.
Even her lips trembled.
“Yes. Yes. I’m okay.”
Looking at Rosica’s face which seemed to calm down very slowly, Rexid was a little puzzled.
Owen, who didn’t know how Rosica really looked, overpowered her.
Of course, there was no human being who would not be embarrassed when a knife was suddenly pushed into their neck, but wasn’t she the “Viper”?
He thought the arrogant and calm expression would be the same no matter what situation came, but that was unexpected.
Rosica’s eyes were similar to those of the enemy soldiers he often saw on the battlefield.
The instinctive fear.
Soon, Rexid realized and thought.
‘She must have thought she was going to die.’
Rexid, whose eyes went down to the slender wound marked on her white neck, kicked his tongue.
“I saw a strange woman stealing something from the master’s room at dawn. I can’t just let her go, can I?”
When Owen made an excuse, Rexid raised his hand and lightly hit him on the head.
“Yeah.”
Owen, who raised his left arm and lightly blocked Rexid’s hand, smiled.
“Look, I was so surprised that I instinctively did that…”
Owen slowly began to look at Rosica’s face.
“I’m so sorry, Viper.”
“Oh, it’s okay. It was a natural reaction.”
Rosica, who became calm as if it had never happened, replied with a smile.
“When I was educated as an assassin, my friends who always boasted a 100% commission success rate were women. They also have very beautiful faces.”
“…Assassin?”
“Yes. The meticulous ways of hiding a knife under my pillow even when I sleep were helpless in front of my beautiful female colleagues. It was amazing. That’s why I don’t trust pretty girls.”
“Ah, I knew you were not an ordinary person, and you have a pretty fancy past.”
“Of course. Anyways, I was so surprised to see a beauty unfamiliar to His Highness’ castle suddenly showing her face. Will you forgive me?”
Rosica, who opened her blue eyes round like a rabbit, smiled and shook her head.
“It’s something you need to be praised for. Please continue to take good care of me.”
“Don’t worry about that. But if you can excuse me, I want to check if this face is real…”
When Owen, who had no doubt, tried to reach out with a friendly smile, Rexid lightly grabbed him.
“It is real. I checked it myself.”
“That’s right. I thought those cheeks were weird before.”
“Aha.”
“But you.”
Rexid, who took a handkerchief out of his arms, asked, covering Rosica’s neck.
“Is there anyone after you?”
“Well, that’s a funny question. I’ve been scamming so much that I can’t even count.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Why do you ask that?”
“I’ll kill them in advance. If there’s someone who’s after your life, it’s a problem.”
Rexid’s eyes shone furiously.
Surprised, Rosica asked with wide eyes.
“All of a sudden? Your Highness, you’re not a cold-hearted person who kills anyone. I’m a fraudster, so those who have a grudge against me are probably victims.”
“But it doesn’t matter, so tell me. I changed my thoughts a lot after seeing what just happened.”
Rosica stared at Rexid, who added calmly.
“There was a time you almost died.”
“What?”
“Your expression when there was a knife on your throat. That face wasn’t just embarrassed by the threatening situation. It’s a face that shows you’ve experienced it at least once. Fear on the verge of death.”
“Ah…”
“I know that well because I’ve been rolling around on the battlefield all my life. It’s a very tiresome look that appears just before the sword swings and hits the enemy’s neck.”
Rosica was surprised by Rexid’s guess, which was sharper than expected.
It was enough to distinguish whether it was just a scared face or the face of a person who had almost experienced death.
Of course, she didn’t almost die; she really died…
No matter how much she changes, the experience of her past life where she was killed remained intact as a trauma.
“That’s right. I almost died when I didn’t have this face. But you don’t have to worry. The person who threatened me…”
Rosica smiled awkwardly, recalling the “chairman” in her previous life, who had no hesitation.
“…Is not under this sky right now? And there are only four people who know your real face as of today, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Oh, my. The life of the Viper is so precious. It must have been difficult.”
Owen, who was listening, shook his head and stepped in, and Rosica smiled slightly and replied.
“It’s kind of like that. Well, anyway…”
Rosica, holding Rexid’s handkerchief on her neck, stepped back a couple of steps.
“I’m going to go to work now. I thought I wouldn’t be able to stay up all day to do the homework Your Highness gave me.”
Rexid grabbed Rosica’s arm.
“Your wound. Go to my room. I can do most of the treatment.”
“No, I can do it. It’s not that bad of a wound.”
Rosica’s expression of rejection immediately seemed burdensome.
In the end, Rexid tried to hold her back more.
“Thank you for your concern.”
Rosica, who spoke again with a unique smile, soon turned toward the dark hallway and disappeared.
Owen, who was still looking at her back, opened his mouth only when the sound of her small steps disappeared.
“It’s worth having a fake face. She’s so beautiful that I won’t forget once I see her.”
Rexid crumpled his face in response to Owen’s carefree appreciation.
“What did you say?”
Hit!
Rexid, who straightened his palm, hit Owen’s shoulder.
“Argh!”
“She was-“
Hit!
Owen tried to avoid it, but Rexid’s palm flew persistently.
“-Beautiful… Hey!”
Hit!
“Argh! Stop!”
“Did you try to hit on her? Huh?”
“Oh, you’re so mean. In that situation, how many people will recognize the face of a woman they’ve never seen before and greet her happily?”
With an unfair look, Owen raised his arms and posed to block Rexid.
A former assassin. The incumbent butler.
Owen normally would only do what was needed, but he spoke more than usual, so Rexid hit his head coldly.
“Shut up, you idiot.”
“You’re so mean.”
Taking his eyes off Owen, who was fake crying, Rexid stared again at the dark hallway where Rosica disappeared.
He couldn’t forget the scared expression the little woman had on her face.