Märchen For A Villain - Chapter 18

“Hook’s watch.”

 

As soon as she heard those words, Isabelle’s eyes widened.

 

‘Was that the strange watch I saw every time I returned?’

 

Her hands, which were neatly gathered on her lap, trembled finely.

 

‘Is the reason why I keep shaking because of theft?’

 

What body is so honest?

 

And if it’s Hook’s watch…Is he talking about Captain Hook?

 

‘There are so many characters in the fairy tale!’

 

Her mind was confused.

 

“Even if you have no memory, your body is honest, Princess Thief.”

 

Chaiman held out his hand, as if asking for the watch back.

 

“I don’t have a watch in my hand.”

 

There really wasn’t. The watch was only visible for a brief moment when she was revived, but it was scattered like a mist.

 

“No way. There was definitely a unique wavelength of the watch earlier.”

 

Chaiman stared at Isabelle and tilted his upper body towards her.

 

‘Was this man that big?’

 

He didn’t look that big when he was with the Grand Duke.

 

The closer he got, the more Isabelle realized that he was also a man. His face came close.

 

It had a natural sweet scent, not perfume, and it had the strange power to break down the boundaries of others.

 

At the time his long eyelashes, which fluttered like butterfly wings, caught Isabelle’s attention.

 

“Hey, that’s true. You don’t have a watch.”

 

He looked straight at Isabelle and smiled.

 

“By the way, Princess.”

 

Chaiman’s gaze descended over Isabelle’s red lips and delicate neckline and stayed near her heart.

 

He sprinkled crushed manastone powder near her.

 

As fine gray powder scattered in the air, the golden light emanating from Isabelle’s heart appeared briefly and then disappeared.

 

“Look at this. Why does the watch’s aura flow from the Princess’s heart?”

 

Chaiman smiled, licking his lower lip slowly. His red eyes flashed and she demanded her truth from Isabelle.

 

“As I said before, I don’t know.”

 

Isabelle crossed her arms and covered her chest where his gaze stared at.

 

It was unpleasant for a man’s gaze to reach here.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

 

Chaiman offered a dry apology as if he had no interest in female bodies in the first place.

 

“Well, that’s not the only evidence that the Princess stole it.”

 

Chaiman unbuttoned his dress’s button and pulled out a flat pocket from inside.

 

The long clavicle bones and skinny muscles were exposed through the open dress, but he didn’t seem to care about his exposed body.

 

He opened his pocket and put his hands in, a pair of red shoes that couldn’t fit in a flat pocket came out like magic.

 

“That……!”

 

The red shoes Isabelle left on the beach when she first met Snow in the Kingdom of Desar.

 

“It’s true that this belongs to the Princess.”

 

“How does the tower lord have it?”

 

“I picked up the shoes because they looked a little familiar.”

 

Chaiman explained that he had placed a thief-fighting tracking enchantment near the lab where the watch was located.

 

“But I feel it here.”

 

Chaiman smirked and waved the red shoes.

 

‘Ah, now I can’t even walk away.’

 

Isabelle admitted to the robbery she couldn’t even remember.

 

Then, miraculously, her body stopped shaking. She was dumbfounded. ‘What did this body do before possession?’

 

“Why does the Princess of a country even steal?”

 

She secretly avoided Chaiman’s gaze.

 

She couldn’t make any excuses. She wasn’t even the one who did it.

 

“It was kind of you to admit your sin. I’ll return this to the thief princess as a reward.”

 

Chaiman stood up from his seat and put the shoes in front of Isabelle.

 

Then, using the low tea table as a chair, he sat on it and bent down.

He stared at the light green shoes that stick out under the hem of

Isabelle’s skirt, and put the red shoes next to it.

 

“Would you like to try it on?”

 

“No.”

 

The red shoes were ominous.

 

Red shoes in a messy fairy tale world.

 

The first thing that came to her mind first was the most unfortunate fairy tale in which the girl in the red shoes couldn’t stop dancing and had to cut her ankles off.

 

“Why don’t you like it?”

 

“If I wear magic shoes, I think I’ll dance nonstop.”

 

Isabelle looked straight at Chaiman and shook her head. He was more surprised than offended by Isabelle’s reaction.

 

“… Do you see magic with your eyes?”

 

“No. It’s just a feeling.”

 

“Oh, like a beast.”

 

It was not an insult. It was a compliment that felt good.

 

Chaiman scratched his chin and grinned.

 

“Unfortunately, there is no magic to dance well. I just cast a movement magic on it.”

 

If I tap the heel three times, I can move to the tower.

 

‘Wizard of Oz or what?’

 

Isabelle looked at the red shoes.

 

“You can have it.”

 

“Do you want me to wear them? I wonder if it’s the right size.”

 

Chaiman’s fingers touched Isabelle’s ankle.

 

“I say no!”

 

Isabelle raised her voice and refused.

 

At the same time, suddenly, the parlor door opened.

 

The Grand Duke glared at Chaiman and held the doorknob with a crushing grip.

 

“What are you doing, Chaiman?”

 

“I’m presenting the shoes to the Princess, but….”

 

Chaiman bowed his head, following where the Grand Duke was staring.

 

Chaiman’s skin that could be seen through the loose dress. The distance to the Princess that was close enough to touch. In addition, the Princess’s ankle was exposed…

 

‘Hmm, it’s a perfect condition to misunderstand.’

 

Chaiman gently released Isabelle’s ankle and fixed his outfit.

 

“I don’t know what the Grand Duke is thinking, but I’ll say no.”

 

“Get away from the Princess right now.”

 

The Grand Duke gave a sharp warning and approached behind Isabelle’s sofa. The way he put his hands on the back of the sofa and stared at Chaiman was like a beast marking his territory.

 

Isabelle tilted her upright torso toward the Grand Duke. Her body, which had been so tense, relaxed.

 

“Yeah, I’ve seen everything, so I’ll go.”

 

‘Oh, my knees.’ Chaiman struggled to get up.

 

“Ah yes! By the way, Grand Duke.”

 

Chaiman whispered softly to the Grand Duke as he left the parlor.

 

“The ‘watch’ you were looking for seems to have been delivered properly.”

 

***

 

The Neveland Empire in the Southern Continent.

 

The current emperor, Peter van Jehik, ousted his cousin, Munchkin White, and took the throne. In order to usurp the throne, he secretly brought some items of noble power from the Sky.

 

In the process, he killed the Sky Clan and was put under a terrible curse.

 

After becoming emperor, Peter robbed Hook’s watch to break the curse.

 

A legendary pocket watch that was said to turn back time.

 

However, the emperor, who misused the watch, returned to his mind as a child.

 

The royal family called it a cursed watch, and after breaking it, they threw it into the sea. It was the Grand Duke who brought the broken watch to the magic tower.

 

“I think it will help break my curse.”

 

At the request of the Grand Duke, Chaiman repaired it and began research.

 

But by the time the repairs were finished, Princess Isabelle skillfully stole the watch.

 

“It’s fun.”

 

Chaiman muttered as he walked down the hallway. The servants passing by looked at him strangely, but he didn’t care.

 

“I wonder. Why did she forget me?”

 

He smiled as he remembered Isabelle’s face.

 

Whenever he was curious, the goosebumps that ran through his body were thrilling.

 

He wondered how the power of the watch penetrated the Princess.

 

How did she purify the Grand Duke’s curse little by little?

 

How did she discover the magic of the shoes?

 

He was curious. He wanted to know.

 

Chaiman hummed as he passed by, and the disloyal disciple blocked his way.

 

“What are you so curious about, Master?”

 

“I am curious why your magic skills are a mess.”

 

Chaiman replied with a displeased expression.

 

“It must be because of Master.”

 

“Why did you appear?”

 

“It’s also because of Master.”

 

Snow handed the letter rolled up from his pocket.

 

“The Prince will arrive at the estate tomorrow, so you have to leave.”

 

“Why is that greedy b*stard coming here? Is he trying to vent his anger because the assassination of the Crown Prince didn’t go the way he thought it would?”

 

“I do not know.”

 

“I can’t go. I’m not done yet.”

 

Chaiman shook his head like a child, saying he hadn’t got the Grand Duke’s blood for the experiment.

 

“If you don’t go, the news of Master’s arrival to the Empire will reach the Empress’s ears.”

 

“Ah….I’m craving something sweet.”

 

As Chaiman sighed, putting his hand on his forehead, Snow habitually shoved a date palm into his mouth.

 

Chaiman chewed it up and got on Snow’s back.

 

“What is this now, Master?”

 

“Carry me, my disciple. I’m exhausted just hearing the name of the Empress.”

 

“Are you admitting I’m your disciple only in this case?”

 

“Everything has a reason.”

 

“Let’s go to my room.”

 

So Chaiman went back to the room on Snow’s back.

 

***

 

A Count’s garden, which was dense with trees.

 

Prince Edwin fastened his belt and hummed, and smirked at the white stain on the tip of his black shoes.

 

“What are you so happy about?”

 

The Countess asked, arranging her skirt.

 

“We’ll be at the Grand Duke Bashke’s estate by tomorrow.’

 

“Huh?”

 

“Karl would hold a banquet for me.”

 

The Prince raised one corner of his mouth while calling the Grand Duke’s name in a friendly way.

 

“Did he accept the proposal even though the Crown Prince is in critical condition? I am sure the Empress would be furious.”

 

Rumors that the emperor was mentally ill had long since spread among the nobles.

 

The current imperial power was Empress Gwendolyn.

 

The Countess hugged the Prince’s arm tightly.

 

“How can an emotionless Empress be angry? If the Grand Duke has a behavior that doesn’t fit the principle, then the punishment should be given.”

 

“Would the Grand Duke blink an eye if he’s punished?”

 

“If his bride was taken away as punishment, I think he would show a nice expression.”

 

Prince Edwin smiled broadly, showing his white teeth.

 

With slightly drooping blue eyes, flawless smooth skin and elegant attitude. Aside from his messy private life, he was the very picture of the prince in the storybooks.