For the Young Villain’s Happy Ending - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 12

“Your Highness, have you finished your assignments?”

Fontepon asked from where he stood near the entrance steps of the main residence, addressing Kevenriak Heteroven seated there.

“Yes.”

Thanks to the etiquette lessons and social development over the past weeks, the Fourth Prince actually responded to his question.
Though his answers remained brief.

‘Still, this is remarkable progress.’

Compared to just a month ago, it was a tremendous leap forward.
And he’d already finished his assignments so quickly.
Raina Hart had a habit of assigning tasks with timing just tight enough for her return.

‘His speed keeps improving. His concentration is truly remarkable when it involves Lady Raina Hart.’

At that moment, Kevenriak Heteroven’s upper body leaned forward slightly as he watched the Castle Gate beyond the Garden.
Fontepon followed his gaze toward the gate.

‘Lady Raina Hart must be arriving.’

Originally, Raina Hart would appear at various points throughout the castle via teleportation.
But since discovering that Kevenriak Heteroven waited here, she had been consistently entering through the Castle Gate.
As expected.
The Castle Gate opened and Raina Hart entered.

“Raina Hart!”
“You’ve already finished? I’m back.”
“Welcome ho—…me…?”

Kevenriak Heteroven, who had been rushing across the Garden toward Raina Hart, suddenly stopped mid-stride.
Raina Hart was not alone.
His blue eyes fixed on the figure at Raina Hart’s side—crimson hair.

‘A person?’

Kevenriak faltered, his eyes narrowing with caution at someone standing behind Raina Hart.

“Ah, allow me to introduce her.”

As Raina Hart stepped aside, a young girl with her hair braided into two plaits came into view.
Raina Hart placed a hand upon the child’s shoulder. Kevenriak stared at the scene with an intensity that could bore holes through stone.

“This child is Kin.”

The words that flowed from Raina Hart’s lips after revealing the girl’s name.

“I have decided to take her on as my apprentice.”

Thud.
Kevenriak’s face went pale as though struck by a thunderbolt. He stumbled backward before fleeing into the castle.

***

‘What was that about?’

I found myself lost in thought.
Bringing Kin here was an attempt to restore even a fraction of the original story’s trajectory, which had begun to unravel.

‘In the original work, Kevenriak and Kin shared a bond of profound trust.’

Certainly, their first meeting had been described with a mutual attraction between them.
I was certain of it. That scene alone had remained etched in my memory with unusual clarity.
Perhaps that was why I had unconsciously assumed Kevenriak would not dislike Kin.

“My lady, I have checked every room in the castle, but the Fourth Prince is nowhere to be found.”
“I see.”

Ever since laying eyes on Kin, Kevenriak had vanished into hiding.
Person, Shukal, and Fontepon had combed through the entire castle, yet Kevenriak remained elusive.
His demeanor—so intensely guarded—resembled the wild cat he had been during his time at the Imperial Palace.
And yet.
To hide even from me.

‘Is meeting too early the problem? In the original story, we were supposed to meet at the Imperial Palace five years later. Or perhaps it’s the gender that matters. Kin was disguised as a boy back then, after all. Besides, Kevenriak Heteroven had never seen a girl his own age until now.’

The altered circumstances of both seemed problematic as well.
Kin was a completely different person in personality aside from appearance, and had even lost her single father.
Kevenriak Heteroven had become my disciple and was in Hibei rather than the Imperial Palace.

‘Moreover, when Kin first met Kevenriak Heteroven, he had already contracted his soul with another entity.’

A fateful encounter at age ten in the Imperial Palace Library.
That encounter would play the greatest role in making Kevenriak Heteroven a tyrant.
Since it would still be sleeping in the Imperial Palace Library, there was no need to worry about it yet.

“It’s dinner time, but the Fourth Prince hasn’t arrived?”
“Yes. We continue searching, but he hasn’t appeared anywhere.”

The Dining Hall where Kin had arrived with me.
At the Butler’s response, Raina Hart took her seat without comment.
Kin also took a place at the table under the Butler’s guidance.

“….”

Kin hesitantly glanced at Raina Hart seated at the head of the table.
She was beautiful, but somehow appeared frightening.

“Go and don’t do anything disrespectful to the lord.”

Before leaving the village and coming to the Castle, the Village Chief had cautioned Kin thus.
The lord was supposedly a great mage, so why would someone so distinguished take someone as insignificant as herself as a disciple?

‘I can’t do anything.’

After a simple appetizer, the main course of steak was served.
Then my silver eyes met Kin’s gaze as I looked at her.
Kin quickly averted her eyes to her plate.

“Eat your vegetables too. You need to grow strong.”

Raina Hart spoke to Kin.
Yet on Raina Hart’s own plate sat only a steak, devoid of a single garnish vegetable.
But Raina Hart was unabashed. She was an adult, and Kin was a child.

‘Eating habits formed in childhood matter greatly.’

Already, one child within the castle knew nothing but meat—a trait inherited from someone, clearly.
Kin nodded quietly and pierced the salad with her fork.
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to be a picky eater.

“Thank you for the meal.”

After watching Kin empty even her dessert plate, Raina Hart set down the fork she’d been holding.

“The Butler will show you to your room. Feel free to spend the next few days exploring the castle as you wish. If you’re curious about anything, stop anyone and ask.”

Kin’s gaze drifted to Raina Hart’s plate.
The steak lay there untouched, save for the knife marks across its surface.
She had forgone her own meal entirely, waiting until I finished mine.
Perhaps she wasn’t as frightening as I’d thought.
Kin gathered her courage and asked a question.

“Where are you going, my lord?”

Raina Hart rose from the table and answered Kin.

“To make a wish.”

***

Kevenriak Heteroven sat curled into a tight ball inside a basket within the Wardrobe.
He knew dinner time had passed, yet he could not emerge.
He couldn’t let Raina Hart discover him.

‘Now that she has a new apprentice, I’m no longer needed.’

Her name was Kin.
A child with an adorable appearance.
Unlike me with my dark, dull black hair, she possessed crimson locks reminiscent of roses.
Raina Hart would surely adore her.

“Your Highness.”

Kevenriak Heteroven recalled one of his favorite images of Raina Hart.
Raina Hart bowing respectfully, her smile warm and affectionate.
But that smile soon transformed into the sneering expression of the Separate Palace maids who mocked Kevenriak Heteroven.

“How repulsive.”

A tainted disciple like me was unworthy of standing beside the radiant Raina Hart.
I could not bear to face her.
She would surely discard me, preferring an ordinary child as her disciple over a monster like myself.

‘Raina Hart might send me back to the Imperial Palace.’

Kevenriak Heteroven’s nose twitched as tears threatened to spill.
That was when it happened.

Knock, knock.
Someone rapped against the Wardrobe door where I was hiding.
Kevenriak Heteroven curled into an even tighter ball.

“Little fairy in the Wardrobe.”

It was Raina Hart.
There is no fairy inside the Wardrobe, Raina Hart.
Kevenriak Heteroven hastily wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of my eyes with my sleeve.

“My disciple has disappeared. Could you help me find them?”
….

Was the disciple Raina Hart was searching for Kin, or was it me?

“We always have dinner together, but they didn’t come to eat tonight.”

It’s me. Raina is looking for me.
The joy of being the disciple Raina sought, mingled with the worry of breaking my evening promise with her.
My heart raced with these two conflicting emotions.
Raina continued speaking.

“I was so worried that I couldn’t eat anything. Today the Head Chef made a delicious steak, but….”

Raina’s voice sounded melancholic.
I loosened my hunched posture slightly.

“If my disciple doesn’t return like this, will I continue to go without dinner? Then I’ll be hungry every night and just lie in bed.”
“….”
“If I’m hungry, I won’t be able to sleep at night. I’ll barely fall asleep in the morning and might not eat breakfast either. What if I sleep through lunch? If my disciple doesn’t come back, I’ll keep starving-.”
“No, that won’t do!”

Raina stopped speaking at the child’s cry from inside the Wardrobe.
Then, with a loud crash and clatter, the Wardrobe door burst open, and I tumbled to the floor, unable to fully extract myself from the basket.
The clothes that fell with me cushioned my landing, so I wasn’t hurt.

“Raina, you can’t starve-!”

Crawling out of the basket, I spoke urgently with my knees still on the ground, pushing my upper body upright.
A shirt hung halfway over my head.
Looking like a black cat buried in a pile of clothes, I could see Raina barely suppressing her laughter as she continued the act.

“My goodness. The Wardrobe fairy has found my disciple for me.”

I had been mimicking that translucent window that constantly pricked my conscience.

‘It works better than I expected.’

But Kevenriak believed it too genuinely to use it multiple times.
It seemed this should be the last time.
Raina brushed the clothes off me and helped me up as she spoke.

“You were worried, weren’t you, Keri.”
“Keri…?”
“Oh, did I not mention it? It’s the affectionate nickname I use for my most precious disciple.”

My most cherished disciple.
At those words, Kevenriak’s eyes widened in disbelief.
He couldn’t believe it.

“You’re… going to keep me as your disciple?”
“What are you saying, Kevi? I haven’t even spoiled you yet.”

That was it. Kin hadn’t hidden because she was unfamiliar—that wasn’t it at all.
I gazed at the translucent window hovering in the empty air.

Raina is going to abandon me.
Kevenriak’s eyes welled with tears of fear.

Abandon? Who’s abandoning anyone?
I playfully pinched Kevenriak’s soft cheek while waving the window away with my other hand.
Whether it was my intention or not, the translucent window simply vanished.

‘This capricious system, I swear.’

Still, it was helpful this time.
I leaned close and whispered quietly to Kevenriak.

“Kevi, this is a secret. I told Kin to still call me Lord for now.”
“…?”
“I wanted to hear the word ‘Master’ from you first.”
“…!”

At those words, Kevenriak’s face bloomed with joy.
I sparkled my eyes, urging him to try calling me Master.
Kevenriak hesitated for a long moment, then retreated back into the basket and hid his face before speaking.

“Master…”

If he couldn’t see his own face, perhaps the embarrassment wouldn’t be so unbearable.
I finally couldn’t help myself and broke into silent laughter.
If he saw me smiling, he’d only grow more embarrassed.
I lifted the basket with Kevenriak inside into the air with magic. Flustered sounds spilled out from within.

“Ah…! Raina, Master…!”
“Yes. Master used magic. Now let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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