When the Villainess Became the Male Lead’s Obsession - Chapter 5

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 5

Elysia unconsciously swallowed.

His small neck moved slightly.

Eden stared blankly into space, not caring about Elysia’s approaching him.

I wonder where his gaze is at.

To satisfy her curiosity, Elysia nervously looked in the direction Eden was looking.

An empty picture frame was hanging on the wall.

A large picture frame with its shell hanging, nothing to fill in it.

Elysia’s curiosity soon disappeared.

Moreover, there was only a large bed and a thin blanket in the annex.

On top of that, there was only an overused worn clock and a fireplace only for winter.

Really, the size of a small warehouse such as this was embarrassing to call an annex.

“Hey.”

Elysia walked toward Eden and spoke as she cleared her trembling voice.

Since she couldn’t call him by his name, Elysia called him ambiguously.

Eden was still expressionless.

The magic cast on him when he was kidnapped was still in effect.

At the sight of the blasphemy her father committed, Elysia turned head away, feeling guilty.

Her sight naturally caught a glimpse of Eden’s neck.

There appeared to be something like a ball of restraint, and the thin choker seemed to be tightening around Eden’s neck.

Elysia’s brows furrowed.

As she lowered her gaze further, she noticed Eden’s ankles.

To be exact, the shackles on Eden’s ankle.

The small shackles were restraining his ankles effortlessly.

The hook of the shackle was hanging on the bed to prevent Eden from escaping.

Despite her own cold heart, Elysia found it hard to accept Eden’s condition, a boy the same age as Ariel, but her common sense also rebelled.

‘He is still just a child.’

Another thought immediately struck Elysia.

‘How many memories did he lose? Can he speak?’

No, in the first place, I’m not even sure if he can hear me.

“Hey!”

Elysia called Eden again, but with a louder voice this time.

As feared, there was still no response from him.

Eden turned his head from the empty picture frame and looked at Elysia instead.

This was a big development.

“Are you looking at me?”

Even though he was looking at Elysia, it didn’t feel like he was looking directly at her.

Is his vision blurred?

Elysia raised her hand and waved it in front of Eden.

“Can you speak?”

“…”

“Can you understand me?”

“…”

There was no response.

Elysia unawares tapped Eden’s chest, as if she were looking and talking at the wall.

Stifling. It’s suffocating.

As far as Elysia knew, the magic that consumed Eden’s head soon broke after he got captured.

This was one of the reasons why Elysia decided to come to see Eden as soon as possible.

In the story, Eden came to his senses after he was imprisoned alone in the annex.

The only thing he remembered was his name.

Without knowing why, he had no choice for that year other than to live alone in the annex and eat the meals provided.

In fact, aren’t these circumstances even difficult for an adult to endure?

But, how can a 9-year-old child survive this while keeping himself sane?

It’s impossible.

Eden’s soul gradually deteriorated shortly after, and soon the slightest sound often intimidated and frightened him.

However, his misfortunes did not end there.

It was just like any other day when the outside of his cage was dyed by the orange sunset, just like the first time he came to his senses.

On this particular day, a girl who he saw for the first time opened the door and entered, instead of the usual stiff knight.

Elysia entered the annex with a displeased face while holding a plate in both hands and was the first person to see Eden’s existence.

– Eat it.

Then she threw the plate to the floor.

Eden watched his meal splashed all over the place.

It was the food that Eden could only eat once a day.

‘He ate the food as soon as he saw it.’

Whenever I remember that scene from the original Elysia, I am still left amazed.

‘Well, it must be because she had to deliver meals every day that she served a beggar even though she is a Young Lady of a Dukedom.’

Still, in Eden’s situation, it was normal to feel sympathy.

Even I feel sorry for Eden because of a human who I don’t even consider as my father.

Elysia’s face gradually turned pale.

‘This is why I died.’

If one to ten seeds of revenge were planted for what had happened to Eden while he was in the Dukedom of Valtine, then it was none other than Elysia herself who watered those seeds.

In the original, and even now.

If there was one thing, those seeds should not bloom because of me.

‘I have to be as nice to Eden as possible. It’s the only way to live.’

Elysia glanced back and forth at the shackles on his ankle and at the choker around his neck and made her resolution.

Eden couldn’t comprehend Elysia’s intention and continued to watch her blankly.

“Do you remember your name?”

Won’t you open your mouth again this time?

Elysia asked for his name as a natural question without any expectation.

Eden only tilted his head in response.

His tousled silver hair fluttered to and fro as he tilted his head.

“If you don’t tell me, then I don’t know how to address you.”

How long can I maintain this charade? There is nothing more tiring than not knowing what you already know.

So I at least wanted Eden to tell me his name.

“…E-den…”

“Hm? Is it Eden?”

Eden slowly blinked and said his name with his mouth not moving properly.

I don’t even know if his name is real.

Elysia pretended to understand him, which was no different from a babble.

The first obstacle was fortunately solved.

Whether telling me his name was his limit, Eden immediately shut his mouth.

There was silence again for a while.

‘What should I do with a child who can’t speak properly?’

Elysia’s road before her was already bleak. She swept her bangs back as if to soothe her frustration.

Eden’s silent stare fixed on Elysia made her feel embarrassed

Nothing else caught her eye.

It was a room with only one window, so it felt strangely cramped. The frustration in her doubled as she was with someone who wouldn’t communicate.

“…I’ll come back tomorrow.”

There was not much to do beyond checking Eden’s condition.

Of course, it would still be the same if he could communicate.

As I mentioned, I did not finish reading the novel.

She dropped the novel immediately after Eden executed the villainess, Elysia.

To be honest, even though the protagonist was Ariel, the character who gave life to the novel was none other than Elysia.

Elysia’s personality and self-assertion was charismatic, but there were other reasons as well.

The reason why Eden lacks charm as the male protagonist.

I have not read a lot of novels in the same genre because of personal circumstances, but if I dare to comment, Eden was a good example of a gentleman.

Eden was kind and good, a caring man who grew up so well that it was unbelievable that he was the same person who lost his memories and was imprisoned.

He was a sweet man who heals and comforts the female protagonist’s heart, Ariel, who in turn provides him strength.

Except for the things involving Duke Valtine and Elysia, who destroyed his childhood.

Eden, who was kind and sweet by my standards, did not arouse my interest as a reader.

Perhaps that’s why, when I was just a reader, I paid more attention to the villainess, ‘Elysia’.

Elysia was hostile to Duke Valtine and harassed Ariel for feeling betrayed by her and for struggling to win their father’s love.

When the original Elysia was executed, the excitement in the novel lost its touch.

The charismatic touch of the novel lost its spark because the obstacles that gave the protagonists hardships and adversity were resolved.

‘Eden was too plain.’

If I were to point out Eden’s flaw, it was there was no obsession and jealousy in him.

In the novel, Ariel was described as a beautiful and attractive woman. As attest to that, there were many other men surrounding Ariel.

Even the second male lead was the Crown Prince.

There were a lot of things I was discontented with.

In the situation, Eden was an example of a sweet-hearted man who did not become obsessed, let alone become jealous.

Just as Ariel’s mental health was his job, he only cared about her mental health and safety.

‘…It’s unappealing.’

To be honest, by my standards, a male protagonist like him was unattractive.

‘Well, the younger sister’s lover is a kind person, so that’s a plus.’

Opinion as a reader and that of a sister can never be the same.

From the standpoint of Ariel’s older sister, Elysia would wish for her younger sister’s to-be lover to be someone who is kind and good.

Now, this place has become a reality for me as Elysia.

The original work began with Duke Valtine kidnapping Eden.

If I let the original story go on as it is, I will still meet Eden in a year anyway.

Duke Valtine would no longer trust his people’s ability to maintain the secret and would hand over Eden to Elysia as his last resort.

From someone who didn’t even believe in Elysia.

In any case, I was destined to meet Eden someday, so it would be better to make the first move and make it less difficult for him as much as possible.

‘If I’m going to die anyway, might as well die trying, right?’

Elysia was on her way back to her room.

The sun was setting slowly.

Elysia’s steps back to her room were not as light as usual, as she thought how she should treat Eden’s messed up face tomorrow.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────