The Villain’s Sister - Chapter 117

On the day of the transfer, Liam came back to take him by force.

He came out thinking this really would be the last time.

“There’s no chance Sunshine took her. They looked like they were searching for Giselle too,” Black Pistols explained in a low voice.

After chasing Sunshine four days ago, an incident happened where a hostage died, and he looked drained.

Raphael, breathing in cigarette smoke, said, “I’m dealing with Big Bear. There’s no sign of anything on the Two Star side either.”

Raphael tossed his third cigarette to the ground.

He combed through every method and route Giselle had used when she ran away before, but there wasn’t a trace.

If, by some one-in-ten-thousand chance, Giselle were found the same way as before… he swore this city would never know peace.

‘What do you think you can do by running away alone….’

Worry that she might run into something awful kept his nerves stretched tight every moment.

He knew exactly what his sister wanted.

Freedom from the underground world, a life without threats, an ordinary life.

But not now.

At the very least, it had to be after things settled down and Giselle’s safety was completely assured.

“What the hell are the police doing? She was a whistleblower! Why did Deva run away instead of being under your protection!”

“Johan joined in and he’s tearing the place apart looking for her, so calm down. You’re not blameless either.”

“Hah! You trust Johan?”

Johan’s true identity was Red Shadow.

He had another real name, but it wasn’t easy to tell he was a duke.

Most people believed the Duke of Valkenstein went into seclusion under the excuse of recovery after becoming disabled.

That was why no one connected the perfectly healthy Johan with the duke. Raphael was no exception.

“Ease up.”

It wasn’t a sharp tone.

He didn’t even use the curses that came out of habit.

That was why Black Pistols clearly felt different from usual.

Raphael lit a fourth cigarette and sat down beside Black Pistols.

Even with an escaped prisoner from days ago sitting right next to him, he barely paid him any attention while searching for Sunshine.

After calming down considerably, Raphael confessed, “After we catch Johan and Black Cloak, I plan to walk back into prison on my own.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I do feel sorry about what happened in prison. I was pretty worked up that day.”

“If you’re sorry, bring me Liam’s head. My gut still feels twisted.”

As if to prove he really intended to turn himself in, Raphael continued, “Black Cloak is supplying the blue gas.”

“I know.”

“You know he’s cooperating with your brother too. Sunshine will try to use White Hands to make a perfect drug. That means he already knows White Hands’ identity.”

Black Pistols, who had been scanning below the building with a rifle braced on his shoulder, turned his head toward Raphael for the first time.

Raphael blew out smoke and said, “You’ll have to catch him so I don’t kill him.”

The time given to Black Pistols lasted until Giselle was found.

After that, Raphael would move without mercy.

Just like in their past life.

“…Don’t worry. I’ll finish everything now.”

After hearing the answer, Raphael stayed silent for a while, then absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair.

Living as one who chased and was chased left him with no pleasant emotions, but he held the nobility Black Pistols showed in high regard.

If it weren’t for Andrew sending him down this path, Raphael would have liked Black Pistols without a doubt.

So the fact that he’d decided on the worst possible move couldn’t help but feel bitter.

Raphael drew in a deep breath of cigarette smoke.

The city night felt unusually heavy.

“I could help if it means keeping blood off your hands.”

“No. He’s mine.”

Hearing the malice in his tone, Black Pistols thought that Giselle must have suffered in the same way for countless nights.

‘I should’ve protected her heart first.’

He’d believed the path they’d walked so far was the best they could do for the siblings, but now it was clear it was only the best for him.

Guuuuung!

Between distant buildings, a pillar of fire shot up like a fountain.

Judging by the location, it was Big Bear’s territory.

After Giselle disappeared, Johan spent two straight days tearing the city apart, and since yesterday, he’d completely lost it, rampaging through the streets without caring about the media swarming him or the police moving in.

The Daily Issue, which first released Giselle’s photo, the bounty Big Bear put up, and Big Bear’s Two Star.

Everything had become Red Shadow’s target.

“If Big Bear hadn’t put up a bounty, it wouldn’t have come to this,” Black Pistols assessed flatly.

He’d threatened to kill anyone who went around killing people, but seeing how Johan was acting lately, touching him carelessly would only end the same way.

Taking that risk wasn’t an option when he had too many other things to deal with.

Honestly, he didn’t have the room to care.

“If you knew who that bastard really is, you’d understand why he’s acting like this. Why is he doing this, anyway?”

The question was so stupid that Black Pistols stared at Raphael for a long moment, trying to tell whether he was joking or serious.

“…Are you serious?”

“What about it?”

“Are you seriously asking? You do know that bastard is Johan, right?”

“I know his name’s Johan. He even got Fog’s code from me, so there has to be a reason he’s been circling around Giselle. What does he want from her, anyway?”

Instead of scoffing, Raphael narrowed his brows, looking anxious.

What exactly made him uneasy was something Black Pistols couldn’t understand.

“….”

He really doesn’t know.

Black Pistols clicked his tongue and answered, “He’s acting like that because he got dumped. Dumped. Giselle ditched him and disappeared on her own.”

Thud.

Raphael accidentally dropped the cigarette from his mouth.

That kid who planned pig parties with Maria ditched Black Pistols and Red Shadow one after the other?

I must’ve misheard. Raphael shook his head.

“That’s too much of a lie.”

“It’s true.”

A quiet chuckle slipped out from beneath the black helmet.

Raphael frowned, unable to find words, and pressed a hand to his forehead in confusion.

It felt like he was seeing a side of his sister he’d never known before.

Watching Raphael’s reaction, Black Pistols casually piled on the confusion.

“For the record, Giselle liked that bastard. She left alone because she didn’t want to ruin his life too.”

“My god….”

Raphael’s face crumpled beyond saving.

Black Pistols lowered the rifle and rose slowly to his feet.

Seeing that the man still hadn’t shown himself even as dawn approached, it seemed he was laying low.

‘Then we’ll have to fish him out.’

Now that things had reached rock bottom, both Raphael and Black Pistols had no choice but to see it through.

So either Black Pistols or Sunshine had to die.

***

“Maybe a tourist abandoned it.”

“Abandoned?”

“That kind of thing happens a lot in tourist areas.”

At Noah’s words, my mouth fell open.

How cruel.

“If we send it to a shelter, it could get adopted by another family. The problem is, if it isn’t adopted within thirty days, it gets euthanized.”

“What?”

I pictured the puppy sleeping comfortably in my place.

Its black, curly fur was cute, but I wasn’t sure it would be adopted easily.

People usually want white or brown dogs. They say black dogs are unlucky, so they don’t prefer them.

‘I can’t raise it myself.’

I’m in a position where I might have to run at any time. Having a pet is out of the question.

When I grabbed my hair in frustration, Noah said, “I think the neighbor next door wants to raise a puppy. I’ll ask them.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“Jean, is there anything you want to eat today? I’ll pack it up so you can reheat it tomorrow.”

“I skipped breakfast, so I’m fine.”

When I refused, Alex frowned deeply. “Hey. Which way is your place? You get off late. I’ll walk you home.”

This time, I was the one about to frown.

Just then, Mandy called out from afar.

“Jean! You’re on bathroom cleaning duty today!”

“Okay. Coming!”

I hurried into the bathroom.

Cleaning my own bathroom at home is one thing, but this was my first time doing it outside.

I scrubbed hard, even waxing the floor, when Mandy came in.

“From what I can tell, Alex is going to be pretty persistent. Jean, I think he’s got you marked. What are you going to do?”

“It’s fine. I’m used to this kind of thing.”

“Used to it?”

“I had a stalker who chased me for years. Compared to that, this is nothing. Worst case, I’ll really teach him a lesson and find another job.”

“Wow. You….”

Mandy’s eyes sparkled.

“Do you need to go home early today? I’ll treat you to something really good. Let’s actually have some fun, just the two of us.”

It was almost ten. Hanging out more at this hour?

I guess Blue City is safe enough to drink and walk around at this time.

In Mist Island, that would be risking your life, so a wave of emotion washed over me.

When I covered my mouth and nodded, Mandy jerked her chin. “Hurry up and finish so we can clock out. Blue City’s night starts now.”