The Villainess Has Proposed a Contract Marriage

7 – The Power of Future Prophecy

The boy’s night was long.

The hour hand raced like the starlight of the universe, rushing down to the ground. It was a morning like any other, as he prepared himself to become an adult.

But even if the moon tilted, the night did not pass.

The whole world was filled with darkness.

Even if you imagine the future, the path ahead is dark. Even if you tightly close your eyes to escape reality, only pitch blackness remains. It was the same even when I was stuffed into a large bag made of blankets, like an object, in the midst of hazy sleep.

The will to rebel against the world is about to break.

I realized here that even if you roll a little on the ground, it only increases the insignificant venomousness. If even your eyes are swollen, you are forced to wear a submissive smile, because that increases your value as a commodity and makes it easier for the owner to control you.

Outside the solitary cell without a glimmer of light, they say.

That I must be popular because I’m just like the royal family of the fallen kingdom.

So they grabbed me hastily as soon as they saw me.

They had sharp discernment.

Not just to the same extent, but they couldn’t have even dreamed that I was a member of the royal family myself.

From royalty to a beggar. From a beggar to a slave.

It hurt as much as falling from a high place. It would have been less painful if, as they said, I had accidentally resembled them rather than being a member of the royal family.

Clearly, it is still night ahead.

No matter how much time passes, it is still night.

In this bottomless pit, there won’t even be a spider’s web to cling to.

It was around the time when I firmly concluded and gave up.

“…I swung down the sword.”

The night withered away.

Radiant golden light drove away the darkness and filled the world with a bright light. The moment when the power of miracles swung into action was right after that.

Flash!

Suddenly, everything in front of him disappeared.

After the dazzling light of a miraculous phenomenon cleared his vision, the sky opened up.

All the boy witnessed was a young man raising his radiant sword. It was just that, but the ceiling vanished without a trace, and the same starlight as that night poured down.

In a situation that defied common sense, countless people moved like a swarm of ants.

“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with the chains of light.”

Once again, a brilliant radiance flashed. It was a dazzling light that could only be described in myths.

Swoosh, swoosh!

The suppression was completed in an instant.

Particles of light took shape on their own, like sinners clinging to the ankles of the fugitives. Some tried to cut them off with knives or blunt weapons, but it was a futile effort.

Until now, the boy had believed that the authors were the absolute beings of this world.

It was sacrilegious to imagine being shackled like a slave, held like a beast.

The perception that they were divine beings who kept me imprisoned in an endless night was deeply ingrained.

“Capture them!”

“How dare they hold such a terrible auction on the Count’s territory!”

“Every single one of them… what audacity.”

Then, the soldiers guarding the territory rushed in. However, they entered with confidence but soon found themselves blinking in confusion.

“What is happening…”

While witnessing this betrayal of reality, they still did their job. They forcefully dragged away the auction officials and those who resisted.

Every time the soldiers securely held the sinners, the golden chains scattered into a haze of light.

Step. Step.

In the middle of the auction house turned battlefield, he approached.

The owner of white hair and purple eyes. Also, a young man dressed in neither extravagant nor shabby clothes. At first glance, he appeared to be an ordinary man without any particular charm.

He grabbed the iron bars and effortlessly bent them with sheer strength. Eventually, the iron reached its limit and tore apart.

Crack!

He silently supported the battered and bruised boy.

“… Huh?”

Then, a miracle happened.

The wounds that had been festering instantly healed, the dried blood melted away, and his face became clean. Even the broken collarbone that had been dislocated no longer hurt.

“You held on well. How’s your body?”

The young man asked about his well-being. However, the words that spilled from the boy’s lips were completely different from what he expected.

“Are you… an angel, by any chance?”

“No, I’m the director of an orphanage.”

“What?”

Not only was the concept of an orphanage surprising, but the young man added another layer of astonishment.

“Oh, there are angels though. One of them acts without any cuteness, so I pass on him. But the other one is very, very cute.”

“Oh… I see…”

“But it’s only fun to tease that guy. It brings balance in many ways when you see it like this. It’s just that there are only two, so they get bored easily.”

“Oh, I see…”

“So, it would be nice if we could gain one more friend, don’t you think?”

“…”

I don’t understand why they are saying such things to me. As doubts continue to amplify, the youth who gave me a miraculous night reached out.

“Do you want to come with me?”

“Me…?”

“Who else would there be to run with? It seems like you don’t have a reliable place to go, so let’s be friends with our kids. Coincidentally, they are all the same age as us.”

Who is this person?

Is he really not an angel but a human?

But creating miracles like this… just saying miraculous words…

Really… is he human?

“Decide after spending a day. If you don’t like it, we’ll see then.”

He extended his hand. And the boy took his hand.

Warmth transmitted from his large hand. Probably the warmth of salvation that he would never forget for a lifetime…

“I’ll go.”

After escaping from the iron bars, the boy stuck close behind the savior.

Trapped in a large pocket, he didn’t know what this place looked like. He couldn’t believe it yet, perhaps because he never dreamed of escaping from here on his own.

Finally, when he completely escaped from the mansion and looked up at the vast night sky, the boy finally shed tears.

Right in front of the mansion’s entrance. Arwell and his soldiers were lined up, paying their respects.

In the silence where only crickets cried, he spoke.

“Is there anyone who will disclose tonight’s events?”

As soon as they did, a boisterous response echoed as if they had matched the rhythm perfectly.

“Absolutely not!”

“Ah, I see.”

A casual remark. Following that, there was the sound of hands clapping playfully.

“Alright then.”

He grinned.

As if the agreement, always subject to termination, would persist indefinitely.

The moon tilted.

In the distance, the sky over the mountain range was tinged with the bluish hue of dawn.

And so, the long night came to an end.

“Are you hungry?”

A nod.

Unable to speak out loud, I swallowed my words.

The young man spoke nonchalantly.

“I’ll whip up a late-night snack for you. Even if it’s not quite midnight, snacks eaten at this hour are truly delightful.”

Beyond comprehension, the predawn was withdrawing in such a manner.

◇

“I lost…!”

I sighed heavily while preparing egg-fried rice with chicken for a late-night snack.

“They’ll find out, won’t they? It’s inevitable. Why does it have to turn around at the crucial moment…”

No, it’s not. I don’t have the confidence to act differently even if I go back. What should I do if I don’t get angry at such inhuman scenes?

Despite appearances, this body has been living in the temple for over a decade. Regardless of finding memories from past lives, the teachings and beliefs of the temple have not left me.

For example, I am more familiar with monarchy than democracy. Modern concepts are only memories from past lives.

In the end, I was always a holy knight.

“Even if the viscount’s family stays silent… the prisoners will surely make a fuss on their own…”

I knew. I knew, but I let it pass with a verbal agreement.

Because there was a child in front of me.

In other words, I wanted to look cool…!!! Even though I still have a lot of vanity at this age…!!! Above all, it’s a serious matter!!!

“Sigh… It feels like I’ve been sentenced to a life on death row.”

Will I be dragged to the temple? Or will I really be treated as a sinner and sent to hard labor?

I went a bit overboard.

Not to mention the chains, making a hole in the ceiling of the mansion makes me look conspicuous. But I had to do that much to make sure the viscount’s soldiers didn’t notice.

‘Ugh… I don’t know. Seriously.’

…

……

At that moment, the kitchen door suddenly opened, and a neatly dressed guy walked in.

“Um… Is there anything I can help with?”

“No, no. Just grow up to be a good person.”

“Yes…”

He replied politely, but I still didn’t know.

Because… first of all, this guy is a villain.

Glen Baschhill.

This is the name of the gallows that the last royal family of the fallen country, and the original villainess, used to hang.

He often faced off against Urien with unbeatable abilities and politically cornered him by exposing Tina’s identity.

There was a backstory about him being a former slave… It seems like I’ve shattered that setting today.

At least this was a pure coincidence.

‘No, meeting Tina at this time and even being entrusted with Urien’s care, it’s all just a coincidence…’

I had decided to leave the three kids at the orphanage, and they happened to be exactly like this.

It’s so arbitrary that it makes me wonder if it’s not the work of fate.

It was when I was lost in worries and contemplation.

Knock…

The kitchen door, which was never supposed to open, opened.

The intruders who woke up unusually early after spending the night were quite small.

“Welcome back, Director. I smelled something delicious, so I came down.”

“Oh… really. You came after a good night’s sleep as Urien said. hehehe…”

“Well, well… They seem like unwelcome guests. If this continues, I’ll have to make two more, huh?”

There’s nothing to be done. After all, it’s the orphanage director.

“All three of them are greeting. You should know that if you alienate them, you won’t get anything out of it.”

“Three?”

“Oh… Urien, over here.”

When Tina gestured with her eyes, Urien also looked at the corner of the dining table.

Glen, with fried rice stuck in his mouth, had solidified into a statue.

Thus, a gathering of the leading figures of the same generation took place.

Whether now or later, they were just youngsters waiting for a late-night snack. No one could predict the fate this gathering would take in the future.

‘Could it be that villains will come looking for us soon?’

I find it quite absurd.

There’s no way that would happen.

I don’t even know the future, let alone understand what they would be seeking.

“hahahahaha…”

Laughing at the absurdity of the situation, I simply chuckled.