Chapter 162
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: What Must Be Protected
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Isabella was recalling the first memory in her dream where she had felt, "My big sister is weird."
"It's mine!"
"No way!"
It was a squabble over a stuffed toy, no different from any other sisters.
But it took on a slightly different light when Xenovia demonstratively tore the doll's head off.
"Waaah."
The young Isabella burst into tears,
and her big sister Xenovia laughed at the sight.
When Isabella's adoptive parents later heard about it, they dismissed it as "an extreme manifestation of possessiveness," a trait common in children.
But Xenovia frequently bullied her little sister by hitting her, and when asked why, she replied, "Because seeing my little sister's crying face makes me happy."
That was around the time her parents began to suspect something was off about her.
After consulting several leading authorities in neuroscience and running various tests based on the results of their daughter's MRI—magnetic resonance imaging—
"Your daughter has functional issues in her cerebral cortex. This brain malfunction can manifest as a lack of empathy and indifference to others' suffering."
Xenovia was a congenital psychopath.
She felt almost no emotions and was not just numb to others' pain;
she didn't experience the negative emotions one should feel after doing something wrong.
In fact, Xenovia learned a sense of euphoria and excitement from hitting Isabella.
"What should we do?"
"Never treat your daughter emotionally. Establish clear rules and deal with her firmly."
Isabella learned of these circumstances much later, but at the time, she only noticed that her parents had changed after visiting the hospital.
That was the day it all began.
The strict family rules, curfews, and harsh punishments came into effect.
Having raised their first daughter that way, they had no choice but to raise the second one strictly as well, but Isabella adapted well.
In fact, she grew into a girl loved by everyone.
Xenovia did too.
"The daughters in that house are truly lovable."
The neighbors all said as much.
Xenovia and Isabella both grew into obedient virgins who listened well to their parents, and their parents smugly believed their upbringing was correct.
But Isabella, who spent a lot of time close to her sister, knew.
There was an unfathomable darkness in Xenovia's heart,
and right now, she was just hiding it...
"Mm..."
Isabella jolted awake in the hospital bed.
As soon as she regained her senses, the memory of Xenovia's assault came flooding back vividly. She couldn't forget those pitch-black eyes,
or the flat tone devoid of any emotional fluctuation. It was unmistakably Xenovia.
"Kim Sanghyeok!"
Isabella shot up in bed and was startled again to see Sanghyeok guarding her bedside.
"Yes? I'm right here."
"You... how..."
They had both been gravely injured, hadn't they?
It felt too real to be just a dream. Her body was far too intact, which only heightened her sense of unease.
"Lie back down for now."
"What happened?"
"This is a private room in the academy hospital. A night has passed. I was worried sick since you wouldn't wake up."
Sanghyeok peeled an apple as he recounted what had happened after Isabella lost consciousness.
It was hard to believe.
"First off, the one who healed both you and me was a saintess from the outside world, thanks to my Authority."
"What about Xenovia? She just left?"
Sanghyeok hesitated, unsure where to begin.
"She wouldn't have just left. She wouldn't stop until she destroyed you...!"
"To put it crudely, I beat the shit out of her."
"...What?"
Sanghyeok explained his other Authority.
Immortal Discipline
The Death Collector summoned by that Authority protected Kim Sanghyeok and demonstrated transcendent power.
It thrashed Xenovia—who was outputting 100% power—like a dog on the hottest day of summer,
and sent her straight to the Villain Correction Headquarters.
Isabella was speechless at the fact that a D-rank academy student had fulfilled the Hero Association's five-year-old wish right before her eyes.
"She was taken to the Correction Headquarters... Xenovia?"
"Teacher Seridwen came at the end and wrapped things up. I should've just turned her into an onahole on the spot."
Sanghyeok handed her a neatly peeled slice of apple as he spoke.
Isabella, lost in the story, took it into her mouth and crunched away.
"I see... The teacher..."
Everything had ended while she lay there...
Isabella felt a twinge of emptiness.
"Tasty?"
"...Ah."
Squeeze.
Isabella clutched the clean hospital blanket tight, her cheeks flushing red.
No... I'm letting this guy get to me too much...
"You were cool out there, President. Something like, 'Thanks for calling me an awesome hero'?"
"...Hmph. Don't get the wrong idea."
Her face burned hot.
She hadn't even properly protected him, and her "heroic" act was just playing meat shield.
And for Kim Sanghyeok, of all people!
It was so embarrassing she couldn't lift her head.
"I was just doing my job as a hero. Nothing special. I would've done the same for anyone else, not just you."
"Oh, tsundere."
"I'm not!"
"Not teasing. You were really cool."
This guy... like a sly fox, keep poking at the parts that make me embarrassed.
"Pathetic, right? That's the true face of Seoul's top S-rank hero everyone's hyping up."
"What is?"
"Getting humiliatingly beaten by a real villain."
"Xenovia's a 'real villain' to you?"
He hasn't heard anything?
No way...
Seeing Sanghyeok still in yesterday's clothes, Isabella was startled.
"You didn't go home? Stayed by my side all night?"
"Yeah. It's past class time now. Cover for my absence again."
"..."
"Reason: nursing my lifesaver. Oh, Evangeline-sunbae was here too, but she left for work tomorrow after staying till dawn."
Embarrassing.
Lifesaver? Ridiculous.
"Kim Sanghyeok. You're the one who saved me. I failed to protect you properly."
Sanghyeok said nothing, just waited quietly.
...Like he was giving her time to collect herself.
It reminded her of her dad, watching over her silently and soothing her when she cried as a kid.
...Why does this student who needs my care look so reliable?
'If it's Kim Sanghyeok... I can trust him...'
"Xenovia... is my big sister."
Sanghyeok picked up another apple and peeled it slowly.
"Diagnosed as a congenital psychopath, my blood relative... an S-rank villain. Leader of Korea's largest villain alliance."
"A massive figure. I heard Korea was relatively peaceful, but she had a monstrous masterpiece surpassing even you, President."
"That's because enormous-rank gravity waves appear in the Forbidden Zone."
This wasn't public knowledge.
People just speculated "maybe."
S-rank or higher dungeons spawn in Seoul's Forbidden Zone. The villain alliance hides in that shadowy Forbidden Zone—Korea's underbelly—
illegally farming unpermitted monster cores to build power.
"The theory is that Xenovia, head of the Underworld, monopolizes those gravity waves."
"She hogged all the sweet loot and got strong. Cowardly. You were busy working, President!"
"...?"
Isabella tilted her head at Sanghyeok's sudden indignation.
'No way... is he comforting me?'
For the sake of Korea's representative hero who suffered a pathetic defeat.
"...Stop. I can't be a symbol of justice. Couldn't even protect the guy next to me."
"Now I get it. Why you wanted to punish villains so harshly. Because Xenovia's family?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I said it didn't matter."
She had always known Xenovia would come for her someday.
So she couldn't form deep bonds with anyone.
Isabella had kept it a secret all along.
Pretending to be a flawless hero whom no one could fear.
"Five years ago, Xenovia killed our mother and turned central Seoul into a sea of fire. Casualties: 50,000..."
"..."
"After that, people saw me, our family, as potential villains. 'Who knows what they're thinking behind those smiles.'"
Since that day, Isabella had fought for her family's honor.
She never considered any path but hero.
Even taking the position of Villain Correction Headquarters Chief was for that reason.
Pursue justice.
Enforce justice.
Embody justice.
Look. I'm not like my irresponsible sister.
Maybe that's all she had been shouting to the world.
...A fake conviction. No more pretending to be superior in front of juniors. There was no such thing as a "real hero."
"Symbol of Justice" was an overreaching dream.
"So that's why you fought? To show people the righteous Isabella?"
Sanghyeok handed her a plate of prepared apple slices.
"Yeah..."
...He must be disappointed.
Me, egging him on to brutalize villains...
Now he knows that strictness wasn't from a sense of justice,
but a desperate flailing to prove I'm different from my criminal sister.
The heavier her workload grew, the calmer Isabella's heart became.
"Justice Hero"
"Toward 0% Crime Rate"
"Korea's Representative Hero"
Behind those flashy labels people gave her,
there was her, anxiously waiting for news of her sister's next atrocity,
rounding up every villain in sight...
Like making excuses to the world: "If my sister shows up, I'll catch her."
"I feel like I know Isabella even better now."
"Disappointed?"
"You think so?"
Sanghyeok smiled brightly.
Seeing that smile, Isabella couldn't help but wonder why he stayed.
Why.
Why did the student council president, whom he called a problem child, have him guarding her bed all night?
Why is he listening to my story?
With such a gentle expression...
All her guesses pointed to one conclusion, but she couldn't be 100% sure.
"Kim Sanghyeok likes me" felt too embarrassing.
"He might like me"...
When their eyes met again, Sanghyeok wore a mischievous grin,
as if he'd been waiting to say this.
"By the way, it's officially announced that the ultimate hero who took down the vicious S-rank villain Xenovia is none other than President, 'White Devil.' Yesterday at 10 PM."
"What?!"
Isabella shouted, then clapped her hand over her mouth, remembering she was in a hospital.
"You caught her!"
"Huh? I just beat her with my Authority? Technically borrowed power, and no one would believe a D-rank academy student did it."
"What about Teacher Seridwen? She could take credit."
"It was her idea. Let's say White Devil did it."
Teacher Seridwen!?
"She's officially in the US right now, but apparently she violated World Hunter Association rules by entering Korean waters without permission last night and got summoned to the Blue House.
If word got out she handled a Korean villain, it could spark a diplomatic issue..."
"Even so... You're okay with that? Kim Sanghyeok? That's stealing your achievement."
"I'm fine. As long as Isabella's safe."
'Casually calling me by name.'
Thump thump...
Isabella panicked at the unfamiliar emotion.
At first she thought it was dad-like warmth, but now...
Something stronger, more intoxicating. Uncontrollable.
"From now on, don't push yourself alone. Team up with me."
"W-what?"
"Xenovia's caught, but villains will keep coming. Let's pair up with the onahole guy. You know."
"...I'm not the flawless justice hero you think I am."
"Exactly."
Sanghyeok placed another apple slice in her mouth as he spoke.
"That's why you can date, lean on someone when you're tired, all that."
"...Date? With who?"
"You wouldn't ask if you didn't know."
......
.....
...!!
I don't know. No idea. Pretend I don't know!
Unable to accept her heart's sudden shift, Isabella whipped her head away, avoiding Sanghyeok's eyes.
"No clue. No time for dating. I'll be even busier from now on!"
"Rest up. I'll head to my remaining classes."
Is it okay to let him go like this?
Once the problem student process ends, she can't casually talk to Kim Sanghyeok. Can't threaten, "Come here now."
He's not the academy's black mark anymore.
A hero like her, maybe even stronger. Kind and cool guy...
Once the formalities are done, they won't meet anymore...
Thinking that, her body moved on its own. Before she knew it, she'd slipped out from under the blanket and grabbed Sanghyeok's sleeve tight.
"W-wait."
"Isabella?"
"..."
Isabella's face was flushed beet red, blood rushing to her head like never before. Her voice trembled as she spoke.
"You'll... keep being a hero... right?"
"Yes."
What shift in her feelings had occurred?
Right now, she was just grateful. Relieved she wouldn't have to part from him.
Sanghyeok tucked the blanket back over Isabella as she lay down again and said,
"Because the things I must protect have increased."