BlleatTL

ch26

Added 2025-06-06 04:49:53 +0000 UTC

[Ch 26 - The Villain and the Secret Organization]

Evelyn's luxury sedan smoothly pulled into the Crown Villa parking lot.

"Evelyn! You carry the shopping bags! I'll take the book! This is for the world domination plan!"

"The plan in comic book form, you mean."

"Reading only text is too boring these days! Even Villains have to evolve with the times!"

A day filled with movies and shopping. Just an ordinary day for others, but for Evelyn, every day was like a miracle.

"Look at this! I even bought a limited-edition poster! I'm adding it to my Villain poster collection! This scene of a chainsaw slicing through a hero, isn't it the epitome of a Villain?"

As soon as she opened the door to apartment 301, Grimoire threw the shopping bags down and flopped onto the sofa. She wiggled her legs and kicked off her shoes.

"Ugh… I'm exhausted! Even playing takes stamina!"

Evelyn calmly organized the shoes and shopping bags.

"Shall I prepare a bath? It will help relieve your fatigue."

"Oh! Good idea! I think a rose-scented bubble bath would be nice for today! Even a Villain needs to be fragrant sometimes!"

Evelyn bowed her head in agreement.

Heading to the bathroom, Evelyn adjusted the water to the right temperature. 38.5 degrees.

As she poured in the rose-scented bath salts, the bathwater instantly turned red.

'A beautiful color.'

Red.

In the past, it was just the color of blood. The sticky crimson that stained her hands after a mission, the red stains that seemed like they would never wash away.

But now it was different.

Red was the color of Grimoire's favorite cherry-flavored candy, the warm light of the first sunset they watched together, the color of the roses in the Crown Villa garden, and the vibrant hue of Grimoire's favorite tomato sauce. The color of the stockings decorated at Christmas, the color of the wildflowers they found on a walk together in spring, the color of the circles drawn on the Villain plan with a red pen, and above all…

The color of Grimoire's eyes, which she wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

"Wow! There are so many bubbles!"

The bathroom door burst open, and Grimoire entered. She had already taken off her dress and was only wearing a towel.

Splash-!

She jumped into the tub without hesitation. Water splashed everywhere.

"Evelyn, get in here quickly! That's an order!"

Evelyn calmly took off her clothes, folded them neatly beside the tub, and got in.

"Look, I made a beard out of bubbles! How is it? Doesn't it look like a terrifying Villain?"

Grimoire gathered bubbles around her mouth to create a beard and burst into laughter. Evelyn smiled at her pure laughter.

"You look very intimidating, Master. I think even real heroes would tremble in fear."

"Indeed, my majesty shines even when I'm taking a bath! Kakat!"

"I'll wash your hair."

Grimoire got out of the tub and sat down obediently with her back turned. Slender shoulders, a small back, and silver hair flowing down it.

All her usual arrogance was gone, and she looked like a kitten trusting and relying on someone.

Her fingers gently combed through Grimoire's hair. When her touch reached Grimoire's horns, she paid special attention. She always had to handle the area around the horns with care.

"The horns are a symbol of a Villain, so they must be perfectly maintained! I only allow you to touch them, you know?"

"Of course. The horns of a Villain who will rule the world are special. Thank you for granting me this privilege, Master."

"I'll wash your hair too!"

Evelyn hesitated for a moment, but there was no reason to refuse.

Grimoire squeezed a generous amount of shampoo into both hands and began to rub it into Evelyn's hair. It was clumsy and uneven, but Evelyn felt more comfortable than ever.

After finishing their bath, the two sat side by side on the living room sofa in comfortable clothes.

Evelyn dried Grimoire's hair with a soft towel.

"Giga Evelyn! Turn on the TV!"

Handing her the remote, Grimoire began to flip through the channels.

"Ugh… the news is boring… sports are no good either… Ah! What's this?"

A vast canyon landscape unfolded on the screen. The red rocks bathed in the sunset were a spectacular sight.

"That's the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. It's one of the most famous natural landscapes in the world."

Grimoire's ruby eyes sparkled. Completely focused on the screen, she seemed to have forgotten that Evelyn was drying her hair with a towel.

There were still many things in the world that Grimoire had not seen. It was Evelyn's wish to ensure that she could experience them all safely.

Just then, Grimoire suddenly jumped up.

"Evelyn! I've got a great idea! Let's start conquering America! I'll make that giant canyon my fortress! I'll return the American continent to Columbus!"

Evelyn paused for a moment. Should she correct Grimoire's historical knowledge, or just let it go?

"Master… the American continent didn't belong to Columbus, but to the indigenous people…"

"Really? Didn't Columbus discover America?"

"Rather than discovering it, he was one of the first Europeans to arrive in the New World. But indigenous people had already been living there for a long time."

Grimoire tilted her head.

"Come to think of it, why do they call them Indians?"

"Because Columbus mistakenly thought he had arrived in India, so he called the indigenous people 'Indians.'"

"What? He discovered a new continent and still didn't know where he was? Does that make sense?"

Grimoire's eyes widened.

"I would never make such a foolish mistake! If I discovered a continent, I would name it 'Grimoire Continent'! And I would treat the indigenous people fairly! I wouldn't take away their ancestral sacred sites! Of course, only if they swore allegiance to me!"

Evelyn suppressed a smile and nodded. Grimoire's reactions were always unpredictable and interesting.

"Anyway, let's attack America right away! We'll fortify the Grand Canyon, and the Mississippi River will be my moat! I'll put a cola button in the White House instead of the nuclear football… Ah! I'll especially change the Statue of Liberty to look like Evelyn!"

Evelyn watched Grimoire for a moment. Balancing Grimoire's dreams and reality was an important part of Evelyn's role.

'There's no place better to protect Grimoire than S City right now.'

For safety, it was not advisable to leave S City.

Evelyn had her infrastructure in this city, the rats had their information network, and above all, an environment was created where Grimoire could grow safely.

'I need to persuade Master carefully so she won't be disappointed.'

"Going to America right now might be inefficient. World domination should be done in stages."

"But I want to go right now…"

Grimoire slumped onto the sofa with a disappointed expression.

She couldn't directly say, "It's dangerous." A Villain's pride wouldn't allow such words.

"It would be strategically advantageous to completely take over S City first and then expand overseas. An expedition without a base of operations can be dangerous. The failure of the Crusades in the Middle Ages proves that."

"Hmm, yeah, you're right! I'd need at least five divisions to conquer America, but right now there are only the two of us! Darkness and White King are good as special forces, but they're not enough as regular troops… Evelyn is the best strategist after all!"

But there was still a hint of disappointment in Grimoire's eyes. Evelyn came up with a clever plan to completely change Grimoire's mood.

"Instead, how about tacos and quesadillas for dinner?"

"Tacos?"

Grimoire's eyes sparkled again.

"Celebrating the conquest in advance with American food! Okay! With lots of cheese! And lots of salsa sauce too! A Villain can eat spicy food well!"

Fortunately, Grimoire seemed to be in a better mood.

The two headed straight to the kitchen.

With her fingertips, she precisely measured the spices and prepared the taco sauce. The aroma of onions and garlic, tomatoes and habaneros, and spices mixed with Carolina Reapers filled the kitchen.

"And in France, I planted my flag on top of the Eiffel Tower! I climbed the iron tower with my bare hands!"

Evelyn stirred the sauce and listened to Grimoire's story. Grimoire's "world travel" stories were now a regular part of dinner preparation time.

"Why didn't you use the elevator?"

"Elevator? There was such a thing?"

She coughed and changed the subject.

"Ahem, of course, I knew that! But a true Villain conquers the summit with their bare hands! Elevators are for ordinary tourists!"

Evelyn quietly swallowed her laughter. Grimoire's innocent lies were always transparent.

'Master's imagination is purer than anything else…'

"In Egypt, the Sphinx gave me a riddle…"

Grimoire lowered her voice to create a mysterious atmosphere.

"What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?"

"A classic riddle. How did you answer, Master?"

"It's Grimoire! But the Sphinx arrogantly said it was the wrong answer! That's why you shouldn't study humanities! So, I punched it! The Sphinx's nose was broken because of me!"

She swung her fist in the air.

"As expected of you, Master."

Evelyn skillfully flipped the quesadilla. The golden-brown cheese melted on the surface.

Grimoire's stories were always so extravagant. An epic full of incredible adventures, world domination, and great victories.

'It's a relief that Master remembers it this way…'

In reality, that journey was… not an adventure. Not a world tour either. Rather, it was a desperate escape.

The sizzling sound of the meat frying filled the kitchen. Her hands moved skillfully, but her mind was elsewhere.

'The Hermetic Order.'

A secret society that has existed since the beginning of humanity.

They called themselves "Elohim" and believed that only they were the true humans.

The Hermetic Order's purpose was simple. The resurrection of the "Primordial King." The return of the founder and savior of humanity they believed in.

They needed a perfect leader to guide everyone for the doctrine that humanity must be returned to its "pre-corruption" state.

'They've been preparing the plan for thousands of years.'

Deep in the Alps, a vast underground laboratory.

That day, Evelyn was called test subject "Alpha-001."

Codename "Abir Efer," Knight of Ash.

An artificial life form created with the DNA of ancient humans. The Hermetic Order's first success and their greatest weapon.

The blood on her hands was already countless.

It was her mission to eliminate those who rejected the Hermetic Order's order. Heroes, Villains, politicians, scientists, explorers, journalists… She assassinated those who knew too much and destroyed the evidence.

After each mission, memory erasure and brainwashing always awaited. So that she wouldn't have doubts, so that emotions wouldn't sprout, so that questions wouldn't arise, so that conscience wouldn't come alive.

'I didn't even know what I was.'

She didn't know how long she had been going through this process.

Decades? No, maybe centuries. Even the concept of time was vague.

Even as eras changed, societies changed, and science advanced, she carried out her mission unchanged.

Even as agents were replaced, researchers grew old, and the world changed, she did not change.

She was always behind various conspiracy theories and terrorist attacks.

The scene in her memory changed.

Deep in the laboratory, a special isolation room.

Time spent in the isolation room, with her whole body bound by special restraints. That was Evelyn's daily life.

In the darkness where not even a small light could enter, she was only taken out when needed for a mission.

She was a tool. A tool without a name or emotions.

She didn't even think of herself as human.

Perfect loyalty, perfect obedience.

An inhuman sense of existence that was only called by numbers without a name. An empty life in which self and identity were thoroughly denied.

Sizzle-

The smell of burning meat shattered Evelyn's reverie.

"Evelyn? Are you okay?"

Grimoire's voice pulled Evelyn back to reality. She didn't know how long she had been standing there blankly.

"Yes, Master. I was focusing on the cooking for a moment."

"Really? I called your name three times just now…"

"I apologize. I must have been too engrossed in your adventures, Master."

She drifted back to the past once more.

To that day, the day everything changed.

Seven Archmages in red robes, a dark and cold altar, rituals and ceremonies.

[Project Omega: Return of the King]

"King's DNA integration rate at 98.7%! The highest figure ever!"

A project by the Hermetic Order to manifest fragments of the King's DNA collected from all over the Earth. The result was Grimoire.

But then, an unexpected explosion shook the laboratory.

The screams of researchers, alarms, and chaos.

[Warning! Subject Omega has escaped! Security protocol activated!]

The highest-grade security facility crumbled like a house of cards.

The ceiling collapsed, and sparks flew. Explosions occurred in rapid succession.

Evelyn's isolation cell was also in danger, but she couldn't move.

Special restraints perfectly controlled every inch of her body.

No, even without the restraints, she wouldn't have moved. There was no reason to.

It was the moment she watched her end with cold eyes.

"Kakat! How dare they try to confine this body-!"

Through the dust and smoke, a small, frail girl walked. Silver hair fluttered in the air, and two black horns gleamed on her head.

"You're a special existence like this body! This body will specially save you! It is the mercy of the great Grimoire!"

The girl reached out towards Evelyn's restraints.

"Ugh… Why is this so…"

Of course, she thought nothing would happen.

Those chains were so strong that even Evelyn couldn't break them.

"Break! I command in this body's name!"

But when Grimoire sincerely wished it, all the chains shattered into pieces.

Crack!

Evelyn's arms and legs were freed.

'I have to eliminate her. Now.'

Subjects who escaped control were subject to unconditional elimination.

Black flames bloomed from her fingertips. Black Flame, her unique ability. Flames of disintegration that burned everything they touched.

'One attack is all it will take. She is still immature.'

At that moment, Grimoire looked straight into Evelyn's eyes.

Blue eyes and red eyes.

Subject Alpha and Subject Omega.

A perfect, emotionless tool and a villain yearning for freedom.

"What's your name?"

Name? She didn't have a name.

“…I don’t have one.”

"You don't have a name? How can that be?"

Grimoire looked surprised. Then, suddenly, she declared with a determined expression.

"Okay! I've decided! I shall bestow a name befitting this body's first subordinate! From now on, your name is Evelyn! It means you will forever remain by this body's side and be loyal!"

It was a first for her. Not a code name, not a number, but a real name.

“…Evelyn?”

The moment she pronounced that name for the first time, something awakened within her. A self that had not been completely erased by hundreds of brainwashing and drugs.

"Yes! From now on, you are this body's maid!"

Maid.

Not a killing machine, not a Subject, but a maid who served and cared for a girl.

That word brought Evelyn an indescribable sense of liberation.

The value of being human, tasted for the first time.

To feel emotions, to have thoughts, to be able to make choices.

It wasn't just the laboratory that collapsed with the rough explosion that day.

It was Evelyn's shackles that had been broken.

"Let's go, Evelyn! Follow this body! It's the great first step to world domination!"

"Yes, Master."

And on those ruins, she chose something for the first time with her own will.

The first decision made with free will was to be by Grimoire's side.