The Villainous Lady Doesn't Speak Chapter 102

Basically, whether it's humans or animals, people tend to find anything different unsettling. I've experienced that firsthand, and frankly, I couldn't care less. Even if they look down on me like I'm some kind of insect, mocking me as they do, it's not like it actually affects me. No matter how much they scorn and avoid me, if they really get on my nerves, I can just shut them up. It's no big deal for me to lop off their heads. Although, just beheading them isn't all that exciting. But they're the perfect test subjects for my new weapons, since we're supposedly top-tier assassins after all.

And yet, life is still so damn boring. No matter how difficult the job is supposed to be, for me, it's just something to pass the time. As far as they're concerned, as long as they kill their target, it's mission accomplished. If they don't get caught, even better. But come on, where's the artistry in that? Humans die if you make them bleed or snap their necks. It’s the same for dogs, cats, rats, or monsters. Killing is hardly a challenge.

But what really makes me sick is how they think they’re so great just because they can kill someone. They never even consider that the moment after they brag about their skills, they might end up as a lifeless corpse. Hey, don’t go showing the back of your neck to me. I don't have a new weapon on me right now, but you'd be the perfect target to test its sharpness. Life isn't something you should throw away so carelessly, you know?

I bet none of them would ever guess that I’m thinking these kinds of things. They look down on me, call me a worm, and yet they're terrified enough to nickname me "Death Worm." I’ve told them to quit calling me that. It's such a lame name. Seriously, stop it, or I might slip up. To me, they're the insects—since all it takes is a flick of my wrist, and they’re foaming at the mouth, rolling their eyes back, dead in an instant. It's ridiculous how easy it is. Really makes you see that humans and animals aren’t so different after all.

In fact, animals might actually be better. At least they eat their prey after killing it. But humans don’t exactly look appetizing. I don’t know why, but I feel like eating one would make my blood rot.

Then, for the first time, an interesting existence appeared before me.

A girl who easily dispels others’ magic. At first, I thought it was the work of a skilled sorcerer. But I was wrong.

“Liliana Alexandra Clarke, huh...”

All the evidence pointed to a single duchess’s daughter. A girl who wielded high-level light magic during the monster stampede and who noticed my killing intent. And she’s even smaller than me. I had to admit, that little body of hers is quite something.

And so, for the first time, I found myself intrigued.

I took time out of my work to gather information, and I discovered something fascinating. It seems this young lady named Liliana lost her voice to a pandemic on her sixth birthday and hasn’t spoken since, even as she’s grown older. Despite that, she hasn’t been removed from the list of candidates for the Crown Prince’s fiancée. It reeks of politics. But even more interesting is the enormous magical power and potential possessed by this noble girl who supposedly can’t even chant.

This young lady is just like me—an abnormal being.

As soon as I realized that, I couldn’t help but grin. And what’s more, she might be my equal or, perhaps, even stronger. It didn’t take me long to reach that conclusion. I like it—it sends a shiver down my spine.

She’s my prey. I decided that. I won’t let anyone else interfere.

—She’s the prey I found, just for me.

Even so, my clan doesn’t give a damn about my plans. When the main family sent orders to join the client from the Yunatian Empire, I seriously considered wiping them out. But then I thought, if it’s only for half a year, I could deal with it—what an idiot I was. It ended up being two years. Unbelievable. My patience is amazing. I really should get some credit for it.

That’s why, when I set foot in the kingdom of Slibegrad after two years, I planned to do my job, but I was even more excited about finally meeting her.

I planned to eliminate the second name on the list, Baron Kenis, with poison and then go greet the girl as soon as possible. I felt a thrill as I kicked off the ground. Honestly, it’s exhausting, but even running on foot, I can move almost as fast as a galloping horse.

“Your greetings are always so deadly.”

I recalled the words of a boy who, unusually, wasn’t afraid of me. Sure, in general, greetings might involve exchanging words and handshakes. But for me, a greeting of affection means taking someone’s life.

Because, you see, this world is so damn dull and filled with nothing but tedious nonsense. Especially for misfits like us—it’s downright uncomfortable. That’s why I think it’d be easier just to die quickly. Well, I’m too strong to die that easily, though. So, when I decide to take someone’s life outside of work, it means I consider them worthy of my respect—not that anyone’s ever understood that.

And so, I greeted that girl, Liliana Alexandra Clarke. The first time, she got away in a flash, so the second time, I paid her a more formal visit at her home. I even kept my promise—to make sure no one else saw me. Not exactly a challenge for me. No matter how much effort they put into guarding the place, whether it’s soldiers, mages, or whatever, I could see through it all. The others who tried were caught in no time. Seriously, it’s pathetic how far the so-called greatest assassin clan has fallen.

Honestly, I was confident. My techniques involve physical and martial arts, but I also use a few unconventional methods. They’re not used in either the Kingdom of Slibegrad or the Yunatian Empire. Thanks to that, I’ve never been caught by mages or sorcerers. And yet—well.

“It’s not just a title or something to identify you. It’s a name that reflects your existence, a name you wish to be called, that recognizes who you are.”

After noticing my infiltration, outmaneuvering me, and then asking for my name, the girl said that to me with a completely sincere expression.

—Whoa, whoa, that’s not fair.

For some reason, my chest felt tight.

I’ve been called a misfit, unable to find a place in the bright world or the underworld, just aimlessly wandering through life. And here she was, asking to call me by a name that signifies my existence and recognizes who I am.

All this time, I’ve only been called “Death Worm.” But in the distant past, there was someone who’d called me by a different name, the one who’d been exasperated by my deadly greetings.

“Obsidian.”

Before I realized it, I had spoken the name I had long forgotten.

*****

"Hey, miss. What exactly is that Curse magic you’re using? It’s not something they use in this country or the neighboring one, is it?"

I asked the girl after a few days when I dropped by the mansion again. Calling her Liliana was a bit much, and if someone overheard, it could be bad. So, after considering what no one else calls her, I settled on “miss.” She seemed a little surprised at first, but she didn’t complain and accepted it. That’s one thing about her that’s not very aristocratic.

“It’s a formation I devised by combining magic and Curse magic.”

“The base?”

“Curse magic, of course.”

I’d love to take a peek inside this girl’s head.

Oh, and it turns out that the story about her being unable to speak was false. I heard she actually recovered quite a while ago, and I felt a bit let down. But the fact that she can use magic without incantations is still true. She’s still a monster, I thought as my gaze drifted into the distance.

In this country, using magic without incantations should be practically impossible. Honestly, the techniques I use might be considered heretical here, but at least they don’t stray too far from the basics. And yet, this girl casually claims she invented a new formation by combining Curse and magic, not just using them without incantations.

“――――If you alter something too much, to the point where it loses its original form, can you really still call it conventional Curse magic?”

My thoughts wandered, but then a laugh welled up from deep inside me. This is what makes things interesting.

The girl, sitting across from me and sipping her tea, tilted her head slightly.

“So, do you have any interesting stories for me?”

Ah, right. That’s what I was getting at. I’d almost forgotten. I wanted to complain a bit.

I always thought my work was flawless, but for the first time, I’d messed up. I realized it while gathering information in the capital.

“That Baron Kennys—is he some kind of monster? He’s still alive.”

“Well, yes. But I heard that thanks to your poison, his left side is paralyzed.”

The girl knows that I’m the one who attempted to assassinate Baron Kennys. Yet she has no intention of turning me over to the knights or informing the Baron. When I asked her if he was the real father of her favorite maid, Marianne, she just nodded with her usual calm smile, saying, “Yes, that’s right.”

Once, in a similar situation, I said the same thing to someone else, and they completely lost it. It was quite a hassle. He was a bit tough, so I might have—well, yeah. Afterward, I got scolded. They were mad that I wasted a talented assassin. I thought it was unfair. He was the one who tried to kill me first. I won’t deny that I was excited about a new weapon I’d gotten at the time. And if someone says I deliberately provoked him—well, that’s true too.

Thinking about it, the girl is definitely in a class of her own. And I like that about her.

“Normally, he should’ve died. At the very least, he should’ve been in a coma or fully paralyzed—how did he get away with just half his body being paralyzed?”

I told her that even large wild animals would die instantly from that poison, and the girl blinked in surprise.

“What is that poison made of?”

“You want to know?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. The curiosity in her eyes made it all the more amusing.

“Sorry, but that poison is a closely guarded secret within my clan. Even for you, I can’t reveal it.”

“I see. That’s a shame. Would it be too much to ask for just a single drop?”

The girl didn’t give up. I could tell she was serious. I looked into her eyes, trying to read her true intentions.

Hmm, I don’t think I can see through her.

I’m not one to waste effort.

“Touch it, and you’ll die.”

That’s all I said as I pulled out a small vial and handed it to her. The girl took it with a serious expression. It’s not the only one I had. It’s just one of the smaller portions I’d separated for use.

I doubt she’ll actually use the poison or figure out its ingredients, but I can’t help but wonder what she’s thinking.

“Thank you.”

She said that with a bright smile, and it made me think, well, why not? I guess I still have a long way to go. I hate training, though.

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