5. CLOSE TO DEATH

[System, kneeling by his side still counts, right?]

[Yes, Host. What can I say? Nerien is really cruel.]

I rolled my eyes and knelt beside his wooden bed. A few minutes later, he climbed onto it without saying a word.

I kept my gaze fixed anywhere but on him, staring at the tiniest speck of dust floating through the air. There wasn't a single clock in this room—or perhaps this entire world—so I had no idea how much time had passed or how long I'd been kneeling.

One thing was certain, though.

My knees had begun to swell, and kneeling on the freezing wooden floor was becoming unbearable. Every second felt like another needle digging into my skin.

I refused to fall asleep. Who knew what this redhead would do if I collapsed?

So I forced my heavy eyelids open, my body swaying every now and then from exhaustion.

My eyes burned with sleep, but I didn't dare close them.

Suddenly, Nerien rolled over, his face stopping only inches away from mine.

My breath caught in my throat.

Up close...

He was ridiculously handsome.

His crimson eyebrows framed a pair of glowing amber-red eyes, while long lashes softened his otherwise cold expression. His pale skin looked flawless, and those deceptively soft lips...

His steady breathing brushed against my face, warm enough to send an unfamiliar shiver down my spine.

Why did someone so terrifying have to look this beautiful? It wasn't fair.

I found myself wondering what those cold lips would feel like before my brain immediately screamed at me for having such suicidal thoughts.

Without realizing it, I found myself leaning closer.

Then—

His eyes snapped open.

Our gazes locked.

I froze completely.

Our lips were less than an inch apart.

Pain exploded through my ankle as I stumbled backward, it happened too fast. My desperate attempt to get far away from him

"Shit... Did I fail the mission?" I muttered, rubbing my aching leg. "This hut is so dark. I can't even tell if it's still night..."

Before I could complain any further, a familiar chime echoed inside my head.

[DING!]

[Mission Completed.]

[Mission Reward: 5 SP]

[Nerien's Favorability: +5%]

[Total Favorability: 0%]

[Current Survival Rate: 1.5%]

[ I blinked.]

"That's... progress?" It certainly didn't feel like it.

"Wait." I frowned. "Why isn't my SP reward ten? Why only five?"

The system laughed.

[Well, Host... I had to buy skincare products for myself, so I borrowed five SP.]

"You...!"

I gritted my teeth, ready to curse it out, but the shameless thing merely chuckled before disappearing.

"Get out."

Nerien's cold voice made me flinch.

I slowly looked up at him before my gaze drifted to his hands.

He was calmly sharpening a dagger.

His crimson eyes never left my face.

[ Host! Nerien's killing intent has reached 95%!]

[Immediate danger detected!]

[Current Survival Rate: 0.5%!]

Host must escape in...

[ 5...]

I immediately tried to stand, but the moment I put weight on my injured ankle, my legs gave out.

I crashed face-first at his feet.

The room suddenly felt unbearably hot.

[ 4...]

I struggled to stand again, but my ankle screamed in protest.

Instead, I crawled across the floor toward the door and desperately grabbed the handle.

Locked.

The heavy wooden bolt was fastened from the outside.

[ 3...]

"Calm down, you motherfucker!" I screamed inwardly, forcing myself to think.

My heart hammered so violently against my ribs that I could barely hear anything else.

[ 2... ]

"Arghh!" I groaned as pain shot up my leg. I clung to the door, desperately trying to open it.

[ 1... ]

Swoosh!

A dagger pinned into the wood just beside my hand — the hand I'd used to cover my face,

I was still screaming when he started walking toward me.

[ 0, Host now.]

Acting on instinct, I forced the bolt open and hurried out. In my haste, I kicked a stone and fell, rolling down the settlement.

I stopped when my back hit a wood. Slowly, I sat up and checked my ankle first.

Tap, tap. Warm liquid dripped onto my ankle. It was red.

Looking at the hand I'd used to block my face earlier, I saw a slight cut. Blood flowed out.

Only when I saw the cut did the pain hit me. I held my hand as if trying to squeeze out all the blood, but it didn't work. I just kept feeling the pain.

Nerien stood by the entrance of his hut, staring down at me with those cold, unreadable eyes.

I really wanted to pluck them out, but I’m just a villainess in this fucking book.

I’m a villainess. I was supposed to have something or someone backing me, right?

I was drawn out of my thoughts by the whispers surrounding me.

"Lucky her, she came out alive."

"How I wish she died,"

A little child even said.

"Mummy, I thought you said I wouldn't have to see this wicked woman again. You said she would die."

"She will, soon, honey," the mother whispered back.

Wow. What a great way to escape death. So many people still wanted me dead.

I stood up, gathering my mud-soaked dress with me. I stumbled forward,

I didn't forget to look back at Nerien before making my way through the crowd.

They parted for me, watching as I bathed in shame.

I kept walking, not knowing exactly where I was going because I literally didn't know my own hut. But I kept moving anyway, stomping on the ground like it had personally offended me.

"Hey! Mrs. Tiger, where are you going? Your hut is that way!" A little girl held my hand, tugging me back as if trying to pull me away from the direction I was heading.

"Don't go hurting Rabbit Elara again. She didn't do anything to you." She kept tugging at my hand, her dog ears falling.

I bent down to pick her up, but my hand was slapped away and the girl was carried off.

"Calissi, I told you to stay away from her," a woman said, holding her child tightly as if protecting her from a monster. She was glaring at me, her eyes full of hatred.

"Mom, she wanted to go and hurt Rabbit Elara again."

"I couldn't stand and watch her" the little girl said, clasping her hands in front of her mother as if silently pleading for her mother to stop me.

My vision instantly blurred. Voices rushed in, too much to filter anything useful. I clutched my head, losing my footing.

I almost fell when...

Strong fingers tightened around my waist before I could hit the ground.

My heartbeat stopped.

Please...

Don't let it be Nerien.

I slowly raised my head—

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