Chapter 4: A Frozen Heart

“Mmm…”

Vega’s soft moan snaps me back to reality.

“Did I just…?!?”

I’ve been trying to build rapport and comfort her, and instead of thanking her, I just blurted out some cringey nonsense.

“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that…”

“…Don’t use formal language if you’re sorry.”

“Huh?”

“Call me Vega.”

With that, she quickly left. Am I dreaming? My favorite villainess told me to call her by her name? If this is a dream, I never want to wake up.

“Jaehan, where should I put these?”

“Oh, those need to be dried before we sell them. Leave them over there.”

“Okay.”

‘…Something’s different.’

Vega Spica, the defeated heroine, stands beside me, working diligently. While this is still dream-like, it’s real. After I carried her to the bench, she started helping with the farm work. I didn’t ask her to, but…

‘Honestly, she’s amazing!!’

She mastered my years of cultivated farming expertise in no time. Crop care, cultivation, even managing the green slimes, which I still struggle with. I wanted to comfort her, but she’s the one comforting me. But the most important change isn’t her help…

“Vega, I can handle this. You should rest…”

“…”

“Is there something on my face?”

“…No.”

She sometimes stares intensely at me, then quickly looks away when our eyes meet.

‘Why?’

Ever since my ill-advised attempt at flirting after seeing her in pain, she’s been acting strange. It’s not hostility; she’s helping too much for that. But her gaze… a mixture of emotions… too intense to be affection.

‘But we’re closer than when she first arrived, so it’s a positive sign… right?’

Three weeks into this ambiguous relationship, delivery day arrives.

“Okay, the produce is ready. Anything else…”

“Hey! Jin Jaehan!”

Mr. Kim’s grating voice interrupts me. He’s here for the crops.

“Coming!”

I rush outside with the crates.

“Why are you so late? Always slacking off…”

“Hahaha… Please check the produce first…”

“Ugh, move!”

Annoyed by the slight delay, he shoves me aside and inspects the crates.

“Hmm? Hmm…”

“Are they alright?”

“Well… the quality is still poor.”

“…Is that so?”

He tosses my carefully grown produce around like they’re defective.

“500 gold should be enough.”

“…”

“What’s with that face? You don’t want the money?”

“…No, sir.”

I know these crops, my hard work, are worth more than this paltry sum. But I have no other way to make a living. I was lucky to get this abandoned land and cabin, but it’s too remote to easily transport goods to Horizon’s central region, and I don’t have the funds for that.

“Actually, I’m short on cash. I’ll pay you later.”

“That’s a bit difficult, sir. You haven’t paid me for the last batch either.”

“I just said I don’t have the money! Why are you so inflexible?”

“This isn’t right. Let’s postpone this delivery. Please pay me for the previous batch first…”

Thwack!!

He kicks my shin.

“Ugh…”

“You think you’re funny? I said I’ll pay you! Can’t you wait a little longer?”

Poke. Poke.

He pokes my shoulder condescendingly.

“You should be grateful I even buy these crops! Don’t get ahead of yourself!”

“…”

“These uneducated
ers… give them an inch and they take a mile. You need to learn your place!”

“…”

I’m used to the insults. I’m about to give in and end this conversation when…

“Jaehan?”

A chilling voice, filled with killing intent, echoes from behind me.

Life in the cabin was peaceful for Vega Spica, unjustly imprisoned after being abandoned by the First Prince, Urs. She experienced a comfort she never knew in Horizon, where she’d been constantly subjected to schemes and assassination attempts. Yet, her heart was in turmoil.

“…Ugh.”

Once, she’d wanted nothing more than to escape the pain, to give up on life. She’d also been consumed by the desire for revenge. But now…

‘…This is strange. So strange.’

It wasn’t the betrayal or the hatred for Urs that occupied her mind, but Jaehan, an ordinary man.

She was still wary of him. He could be hiding his true intentions, waiting to exploit her vulnerability.

‘I can’t trust him yet. I need to keep watching him.’

She stayed close, hoping to uncover his true nature.

“These need to be dried…”

He wasn’t particularly handsome, yet she found her gaze drawn to him. Especially his eyes… the eyes that clearly saw her, Vega Spica, the person hidden behind the powerful, beautiful magic that no one else seemed to see.

‘…Bewitching.’

“Vega? Is there something on my face?”

‘What am I thinking?!’

“…N-no.”

She quickly looked away, embarrassed.

As she grappled with these confusing emotions, justifying her constant presence as “observation,” time passed.

Thump. Clatter.

“Hmm…”

The sound of moving crates wakes Vega. She follows the noise and finds Jaehan diligently preparing for delivery. He straightens, takes a breath, and carries the crates outside.

Thump.

‘…I should help him.’

No longer bothering to hide her intentions, she smooths her clothes and follows him with a flutter of anticipation.

What she finds is…

“…Ugh.”

“You think you’re funny? I said I’ll pay you! Can’t you wait?”

…a greedy beast harassing Jaehan.

“Jaehan?”

“Who is this woman? I’ve never seen her before.”

The beast snarls.

“Hey, what’s going on here? Did this beggar bring some naive rich girl? Hahaha!”

It barks incessantly, a greedy creature biting at a human, unaware of its own insignificance. Vega’s mind clears, and her dormant rage awakens.

Crackle… sizzle…!!

“W-what is this…?!”

The ground trembles, echoing Vega Spica’s fury. The beast stumbles back in terror, but it’s too late.

Rumble…!!

“Aaargh! Help me!”

Black magic, the color of pre-dawn skies, erupts from Vega’s slender fingertips, ensnaring the beast’s limbs. Her cold logic presents options, none of them offering the quick release of death.

Crack… crunch!!

Bones grind. The beast’s arm doesn’t just break; it melts.

“Aaaaagh! My arm! My arm!”

Vega ignores its screams. Her eyes glow red as her magic flows.

‘…Next, the legs.’

She won’t let this disgusting creature touch Jaehan again. She won’t let it hurt the one who sees her.

‘…I’ll crush them all…’

“Vega!”

A voice calls out, and warmth returns to her cold eyes.

The air froze, and I couldn’t think. The pressure was suffocating.

“Aaaaagh! Help me!”

I don’t care if that pig of a shopkeeper lives or dies, but I need to stop Vega.

Even in this frozen moment, my eyes are drawn to her arms and hands. The magic seeping from her unhealed wounds… My instincts scream at me to quell her rage.

The magic in the air makes my skin tingle and my senses numb, but I fight through it, calling out to her.

“Vega!”

“!!!”

As she looks at me, her rage subsides.

Thud.

“P-please forgive me! I’m sorry for lying about the crops, for saying I didn’t have the money when I did! Greed blinded me… please spare me…!”

Mr. Kim collapses, sobbing and confessing his misdeeds. I want to beat him myself, but…

“…Just go. Before you get hurt any further.”

I let him leave, worried he might discover Vega’s true identity.

“Th-thank you! Thank you so much!”

He scrambles away, clutching his broken arm. I approach Vega, who looks lost.

“Vega, are you…”

“…!!!”

Her eyes tremble. Not with physical pain, but with fear… fear of rejection, fear of disgust, fear that I, like everyone else, will finally see her as the “Villainess,” the ugly, wicked creature they believe her to be.

The ruby light in her eyes fades.

“J-Jaehan, I…”

She clutches her bleeding arm, her body shaking.

“…Vega.”

All I can do is reach out and hold her.

“Thank you for getting angry for me. You don’t have to be afraid.”

“…”

“I’ll always be here for you.”

“…Jaehan.”

Her trembling slowly stops. But I hold her, until she’s calm, until she knows I won’t abandon her.