It’s Sunny But I’m Depressed Chapter 7

 

Chapter 7. The Villain is a Rabbit (2)

 

‘They said half the land is desert, but is it because of the mines? Seems like they have plenty of resources.’

 

Ilena reclined on a plush cushion, picking at the food before her with little enthusiasm. The southern cuisine was far superior to what she had in the north. Especially when compared to the miserable food she had after the palace was wrecked.

 

Perhaps it was the abundance of spices, but it suited her Korean palate better than greasy bread or cream soup.

 

“Um… Priestess, is the food not to your liking?”

 

A servant, who had brought the meal, cautiously asked, watching her closely.

 

“Oh, no. The food is really delicious.”

 

Ilena quickly waved her hand.

 

“Then why…?”

 

The servant asked carefully. Ilena just gave a weak smile. The problem was her lack of appetite. Even when she saw a strikingly handsome man with olive skin, she could acknowledge his looks but felt no emotion. It was the same with the food.

 

She knew it was delicious, but she just couldn’t muster any appetite.

 

“I will be serving you while you’re here. If there’s anything you’d like to eat, please let me know!”

 

The servant spoke earnestly, his voice surprisingly gentle for his tall and sturdy frame.

 

“Really, it’s fine. I…”

 

“Please call me Andre.”

 

The servant quickly interjected.

 

“Yes, Andre. …Are you from Lihu?”

 

Perhaps it was the heat, but the people here wore revealing clothes. Seeing his skin through the thin fabric, Ilena asked. If the Dark King had skin like a Latin Greek, Andre’s was a deeper bronze.

 

“Yes, my family has served the Lihu royal family for generations.”

 

He answered politely.

 

“What kind of place is this?”

 

“Our Lihu Kingdom is a beautiful place.”

 

It was a rather cliché response. But seeing the sparkle in his eyes, it didn’t seem like mere lip service. Lihu truly was a beautiful place. The blazing sun. The beautiful sea teeming with fish. The lush growth of various tropical fruits and plants.

 

The vibrant and passionate people.

 

“Our king is the same!”

 

Andre spoke with enthusiasm.

 

“Although I know there are rumors abroad that he’s a cruel ruler, a barbarian without a drop of mercy. But he never commits unnecessary killings.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yes! A barbarian, they say! Though he does have a certain wild decadence… Ah!”

 

He stopped mid-sentence, watching her reaction. Ilena chuckled softly, matching his enthusiasm to ease his embarrassment.

 

“He is handsome, I must admit. I’ve never seen such a man before.”

 

Seeing Ilena relax, Andre cautiously approached her on his knees. Then, he picked up a piece of palm fruit she had been nibbling on and gently brought it to her lips. His careful movements and gentle expression were like that of a large, docile puppy.

 

She couldn’t refuse. Ilena reluctantly accepted the food he offered, like a baby bird. Andre, pleased, continued to praise the Dark King.

 

“Of course, his punishments for wrongdoers are harsh… But it’s all to maintain order in the kingdom. Especially since we’re in a truce now.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Ilena spoke slowly, chewing the side dish he offered. But Andre brought the chopsticks to her mouth again. She sighed briefly and accepted the food he gave.

 

“With the mines producing 80% of the island’s minerals, if it weren’t for the powerful army led by His Highness, we would have already become a colony of the north, eyeing our mines.”

 

‘So, the villain has a backstory. How much did the original leave out?’

 

Something felt off. The setting and characters were the same, but everything else seemed different. It was hard to believe she had twisted the original so much.

 

‘The crown prince, who was the male lead, was strange too.’

 

At least the villain hadn’t deviated from his character. His decadent yet imposing appearance and arrogant tone were typical of a villain in a romance fantasy.

 

“Ugh… Sorry, I really can’t eat anymore.”

 

Andre persistently offered her food with the chopsticks. Ilena, who had been forcing herself to eat while asking questions, finally shook her head. Andre reluctantly withdrew the chopsticks with a sigh.

 

“Phew… Priestess, you’re too thin. And you look so frail. Doesn’t the north have doctors?”

 

“…”

 

Ilena smiled bitterly. Andre placed his hands on his hips and declared firmly.

 

“I will take good care of you while you’re here! I’ll make sure you’re not uncomfortable at all!”

 

***

 

Despite his appearance, Andre was delicate and kind. Unlike the north, where no one cared whether she ate or lay around listlessly, he tended to her with great care. He tried to make her eat more, and when she forced down the food, he clapped and praised her.

 

“Oh my, our priestess is eating so well today! Oh dear. If you take just one more spoonful, I won’t bother you anymore.”

 

Then Ilena, as if she had no choice, opened her mouth and accepted the food he offered.

 

“Oh my, look at this. You’re eating so well! You’re amazing!”

 

His attitude, as if he were dealing with a child, was quite embarrassing. At first, she thought so. But as they say, praise can make even a whale dance. Unbeknownst to her, it seemed it could make a person with depression dance too.

 

Gradually, Ilena became accustomed to his generous kindness and praise.

 

‘Well, I did eat well and sleep well today.’ She felt a sense of pride.

 

Then she was startled by her own thoughts. Feeling proud just for eating and sleeping well was something she could never have imagined in her past life. Sleeping a lot was considered lazy, and even mealtime had to be minimized to focus on work.

 

But here, it was different. The warm weather. The peaceful island. The island’s people were relaxed. Here, Ilena could just lie around…

 

“You’ll grow mold if you keep this up!”

 

…or not. Andre forcibly lifted Ilena, who was like a fried egg stuck to a pan. Dragged out against her will, Ilena muttered gloomily.

 

“This is a desert. Mold grows in humid climates…”

 

“Hurry, hurry!”

 

At least once a day, Andre would forcibly rouse her from her lethargy and take her for a walk. Indeed, judging by his treatment of her, the south seemed freer and more democratic than the north. In the north, the servants and maids kept their distance from her.

 

But after a little walk, she definitely felt better. Her appetite improved too.

 

‘Didn’t they say they were suffering from desertification?’

 

Despite the harsh living conditions, the people here were full of life. Ilena thought they were like cactus flowers blooming in the desert. But at the same time, memories of the past kept resurfacing.

 

“What’s so hard about being born into wealth? You’re just being selfish.”

 

A hothouse flower. Spoiled by fortune. What did people say when she revealed she had depression? All she received were criticisms that she was complaining because she had it too good. Since coming to the south, her gloomy heart had lightened a bit, but her lethargy hadn’t disappeared.

 

Her body felt weak, and her mind was often foggy. The sky was still filled with dark clouds.

 

***

 

‘He said he’d make me cry, so why is he being so quiet?’

 

It had been over a week since Ilena arrived here. Threats, torture, persuasion. As a villain, he should have thought of all sorts of dirty tricks, and she had prepared her own countermeasures. Of course, her countermeasure was simply ‘if things go south, zap with lightning!’

 

‘I swore to live this life as simply as possible…’

 

“His Highness requests your presence.”

 

Ilena, who was lying in bed making such idle plans, was summoned a week later.

 

‘Is it finally starting?’

 

With a heavy sigh, Ilena struggled to get out of bed. Turning over in bed had been difficult, but now she could muster this much energy.

 

‘Alright, where are we going?’

 

Ilena repeated ‘if things go south, zap with lightning’ to herself as she set off determinedly.

 

‘The basement? Torture chamber? The desert? Or maybe the Dark King’s bedroom again?’

 

However, the place she arrived at was completely unexpected. Ilena murmured in disbelief.

 

“The kitchen?”

 

There was a sink and a counter, a large hearth occupying one wall, and various cooking tools hanging on the walls. The kitchen looked quite similar to one from Korea.

 

‘What is this? Poison? But you don’t make poison in a kitchen.’

 

Amidst the cozy atmosphere of the kitchen, a man like a black panther stood imposingly. It was the Dark King.

 

‘Unnecessarily decadent and imposing.’

 

The Dark King, who had been staring at Ilena lost in thought, slowly spoke.

 

“Have you recovered?”

 

‘What? So you gave me time to recover?’

 

Ilena tilted her head in surprise.

 

‘Is it because the original was so soft that even the villain is a bit lenient?’

 

Remembering the fierce competition and dirty tricks of the conglomerates in her past life made it even more surprising.

 

“Yes, thanks to you.”

 

Ilena nodded with a nonchalant expression.

 

“That’s good to hear.”

 

Even saying something like that?

 

“What brings you to a place like this?”

 

You said you’d make me cry last time. In bed, no less. In that unnecessarily sexy pose. With that meaning in her question, he replied reluctantly.

 

“There is something you must do here. It is…”

 

For some reason, the Dark King hesitated, unable to finish his sentence. Then, an attendant with a monocle, who had been standing three steps behind, cleared his throat. The Dark King flinched as if whipped and frowned even more sternly.

 

“Even a priestess cannot just laze around. Those who do not work shall not eat; that is the law of the Lihu Kingdom. Therefore…”

 

A man with a panther-like muscular body, sleek black hair, and amethyst-like eyes, chillingly beautiful, spoke with a cold expression.

 

“You shall chop these onions.”