I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand Chapter 104

“Kalix. Was there a glass bottle or something similar lying around nearby?”  

 

The woman had poured something into his mouth shortly before she was injured.  

 

Moreover, since she had been grabbed by the collar until the moment she disappeared, she likely couldn’t have retrieved the bottle she brought.  

 

Kalix immediately nodded.  

 

“Earlier, I found what looked like a small vial and a wooden stopper on the floor.”  

 

He brought over an empty glass bottle and stopper wrapped in cloth.  

 

Reukis picked up the bottle and manipulated the darkness.  

 

The darkness slid smoothly toward the bottle’s opening and soon spat out a liquid.  

 

A sickly purple liquid sloshed inside the glass bottle.  

 

“What is this?”  

 

Kalix pointed at the potion with a puzzled expression.  

 

Reukis shook his head and explained, “It’s what she tried to feed me while I was pretending to sleep. I didn’t think it was poison, so I drank a little, but I quickly created a space in my mouth to spit it out. It’s only a trace amount, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.”  

 

Reukis had been threatened by countless poisons on the battlefield before. His body, tempered by poison, wouldn’t suffer any major harm.  

 

If the loss of strength in his hand earlier was due to drinking the poison, its effect wasn’t strong enough to cause him significant damage.  

 

The more urgent issue was identifying the poison’s composition and how it was made.  

 

The stronger and more lethal the poison, the rarer the ingredients and more complex the process required to create it.  

 

This meant that by analyzing the poison, they could trace its origin.  

 

“Take this and have it investigated.”  

 

He sealed the bottle and handed it to Kalix.  

 

Kalix wrapped it in cloth again and tucked it into his pocket.  

 

Meanwhile, Merria returned after changing her clothes.  

 

“Reukis.”  

 

At her call, Reukis snapped out of his thoughts and looked up.  

 

Leaving the cleanup of the mess to Kalix, the two sat facing each other in chairs.  

 

Merria’s hair, tied simply to one side, still had faint traces of blood here and there.  

 

While she was changing, Lexie, her face pale, had wiped her body and hair with a damp cloth, but some spots seemed to have been missed.  

 

If even Lexie, who was usually meticulous, had been this shaken, it showed how terrifying Merria’s condition had been.  

 

Merria herself didn’t seem to mind the bloodstains in her hair. Reukis, sitting close by, had also changed from his blood-splattered shirt into lighter attire.  

 

Merria glanced around and muttered softly.  

 

“I heard a little earlier… did the culprit really have my face?”  

 

When the intruder and Reukis were confronting each other, Merria had been outside with Kalix.  

 

So, while she had heard her voice being mimicked, she hadn’t seen the face.  

 

Reukis nodded with a grim expression. Though it was the testimony of the only witness, when that witness was Reukis, it was hard to dismiss as a mistake.  

 

Merria frowned, her face twisting in discomfort.  

 

“Is there really magic that can copy someone else’s face?”  

 

“If something that convenient existed, the world would be a den of crime. You could just change your face after committing murder, and that would be it,” Kalix interjected, shaking his head.  

 

He had a point. The idea that magic could easily steal someone’s face and voice was both astonishing and chilling.  

 

“Could it be something like dark magic?” Merria asked with a serious expression.  

 

If ordinary magic couldn’t explain it, it was likely connected to something deeper.  

 

After all, villains in such settings often wielded dark magic freely. Reukis tilted his head, looking puzzled.  

 

“What’s dark magic?”  

 

“Ah… I was thinking of renegade mages, dark forces, anti-magic factions, things like that.”  

 

“I’ve heard there were some who worshipped ancient magic in the past, but even they have all died out or disappeared by now,” Reukis replied, shaking his head lightly.  

 

“And though it’s not what you meant, the term ‘dark mage’ is often used to refer to me.”  

 

“I see…”  

 

Merria blinked, taken aback by the unexpected appearance of a dark mage.  

 

If it wasn’t that, then what could it be?  

 

Merria sighed and propped her chin on her hand.  

 

“Then how could they perfectly mimic my face? Who would do such a thing…”  

 

It felt like she had glimpsed something beyond ignorance, into the realm of the unknown.  

 

Since this hadn’t happened in the original story, her memories were useless today.  

 

Reukis patted Merria’s hand and said, “Even if a problem seems unsolvable at first, finding a small clue can sometimes make it surprisingly easy to unravel.”  

 

“A clue?”  

 

Merria tilted her head.  

 

“The one who attacked me wasn’t skilled in combat. Yet, they managed to evade Kalix’s pursuit and disappear, which means they can use teleportation magic.”  

 

He picked up the handkerchief from the dish and showed it to her.  

 

“It seems they’re receiving help from a mage. For example, this handkerchief was enchanted with a high-level sleep spell.”  

 

“Ah… You once said there aren’t many mages capable of teleportation magic, right?”  

 

Merria clapped her hands lightly, recalling a conversation they’d had when Reukis had infused power into the ring he gifted her.  

 

Being able to use teleportation magic was a sign of great skill.  

 

Such mages would naturally stand out. It seemed like they’d have to investigate everyone in this vast forest, but…  

 

“We can narrow it down quite a bit.”  

 

“We’ll probably be able to identify them soon.”  

 

So don’t worry. Reukis whispered softly.

 

💫

 

Kalix left the barracks, saying he had something to check on.  

 

Reukis, meanwhile, was focused on trying to clean the unfortunate stains from Merria’s hair.  

 

“Ah.”  

 

Merria suddenly let out a small gasp as a thought occurred to her.  

 

Reukis, who had been concentrating on removing the stains, tilted his head curiously.  

 

Merria called out to Gwen, who was standing behind her.  

 

“I’m sorry to keep you from resting, but could you do me a favor?”  

 

She explained the location and appearance of the item she wanted brought over.  

 

Gwen, who had been quietly listening, nodded a couple of times and left the barracks.  

 

Next, Lexie approached Merria, who was clearing her throat, and asked, “Shall I bring you some warm tea?”  

 

Reukis nodded as he adjusted the coat draped over Merria’s shoulders.  

 

Lexie quickly brewed and brought out the tea, seemingly having found it somewhere.  

 

“Miss, please warm yourself up.”  

 

The tea Lexie brought had a nutty aroma and a clear color.  

 

Unlike black tea or coffee, it was said to have a calming effect. Merria lifted the still-warm teacup and took a sip.  

 

The warm liquid flowed down her throat, spreading warmth through her body. She let out a small sigh and leaned back loosely in her chair.  

 

“By the way, Merria.”  

 

“Hmm?”  

 

“Why did you come here at this hour?”  

 

Reukis asked, bringing up something he had been curious about for a while.  

 

Merria hesitated for a moment before smiling faintly.  

 

“There were two reasons… Let’s start with the good news first.”  

 

At her smile, Reukis tilted his head and asked again.  

 

“What is it?”  

 

“It seems that the notes I transcribed in my notebook accidentally got mixed into a book, and Emily—that is, Serinia’s assistant—ended up seeing them.”  

 

Merria’s eyes sparkled as she covered her mouth with both hands.  

 

“And Emily can read them!”  

 

Reukis’s eyes widened at the sudden good news.  

 

“I was about to meet Emily right away, but she happened to be away. I’ll let Serinia know, so once the hunting competition is over, let’s go see Emily together.”  

 

Merria smiled brightly, like a delighted child.  

 

With the upcoming meeting with Shannon in the evening and now the prospect of Emily’s help, she already felt as though she had finished reading the notebook.  

 

They say that in life, good and bad things happen alternately.  

 

It felt exactly like that—being pulled out of the mud after being stuck in it.  

 

“Let me know, and I’ll make time. Or we could even invite her to the estate,” Reukis said enthusiastically.  

 

“And the other reason is… it’s on its way now.”  

 

As she said this, Merria turned her head to look at Lexie.  

 

“Is Sir Gwen back?”  

 

“He should be back soon. Should I go check?”  

 

Lexie replied, recalling how quickly Gwen had moved earlier. But before Lexie could move, Gwen returned as if on cue.  

 

“Miss, is this what you were talking about?”  

 

Gwen immediately approached Merria and handed her something.  

 

It was the note she had hastily left behind when she rushed out earlier. Merria nodded and said to the two of them,  

 

“I need to talk to him. Can you wait outside?”  

 

She gestured toward the exit with her head.  

 

Since the barracks were spacious, they didn’t need to go outside, but she wanted to have a calm conversation with Reukis.  

 

Gwen and Lexie left without a word, grabbing their coats on the way out.  

 

Reukis, who had been curiously eyeing what Merria was holding, asked, “What is that?”  

 

Instead of answering, Merria unfolded the paper in her hand and showed it to him.  

 

“This is…”  

 

Reukis’s brow furrowed as he recognized the familiar shape. He pulled out the note he had kept in his pocket and placed it next to Merria’s.  

 

They were written on the same type of paper.  

 

Merria’s eyes widened as she saw the note Reukis had shown. She had thought it was only sent to her.  

 

But Reukis had received a warning from the same person too.  

 

As Merria examined the two notes in surprise, Reukis’s expression grew darker.  

 

After reading Merria’s note, it was easy to deduce.  

 

Today’s target was clearly Reukis himself.  

 

[Someone is planning to approach the Master of Darkness.]  

 

But why had they left such a note for Merria?  

 

And he was both puzzled and touched that Merria had come to see him despite receiving such a suspicious message.  

 

He didn’t know how to describe this feeling, and that itself was confusing.