BTSRF 18

Chapter 18

His blue eyes locked onto me. Darker than Ricardo’s, they carried an oddly mysterious depth.

“How did you know where my house was and come here?”

“The Marquis Rodríguez’s estate is already well-known. Just as I’d heard—luxurious and beautiful.”

“Then why did you come all this way to see me?”

As I continued the conversation, I glanced at the two swords crossed above the fireplace in the reception room.

Until I could be certain of who this man really was, I needed at least one weapon to protect myself.

Trying my best to make my movements look natural, I walked toward the fireplace.

The man’s gaze followed my every action.

“I thought we needed to talk.”

“Talk? Are you saying what happened earlier was all just my misunderstanding?”

“Well, first I’m curious—what kind of misunderstanding did you have?”

“There’s no shortage of things to misunderstand.”

I kept talking, moving one step at a time.

“First, why you showed interest in me.”

Another step.

“Second, the true identity of the monster we encountered today.”

One last step.

“And third—why did you come looking for me again?”

In an instant, I drew a sword and pointed it straight at him.

“If you don’t want that handsome face of yours to get scarred, you’d better answer.”

The tip of the blade gleamed sharply, aimed at him.
Yet the man didn’t even blink—he simply smiled.

“Oh dear. Seems my visit wasn’t welcome. I didn’t intend to come so suddenly, but I thought we should clear up the misunderstandings.”

“I’d like you to answer my questions first.”

I tilted the blade threateningly, demanding an answer. As if to calm me, the man lightly tapped the sword with his finger.

“First—what you saw today wasn’t a monster. If Levain heard he was mistaken for one, he’d throw a fit. As for what he is… hmm. Even if I told you, I doubt you’d believe me.”

The way he trailed off made him seem completely untrustworthy.

What was he plotting?

I raised the blade and lightly sliced the finger he’d touched the sword with. A trace of his blood stained the steel.

“That’s for me to decide.”

Unfazed by his own blood, the man asked calmly,

“What if the answer to his identity is the same as the answers to your other questions?”

The reason he was interested in me, the monster’s identity, and why he came to find me again—all the same?

His smug, teasing attitude made my irritation spike.

I wanted to see that confident expression crumble—the look of someone absolutely sure I’d never figure it out.

Still pointing the sword at him, I recalled everything I’d seen him do so far.

He’d suddenly appeared and handed me a gift.

He knew where I would be that day—at the exact place and time of my appointment.

He showed up out of nowhere when I was in danger fighting the monster.

And less than a day after that, he appeared again, saying he wanted to talk.

This was probably…

All of his suspicious actions suddenly clicked into one.

Smiling confidently, I asked,

“You knew I’d be at that place, didn’t you?”

“Oh?” He replied with curious eyes. “Would you believe me if I said it was a coincidence?”

A hollow sound escaped my mouth.

What nonsense.

“Appearing by coincidence at that place, at that exact time? Unless you’re my destined partner, that’s impossible.”

“Ah, that’s a shame. But you’re right—it wasn’t a coincidence.”

He nodded slightly, as if acknowledging my words.

“Then… were you watching me all along?”

“Watching… Depending on how you see it, maybe. But let’s call it curiosity for now.”

“Curiosity? Don’t tell me you even knew I had an appointment that day. So you—”

With every answer he gave, the vague suspicions in my mind took on clearer shape.

A monster connected to him rampaging through my meeting place, and a man who appeared at the perfect moment to save me.

Looking back, it felt like a carefully staged play.

He must have wanted something to fail—and gained the chance to save me as a bonus.

Whether intentional or not, the result was clear.

My introduction had been completely ruined.

So who benefited from that?

The one who showed interest in me.
The one hoping to improve his relationship with me.

That was… the man standing right in front of me.

Now that I thought about it, it was almost embarrassing how obvious it was.

Even at the risk of exposing his identity, he’d needed that plan to succeed.

His behavior was childish enough that I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or scold him.

But perhaps thinking I still hadn’t noticed, he asked innocently,

“An appointment? Oh—did this incident mess it up?”

Ha.

I lowered my sword and ran a hand through my hair.

“Forget it… I don’t care about that anymore. But honestly—you’re a strange one.”

“I don’t think I’m stranger than you. But didn’t you say you were curious about my identity?”

Part of me wanted to know.
Another part wanted to never know at all.

A selfish desire to avoid unnecessary trouble took root.

His identity… If he was friends with that lizard-like creature, wasn’t he likely the same kind?

So I answered casually,

“Some kind of reptile, I guess.”

“Lizard… reptile… Well, you’re not wrong, but…”

He let out a dry laugh, trailing off.

“I’m not a monster, though.”

“A monster wouldn’t go around calling itself a monster. Still, it’s surprising for one to have this much identity and self-awareness—and even transform into a human.”

No—this was genuinely shocking.

If the imperial family knew, they’d lock him up immediately and torture him daily just to uncover the truth.

That was how deeply the Empire despised monsters.

And yet this one—his appearance, speech, and behavior—felt no different from a human.

Then an unexpected theory struck me, and my eyes widened.

“Wait—are you not a monster that turns into a human, but a human who turns into a monster?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Seeing that, I grinned smugly.

“Hit the mark?”

“No—like I said, I’m not a monster. But your idea is interesting. A human who turns into a monster… That actually makes more sense.”

He continued, eyes gleaming with interest.

“Think about it. Where do monsters suddenly come from, and how? Haven’t you ever wondered?”

Monsters had always existed—that was why questioning their origin felt strange.

Recently their numbers had increased exponentially, but the Empire simply blamed environmental changes affecting their reproduction.

“The Empire’s spent years trying to uncover that answer and failed. You don’t seriously think I know it, do you?”

“You seem like someone who might.”

How would I know that?

Just because I dealt with monsters didn’t mean I understood them deeply.

What I cared about was killing them quickly and going home—not pondering their origins.

So I gave a flat answer to his expectant look.

“Overestimating me won’t get you anywhere.”

“Hm. I suppose time will tell. Then why didn’t you reveal Levain’s identity?”

“Levain? That monster?”

The reason I hid it wasn’t anything grand.

I could already imagine the future—what would happen once I reported it to Commander Alonso and the Empire.

The Empire torturing a boy-shaped monster for answers.

Me endlessly hunting other monsters for information.

There was no need to spell that out to a stranger.

“People usually say not to trust strangers. But I’m different. The ones you really need to be wary of are those you’re close to.”

“You don’t trust the people around you?”

“And if I don’t?”

“……”

When he fell silent, resting his chin on his hand, I asked impatiently,

“So what are you going to do now?”

“I’m thinking. About how to earn your trust.”

“And what do you want my trust for?”

“Because I feel the need to stay closer to you.”

Absurdly enough, his answers were consistent.

To watch me.
To earn my trust.
To get closer to me.

He wasn’t very reliable—but he was honest about his intentions. That, at least, I liked.

So I answered honestly too.

“Forget it. This might sound silly to you, but I don’t have some grand mission to exterminate monsters either. I just do it because I’m told to. I don’t want to get involved in complicated matters. I’m just keeping a reasonable distance.”

“Hmm.”

He scanned my face slowly, as if trying to read me. His gaze was oddly unpleasant.

“What’s with that look? You’ve been observing me like that for a while now—do you have any idea how it feels on the receiving end?”

“Oh—sorry. Bad habit.”

“Then fix it. And stop dodging—answer my question already.”

The man laughed cheerfully.

“Haha! I really like you.”

“You already said that. Now—what are you?”

Crack.

A sudden chill behind me made me turn around.

The doorknob was encased in ice.

At the same moment I realized why the ice wall earlier had appeared—