Chapter 9 of “The Perfect Ending Plan of a Fairy Tale Villainess”
I added an explanation in a slightly uncertain tone.
“Um… there probably is. If we meet him, we won’t have to worry about food anymore. Actually, not just that — we could spend our whole lives eating whatever we want. I’d bet anything he comes from a very wealthy family.”
As I kept talking, I found myself getting more sincere.
Larisa’s husband had to be rich. Not just rich — ridiculously rich.
And he had to have a noble title, with a lofty pride to match.
‘Only someone like that wouldn’t care about a few diamonds.’
Someone who wouldn’t need to hit his wife either.
Of course, before all that, he could never learn the secret — not even if the king of this country came knocking.
“If someone already has everything, they don’t feel the need to want more. There’s no reason to hurt people either. Totally different from our family with no titles…”
Hmm? As I spoke, my face suddenly felt incredibly itchy.
I stopped talking and turned quickly in that direction.
The men sitting at a nearby table had stopped moving and were staring at us.
As soon as I made eye contact with them, they quickly looked away at their plates, acting like nothing had happened as they resumed eating.
But in that brief moment, I got a good look at one of their faces.
‘Whoa… he’s super handsome…!’
They were filthy — like they had rolled around in a dust pit.
But the man sitting in the corner couldn’t hide his looks beneath the dirt and ragged clothes.
‘A statue’s still a statue, even if it’s covered in grime.’
Even through the dirt on his face, his handsomeness shone through.
His features were clean and sharply defined, and he had an intense, electric air that sent chills down one’s spine.
Ugh, I really hate to say this, but I’m usually immune to looks.
Thanks to my fairy blood, my own beauty was unmatched, and my older brother Vilan was just as handsome.
I was used to seeing such faces every day, so it was hard to find someone who caught my eye.
But that man — even I thought he was handsome!
And he was covered in dirt, no less.
I momentarily forgot what I’d even been talking about.
‘Wait… we just made eye contact, right?’
Why was he staring?
Handsome or not, he didn’t need to stare like that.
I was about to glare at him in annoyance but changed my mind and turned my head away.
No need to draw attention by starting a fight.
Then — I heard someone’s inner voice.
—That crazy bitch…
No matter how many times I hear curses, they always catch me off guard.
My heart plummeted.
I was just admiring him for being handsome — how could this be?
I flinched and glanced back at their table.
The two men were still chatting quietly as they poked at their food with forks.
Then, another thought burst into my head.
—Damn it, where did that ungrateful brat go? When I find her, I’ll tear her apart!
That voice wasn’t from inside the restaurant.
I knew it well.
It was Igor.
‘How is he here so soon?!’
It felt like all the blood drained from my body.
Hearing someone’s thoughts meant that Igor was nearby — very nearby.
Sure enough, hurried footsteps echoed from beyond the door.
‘What do I do?’
I couldn’t run through the main entrance.
The kitchen door was too far, and the hall’s layout made it visible from all angles.
No time to think.
“Larisa, come here!”
I grabbed Larisa and dove under the table with her.
Hugging her tightly, I hoped the dirty tablecloth would hide us.
As we ducked down, the bell on the door jingled.
Thud, thud, thud — heavy footsteps entered the restaurant.
Each step pounded my heart like a hammer.
I knew. The men at the next table had seen everything.
It was like hiding our heads in the bushes while our bodies were completely exposed.
But there was no better option.
“Welcome! Just a moment, please!”
From the kitchen, dishes clattered and someone called out hastily.
They must have been too busy preparing the food I ordered to come out to the hall.
“You gentlemen over there.”
A rough male voice.
Familiar.
It was Igor.
He sounded breathless, like he’d been running.
“Have you seen two girls? One’s around thirteen, the other’s about seventeen. The little one has silver hair and is this tall. The older one’s blonde. They’re my daughters — both missing.”
My heart nearly jumped out of my throat.
Larisa began trembling like she was having a seizure.
Just hearing her father’s voice made her shake reflexively.
I tightened my arms around her.
“The little one especially… she’s not in good health. If she doesn’t take the medicine prescribed by our family doctor, her life is at risk. I have to find her quickly.”
Medicine? That was the first I’d heard of that.
I looked at Larisa.
She shook her head furiously.
Lies. All lies.
Igor’s voice sounded almost pitiful.
The part about the medicine was clearly a lie, but I was sure he was desperate to find her.
‘He may not care about me, but he definitely wants to lock Larisa up for the rest of her life.’
If the men had just pointed to our table with a glance, it would’ve all been over.
I had to act fast.
Judging by the footsteps, Igor was alone.
But still — he was a grown man.
‘We can’t beat him with brute strength… what do I do?’
Maybe if I clung to him like crazy, he wouldn’t be able to shake me off?
That might give Larisa a chance to run.
He wouldn’t really kill me just for helping her escape, right?
‘Actually, he might.’
Especially if he realizes the diamond mine is slipping through his fingers.
Even if Larisa escapes safely, there’s no way she’d survive on her own afterward.
She’d been locked up her whole life.
I let out a hollow laugh.
‘If he lifts the tablecloth, I should scream right then — say it’s all a lie and beg for help.’
If I threw a handful of jewels at those dirty-but-handsome men, maybe they’d help us.
People rarely keep their heads when money’s involved.
Larisa might hate me, but if she showed her bruises and I said he tried to beat us to death, it might be more convincing.
‘Even if they won’t move for money, maybe they’ll move for justice or pity.’
I reached out and pulled my bag of jewels closer.
“If it’s those kinds of girls…”
“We haven’t seen them.”
Two voices — one a little higher, one lower — answered at the same time.
Silence fell over the hall.
The lower voice spoke again, more firmly.
“We haven’t seen them. It’s just us here.”
“Not even outside the restaurant? Someone said they came this way. If something happens to my daughters, I’ll lose my mind. Please think carefully — are you sure you haven’t seen them?”
Igor asked persistently. The man replied just as flatly.
“That’s unfortunate. But no, we haven’t.”
He said “unfortunate,” but his tone showed he didn’t mean it.
‘Why are they helping us?’
I was grateful, but also confused.
I exhaled slowly and patted Larisa’s back.
Then the smell of food hit us — roasted chicken and potatoes.
“Oh my?”
A startled female voice.
I held my breath.
It was our order, just now coming out.
But the customers who ordered it had disappeared, and the new customer looked ready to pick a fight.
‘We’re finished.’
I clenched my eyes shut.
“Um, excuse me…”
Then the man cut her off, speaking in a sharp tone.
“Ah, finally. I thought it would never come. Just place it here beside my plate.”
“Sorry?”
“What are you standing around for? Hurry and bring it over.”
Soon after, we heard dishes clink.
The server had set the food on the men’s table.
“But you already had food—?”
Igor’s voice was skeptical. One man clicked his tongue.
“Look at us — one plate per person isn’t enough. We ordered more.”
“Yes, that’s right. They ordered extra.”
The woman chimed in quickly. Then the low voice added,
“More importantly, shouldn’t you be using your time to search instead of wasting it here? You’ll never find your daughters if you dawdle. Do you even know what kind of neighborhood this is?”
He spoke in a quiet, threatening tone.
“R-right. If you see my daughters later, please contact me. I’ll reward you handsomely. I’m Igor of the Bleek family from Nostrand.”
With that, Igor finally left.
His angry thoughts faded as his footsteps disappeared outside.
Once the sound was gone, the low male voice spoke softly.
“Ladies, you can come out now.”
Larisa was still trembling.
As I patted her back, I noticed her hand clutching the hem of my dress tightly.
“He’s gone. It’s okay now.”
I whispered gently, then slowly lifted the tablecloth for her to see.
