ISBD 07

Chapter 7

. He’s a Villain, But He’s a Bunny (2)

“Half the country is desert—must be because of the mines. Looks like they’re rich in resources.”

Ileana leaned against the soft cushions and pecked at her food like a tiny bird.

The food in the South was far better than what she had eaten in the North.

Especially compared to the pitiful meals she had after blowing up the royal palace—this was a whole different world.

Maybe it was because of all the spices, but it suited her Korean palate better than greasy bread and cream soup.

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

One of the attendants, watching her cautiously, asked in a careful tone.

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

Ileana quickly shook her head.

“Then why…?”

The attendant asked hesitantly.

Ileana just smiled weakly.

The problem was that she had no appetite.

Even when she saw absurdly handsome olive-skinned men, she could register in her head that they were good-looking, but felt nothing emotionally. It was the same with food.

She knew it was tasty, but had no desire to eat.

“I’ll be serving you during your stay here, Priestess. If there’s anything you’d like to eat, please let me know!”

Despite his tall and solid frame, the attendant spoke in a surprisingly delicate tone, almost pleading.

“Really, it’s fine. I…”

“Please, just call me Andre.”

He quickly picked up on her hesitation.

“Alright. Andre… Are you from Lihue?”

Because of the hot weather, the locals’ clothes were rather revealing. Seeing Andre’s skin through the thin fabric, Ileana asked.

If the Dark King had skin like a sun-kissed Greek god, then Andre’s was a deeper bronze.

“Yes. My family has served the Lihue royal family for generations.”

He replied politely.

“What kind of place is this?”

“Our kingdom of Lihue is a beautiful land.”

A somewhat generic answer.

But looking into his sparkling eyes, it didn’t seem like just empty words.

Lihue really was beautiful.

The blazing sun.

A sea full of fish.

Tropical fruits and plants growing in abundance.

Lively, passionate people.

“Our king is the same!”

Andre added enthusiastically.

“I know there are rumors abroad calling him a cruel tyrant, a cold-blooded barbarian with no heart or tears. But he never kills without reason.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! Barbarian, they say! Sure, he does have a bit of that wild, decadent charm, but… Oh!”

Realizing how passionately he was speaking, Andre suddenly clamped his mouth shut and glanced at her.

Ileana chuckled and nodded along, making him feel less embarrassed.

“He is very good-looking, though. I’ve never seen a man like that before in my life.”

Seeing that Ileana was letting her guard down, he cautiously scooted closer on his knees.

Then, he picked up a piece of palm fruit she had barely touched with chopsticks and gently brought it to her lips.

His careful movement and puppy-like gentle expression made it impossible to refuse.

Like a baby bird, Ileana reluctantly opened her mouth and accepted the bite.

Andre smiled with delight and continued praising the Dark King.

“Of course, he punishes wrongdoers harshly… But it’s all to maintain order in the kingdom. Especially now that we’re in a ceasefire.”

“I see…”

Ileana mumbled while chewing slowly on the side dish he offered.

But Andre lifted the chopsticks again toward her mouth.

She sighed briefly and accepted the food.

“We also produce 80% of the island’s minerals through our mines. Without His Highness and his powerful army, we would’ve become a colony of the North, eager for our resources.”

‘So he’s a villain with a backstory. Just how much did the original author leave out?’

Something felt off. Aside from the basic settings and characters, everything else seemed completely different.

There were too many suspicious inconsistencies for her to believe she was the one altering the story.

‘Even the crown prince—the original male lead—was weird.’

At least the villain hadn’t strayed from character.

His decadent, intimidating appearance and rude speech—he was a textbook example of a villain in a fantasy romance.

“Ugh… I’m sorry. I really can’t eat anymore.”

Despite Andre’s persistent attempts to feed her, Ileana eventually shook her head.

Andre sighed and finally lowered his chopsticks.

“Sigh… Priestess, you’re so skinny. And you look so frail, too. Doesn’t the North even have doctors?”

“….”

Ileana smiled bitterly.

Andre placed his hands on his hips and declared confidently:

“As long as you stay here, I’ll take good care of you, Priestess! You won’t feel uncomfortable at all!”

Despite appearances, Andre was delicate and kind.

Unlike in the North, where no one cared if she ate or lay in bed all day, here she was doted on.

He tried to get her to eat more, clapped and praised her even when she ate just a little.

“Oh my, our dear Priestess is eating so well today! Just one more bite and I won’t bug you again!”

Then Ileana, as if giving in, would open her mouth and accept the food.

“Goodness gracious! Look at that! Such a healthy appetite! You’re amazing!”

His attitude made her feel like a toddler, and at first, it was definitely embarrassing.

But as the saying goes, “praise makes even whales dance.” Apparently, it works on depressed people, too.

Slowly, Ileana got used to his relentless kindness and praise.

‘Hmph. I did eat well and sleep decently today,’ she thought proudly.

And then, startled herself with the thought.

Feeling proud just for eating and sleeping? That was unthinkable in her previous life.

Sleeping too much meant laziness. Even mealtime had to be used for work.

But here, things were different.

Warm weather. A peaceful island.

The people here were laid-back.

In this place, Ileana could just lie down and…

“You’re going to grow mold on your body like this!”

…or not.

Andre forced her out of bed like she was a fried egg stuck to a pan.

Dragged out by the hand, Ileana mumbled gloomily.

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

“Come now, hurry!”

At least once a day, Andre forced her to go on a walk no matter how limp she was.

Judging by how he treated her, the South definitely seemed more free and democratic than the North.

The Northern maids and attendants always kept their distance.

But after walking even a little, she did feel better.

Her appetite improved, too.

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

Despite the harsh conditions, the people here brimmed with life.

It reminded her of cactus flowers blooming in the desert.

But at the same time, memories of the past kept coming back.

“What’s so hard about being born a chaebol? You’re just being dramatic. That’s selfish.”

A hothouse flower. Spoiled by wealth. She remembered all the things people said when she confessed to having depression.

All she got in return were accusations that her life was too good to suffer.

Though her depression eased a little after coming South, the lethargy hadn’t vanished.

Her body still felt weak, and her head foggy.

The skies remained heavy with clouds.

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

It had already been over a week since Ileana arrived.

Threats, torture, bribery—

As a proper villain, she had prepared herself for all sorts of dirty tricks.

Of course, her countermeasure was simply: “If he steps out of line, lightning zap!”

‘I promised myself I’d live this life as easily as possible…’

“The king summons you.”

A week later, while lounging in bed and dreaming of peaceful plans, she was called.

‘Is this finally it?’

With some effort, Ileana hoisted herself up.

She still struggled to turn over in bed, but she now had just enough strength to move.

‘Alright, where to?’

She stepped forward with resolve, repeating her lightning mantra.

‘Basement? Torture room? Desert? Or maybe… his bedroom again?’

But her thoughts were proven completely irrelevant when she reached the destination.

Ileana muttered in disbelief.

“The kitchen?”

A sink, a prep counter, a large oven along one wall, and various cooking utensils hanging from the walls.

The kitchen looked quite similar to a Korean one.

‘Is this… for poison? But people don’t usually make poison in kitchens…’

Oddly out of place in the cozy atmosphere stood a man like a black panther—commanding and proud.

It was the Dark King.

‘Needlessly decadent and majestic, as usual.’

While Ileana was still lost in thought, the Dark King slowly opened his mouth.

“Have you recovered?”

‘Wait… He was giving me time to recover?’

Ileana tilted her head in surprise.

‘Maybe because the original was a fluffy romance, even the villain is soft.’

Compared to the brutal competition and dirty tricks of the chaebol world in her past life, this was surprisingly gentle.

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

She nodded casually.

“That’s good.”

He even said that?

“What am I here for?”

You said you’d make me cry, remember? On the bed, no less. With that needlessly sexy pose.

With that in mind, she asked—and he replied reluctantly.

“You have a task here. That is…”

But he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Then, the one-eyed advisor standing three steps behind him cleared his throat loudly.

The Dark King flinched, like a horse being whipped, and scowled even more fiercely.

“No matter how sacred, a priestess cannot simply laze about. In the Kingdom of Lihue, those who do not work shall not eat. Therefore…”

A man as beautiful as a nightmare—his muscular, panther-like frame, sleek black hair, and amethyst eyes—spoke coldly:

“Chop these onions.”