12 O’Clock Marionette

"You really have trouble seeing past your own biases, don’t you?"

Just looking at all his clumsy schemes so far, it was clear Julian had underestimated me.

And just a moment ago, he had said something even more revealing.

Cruello’s plaything.

Hearing that title gave me a glimpse into Julian’s mind.

"You never even consider the possibility that the people you look down on might actually be better than you."

Put nicely, he was overconfident. Put bluntly, he was full of himself.

Maybe it was just immaturity.

Sweat trickled down Julian’s cheek.@@novelbin@@

"With that narrow mind of yours, how do you expect to handle magic?"

Clench!

His jaw tightened, veins bulging in his neck.

He must have been seething.

But it wasn’t scary.

If my tongue kept running, it was only because Julian still looked too young—because he had never actually killed anyone before.

…Or had he?

Now that I thought about it, a few people must have died in yesterday’s chaos.

That thought made it a little easier to steel myself.

After all, wasn’t it also Pebula’s will that had led me here?

"Try being a little nicer in your next life."

Pebula, another brat is coming your way.

I was just about to tighten the chains when—

"…Still, I was surprised. It’s been a long time since you last visited."

Marien’s voice came from beyond the door.