I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 99 – Hope (1)

“Do you truly not wish to live?”

A question tossed lightly into the air.

Immediately, a heavy silence descended over the room.

As I watched her blink vacantly, I lifted the corners of my lips as gently as possible.

It was a kind smile.

'Is this… an opportunity?'

I murmured inwardly.

Wiping away her tears was a calculated gesture.

Elise.

The girl was wrapped in countless thorns.

Her misfortune had been enough to pull her down, and over time, the Rose had fallen into a despairing pessimism that left no room for hope in her life.

Her subtly warped personality stemmed from these circumstances.

Because of this, I was often disregarded.

No matter how many times I extended goodwill, the girl showed not the slightest interest.

She had covered her ears to block out the world’s voice entirely.

This had always been the most difficult part.

For any treatment to work, a will to live was essential.

'But.'

Now things were different.

Though her heart had been fortified by resignation, small cracks had begun to form even in those walls.

Her mental turmoil had left her vulnerable.

The cracks were spreading.

I knew instinctively.

This was my chance.

'I can reach her.'

It was my moment to convey my voice.

The withering Rose seemed to have no strength left to raise her thorns. I needed to use this opportunity to take one step closer to the truth she had hidden within herself.

A leaf stripped of its thorns could only offer up its petals.

"Your Highness."

I had no intention of letting this moment pass.

As warmth from her cheek spread into my palm, I felt the tears flowing steadily against my touch.

"I want to hear your true feelings."

I whispered gently.

Softly enough not to wake the stars slumbering in the midnight sky.

"You’ve said you have no attachment to life."

"...…"

"But I didn’t believe you. Even if only a little, I understand your life."

"...You understand me?"

"Yes. Though you may think me arrogant for saying so."

A terminal illness.

How could I not know the pain of a life weighed down by it?

"I haven’t lived through it myself. But I’ve experienced loss."

"Loss?"

"Someone I held most dear in my life."

"...…"

"A child who shone like a star. She was everything to me."

I paused briefly.

A memory surfaced, one that had left an enduring ache.

—Oppa!

The young voice echoed faintly in my ears.

After holding my silence for a moment, I smiled faintly at the girl before me.

"That child was the same. She fought illness for years and eventually left my side."

Perhaps…

God had envied her radiant light.

The starlight that had once defined my life vanished beyond the night sky far too early.

I spoke.

"A life spent facing death day by day."

"...…"

"That child taught me how agonizing it could be."

The looming end haunted her like a shadow.

The cruel fate felt unjust.

The fight against illness was isolating.

The struggle was suffocating.

The impending goodbye was heartbreaking.

Recalling each word she had shared through tears, I brushed the Rose’s petals with care.

The girl seemed to finally be listening.

"That’s why I understand you."

Even if not completely.

I could recall enough of that pain to grasp parts of it vividly.

As I turned over memories I had buried deep within, I spoke clearly, one word at a time.

My voice was calm and steady.

"I know what it is you long for."

"...What I long for?"

"You long for a miracle. Despite your despair over life, you secretly hope for salvation."

"I’m sorry, but you’re mistaken."

"Oh?"

"I gave up a long time ago. The idea of a miracle feels like nothing more than an illusion."

"That admission supports my argument."

The Rose claimed to have given up.

But resignation was not the absence of hope.

"Resignation."

Resignation means giving up on hope.

Which also implies…

That there was once hope to give up on.

If there had never been hope to begin with, resignation would have no meaning.

It was the same for the girl before me.

"How could there not be any lingering attachment?"

She had simply been trampled by unrelenting despair. That didn’t mean she had abandoned hope altogether.

In truth, forsaken hope only grows stronger.

The more unattainable it becomes, the more vivid it remains as a longing.

Though she had crumpled under the weight of reality’s walls, if a hand reached out to help her rise, she would grasp it.

Once hope has been clutched…

It is not so easily let go.

"You are no different, Your Highness."

"...…"

The Rose remained silent.

Her silence was as good as confirmation.

Under normal circumstances, she would have rebutted with a defiant retort, but her wavering heart left her with no room for resistance.

Instead, her quivering gaze fixed itself on me.

"Your Highness."

Her collapse was imminent.

Filling the darkness in her hollow eyes with my presence, I carefully untangled the despair clinging to her like vines.

This was a single, fragile thread of hope she must have forgotten long ago.

"I will give you a miracle."

My voice echoed faintly, dreamlike.

As if drawn by an illusion, or submerged in a wave, the Rose slowly melted into my words.

"I promise you. I will grant the hope you were forced to abandon."

I reached for it.

The essence buried beneath countless repetitions of wanting to die, the truth hidden deep within the girl’s heart.

Dust had settled over the empty spaces, leaving behind only a single, simple wish.

I want to live.

That single sentence remained.

"All you have to do is take my hand."

I extended my hand gently.

As I waited quietly for an answer, I watched the crimson-haired girl before me, frozen in place.

Her green eyes quivered wildly.

Tears began to pool, gathering into heavy droplets that soon fell, one by one.

Elise lowered her head, as if her strength had drained away entirely.

"...Why."

A faint murmur escaped her lips.

It sounded like a question.

Why was I so insistent?

Why, when she thought she had let go of everything, did I keep forcing her to hope again?

It wasn’t truly a question.

"Because."

I answered without hesitation.

Because I—

Because you—

Because this world—

Because this story’s ending—

"I want you to be happy."

The single sentence rang out, carrying only sincerity.

A faint smile graced my lips.

For a while, the Rose couldn’t respond. Then, at last, she leaned forward, resting her head against me.

The warmth of her touch, soft and unguarded, colored the moment with a tenderness long overdue.

"…You’re strange to the very end."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

Her quiet reply came faintly.

I lightly stroked the head leaning against me.

This time, she didn’t push me away.

Her bandaged hand rested atop mine, which still held out hope.

I smiled gently.

"Don’t worry."

I will take care of everything.

With those whispered words, the disheveled Rose finally closed her eyes.

* * *

Elise.

The girl had always known her misfortune.

She was a child swallowed by a curse.

Magic, medicine, divine power—nothing could cure her illness.

She had collided with reality from a young age, and so the Rose had never dared to hope for a miracle.

Instead, she had let everything slip from her hands.

In her world, that was only natural.

– Starting today, I’ll be Your Highness’s personal physician. My name is Judas Snakes.

A strange person.

Elise didn’t like the boy.

The way he touched her while speaking was infuriating.

Even setting aside the worst first impression, his persistent smiles annoyed her.

His incessant talk about not giving up on life grated on her nerves.

"I’ll help you."

What did he know?

He didn’t understand.

She didn’t want someone who didn’t understand to carelessly offer her hope.

Her heart had been trampled and torn apart long ago.

After enduring so much pain, after halting every struggle she’d ever made, she had prepared herself for everything to end meaninglessly.

She didn’t want to be shaken now by meaningless hope.

And yet.

"I want to hear your true feelings."

She wavered.

Hearing his words stirred something in her heart.

"I understand you."

The warmth that melted her cold body.

The hand that wiped away her tears.

The gentleness that wrapped her wounds in bandages.

The peace she felt each time she leaned against him.

For a brief moment, even the curse’s torment seemed to disappear.

Though she had ignored hope as something futile.

"I will give you a miracle."

She couldn’t deny it any longer.

Hope.

She thought she had let it go, but shards of it remained, clinging to her fingertips.

It was a longing even she hadn’t realized she still held.

"All you have to do is take my hand."

"Because I want you to be happy."

At last, Elise took the hand extended before her.

As if entranced.

Who could resist the hope they had once longed for so desperately?

Though the Rose had prepared herself for death every day, deep down, she was still just a girl, not yet an adult.

In the end, she made her decision.

For one last time, she would believe in hope.

"You win."

Lying in bed, Elise suddenly spoke.

Nearby, the serpent sat.

Under the guise of treatment, he remained by her side, watching over the Rose buried beneath the covers.

Perhaps it was the faint warmth they shared, the subtle reminder of his presence that prompted her to say:

"I said, you win."

"What do you mean?"

"Do as you please. From now on, you can touch me however roughly, cling to me as much as you want, or unravel everything. I won’t resist anymore."

"Those words are a bit concerning."

"You said you’d grant me my hope, didn’t you?"

"Does that mean you’ll cooperate with anything for the sake of treatment?"

"Do whatever you want."

Her declaration of surrender.

Perhaps pleased by her response, the boy gently ran his hand through her crimson hair.

Then, he smiled toward the wilted leaves of the Rose.

"I won’t treat you carelessly. Anyone who steps into my world is treated with the utmost care."

"Well… time will tell."

"Indeed it will."

They exchanged light banter.

As they passed the time, the Rose posed an unexpected question.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Help…? Now that you mention it, there is something I’d like your cooperation with."

"What is it?"

Elise raised her head slightly, showing interest.

Perhaps her newfound will to recover was driving her to approach the boy more actively.

The Rose had no idea what lay ahead.

"You’ll need to prepare to leave."

"Leave?"

"I intend to take you out of this cage."

"…Huh?"

Elise blinked in confusion at the sudden statement.

The serpent, meanwhile, showed not the slightest hesitation.

His next words came with a bright smile.

"We’re going to the academy. All of us together."

The cage that had confined the Rose.

With a single sentence, the loneliness of her past ten years was shattered.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]