The corpse of the Hero, still strapped to the stretcher, flashed in Iris’s mind, causing her to shudder.
Abellus stifled a laugh as he watched the array of expressions flit across Iris’s face.
He had wondered when he saw her standing so still in front of the Statue of the Knight, but seeing the necklace draped around the statue’s neck, he realized she knew it was no ordinary trinket.
There was no way she’d make such a stricken face otherwise.
But had she figured out that the necklace was just a Fake Necklace, identical only in appearance to the real thing?
If not, he’d know as soon as he offered to give it to her.
‘But how did she know I had a Relic? Who gave her the information? Or did she sense the power of the Relic and come on her own?’
Where did she get her information?
Abellus racked his brain, trying to narrow down who among the few who knew the Goddess’s Necklace hung on the Statue of the Knight could have tipped off Iris, but the list was too short.
Maybe she hadn’t gotten information from anyone at all—maybe she had simply recognized the Relic and been drawn here.
After all, That One had said that if the container for Relic Power was in the Temple, it would naturally come seeking the Relic.
All Abellus had to do was prepare a Trap for that moment.
He’d suspected some hidden scheme, but there’d been no other way.
So, following That One’s suggestion, he’d attached a charm infused with a curse to the Fake Necklace.
Still, he never expected the thief would come for the Relic so quickly, just as That One predicted.
‘Wait a minute. Don’t tell me—was Angel Girl the one who stole Laika’s ring?’
He’d suspected Angel Girl might be someone close to being a container for Relic Power, but he hadn’t connected her to the Ring Thief who broke into Laika’s home.
But seeing her standing dazed in front of the Statue of the Knight, all the scattered doubts clicked into place like a puzzle, leading to one conclusion.
That Iris was the container for Relic Power, as That One had said, and also the culprit who stole Laika’s ring.
Since Laika and Angel Girl had met before, if Angel Girl was drawn to Relics, she could have sensed Laika had something.
Everything was going according to That One’s plan.
That One truly did seem to be a being close to a god, just as he claimed.
The goddess… no matter how he looked at it, she couldn’t be one, and she didn’t claim to be.
‘It makes my skin crawl, but for now, maybe I should trust him. Not like I have any other options….’
Abellus widened his eyes and looked down at Iris.
That One had said that if Iris put on that necklace, even if not right away, she would gradually lose her reason and eventually walk into the Temple of her own accord.
If Iris was the Ring Thief, and she was the container for Relic Power, she would have been gathering Relics all along, and in the place where the Goddess’s Crown was, the Relic’s power would be completed.
Then, once Iris lost her reason, Abellus could use her body to receive the completed power, further awakening his abilities through the Goddess’s Necklace.
“How am I supposed to trust you?”
“If you can’t, there’s nothing I can do. But look at me. I’m stuck here, can’t even go outside—what do I have to gain by stabbing you in the back?”
“That’s…”
“What other choice do you have? You know you can’t gather Relics by yourself. And I’ll never give up the Goddess’s Crown here, no matter what.”
“…Fine. I’ll trust you for now.”
Abellus’s lips pressed into a thin line as he recalled his conversation with That One.
When he asked what That One would gain if Abellus got the power in his stead, That One had burst into loud laughter.
Then he’d said that he wished for Gyodam City to be steeped in evil.
If the completed power of the Relic went to someone good, evil would vanish from Gyodam City and That One himself would cease to exist.
It almost made sense when you heard it.
That One hadn’t asked Abellus why he wanted power, perhaps because he could see straight into Abellus’s heart.
According to Lucael, sometimes That One seemed able to read people’s thoughts.
Abellus’s goal was to obtain overwhelming power and stand at the very top of not just J Corporation, but all the Villains in the world.
To live a life free of anyone’s gaze or orders, as the one giving commands—not receiving them—had always been his wish.
‘If I can get the full power of the Relic, I can make that dream a reality.’
He was willing to do anything for that.
Yet, looking down at Iris standing right before him, a bitter taste filled his mouth.
Iris was an exceptionally attractive woman, a Hero with talents he craved.
At first, he’d thought it was just a physical attraction, but the tangle of his thoughts made him realize he’d fallen for Iris without even noticing.
If he were just an ordinary man, he might have dreamed of being with her forever.
‘But I can’t throw it all away for a fleeting crush.’
For the sake of his greater purpose, a small sacrifice was inevitable.
If Iris fell into the Trap and went to the Temple, and was then used as the container to complete the Relic’s power before being cast aside, in the worst case, she could lose her life.
Even if things went well, at best she’d lose her reason and become an empty shell.
When Abellus had asked That One what would happen to the container after the Relic’s power was completed, That One had simply grinned and said she might die, but if she was lucky, she’d have a little strength left.
If she survived, Abellus could do with her as he wished.
At the time, Abellus had wondered why That One’s smile was so off-putting, and had scowled.
Maybe That One could read not just his thoughts, but glimpses of the near future, too.
Who knew how far ahead That One could see to smile like that?
So, after just a single night, Abellus went from dreaming of marrying Iris to resolving to sacrifice her for his ambition.
The truth was, Abellus was a man who could be romantic—if only for a fleeting instant.
But his romance dissolved as quickly as sugar candy in water.
A bitter smile briefly appeared and disappeared on his lips.
As Abellus remained silent, Iris glanced up at him, searching his face.
“Um… You really did clean my body, didn’t you?”
“…Yes. I just didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable while you slept. Did that bother you?”
Iris’s eyes widened in surprise at the perfectly normal answer. Abellus, for once, spoke plainly.
While Iris thought of him as a 100% pure psychopath, he still had a sliver of normalcy left.
Of course, he only ever showed it to Iris, since he was attracted to her.
Even a ruthless Villain could have a crush on a woman.
Scratching the back of her neck, Iris grew sheepish.
“Ah, no. Th-thank you, actually.”
“I see. But…”
“Uh…”
Abellus trailed off and took a step, causing Iris to freeze up like a statue.
As she awkwardly twisted to glance back at Abellus, she sucked in a breath.
She’d hoped he wouldn’t mention it, but his gaze was fixed on the Statue of the Knight.
Or more precisely, on the necklace she’d been trying to steal.
Abellus tapped the necklace lightly and looked down at Iris.
His violet eyes swept over her small face, as if measuring her.
“You seemed to be interested in this necklace.”
“It’s n-not that… I just saw you weren’t in the room, so I was looking around without thinking…”
Flustered, she waved her hands, stammering even more. Abellus’s smile deepened.
Iris didn’t realize it, but she could act well most of the time—except when she was truly flustered.
The way she even avoided eye contact convinced him.
Just as he’d guessed, she’d tried to steal the necklace and been caught.
He glanced down at Iris’s hand, then looked up. She wasn’t wearing Laika’s ring.
Of course, if Iris really was the Ring Thief, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to wear the stolen ring to meet Abellus, especially after Laika had stormed into the laboratory last time.
There was no physical evidence, but in his mind, he was sure that the thief who stole the Goddess’s ring was Iris.
Laika had borrowed a monster, claiming there was a suspect.
In truth, the thief was a woman—Angel Girl—and she probably didn’t want to tell him.
How had she learned Laika’s home address, bypassed the security, and stolen the Relic without getting caught?
He couldn’t know unless he asked.
Either way, unlike Laika, Abellus had no intention of letting Angel Girl take the necklace from him so easily.
In fact, not only would he keep it, but he intended to use her for his own ends.