Ch.109Angel Tip 13

Anna gripped the dagger tightly.

Only a fleeting moment remained.

The moment to end the life of the girl she was looking down at.

She had ample reason to kill her—the very person who had kidnapped and imprisoned Siho.

But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

At first, she couldn’t understand why she was unable to kill her.

But Anna soon realized.

Somehow, she felt Siho wouldn’t want Misha to die.

Given the circumstances, Misha must have released Siho.

Something had changed this villain’s heart, creating a possibility for redemption.

But does a villain’s redemption excuse all their past evil deeds?

Certainly not.

Anna herself had been a villain and was still known as an unprecedented murderer.

She couldn’t be forgiven for her actions, and would have nothing to say if the families of her victims sought revenge.

However, she had been forgiven by Siho.

If she could receive forgiveness, why couldn’t this girl?

“You’re giving up your life so easily.”

“I have to… so my sister can live. And to atone for everything I’ve done…”

Just as the girl was about to continue.

Anna grabbed both of Misha’s cheeks with one hand, squeezing them firmly.

With her cheeks puffed out, the girl couldn’t say anything.

Looking at her, Anna spoke expressionlessly.

“How stupid.”

“…”

“Do you think your death will resolve all the pain Siho has felt?”

The moment she heard those words.

Misha’s blue eyes trembled.

Even the familiar’s mark embedded on her right side.

“I’ll spare you for now.”

“And I’ll find Siho and let her choose. If she says she can’t forgive you…”

“Then I’ll kill you properly.”

Anna rose gracefully from the girl.

And looked down at her with cold eyes.

Finally, the ranker gripped her dagger firmly.

And stared intently at Misha’s fallen legs.

The girl realized what Anna was about to do to her.

And closed her eyes tightly, as if resigned to her fate.

A sharp sensation pierced through her ankles.

Soon she could no longer feel anything in her feet.

Because Anna’s dagger had sliced through both of the girl’s heels.

“Do you have healing abilities too?”

“No…”

“With your feet like that, you won’t be able to follow. Even if that damned woman gives you orders.”

Anna carelessly threw the dagger stained with the girl’s blood onto the ground.

Then she turned her head away nonchalantly.

Her silver hair, bathed in the dawn air, sparkled.

Soon Anna headed toward the forest, her hair fluttering behind her.

Toward where the fox had hidden.

Misha blankly watched her disappearing figure.

Looking at the silhouette running without hesitation, the girl thought.

That Anna was like a silver wolf.

Because wolves cherish their mates more than anyone else.

“—.”

With the sun not yet fully risen.

The forest was dyed in navy blue, making it difficult to distinguish objects.

Nevertheless, Anna surveyed her surroundings with her cloudy white eyes.

Her naturally keen animal senses seemed to have become even more heightened upon entering the forest.

Crushing crisp fallen leaves underfoot.

Pushing aside obstructing branches.

Before she knew it, she had come so far that she could no longer hear the burning villa.

The smell of burning wood had also disappeared.

But no matter how much she searched, there was no sign of Siho.

Which was strange, considering how slow she usually was at running and how terrible her stamina was.

“Where on earth…”

Anna brushed aside her falling bangs.

A faint scent of soap emanated from her sweat.

She took out a rubber band from her back pocket.

And gathered her silver hair into a ponytail.

Perhaps because the bothersome hair was gone.

Anna started running busily again.

Soon she stopped her unhindered stride.

After passing through the dense forest, a wide-open meadow came into view.

It was covered with clover soaked in morning dew.

Anna calmly pushed aside the last branch and stepped into the field.

And…

She saw a girl sitting far away in the grass.

A white t-shirt precariously draped over her exposed thighs.

Healthy hair covering the t-shirt and…

Animal ears?

Anna squeezed her eyes shut, thinking she must have seen wrong.

But no matter how many times she blinked, the animal ears remained on the girl’s head.

Moreover…

They even twitched as if they were alive.

Normally, someone who had never seen her before would have just passed by.

But the girl Anna saw…

Looked so much like Siho.

Her hair seemed to have grown quite a bit, but aside from that, it was unmistakably Siho.

Anna slowly approached her.

But instinctively stopped walking.

Because the girl who had been still suddenly raised her head.

Fortunately, her gaze wasn’t directed at Anna behind her.

What the girl was staring at was a butterfly.

A cabbage white butterfly showing off its snowy white wings like Anna’s.

The fox girl’s head moved back and forth following it.

Soon the butterfly gently landed on her ear, as if teasing her.

Then Siho slowly began to raise her hand into the air.

And quickly snatched at it to catch the butterfly.

But, unfortunately, her hand didn’t reach the butterfly.

The fox girl licked her lips in disappointment.

Then she waved her hand in the air like an animal, following the butterfly.

She seemed like a child.

And that impression soon turned into anxiety for Anna.

Siho was clearly still young at 21.

But the way she focused on the butterfly was childishly absurd, like a teenage girl.

“—.”

At that sight, Anna unconsciously took a step forward.

And ended up stepping on a small branch on the ground.

At that crisp sound, the girl’s ears fluttered.

Soon she turned her head to look at Anna who had been approaching secretly.

Thanks to this, Anna could be certain.

That the fox she had been searching for was indeed Siho.

Anna’s previously expressionless face changed.

To a warm expression of utmost relief.

“Siho…”

The white-eyed woman called her in a gentle voice.

But the fox girl didn’t show much reaction to Anna’s words.

She just looked at the white-haired, white-eyed woman with a pure face, as if curious.

Anna was somewhat shocked by this.

She knew something was wrong just by seeing the animal ears on her head.

But she had no idea that she wouldn’t remember her at all.

“Don’t you recognize me?”

Anna asked her in a trembling voice.

But the fox girl just perked up her two ears and tilted her head.

The woman approached her little by little with a serious look.

Even in Chinatown, though her condition wasn’t good, she still remembered her.

Perhaps her physical condition is better now, but mentally she might be worse.

That’s why Anna tried to catch her as quickly as possible.

But, sensing Anna’s intention, Siho jumped up as she approached.

And quickly backed away like a fox.

She was very agile, like an animal.

Anna’s eyes widened, having never seen such agility from Siho before.

In the blink of an eye, Siho had darted behind a tree.

Soon she peeked her face out from behind the tree.

“Who are you?”

“…”

What was the point of explaining when she couldn’t even recognize her face?

Anna was thinking of either catching Siho and taking her to the hospital, or beating some sense into her.

“Don’t come any closer.”

Siho’s vertically elongated eyes flashed.

She bared her lengthened canines with a growl as a warning.

“Misha told me not to follow strangers.”

At her firm words, Anna stopped walking.

Up close, Siho’s condition looked even more serious than she had thought.

How could she ease Siho’s wariness?

Anna tried to think as hard as she could.

She seemed brainwashed, like Misha’s pet.

To break this, she needed to make her think they were on the same side.

Indeed, the best killer from the facility quickly made a decision.

And took out ‘something’ from her jacket pocket.

Anna gently put that ‘something’ on her ears.

It was…

The wolf headband she had worn with Siho at the amusement park.

“It’s okay, I’m not human. I’m a fox too.”

A pink tinge spread across Anna’s fair skin.

She was embarrassed by her own act, but somehow maintained an expressionless face as she appealed to Siho.

“A fox…?”

“Yes, I have ears too, see.”

She pointed to the ears she was wearing.

Then Siho gradually emerged from behind the tree.

It seemed Misha had taken good care of her after all.

Her skin looked good, and her body seemed healthy.

She might have even gained some weight.

Siho cautiously approached Anna slowly.

With her chin raised to see her face properly.

But soon after seeing Anna’s white eyes, she immediately backed away.

As if frightened, the fur on her ears stood straight up.

“Even if you’re a fox too, I can’t. I’m hiding because we’re playing tag right now.”

“Tag…?”

Anna soon understood the intention behind this game.

Misha had suggested playing tag to save Siho.

She had forcibly separated her, knowing that Siho in her current state wouldn’t understand that she would soon be killed by following orders.

“I talked to Misha.”

“To Misha? Then, are you the new ‘it’ now?”

Siho tilted her head.

Anna finally let out a deep sigh.

“That’s right… I suppose so.”

“Then, you need to catch me.”

Soon Siho smiled seductively with her eyes half-closed.

Her elongated eyes stared at Anna as if teasing her.

“I’ll acknowledge you if you catch me.”

“Wait…”

Before Anna could finish her sentence.

Siho cut her off and threw herself into the dim forest.

Rustling sounds came from the forest.

Anna, who had been blankly watching the fleeing fox, smiled wryly.

Who did she think she was running from?

Anna firmly secured the wolf headband on her head so it wouldn’t fall off.

And muttered to herself in a small voice.

“Then, I’ll catch you.”

Soon she bent her knees like a sprinter.

And shot off like a bullet, following Siho’s trail.

She ran through the forest without hesitation.

But no matter how much she ran, Siho’s back was nowhere to be seen.

She was never good at running before.

Perhaps thanks to those strange animal ears, she had become incredibly fast and agile.

Just like a fox.

But no matter how fox-like and fast she had become, her entire body hadn’t changed that much.

Thanks to her running barefoot without hesitation, traces of her passage remained intact.

In the end, thinking that she would surely catch up if it came down to endurance, she steadily pursued the fox.

After all, persistence is the essence of hunting.

And Anna’s nickname was the one who catches hunters, the Hunter Killer.

“—.”

After running for a while.

The sound of water could be heard from afar.

And the fox’s footprints led toward that sound.

Anna pushed aside branches and arrived at a stream, the source of the water sound.

A waterfall flowed into the stream.

And beside the waterfall stood a small cabin.

Anna approached the cabin as quietly as possible.

The loud waterfall sound completely masked her presence.

Even Siho with her fox ears wouldn’t be able to detect her.

Anna carefully grabbed the doorknob of the cabin.

And slowly opened the door.