Rosavelle Dumanna, better known as the Bloody Queen. She had been one of the main antagonists of the novel The Journey of a Rising Hero. She had suffered countless hardships throughout her life and endured years of abuse as a slave. But she had not become a villain simply because she suffered.
If villains in a story become villains solely because they suffered, then that story is a bad one.
Although Areth had never particularly liked The Journey of a Rising Hero, especially its choice of protagonist and parts of its plot, there was one thing he had to admit.
At times, the story, the characters, and the narrative were absurdly good, even by world-class standards. The web novel had been popular enough to receive a webtoon adaptation. And one of the main reasons for that popularity had been its villains.
Rosavelle had suffered, yes, but at some point she had not only overcome that pain, she had reached the mental state necessary to take revenge. Rosavelle's original backstory had been written so well that she had become one of the readers' favorite characters.
In the end, she had been a ruthless, cold, and pragmatic person, yet one who still carried a light within her. For example, she killed people without hesitation, but she had always possessed a special fondness for animals.
The current Rosavelle was, of course, very different from the one in the novel. She was softer, less confident, and far more timid. But she was still Rosavelle.
Perhaps she would never experience the horrific suffering she had endured after becoming a slave, but somewhere inside her, that Rosavelle still remained.
Then again, Areth had never wanted her to become the version from the novel.
The Rosavelle from the novel still had a light inside her, but she had ultimately been a villain. And it was not merely the fact that she was a villain that disturbed Areth. What truly disturbed him were her mental disorders.
At times, her urge to kill would suddenly intensify. She could never form anything even remotely resembling a close relationship, and when she did, she killed those people. Even when they had not betrayed her, she often killed the men around her because of the panic attacks she suffered.
She had possessed an unusual affection for animals, but she never let them outside. She always kept her cat and her birds in cages, or, at best, in her room. Whenever the animals she raised tried to escape, she would fall into hysterics.
In short, Rosavelle with her mental instability was not the kind of person anyone would want to be close to.
But Areth knew that if he did the right things when necessary, he could create a Rosavelle who would be just as powerful, just as cold-blooded and ruthless when needed as the version from the novel, yet mentally stable.
And the answer Rosavelle gave now was proof of that.
"I failed," she said, lowering her head.
She had failed because she had not found the strength to stand against the siblings who had murdered her mother and sold her into slavery. Perhaps if she had asked her mother for help as a child, she might have discovered her powers sooner. Or if she had asked her father to hire a magic instructor for her, perhaps everything would have been different.
Instead of denying that truth and making excuses, she accepted it honestly.
Areth continued watching her.
She had averted her eyes, but this was not an act of avoidance. Rosavelle's shoulders had not slumped. Her breathing had not become uneven. She was not trying to defend herself. She was not shifting the blame onto others.
She had simply... accepted it.
That was something most people could not do.
Areth lightly tapped his fingers against the table. Rhythmic. Thoughtful.
"Good."
A single word.
But Rosavelle's head immediately lifted. Her brows drew together ever so slightly. She had not expected that response.
Areth continued looking at her without flinching.
"Most people lie at that point," he said calmly. "They blame the circumstances. They blame luck. They blame other people." A brief pause. "You did not."
Rosavelle remained silent for a few seconds. Was that praise... or another test?
Areth continued.
"That is a good thing. But by itself, it is not enough."
Rosavelle's gaze sharpened. This time, she did not look away.
"What do you mean... Master?"
"Accepting your failure is the beginning," he said. "But if you remain there... then it simply becomes another kind of weakness."
Rosavelle's fingers slowly relaxed.
Areth picked up his fork again, though he did not eat. He merely turned it between his fingers.
"Do you know what you are doing right now?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "You are judging yourself. You are taking the choices you made in the past and evaluating them with the mind you have now."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"That is a flawed analysis."
Rosavelle's breathing changed ever so slightly. This was... not a perspective she had expected.
Areth tilted his head.
"You are judging the decisions you made back then with knowledge you did not possess, power you did not possess, and freedom you did not possess."
He lightly tapped the table.
"That is not fair. And more importantly... it is useless."
This time, Rosavelle's eyes locked completely onto him.
For the first time, Areth leaned forward slightly.
"The real question should have been this," he said, his voice low but clear. "If the same situation happened again... what would you do differently?"
Rosavelle's mind was moving quickly and intensely. She was not running from it. She was not suppressing it. She was analyzing. Areth saw that, and the corner of his lips curved ever so slightly.
A few seconds later, Rosavelle spoke.
"...I would become stronger."
Her voice was clearer now.
"Sooner."
A pause.
"...I would trust no one."
Areth gave a slight nod.
"The expected answer."
Rosavelle's brows furrowed faintly.
Areth set the fork back down on the table.
"And incomplete."
This time, Rosavelle reacted immediately.
"Incomplete?"
Areth's gaze sharpened.
"Becoming stronger alone is not enough. Power... is a tool."
He folded his fingers together.
"Using the right people at the right time. Obtaining information when it matters. And most importantly... Eliminating threats before they become threats."
Something flashed in Rosavelle's eyes. It was the look of understanding in a student who had finally grasped what her teacher had been trying to explain during a difficult lesson.
"You did not lose because you were weak," he said flatly. "You lost because you failed to analyze the situation correctly."
Those words were heavy.
But Rosavelle did not retreat.
On the contrary... she sat up straighter.
"...I understand," she said slowly.
And this time, she truly did understand.
Areth watched her for a few seconds longer. Then he leaned back again.
"Good," he said. "Because I do not want you to make that mistake a second time."
Rosavelle's heart skipped for a moment.
A second time.
That phrase... was strange. It was as though Areth already knew her future.
But she did not voice that thought.
Instead, she asked:
"Master... I do not mean to be disrespectful, but... how do you know all of this? My past, who I am, even who my mother was... How?"
Areth had been expecting that question for a long time. Thanks to the circumstances and Rosavelle's lingering distrust of him, he had managed to avoid it until now.
But now it was time to answer.
Rosavelle's gaze was different this time. The expression of someone learning and analyzing had vanished. In its place was a look that was cautious, measuring, and suspicious. She did not trust blindly. But she wanted to trust.
Areth took a small bite and chewed it calmly. He did not rush to answer.
Rosavelle waited without looking away. After swallowing, Areth finally spoke.
"Suppose I told you that, through certain powers, I know this much about you... even about your future. But in order to keep using those powers, I cannot tell you anything about them. Because if I say it, I won't be able to use those powers. And I need to use them constantly for other matters as well. Would you believe me?"
Contrary to what one might expect, Rosavelle did not recoil when she heard those words. Her brows lifted slightly, and her pupils widened for an instant. She did not doubt him. On the contrary... her mind moved in a different direction.
Rather than weighing whether what Areth said was irrational, she tried to grasp how significant it was. Knowing who a person was, what powers they possessed, and even their future was no simple matter.
Those were matters that concerned at least several gods.
If this was true...
If such a power truly existed...
Then this was not something an ordinary mage, or even an ordinary being, could possess.
Her gaze slowly changed. At first there was shock. Raw, unfiltered shock. Then that shock gave way to something heavier. What appeared in her eyes was no longer simple curiosity. It was admiration.
Without realizing it, Rosavelle sat a little straighter. It was as though the person sitting across from her had changed.
He was still sitting in the same chair. He still breathed the same way. But now... he carried a different kind of weight.
"...This..." she began, and her voice was no longer as sharp as before. It was more careful. More measured. "This... is not normal."
Rosavelle did not take her eyes off him. This time, she had no intention of looking away. On the contrary, she wanted to see more.
To understand more.
"If that is true... Master," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully, "then you... must be far more dangerous than I thought."
It was not an accusation.
It was an observation.
Areth lightly turned the fork between his fingers. A nearly imperceptible curve formed at the corner of his lips.
"And that does not bother you?" he asked.
Rosavelle did not answer immediately. She thought for several seconds. But this was not hesitation born from fear. It was a deliberate evaluation. In the end, she shook her head ever so slightly.
"No," she said clearly. "On the contrary, Master..."
A brief pause. She was simply searching for the right words.
"...Everything makes much more sense now."