Chapter 169: Don’t Forget Who You Are
The image of the "Red Crow" has always been full of contradictions.
To some people, she is a hero who robs from the rich to help the poor.
To others, she is a death god that won’t go away.
To some, he is the lapdog of evil men.
To others, she is nothing more than a useful tool.
She can play any role. She can do anything. But there’s just one thing, she herself doesn't know what she truly is.
The rain poured down, even heavier than expected.
But it was exactly because the rain was so strong that it washed away most of the smell of blood on her.
Evelia, known as the "Red Crow," was once again carrying out a mission.
This time, it was her usual kind of job. She entered a politician’s home and, with a small knife, cut the throats of everyone in the family, old and young.
Oh—and of course, that included the poor servants… and even the elderly family cat.
Normally, blood like this would take a long time to clean off. But today she got lucky, the skies had opened up like a broken pipe, and the heavy rain gave Evelia a good, thorough wash.
As for handling the bodies, Evelia had her own habits. She either buried them in a pit or simply set them on fire. If it happened outdoors, things were even easier. Just toss the bodies somewhere wild, stray cats, dogs, or even rats would handle the rest. She’d strip the clothes, throw the body into an animal den, and let nature take its course.
If she had any pet food or bait with her, she’d smear it on the face. Once the animals started eating the face first, unless the person had a very unique birthmark, no one would be able to tell who the body belonged to, even if it was found.
“......”
Evelia shook the water off her cloak, tugged at her hood, and rinsed the bloodied knife in a nearby puddle. Once clean, she stored it inside her “mark” (a storage).
This kind of task was nothing new to her.
Killing, burning, dumping bodies. It was the simplest part of her job.
Because of her lack of emotions, Evelia was extremely ruthless.
She would dismember the bodies in whatever way made them easiest to get rid of. Sometimes torn to pieces, sometimes barely human in shape. It was terrifying to look at, but Evelia didn’t care.
This was what she had to do.
She didn’t spare the elderly.
She didn’t spare children.
She didn’t spare women.
And sometimes, she didn’t even know what crimes these people had committed. But if they made the Second Prince feel “troubled,” then that was enough to count as a crime.
The rain kept falling, washing over Evelia’s body.
It diluted the smell of blood clinging to her, but it couldn’t change the red of her cloak.
The name “Red Crow” came from her once reddish hair, and also from how she was always soaked in blood.
[Mission complete?]
As Evelia took out the leaf, it made a familiar voice in the heavy rain.
“Yes, Your Highness the Second Prince. It’s done.”
[As expected from my most trusted servant, Red Crow. You never disappoint me.]
The Second Prince’s tone was calm and composed, just as always. He was someone who always kept up a perfect public image. Armand often complained privately that the man was “pretending too much,” but then again, he was a public figure, pretending was part of the job.
There was no unnecessary talk. Their conversations were always brief and straight to the point.
The leaf turned to ash in the downpour, vanishing without a trace. Leaving only Evelia behind, along with the mess that others would come clean up later.
The house behind her wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small either. Compared to Armand’s estate, it was clearly much smaller, but for regular citizens, it would be considered a luxurious home.
The politician Evelia dealt with this time wasn’t famous. He was so unimportant that even if his whole family disappeared, probably no one would keep investigating. But still, the Second Prince had sent his most trusted agent, the "Red Crow," to handle it.
Even Evelia herself, for a brief moment, wondered, although she always followed the Second Prince’s orders without question, wasn’t a task like this too small for someone like her?
Evelia took off her gloves and reached out to catch the falling rain with her bare hand.
The world around her was dark and silent. She couldn’t see the sky clearly. She didn’t know if the rainwater carried dirt or not. But she knew that, no matter what, it was still cleaner than she was.
—Something that should’ve felt normal.
Blood. Corpses. The screams of children. The cries of women.
All things she should’ve been used to by now.
But… why?
Why did she feel such a strange emptiness?
She couldn’t explain the feeling, but it was stuck in her chest.
Lately, her thoughts had been focused on how to win Armand’s approval. She had been thinking about how to make people like her, not how to kill them.
Maybe killing had always come naturally to her. It was her job. It didn’t require much thinking. Quick and simple.
But then why…
Why had she hesitated when the Second Prince gave her the mission?
Why did her chest feel tight when she looked at this once-bright house now filled with blood and silence?
Was I getting lazy?
Was I too caught up in playing this servant game with Armand?
Had I already forgotten, I’m the Red Crow, not just a girl named Evelia?
She pulled her gloves back on, wrapped herself in her cloak, and stepped through the muddy ground, looking for the path back.
When she left earlier, she was completely clean. Her shoes had no dirt, her cloak had no stains. But now, walking back, she was covered in filth.
Back—
No. That’s not the right word.
Whether it was the politician’s house or Armand’s estate, the correct word was “go,” not “return.”
Because none of those places were ever her home.
On the other side of the leaf, the Second Prince gently rubbed his fingers and let the ashes scatter, then tapped them away with his foot.
The last time he saw his Red Crow in person was at the festival ballroom. Even then, he had sensed something felt off.
The Red Crow had changed. But he couldn’t quite tell what had changed.
He had planned to talk with her afterward, but after that single glance at the ballroom, she never showed up again. Not once.
Though she was his most trusted agent, that trust still had its limits. No matter how loyal she was, he could never fully trust anyone. So, in his heart, he’d marked a question mark next to Evelia.
This mission, just as Evelia herself had thought, was honestly not important enough to need someone like her. A few skilled underlings could’ve done the job just as well.
But that wasn’t the real purpose of the task.
This mission was a reminder.
Or rather a warning to Evelia.
Don’t get too lost in your role-playing game.
This job was simple, meant to help her clearly remember who she is.
To remind her of what she’s supposed to be.
—My Red Crow, don’t forget who you really are.