ICTV - Chapter 10

ICTV - Chapter 10

I Changed The Villain

But I can't deny that every time you see me, you think of roses. Ever since I read <Do You Know Your Flower>, I think of roses every time I see them. Rose was a rose flower itself.

A beautiful, but common supporting character who dies to progress the story.

I muttered.

“...It’s really boring.”

"Rose?"

Even before being possessed, I was just a bridesmaid to shine on a special person, but here I am again playing a supporting role. Well, I don't have any major complaints since I could die.

“Do you hate roses by any chance?”

Belial looked at me like a dog observing its uneasy owner.

“I thought you would like roses. Because you were always surrounded by roses.”

"That's right."

I reached out to the rose. 

“Like you said, I’ve always been surrounded by roses, so there’s no way I wouldn’t like them.”

I grabbed the rose flower in my fist and twisted it. The thorn went into my flesh, but it didn't hurt that much.

“The rose is like my alter ego.”

The petals were crushed helplessly. The stem was tough, so I couldn't break it in the end. I said dryly, brushing off the petals

“I really liked the yellow roses you gave me when you said goodbye.”

"..."

“I was embarrassed at first, but when I think about it now, it’s a clear memory."

How refreshing to receive a breakup notice from a villain. Although it was only for a short time, there was no time to be bored while analyzing the reason for receiving the breakup notice. I closed my eyes.

"I'm doing it."

“...Rose, I’m asking just in case."

Belial opened his mouth.

“Do you know what the flower language of yellow roses is?”

“Of course I know.”

Every time I had a birthday, I received star-colored roses, so I automatically learned the language of flowers. Among them, yellow roses have many flower meanings such as jealousy and achievement. I made eye contact with Belial.

“You gave it to me because you thought about the flower language of farewell.”

"I will make a bouquet of pink roses and send it back as soon as I get home.”

Belial wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

“Please take away that yellow rose."

“If you want.”

I nodded. Belial asked again, making eye contact with me again.

“Were you sad when you received that yellow rose as a gift?”

I didn't reply as he seemed desperate for something. Because I wasn't sad. I didn't feel like my heart was hurting or anything like that. But if I speak straight here, the atmosphere will become cold. I decided to keep quiet. But it was right then.

“It’s okay not to be sad.”

Why does he suddenly give up? There is no way Belial knows my true feelings. Am I mistaken? I looked up at Belial.

“It’s better for me to be sad alone than for you to be sad.”

"..."

Belial brushed my hair as if he were handling glass art.

“The reason I gave you that yellow rose and said goodbye was because I was anxious.”

“Why are you anxious?”

“Didn’t I tell you before? People like you don’t belong to me.”

Belial resumed his walk again. I walked almost in his arms.

“If you marry me, you will be unhappy."

Belial whispered in my ear.

"As you become the hostess of the Serenity family, you have more things to do and more restrictions.'

Belial probably caught that.

“I haven’t completely changed either.”

Belial, who said that, noticed me.

I looked at him, but I was still dry. This is because I had actually expected this to some extent. No matter what anyone says, Belial has lived as a villain for a long time. There is no way a person will completely change just because he met me. If he was someone who would change after meeting me, he wouldn't have been a villain in the first place. 

Belial burst into laughter again.

“You are resolute no matter what you confess, which makes me calm down as well.”

"Is that so."

“I wonder if this is how those who go to confession at the temple feel.”

Belial loosened his arms that were wrapping around me.

"Rose,"

Belial called my name so sweetly.

"Yes."

“I have one more thing to confess to you.”

“What is it?”

Belial, who was smiling for no reason at my question, got down on one knee. There hasn't been any wind blowing so far. His hair, like silver threads, fluttered slightly.

 Belial took my hand and looked up at me. It looked extremely sacred, like a knight swearing loyalty to his lord.

“I just wanted to possess you.”

Of course, what he said wasn't sacred at all, but it's true that he hasn't completely changed. There is no one whose actions and words match like Belial.

“My love for you deepens and It’s an impulse that comes from poetry.”

"..."

“The urge got worse, especially when you were talking to someone or not looking at me.”

Belial was a typical obsessed man who thought, 'If I can't have it, I'll destroy it.' In fact, not only did he kill Rose, who was trying to escape from him, but he also tried to kidnap the heroin, who did not even pay attention to him until the end.

There was no need to be anxious that things were going differently from the original. This will continue in the future

'I still keep that rose in my room.'

Let's just keep going like this. While thinking that, it was a moment when I applauded myself.

“But I won’t give in to that impulse.”

The applause stopped. I asked reflexively.

"Why?"

Belial's lips touched the back of my hand and then fell.

“Because I love you.”

"..."

The area where the lips touched was burned. It was as hot as it was. Belial looked up at me again. With those eyes that looked down on everything.

“I heard this from someone once.”

Love is the best excuse. 

Belial's whisper made me wonder. Why are you suddenly bringing that up?

“No matter how crazy you commit or even if you don’t act like you normally do, the moment you say these words, ‘Because I love you,’ or ‘Because of love,’ everyone approves. They say humans are capable of doing anything for love.”

I waited silently for the next words. Belial, who had paused for a moment after speaking up to that point, smiled crookedly.

“At first it was ridiculous. No matter how sweet the feeling of love is, I thought it was only a momentary feeling. I thought that only weak people become crazy in love. But not now.”

Ah. My eyes widened.

“Even if it’s just a momentary feeling, even if I change myself, it doesn’t matter. Because I became happy while loving you.”

My heart was pounding. Is it because of anxiety? Every cell in my body was telling me that that person should be silenced. But I couldn't do that. This was because it was my first time experiencing something like this and I didn't know what to do.

The villain, the worst villain who killed me, who was only a supporting character, and even disguised it as an accidental death, is whispering that he loves me. The reality that I had desperately denied collapsed. It was only then that I realized.

“As happy as I am to meet you, I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. It will make you happy."

This person has no intention of killing me.

***

After the walk was over, Belial went back. As soon as I went up to my room, I took off my shoes and lay down on the bed. The maids were busy cleaning the dressing room.

As soon as the maids saw me, they stopped what they were doing and tried to salute me, but I shook my head. Just keep talking about what you're saying. When I looked at it that way, the maids nodded.

“So what did Madam say?"

"Huh?"

“We need to discuss the exact date further, but the ceremony will take place as soon as possible.”

You were talking about me. The stories I hear from other people's mouths are very interesting and fun. I rested my head on one hand and looked at the maids. If it's other people, it may have been burdensome, but the maids had already gotten used to me.

"ASAP? So you’re saying I can do it right away next week?”

She was a maid who had just arrived here. The maids burst into laughter at those very innocent words. It didn't feel like ridicule or anything like that. She had a happy expression as if she was seeing her old self.

There was no one here who looked down on others and mistreated others. Rachel stroked the maid’s head. Although her expression was expressionless, her hand gestures were extremely gentle.

“Wow, how difficult and complicated is the preparation for the engagement ceremony?”

Rika also added an explanation.

“It will take at least a few months. I have to make a new dress and rent a venue for the ceremony.”

"Oh yeah? Oh God. Thank you all."

The maid immediately put her hands together. Why are you relieved? I thought you would be disappointed because the engagement ceremony was held late. I wasn't the only one who had doubts. When the other maids asked why, she answered without hesitation.

“At least I have a reason to live until then.”

That's how the maids gained enlightenment.

“… … You're right. every morning it was hard to get up."

“If the world had been destroyed out of anger, it wouldn’t have been once or twice that it was empty like this.”

“I have to find hope by imagining the engagement ceremony between you two.”

“What did the Duke and the Young Lady do during the engagement ceremony? Just imagining what clothes to wear and what hairstyle to do makes me happy.”

Seeing myself with no desire to live gives me hope to live. This is truly ironic. The maids took out the curtains that they had put in the basket for washing. The curtains were dark purple with gold embroidery.

“If it’s the Serenity family, the engagement ceremony will definitely be huge.”

Mera wrapped the curtain around her body and pretended to walk lightly.

“You are the best girl in the world. You must be walking on a carpet with silk wrapped all over your body.”

The curtains were very long and dragged across the floor. The maids immediately followed Mera and lifted the curtains so she wouldn't be dragged. I felt like a bridesmaid.

“I also envy the Crown Princess of our Empire."

"You won't."

“The Crown Princess would not be envious of even the Empress.”

Mera spread her arms wide.

“What an amazing person the Duke is. There is no one who can match him in swordsmanship. Royal families from other countries are also anxious to form relationships somehow.”

“Is that it? You have management skills and have succeeded in running your own business.”

“I’m so glad you found a good partner.”

The faces of the maids were all full of life. On the other hand, my face was extremely expressionless. I could tell without having to check in the mirror.

I was always like this except under special circumstances. There is no reason to smile, so why should I smile?

That's what I thought every time I was told to smile a little. What's so funny about those kids? Anyone who sees them will think they're engaged.

“Why are you so happy?”

Let's find out why. I want to be happy too. The maids answered my question without hesitation.

“Well, something good happened to you.”

"Yep!"

Rika nodded eagerly. Mera put the curtains back in the basket.

I pushed it in and straightened my back.

“Originally, you are happy when something good happens to the person you love.”

I asked this question to resolve a question, but it only created more questions. I asked one more question.

“Do you all love me?”

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