ICTV - Chapter 15

ICTV - Chapter 15

I Changed The Villain

"… Okay?

I slowly raised my head. As the eyelids rose, two eyes as clear as emeralds were revealed. But it was really just the same color as emerald. There was nothing in both eyes.

It was like a doll he saw at a toy store one day. Are her eyes like that when you just woke up? When he looked at it, it was the same look in my eyes as before. 

Rose got no the carriage while being supported by the maids.

“Are you here, pumpkin flower?”

"Go away."

It was Beryl. It seemed like he had just returned from the blacksmith shop. I tried to pass Beryl, but Beryl was faster. Beryl blocked my path.

“I heard from my father that you read romance books! Don’t you know that if a person does something they are not supposed to do, they will die?”

“...I told you to go away.”

At that time, a boy caught Beryl's eyes. The boy was grabbed by the back of his neck by Mera. Beryl opened her eyes wide.

“Hmm, who is he?”

Rika explained the situation.

“This is the kid who stole my wallet in the downtown area today.”

"What?!"

Beryl's voice grew louder. Beryl immediately pushes his back.

“How dare you steal my pumpkin flower’s wallet?!”

The anger was so enormous that it could not even be compared to that of the maids. It seemed like Beryl was just standing in front of him, but he felt like his whole body was burning under the ferocious light in his eyes. The boy, who had been quiet and resigned, began to struggle again.

After thinking that there would be no one scarier than the maids, someone who seemed several times more dangerous appeared. Beryl approached the boy step by step.

“Hey, he’s already so ugly, what would happen if he didn’t have money!”

“You stole my wallet, not Young Lady's.”

"Oh yeah?"

Cheeik. 

The flame went out in an instant as if water had been poured on it. Beryl waved his hand as if he was shooing away a dog.

"Then that’s enough. You plan to solve it among yourselves, right?”

“Yes, Master.”

“I’m just going to the training ground.”

The boy thought as he stared at Beryl walking away. What is this mansion?

***

As soon as I arrived in the room, I sat down in the soft armchair. The maids made the boy stand in the middle of the room and lightly pressed his shoulders. The boy sat down easily. The maids gave orders one after another.

“Get on your knees.”

“Bow your head.”

“Don’t make eye contact with the lady.”

I, who was looking at that scene, nodded.

“I want to talk to him. Everyone, please go.”

The maids immediately protested.

“No, Lady! We don’t know what that boy will do!” 

“He’s a kid who hates nobles so much, to begin with… !"

I looked at the maids tiredly. The chattering maids became quiet as if they were lying. 

"...If anything happens, I'll scream.”

“That won’t happen.”

The boy looked at me without realizing it. What I said just now was not a simple denial. It was the strongest conviction the boy had ever faced in his life. Not even an ordinary person, this is the first time he has seen pickpockets in the back alleys of Ryo treated like that. The boy also looked at the maids.

“If you say so, Lady."

“Then, Lady. We'll go away."

The anxiety disappeared like melting snow, and he looked peaceful. The boy had thought about it dozens of times already. What is this mansion? At that time, Mera left the room and mouthed a warning to the boy.

'Bow your head again.'

The boy faithfully followed the instructions. When the maids left, the room became extremely quiet. The boy's knees are already numb with his eyes fixed on the floor.

It was when I moved it slightly.

“Sit comfortably with your head up.”

"...But."

"Hurry."

The boy hesitated and then stretched out his legs. 

“I think I’m finally going to live a little better.”

Said the boy, pounding his legs with his fists and raising his head. I was fixating my eyes outside the window. 

The sun was setting already. I, who was bathed in the glow of the sunset, pursed my lips.

"...Ah."

Hearing that sound, the boy reflexively asked.

"Are you okay?"

I didn't show any reaction. How could he ask such a thing now? Even if he thinks to himself, he is confident. The boy later blamed himself, the sound's behavior was pathetic.

But he had no choice but to ask. This is because children with sore throats also made sounds like that. It was when the boy was thinking about how to handle this situation.

“I’m not in any pain.”

Then? A question mark appeared in the boy's mind. I brushed away the hem of my clothes.

“I just feel like the day went by safely.”

Isn't it something to be grateful for if it passes safely? The moment I thought that the boy's eyes grew as big as they could. My face, which had always been dry, became distorted.

Because, I seemed to realize this as well and covered my face with my palms, but it was already too late. The boy had already seen it.

That face that is in pain.

“… She wasn’t a doll.”

As expected, I was a person. The boy, realizing this very obvious fact, belatedly covered his mouth. The boy, anxious that he had caused another accident, looked to see what I was saying, but I didn't seem to hear him.

"Excuse me."

The boy gathered courage and spoke again. I finally lowered her palm. My face returned to expressionless.

“You’re sick, right?”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

The boy's voice grew louder.

“If you’re sick, go to the doctor quickly!”

“Because by your standards, it doesn’t hurt. It’s true that it doesn’t hurt.”

I said clearly.

“What’s the pain of wearing nice clothes and being waited on by maids?”

"Do you agree?"

"..."

“Everyone, including you, will never understand me."

'I made a mistake again this time.'

 The boy covered his face with his hands. I turned my head out the window again.

"sorry."

"What?"

“Uh, uh... the maid’s purse.What I stole and what I said to the girl. I did it."

"Why?"

"Yes?"

The boy was speechless.

“Why are you sorry to me for that?”

“Yeah...”

“For the former, you should feel sorry for Rika, not me. Because you stole Rika’s things.”

And the latter, I was about to give the latter reason as well.

“Think about why the latter is."

The boy swallowed his saliva reflexively. I was a person who was far from the back alley people. They don't hold weapons in their hands, and they don't even utter swear words. Besides, I doesn't seem angry. But strangely.

"I am really sorry."

He felt nervous and out of breath for no reason.

"So why?"

The boy swallowed dryly again. Feeling the urge to say something.

He was swept away. His head didn't work properly. What answer does that person want? The boy rubbed his damp palms

“If I were to make an excuse, it was because I got emotional today.”

The question ‘why’ is no longer heard. The boy was relieved.

“I thought I got used to stealing other people’s things and sleeping around in back alleys.”

"..."

“That wasn’t it.”

He opened my eyes as usual, but everything was disgusting. How long will he have to live like this? The thought filled him with rebellion. The boy shook his head.

“Rebellion, that’s a funny thing."

His fate was decided from the moment he was born into this world. Most people adapt to that fate and live. As if something had happened to him... 

The boy knelt down again. And then he bowed his head.

"I'm really sorry. It doesn't matter for yelling at a girl who doesn’t exist.”

After saying those words, the boy held his breath. This is because he felt that I stood up and approached him.

"Hey."

I grabbed the boy's chin and lifted him up.

“Isn’t this situation really funny?”

"...Yes?"

Could this not have been the answer? Before the boy could panic, I continued.

“You kneel at me just because I yelled at you once.”

“...B-but I said something I shouldn’t have said.”

I tilted my head as if asking what he was saying.

“It’s like insulting not only the Lady but the entire noble family."

"Just like the maids said, you are a good person. If it were any other nobles, they would have torn me to pieces.”

I shook my head.

“I’m not nice. That's just what other people do. I just don’t think it’s necessary for me to do that.”

It was more annoying than anything. I continued.

“So you don’t have to apologize to me. Because I don’t find your words offensive like other people do.”

Rather, I think it is a natural statement. As he said, the wealthy lives of the nobles were built on the misfortune of the common people. I let go of the boy's chin. The boy looked blankly at me. I, standing under the chandelier light, still looks like a doll. He thought I was beautiful.

“Then why did you bring me to this mansion?”

"..."

'I'm afraid you'll quit pickpocketing because of the shock you suffered from the maids. If you stop pickpocketing, it's like meeting the female lead disappears.' 

But I couldn't bear to say that. After a while of looking around, I took a step away from the boy.

“I wanted you to apologize to Rika and collect the medical expenses.”

My room was full of various valuables. No matter what he took, it was worth more than the cost of treatment. I said to the boy.

“After apologizing to Rika, steal something from this room. You will lose your confidence as a pickpocket…”

Fighting. Before I finished speaking, tears fell down the boy's cheeks. I felt it intuitively as I saw those tears.

I crashed again, damn it.

The boy shed tears again and again. So thick that the carpet quickly becomes damp. At this point, I also had no choice but to ask.

“Why are you crying?”

The boy clumsily wiped away his tears with the back of his hand.

“Well, I was so surprised.”

"What?"

“You didn’t deny what I said, even though I was just a pickpocket. Even the people in the back alley who were on the same level as me were busy ignoring me… This is the first time someone has listened to me so seriously."

That was the problem, damn it. I covered my forehead with my palm. The boy wiped away his tears and straightened his back. The boy placed his fists on his knees and declared clearly.

“I will never steal again.”

"No."

“Just like those sisters said, I proudly took the money... Huh?”

“I said no.”

'If you stop stealing, I'll be in trouble.'

I opened the drawer.

I turned my back. Several jewelry boxes decorated with gold and glass and brooches lined up in a row shone dazzlingly.

“Quickly take anything from this room.”

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