ICTV - Chapter 19

ICTV - Chapter 19

I Changed The Villain

“Yes, I’m so scared.”

“Why are you scared?”

“I don’t want to be a bother to the priests."

“Is there a chance that made me think that way?"

“Well, I mean…”

In times like this, just ask the right questions. Confidence in one's inner thoughts. The child's current state was like a water tank on the verge of overflowing. If you stick your hand in, a lot of water will pour out, so you have to scoop it out little by little with a bucket.

“It was my first time welcoming a visitor together with Priest Damien. Because I was so afraid of people, the priests told me to do something like that to improve my personality.”

Mouchet only rubbed his palms awkwardly.

“But there’s no way I can do that job well. I froze and couldn't even say hello properly. In the end, I bought it. I took over this job within a few days.”

The priests were wrong. If you give such an extreme prescription, it will have the opposite effect. I looked at Mouchet's profile.

“Priest Damian said it was okay, but deep down he was probably disappointed in me.”

At some point, Mouchet had picked up the document again and was tearing off the ends little by little. A piece of paper fell messily onto Mouchet’s lap.

“After taking on this job, fortunately, I didn’t make a single mistake, but I was very anxious. I'm afraid I'll disappoint Priest Damian again."

That’s how Mouchet’s story ended. 

Mouchet looked at me. My face had not changed at all from before. It took some courage to tell this, but it was a moment when Mouchet felt sad without even realizing it.

"I see. I understand why you’re afraid of making mistakes.”

The documents were torn over and over again. That was right then.

“But how did you know that?"

Mouchet's hand touched an unexpected question. It stopped.

"What?"

“Priest Damian is disappointed in you.”

When I saw it earlier, it didn't feel that way at all. It seemed like Priest Damian was worried about the shy Mouchet. Disappointment and worry feel completely different. I asked directly.

“Did you ask him yourself?”

Mouchet, who could not answer for a while, shook his head.  Sometimes the eyes of a third party are more accurate than those close to you. Because you can look at the situation objectively.

“Priest Damian said it was okay because he was really okay.”

"...Yes?"

I nailed it.

“You never disappointed him."

“B-but...”

Mouchet pursed his lips. It was clear that he did not believe what I said. Well, it's Mouchet's freedom to believe in the first place. Because in the first place, as a third party, all you can do is give the bare minimum of advice.

“Muchet.”

“...Yes, My Lady.”

“Don’t worry and guess other people’s feelings on your own. If you have any questions, it would be much better for you to ask directly.”

Unlike your concerns, the other person often doesn't really think anything of it. I stood up. It seemed like Belial would soon come out of the prayer room.

“Then I’ll just go, Mouchet.”

Mouchet immediately stood up and tried to say goodbye, but Rose shook her head.

“It’s okay to say goodbye.”

Mouchet looked at my back. The advice I gave him earlier kept ringing in his ears. 

'Don't worry and guess other people's feelings.' 

It was a very difficult task for Mouchet. But...

“Hey, Young Lady!”

Mouchet mustered up the courage and called me.

I stood still.

“Why did you come out of the prayer room?"

I answered, still with my back to Mouchet.

"It's just frustrating to stay indoors."

"..."

I said in a knowing tone.

“You just guessed again. I must have made a mistake and left the prayer room.”

Mouchet was shocked.

“They say don’t assume other people’s perspectives.”

"'I'm sorry. Just in case, so."

“But you’re good at it. Asking.”

I turned my head. Thanks to this, Mouchet was able to see my smile.

“Okay, if you’re curious, from now on, just ask."

Mouchet got up from his seat without me realizing it. A piece of paper that was messily stuck to his lap fell to the floor.

If it had been like that a moment ago, I would have screamed and gotten rid of it right away, but not like now. Mouchet smiled so brightly that he couldn't see his eyes.

“...!”

I, who had been staring at Mouchet's face as bright as the sun, turned my back on him again. The smile immediately disappeared from my face, as if I had never smiled before. I stared ahead with an expressionless face.

"..."

The red-eyed man I had encountered in the prayer room was standing behind the pillar across from me. I put her finger on my lips. The man nodded immediately.

'Do not worry.'

The man whispered and smiled brightly. I lowered my finger. It wasn't that surprising. I thought that man would listen to me unconditionally.

That man is Edgar Cridrian. A man who is the complete opposite of Belial, the sub-male lead, and a kind man who changed Violet's mind when she thought marriage was hell.

It was the Male Lead's appearance.

***

It doesn’t matter that the Male Lead appeared in the temple. According to the novel's setting, the Male Lead was also a devout believer in Harmonia.

“The Lady is very kind.”

“Would you like to do it?”

"Yes? Do you know me? Well, I’m watching.”

"No way. It’s my first time seeing you too.”

However, it does matter that the Male Lead follows I. I showed my displeasure, but it was of no use to Edgar.

Edgar was a deeply religious man who believed that all people were born good. No matter how bad a person he met, he tried to see only the good in that person, and when the worst happened, he went out and looked for what he could do.

"Lady, If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to you.”

“Why do you want to talk to someone like me?”

A person who blindly shows kindness despite not being capable of doing so is nothing more than a brat, but when a competent person shows kindness, the story is different. Edgar was a saint of the Avalon Empire. Not only does he have an outstanding ability to influence others, but he is also born with 'divine power'.

“There are few nobles who cover up other people’s mistakes like you do.”

“There is no need to be amazed. It will become common someday.”

Divine power. The power to heal wounds and defeat evil. Edgar was born with such strength. His flaw was that he was unstable, but he couldn't use his abilities freely, so when someone was suddenly injured, he had to force his divine power, and when he had to treat a serious wound, he had to risk his life.

Holy power is a very special power, but it is a power that puts a lot of strain on the body. He put everything down for a really long time. It is a power that is difficult for even a trained priest to handle, but it is natural since he uses it with the body of an ordinary person.

I don't know if he could just formally enter the temple and train, but since Edgar was the heir who had to carry on the family, that wasn't possible. However, he overcomes those shortcomings by meeting the heroine and gaining confidence in himself. If you think about it, Edgar was a perfect man, just like the word says.

Talented people who had erected many thorns like thistles became docile sheep as soon as he touched them, and the day after he attended the party, they inquired about donations to the temple.

The number of nobles tripled. Even before he met Violet, he loved everyone equally.

“You think so too…” 

That's right, everyone has a little bit of a kind side to them.

“I believe that if we help people find that part, everyone can become kinder.”

Stop, please. 

I walked faster, but my shoe-clad feet still had limitations. I glared at the shoes sticking out from under the hem of my skirt, thinking that these shoes were pretty but had no practicality.

“But I think you’ve already found that part.”

My feet hurt. I, who stopped not because I was surprised but because my feet hurt, let out a laugh. I saw him for the first time today and I don't know why he said the same thing as the Pale family maids.

“I keep telling you, I’m not kind. I just listened to them and gave them appropriate advice.”

“That’s kind!”

It's a surprise. I took a step back. Where did Edgar?

God was standing in the way.

“Listening to stories and giving advice is something anyone can do. But no one does that.”

Edgar pressed his face close to me.

“Because just living your own life is overwhelming!”

Red eyes were burning with passion. I took a step back.

“I keep saying this, but I tell those people I want to help. However, I was looking for someone to join me because I could never do this on my own... .”

Edgar stretched one hand to his chest and the other toward the sky.

“I found you today! Harmonia heard my prayer. Yeah!”

A halo began to shine behind Edgar. Baby angels also appeared from somewhere and hovered around Edgar. Of course, this does not mean that it is really like that, it just means that Edgar is pious enough to see such an illusion.

As expected, the Male Lead has tremendous destructive power. It hasn't been long since we met, but I'm already exhausted. This is why you have to stay away from popular people. 

I realized that lesson again.

“Thank you, Harmonia. For granting my wish…!”

I have to somehow get away from this person. Aside from the original, it's so painful that I'm dying. If we stay together for 5 more minutes, I will twist like dry twigs. I took a series of steps backward.

"Okay. It must be really nice. But, God didn't grant my wish. God Harmonia must really love you.”

Let's run away the moment that person lets his guard down. That was the moment I decided to do so.

“Of course God loves me.”

Edgar stood in front of me again. 

Hey, it's against the rules to walk that fast. If you do that, then what happens to all the effort I’ve made so far? 

It was a moment when I thought to myself.

“And I’m sure you’ll love it too. Because Harmonia loves everything in this world.”

After saying those words, Edgar smiled brightly. If Moses' laughter was like the sunlight, Edgar's laughter was like the sun itself. Just like a plant that dies when the sunlight is too bright, I also felt like I would die because of Edgar's too-bright atmosphere. I tried to take a step back again.

“But God didn’t grant my wish."

"That's right. Oh, by the way, you were in the prayer room too, right?”

"Yes."

“The fact that you even rented a private prayer room means that you have such an earnest wish. I guess. Um, but… ."

Edgar, who was trailing off his words, tilted his head.

"Perhaps we met the same person. Isn’t it because of Mouchet?”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that just as my wish came true when I met you, your wish can come true when you meet me.”

To make my wish come true, I have to meet an assassin other than the Male lead.

I was dumbfounded.

“That’s an interesting hypothesis. Credibility is not at all."

“Lady, you don’t trust me. Well, we met for the first time today.”

Edgar made eye contact with me. And he whispered warmly enough to melt a mountain of snow.

“But I can say this much with confidence.”

My green eyes and Edgar's red eyes looked into each other.

Previous            Next

Support Novellate!