ICTV - Chapter 41
I Changed The Villain
Knock.
Belial lightly clenched his fist and knocked on the door.
“Rose, I’m here.”
But there was no answer. No matter how many times he called, there was no answer, so it was clear that she had gone out. Rose, who used to spend most of her day in bed, has had a lot of changes these days.
“It must be a positive sign.”
It has become more difficult to find where she is, but in the past, all he had to do was go to Rose's room no matter what time he came.
Belial looked down at the bouquet in his arms. He obviously chose only the most desirable roses, but there was one flower with an unsightly broken branch. It seemed like the flower buds were going to fall off at any moment.
Was it damaged while moving?
Belial stroked the flower once.
“You’re here again.”
It was Beryl. Beryl was carrying a bow with a quiver of arrows on his back as if he was about to go to the training ground.
Usually, children born to noble families learn to use a sword, but Beryl was unusual in insisting on the bow. One reason is that he prefers the bow.
So, every time Belial saw Beryl, he felt that if he was born into a family without power, he would be able to enjoy more freedom.
“Do you by any chance know where Rose is?”
Beryl is still stroking her bow and answers half-heartedly.
“She would have gone out to the garden with Taksha. She had dinner there too, and it was almost time to come back..."
“Then I guess I can go to the garden too. Thank you for telling me."
Belial still spoke in a kind tone even though Beryl answered without even looking at him.
It was the moment when Belial was about to go to the garden.
“I’m going on a trip with Rose soon.”
Belial turned towards Beryl again.
“I already heard from Rose.”
"..."
“I hope you come and make many memories with Rose.”
Beryl's hand that was caressing the arrow stopped. Beryl has his own curly hair, raises the knife roughly.
“It’s really funny that the Duke said that.”
“Why are you so upset that you can’t catch me?”
Belial pretended to tilt his head.
“Do you by any chance think that I am stealing Rose?”
Beryl's forehead narrowed as if he had hit the nail on the head.
“I want to marry Rose, I don’t want to steal her from you. Absolutely not, older brother."
“It’s being stolen. How dare I, a shabby person, think of something like that to the late Duke.”
“Can you swear by that bow?"
Beryl was left speechless as if he had never screamed before. Beryl looked at the bow and Belial for a moment and then shouted nervously.
“...I do it a little bit.”
“Oh, you’re finally admitting it.”
“But there is another decisive reason.”
“Can I hear what that is?”
This is what happens in the end. Beryl washed his face dry.
“...Who would believe that the Duke who was walking up the blood-stained stairs suddenly turned into a different person one day?”
Beryl glared at Belial between his fingers. The Belial that everyone fears and admires at the same time. The only person in the world who treated Belial like this was Beryl.
Beryl himself knew that Belial was treating him unconventionally, but instead of being thankful, he was horrified.
“People can’t fix it. For the rest of their lives, a person who has lived his life immersed in blood can change in an instant like this? I can't believe it."
“...Why is there no special reason? Rose is what makes it so special.”
"What? Is it because of Rose?”
Despite Beryl's truly shocked reaction, Belial nodded.
"Yes. Because Rose is special. Are you sure you don’t trust Rose?”
"No way."
Beryl snorted.
“I trust Rose. I’m going to believe that even if she puts a knife in my back, she has a good reason.”
“Then which part...”
“Are you asking because you really don’t know that?”
Beryl spat out mercilessly.
“The part I don’t believe, Duke, is the part about you being reformed.”
“Even if you say you don’t believe it, it’s true that things have changed.”
“I’ll say it again, people can never be changed. Never."
“You are sophistry.”
“Whether it is sophistry or not,”
Beryl glared straight at Belial as always.
“We’ll just have to wait and see. Isn’t that right?”
"..."
Belial knew that even if he thrust a sword at him, his gaze would never be broken.
“It seems like you are hiding it well now, but your true nature has been revealed. If you did something stupid to Rose,”
Beryl gave his final warning.
“I will never forgive you.”
It didn't matter to Beryl whether he was the head of the Serenity family or how high up Belial was. The only thing that mattered to him was that Rose was engaged to him.
Beryl went down the stairs with that warning, and Belial stretched out his hand to Beryl.
“Don’t be like that, speak more to me,”
He said.
Before Belial finished speaking, the flower bud fell to the ground. It was unstable from a while ago, and he knew it would be like this. Belial's flower bud fell on the floor.
He stared at the flower and muttered.
“I’ll have to be more careful from now on.”
Flowers are damaged even if he touches them lightly. His pale, straight fingers grasped the flower bud.
Very tight, as if I would never let go again.
***
Before being possessed, I had rarely gone on a family vacation.
This is because I knew that I would be treated as invisible both while traveling and at home.
Moreover, my parents stayed at home when my younger brother insisted on going on a trip abroad. I remember being happy to be able to occupy the living room sofa 24 hours a day in an empty house and order chicken with the bills my parents gave me.
Other people go on trips. I thought it was a type of rest, but I thought only resting at home was rest.
I really, I swear to heaven, had no interest in traveling, but I would sometimes search for travel reviews on the Internet. I was curious about why people save so much money to go on trips.
The search results were half and half. Half positive reviews, half negative reviews.
Positive reviews are generally about discovering a new self through travel. My relationship with the friend I went with became closer. It was like this.
Negative reviews. The person I thought would be my lifelong friend was actually a bad guy. Everything I did didn't work out so I just threw away my money. This was my purpose.
A famous writer also said in a magazine that traveling is his hobby. No matter how close of a friend or family you are, you shouldn't go on a trip together carelessly. They started out as a sweetheart, but then they became a stranger.
Because they can come back.
I became curious. After this trip is over, what kind of review can I write?
No matter how much I think about it, I don’t have a cell phone.
it's a shame. Until now, I had only read other people's travel reviews and felt envious.
U lifted my face from my knees.
"Huh?"
I was jealous of people traveling back then?
With a sudden thought, I opened my clenched fist.
“Why are you doing this? Is the bath water not that hot?”
"..."
"Miss?"
Wet rose petals fell onto the water. I lay down in the middle of a bathtub full of rose petals.
“It’s not like that. I just thought it was too much this morning.”
“Beauty requires so much effort that it may seem excessive, Miss."
Becky, who had completed the natural pack, sat next to the bathtub.
“It’s pack time again! My Lady.”
I guess I won't be able to say anything again for a while. I, who had become completely accustomed to the pack, closed my eyes. Becky carefully applied the pack to my face.
“Your trip with Master Beryl is almost here this week.”
Yes. Rose silently agreed.
“You’re saying you won’t take the maids and escorts? You’ll only take Taksha.”
Rose's eyes brightened.
"What?"
“Oh my, didn’t you hear?”
This time, instead of warning Becky not to say anything, she said something different.
"Really. The master won't take me."
"It’s inconvenient.”
“...But it doesn't make sense in common sense.
"That's right."
I'll take some people with me. I closed my eyes again while thinking that, but soon had to open them again.
“We thought so too, but you made it clear that you wouldn’t take even one person.”
"..."
“I’m anxious, but we can’t argue with your decision, right?”
It's not like Beryl either. Beryl hates cumbersome things, but you wouldn't know it if she slept alone. I said that I would not take any maids or escorts on my trip with him. I wasn't that stupid.
After finishing my bath, I changed into a gray dress.
"Miss. This is the mail that arrived this morning. It looks like a party invitation, right?”
Mera handed over a red invitation with both hands. My face slowly hardened as I read the invitation.
"What's wrong?"
“… Not a big deal."
I put down the invitation and went downstairs. Everyone except me was already gathered in the restaurant.
“Because it is the festival season, there will be a lot of people. Why are you asking me to take an escort with you?”
Beryl was in the middle of spreading butter on bread. Primrose takes a sip of tea
He drank and corrected his words.
“Don’t make excuses for things that didn’t happen. I guess he doesn’t want to disturb the last time he spends with his younger sister.”
“No…! I really think I’m going to be complicated…!”
“I don’t understand your heart. I won't allow it."
Primrose put down her teacup and made a cold face.
"No way."
"Mother!"
Charles also spoke carefully.
“I agree with your mother.”
“Even my father… !”
“If you’re going alone, you shouldn’t do that when Rose is also going on a trip. How uncomfortable would it be if there was no one to serve you?”
“There are people working at the inn, too. You can just ask them to do everything you need to do.”
“And Rose is the one who will soon be engaged to none other than Belial.”
To make Beryl understand Charles' words more clearly, Primrose added one word.
“An assassin might show up like last time.”
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