ICTV - Chapter 24

ICTV - Chapter 24

I Changed The Villain

It was when Beryl was looking at Judith.

'...You can stop looking now. Thanks to you, I'm okay.'

'Huh?'

Judith turned her head and moved her lips shyly.

'Thank you, Beryl, For saving me.' 

'Why is your brother like this?'

'I think I'm so shocked that I'm crazy. By the way, hold it like that for a moment. Let me make a quick sketch. It's really funny right now.'

Judith, who had brought up somewhat useless memories while reminiscing, let out a long sigh.

“Beryl looks just like the Prince from the fairy tales I read when I was young.”

“...That fairy tale may actually have been written by Satan.”

And there won't be anyone who won't help in that situation. Unless you are cold-blooded, anyone will pretend to save you. This does not mean that Beryl is special.

But as expected, Rose's words did not reach Judith this time. Judith looked up at the sky with wet eyes.

“Dear Beryl.”

The name that I will call, suffer, and die. I don't know how many times I wrote and erased that name in the sheet music. Judith held Rose's hands tightly.

“Young lady...! Is there a Lady you are meeting separately, Beryl?”

Rose said bluntly.

"Doesn't exist."

"Thank God. Beryl is so handsome that I thought the women around him wouldn’t leave him alone.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. It’s because they left him alone.”

Judith even stamped her feet in frustration at Rose's indifferent tone until the end.

“Young lady…! Please give me a chance! I’m so sincere!”

“You should actually give my brother a chance....”

“In the eyes of you, Beryl’s family, I may seem infinitely inadequate, but I will try my best! To become a woman worthy of Beryl!”

“[Well, there are all kinds of developments.]”

In the end, Rose couldn't bear it anymore and ended up using Korean once more.

***

The food on the table had noticeably disappeared. One by one, the nobles who had been intoxicated with pleasure came to their senses and prepared to leave. Rose also pulled out Beryl who was with Kedis from a corner.

“You’re clinging to me because I’m not close with you?” 

"I know. I'm so sick of it, Dude."

“Let’s cut ties completely in the near future.”

 “Who can say that!”

Kedis, who clearly looked drunk, burst into laughter. Kedis was so drunk that he couldn't even see the three of them off. Instead, Judith followed him outside.

“I really enjoyed today, Young Lady Pale, and…”

Judith looked at Beryl with moist eyes. But Beryl's face was extremely sullen.

“Master Beryl. Please make sure to do it next time too. Please come visit us.”

“Okay, you go in quickly too." 

“Yes, my brother going to cause a real accident if I don't do that.”

Judith smiled shyly.

“If an accident happens, it’s good for me. It’s nice to see the elderly getting scolded.”

“Uh, okay. Have a good night.”

"Yes!!"

Beryl got into the carriage with Rose and Belial. The carriage door closed and the driver cracked his whip. Judith waved even after the carriage departed. Rose looked at Judith through the window.

After looking at it, she asked.

"Brother, How was the party?”

“All the parties are the same.”

“Didn’t our parents tell you to find someone you like?”

"I don't know."

When Beryl responded sullenly, Belial quickly made a suggestion.

“Rose, please tell them not to worry too much. I will introduce someone good for Beryl.”

“No, Belial.”

If something happens after setting up a meeting, the first person to get slapped is the organizer. People who already have a lot of work to do shouldn't get involved in complicated work. Rose resolutely stopped Belial. Beryl also loosened his tie and muttered.

“Yes, what kind of marriage is this for my subject?”

"..."

“I don’t want to do it yet.”

With those words, Beryl remained silent until she arrived at the Pale family mansion.

Rose also fell silent due to the mysterious atmosphere that Beryl gave off.

“You’re back, Lady.”

The party ended at a particularly late hour, and most of the people in the Pale family had gone to bed. Mera was standing in the dark hall of the mansion with the lights off, holding a lamp.

“What about mother and father?”

“They said they were tired today so they went in first.”

Rika took the outerwear for the two of them.

“You two, please wash up quickly and go to sleep.”

Haam. 

Beryl yawned.

“I just want to sleep. Here's a lantern. Give it to me.”

“Yes, Master.”

Rika held out a separately prepared lantern to Beryl. Beryl took the lantern and walked towards the room with great strides.

“Can I take one too?”

"Yes? It doesn't matter, but..."

Rose also received a lantern from Rika and chased after Beryl. 

Beryl looked at Rose in confusion.

“Why are you chasing me?”

“I have something to ask you.”

“Hmm... It doesn’t matter, but be quiet."

Beryl glanced downward.

“Taksha is sleeping.”

Rose bowed her head. Taksha, who was supposed to be in the employee's quarters, was fast asleep on the carpet. It seemed like he had fallen asleep while waiting for Beryl. Beryl moved Taksha to the sofa.

“What do you want to ask?”

"Brother, Do you have an ideal type or something like that?”

"Ideal type?"

Beryl's frown immediately crumpled.

“Are Mom and Dad telling you to find out who I want to marry?”

“It’s not like that, but….”

Beryl answered simply but firmly.

"Doesn't exist."

"Really?"

“Uh. I just don’t like marriage itself.”

Beryl took a blanket out of the closet and placed it over Taksha's body.

“Can I ask why?”

“...There is no grand reason.”

Beryl lay down on the bed.

“Is it because the old people in our family look at you as someone who is not a monk or a monk?”

Rose's eyes widened momentarily. 

“Marriage is taking away someone else’s precious daughter. It feels like shit. So it’s not that good.”

"..."

“That’s enough now, right? You go to bed quickly too.”

Rose nodded. Beryl paused while pulling up the blanket.

“Hey, pumpkin flower.”

"Why?"

Rose's hand, which was heading for the doorknob, stopped. Beryl pointed to the lamp on the table.

“Turn off the light.”

“Brother, please get out of my life.”

“Hey! I told you to turn off the lights and go!”

In the meantime, Rose gently closed the door for fear that Taksha would wake up. Beryl grumbled and raised her upper body. 

“Anyway, that ugly guy. You won't listen to even one of my requests... Huh?"

Squeak. 

Then the door opened again. Beryl awkwardly raised his upper body. Rose quickly entered the table and snatched up the lantern.

"Do not misunderstand. I’m taking it to return it to Rika.”

"...Hey."

"Good night."

With those words, Rose left the room. A smile slowly spread across Beryl's lips as he stared at the closed door.

***

“How was Lady Henry’s birthday party? Was there a lady you liked?"

"Huh?"

This is what Primrose and Charles said as soon as they woke up and saw Beryl. Beryl, who was secretly giving a piece of hotcake to Taksha who was standing behind him, frowned.

“You are asking the same question as Rose. I will give you the same answer. The party was so-so, and there was no Lady I liked.”

Charles wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“Your sister’s engagement ceremony is just around the corner. Everyone except you has found a partner, but isn’t it painful for you to be alone?”

“I’m not distressed. I like being alone. It’s so good that I can jump up on the table and dance right now.”

"... Yeah, I knew you would answer that way."

They only exchanged a few words, but Charles looked 10 years older. Primrose earnestly asked her son.

“We don’t want much. Just get married before your father dies and takes over as head of the family. Huh?"

Beryl lowered his head and said nothing. But Rose knew. Beryl was counting the flowers embroidered on the tablecloth one by one.

After all, people's lives are all the same. 

Rose looked behind him. Taksha was also bowing his head. It wasn't a touching reason like it was painful to hear his master nagging him. It was to secretly eat the hotcake that Beryl had given him earlier. Rose also moved her hand and gave Taksha a glass of water.

“Then there is still a lot of time left. Anyway, father has no intention of resigning from his position as head of the family right now.”

“Still, you have to look for it.”

“Is there any woman who would marry a guy like me?”

“There are probably a lot of women who are married and don’t even know your name.”

"..."

“You have no right to say that. You're either at home or in the forest all day. How about reducing your training time a little and attending parties more often from now on?”

Beryl immediately pretended to hold his head.

“Are you going to kill me, father?”

“After all this time, your mother gave birth to you with a handsome face. Try to use that face actively.”

Primrose rested her chin gracefully at Charles' words. Primrose, with her black hair pulled back in one piece, looked beautiful today as well.

"Okay, son. Move quickly. At best, it would be a shame if the good looks I passed on fade away."

"...Mother."

“You’re really not doing this because you’re our son. Even if I look at it objectively, that's a really handsome face. It’s just a matter of acting, but if you make it a little cute, girls will be lining up to ask you to marry them.”

“But father, you know...” 

Beryl begged, making eye contact with Charles.

“If not now, then when will I be free?”

Whenever he was nagging, Charles' heart would immediately shake at the sight of his son's brooding eyes. Charles tried to avoid Beryl's eyes, but it was already too late.

“T-That’s not wrong."

“If it’s not now, when will I have fun?”

To Charles, children were like rabbits no matter how big they were. It's also very soft and small. Even now, Charles thought that across from him were an orange rabbit and a red rabbit crouching on the chair. But among them, the orange rabbit is puckering its mouth and begging.

“I think now is not the time. Please let me do whatever I want.”

Charles did not have the strength to refuse it. Charles eventually closed his eyes tightly.

The new series, Black Man, I'll Do Everything For You Except Marriage! has been uploaded!

You can check it here!

Previous            Next

Support Novellate!