ICTV - Chapter 60
I changed The Villain
"Uh."
Iris almost dropped her fork. It was the same with Edgar. He almost dropped the teacup. That was because Rose and Taksha were standing side by side in front of him
“Lady Pale?!”
He plans to stay at the inn today.
So we never have to run into each other...?!
He deliberately postponed his appointment with an acquaintance to his own work and ate dinner at the inn restaurant...!
The moment Edgar reflexively tried to get up, Rose spoke.
“It’s not a coincidence this time, I just came here.”
"Ah. Luckily... it's not! Then it’s even more of a problem!”
Edgar quickly picked up the plate and moved it to the inner seat with a partition. Edgar shouted as he moved the rest of the dishes.
“If someone who wanted to keep a distance from me suddenly comes to me like this...!”
Oh, it's hot. Edgar waved his hand in the air a couple of times. Rose nodded.
“I don’t think we need to keep our distance anymore.”
"Yes?"
“I won’t avoid you anymore.”
Edgar froze. What did he just hear?
Edgar looked at Rose with that exact expression. Rose quickly lowered her head.
“Oh, I’m sorry. What I just said was likely to be misunderstood.”
"...Ah yes. I was also very surprised."
“I just meant that I would like to get some advice from you.”
Rose fiddled with the hem of her clothes.
“It was just an excuse to ask you to leave because I thought it would cause strange rumors. Other people might not know.
Why would there be a scandal when he's with her?
He is famous for being a very kind and kind person. Even if he is alone with a woman late at night, no one will push him in a bad direction.
"Right now, Belial also viewed meeting you positively.”
Edgar scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Yes. But Lady Pale finds me uncomfortable..."
"That's right. I felt uncomfortable with you."
He sees everything positively.
Rose pressed her chest into her palms.
“No, it would be more accurate to say I was scared.”
Although the original work is original, I was afraid that Edgar would see through the ugliness that I was hiding in my heart. Just as a sick person avoids going to the hospital for fear of the diagnosis, I also avoided Edgar.
“But I was so annoyed because I kept running into you.”
Edgar also complained, looking 10 years older.
“I was surprised too. I've never had anything like this happen in my life, but it keeps happening..."
“I know. You were very embarrassed, but that’s not what’s important right now.”
Edgar's eyes widened.
“I now know why we need people like you.”
Harmonia, the god of harmony, came to mind. All over the world, unfair things happen to balance things out. There are people born with talent, there are people without talent, and there are active people.
There are some people who are timid.
“If there is a sick person like me, there is someone who can help them get better.”
So the world is unfair and fair at the same time. Although we despair of that obvious fact, we live with comfort.
I pulled out my chair and sat down.
“I want to talk to you.”
"..."
"Is it possible?"
The corners of Edgar's mouth drew an arc. Edgar sat across from me and nodded.
“Of course, Young lady.”
***
Tick tock.
The hands of the clock turned endlessly. It's already been 10 minutes since I sat down with Edgar, but I couldn't say anything and just rolled my eyes.
It was when I was waiting.
“Don’t be impatient.”
Edgar personally placed a teacup in front of me.
“The fact that you decided you wanted to talk to me is a big deal in itself.”
"...Is it so?"
“Young Lady, What exactly do you think I do?”
“By worshiping Harmonia in the temple, it is said that people in need are given a chance to start a new life.”
"That's right. It may be hard to say it myself, but I am a devout believer in the god Harmonia. However, I was not officially made a priest. Why do you think that is?"
“That’s because you are the only heir to the Credrian family.”
"That's right. I can't abandon my family. Because it is the place that brought me to where I am today. But there is one more crucial reason. Would you like to guess another reason?”
"..."
I, who had read the original work, naturally knew the reason. My head lowered off its own accord.
“If you become a priest, you won’t be able to help people as much as you can now.”
“The answer is correct this time too, Young Lady. You have to have a certain level of status to be able to approach anyone. As I once said, my dream is to help as many people as possible.”
Edgar was a truly capable and good man. To the extent that one uses one's status as a noble to help others, not to oppress others.
I felt like I knew why talented people who were as thorny became soft like peaches in front of him.
“But there is no sign of that dream coming true. People either don’t realize how serious their problem is, or they think it’s shameful to ask for help from others.”
I couldn't say anything. Because I did the same thing right away.
“I can help a person who gets angry and tells me not to label him as a weak person the moment I offered to help him. In severe cases, I was even beaten."
“...It must be difficult.”
“Of course it’s difficult. Because I am also human first. So, I am very, very happy that Lady Pale came to visit.”
Edgar opened the menu.
“It’s okay if you can’t say anything. There is a saying that well begun is half done, right? You have made a big decision just by coming to me today, so I will give you a special cake as a reward.”
Edgar smiled brightly.
“Strawberry whipped cream cake will do, right?”
Edgar raised his hand and called the clerk to stop him.
“Here’s a piece of strawberry whipped cream cake. No. Just a whole plate.”
"Wait."
My mouth opened. Edgar looked at me with suspicious eyes.
“Can I order Mont Blanc instead of cake?”
"Yes?"
I lowered my eyes and said,
“I like Mont Blanc the most."
Edgar smiled so brightly that I couldn't see his eyes.
“Next time, I guess I’ll have to go to a store where Mont Blanc is delicious.”
"...Thank you."
The clerk quickly came back with five Mont Blancs. Edgar recommended.
“Now, eat as much as you want.”
It feels good to have your favorite food in front of you.
This became comfortable. I took a big bite of Mont Blanc, and I said everything.
“I wanted to die.”
Edgar's hand, which had been pouring tea for me, stopped.
“Do you remember the first time we met at the temple?”
"Ah yes. You were crying then.”
“At that time, I was so emotional that I prayed to God Harmonia to let me die.”
“Ah. That was the Lady’s wish.”
Edgar nodded slightly.
“I’m sorry for making such a wish to Harmonia. I have nothing to say even if you find it offensive.”
“Huh? Why do you find me offensive?”
Edgar waved his hand as if it was no surprise.
“The reason God exists in this world is to worship and resent at the same time.”
“Are you really a devout believer in Harmonia?”
“I say this because I am a devout believer in Him. I think hating God is better than hating the real person in front of you.”
Harmonia is a God and can embrace everything, but humans cannot. Edgar put his finger to his lips.
“But the fact that I said this is a secret from others.”
“...Of course, it’s a secret.”
“Anyway, I understand now. The reason why the Young Lady spoke so clearly. If I want to grant the Lady’s wish..”
I nodded.
“Yes. You had to kill me.”
"..."
Edgar opened his palms and looked down. Edgar's hands had no scars or calluses. Clean, white hands without a single drop of blood. Edgar lightly clenched his fist and nodded.
"That’s right, with my own hands.”
“It was really outrageous that someone who was the furthest from murder would say something like that.”
Edgar became sullen.
“I really wasn’t careful back then. How can I say something like that without even knowing what the Lady's wishes are? As expected, I still have a long way to go.”
After those words, there was silence. I asked as I took another bite of Mont Blanc.
“Aren’t you going to ask?”
Edgar asked back, still drooping.
"What?"
“That’s why I wanted to die.”
"..."
I was captured in Edgar's bright red eyes.
"May I?"
"Yes."
As expected, it was difficult at first, but once I opened my mouth, it was very easy from then on. It's not enough to talk casually, I even said it was okay to ask about sensitive areas. As if I had been waiting for a day like this.
“Then let me ask you. The reason I wanted to die...”
"..."
I glared at the cake. In this worldview, there is no official profession called a counselor, but there is a person named Edgar. Although he is only in his early 20s, he is someone who has touched and comforted the hearts of countless people since childhood.
In order to do that for a long time, I also need a good heart.
“I hated myself.”
A very heavy mouth is also needed. Edgar never tolerates selling other people's secrets for his own gain. The anecdote that the head of the information guild came to him and begged and even threatened him with thousands of literary treasures, but he never opened his mouth played a decisive role in helping nobles who were tired of life open their hearts to him.
“I really enjoy writing. No, I don’t even know that anymore.”
Because I really like writing. Did I start doing that because I could get praise for writing?
My face darkened.
“I received compliments that I was a pretty good writer. But there was one kid who really wrote better than me. I got compared to that kid a lot. She writes exceptionally well, but I couldn't. I've heard countless times that I can't become a writer with vague talent. But I wanted to keep writing. However… On the other hand, I think I should give up writing as soon as possible."
“I heard it.”
Edgar nodded.
“It’s really hard to keep trying when there seems to be no hope. I understand."
“Later, every time something bad happened, I started thinking that it was because I didn’t have the talent, or because I was pathetic. Life was so meaningless. I tried my best, but nothing came of it.”
"..."
“I had no reason to live. I spent most of the day cooped up inside the house. But one day, something strange happened.”
“Is this something strange?”
"Yes. Belial truly loves me.”
“Of course.”
White feathers seemed to be fluttering behind Edgar.
“Who wouldn’t love someone as kind as you?”
On the other hand, a dark energy flowed from behind me. I muttered with an expressionless face.
“It’s the same as when a person riding a top-class carriage compliments a person riding a cart by saying, ‘What a wonderful means of transportation.’”
"Jaha. As expected, Young Lady is really fun. I’ve felt it for a long time, but I think I know why he fell in love with you.”
Edgar, who laughed lightly, took a sip of tea and choked it.
“But why did you say that so strangely? Do you think it's work? Did you ever think that he didn’t truly love you?”
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