I Will Become the Villain’s Childhood Friend - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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13

Mid-spring, when the tender green leaves were sprouting fresh and vibrant. The weather had been warm enough during the day that you didn’t need an outer coat.

It had been three weeks since I started coming to the Count’s Estate every three or four days to teach Kail various board games and card games.

“Hi, Kail! I’m here.”

I poked my head out from the entrance of the Outdoor Training Ground and called out.

Kail, who was absorbed in training as usual, turned his head toward me and let out a faint sigh. Then he put down the wooden sword he had been swinging.

Kail seemed to accept my visits with indifference now. He didn’t hide his annoyance, but he also didn’t tell me not to come or to get lost.

‘This is progress enough. A huge step forward.’

During our first meeting, he was like a hissing wildcat, but now he had improved to about the level of a hedgehog with its spines raised.

The disappointing thing was that his obsession with daily training hadn’t changed at all. After playing for a couple of hours, he would invariably whine for me to go home and pick up his wooden sword.

So today I had prepared my secret weapon. To drag Kail out of this damn annoying Training Ground.

“Kail, let’s go to the Glass Greenhouse! The Countess said she prepared refreshments for us there.”

I would have liked to drag him outside the manor, but that seemed like too much to ask for now, so this was the compromise I came up with. First, I needed to take him to a peaceful place without weapons.

As expected, Kail’s eyes lit up when he heard mention of the Countess.

“Mother did…?”

His dazed voice and expression were so innocently pure that I was secretly surprised.

“Well, the Countess went out so it’s just the two of us. I asked her for it.”

I bashfully ran my fingers through my hair as I confessed. The expectation in Kail’s eyes slowly dimmed.

This kid wanting to spend time with his mom is heartbreaking.

“How about inviting Kail to our next tea time?”

I had been wondering if the three of us could meet anyway, so after having a lengthy conversation about butterflies with the Countess when I met her recently, I casually brought it up.

“That child has no interest whatsoever in butterflies, flowers, or refreshments. Training is his only joy, so he’d find it bothersome.”

The Countess firmly shook her head.

‘No! You don’t know how much Kail craves your affection. He doesn’t train intensely because he likes it!’

I swallowed the meddling words that were about to burst out. I wasn’t close enough yet to interfere in their mother-son relationship.

In the end, I only managed to get permission for the two of us to play in the Glass Greenhouse.

Anyway, at the mention that his mother had prepared refreshments, Kail followed along obediently without complaint. It was also the first time he accepted a new suggestion without questioning it.

We entered the greenhouse together, where sunlight scattered through the glass ceiling, creating rainbow hues.

As we walked along the winding gravel path, Kail looked around at the greenhouse scenery filled with flowers and trees. When we passed the fountain where colorful butterflies swarmed in flocks, he was almost entranced.

“Kail, is this your first time in the Glass Greenhouse…?”

When I asked carefully, thinking it couldn’t be, Kail’s piercing gaze fixed on me.

“Of course not.”

“Mm-hmm. I was just wondering.”

For someone who claimed to have been here often, he seemed unfamiliar with the paths, so I took the lead.

We arrived at the Patio overlooking the fountain.

The Patio, adorned with climbing roses of various colors, was decorated as intricately as a landscape painting.

This was where the four of us – Simon, Darius, the Countess and I – had held a tea party before, and where I had chatted with the Countess several times.

We sat at the table set with a three-tiered dessert tray and milk tea. The main item was a peach jam tart with whole chunks of peach flesh.

All the desserts at the Diern Estate were fantastic, but the peach desserts were truly the best. Since I had mentioned this in front of the Countess, she seemed to have specially prepared it for today.

“Peach tart! Come to think of it, I heard the peaches from our territory’s orchard are sweet and delicious too. I’ll ask them to send some to your house during the next harvest.”

I picked up my fork and took a big bite of the peach tart. As the sweet and sour fruit, fluffy cream, and crispy, savory tart crust combined in my mouth, paradise unfolded on my tongue.

“Mmm!”

I pushed the plate toward Kail, meaning for him to try it too. Kail sat motionless with a stiff expression.

Why does he seem down? I looked down at the table, thinking he might be mistaken that there wasn’t one for him, but all the tableware including teacups were set in pairs.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“I hate peaches.”

“Huh. They’re soft, fragrant, and just sweet enough – they taste heavenly. Oh, are you maybe a hard peach supporter?”

Kail’s eyebrows shot up.

“…I meant do you strongly support hard peaches. Anyway, try a bite. Don’t be picky.”

“Take it away.”

Kail knocked away the tart I had scooped up with my fork and offered to him. Before I could catch it, the fork and tart fell to the floor with a splat.

…!! Even I, who had adapted to Kail’s tantrums, couldn’t tolerate this.

“Hey! You did this before too, and you keep carelessly throwing away food – that’s not acceptable! Don’t you know the old ancestors’ saying about treasuring food?! It’s a work mixed with the blood, sweat, and tears of farmers and chefs!”

“You’re trying to force me to eat when I said I don’t like it.”

This rude little brat!

I glared back at Kail who was glowering at me.

“What I eat is my freedom. Don’t interfere.”

After spouting such unpleasant words, Kail picked up a cookie with nuts and crunched on it.

Fine, let’s not talk about it. If he doesn’t eat delicious things, it’s only his loss. I don’t have to fix this damn brat’s eating habits.

I suddenly thought that reforming Kail might be more challenging than my part-time babysitting job in my previous life. Back then I was an adult who could scold children, but now we were friends in an equal position.

Watching quietly afterward, I noticed Kail ate everything else besides the peach tart. Even the raisin scones disguised with chocolate chips.

He’s not severely picky. Does he really only dislike peaches?

Eating in silence, the dessert tray was soon completely empty.

“…Want to tour the Glass Greenhouse?”

Since I couldn’t stay sulky forever, I spoke first to make peace. Having consumed sugar, my anger had also melted away.

“No. I saw it all earlier.”

I let out a short sigh and leaned back on the cushion, looking around the greenhouse. As I surveyed the quiet, peaceful space with just the two of us, a brilliant idea suddenly occurred to me.

“Let’s play hide and seek! This place is as big as a botanical garden, so it’ll be fun!”

“Are you a little kid? And what kind of hide and seek is it with just two people?”

Kail scolded me with a tone that suggested I was pathetic. I knew exactly how to handle him in situations like this now.

After more than a month of dealing with him, I had learned how to skillfully coax this little devil.

“We’ll bet on who can hide better and avoid being caught for longer. The current score is 15 to 15, right?”

I recited our evenly matched competition record. It was the record we had built up playing various board games and card games.

“I learned how to flick really, really painfully too. If I hit you today, you’ll cry like a baby, won’t you?”

When I flicked my finger in the air, Kail’s eyes turned as sharp as a leopard’s.

“…Fine.”

Really, it works every time.

***

I volunteered to be ‘it’ first, and after counting to a hundred, I got up to look for Kail. Thanks to touring the greenhouse several times before, I knew the internal layout well.

I headed past the Azalea Arch toward the area dense with tall trees. I searched between the trees and around the stone sculptures, and thoroughly checked the thick bushes.

‘Not a single hair to be seen.’

I thought I’d find him quickly since kids have obvious hiding spots, but he was surprisingly well hidden.

After circling the entire spacious greenhouse twice without finding him, my thoughts went in a different direction.

‘Did this kid ditch me and go back to the Training Ground?’

You know, that method people often use when ostracizing someone. Making them ‘it’ and then abandoning them.

‘If that’s what happened, I won’t let it slide.’

I clenched my fist and was about to leave the Glass Greenhouse when a place suddenly came to mind, so I decided to check there one last time.

‘The Honey Spot I had my eye on… he couldn’t be hiding there, could he?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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