I Will Become the Villain’s Childhood Friend - Chapter 14

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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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14

The spot I had been eyeing as the perfect hiding place for hide-and-seek was none other than the miniature cottage cleverly hidden within the sunflower field.

It was a small model house behind the tall sunflowers, invisible from the outside. When you opened the door, there was just enough space inside for one small child to fit—perfect for hiding.

Arriving in front of the cottage, I felt an ominous premonition as I flung the door wide open.

Then I locked eyes with someone curled up like a bean bug in the cramped space.

“Kail!!”

“…You found me pretty fast.”

Kail coughed and squeezed his way out of the cottage. His hair and clothes were dirty from being crammed into the dusty place.

“This is the spot I claimed!”

“How would I know? First come, first served. Ah, I’m so stiff.”

Kail dusted off his clothes and rolled his neck and shoulders, grumbling.

I had vaguely assumed that even if the young master of the Count’s Estate discovered such a place, he would never enter somewhere so uncomfortable and dirty.

I felt deflated and couldn’t help but laugh. I had underestimated Kail’s damn competitive spirit again.

“It took you 30 minutes.”

Kail said, standing facing the wooden post.

“Now it’s my turn to be it? I’ll count to a hundred.”

“Wait, time out!”

“One, two, three, four, five…”

“Geez, really!”

I ran off, leaving behind Kail who had mercilessly started the countdown.

Ugh, where should I hide!

With my pre-selected spot taken, my mind went completely blank. The only other decent places were near the tall trees and statues, but those would be too obvious.

‘Let’s go with the “darkest place is under the lamp” strategy.’

I went back toward the patio where we started hide-and-seek and looked around every corner, but nothing was satisfactory. Why is everything so open here?

Looking at it now, this glass greenhouse is spacious but has almost no secluded spaces to hide. I guess that’s just how gardens are!

As I passed by the butterfly fountain looking for a new spot, I heard swift footsteps approaching.

‘He already finished counting to a hundred?!’

I gasped and reflexively flattened myself behind the fountain. As I crouched motionless, holding my breath, the footsteps grew closer.

It seemed like he was on the opposite side with the fountain between us.

‘I’m screwed… It hasn’t even been 10 minutes.’

But strangely enough.

I thought it was only a matter of time before I was caught, but the footsteps that had stopped began moving away again. If he had just walked around the fountain once, I would have been discovered.

‘He’s not even checking this area because it looks like there’s nowhere to hide.’

Reverse psychology was the right answer. Once Kail leaves, I’ll quietly sneak to another spot.

I was internally celebrating when suddenly something gently landed on the bridge of my nose.

Feeling the thin antennae and legs moving, my body jerked up convulsively.

“Aaaah!!”

Kail turned toward me upon hearing the scream, and the tiger butterfly that had brought me defeat fluttered away nonchalantly.

Kail approached with an incredulous expression.

“Are you kidding me? You call this hiding?”

“…Mm.”

As I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck, Kail let out an exasperated breath.

“Kail, did you really count to a hundred? You came too fast.”

“I counted. It’s not my fault you’re slow as a snail.”

“…”

“Why did you scream?”

“Ah! A butterfly landed right in front of my face! I could see its long proboscis, antennae, compound eyes, and legs all magnified! Ugh, so gross. If it weren’t for that damn butterfly, I wouldn’t have been caught.”

As the tickling sensation on my nose came back to me, all the hair on my body stood on end. I hugged my arms and shivered, and Kail watched me with slightly narrowed brows.

“Didn’t you say you liked butterflies?”

Gasp! Come to think of it, I was cosplaying as a butterfly enthusiast. This is bad.

“…I do like them! I, I really like them.”

“Don’t lie. You were shuddering.”

“…I just don’t like them touching my body, but I like looking at them from afar. I think their wings are quite pretty?”

Just the wings though.

“Can you call that liking them?”

“…”

“Then I like peaches too. Just looking at them, not eating them. They’re white and plump, I think they look quite cute.”

“That’s not the same thing!”

Kail’s sarcasm was annoying, but I had no room for excuses.

My voice had cracked pathetically like a confession, so I gave up and chose to be honest.

“Sigh. …You’re right. I hate insects.”

Kail’s eyes narrowed as if to say, “I knew it.”

But we’ve gotten quite close now, so maybe he’ll listen if I ask. I cautiously approached and grabbed onto him.

“Listen, Kail. Could you keep it a secret that I don’t like butterflies? Your mother, the Countess, firmly believes I’m a butterfly fanatic.”

“Why did you lie about that?”

“Well, I wanted to become friends with you somehow. I needed an excuse to visit the Count’s Estate often. When I actually told her that, she always welcomed me.”

The ultimate goal was to watch and fangirl over Darius, but since I needed to become close with Kail and maintain close ties with the Count’s Estate in the process, it wasn’t entirely a lie.

As I rationalized this way, Kail’s expression changed strangely. His eyelids trembled and his slightly parted lips kept opening and closing.

I couldn’t tell if he was shocked, bewildered, or frozen with anger.

Since I did deceive the Countess with ulterior motives, should I apologize first?

“I’m sorry. For deceiving your mother… I feel bad about it.”

What if Kail tells me to confess everything to the Countess? If I say I’ve been pretending to like butterflies all this time, she’ll feel deeply betrayed.

If she prevents me from visiting, how will I maintain my connection with the Count’s Estate going forward…?

“Got it.”

“Huh?”

“I said I’ll keep it secret.”

“Really?”

Surprised by his ready promise, I was staring at Kail when a fist suddenly appeared in front of my face.

“Put your forehead here.”

“Huh? …Ow!!”

Stars flashed before my eyes for a moment. A sharp pain rushed to my head with a delay.

Ah… the penalty for losing the bet…

Tears welled up from the powerful impact of the surprise flick.

There’s absolutely no sign of him going easy on me. And he didn’t even give me time to feel touched before immediately hitting me like this!

“There’s a hole! There’s definitely a hole!”

I protested while following Kail, who had casually turned around and walked away after delivering the flick.

Kail looked back at me rubbing my forehead and let out a small laugh.

“It’s 15 to 16 now.”

***

Meanwhile, in the small city of Mitas, 40km from the capital Pelrn. The magnificent castle standing against the long mountain range, Randerstd Royal Military Academy, was both the symbol and center of Mitas.

The sound of the kingdom’s future elite shouting slogans as they ran around the parade ground broke the early morning silence. When the bell in the clock tower chimed the hour, Simon, who had been leading them from the front, stopped.

Simon wiped the sweat dripping from his brown short hair, picked up the roster, and checked attendance by calling out names. After calling the last name at the bottom and shouting dismissal, the gathered cadets quickly dispersed.

“Ha, bastard.”

Simon muttered a curse under his breath, marked everyone present on today’s morning training roster, and scrawled his signature.

How many people would know that the genius who receives the admiration of countless people as the son of the Duke, the kingdom’s greatest swordsman, is actually such a slacker?

Simon took out the water bottle from his side, gulped down water, and recalled last year’s Darius.

Even last semester, he had a languid attitude and sluggish tendencies, but he had never brought them to the surface. He was a man who suited the adjective ‘perfect’ better than anyone else in every aspect.

The whole world praised and envied him for having everything—ability, looks, family background, and wealth. Even Simon, who had entered as valedictorian, felt jealousy and inferiority toward him at the beginning of the school year.

Only after spending a year together and becoming close did he learn what kind of responsibility weighed down Darius. That’s why he had occasionally turned a blind eye to his transgressions and given him special consideration.

But this semester, Darius had begun to reveal his true nature more and more in front of him, acting however he pleased.

There was a limit to covering for someone just because they were friends—he couldn’t tolerate the possibility of getting caught in the crossfire. Today was the day Simon would finally set him straight, which is why he charged toward Darius’s dormitory room.

Standing in front of the single room with the Diern name on it, Simon knocked hard a couple of times, then flung the door wide open without even waiting for a response.

Darius, who had been lying diagonally on the sofa reading a book, looked at him running over still in his training uniform and smiled slyly.

“Good morning.”

At the sight of him, Simon’s eyebrows furrowed sharply together.

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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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