I Will Become the Villain’s Childhood Friend - Chapter 34

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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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34

 

Simon spoke in a stiff tone.

 

“I want to know why Darius suddenly changed. That guy seems to have gotten his act together around the time of the victory celebration held at the Royal Palace.”

 

Kaileus, who didn’t understand his question, quietly furrowed his brow.

 

From his perspective, Darius was consistently a good-for-nothing and an annoying bastard.

 

What had changed…?

 

“Ah.”

 

Come to think of it, about three weeks before the victory celebration, Darius had been severely scolded by Father at a dinner where the family reunited after two years.

 

Had he been dedicating himself to his studies since then?

 

“You seem to have an idea.”

 

“Why are you curious about that?”

 

“Is it strange to want to know what triggered a rival’s awakening?”

 

Simon stroked his chin with a wicked smile. Kaileus felt disgusted by that vile, snake-like expression.

 

To think he’s been hanging around with such a guy as a friend.

 

Should he really reveal his family’s private affairs to someone like this?

 

On the other hand, imagining Darius getting stabbed in the back by someone he trusted as a friend gave him a thrill.

 

After much deliberation, Kaileus slowly opened his mouth.

 

“…Father ordered Darius to aim for early graduation. He said if he couldn’t maintain top grades, he would personally educate him…”

 

“Personal education?”

 

“I don’t know either. Wouldn’t he take him to the Northern Diern Domain?”

 

At Kaileus’s blunt response, Simon nodded while pondering something to himself.

 

“Good, that’s fine. Next question.”

 

“…Go ahead.”

 

“That guy Darius. He has absolutely no interest in honor, status, or power, yet he insists he must continue the Diern Family line. He never tries to stray far from his predetermined path.”

 

“…”

 

“For someone who supposedly just accepted it as duty, there’s a strange attitude I occasionally see that bothers me. Do you know if something happened in the past?”

 

At this continued interrogation, Kaileus felt his stomach turning upside down.

 

This was exactly what he himself desperately wanted to ask Darius.

 

If he so hated duty and responsibility and longed for a free life, why didn’t he just hand everything over and go far away?

 

Why did he insist on holding it tight in his hands while playing the victim?

 

By the way, Darius’s declaration that Simon mentioned – “he must continue the Diern Family line” – this was the first time Kaileus was hearing about it.

 

Right. He was absolutely determined not to give it up.

 

“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him directly instead of digging around behind his back in such a disgusting way!”

 

Simon slowly closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

 

“If that smooth-talking bastard would speak frankly, would I be asking you? In short, you don’t know the reason either.”

 

Simon, who had been tapping his chin with his finger, soon arrogantly crossed his legs.

 

“Last question. This is about you, so there’s no way you wouldn’t know the answer.”

 

Kaileus trembled and glared at him silently.

 

Who would have thought green eyes the same color as Rieze’s could feel so disgusting?

 

His vision was spinning and he felt nauseous.

 

“What method did you use to win over Rieze?”

 

“Ha. It was your sister who clung to me asking to be friends!”

 

“That’s what it seemed like. That’s why I’m asking. What did she like about you?”

 

“…”

 

Kail’s words were completely blocked.

 

Although she had clung to him wanting to be friends, he had never heard a specific reason from Rieze’s mouth.

 

Kail wiped the sweat running down his cheek and smiled bitterly.

 

“…Well. At least I seem better than you in many ways.”

 

At Kaileus’s sarcastic words, Simon growled threateningly.

 

“Didn’t I tell you not to use ‘you’ when addressing me?”

 

“Ugh. Urp.”

 

At that moment, Kaileus quickly covered his mouth, then urgently stuck his head out over the side of the boat.

 

“Bleh.”

 

The seasickness he was experiencing for the first time in his life was harsh.

 

***

 

We stared at each other blankly with our mouths open.

 

Soon Darius’s shoulders shook with a “pfft,” and he burst into clear laughter.

 

I watched that scene in a daze.

 

Darius, who had been laughing so hard that tears formed on his long golden eyelashes, finally stopped his hearty laughter after a while.

 

What was so funny?

 

Of course, it was quite an absurd situation.

 

“Hah. I’m sorry. I keep showing you unseemly sides of myself, Miss Rieze.”

 

He wiped his eyes while collecting his remaining laughter.

 

“Oh, unseemly? It’s the bird’s fault.”

 

Whatever the case, it was nice to see Darius laughing cheerfully.

 

Darius picked up the broken oar and examined the cross-section.

 

“The wood must have rotted and weakened.”

 

Then he grabbed the relatively wider part of the broken section and rolled up his sleeves.

 

“I’m sorry. Miss Rieze, you wanted to get out of here quickly. Please bear with me a little longer.”

 

The precariously cracked piece of wood crumbled bit by bit each time it moved back and forth on the water surface.

 

When the broken oar fragment couldn’t withstand the force, Darius threw it away and rowed with his palms.

 

“Ah! Don’t do that! I’m not really scared!”

 

Despite my protests, Darius continued pushing the water with his arms.

 

The boat began to move, but there were limits to rowing with palms, so the speed was very slow.

 

“Brother Darius, your hands must be cold! If we wait, won’t my brother come looking for us soon?”

 

When I tried to stop him again, Darius chuckled and pulled one of his arms out of the water.

 

“…You’re really not scared?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Darius shook off his arm and soon leaned his body backward.

 

Lying down facing the sky, he closed his eyes and let out a long exhale.

 

“Then I should enjoy some leisure time. As Miss Rieze said, Simon might come looking for us.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“I quite like this space too.”

 

Right. If it was healing for Darius, then trivial legends and superstitions should be ignored.

 

The sound of water birds crying echoed, and the boat turned leisurely in place.

 

The curtain of willow leaves swayed gently in the breeze, letting sunlight filter through.

 

Darius, who had been savoring the peaceful moment, suddenly spoke.

 

“Miss Rieze, you said earlier that I must have seen many other wonderful sceneries.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“…Actually, this is the first time our mother has accepted another family’s invitation. Every summer vacation, we only went to the Diern Estate.”

 

“Oh, why?”

 

Of course our family did the same, but the Brante Estate and Diern Estate, both perfect as vacation destinations, had different characters.

 

The Diern Estate, which bordered the frontier, was vast land but barren and rugged mountainous terrain.

 

Due to such geographical characteristics, most residents were only miners and soldiers.

 

The atmosphere of the entire estate might have perfectly resembled the personality of its owner, Selpieus Diern.

 

Even if it was suitable for escaping summer heat, it definitely wasn’t a place to enjoy a vacation.

 

Darius, who sat up, smiled with a complex expression.

 

“That’s right. When we were young, we used to go to villas or other resorts. The last time was… when I was six years old.”

 

So family trips stopped after Kail was adopted into the duke’s household. I could roughly picture what kind of situation that was.

 

“It’s been almost 10 years. Since we properly went somewhere to have fun. It would be Kail’s first time. Mother must have specially accepted it because it was Miss Rieze’s invitation.”

 

“…It’s an honor.”

 

So Kail’s excitement at seeing the Milky Way yesterday and Darius’s joy at seeing this lake were completely genuine.

 

I absolutely have to create a fantastic vacation for both of them during this visit. I had originally planned to do so, but now my resolve was even firmer.

 

Darius smiled even more bitterly.

 

“Miss Rieze, thank you for getting along well with Kail as promised.”

 

“It’s nothing special. I’m having fun playing with him too.”

 

“I know best how fussy that guy can be. So Miss Rieze deserves to be thanked.”

 

Complex emotions seeped through Darius’s voice, which had dropped a tone lower.

 

This was just the right setting and situation for a heartfelt conversation. After carefully choosing my words, I cautiously opened the topic.

 

“Brother Darius seems like he wants to get along well with Kail. Do you like Kail?”

 

I wasn’t asking because I didn’t know the answer.

 

Just from the Darius I had experienced since my possession, I could clearly see that answer.

 

I simply wanted to draw out his true feelings.

 

Darius, who had widened his eyes in surprise, rubbed his twisted lips.

 

“You’re right. But… when I was young, I was mean to Kail and bullied him severely. I caused him great pain… Even though I apologized, hoping to get along well now would just be my selfishness.”

 

“But back then, Brother Darius had no choice in that situation either!”

 

Knowing through the original story what kind of incident young Darius had experienced, I empathized even more with his position.

 

Seeing me burst out in indignation, his eyes widened about twice their size.

 

Oh no. The fact that Kail is illegitimate is the Diern family’s top secret.

 

Even though speculative rumors had been quietly spreading, I had spoken too definitively in defending Darius.

 

‘What should I do now…’

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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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