I Will Become the Villain’s Childhood Friend - Chapter 35

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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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35

 

I gasped and covered my mouth, then hung my head low.

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

It was an apology for essentially acknowledging the Diern family’s scandal.

 

“…No. Thank you for saying that.”

 

Darius didn’t evade or demand to know who had told me such things, but simply laughed hollowly.

 

“You’re right. Back then, I could only see my suffering mother. I was desperate to protect her… I wished that half-brother would just disappear…”

 

Through the words “half-brother,” he subtly revealed that the public scandal was true.

 

“…I would have done the same. Brother Darius isn’t bad.”

 

Even without whatever incident he had experienced, what saint would welcome a half-sibling born from their father’s affair?

 

Especially during childhood when one can’t distinguish right from wrong.

 

“…Thank you.”

 

“I’ll try to persuade Kail to forgive and accept Brother Darius too. I’d be happy if you two got along well.”

 

Darius lifted his lonely, sunken eyes and slowly shook his head.

 

“It’s okay. This is homework I need to solve myself. If I made such demands, it would only strain the relationship between Kail and Miss Rieze.”

 

“Ah…”

 

That seemed likely, so I couldn’t bring myself to argue. I had also previously resolved not to force anything on Kail.

 

“Miss Rieze, just stay as you are now and get along comfortably with Kail.”

 

“…”

 

“I noticed during the picnic earlier that when Kail is with Miss Rieze, he becomes gentle like a different person. It was the first time I’d seen that kid show his soft side to anyone other than our parents, so I was quite surprised.”

 

That’s considered gentle? Kail, just how badly do you usually behave toward Darius?

 

As I gaped in disbelief, Darius extended one hand toward me.

 

“Miss Rieze. It’s shameless of me, but please take good care of Kail from now on too.”

 

“Ah, yes! Leave it to me!”

 

Since I was planning to remain friends with Kail and prevent him from turning dark anyway, I grasped his hand and shook it vigorously.

 

At my spirited response, Darius let out a gentle laugh.

 

“How reassuring. I’m almost jealous that Kail has such a reliable friend.”

 

“…Brother Darius has my brother. He’s stubborn and a nag, but he’s actually a person with some loyalty.”

 

When I defended my blood relative in a listless tone, Darius laughed out loud.

 

“That’s right, that’s why I like Simon.”

 

At Darius’s refreshing confession, goosebumps rose on my arms.

 

No, I support their friendship… That way I can keep hovering around Darius…

 

“I owe Miss Rieze an enormous debt. Later, if Miss Rieze asks for anything, I’ll definitely grant it.”

 

Darius spoke in a rather serious tone.

 

A request? I have plenty.

 

‘Be happy, stay healthy, do everything you want, maintain that sacred handsome face, live long until you’re old enough to scribble on walls.’

 

…Since I couldn’t say that, I just smiled and shook my head.

 

“Please repay me by playing with our family again next time.”

 

“That doesn’t balance the books.”

 

Darius laughed heartily.

 

Having opened up about his feelings, Darius seemed somewhat relieved.

 

Though I already knew about Darius’s past and inner circumstances, if the current Darius had his burden lightened even a little, that was enough.

 

Perhaps this could become a small catalyst that changes the future where a fraternal conflict might occur.

 

As I looked up with such hope, the sky that had been blue was now dressed in pale crimson.

 

“Quite some time must have passed.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

As the warm sunlight retreated, the air felt cold.

 

My body shivered, and I rubbed both arms when Darius began unbuttoning his shirt.

 

“Oh, no!”

 

I waved my arms frantically in surprise.

 

However, Darius gently draped his removed shirt over me.

 

“I-It’s okay!”

 

When my eyes met his split pectoral and abdominal muscles over the display of skin, I became embarrassed and hurriedly tried to return the clothes.

 

“If we stay stranded here like this, Simon won’t be able to find us.”

 

When Darius stood up abruptly and removed his shoes and accessories, placing them all on the boat’s deck, I finally realized what he intended to do.

 

“Brother Darius!”

 

My scream was buried by the sound of a powerful dive and the splash.

 

Crouched down, I followed Darius’s shadow diving deep underwater with my eyes while stamping my feet.

 

After a long dive, Darius emerged, coughed a couple of times, and laughed.

 

“It’s so dark I can’t see anything. I wanted to look around underwater.”

 

Then he grabbed the stern and began kicking, pushing the boat.

 

My goodness! He’s going to go like this!?

 

Crawling on my knees to get closer to him, I screamed.

 

“No, what are you doing! Brother Darius, you’ll catch a cold! Come up!”

 

“Look ahead, Miss Rieze.”

 

“What?”

 

“Look ahead.”

 

At his unexpected suggestion, I turned my head to look forward. The bow was cutting through willow leaves and emerging from the pond.

 

“Fast, right? Much faster than rowing.”

 

Well, it is fast, but!

 

The wind tickled my face and hair, and soon the vast scenery of the outer lake spread before us.

 

The speed of the boat cutting through the water was definitely fast. Unbelievably fast for a person swimming while pushing a boat.

 

“Come up now, Brother Darius! We’re out of the blind spot!”

 

“Haha, this is fun. I should have escaped this way from the start!”

 

Ignoring my worry, Darius burst into innocent laughter.

 

“Miss Rieze, someone poured red paint into the lake.”

 

As he said, the reddened sky and lake looked like another beautiful painting. His wet, disheveled golden hair sparkled in the sunset light.

 

Looking at his clear face, I couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief.

 

Darius, you still have some childlike aspects.

 

Since he doesn’t seem cold or struggling, I’ll let him be for now.

 

***

 

About 20 minutes before that―.

 

“Really now. If you get seasick, you should have said so.”

 

Simon patted Kaileus’s back carelessly as he dry-heaved, scolding him.

 

Kaileus glared at him with all his might.

 

How was he supposed to know when it was his first time on a boat! Moreover, he had insisted several times that he didn’t want to ride!

 

Though he desperately wanted to argue this point, only bile came out of his mouth.

 

After Kaileus emptied his stomach over the lake, the two immediately returned to the pier and moored the boat.

 

Then they stood in the shade of trees, waiting for Darius and Rieze to return.

 

Simon kept stroking Kaileus’s back, bringing him water, and asking if he was okay.

 

However, Kaileus had already developed a deep resentment toward him.

 

“I said I’m sorry. Don’t glare at me so fiercely, kid. But why aren’t those two coming back? It feels like two hours have already passed.”

 

As he said, the sun was already setting slowly.

 

The people who had been boating had all come ashore and left the lakeside long ago.

 

Lake Lagria was a lake that could be circled completely in an hour even at a leisurely pace.

 

Simon, who had been carefully scanning the water surface, approached the boatman organizing boats at the pier.

 

Though Kaileus, exhausted to the point of collapse, wanted to return to the Count’s Castle first, he was concerned about Rieze and Darius’s whereabouts and silently followed behind him.

 

“Hey. The group that went out on the boat hasn’t come back yet.”

 

“What? Oh. Just a moment. One, two, three, four….”

 

The boatman counted the number of boats tied in a row at the pier, then looked around the lake and tilted his head.

 

“One boat hasn’t come in, that’s right.”

 

“I don’t see a single boat on the lake now.”

 

“Hmm, in cases like this, it’s one of two things…. Either the guests arbitrarily docked the boat at the riverbank instead of the pier and got off, or an unexpected accident happened.”

 

Upon hearing the latter part, Simon flinched and immediately jumped onto a boat.

 

“I’ll go look around.”

 

“Huh? My lord! I’ll go too!”

 

In the blink of an eye, Simon untied the rope securing the boat and rowed like a storm, while the boatman also got on a nearby boat and began the search.

 

Kaileus resented his own helplessness on water as he watched the two of them disappear into the distance with a blank stare.

 

It was 30 minutes later when the boatman and Simon returned with Darius and Rieze’s boat.

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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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