I Will Become the Villain’s Childhood Friend - Chapter 9

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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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9

Meanwhile, the Diern Manor had grown quiet after the guests departed.

The crimson sunset that painted the world in scarlet hues silently comforted the one who worked tirelessly.

Only after blood burst from the blisters on his palms did Kaileus stop practicing. Even as he wrapped bandages around his hands, his lips curved upward toward the sky.

The last arrow he shot had struck the center point of the target.

Yesterday he couldn’t hit a single shot, but today he had hit the bullseye fourteen times.

Unlike swordsmanship, which he learned rigorously from a teacher, archery was self-taught and had been a struggle, but he had finally made progress. It was thanks to observing others’ shooting stances and noticing his own bad habits.

Breathing out a satisfied sigh, Kaileus gathered the arrows scattered all around. He collected the towel and water bottle from the tree stump, then picked up the lollipop that lay beside them.

As the glossy candy reflected colors, those clear green eyes of that child came to mind.

After unwrapping the candy and putting it in his mouth, the sweet and sour taste immediately stimulated his taste buds. Kaileus rolled the candy around with his tongue as he trudged back toward the mansion, kicking a pebble along the way.

Friend. There was a time when he had wanted such a thing.

Thanks to the name of the Diern family, there were quite a few peers who would approach him and try to become close. The problem was that once they opened up to some degree, they all revealed their schemes.

‘Could you introduce me to your brother Darius?’

‘Could you put in a good word about our sister to your parents?’

‘Could you give this cookie gift set to your mother? And please mention that it’s from our family’s confectionery business.’

They were all exactly the same. People who tried to create connections or contact points with the Diern family through him. Not a single person had approached him with pure goodwill.

One child he had spent quite a long time with was later found mocking him behind his back to other kids, calling him a ‘lowly bastard who doesn’t know his place and acts arrogant.’

After several similar incidents repeated, he began coldly pushing away anyone who approached him from the very beginning. When he acted prickly or shot sharp words at them, they would quickly leave, saying he was unpleasant. It was much better than trusting them only to get hurt.

But this time, the one who had latched onto him seemed like they would be the most troublesome yet.

That annoyingly cheerful kid who smiled like an idiot even when he responded coldly. What was the name… Rieze, wasn’t it?

‘I just like you and want to be friends with you, that’s all.’

That clear voice echoed in his mind. Along with the slightly embarrassed admission afterward about having no friends.

It was such skilled acting that he almost fell for it, but he quickly came to his senses.

Pelrn was full of noble children their age, so why would she specifically choose him to be friends with? It made no sense.

As Kaileus tried to gauge what Rieze’s purpose might be, he recalled her appearance at the party the other day.

She had said she would bring food for them to eat together, but then brought along an uninvited guest.

When Kaileus spotted Rieze walking from the mansion with Darius, he immediately moved locations. He glanced at the two sitting in the pergola from behind the thick bushes, then returned to his room.

Remembering Rieze’s face from that time, chattering away to Darius with flushed cheeks, made him snort involuntarily.

‘Of course, she has feelings for Darius and approached me because of that.’

Surely once they became closer, she would gradually reveal her true intentions. It was obvious she would make requests like asking him to help her get together with Darius.

But what was he to do now that he had agreed to become friends? He had accepted the bet to drive that kid away, but had shamefully lost. Now he had to go along with playing friends and even attend a birthday party, which made his irritation surge.

Kaileus roughly spat out the candy he had been sucking on. After glaring at the candy that fell to the ground, he mercilessly stepped on it and crushed it. Imagining the ants that would soon swarm over to enjoy the feast made his mood even more unpleasant.

After passing through the mansion’s main gate, he reached the dining hall.

When the door opened, Darius and Violet, who were sitting across from each other at the long marble table, stopped their conversation and looked at Kaileus.

On days when Darius was home, it was an unspoken rule for the three of them to have dinner together. Since Kaileus was late today, the other two had started eating first.

The servants hurriedly brought tableware and food for the latecomer. Soon, Violet’s brow furrowed.

“Kaileus. Didn’t I tell you to always wash and change clothes before dinner? You look unsightly.”

Looking down at his dust-covered training clothes, Kaileus hurried to stand up. He had been lost in thought on his way here and hadn’t realized his disheveled state.

“I’m sorry, Mother. I’ll go wash up now.”

“Never mind. You’ve already ruined my appetite.”

Violet put down her utensils and took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. Glancing at his mother’s cold expression, Kaileus bit his lower lip and hung his head low.

This morning during sword practice, his teacher had praised him. He had also made great progress in archery and wanted to tell his mother about it.

“He was just focused on training, so don’t scold him too harshly, Mother. You worked hard, Kail.”

Darius pushed a dish toward him while speaking consolingly.

Even though these were clearly words defending him, anger welled up inside. He didn’t know how Darius had spent the past year at the military academy, but whenever he was home on leave or vacation, lounging around the mansion like a playboy, Darius always displayed the finest skills.

‘Young Master Darius possesses amazing sword talent that might appear once in a hundred years! It’s clear he will inherit the reputation of being the kingdom’s greatest swordsman in the future!’

The praise the sword instructor had given to his mother Violet, which he had overheard, buzzed in his ears.

What had his mother’s expression been like then? It was a look of joy he had never seen in his life.

Violet sighed into the silence and spoke softly. The cold atmosphere eased somewhat.

“Yes. I was a bit sensitive. Please be mindful from tomorrow on, Kaileus.”

“…Yes.”

Kaileus squeezed out an answer in a choked voice. The mother and son, who looked exactly alike, resumed their conversation peacefully.

Kaileus couldn’t join in the conversation that thoroughly excluded him and ate in silence. It felt as if there was an invisible barrier between them and him, and the cold meat dish felt as tough as rubber.

‘Why? Why am I…’

The word ‘bastard’ came to mind again, making his chest sting as if stung by a bee. A hot lump rose in his throat.

After enduring the painful dinner time, Kaileus stood up resolutely.

“Mother.”

Calling out to Violet as she was about to leave for the corridor was impulsive.

“I have something I want to ask.”

Sensing something unusual, Violet turned around and gestured for the servants to leave the dining hall. When even Darius stepped away, she nodded.

“Go ahead.”

“…Am I really your son?”

The question that burst out was also impulsive. Perhaps it was because old memories kept surfacing today, or because the clearly different treatment compared to his brother Darius felt particularly painful.

It was a question he had never been able to ask his mother directly, no matter how many times he had been pointed at and gossiped about as a bastard.

Because he was afraid of what he would do if the answer was no.

Violet’s lips parted slightly.

Fearing the truth that would soon come, Kaileus clenched his fists. The pain of his nails digging into his palms was nothing compared to his heartache.

Violet’s eyes, which had been quiet all along, wavered for just an instant.

“Of course you are.”

It took less than 30 seconds for her to answer gently with a faint smile, but to Kaileus, that time felt like an eternity.

“…Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

“There are those who curse at me, saying I’m not your child but born of a maid.”

Kaileus’s voice trembled thinly as he barely suppressed his anger while speaking.

“…Nonsense. It must be the work of foolish people trying to defame our family. You are undoubtedly the son of Selpieus Diern and myself, no matter what anyone says. Your clear golden irises are the symbol of Diern bloodline, aren’t they?”

The words delivered in a calm, dignified tone were like salvation to Kaileus. The long-held resentment that had filled one corner of his heart melted away.

After a deep sigh of relief, tears burst forth like a river breaking through a dam.

Violet took a few steps toward Kaileus, who was hurriedly wiping his tears. With a touch that barely made contact, she stroked his cheek, then slowly embraced the child and patted him.

Kaileus burst into the tears he had been holding back. Being held and crying in his mother’s arms was a first in his memory.

‘I wasn’t a bastard. Then…’

As he caught his ragged breath and gradually regained his composure, Kaileus made a resolution.

‘If I do better. If I excel at both studies and swordsmanship enough to surpass Darius, Mother will look at me.’

His eyes, which had been filled with moisture, now blazed fiercely like wildfire as if nothing had happened.

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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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