I thought I had tamed the villain - chapter 22

Chapter 22  “I thought I had tamed the villain”

“But I guess I was wrong this time, because I think it’s time for you to say what you want, and you don’t seem to have any intention of doing so. I’m sorry I misunderstood.”

Then Frey burst out laughing.

It felt weird to laugh so hard at something that was meant to be a serious confession.

“Are you sure you’re not laughing too hard?”

Frey finally stopped laughing at my comment.

“Iris, you’re really bad at hating people, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“If you started doubting me, you should have finished it. How long have I been helping you and you’re already doubting me?”

Frey genuinely seemed to think I was funny. I didn’t recognize the way he grinned, like a boy who’d just heard a funny joke.

“You know how to laugh like that.

I marveled to myself, reciting a line from an old cartoon.

But this was the only sentiment that came to mind.

There’s a reason why old things are remembered and used for a long time.

It was the only way to describe how I felt.

Anyway, it was the first time I’d ever seen Frey laugh so openly.

He always had that perfect, painted-on smile.

I spoke up, trying to sound grumpy.

“So you’re telling me to be more suspicious?”

“Well….”

After a vague reply, Frey returned to his straight face.

“I know you don’t, but I’m sure everyone else around you knows that you’re not the kind of person who can hide your sweet nature.”

“……. Not really.”

Don’t go there.

I blurted something out, eager to get past the embarrassment.

“No, honestly, I had my doubts, because who in their right mind would be so nice to someone else for no reason in a harsh world? But you did, and you did it so openly. Are all priests like that?”

“…….”

Frey paused for a moment as if choosing his words. Then, hesitantly, he said.

“Well, I don’t know. To be perfectly honest, I do have a purpose, it’s just that I want to be close to you.”

My brow furrowed in shock.

This kind of person existed?

I mean, even if Frey was a lot older than me now, he was still only seventeen.

In a previous life, I guess I’d had a crush on someone for no reason at that age, too.

Frey searched my face, as if trying to gauge why I was so still and lost in thought, then spoke softly.

“And look, you have the same hair color and eye color as me, don’t you think we’re like siblings?”

“…….”

“Is that a little weird, because I don’t have a brother….”

I was stunned by the comment. Maybe Frey was just lonely.

Being a priest at such a young age can’t be fun.

You’d never get to spend time with kids your age, and you’d have to deal with power struggles with people much older than you.

Putting myself in Frey’s shoes, I could see why he was so eager to be around me.

He needed someone to be friendly with because anyone is good.

As I thought about it, I realized that while he was still a mystery, at least I didn’t think that Frey Reese could be a bad person.

His strange eyes were an occupational hazard, after all.

“Yes, the world is a big place, and there are many people, so there are bound to be some people who can’t control their faith, let me understand.

I wrinkled my nose and steeled my resolve.

It was said that a man should be able to repay a favor, and I wanted to be of some use to Frey.

“Okay. I’ll do it for you, then, little brother.”

“Huh?”

Frey made a dumbfounded face as if my words had shocked him.

“Why? You said we have the same hair color and the same eye color, so you said we’re like siblings.”

“I did.”

“Well, didn’t you mean to ask me to be your sister?”

“…….”

Frey looked at me with pity in his eyes, as if he’d been forced to do this, as if to say, “This is what you wanted.

……. You look at me like I’m being unscrupulous or something.

“If you don’t want it, that’s fine, I’m just saying it as a way of repaying you for helping me study….”

“No… Okay.”

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine, I’m just saying it as a way to thank you for helping me study….”

“No… Okay.”

Frey said as if I were going to second-guess my decision. My white cheeks flushed as I realized what I was thinking.

“You realize I’m not asking you to adopt him officially, I’m just asking you to think of him as a little brother.”

“Of course.”

Frey laughed, embarrassed by my assertion.

The next day was a day without Frey’s class.

I was heading to the common room to study with Theo, who was, as usual, puberty-sensitive.

But as I rounded the corner, I saw a limp body hobbling in front of me.

“Theo?”

It was, unbelievably, Theo. I had to rub my good eye to make sure it was him.

I had every reason to be. Theo’s shoulders were slumped, even when he was being bullied, and even when he was going through a period of anxiety like this.

“Theo!”

I ran to him, furious.

He turned to me, looking like he’d lost the world.

“What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with you?”

“Iris….”

I nodded vigorously and listened to the tiny voice.

I felt like a granddaughter clutching her grandfather’s hand as he waited on his deathbed to say his last words.

“There are no demons in the world, are there?”

“Huh?”

But the words that came out of my mouth shattered all those feelings.

I stand corrected. Theo was not a dead man waiting for the last leaf to fall, but a little boy who came to his mom’s room at dawn and asked, “Are there no demons in the world?

“Answer me.”

I rolled my eyes at the absurdity of it all, but Theo was too serious for that.

He demanded an answer from me as if I were his last nerve.

“They’re demons and goddesses and all that bullshit, right?”

It was a question I’d heard many times before.

I paused for a moment, choosing my words.

It wasn’t hard to tell a sweet lie.

But when Theo asked so desperately, I couldn’t give him a half-assed answer.

I wiped the smile off my face and answered sincerely.

“You don’t know that.”

“What?”

Theo rolled his eyes. But I was being honest and telling him what I thought.

“No one can be sure it exists, but we can’t say it doesn’t either. It’s a legend.”