I Couldn’t Stop my Childhood Friend from Turning Into a Villain

It was a winter day.

Liel and I were hard at work clumping our eyes, and Dioleta was covering us with an umbrella.

Thick snowflakes fell on the umbrella.

“Unnie, you don’t have to put an umbrella on me.”

Being too friendly makes one’s body tired. I was worried about unnie’s arm, so I secretly gave her a hint to stop.

“That’s right. Let’s make a snowman together.”

Liel then said.

When Liel and I were looking at each other at the same time, unnie put the umbrella aside.

As the umbrella disappeared, snow came out and attacked Liel as if it had been waiting.

“Well, that won’t do, right?”

Unnie giggled as she kept rubbing her face due to snow that kept falling on her eyebrows.

“I didn’t know because of the umbrella…….”

I didn’t know it was snowing so much.

The fact that I was not in the mood to close my eyes also played a part.

When I looked up at unnie with an awkward smile, I noticed her white skin, which was clearly showing in her neck and ears.

On the other hand, Liel and I were all wearing gloves, scarves, and earplugs.

“Unnie, aren’t you cold?”

Unnie’s neck and under her neck were already red.

I think she’s really cold.

When I asked with full concern, she answered with a shake of her head.

“It’s not cold at all.”

It’s a lie that’s too obvious.

“It’s cold.”

When I sent her a gaze telling her not to lie, she shook her head again.

She took care of Liel and I more because she was older than us.

Why is she such a nice person?

“Unnie, unnie.”

I urgently called her because I thought I should do something for her.

When I waved my hand to ask her to come towards me, she leaned down with a puzzled face.

Without missing the opportunity, I unwrapped the scarf around my neck and wrapped it around her neck.

“Because I’m wearing something that’s covering my neck, unnie should wear this instead.”

I knew she’d avoid it, so I quickly wrapped it around her. She frowned as if embarrassed.

“Lucy, I’m fine. It’s cold, so you should wear the scarf, alright?”

“I’m fine, too.”

It was only after she was done tying the end of the scarf tightly to prevent it from falling that I stepped back.

I took a deep breath and exhaled with a proud heart. Then a white breath came out of my mouth.

“If you’re worried about me, dress warmly next time!”

I said it, because it was pretty cool. I felt more proud. And I guess she also felt the same way.

“Fufu, Lucy is more like the older sister”

Dioleta’s breath was also visible out her mouth.

I was a bit surprised. If I count the number of years I’ve lived, it’s true that I’m older than her.

I just smiled brightly like a child happy to be praised.

“Then I’ll give you mine, Lucy.”

I thought something was winding around my neck, and this time Liel was winding his scarf around my neck.

These days, Liel often does pretty things like this.

“You’ll catch a cold”

When Liel left her winding and spoke, I heard Dioleta’s laughter from the side.

It’s kind of funny to me, too.

I just took care of my sister, and Liel immediately took care of me.

“Then Lucy won’t catch a cold.”

That was a little touching. I felt my nostrils tingling, so I sniffed.

“Lucy, are you cold?”

The tip of the scarf on my neck was tied with a ribbon, and Riere’s dexterity was also revealed here.

I sneaked a look at the scarf around unnie’s neck.

‘Oh, it’s because I tied it up in a hurry…….’

I made an excuse inside because I can’t help but compare the scarf that Liel wrapped around me for no reason.

“I’m not cold because Riere lent me his scarf.”

In the meantime, I answered correctly.

Liel smiled, satisfied with my answer.

“Sniff!”

Even though he sniffed his nose like I did because of his runny nose.

***

Eventually, unnie went inside to get another scarf.

I thought I’d follow her in, but Liel was rolling his eyes hard as if he still wanted to play more.

So I was sitting next to Liel and holding an umbrella.

It was an umbrella that unnie left behind.

“Look, little snowman!”

Liel showed off by lifting a small snowman with both his hands.

It was a handful for an adult, so it was too big for me and Liel to lift with both our hands.

“Wow, it’s well-made.”

It was just a habitual compliment.

That’s when Liel started to run wild.

“Liel, stop making…….”

When I came to my senses, there was a long line of snowmen on the snow-covered ground.

The increased snowman and Liel’s tenacity to make it began to get more and more uncontrollable.

I shouldn’t have complimented you……?

“Stop?”

Liel, who was crouching, finally jumped up.

I nodded in a hurry.

“Yes, there are too many. It will be difficult for the gardener to clean up later.”

“Yes…”

Fortunately, Liel also collapsed on the spot without whining as if he had been convinced.

I also sat on the snow along with Liel.

With the umbrella between me and Liere.

Sometimes, when the umbrella became heavy, I had to tilt the umbrella diagonally to shake off the snow.

Looking at the pouring snow, we continued our conversation quietly.

“Come to think of it, my grandmother told me to play with you and Dioleta unnie at home sometime. It’s been a long time since she saw you.”

“Really? Yes, I will definitely go.”

Liel wiggled his hand as he said so.

“Lucy, hold hands…….”

He’s doing this again.

I was playing with snow, so I didn’t want to hold hands.

“I’m holding an umbrella right now.”

I answered, leaning the umbrella again and pouring the accumulated snow down.

Of course, my other hand was free, but they were sitting side by side, so it would be uncomfortable to hold Liel’s hand.

Moreover, he and I had short arms, so we couldn’t reach each other even if we stretched out.

“If I hold the umbrella, will you hold my……?”

What do you mean?

“What’s the difference then……?”

Liel and I turned our heads and looked at each other. Liel couldn’t answer my words, and only licked his lips.

It doesn’t change anything, does it?

Even though there was no way to get an answer, Liel continued to moan because he wanted to hold my hand somehow.

There is nothing I can do.

He’s cute, so I’ll give it up this time.

“L, Lucy, where are you going?”

As I tossed and turned, Liel grabbed my arm with a perplexed face and asked.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

I was thinking about it too so I was about to turn around and sit facing Liel. That way, even if my arms are short, I can hold Riere’s hand.

I turned, sat across from Liel, and held out my hand to Liel without an umbrella.

“Now, this way, we can hold hands without the snow touching us.”

I may not be as good as Dioleta unnie, but I think I’m very considerate to Liel.

As I was basking in my narcissism alone, I let go of the collar that Liel was holding and held his hand.

We sat around, but thanks to our short arms and small bodies, we were both able to fit into the umbrella without difficulty.

Liel smiled broadly. As always, I smiled at Liel.

Soon after that, it was not until unnie came that we rolled our eyes again to make a big snowball.

***

There was a stark atmosphere inside the Duke of Marsen’s dining hall.

The servants were busily moving to serve the owner, who returned to the mansion after a long time.

“…….”

Four family members gathered in one place for the first time in a while. But there was no conversation between them.

They were just busy moving the tableware around and chewing the food in their mouths.

It was the same for Liel. He kept the table etiquette he had learned from Dioleta and cut the thick meat with a knife and fork with a dark face.

Blood flowed from the meat.

Riere looked at the blood with inorganic eyes.

“Why did you come home?”

The first to break the silence was the Duchess of Marsen.

As if he had crawled in with some sense of shame, the Duchess asked the Duke in a straight tone. The Duchess’s face looking at her husband was full of hostility.

“…….”

Despite his wife’s contempt, the Duke of Marsen moved his hands silently as if nothing had happened.

After swallowing all the food in his mouth, the duke opened his mouth.

“Because I’ve finished my task of subjugation.”

It meant that he came back after he had done his job.

The Duchess of Marsen was bursting with anger at her husband’s imposing attitude.

“I’ll be out again soon anyway, so you don’t have to be so enthusiastic.”

Katuk–

The answer was speculative. Eventually, the sound of molars grinding came out of Duchess Marsen’s mouth.

She feels uncomfortable eating in one place with that illegitimate child.

The Duchess stared at Liel with an angry face. Liel was eating his leftovers with his head down.

At that time, Dioleta, who was worried that Liel would be caught between the Duchess and the Duke, called her mother in a hurry.

“Mother.”

Then the Duchess’s crumpled brow loosened immediately.

“What’s wrong?”

The Duchess of Marsen, in particular, loves her daughter, Dioleta.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that her whole life revolves around Dioleta.