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

Amid a conversation between Dioleta and Duchess Marsen, Liel quietly lowered his fork and knife.

Then he put his hands neatly together and put them on his thighs.

Liel’s head, looking down with unfocused eyes, only thought about when to visit Lucy’s house.

Liel always thoroughly removed his existence in a place where his family gathered.

The Duke of Marsen stared at him.

Liel was looking at his legs, without noticing the gaze stuck in the top of his head.

“…….”

Duke Marsen, who was throwing a moment of attention to Liel, lowered his gaze again and moved his hand.

The sound of Dioleta and his wife’s words came from the side, but the Duke did not listen to the conversation between the two.

***

“Oh, Liel. You’ve come well by yourself.”

“Hello, Marquis Seywint.”

“Just call me Grandma comfortably, too.”

Marquis Anise, or Marquis of Seywint, welcomed Lier on behalf of Lucy, who was still sleeping.

“G, Grandma Seywint…….”

“Wouldn’t Grandma Anise be better?”

Anise’s eyes were clearly wrinkled with a smile.

“Oh, Grandma Anise…….”

Liel once again called Anise. Only then did Anise patted Liel’s head with the meaning of passing.

(t/n: like passing a test)

“Dioleta noona said she couldn’t come today because she had an appointment…….”

Rather than an appointment, it was a social gathering forced by Duchess Marsen.

“Really? That’s why you came alone. I’m proud of you.”

You’re all grown up now.

Anise constantly praised Liel.

“Liel, I’m sorry to ask you this when you came here to play, but can you go wake Lucy up?”

“Lucy, is still asleep?”

Did I come too early?

Liel asked with an apologetic expression.

In fact, it was not polite to come to a friend’s house at 10 in the morning.

But hearing the dead voice of Liel, Anise couldn’t bear to say that it was too early.

Fortunately, Anise was a person who was able to reassure a child thanks to her raising her own daughter and granddaughter.

“Lucy went to bed a little late last night, so she just got up later than usual.”

Anise, who recalled her granddaughter, who was reading a book in her study until late the previous day, gently soothed Liel with a smile.

At that time, Anise was puzzled at Lucy, who was reading a book uncharacteristically, but it was only for a short time.

Anise immediately rebuked her granddaughter, saying, “you won’t grow taller.”

Lucy, who was scolded by Anise, quickly closed the book and returned to her room, so she did not know that the book her granddaughter was reading was “The Basic Common Sense About Snakes.”

“Go up there.”

Finally, Anise, who took her hand off Liel’s head, gently pushed his back.

Liel ran to Lucy’s room with a flush on his fair cheeks.

“You shouldn’t run on the stairs.”

“Yes!”

Liel also smiled pleasantly when he heard Anise laughing behind him.

Liel, who came up to the floor where Lucy’s room was, tapped the door weakly.

Knock, knock.

“Lucy, are you sleeping?”

Liel whispered in a low voice to the door.

Grandma Anise told him to wake Lucy up, but Liel was sorry to wake her up, who was sleeping.

So it became something that was neither right nor wrong.

“Can I come in?”

He couldn’t hear a sound from the room as she was still sleeping.

“I’m going in…”

Liel, who asked once more, turned the door knob and opened the door.

Kiik—

With a small noise, Liel tucked himself into the slightly open gap.

When he came inside, there was a white blanket protruding over a large bed.

Liel blinked and approached the bed.

“Lucy—.”

Again, he called Lucy in a low voice.

Lucy was asleep, breathing colorfully, without moving.

Grandmother Anise said otherwise, but he guessed he was right that he came too early.

Liel, who thought he shouldn’t wake Lucy up early in the morning, sat down on the floor.

Then he put his arms and chin on the bed and leaned his face.

“…….”

Liel stared at Lucy, who was sleeping with a face that was obvious she slept late.

Purple hair was scattered randomly over the white blanket, and Liel’s favorite, Lucy’s scarlet eyes, was hidden inside her soft eyelids.

Liel’s gaze was fixed on Lucy’s white cheek before he knew it.

Then he turned his head around like a person who had been stabbed and looked around.

Of course, Lucy and Liel were the only ones in Lucy’s room.

Liel gulped down and slowly brought his finger towards Lucy’s cheek.

Poke–

Her soft cheek touched Liel’s fingertips.

At the same time, her cheeks were dented.

“Ung–”

Lucy must have felt itchy, so she struggled a bit.

Liel drew his finger towards him, startled by Lucy’s reaction. He fiddled with his fingers that touched Lucy’s cheek with a contemplating face.

Liel’s heart thumped like a man who did something he shouldn’t have.

However, contrary to his guilty mind, it was a very addictive touch.

Liel poked Lucy’s cheek again, even though he thought he shouldn’t do this.

Like that, Liel poked Lucy on the cheek until just before she woke up. About 20 times.

***

“Why didn’t you wake me up when you came!”

When I opened my eyes, Liel’s face was in front of me, so I almost screamed.

The reason why I didn’t scream was because I thought it was a dream.

I can’t believe Liel was here.

After washing my face, I was dumbfounded and grumbled at Liel.

“I’m sorry if I wake you up…….”

You’re sorry that I’m sleeping in front of a guest.…?

“Come here in the afternoon next time, or wake me up.”

“Yes.”

Liel nodded steadily.

“But what about Dioleta unnie?”

I thought she’d come to play with me.

Or is she talking to grandmother?

“I think noona is having a social gathering today? She went there.”

When, again, the servant gave Liel something to eat, there was a small cookie in his hand.

I’m sure it was Lucy’s maid, Sarah, who handed it over.

Sarah was always trying to feed Liel something.

The little cookie went right into Liel’s little mouth.

I heard a crunching sound.

“Social gathering? Oh……. That’s right. At her age, she’ll be invited here and there.”

The fact that she had not attended a social gathering so far was quite a long time for a daughter of a duke.

While I was convinced of my unnie’s situation, I secretly looked at Liel’s eyes.

“Lucy, do you want some?”

Liel asked me as if he thought the reason I was looking at him was because of the cookie sticking out of the bag containing the cookies.

“Go on and eat a lot.”

They are willing to give everything he asks for.

I shook my head to show my refusal, as I wipe Liel’s mouth with a handkerchief.

“Don’t spill it on the bed.”

“Ah! I’ll sit on the floor and eat…….”

“I’ll put a handkerchief on it, so just sit there and eat.”

If he says he’s going to sit on the floor again, it will break my heart.

“Let’s eat it all and have lunch together.”

“Yes!”

Come to think of it, can I feed him snacks before lunch?

I think I’ll get in trouble if I get caught by my grandmother.….

***

As expected, my thoughts were right.

“It’s a bad habit to eat snacks before a meal.”

After eating, grandmother said in a stern voice.

“Yes…”

“Yes…”

I didn’t eat snacks, but I was being scolded for not stopping Liel.

“Lucy… I’m sorry……. I got you in trouble…….”

As soon as I came to the playroom, Liel apologized to me with a gloomy expression.

Hey, kids can get scolded by adults, right?

“I’m okay because I get scolded by my grandmother often.”

If Liel goes back, I will be scolded again for not telling that Liel is coming today.

And I’ll be scolded for oversleeping until it’s almost lunchtime.

The number of scoldings increased from two to three, so there was no big problem.

“Lucy, are you going to a social gathering too?”

Liel, who was quietly reading a book, asked with his back leaning on a large doll.

When asked suddenly, I stopped my hand that was working on the puzzle and turned my head toward Liel.

The book that Liel was reading was a difficult book that made me feel a headache just by looking at it.

I looked at Liel, not the book.

“Wouldn’t I have to go when I’m around Dioleta unnie’s age?”

I’m not sure.

“Really……?”

Liel pouted his lips.

My answer didn’t seem to be satisfactory.

I think he’s upset.

“Why?”

When I asked if I had upset him again unconsciously, Liel slowly opened his mouth.

“It’s a place where you’ll go to make friends.….”

It would be lucky for me if I made friends, but most of them will end up as just ‘friends’ on the outside.

“It’s supposed to be like that, right?”

But Liel’s words were not wrong, and I couldn’t bear to deny them.

“Then Lucy will have another friend besides me?”

“What?”

“I don’t want Lucy to make friends other than me…….”