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

I haven’t even made another friend yet, but Liel has already felt disappointed.

It’s not that I don’t understand Liel’s feelings either. Because there was a high possibility that Liel would not be able to get anywhere in society.

The Duchess of Marsen won’t be happy for him to have a good connection.

I don’t know if he knows that.

So if I go later, I’ll end up looking like I’m leaving Liel behind.

Then I’d feel a little sorry…….

To be honest, it’s not my fault, but I felt guilty for no reason when I thought of Liel in the mansion alone.

“N, Noona said she can’t hang out with me anymore…….”

When I was contemplating what to say to not hurt Liel’s feelings, the words from his mouth were enough to surprise me.

“Did she say that?”

No matter how busy she was, unnie always cared about Liel.

If an older sister like that said something like that directly to Liel, does it mean she’d be too busy to handle it?

The Duchess of Marsen is also too much.

Unnie is still young…….

While I was groaning, Liel rolled his eyes and looked only at the floor.

Following his sister, he didn’t want to be neglected by her.

I’m sorry for unnie, who will be busier in the future, and for Liel, who has more time to be alone, but this was pretty good news for me.

‘Liel’s chances of not falling in love with her has increased!’

I covered my mouth with both hands because I thought the corners of my mouth would go up without realizing it.

‘Joy and sorrow can coexist.’

With a double heart, I made up my mind and opened my mouth.

“Then I won’t go to a social gathering.”

I may get in trouble if I don’t have my connections set as the next marquis, but I’ll be attending the academy later anyway.

Dioleta will go, too.

I think I can build up my personal connections then.

‘Above all, in the original, I went to the Academy with Liel…….’

The Duchess of Marsen did not allow Liel to attend a social gathering, but sent him to the academy.

Her contradictory behavior was suddenly questioned.

Something’s wrong.

“Really……?”

When I was recalling the original for a long time, I heard a hesitating voice.

Unlike his hesitating voice, Liel’s face was full of expectations.

“Yes.”

Liel smiled at my answer.

Looking at a clear smile, I thought to myself.

‘I might get in trouble from my grandmother, but I grew up getting in trouble!’

Now is not the time to look elsewhere, but the most important thing is to stick close to Liel so that he doesn’t feel the absence of Dioleta.

I felt like the sense of duty that I had forgotten for a while was sprouting again.

***

“Lucy, would you like to learn another foreign language today?”

I feel it every day, but Dioleta unnie is beautiful again today.

As always, the voice telling me about my studies was kind and beautiful…….

“Yes.”

Why is she helping us study today?

“Unnie, aren’t you busy?”

I glanced at Liel, who was opening a book next to me that I didn’t even know which language it was written in.

Dioleta answered, leaning her head sideways with a smiling face.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Dioleta’s hand tapped me on the tip of my nose.

I heard she was busy, but I was sorry for her because I thought she was overdoing it.

“I heard you’re busy these days. You don’t have to force yourself to play with us!”

It’s obvious she’s pushing himself.

Otherwise, it cannot be explained why the days they meet unnie have not decreased.

I peeped into her complexion. Fortunately, she didn’t look tired yet, as if she was okay.

“……? Lucy. Do you want to do something other than studying?”

What do you think I am?

It’s like I’m making excuses because I don’t want to study! Of course, I don’t want to do it.

“That’s not what I meant! Liel said…… Unnie is so busy that we can’t play with you these days

“Lu, Lucy! Look at that!”

While continuing to speak, Liel suddenly grabbed my hand by the side.

“Why? What is it?”

He rarely gets surprised like this.

At Liel’s urgent voice and gesture, I hurriedly turned my head in the direction he pointed.

“What? It’s just a spider.”

In the corner of the ceiling, a spider was hanging from a spider’s web.

You’re not scared of things like this, but why did you call me in such a hurry?

I looked at Liel with wonder and despondency. Then Liel replied with a big smile.

“It has one more leg than the other spiders.”

It was a very trivial reason for calling in a hurry.

“……do you see it here?”

I couldn’t see it, so it was hard to count because there were so many legs.

“Let’s ask adults to remove the spider later.”

We can’t even reach it anyway.

And I wasn’t particularly interested in spiders having more or less legs.

With a sour face, I moved my eyes back to unnie.

Maybe she was thinking about something, because she has an expressionless face and was looking at Liel.

“Unnie?”

“Ah…”

Unnie uttered a surprised cry.

Soon, my sister’s stiff face slowly loosened.

“Lucy doesn’t have to worry about that.”

Unnie who said something similar to before leaned over and put her cheek on my cheek.

I was happy to be able to touch her cheek after a long time and laughed.

***

“Liel.”

After seeing Lucy off, Dioleta called Liel, who was about to rush back to his room.

Her voice was lower than when she usually called Riere.

Liel himself, too, shrugged his shoulders and slowly turned toward Dioleta, as if he knew his sin.

“About what Lucy said earlier, about me being unable to play with you well these days…… What are you talking about?”

Dioleta, who walked to the front of Liel, bent her knees and asked him, making eye contact.

Liel’s throat was greatly shaken.

“Liel.”

Dioleta once again called Liel in a low voice.

But Liel stubbornly didn’t open his mouth. Dioleta sighed loudly and touched his forehead.

Even if she didn’t hear Liel’s answer, she knows he lied to Lucy.

Still, Dioleta thought she should listen to Liel once.

“Did you lie to Lucy?”

There may be a reason.

That’s why she just moved on without telling Lucy the truth.

“Lucy…”

Liel finally opened his mouth, as if he was suffocated by the green eyes staring at him.

“I heard that she might go to a social gathering like noona later…….”

“…….”

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

Liel’s words continued to droop. He didn’t seem to want to tell Dioleta what he was thinking.

Dioleta knew but didn’t back down.

“I don’t want Lucy to have any other friends than me.”

Unlike his long-winded words earlier, Liel’s ending statement was firm.

He lifted his downward gaze and made eye contact with Dioleta.

“If I say noona said she can’t play with me anymore, Lucy will say she won’t go to the social gathering because she feels sorry for me…….”

Liel’s amber eyes no longer shied away from Dioleta’s.

The tail of his downcast eyes made Liel look pitiful, but the words from his mouth were too calculated.

Dioleta swallowed her breath.

“……Liel. You’re going to follow Lucy anyway, so why…….”

“I can’t go……. I know that much…….”

Liel shook his head to deny Dioleta’s words. The melancholy in his voice made Dioleta falter.

“Noona will tell Mother, so you…….”

(t/n: this is said by Dioleta, referring to herself as noona)

“Noona, no.”

Liel shook his head again.

As he looked at her with his clear gold eyes, this time Dioleta wanted to avoid his eyes.

Dioleta herself wondered why she felt this way to her younger brother.

“But I don’t want to go, and I don’t want Lucy to make another friend…….”

That’s all.

Was Liel so eloquent?

I kept feeling uncomfortable.

No, it wouldn’t be that weird. Sometimes, people say that they have been clever children since they were young.

Dioleta wanted to dismiss her own mind as a hoax.

That’s right, because this kid with his eyes wide open in front of her, was her lovely brother no matter what anyone said.

“Sorry for lying…….”

Soon after, LIel drooped his shoulders and apologized.

Now it was like the Liel that I knew.

Although it was strange to think of this, Dioleta was busy being relieved by LIel’s usual appearance.

“Don’t tell Lucy. Okay?”

Dioleta nodded unknowingly at Liel’s words.

She had already sympathized with Liel’s lies, so she couldn’t even say no.

“Thank you, noona.”

After hearing Dioleta’s definite answer, Liel bent his eyes and smiled.

It was a sincere smile without any acrimony or pretense.

That’s what it look like to Dioleta, at least.

(t/n: sus!!!!!)

(t/n: also, I’m updating everyday, so please look forward to my releases^^)