I Thought I Tamed The Villain

[Theo]: The family I was talking about was that I wanted to be your spouse, not your brother or pet.

I stared at Theo, my eyes widening. It was an embarrassing statement that no matter how many times I heard it, I couldn't get used to it.

'But why all of a sudden?'

Theo looked at me with a puzzled look and explained.

[Theo]: You told me that I'm like a wild animal.

[Iris]: Oh....

Are you talking about what I said about you resembling a cat? I tilted my head and let out a small gasp.

[Theo]: That's when I realized. I know I'm only seen as that to you, Iris.

Only then could I get a glimpse of Theo's mind. But that didn't mean could think of anything to say to Theo, so I just looked at Theo with wavering eyes. Theo crossed his legs to the other side and tapped his knees with his fingers. It was a strange attitude to be disappointed, so I kept my mouth shut.

[Theo]: That's why I thought about it this time. How can I look like a 'husband' to you."

[Iris]: What?

I frowned. It seems like Theo wanted to draw a line on our current relationship. If we continued to stick together as a "family", he seemed to think that I wouldn't marry him. Eventually, we came back to the same problem.

[Theo]: I don't want to be your brother, I want to be your husband.

Theo said that with his pretty eyes folding.

[Iris]: Huh?!

I gasped. Theo was clearly making fun of me now.

'So precocious.'

I frowned at that. Theo's attitude now was too strange to be that of an ordinary eleven-year-old.

'Is there something wrong?'

But it was also something I had always thought was strange. Theo had always behaved inappropriately for my age when it came to things related to me.

[Iris]: Theo. I know how you feel, but I think you're thinking too deeply about the distant

future.

As I said that, I looked at Theo anxiously. It was already the third time Theo had been strange so far. I began to worry that something serious had gone wrong with Theo.

[Iris]: Perhaps, sometimes you're so anxious that it's too much to bear...

As I blurted out, there was a moment of silence between me and Theo. There was uncomfortable tension in the air.

[Theo]: Iris, aren't you thinking too deeply?

[Iris]: Huh?

I asked blankly. Theo was smiling as if he had suddenly become another person.

[Theo]: Aren't you looking at me too seriously?

[Iris]: But Theo...

[Theo]: What do I do? I'm just saying I want to leave the nursery and stay with Iris.

Theo snapped his fingers as he said that. It was a distinctly different gesture from the one he had been doing before like tapping his knees.

[Iris]: That is.......

[Theo]: I wanted to show Iris that I'm not a kid anymore. You always treat me like a baby every time. But I'm eleven now.

I tilted my head to the side. Theo spoke in such an innocent tone, and everything I had thought so far felt stupid.

[Iris]: Is that really it?

[Theo]: Why? What were you thinking?

[Iris]: I didn't mean anything, but........

[Theo]: I was glad though. Iris is crying because of me.

[Iris]: It's not like that!

I shouted hurriedly. But Theo was laughing mischievously, as if enjoying my reaction.

'Was it a bad imagination too?'

Looking at Theo's face, which was smiling like before, my heart began to calm down. I decided to sum up Theo's behavior as excessive affection. I sighed secretly and said to Theo, smiling.

[Iris]: So now that you've shown it all, are you coming back to the way it used to be?

[Theo]: Well, Iris, because you're so upset. I can't help it.

[Iris]: Isn't that really the case?

[Theo]: Were you so sad that I was wearing a shawl?

[Iris]: You really!

We were bickering as if nothing had happened. Once I had dispelled my suspicions, Theo looked like the usual.

[Theo's POV]

'You almost missed it.'

Theo thought so to himself, and smiled with an innocent face. I had to keep my nerves down. Lately, Iris has often found me strange.

The more I wanted her, the more I couldn't control myself.

'You can't do that.'

I had to be careful not to let my heart be discovered, which was even more filthy than Iris had imagined. And slowly, I had to hold it without her noticing.

'I'm glad you're not estranged from me forever, though.

Theo liked Iris' cheerful smile. Seeing that smile seemed to purify any filth. But...

'Enough to surpass that.... It felt good to see her cry because of me.'

I smiled wryly as I remembered Iris' face as she burst into tears. It was a thrill that I was sure to think about it again and again. It was true that I wanted to see Iris upset about me. But what I intended was to make Iris conscious of me as a man. So it was unexpected to see her crying so bitterly. At first, my heart sank at the sight of Iris crying. But that was short-lived.

I soon realized that Iris was crying for me.

'I would never want to see anyone else crying, but...'

[Iris]: What are you thinking?

[Theo]: Nothing.

At the same time, I didn't forget to give Iris a "casual smile."

Back to Iris' POV

I shaded it with my hands to block out the scorching sun.

It had been a while since I had enjoyed the warm season, but time flew by quickly, as if it wouldn't even give me time to do that. I was watering the flower bed in the nursery. It wasn't something that anyone had asked me to do, but it was something I started out of concern if weeds would grow or flowers would look wilted.

[Iris]: Jace? Are you here to water the plants too?

I said without looking back. Jace was a little boy who guarded me whenever I tended to the flowers. Once again, I felt someone approaching me. Strangely, however, no answer came back today.

[Iris]: Jace?

Only then did I take my eyes off the flowerbed and look back. Then I noticed a strange but familiar look that was completely different from what I expected.

[??]: Seeing the hands that take care of the flowers, you have a kind personality.

[Iris]: You....

It was that young priest that gave me a strange experience on January 1.

"I'm Frey"

He held out his pale hand to me. I took one look at his hand and looked up at his face as if I were looking in a mirror. He was taller than me so it was hard to look up.

[Frey]: .......I'm sorry. Are you okay with this?

Frey sat down on his knees and was now at my eye level. I held his hand together.

"I'm Iris."

I replied, and the corners of Frey's mouth rose gently. His slightly drooping eyes made his impression look even more affectionate.

[Frey]: Do you know what these flowers are?

[Iris]: It's hyacinth and petunia. Hyacinth flowers don't exist nowadays.

[Frey]: Who taught you?

[Iris]: I looked up at it in a book.

Frey sat down and casually spoke to me. He sometimes praised me for being smart or naughty, trying to sit down with me and continue the conversation.

[Iris]: By the way, mister, what are you doing to me?"

[Frey]: Mister.......

Frey repeated the word 'mister' with a puzzled face. But I didn't bother to correct it. I had no intention of opening up to a stranger just because he showed up out of nowhere and gave me some compliments.

[Frey]: I think I know a little bit about what you're thinking, but can you believe me when I say I'm not approaching you with bad intentions?

[Iris]: Well, I don't know. How old are you?

[Frey]: Seventeen.

[Iris]: What interest do you, a seventeen-year-old child, have to me?

I asked with a smirk, Frey's blue eyes tinged with bewilderment.

'It's a deliberate approach, to say the least.'

I don't think Frey was talking to me because he was really interested in flowers. He had never really looked at the flowers while talking to me.

'I didn't think I made an excuse to talk, but I wouldn't say anything if it happened.'

The reason for his approach to me was probably related to January 1. And as long as this situation was obvious to my eyes, I didn't want to talk to the man in front of me. Frey stared at me in silence for a moment. There was a joy in his eyes that I couldn't understand at first glance.

'What's wrong with this guy?'