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

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

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Today, Duen was still in the same place when I opened the library door.

His face, which was reading a book, turned to me, as if he felt my presence.

“I think we see each other very often. It’s not just me, isn’t it?”

He laughed with a hollow sound.

“Oh, I don’t think so……?”

As my senior said, it was already my third time meeting him, counting their meeting yesterday and today. Since we ran into each other three times in just one day or two, it made sense for my senior to joke like that.

“Senior, do you stay in the library every day?”

Does he go to lectures……?

I go here too, but isn’t it odd that he sits on the same seat every time I come……?

When I couldn’t resist my curiosity and asked, Duen shook his head straight away.

“I go to lectures on time. I spend the rest of my time here.”

He turned over a page of the book he was reading. He reads a book while talking to me.

He seems very efficient at doing multiple tasks at once.

“I don’t think I will be able to finish reading the book I borrowed yesterday…”

Suddenly, Duen’s head turned toward me. The senior’s eyes were still covered by his bangs, so I couldn’t see them.

“I have an appointment in the evening, so I’m planning to make some time until then.”

Unlike yesterday, there were some people in the library. About five people.

I also scanned the empty seats with my eyes to find a place to sit.

“If you’re planning to read the book, go sit in the corner as much as you can.”

Recognizing my intention, Duen pointed his finger at the end of the window.

“……? Yes.”

“That book means “this book” right?”

Strangely, he seemed to be interested in the book I borrowed, and he even gave me strange advice.

I don’t know what kind of advice he’s trying to give me. However, I gave a short thank you and headed to the seat that my senior said and sat down.

Then I opened the book with reverence. After opening the last part I read, I rolled my eyes hard and scanned the letters in the book.

Wow, it’s no fun already.

***

Suddenly, I came to my senses, and there was a flower garden all around me. It was not an unfamiliar place. In fact, it was quite familiar. This was the garden of Duke Marsen.

‘Wasn’t I at the academy?’

Obviously, I was reading a book in the Academy Library until a while ago. But suddenly, I am at the mansion of Duke Marsen.

This is probably a dream. If I think it’s a dream, it wasn’t that strange that I am in the garden of Duke Marsen, where I played often as a child.

‘I guess I went there often. I am not at our mansion, but at Liel’s mansion…….’

Naturally, my diligent work from the past came to mind. Of course, I don’t think everything I’ve done so far has been in vain.

Rather, because of my efforts, there was no significant exchange between Liel and Dioleta unnie!

M, maybe.

In fact, I was still not confident in this part.

A gloomy expression covered my face as I stepped on the grass to avoid the flowers. The texture of wet grass was clearly felt. It had probably just been watered.

I wasn’t wearing shoes, maybe because it was a dream. Strangely, however, the touch on my feet felt real.

As I was walking slowly, I thought I should take a closer look at my childhood dream.

“Huh? Liel?”

I saw a young Liel, whom I hadn’t seen for a long time, who I’ll never see again.

‘So cute!’

From the perspective of a 17-year-old, the little Liel was much cuter than he is now. This is why Sarah and Grandma adore Liel so much.

I hurried to move my feet to take a closer look at him as a young child.

As my distance from him got closer, I also began to see Dioleta unnie, who had not been there before.

Precisely, as she waited for me to approach, the blurry figure of Dioleta unnie became clear.

Her face, which was clearly visible, was full of worries.

Have I ever seen unnie with such a gloomy face? I pondered my memory, but I couldn’t think of anything.

Her eyes were fixed on little Liel. I looked at Liel again.

Like a person alone in the world, Liel’s eyes were empty.

Oh, that’s why she made that face.

I didn’t know Liel was wearing this face because I was focused only on his white cheeks and short limbs.

Before I knew it, they were just around the corner. But neither of them gave me a look.

As expected, this seems to be a dream.

Rather, I thought it was quite fine, so I looked at Liel here and there. Now that I look at him, his cheeks are a bit slim.

It’s strange. It’s familiar. Young Liel gave me these two perceptions at the same time.

Taking advantage of being invisible, I observed the two frantically. Until Dioleta suddenly looked at me.

C, can you see me?

Surprised, I took a step back.

“Hello.”

Then I heard the voice of a child with a high tone, no, right below me.

I’m sure it’s a girl’s voice. But it was just too dry to be a child’s.

With curious eyes, I glanced down. There is……….

“Nice to meet you. Lady Marsen. I am Lucy Seywint, the successor to Seywint. I came to say hello after greeting the marquis.”

There was the young me.

***

It is me.

Unlike when I saw Liel, I was unable to think of any significant comments. In the end, I was myself, no matter how small and young I was.

“Uh……Lucy Seywint? Do you happen to be the granddaughter of Marquis Seywint…….”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As a young child, I was blunt because I was smart.

Because of Dioleta’s reaction, who treated me like a stranger, I realized that this was my first time meeting them.

Was I like this?

“Hi, Lucy. Did you follow Marquis Seywint?”

That’s right. When I first met Dioleta unnie, she accepted my greeting like this.

As this is our first meeting, I want to be as polite as possible to the two of them.

“Yes, she told me to follow her.”

Yeah, politely..….

“Ah…… yes……. Alright, that’s good. Liel. You have a friend your age.”

As I kept responding lukewarmly, Dioleta stuttered as if she was embarrassed.

If I remember correctly, now Dioleta will hurriedly leave her seat.

“I’ll go in first, so the two of you can play as much as you want.”

As expected, my prediction was correct.

“……Thank you for your consideration.”

I saluted her a bit and thanked her.

That’s what I did.…?

Dioleta’s behavior was not that different from my memory. On the contrary, as a child, I was acting far from my memory.

“…….”

“…….”

Soon after, only young Liel and young me were left, and the two began a snowball fight facing each other. I also got in between and watched the two with anxious eyes.

Liel’s eyes, which had been empty until just now, were full of curiosity and warmth.

But the young me, on the other hand, had cold eyes and stared at Liel as if to kill him.

For a moment, I suddenly clicked my tongue.

Huh? Did I click my tongue?

“Not yet…….”

Little me muttered something to myself and frowned. My body trembled at the fierce expression I had never made before.

It was my face, but honestly, it was a bit scary.

“Will you be my friend?”

In comparison, Liel was cute for his age. I was supposed to be his friend first.

In my dream, Liel seemed to approach me first despite me being rude.

Of course!

I wanted to shout right away, but I couldn’t because it was a dream.

“Why me?”

A cold refusal was returned instead.

Not only that, but I rolled my eyes and looked up and down at Liel. My cheeky eyes belonged to a typical aristocrat.

“I don’t want to be close to a child like you who can’t even talk properly.”

No, you’re the one who’s young. You’re a year younger than Liel. Being smart doesn’t mean you were born first.

With my tongue clenched until the end, the little me went back to the way I had turned my back on Liel.

I was mesmerized by my young self’s behavior and looked only at her back from far away as I was next to Liel.

“Why me?”

“Why me?”

The harsh voice of the child played in my ear over and over again.

I was afraid to look around even though it was just a dream.

‘When did I do that….?’

Swallowing dry saliva, I forced my squeaky neck and turned my head toward Liel.

“…….”

Looking vain as if he had lost the world, he held tightly to the end of his top.

As soon as I noticed that Liel’s chin was wrinkled, I became angry at the direction little me disappeared.

“Why are you making him cry?”

***

When I got up, I felt a dull pain in my shoulders and neck.

I fell asleep with my arm under my Academy jacket which was wrinkled.

“Are you awake?”

Liel’s voice was heard from the side as I slowly awoke from my sleep.

His face was not properly visible because Liel was sitting with his back to the sun.

I rubbed my eyes hard with the back of my hand to wake up. Liel grabbed my hand as if telling me not to do so.

Is it because of his consideration? Or is it because of the dream that eats away at my mind?

Drowsiness came again.

“I told you to wake me up if I was sleeping…”

I couldn’t stop my heavy eyelids and drooping body, as I buried my face in my navy jacket and murmured.

“Sleep more.”

A tepid warmth settled over my eyelids. It was Liel’s hand.

He advised me to sleep instead of answering.

Sleep again?

We were supposed to have dinner together.

I know I have to get up in my head, but my body didn’t follow me.

On this day, I was able to return to the dormitory only after hearing Duen’s plea to leave so that the library could be closed.