If The Villain Catches Me Alive

He seemed to nod in agreement with my suggestion. But I didn’t let the opportunity pass me by…

 

‘Really? Let’s go then!’

 

This is good! I went down the stairs with him. This was because the cafeteria was located in the basement.

 

“What time did you get to work today? Aren’t you too early? Did you eat?”

 

I made small talk with him as we walked down the stairs. He was clearly flustered by my behavior and didn’t respond. I wasn’t expecting a response in the first place, so I didn’t feel too bad about it.

 

The breakfast in the cafeteria was a simple toast and salad.

 

The research mages usually stayed up late and came to work late, hence the unusual time. It was no wonder the cafeteria was empty. We loaded up on modest portions and sat down at a long table, facing each other.

 

‘Oh… I feel like I’m going to get sick…’

 

If I’m feeling this way, how about the boy in front of me?

 

I can’t imagine having to eat alone, face-to-face, with the same person who had been bullying and abusing me until last week… Yikes… I’m dying of discomfort even thinking about it…

 

‘However, I’ve decided to take responsibility!’

 

Anyway, starting today, I’m going to start the first step in raising my disciple correctly. Okay, let’s start with the first thing, a sincere apology!

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

……Because I couldn’t fully grasp the voice or expressions of this body yet, my words came out very bluntly.

 

There was no clear thought behind these words. It wasn’t as if I was suddenly being nice… I will never do anything to Theodore… I don’t want to, and I won’t. I need to tell him that so he knows I’ve decided to turn my life around!

 

The boy looked at me in confusion as he munched on his salad. Is it… too unexpected? Still… I mean it.

 

“I wanted to… apologize.”

 

A lot of context was left out of my apology. I had a few ideas in my head about how to properly apologize, but I couldn’t bring myself to say all the things I had done with my own mouth… I feel like I’ll start crying again. Even though I knew it was wrong, I couldn’t help but omit a lot of words.

 

“I feel like I should tell you… If I don’t tell you, you won’t know anything… Like why I’m doing this.”

 

“……”

 

“…… again… I’ll try to be nice.

 

There was no response. I expected it.

 

***

 

‘……I think my master is possessed by a demon.’

 

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be doing this crazy stuff all of a sudden.

 

Theodore thought, glancing over at Dante, who sat at the desk to his left. Taking a week off out of the blue… A slacker might have been forgiven for it, but Dante was anything but that. …He was a foolishly sincere man.

 

Yesterday, he even asked him to eat with him. And what of the place he followed him to?

 

‘I wanted to… apologize.’

 

Theodore thought his ears had finally broken down. Dante was talking nonsense.

 

Picking up his salad, he focused all his attention on chewing. Theodore wasn’t happy about any of this.

 

He didn’t say anything, didn’t do anything, solely because he didn’t want to cause a scene.

 

He remembered a saying he had once heard. When he first heard it, he thought it was some kind of nonsense, but now that he saw what was happening to him, he realized it wasn’t so nonsense after all.

 

The Tower of Light, where he fled from Renan, his family, was not as light as its name suggests.

 

But then, that’s how people always lived.

 

Having spent a few years living in the tower, Theodore thought this torment amusing. It felt rather humane at first. After all the terrible things he had endured.

 

‘That’s right… People do get jealous over little things like this,’ he thought.

 

He was only going to put up with it until he was an adult. The day he would become powerful enough that no one would be able to mess with him.

 

This insignificant thing could be disposed of then and there.

 

So for now, he’ll just have to put on the mask of a young, innocent, unaware child who knows nothing. Until adulthood. Just one more year.

 

But then, what?

 

‘Have you eaten?’

 

Theodore looked down at his hands. He remembered the innocent look on his face, the way his voice had sounded before.

 

‘When have I ever been able to be asked such a thing…’

 

Before he could pull his hand away, it felt warm and calloused in his grasp.

 

……like a human.

 

***

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

I bought a notebook.

 

Actually, I didn’t really buy it, I picked up one that was just lying around my office.

 

It’s been a while since I got in this body, but whatever. I’m going to write down some of my memories as Lee Sungwon here.

 

I’m getting so used to the idea of me being Dante that I’m forgetting it…

 

If I write it in Korean, no one will recognize it.

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

Actually, it was a bit of a trick to get him to eat…

 

I guess the feeder = good guy formula doesn’t work here.

 

Theodore’s face went really crumpled up in a very nasty way.

 

Strangely, he seemed a little more human now.

 

I know he can’t give away his drink, but I was a little hurt.

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

I didn’t know exactly when I got here. I cautiously asked Theodore how old he was.

 

He replied nonchalantly. He said he was nineteen.

 

…Is it a lie? No, is it really possible for a nineteen-year-old to be that small?

 

Should I be thanking my lucky stars that he’s not malnourished…

 

Oh, I don’t know.

 

I’ll have to take Theodore for a morning workout tomorrow.

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month 02 Day 

I think I figured it all out.

 

Right now, I think I’m about three months into this possession… The story will begin in a few more months, probably about half a year.

 

Theodore doesn’t seem to know anything about it… I’m still very uncomfortable.

 

I’m always the one who talks first. Well… I guess it’s a good thing I’m not invisible to him…

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

I have nothing to compare myself to here, so I’m always cautious.

 

Will I look like my team leader, who wanted to join a group of young recruits?

 

I hated it at the time, but I’ve reflected on it.

 

When I return, I’ll be nice to him.

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

After about a month of morning workouts together, I noticed that he had gained some weight and muscle.

 

I guess I was right to suggest exercise after all.

 

But as I thought about it, I remembered that time the director had asked me to go mountain climbing on the weekend.

 

…I felt a little sorry for Theodore because this was all he could learn from me.

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

Theodore had the day off.

 

I took advantage of that day to clean up the eerie place I’d only been to once.

 

As I removed the makeshift entrance blocked by a bookshelf, I could smell the scent of that day.

 

I cried again when I saw the horrible sight. I thought I had cried enough…

 

I continued cleaning while crying for a long time.

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

I saw Jeffrey, the protagonist of the novel.

 

It was early in the morning, and Theodore and I were getting ready to workout as usual… I noticed a very shiny carriage in front of the Tower of Light.

 

My eyes were drawn to the shiny thing and I took a closer look… And… a person more shiny than that carriage, got off.

 

I was staring at him with my mouth agape as he came towards me. He then said something… He asked me where the tower master was.

 

Half out of my mind, I showed him the way there.

 

I was like… Why is he here when he should be in the imperial palace?

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

From what I’ve heard, it’s because of an imperial dispute.

 

That is to say, why Jeffrey is here.

 

Well… It’s something very far from me, a small-town citizen.

 

Still, it was really interesting to see the protagonist… or rather, the character, with my own eyes.

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month 07 Day 

I saw Jeffrey’s name when I was working in the Junior Development Department.

 

It seemed like they were trying to appoint a mentor.

 

… Is he going to be here for long? I suddenly had a great idea. ……I wonder if I could take him?

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

I asked for Jeffrey’s consent and got his signature.

 

I handed the paperwork over to Colton Ford and gave him a wary glance.

 

He didn’t seem to mind my actions.

 

On the way out of his office, he added, ‘You look great,’ but I’m not sure what he meant.

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

……Their first meeting went badly.

 

I walked in after all the paperwork was done and found them arguing and fighting.

 

I felt like I was the guy who walked into a burning house with pizza, and their eyes widened when they saw me and stopped.

 

……I felt strangely alienated.

 ᄆᄆᄆᄆ Year ᄆᄆ Month ᄆᄆ Day 

For the first time, Theodore drank his first alcohol with me.

 

……I want to make it an anniversary.