Becoming the Terminally-Ill Villain Who Torments His Disciples

“Seven years old? Eight…?”

Cielo gently touched Ryan’s cheek, quietly studying his face.

This face was definitely younger than the one in the real “Cielo”’s memories. His fingers were smaller, his cheeks full of baby fat—adorable. Yet his eyes were sharper than in adulthood, giving off a strangely different impression.

“…W-Wait a second.”

Ryan, who had been checking on Cielo as if to confirm this couldn’t possibly be real, showed a look of confusion. He was sure he’d woken up after hearing Cielo’s voice filled with pain, but the thing that had changed—was his own body.

Ryan hurriedly climbed down from the bed and rushed into the bathroom.

“What the hell is this?!”

Not long after, a horrified scream echoed from inside.

“That medicine must have had something wrong with it.”

Sitting at his desk, Ryan propped up his chin and scowled deeply.

The only thing he’d taken by mistake yesterday was the experimental drug he’d been researching. Perhaps something was incorrectly mixed—or maybe he’d miscalculated the dosage.

There were no issues with his pheromones, but Ryan’s body had regressed—it now resembled that of a child.

“Besides the size change, are there any other symptoms?”

Cielo gently placed a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. At the same time, a soft white glow flared as he tried to heal him, but Ryan’s body didn’t return to normal.

Since it wasn’t a wound or injury, Cielo’s powers had no effect.

“…None. I feel fine. No—actually, I’m full of energy.”

He felt so energetic he wanted to run around. He even thought sword training might go better than usual right now.

“Then it must be the effect of the drug… How long do you think it will last?”

As he asked, Cielo kept gently playing with Ryan’s cheek. He was happy to see a version of Ryan he’d never seen before, and the soft texture of those baby cheeks was too good to resist.

“…I’ll probably look like this all day today.”

“All day…!”

“You look oddly happy about that?”

“It’s not that I’m happy, it’s just… you’re so cute. I’ve never seen you look this young before, how could I not like it?”

Besides, there was nothing seriously wrong with him, and he’d return to normal in time.

After a moment of concern, joy quickly took over.

“Are you really okay with it? We were supposed to try for a baby again tonight, but I won’t be able to—”

“Ahem, little kids shouldn’t say things like that.”

Cielo cut him off by covering his mouth, and Ryan stared wide-eyed with a baffled expression.

But Cielo didn’t pay it any mind and extended his hand.

“Now, it’s time for breakfast. You haven’t eaten anything since waking up—you went straight into analyzing what happened.”

“I’m fine. I ate something last night after you went to bed, so—”

“Tsk! That won’t do. Skipping meals is bad. Especially not okay when you’re in a child’s body—you need to eat well.”

Ryan let out a dry laugh at Cielo’s stern tone. But Cielo looked completely serious.

“…But I’m not hungry.”

“Then at least eat a slice of bread.”

Cielo said this firmly, then lifted Ryan into his arms and left the room.

As they made their way to the annex dining hall, Ryan grumbled in protest.

“I have legs, you know. I can walk.”

“I know. But with your current child-sized legs, climbing up and down the stairs in the annex might be difficult. There are quite a few steps here, remember?”

Even if he had the energy of a child, his bones weren’t fully developed.

Cielo insisted on carrying him, saying it would be troublesome if Ryan tripped.

“Aren’t I heavy?”

“You’re not. I’m not that weak, you know.”

Cielo responded as if to prove it, adjusting his hold on Ryan confidently.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Cielo kissed Ryan on the cheek and set him down gently in a chair.

“Eat your bread, and make sure you drink your milk after. That’s how you build strong bones.”

“People are going to think I’m really just a baby.”

“Well, to my eyes, you kind of are right now.”

Come to think of it, Oscar had gone through a similar phase.

Oscar had been a little bigger than Ryan’s current form, but back then, he hadn’t been in great health. Cielo remembered feeding him all sorts of things to help him recover.