Becoming the Terminally-Ill Villain Who Torments His Disciples

At Oscar’s sharp words, Cielo gave a bitter smile.

“Yes. Even if you said the same thing again, I’d still say I’m not ready.”

“…”

“Regardless of how precious you are to me, I still see you as a child.”

Cielo had first met Oscar when he was so small he only came up to Cielo’s waist.

Maybe it had only been six years, but he had watched that tiny child grow into an adult. That made it hard for romantic feelings to naturally develop.

“You… still see me as a child?”

Oscar let out a hollow breath.

Was that really the reason Cielo kept his distance?

Probably not. There were likely many reasons, but none that had been clearly sorted out in his mind. That had to be why he said, “I still see you as a child.”

By saying that, at the very least, he could buy some time until his thoughts were in order.

If that’s the main reason — that he still sees me as a child…

Then that was actually a welcome answer.

Because, if what Cielo said was true, then the moment Oscar no longer looked like a child to him, the moment he came to be seen as a romantic partner, it would mean all of the boundaries Cielo had drawn could be crossed.

Oscar had been silent for a long time. Then he looked up at Cielo.

Even the way he fiddled with the half-used bandage looked unbearably endearing.

…This is so frustrating.

His feelings for Cielo were overwhelming. He wished he could just throw them away.

“Master.”

When he called softly, Cielo lifted his head.

As Oscar met those sky-colored eyes, filled with curiosity, he asked:

“If, that day, it had been Lord Doberman who did that to you instead of me… what would you have done?”

“I would have gotten angry and kept my distance.”

Just like he had done with Oscar now. He would have waited for an apology while keeping his distance.

Even if the context had been different, the act of forcing something unwanted remained the same.

“Then, if I hadn’t done that… would our relationship have stayed the same?”

At that, Cielo reached out. He gently stroked Oscar’s black hair, and Oscar quietly looked up to meet his gaze.

“No. Even if it were far in the future, we still would have had to face this eventually.”

“…”

“As long as I value you this much, I’d always feel guilty about wanting more from you.”

Oscar let out a small sigh as he listened.

Whenever he had asked these kinds of questions in the past, Cielo always replied with, “Of course not.”

But now, he seemed to be speaking honestly, without any filters. It felt strange.

It must mean that what Oscar had done really was a serious mistake.

“I thought… if I did that, I could make you mine.”

“…”

“I ignored your will and just did what I wanted. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

Hearing him speak with such sincerity, Cielo’s eyes widened.

After taking a slow breath, he looked directly at Oscar and said:

“I’m sorry too, Oscar.”

“…”

“I used the moment you made a mistake as a chance to say those things. I hurt you… and I’m sorry for that.”

At Cielo’s words, Oscar gripped his hand tightly.

The warmth that bloomed at his fingertips was just so comforting.

Right now, he simply wanted to sink into this embrace.

***

Since the day he had stormed out of Cielo’s room, Oscar had been living in a half-dazed state.

He couldn’t sleep, tormented by the fact that he hadn’t been able to hold that small body in his arms.

In the mornings, he would instinctively fill the tub with bathwater, and he even found himself cooling hot food to make it easier to eat — all habits formed with Cielo in mind.