Becoming the Terminally-Ill Villain Who Torments His Disciples - Chapter 50.1
“This will be your room from now on. Dedicate yourself to your studies so you can act befitting the name of Esteban.”
Typhon gave Cielo a new room. It was smaller than the one he had shared with Aire, but for one person, it was more than spacious enough.
“F-Father. What about Mother?”
“Mother?”
“Where is Mother…”
“How dare you! Don’t show your ignorance!”
Typhon scolded him harshly and struck Cielo on the calves, starting his language education from scratch.
He was told to always use honorifics with everyone.
Since many people in the household didn’t even know about Cielo’s existence, he was told to treat even the servants with proper manners.
As a child, Cielo didn’t understand what Typhon meant. He didn’t yet realize that this essentially meant Typhon didn’t acknowledge him as a member of the Esteban ducal family.
Everyone else knew this truth—everyone except Cielo. Until that point, he truly believed the twins considered him family.
“Wanna play with me, big brother?”
“Yes, let’s play!”
“You should say ‘yes, sir,’ not ‘yes.’ If you keep that up, you’ll get scolded by Father again.”
At Pielago’s words, Cielo opened his eyes wide and quickly covered his mouth.
Because the small child reacted to everything he said, the twins at the time found Cielo quite adorable.
And Cielo grew very attached to the twins in return. As time passed, he was even able to tell them apart easily.
The rougher-spoken and more physical one was Pielago. The one who always had a gentle smile on his face was Sol.
He loved it when they patted him on the head and said, “Well done,” whenever he got something right.
It made him happy.
The fact that he wasn’t alone.
The fact that he had more books to read than he could count.
But life wasn’t filled with only pleasant words.
“I told you not to run inside the estate!”
“Goodness, young master! This isn’t something you should be doing!”
Cielo looked up silently at the servant scolding him.
Never run inside the mansion.
Don’t interfere with cleaning or cooking like the servants do.
Don’t speak loudly.
Don’t sit with bad posture.
If you want to be considered a member of House Esteban, then show that you’re worth it.
There were many rules to follow, and many people who scolded Cielo.
But Cielo endured it.
“If you’re too scared, just stay where you are. Then I’ll come find you.”
Those words, spoken while holding him tight, remained vivid in his mind.
He believed that if the storms of the world ever frightened him too much, Aire would come find him and reach out her hand.
Time in this new world flew by like an arrow. The seven-year-old Cielo turned ten and became, at least somewhat, the person House Esteban wanted him to be.
At least, that’s what he thought—
—until he realized his way of thinking was different from the twins’.
“Brother, you said it’s wrong to pick on someone weaker.”
The coachman’s son, whose face was swollen as if he’d been slapped, was crying bitterly. Cielo stood protectively in front of him and addressed Pielago.
“Move, Cielo.”
“…That child didn’t do anything to deserve being hit.”
“He ran in front of me. And that’s not reason enough to hit him?”
Pielago, veins bulging in his neck, shouted in anger.
But from Cielo’s perspective, it was behavior he couldn’t understand at all. So he stopped him.
“That’s not something worth hitting someone over.”
“Are you insane?”
The moment Cielo rejected his behavior and beliefs, Pielago’s face twisted into fury.
Just as he curled his hand into a fist, ready to strike—
“That’s enough, Pielago.”
Sol, who had been quietly observing, stepped in to mediate.
“Cielo’s only been in House Esteban for three years. Since we understand how things work here, we should be patient with him.”
“…His whole way of thinking is weak. Why should we care about the weak?”
“Pielago.”
“I said I get it, okay?!”
Though grumbling, Pielago tapped Cielo’s shoulder. It was his way of saying he’d let it go this time.
But Cielo still couldn’t understand what they meant.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
