Becoming the Terminally-Ill Villain Who Torments His Disciples

Oscar parted his lips to speak, then bowed his head deeply.

As Cielo quietly looked at the tips of Oscar’s ears turning bright red, Oscar burrowed into Cielo’s arms as if to hide his embarrassment.

“Love…”

The murmured voice from within his embrace was so endearing.

Cielo gently stroked Oscar’s back.

During the days he lived as Lee Eunwoo, he too always longed for the assurance that he was loved.

But even up to the moment of his death, Eunwoo had never experienced that feeling, and likely never would.

So he wanted to give that feeling to Oscar.

Because he knew that if he poured love into Oscar, who likely carried the same wounds, then Oscar could live more happily than anyone.

‘Please live a happy life.’

If that happened, maybe he himself could believe, at some point, that such happiness was possible for him too.

As he embraced Oscar tightly with that earnest wish in his heart, Oscar also tightened his arms slightly around Cielo’s waist.

“Are you done crying?”

Once the sniffles had quieted, Cielo smiled and asked.

Oscar gave a sheepish nod and grinned shyly.

That smile was so cute that when Cielo lightly patted his back, Oscar let out a short yelp, “Ah!”

“……?”

It wasn’t because the pat had hurt.

Wondering if he had touched an already injured spot, Cielo’s face hardened.

“Are you hurt?”

Oscar suddenly lifted his head. He opened his mouth as if unsure what to say, glancing nervously.

“I’m not going to scold you. Please tell me.”

At Cielo’s repeated question, Oscar wiped his tears and sniffled as he answered.

“The spot I got hit last time still… I-I’m sorry.”

Cielo reached out and grabbed Oscar’s arm.

Just as he was about to treat him, Oscar’s eyes went wide.

“Ah, no, Master!”

“What do you mean no?”

“Your body… you’re not well. If you heal me again… just like last time, you’ll…”

Oscar bit his lip as he spoke.

His face showed genuine worry that Cielo might get sick.

And the moment Cielo saw that expression, his heart softened.

Part of it was that the child, who had always only feared him, was now worrying for him.

But more than that, it was because this was the first time someone had ever shown him concern like this.

To ignore those words and go ahead with healing would be like wounding the boy’s heart.

“……Did you get treatment elsewhere?”

“N-no. M-Master, you said that self-treatment counts as treatment too, so I…”

“What kind of utter nonsense is that…!”

Cielo raised his voice without meaning to.

He was appalled and furious at the outrageous words that wretched villain must have said.

“I-I’m sorry! I’m so sorry…”

“No, no. I wasn’t speaking to you. I got angry without thinking… I’m sorry. Truly.”

Cielo bit his lip and reached out to roll up Oscar’s sleeve.

“Ha!”

Marks of abuse were all over the parts of Oscar’s body that had been hidden.

There were wounds that looked like they’d been stabbed with something sharp like a pen.

There were cuts as if torn by a whip.

There were even scratches that looked like they’d been made by fingernails.

Cielo quietly let the sleeve fall back down and picked Oscar up.

“…M-Master!”

“Stay still.”

Since he wasn’t particularly strong, just lifting Oscar took a fair amount of effort.

But Cielo didn’t put him down.

He simply carried him all the way to the clinic.

“Are you busy right now?”

As he entered the clinic and spoke, a red-haired man standing off in the distance quickly rushed over.

Hair as red as fire and slightly darker crimson eyes.

He was the man Cielo had treated last time.

“I came to have the boy examined. I was hoping you could treat him.”

“M-Master, no. I-I’m really fine. I don’t need treatment.”

Oscar spoke urgently, and Cielo narrowed his eyes.

Adjusting Oscar in his arms with a small grunt, Cielo raised an eyebrow and asked,

“Then… should I just treat you myself?”

“Wha—?! N-no! M-Master, you’re still sick…”

“You refuse to let me treat you, and you don’t want to be seen in the clinic either. If you reject both options, that puts me in a difficult position. The most I’m willing to concede is letting the clinic handle your treatment. So please… get treated. I’m asking you.”

At the word asking, Oscar pursed his lips, then slowly nodded.