Becoming the Terminally-Ill Villain Who Torments His Disciples - Chapter 9.1
‘Isn’t the Crown Prince Eli? How did Ryan become the Emperor?’
Could something have happened before the story began?
In the original novel Cielo had read, Ryan was already the Emperor, and Eli didn’t exist at all.
‘There was never any mention of past events in the original…’
Did Ryan commit treason or something?
Cielo seriously considered the possibility but soon shook his head and brushed it off.
Whether Ryan was Emperor or Eli was didn’t matter much. It wouldn’t affect Oscar.
‘Either way, Oscar’s role in the original was to escape the Imperial Palace, gather companions, and defeat the Demon King or some kind of demon race.’
So in the end, it didn’t matter who sat on the throne.
Besides, in the original, Ryan was someone who supported Oscar during his hardest times.
There was no reason to view him as an enemy.
“Cielo? Are you sick? Hey, Cielo!”
Lost in his thoughts and flooded by returning memories, Cielo hadn’t heard a word Ryan said.
It wasn’t until a large hand gripped his shoulder that Cielo snapped out of it and turned in surprise.
“Ah… Sorry. I was just thinking about something.”
“You alright?”
“Yes. So you can let go now.”
As Cielo lightly tapped Ryan’s arm, the man quickly released him, startled.
But he kept sneaking glances like a puppy waiting for a scolding after doing something wrong behind its owner’s back.
“Do you… have something you’d like to say?”
When Cielo tilted his head, Ryan parted his lips, as if he had something to say but couldn’t bring himself to say it.
After several tries, Ryan finally managed to speak.
“You… You know who I am, right?”
His voice trembled slightly.
Cielo had heard he’d been seriously injured by the Crown Prince not long ago.
‘They said he hit his head… If that’s the case, maybe he forgot me…’
If that hypothesis was right, then it wouldn’t be strange that Cielo was talking so casually.
Ryan swallowed dryly and waited for Cielo’s response.
“Yes. I know you, Ryan.”
Ryan’s eyes widened at the answer, completely opposite of what he’d expected.
His lips moved wordlessly before he finally muttered in shock:
“You said my name.”
“…?”
“You, of all people, said my name…”
Cielo scratched his head at Ryan’s dazed expression.
‘Was I not supposed to call him by name?’
Ryan then fell silent and stared at Cielo’s face, as if struggling with something.
Cielo waited patiently, saying nothing, letting the silence linger.
Ryan took a deep breath, steadying the emotions welling up inside him.
Then slowly reached out and gently held Cielo’s arm.
It was a cautious gesture, as if afraid Cielo might brush him off or be repulsed.
“I heard you were the one who treated me.”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“…Thank you.”
Ryan bit his lip. Even as he spoke, he couldn’t hide the awkwardness in the air.
Cielo simply rolled his eyes.
‘Well, I guess it makes sense. After that memory I saw earlier, they probably haven’t had a proper conversation in years.’
It had to have been at least that long since they last spoke.
So it was no wonder Ryan was so nervous and fidgety.
“Is there something else you want to say to me?”
“If I said there was… would you let me?”
“Huh? Well… I guess.”
Once given permission, Ryan hung his head.
Since he was much taller than Cielo, even with his head lowered, his expression was in full view.
Cielo looked up and quietly examined Ryan’s face.
Those blood-red eyes, reminiscent of a beast’s, held a deep, raw regret.
“I’ve wanted to say I’m sorry for a very long time.”
“To me?”
“Yeah. I betrayed your trust.”
“You mean the time you tried to force yourself on me?”
Ryan’s face twisted before the words were even finished.
But it wasn’t because he was offended by how bluntly Cielo phrased it.
It was the weight of self-loathing for what he had done.
“…I made a lot of suppressants so I wouldn’t make the same mistake in front of you again.”
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