TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 108
The Narrator continued the explanation in a clear voice.
-The Boy, who had grown up, tried to escape his wretched fate. Now, he not only wanted to fulfill his own destiny but also the dream of the Peculiar Girl, who had rolled into his life like a wrinkled pumpkin.
The Narrator’s voice, resonating gracefully, was neither rigid nor imbued with emotion, but rather a low voice.
Behind the Narrator, The Boy and the Girl were bickering, fighting over chocolate, as the Child Actors’ passionate performance drew laughter from the audience.
“Puhaha! Look at that Kid!”
“Go, Red Hair, win!”
“Don’t lose to the Fallen Noble!”
The Young Lady, hearing the audience’s laughter, wore a disapproving expression. Folding her arms, she scoffed and sighed as she spoke in a confident voice.
“Naturally, the strong should be the ones to eat! Whether it’s a Fallen Noble or a Commoner, only the strong can claim the chocolate… What a lack of respect for chocolate!”
-Naturally, the strong should be the ones to eat!
Seeing the Young Lady repeating the exact same line as the actor, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
“Puhaha! Did you secretly watch this play beforehand? How can you say it exactly the same?”
Her face turning bright red, the Young Lady clenched her fist and came at me threateningly, saying ‘Ugh,’ but finding her adorable, I handed her some caramel popcorn with a small smile.
“Why!”
“For you to eat.”
“Hm. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
In front of food, the Young Lady turned into a gentle lamb, smiling softly as she focused on the play.
“Ricardo.”
“Yes?”
“Was I like that too?”
Looking at Lucia, who was fighting with The Boy by pulling his hair, the Young Lady asked absentmindedly. I shook my head and replied with a negative response.
“You were worse, Young Lady.”
“…No way. I never pulled hair. I fought with my fists.”
“Isn’t that worse?”
“In the world of competition, being ruthless is the norm.”
“…”
The Young Lady burned with a sense of justice, at least when it came to chocolate.
After a brief exchange of words.
The Narrator once again took the spotlight and continued the explanation.
-The Boy gave his best effort to achieve success.
-Starting by begging in the slum, he began to sell stolen goods, gradually earning a profit, and little by little, The Boy’s wallet started to grow.
From the stolen wallets, to gems.
From the gems, to dress fabrics.
From the dresses, to selling small houses, he accumulated great wealth.
In the process, he fought often with Lucia.
Lucia, jealous of The Boy working all the time and not playing with her, argued with him, but their bond, tied by the strong knot of friendship, remained firm.
However, a shy sprout of love began to bloom in The Boy’s heart.
The small seed of love he harbored in his heart grew larger as The Boy aged.
During adolescence, seeing Lucia’s body made his face flush, and every time he saw her beautiful face as she leaned on his shoulder and fell asleep, his heart would race, tickling him with warmth.
Realizing he was in love, The Boy thought to himself.
-I’m in trouble.
The relationship that began with sympathy gradually grew into a blush-tinted love, and Lucia began to water the small sprout The Boy had nurtured.
-I will marry a Splendid Man someday!
-A Splendid Man…? Who’s that?
-A noble, tall, and handsome man! It would be nice if he had a lot of money too!
The Boy counted on his fingers, suppressing a smile.
‘Three out of four, I pass.’
With The Boy’s small murmur, the Child Actors disappeared behind the stage.
Then, the grown-up Protagonists slowly emerged from opposite ends of the stage.
Lucia, who had been wearing a Tattered Dress, had now become a mature Lady, adorned in an Elegant Dress, while The Boy, now a merchant, walked confidently in a neat uniform.
The Spotlight shone.
The bright Spotlight illuminated Lucia.
The dark Spotlight highlighted the Red-Haired Boy.
With the differing brightness of the lights, emotions began to appear on the actors’ faces.
Lucia wore a bright smile.
And The Boy, bowing his head in the darkness.
With heavy music playing, the stage opened.
The Young Lady’s expression darkened.
“You look troubled, Young Lady. Do you need to go to the restroom?”
“No. It’s just… something feels painful.”
“Hmm…”
Looking at The Boy’s somber face, I shrugged.
“It’ll be fine. Won’t it end in a happy ending?”
“The title says it’s a Sad Love Story.”
“Ah, I see.”
Though I always believed love stories should end in happy endings, the flow of the play, nearing its conclusion, was telling a sad ending.
A story similar to mine.
Though the circumstances and situations were somewhat different, the emotions contained within were similar.
Being hurt by indifference.
Harboring false hope.
I viewed The Boy, who was walking a path similar to my past self, with a negative outlook.
I had always hoped for a happy ending.
So, I whispered softly, in a voice that couldn’t be heard.
“I’m different.”
Lightly pinching the Young Lady’s cheek as she watched the play with her hands tightly clasped, I smiled.
“Because I’m handsome.”
“Ahhh…! Why are you pinching!”
“Just because.”
The play continued.
-Human connections never break.
-Realizing his love, The Boy worked hard to become the Splendid Man Lucia liked, but Lucia did not look at The Boy.
The two opposing stages were divided by a single curtain. The magical elements of the stage quickly disappeared and were reconstructed repeatedly.
The stage where Lucia stood was a bright and bustling banquet hall.
The place illuminating The Boy was a cold street battered by wind and rain. Constantly working and jotting something down in his pocket notebook, The Boy’s small smile looked happy.
-Once I become a noble, I’ll confess.
The small smile, filled with a hint of excitement, reminded me of my past self. Annoyingly so.
-Naïve Lucia lived contentedly with the small happiness The Boy gave her.
-I got accepted into the Academy!
-Really…? But you said you’d work with me.
-If I get smarter, I can help you better!
-If you want to go, then you should.
-While bearing the heavy tuition fee alone, that is.
-As Lucia made more friends, she gradually forgot about The Boy.
-When will she come? It’s my birthday today… Did she forget?
-Gradually, Lucia began to drift away from The Boy.
The stage shifted to The Boy’s Room.
The Boy’s face, flustered, looked at Lucia, who was speaking excitedly about her newfound love.
-I have someone I like.
-…Who is it?
I secretly harbored expectations.
-Lucas, a Third Year Student at the Academy. He’s a Noble! Though it’s a Small Household, he’s incredibly handsome…! And kind!
-…What?
I felt disappointed.
-Lucia, the truth is…
-You’ll cheer for me, right?
I despaired.
Disappointment began to surface on The Boy’s face. Hearing that the person he had loved for years suddenly loved someone else, The Boy’s face started to break down.
But The Boy couldn’t reveal his feelings.
Because Lucia’s happiness was his own happiness.
-Congr…atulations.
The Boy awkwardly smiled and supported Lucia’s love.
With a bitter smile, as he congratulated Lucia, the flow of the play approached its conclusion.
-The Boy silently cheered for Lucia’s love, focusing on his work with the thought that she might return to him someday.
-To fulfill Lucia’s dream of becoming a Noble, and to prepare for the day she might return to him, he worked diligently.
The stage began to darken.
As if racing toward the end of the play, majestic music accompanied by a Strong Wind swept toward the audience like a storm.
-Lucia. The Man is dangerous.
-What do you even know about it!
-Please, just listen to me! Can’t you listen to me just once?
-Shut up!
The person Lucia loved was a Murderer.
The Boy unintentionally discovered the truth about The Man Lucia loved, and The Boy began to desperately try to stop her.
Though the story was extreme, the audience could understand thanks to the chillingly realistic performance.
And The Boy.
-See? I told you he was a Bad Person.
Died in Lucia’s place.
It was a Cold Road, drenched in rain.
Blood flowed from The Boy’s stomach, and The Man, whom Lucia had loved, met his Death at The Boy’s hands, collapsing into a Cold Corpse.
Under a dim Spotlight, The Boy, wearing a somber expression, tightly embraced the trembling Lucia.
-I hate dirty things, but I’m sorry. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to stop you if not today.
The Boy’s Low Voice spread calmly, not as a desperate cry but as a quiet tone, drawing deep immersion.
In this moment, with not a single sound from the audience, The Boy, holding back the blood flowing from his lips, spoke in a trembling voice.
-I love you.
Lucia came to understand her feelings for The Boy.
But it was far too late.
*
“…Are you crying?”
“I’m not crying.”
“Pfft.”
“Don’t tease me!”
After the play ended.
The Young Lady, unable to shake off the lingering emotions, stayed in her seat, dabbing at her eyes with a Handkerchief.
The Young Lady, who had earned the nickname of a Villainess said to be so cold that not a drop of blood would come out even if pricked, showed her warm heart united by love as she sniffled and shook her head.
“Ricardo.”
“Yes.”
Speaking in a voice tinged with moisture, the Young Lady said.
“Ricardo, you mustn’t die.”
Grabbing the Young Lady’s cheek, I replied.
“I won’t die.”
[You can reuse Rehabilitation’s Touch.]
“Absolutely not.”
I gave a Small Smile.