My Child Is A Villain - CH 10

“M-mom!”

Ronschka called her carefully, and Adele turned to him and smiled. Is it because of the light leaking in from the window? It felt like she was shining.

“Ronschka.”

Her mother hasn’t changed. She wasn’t the mother who used to stare at him with cold eyes. His mother, who isn’t a witch, says it’s okay to do anything.

Ronschka smiled, came closer, and held out the bouquet.

“G-gift.”

“Oh, are you giving it to me?”

Adele received the bouquet and smiled gently as she smelled it.

Ronschka liked the figure and stared at her with his mouth open. He then saw his mother’s expression change. Her round forehead wrinkled and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Ronschka, what’s wrong with your hands?”

Ronschka held out his hands and replied, “I-I fell.”

“What happened?”

“W-while I was running.”

“Be careful.”

Adele put down the bouquet and took Ronschka’s hands with a sad expression. Then she carefully touched his bandaged hands and kissed them.

“Get well soon, my dear son.”

It was a light wish that is often given between dear friends. But Leon, who was watching from outside the room, felt his heart ache for a moment.

Nothing came to mind about basic etiquette to keep then. It just hurts, his heart hurts. Feeling strange, he ran after walking back a few steps.

After running for a while and reaching his room, Leon was able to catch his breath.

The emotions he experienced for the first time in his life shook him.

“Why did it hurt?”

Leon, muttering blankly, saw Lucas looking for him through the window.

“Oh, right!”

Leon hurriedly ran out of the room and headed toward Lucas.

“Master! I am here!”

“Leon, did you treat Ronschka’s wounds?”

“Yes, I took him to the doctor.”

“Alright.”

Lucas put on a relieved expression. Seeing that, Leon felt his heart ache again. Maybe there’s something wrong with my body?

Leon, who was patting his chest with his hand, immediately shook his head. If I’m really sick, I can see a doctor later.

Right now, the important thing was to faithfully carry out the training that Master, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, ordered.

Leon followed Lucas and suddenly looked back. His gaze was on the open window in a corner room on the second floor. It is Ronschka and his mother’s room.

Leon stared there with an unreadable expression for a moment, then turned his head again.

* * *

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to become an excellent swordsman and knight.”

A knight is more righteous than anyone else. That was Leon’s dream after his parents died and everything was taken away by his relatives.

A knight protects the weak, respects a lady, and serves his lord. He wanted to become a better knight than anyone else and regain his family name.

So, I have to work hard. On the day Leon followed Lucas, he made that decision.

I did.

But I’ve been feeling bad lately.

Unlike Leon, Ronschka has a blunt attitude. Other than his mom, he doesn’t care about anything, even when other people are nice to him, he doesn’t.

His attitude does not change even in front of his teacher, Lucas. No, it seems to have gotten worse lately.

Leon stared blankly at Ronschka, who had finished training and was covered in dust, picking flowers as usual.

He had been skinny the whole time, but after his mother regained consciousness, he gained weight.

The last time he’d stolen a glance, Ronschka’s mother had kept putting food in his mouth while comforting him. And when he finished eating, she praised him that he ate well.

‘I eat well too.’

Leon has been strangely sick to his stomach. Meanwhile, Ronschka was finishing a sloppy bouquet by himself.

After hesitating for a moment, Leon spoke to Ronschka. “Did you know that there are prettier flowers in the southern part of the garden?”

“Prettier flower?”

“Yes. Rose. It’s really pretty.”

Ronschka looked at the nearly finished bouquet and glanced at Leon.

“Where is it?”

“Over there.”

His teacher, Lucas, likes roses. His favorite rose is the blood rose, which has sharper thorns than other roses, so he gave orders that no one but the gardener should touch it.

That’s because you can get hurt if you do something wrong. But Ronschka is always selfish.

Leon stood still, trying to rationalize himself, then raised his head. His heart sank at the thought that Ronschka might be hurt.

“Ronschka!”

Then he ran to the south side of the garden. There he saw Ronschka extending his hand towards the rose.

When Leon ran as fast as he could and grabbed his hand, Ronschka gave Leon a confused look, as if asking why.

“Come to think of it, this rose is dangerous.”

“D-dangerous?”

“Because the thorns are sharp.”

At those words, Ronschka stared blankly at the rose while holding Leon’s hand.

“I-I can burn it.”

Did Lucas’ class work? Ronshka could now handle a small fire or two as he pleased.

Burning the thorns alone is a difficult task, but I think I can do a little.

“No, you can’t. It’s Master’s rose.”

Ronschka made a confused expression at Leon’s words. He looked like he didn’t care.

The emotions that Leon had just suppressed at the bottom of his heart roared again.

“You can’t.”

“W-why?”

“It’s Master’s rose.”

The two had a quarrel. Then Ronschka stubbornly stretched out his hand towards the rose.

Seeing that, Leon pushed Ronschka without realizing it.

It was not until Ronschka, whom he had pushed, fell on his buttocks that he realized what he had done.

I have to say I’m sorry. Just as Leon was about to apologize, flames struck the back of his hand. It was Ronschka’s Spirit.

His feeling of regret disappeared and he became angry.

“Ronschka!”

“W-why are you screaming!”

“You just attacked me!”

“Y-y-you pushed me first!”

That’s not wrong. So it made Leon even more ashamed. His face was burning red.

“Because…!”

Leon opened his mouth to make an excuse, then looked down and gritted his teeth.

‘What was I trying to say?’

Wasn’t I trying to justify my actions by blaming Ronschka? If you ask me if that’s the right thing to do, I can say no.

I know that, but strangely, my mouth won’t admit it.

‘I have to apologize. I have to say I’m sorry and help him stand up.’

But he didn’t. He felt suffocated by pain.

It was then. He realized someone was looking this way. Someone with brown hair and friendly green eyes. Adele.

‘Why?’

It would be fine if he was caught by Lucas, his teacher, even if he would be scolded and punished. It was the same even if Madeleine or Kish caught him.

But he didn’t want to be caught by Adele. Leon clasped his hands tightly and just looked down.

“Ronschka?”

Adele called her son by his name. Then she rushed over and sat next to Ronschka, who was still sitting on the ground.

Maybe she thinks Ronschka fell alone, Leon thought so.

But it wasn’t hard for Adele to read the subtle atmosphere flowing between the two kids.

‘Leon pushed Ronschka.’

Adele tried to stay calm. Leon is a disciple of Lucas, the owner of the mansion.

Recently, Ronshka has been taking classes with him, but nothing has been confirmed yet. That’s why Adele was even more nervous.

“Ronschka, shall we get up first?”

Adele lifted Ronshka up and brushed the dirt off his bottom. Ronschka smiled as if she liked it when her mother patted her bottom.

Ronschka who was smiling at her mother even in this situation looked sad and lovely.

Holding back her tears, Adele looked back at Leon. Then she realized Leon was trembling.

She suddenly remembered what Madeleine had said.

“Leon is a good kid. But sometimes, he seems to have a hard time trying to be too nice.”

As she looked at Leon, there was a sudden growling sound from Ronschka’s stomach.

-growling.

Looks like he’s hungry. From the moment he started taking Lucas’ classes, his appetite grew stronger, and it seemed he also got hungry quickly.

Adele reached out to Ronschka. Then Ronshka put his small hand on hers as if it was natural. Even that little act made Adele feel her heart thump.

‘Oh right.’

Adele then reached out to Leon as well.