If The Villain Catches Me Alive Chapter 23.6 - If the villain catches me alive

 

“Good morning, Dante.”

 

Theodore greeted calmly. Dante didn’t respond to his words and immediately ran away to the back of the house. And, as he had expected…

 

Theodore followed him.

 

‘Oh, come on! Are you really going to follow me?! I’m really hungry…’

 

Dante had to pretend not to know him, so he just shouted that in his mind. There was a deep reason why he was desperately trying to get rid of Theodore. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Theodore.

 

‘He’s… no matter how I think about it, he’s clearly someone who has zero self-awareness…’

 

Think about it. If someone as handsome as Theodore suddenly appeared in this rural village, how much commotion would it cause? Especially if it was someone dressed in the dazzling robe of a mage?

 

Just imagining it made Dante’s head spin. I… I can’t do it. I can’t explain you to the villagers!

 

Everyone just knows me as a young man living alone on the outskirts of the village, an orphan, but living diligently!

 

And while mages like Theodore, with magic coursing through their veins, can go without food for a few days without it affecting their life, Dante, who has become an ordinary person, has the obligation to eat three meals a day. As he gathered his work kit neatly arranged behind the house, he felt an odd gaze from behind. …What! What now! This is just how I live, so what!

 

“I’ll take it.”

 

“…It’s okay.”

 

“Still…”

 

“It makes me feel at ease if I carry it.”

 

Please don’t make that gloomy, childish expression again.

 

Regardless of the expression on Theodore’s face, he walked past him and continued down the long path behind the house with steady steps.

 

Theodore stood there for a while with his hand outstretched, but when he saw Dante moving, he hesitated a little and then withdrew his hand. Then, without saying a word, he silently followed behind Dante. On the way up, the child kept fidgeting beside Dante. He reached out his hand as if to take the basket from Dante’s hand, but then hesitated again…

 

Why? Is it because it’s covered in dust and you don’t want to touch it? Then don’t act like you’re going to help me carry it… Tch.

 

“But where… are you going?”

 

Oh my, now you’re asking.

 

Don’t you think the question is too late? We’ve already started climbing the mountain.

 

Dante pursed his lips and climbed the mountain silently without saying a word. Of course, his heart was still beating wildly. No, it’s okay. Dante… He won’t kill you just because you said something… Probably.

 

Even though the mountain path was poorly maintained, Theodore followed Dante easily. Even though his shoes and robe were covered in dirt, there was no hesitation in his footsteps.

 

What… You didn’t hate dirt, did you? Then… Is it really because of me?! Did you hesitate earlier because you didn’t want to touch me?

 

Of course, I was the one who treated him like I didn’t know him first… So it’s not like I’m one to talk… But I couldn’t help feeling hurt. No, but… You were the one who lied to me first, saying that we were lovers…

 

Dante muttered to himself, confused and unable to understand his state of mind.

 

His workplace finally appeared before his eyes.

 

There, my treasure, my money, my children, and my lifeline were all rooted deeply. Seeing that scene, Dante couldn’t help but smile again. Daddy’s here!

 

That’s right, I’m the only one in this village who appreciates your value! Did I come too late?! Ugh, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it because of that scary guy behind me…

 

Dante set down the basket he had brought and rolled up his sleeves. He didn’t know when he would be able to come out again after today, so he was going to fill the basket to the brim today! That was his plan.

 

Just as he was about to start digging, someone grabbed his hand.

 

‘Who are you! Who dares to stand between me and my treasure!’

 

It was Theodore.

 

…I’m sorry. What is it now?

 

“……I’ll do it.”  

 

“What?”

 

I forgot that I shouldn’t respond to him because of that unexpected remark and blurted out a silly reply. Meanwhile, Theodore took the hoe from his hand and silently dug into the ground. When Theodore had already dug five times, that’s when Dante finally understood the situation and quickly reached out his hand.

 

Hey, you’re going to get your clothes dirty! Those clothes look expensive!

 

“……Give it to me.”

 

“No.”

 

No, you’re terrible at this! If you damage the roots, Grandpa won’t pay me even half the price! Do you think hoeing is easy? This is something only skilled workers can do!

 

Of course, naturally… He only scolded Theo in his mind.

 

He stood there, unable to do anything, fidgeting and staring at Theodore. Theodore glanced at Dante’s behavior and sighed deeply.

 

‘No, I’m the one who wants to sigh…’

 

You’re ruining my pile of money… my livelihood… dragging it straight to the abyss… sob…

 

At that moment.

 

Gurgle—

 

His stomach, which doesn’t care about time or place, made a loud noise that echoed through the mountains. Dante felt like his face was about to explode. He felt so embarrassed he wanted to hide, but the mountain field was so vast… There was nowhere to hide. 

 

Damn it…

 

Once again, Theodore let out a deep sigh and asked softly.

 

“Have you been living like this all this time?”

 

Hold on. I felt that.

 

You totally loaded all sorts of negative things with that ‘like this’, didn’t you?

 

I make decent money with this, you know? Of course, it’s small compared to the salary from the Magic Tower… But anyway, if I work hard in the morning, I can spend the rest of the afternoon leisurely. It’s a highly efficient job?

 

As Dante kept his mouth shut, Theodore finally put down his hoe and stood up.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

What? Where?

 

Where are we going, leaving my gold nuggets here?

 

And you haven’t even been hoeing for five minutes, and you’re already tired? I guess someone who used to be a farmer should do it, right?

 

“…Let’s go eat first.”

 

Huh? Eat?

 

Yay. Okay.

 

 

***

 

Theodore casually followed me into my house. He looked so natural that anyone would think he actually lived with me. His hands were full of groceries that I didn’t know where he got them from.

 

‘…Where did he get those?’

 

As I was thinking that, Theodore sat me down on a wooden chair. As if saying I should just watch.

 

“Sit down. It won’t take long.”

 

Theodore sat me down neatly on the chair and walked toward the kitchen.

 

I didn’t tell him where the knife was or where the pot was stored, but there was no hesitation in his movements. Already exhausted from climbing the mountain, I lay sprawled on the table, watching Theodore with my eyes.

 

‘Why is he doing all this for me…?’

 

He even mentioned the impossible idea of us being lovers. Is it like some witch from a fairy tale… He wouldn’t be planning to fatten me up and eat me, would he?

 

‘If it were me… I wouldn’t serve food to someone I wanted to take revenge on…’

 

The thought stuck in my head. Lately, everything that happened to me was like this. Nothing ever wraps up cleanly. It always leaves me looking back in wonder. Trying to make sense of it all.

 

The rhythmic sound of chopping came from the kitchen. My eyes followed the child’s movements diligently. Theodore had grown a little taller since I left the tower… He had finally cut his long hair. It looked good when he grew it out and tied it in a ponytail, but… short hair is more masculine and stylish.  

 

As I was writing such a trivial review, my eyes kept closing. …Had I been tense for too long?

 

‘…I’m sleepy.’

 

In the end, unable to resist the wave of sleepiness, I tried to close my eyes for a moment, using the sound of Theodore’s chopping as a lullaby. I tried to do so.

 

Bang bang!

 

“Is anyone home?!”

 

That is, until someone had banged on my door as if trying to break it down.