The One Who Doesn't Find Me Revolting #7
[This child? She's rather pretty in a delicate way.]
“Yes. What do you think?”
At Pidea’s words, Emil moved only his lips in the tiniest motions to reply in secret.
It was such a subtle movement that he might as well have been still, yet Pidea—connected to him—could understand it perfectly.
If he spoke into the air, Leni would treat him like a madman.
That was what he had thought, but now that he considered it, perhaps the current situation wasn’t all that different…
[It’s definitely the scent of Sheol… and it doesn’t seem like one of those counterfeit curses the black mages make. Good heavens, a genuine curse still remains in the mortal world.]
“So that’s how it is. A curse passed down in the Ricgard family? Or perhaps from the maternal side.”
[The maternal line is more likely. It would be stranger if a curse only manifested in illegitimate children by coincidence.]
Pidea furrowed her brow.
[Obviously the stench itself isn’t the curse… I need to know the curse’s actual effect. Have you seen any traces of it before?]
“Ah, that’s right. The maids definitely mentioned a scar near her ankle…”
“What are you doing?”
Leni asked with a displeased expression.
Emil, who had been conversing with Pidea, flinched and turned his head to answer.
“Pardon?”
“I asked what you’re doing. You’ve been sneaking glances at me this whole time. It’s unpleasant.”
Oh no. Even though he had been as careful as possible, his gaze had still been noticeable? Emil smiled and smoothly deflected.
“I apologize. It seems I unconsciously stared because you are so beautiful, my lady.”
A frown joined Leni’s blank expression.
“There you go with that nonsense again… Do I look that ridiculous to you? Are you hoping I’ll be like the maids and laugh with joy at such stupid lies?”
“Certainly not. I simply spoke the truth.”
Leni turned her head away in irritation.
That was when Pidea grew angry.
[Emil, what the hell is this damn brat?]
“Damn brat… Haha!”
He barely held back the laughter that nearly escaped.
That was even harsher than what she called Daisy.
[Isn’t it true? Even though you deliberately treat her with respect, she acts like she’s someone important and speaks rudely to you. She’s nothing but the lord’s bastard.]
Those words somehow made him uncomfortable.
So he deliberately stepped in to point it out.
“Don’t talk about her like that, Pidea.”
[What?]
“Even without you, there are plenty of people who look down on this child. Lady Cately, of course, and even the maids. So there’s no need for you or me to join in and insult her.”
Pidea grumbled in response.
[What the— Emil, are you defending her? I can’t believe you’re arguing with me just to protect this ill-mannered girl. This is unbelievable.]
“Good grief, that’s not what I meant. I really can’t tell who the child is here.”
Pidea’s outward appearance might look like a child’s, but her true nature was that of a demon.
…Though even that was uncertain sometimes, seeing the childish sides she occasionally showed.
Emil glanced at Leni once more.
A girl who smelled of rot, an illegitimate child burdened with a curse.
A foolish girl who, because she had never been loved by anyone, deliberately tried to make everyone hate her.
“Can’t we heal this child’s curse?”
[What? Emil, are you serious?]
“I’m just asking for now. You’re a demon. You must know more about curses than anyone.”
Pidea looked doubtful.
[I won’t say it’s impossible. But if you’re asking for a method… it won’t be easy, and it’s dangerous too. People afflicted with a demon’s curse are rare—and just as dangerous.]
“Pidea, that’s…”
“How long are you going to stand there like that?”
Leni’s voice once again shattered the silent conversation between them.
“I told you to get out several times already.”
“My lady…”
Her hoarse voice sounded irritated, as always.
“I finished my meal just like you said. So there’s no reason for you to be here anymore. You’re an eyesore, so disappear from my sight. You’re disturbing my reading.”
Faced with Leni’s blank face calmly spitting out words of contempt, Emil found himself at a loss for words.
“But my lady, this is the time I’ve been assigned to stay by your side.”
“Then I just won’t tell Lord Alon. I’ll say you were here. That should be enough, right? Now get out.”
Leni tried to drive Emil away whenever she had the chance. It was nothing short of troublesome.
Pidea glared at her with clear displeasure.
[You damn brat. Shut your mouth. My Emil is worrying himself over your worthless little curse.]
My Emil.
Every now and then, Pidea would unconsciously reveal her possessiveness like this, treating him as the owner of the body.
Sometimes the intensity of it was almost frightening.
[But now that I look… she doesn’t seem to hate it that much. Hmm… Aha. Is that it?]
Then, as if a brilliant idea had suddenly struck her, Pidea’s eyes sparkled as she asked.
[Emil. I have one question. Isn’t it troublesome when this girl acts so rudely?]
“Troublesome? I’m positively drowning in trouble right now.”
[Right? But from what I see, the problem is your attitude. With such a passive approach, how do you expect this brat to listen to you?]
Her words struck a sore spot.
To be honest, while he knew how to handle women, he wasn’t very good at dealing with children. It was true that he was clumsy.
Daisy had been different from the start because she already held affection for him, but with Leni…
“…I have been thinking about it.”
[Good. Then from now on, listen to me. If you do exactly as I say, this girl will start obeying you nicely.]
Pidea spoke as if revealing some grand secret.
[When dealing with this brat from now on, treat her the same way you treat Lady Cately. Got it? Treat her like Cately.]
What kind of absurd suggestion was this?
Treat her the way he treated Cately?
“I don’t quite understand.”
[In simple terms, do it the same way you seduce women. That should be easy for you, right?]
The way Pidea whispered with a mischievous laugh made Emil’s brow furrow on instinct.
“Just what are you trying to make me do?”
[It’ll all work out. I’m telling the truth.]
He couldn’t bring himself to trust her at all.
How many times had this little demon already put him in difficult situations?
“I don’t trust you.”
[Suspicious Emil. Just trust me this once. If you do, everything really will go well, I promise.]
Pidea kept urging him.
At just the right moment, Leni spoke up again.
“How long are you going to stand there like an idiot? I told you to leave. Being with you makes me feel sick.”
Seduce her like a woman.
Good heavens, could those words even make sense? Was he really supposed to whisper sweet nothings and seduce a girl who barely reached his chest?
“My lady, doesn’t your arm hurt?”
…Even as he thought that, the words slipped out of Emil’s mouth before he could stop them.
“My arm? What nonsense are you—”
“You’ve been holding and reading books all day, haven’t you? It must be tiring your arms.”
Blank contempt returned from Leni.
Damn it, he didn’t want to spout this kind of nonsense either.
Should he stop now?
“Allow me.”
“What—ah!”
Emil naturally—far too naturally, leaving her no time to get angry or pull away—took the book from Leni’s hands.
“Ugh… give it back.”
Leni struggled to reclaim the book.
When he pulled her toward him and settled onto the bed, the position ended up looking as if he were embracing her from behind.
“I’ll read it for you, my lady.”
Good heavens, what on earth was he doing?
Pidea had clearly told him to treat her the way he treated Cately. So Emil had done exactly that.
In other words, this was a technique of using the flow to push forward naturally. A method of pressing in without giving the other person time to feel resistance at the growing closeness.
It was a technique he had used effectively when seducing Cately as well.
“What… have you gone mad?”
Leni’s usual blank expression crumbled in confusion. Her eyes even glistened with tears as she spoke.
Her reaction was surprising, but he didn’t show it.
What mattered was momentum. If he lost the initiative, he would immediately become the strange one.
“You said you didn’t need me, my lady. I simply wish to be of even the slightest help.”
“I don’t… need that. I don’t need it, so please get away… get away from me.”
Leni thrashed about, but it was useless.
The more she moved, the deeper she sank into Emil’s embrace.
“Then I shall read the book for you.”
Ignoring her, he began to read aloud.
Leni struggled a little longer, but soon her strength seemed to leave her. She pressed her lips tightly together and began listening quietly to the book Emil was reading.
She’s staying still?
To be honest, it was a surprising reaction.
He had expected her to thrash wildly, scream, and push him away… but she had really become obedient?
[I told you, didn’t I? You foolish beast. If you just do it like that, everything will work out.]
Watching the scene, Pidea giggled mischievously as always.