The Villain Wants to Change Genres – Chapter 138

Chapter 138

The seasons had changed before I knew it. After passing through the cool autumn, winter arrived with a gentle blanket of snow. So much snow had fallen overnight that everything beyond the window was completely white.

The biggest drawback of the log dormitory was the heating. There was only a fireplace in the first-floor living room, making the second floor practically an ice cave.

Not that the first floor was particularly warm either.

‘So cold…’

I hugged the warm water bottle while wrapped in my blanket. It felt slightly hot to the touch, suggesting that Luwen had replaced the water bottle again at dawn.

Creak, creak-

Thanks to the door being left open to receive warmth from the fireplace, I could hear Luwen coming down the wooden stairs. The second floor was so cold that when I refused his suggestion to switch rooms, I caught a cold. Only after being sick for nearly a week did I recover enough to move around.

‘How much scolding I got then…’

I had to endure his bombardment of nagging, delivered as if he wanted to eat me alive. If I hadn’t agreed to switch rooms, I’d probably still be listening to his scolding.

“You’re up early.”

“Did you sleep well?”

Luwen nodded with a smile, approached me, and placed his hand on my forehead. After checking my temperature, he nodded again with satisfaction and straightened up.

“I’ll warm up some soup for you.”

“Okay.”

I gazed at Luwen’s back as he left the room. Since the last day of my isolation, his attitude hadn’t changed. As if nothing had happened. He was exactly the same as usual, making me wonder if what I saw had been an illusion.

I recalled the days when I would tense up whenever I faced Luwen, thinking, ‘Is it happening now?’ If I had known the future, I would have scoffed at the unnecessary worry.

Shivering from the cold, I headed to the bathroom. A wooden tub was filled with steaming hot water. This too had been prepared by Luwen. I mixed it with ice-cold water to wash, then dried myself with a towel.

‘Given that he hasn’t said anything despite waiting this long, he must be planning to keep it hidden?’

Just as I had hesitated, perhaps Luwen also had concerns on his mind. It seemed like our relationship wouldn’t change unless those concerns were addressed. Just like in the original story where Luwen had hidden his feelings for Irene until the moment of his death.

After changing clothes, I came out to find that Luwen had already finished preparing breakfast. I sat at the table with my back to the blazing fireplace and ate the hot soup.

‘The issue is status, after all.’

Unlike Irene, I didn’t have a lover, so there weren’t many other obstacles. Though he always said I was like a younger sibling to him, that didn’t truly erase the difference in our status.

Moreover, hadn’t Luwen drawn a line by saying he was merely a servant? I suspected that even after graduating from the academy and being appointed as a knight, in his mind he would merely shift from being a servant to a guard.

‘If status is the problem, there’s the option of receiving an honorary duke title, but…’

By reaching the level of Sword Master and accumulating achievements, one could receive an honorary duke title. While other countries were desperate to provide special treatment to prevent talented individuals from leaving, the Empire was not like that. This policy would only change after the Second Prince ascended to the throne.

‘I’ll wither away waiting.’

However, confessing my feelings first was still difficult.

I want to just boldly confess and have a sweet relationship with Luwen. I’ve actually resolved to confess out of weariness from waiting before, but… those tormenting voices kept coming to mind, and in the end, I backed away out of fear.

Should I really say it? Does Luwen actually like me? Did I see it wrong? It was just a fleeting moment after all. Such thoughts made me hesitate. The very fact that I had these doubts seemed to prove that I wasn’t worthy of being loved.

For these reasons, I had long since abandoned the idea of confessing first. I never knew words could be so frightening.

“Are you going out with Adrian today?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll be going out later this afternoon.”

“…You seem to be meeting him frequently lately.”

“Do I?”

I pretended not to notice.

Right after my isolation ended, I met with Adrian first to determine if he was a card to discard. After beating around the bush a bit, I brought up the topic of economics for a brief discussion. Then, while talking about guild systems and employment, I naturally raised the subject of slave trading.

‘So what do you think about the slavery system? Some say it’s a type of employment.’

Although it was illegal in the Empire, there were countries where it was legal, making it a not-bad topic for discussion at that timing.

‘Ah, I’ve heard that opinion too. That servants in mansions aren’t much different from slaves in the broader sense?’

‘Yes.’

‘I disagree. There’s a big difference between deciding based on your own will or not. I believe the slavery system should be abolished.’

His serious expression while saying this, in contrast to his usual smoothness, stuck deeply in my mind. I’m not sure how he came to have slave auction ledgers in his head, but seeing the possibility of persuading him, I continued making contact and spending time with him.

“You must return on time and wait for me until I come back. You shouldn’t go alone like last time.”

“Yes, I’ll wait.”

After the simple breakfast, Luwen changed into his school uniform and grabbed his wooden sword. Although it was the weekend, exams were approaching, and there was also the senior knight examination right after graduation, so he was going to train.

With his graduation thesis to finish as well, this was a very busy time for him. Yet whenever I tried to leave the dormitory, he insisted on accompanying me no matter where I was going.

He was particularly wary of my meetings with Adrian. When I met with my roommates, he would simply greet them as if handing me over before leaving, but with Adrian, he stuck close until we parted.

Not wanting to disturb Luwen, I once secretly went to meet Adrian…

‘He thought I had disappeared and spent all day looking for me.’

Luwen’s complexion was pale as he embraced me so tightly I could barely breathe. What I had done out of consideration had ended up tormenting him, so afterward, I always informed Luwen when meeting Adrian and allowed him to accompany me.

The two didn’t get along well, but what could I do? It was better than worrying Luwen. Anyway, right now I was just steadily building a friendship, so there was nothing to hide.

“I’ll be going now.”

Luwen smiled brightly after preparing to leave. After seeing him off, I grabbed a blanket and settled in front of the fireplace. I planned to work on my graduation thesis until my appointment time.

* * *

Despite the heavy snowfall, the streets were bustling with people. Everyone’s faces were bright as if they weren’t cold at all. The laughter of playing children could be heard from the alleyways.

A child who darted out of an alley had clothes covered in snow marks, likely from a snowball fight. A fairly large snowball was neatly held in the child’s small hands.

‘I wonder if Luwen ever had snowball fights when he was young.’

On snowy days, because I had collapsed once, Luwen became a child who extremely disliked going out in winter. He would go out alone without any problems, but whenever I tried to go out, he would hold me back with his whole body and shake his head.

“Luwen, have you ever had a snowball fight?”

“I wasn’t interested.”

Does that mean he hasn’t tried it?

There was still some time before our appointment. I quickly scanned the surroundings. The children were playing in the alleys rather than the main road, which was dirty and messy with many passersby. Only in the less frequented alleys could clean snow accumulate.

I glanced at Luwen, then ran toward an alley with a playful smile.

“Wh-Norman?”

Luwen hurriedly followed me. I passed by the children having a snowball fight and went a bit deeper. I had been caught up to for a while, so running was meaningless, but the atmosphere was what mattered!

I found an alley with almost no footprints and turned into it. Then I sat down and made a snowball with both hands full of snow and threw it at Luwen.

But it all fell apart midair.

“Huh? Why did that happen?”

The kids were throwing them just fine, so why couldn’t I?

“Did you want to play?”

“You said you hadn’t tried it, so I thought we could have a snowball fight.”

I made another snowball. Crunch, crunch.

Despite compressing it well, it again dispersed helplessly when thrown. I realized at that moment that snowball fighting required technique.

As I was wondering if I should learn from the children, Luwen held out a round snowball.

“Try throwing this.”

“Won’t this fall apart too?”

Luwen smiled silently. His expression was quite confident, so I threw it hard as instructed, and it hit Luwen’s left shoulder precisely.

Thwack-

I was startled by how loud the sound was.

“Oh! Does that hurt?”

“My clothes are thick, so it’s just noisy but doesn’t hurt.”

He handed me another new snowball. After taking it without thinking, I tilted my head.

‘Isn’t this not really a snowball fight?’

A fight, by definition, should involve giving and taking, but all Luwen was doing was giving me perfectly rounded snowballs. And doing so very politely.

“Would you throw one at me if I asked you to?”

Luwen just raised the corners of his mouth, looking uncomfortable.

‘I guess we need someone else besides me.’

I briefly considered having Adrian join us for a three-person fight, but soon shook my head. Given how Luwen normally disliked Adrian, it could be dangerous if he got serious.

‘He’s not a child, so maybe this isn’t fun for him.’

I had hoped he could enjoy childhood memories that he had missed, but it seemed to have failed, making me a bit sad. And disappointed.

“The ground is slippery. Please be careful.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not a child- Ahh!”

As soon as I received the warning, one foot slid forward. I shut my eyes tightly anticipating the pain, but all I felt was something soft, so I cautiously opened my eyes. Luwen was holding me in his arms, looking down at me.

When our eyes met, he burst into laughter.

“You said you weren’t a child?”

Under the clear sky, a clear smile. As I gazed at him as if entranced, I suddenly wanted to kiss him.

I didn’t know I had such desires. But once I realized it, the emotion began to spread uncontrollably like wildfire.

‘…No good. I can’t wait anymore.’

I need to seduce Luwen.

Author: Hyacinthus B

Hyacinthus