IWBAACTWITOS Chapter 10

2. I Received a Proposal from the Sub Male Lead

"Don't cry. Okay?"

Even though he was the one who'd been hit with the doll, and I was the one crying despite being the hitter, Asher comforted me. The maid also tried to soothe me, but once the tears started, they wouldn't easily subside.

When I kept crying and calling for Mom, the maid finally went upstairs to bring Roxana, leaving just me and Asher in the basement.

Ridiculously, my crying stopped abruptly at the news that Roxana was coming. When I seemed to have calmed down a bit, Asher sighed in relief and wiped my face with his handkerchief.

The clumsy but gentle touch made me choke up for no reason, but I had no energy left to cry more.

"Was there something you didn't like?"

I was about to answer curtly that there was no such thing, but seeing the doll fallen on the floor, I changed my answer to something absurd.

"Because I wasn't born as a cat."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you hear? I said I cried because I'm human, not a cat."

"...You like cats?"

"Obviously. Cats are a hundred, a thousand times better than humans."

"Why?"

"If I was a cat, I wouldn't have become friends with you."

At those words, Asher's expression crumbled. Asher asked again the question he'd asked last time too.

"You don't like me?"

"I don't dislike you. I like you."

"Then why?"

"Do you like me? Or do you have to like me?"

"...Huh?"

"Isn't it that you have to like me because I'm a Remetio?"

"N-no!"

"Can you be sure it's not? What you have to do is more important to you than what you like or dislike."

"..."

"You said we're the same, right? No, we're different. We can never be the same. I just like you so I want to be friends with you, but you're not like that. I can see right through what you're thinking when you smile at me. If you keep doing that, I won't be friends with you."

At my declaration that I wouldn't be friends, Asher seemed shocked. He moved his lips for a moment, then muttered as if he couldn't believe it.

"Not be...friends with me?"

"Yeah. I won't come play anymore. I won't call you Asher either."

"...You said you like me."

"I do like you. But I hate being the only one who likes you."

"I like Tilly too."

The conversation felt like it was going in circles. And now the one with teary eyes wasn't me but Asher.

After letting out a deep sigh, I changed my explanation method to help Asher understand.

"When I said I was going to meet you, I planned to bully you so you'd hate me, then never meet again."

"...Why?"

"Why would I be happy about suddenly maybe getting engaged to someone I don't know?"

"...No reason."

"But then this doll-like cutie popped out of nowhere. So I wondered whether to bully you or not, but my mom told me if I didn't want it, she'd absolutely never make me get engaged. Then I thought I could like you and be friends with peace of mind."

"..."

"If it wasn't you, I wouldn't have liked you. But you would've treated Duke Remetio's daughter the same way even if it wasn't me. Right?"

"...No."

"Really?"

Asher seemed unsure and hung his head deeply. Finally, a tear that had been gathering in his sky-blue eyes rolled down.

"I don't know."

Unlike me who'd cried loudly, Asher cried while stifling it as if holding back tears. Just moments ago Asher had been the one wiping tears and comforting, but the situation had reversed.

"What should I do?"

"Think about what you like first, rather than what you should do."

"But I have to be a good prince."

"You shouldn't have to be a good prince—you should make people think you're a good person and therefore suited to being a prince."

"..."

"But honestly, whether you're a good person or not, I just like you anyway."

When I said that with a smile, Asher, who'd been hiccupping, stopped crying completely. The last thing I'd said had slipped out unintentionally as my true feelings, but it felt like I'd hit the mark perfectly.

I wished Asher would be just a little more selfish.

I was the one who'd set him as a kind and altruistic character, but that wasn't why I loved him. Just because he was Aegis. Even if he suddenly gave up being the sub male lead and became a villain, he'd just be my lovable baby.

For Asher with his good-child complex, and for me who'd been born into the world I created, the words that I'd like him no matter what were the right answer.

Through him, I realized something.

The reason I was born into this world was definitely to save someone. Because I loved everyone—protagonist, supporting character, villain, all of them.

"Asher, if you like me too, if it's you Asher who likes me and not the prince, let's become real friends."

At the suggestion to become friends, Asher seemed lost in thought for a moment before shaking his head vigorously. I hadn't expected Asher to refuse, so I asked with a flustered face.

"You don't want to be friends with me?"

"No... No, I do."

What, which is it?

"Then why'd you shake your head?"

"I don't want to be just real friends with Tilly."

"Then?"

Asher avoided eye contact as if embarrassed, then gathered courage at my urging and spoke.

"I want to marry Tilly!"

"...Crazy."

At the reaction that slipped out unconsciously, Asher's eyes went round. I belatedly stammered, trying to recover my words that had gone off on their own.

"M-marriage is a bit difficult."

"Why? We both like each other."

"Well, you know. There are various ways of liking someone. Marriage is when you do it with a special kind of liking among those likes."

"I like Tilly specially."

"...Oh, yeah. Thanks."

Because of Asher who'd become too honest, way too honest, I could only manage an awkward smile. I had no idea how I should react to this.

"But I can only marry if not just me but Tilly specially likes me too, right?"

"Right."

"Then I'll work hard so Tilly likes me specially."

Should I say he's really the pure romance position sub male lead from a romance novel? What the five-year-old was saying was absolutely precocious.

Of course, since he was saying it while sniffling with snot running down, it was just funny rather than heart-fluttering.

To hold back laughter, I rolled my lips tightly and met eyes with Asher, who was smiling brightly.

Well, at least he's smiling now, so that's good?

"Okay, work hard."

Having said that, I stood up. Only then did I notice Roxana had been watching us. Roxana was looking at me with unreadable eyes.

"S-since when were you listening?"

"From when you got the proposal?"

That meant she'd also heard me blurt out '...crazy.' Roxana was extremely strict about such things, so I was definitely going to get scolded.

"Thaleia Remetio."

The scariest time with Mom was when she called me by my full name with surname attached. It was rare for her to call me that way, but surprisingly her expression itself wasn't bad.

It didn't seem like she was as angry as I thought, so smoothing over the situation wouldn't be too difficult.

I just had to act like I didn't know the word I'd used was bad, then when Roxana pointed out it was a bad word, reflect and say I wouldn't use it again.

If only it weren't right after I'd cried loudly saying I missed Mom.

"...Ma."

I deliberately mumbled the beginning then pronounced the 'ma' part clearly. Understanding my word as 'Mama,' Roxana finally showed a helpless smile.

"Tilly."

When Roxana knelt and spread her arms, I approached her. When her cool hand swept down my reddened eyes, my mood seemed to improve slightly.

"Where did you learn such a bad word?"

"...What's a bad word?"

"Don't play dumb. You know how to distinguish between bad words and good words, don't you? You know what you did wrong?"

"I was wrong."

When I honestly admitted my mistake, Roxana considered what to do with me before letting it pass for now. There was a more important issue than my education.

"Tilly, why were you crying?"

"His Highness the Prince told me to eat that."

I'd told Asher it wasn't his fault, but I had no intention of really saying I cried because I wasn't born as a cat in front of Roxana. When I tattled the facts directly, Asher couldn't even make eye contact with Roxana.

He'd tried to secretly give me what Roxana had forbidden to win my favor. Of course, he still seemed not to understand what the problem was with eating raw coffee beans.

In a situation awkward to scold him for, Roxana looked rarely flustered.

"You really cried because of that?"

"Yeah."

The reason I'd cried was because of my family, but either way, Asher's action had been the trigger, so it wasn't exactly a lie. At my sincere answer, Roxana seemed even more troubled.

The maid was gauging whether or not to mention that I'd hit Asher. I rolled my eyes slightly and pretended not to know.

"I did wrong. I gave Tilly something she shouldn't eat."

Asher approached Roxana and honestly admitted his mistake. Watching that, I swallowed complicated feelings.

"I'm sorry."

"So I hit His Highness the Prince."

The victim Asher had tried to hide it, and the maid was also keeping her mouth shut respecting his wishes, but when the perpetrator me exposed it, both looked at me in shock.

I collected the rabbit doll that had been the weapon, rolling on the floor. Because of the basement dust, the rabbit doll's face had turned black.

"I hit him with the rabbit. Three times."

Roxana's expression hardened stiffly, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

"Thaleia Remetio, you know what you did wrong?"

It was the same question as before, but the tone was clearly different.

"I shouldn't carelessly hit others, but I hit His Highness the Prince."

"Why'd you do that?"

"You said so, Mom. That Asher needs a real friend. I liked Asher so I wanted to become a real friend, but Asher doesn't really like me—he treats me well because I'm a Remetio. Giving me that secretly too."

"..."

"So I said I wouldn't be friends with Asher anymore and wanted to go home, but when he wouldn't let me go I got angry and hit him. But I talked it out well with Asher and we compromised. I'm sorry for hitting you, Asher."

At my answer, Roxana said I'd still get scolded at home for using violence even so. I nodded resolutely as if I'd been prepared.

Having finished talking with me, Roxana knelt on one knee to meet Asher's eyes.

"Your Highness, I apologize for my daughter's rudeness today."

"...It's okay."

"And I'm also sorry for placing an unnecessary burden on Your Highness."

"..."

"And if I may add one thing—both Yuri and I like Your Highness whether you're a good child or not. So you don't need to try so hard. Because Their Majesties are worried about you."

What, she was listening from way before that.

When I narrowed my eyes and looked at Roxana, she winked one eye at me. Before long, Asher shyly said thank you.

"Tilly, let's go home now."

At the words to go home, I hesitated for a moment before smiling broadly and answering.

"Yeah, let's go home."