The Nerd Turned Out To Be The Tyrant - Chapter 17

‘Congratulations on the opening of {Dahlia General Store}!’

 

Chelsea and Dahlia’s general stores have opened.

 

Chelsea’s talent and speaking skills, as well as Dahlia’s eye wit and connection, were the best combination to run a general store.

 

“Mom.”

 

“I told you to call me boss here.”

 

“Yes, boss. I have a question.”

 

“Why?”

 

Due to the rush of customers from the first day of the opening, Luce, who was suddenly dragged to write a checklist of items, stuck her tongue. 

 

“You must be rich.”

 

“….”

 

“Does it make sense to sell out all the wooden cubes that were bad stock in one day? I guess it’s business. But how do you get these square pieces of wood to sell like crazy?”

 

“I tied it with a carving knife and sold it as a top set. Because it was beautifully packaged and sold, several neighborhood kids who were always thirsty for entertainment were eager to purchase it. They are cutting wood and turning it, so people who saw it asked for one too.” 

 

“…Mom, aren’t you really a business genius?”

 

“As a matter of fact, I even brought water and sold it to make an ice sheet for the top, and the profit is strong.”

 

“How could the God of business be so close?”

 

Chelsea’s face was still full of laughter as she glanced at her daughter, who seriously complimented her.

 

“But why did you name the store {Dahlia General Store}, Boss?”

 

“Because Dahlia has more stakes.”

 

She almost got upset with Aunt Dahlia for no reason. But if that’s the case, it’s acceptable.

 

“I sincerely hope that you will make a lot of money soon and become a {Dahlia & Chelsea General Store}. Be successful!”

 

There were some changes in their lives when they opened a general store. 

 

The first was a new male employee named Elliot. 

 

“Hello, Uncle.”

 

“I’m not Uncle. Call me Elliot.”

 

“Yes, Uncle Elliot.”

 

“…you, I’m gonna tell the boss everything.”

 

“Uncle, she’s my mom before a boss.”

 

“Do you have time to fool around? Lucette, Elliot?” 

 

“No!”

 

“No. We’re not.”

 

It looked a bit soft, but after a few days of watching it, Chelsea said it was good to hear. 

 

Thanks to this, Luce was freed from being forced to work in Chelsea’s store. 

 

“Look at this. Isn’t it cool? I made it.”

 

“What is it, um—bottle cap?”

 

“It’s an arrowhead! I, it’s just a little squashed!”

 

“Wow, that’s cool.”

 

“Speak with your soul!”

 

The second was Dominic.

 

Dahlia, who was worried about leaving the mischievous Dominic to Luce, found a solution in Rodante. 

 

There’s a blacksmith who’s looking for a student.

 

As he was still young, he couldn’t do much work, but surprisingly, Dominic seemed fit to make something. 

 

Dominic took two or three hours of hobby and vocational education a day, making it a pleasure to brag to Luce. 

 

“What are you doing these days?”

 

“Me? I’m exploring my career path.”

 

At first, she was definitely going to play and eat. 

 

However, as she had a habit of working, she was getting a little tired of just playing, and above all, Chelsea looked very cool working with her eyes shining.

 

It was a new stimulus. 

 

‘I’ll just have to find what I want to do step by step. In my previous life, I was in a hurry to earn money, so I went to a place that gave me money.’

 

If there was anything she wanted to learn, there was also an environment where she could study leisurely.

 

It’s not a lot, but Chelsea had saved up all of it for her education and, most of all.

 

‘Because the teacher, who knows everything, is right next to me.’ 

 

“I saw the arrowhead well. I’m going!”

 

“Are you going to play with that Revinas or something? Today, too?”

 

“Why? Are you jealous?” 

 

“Ha, I’m not jealous at all! You take this!”

 

She doesn’t know what’s wrong with him.

 

Dominic stomped his feet in anger every time, but his face turned red and he went back.

 

Luce smiled, put the arrowhead he threw away in the drawer, and went to Rev’s house, where she could now go with her eyes closed.

 

‘It’s cold. The river was also frozen, maybe?’

 

She liked the sound of stepping on the snow.

 

Luce, who had sneezed, knocked.

 

“It’s me, Luce.”

 

She introduces herself when she doesn’t need to. 

 

“Ung, Luce. come in.”

 

It was because it was nice to hear the welcome words.

 

He opened the door. The smoke hit her. Luce looked at her friend, perhaps the most different in this town.

 

“Would you like me to make cocoa?”

 

“Yeah, put some marshmallows too.”

 

‘He seems to grow every time I see him.’

 

They said that boys grow up quickly, and they were right.

 

Like a bamboo shoot that grows by a span after being hit by rain, Rev has grown a lot.

 

The shirts that had been cut to fit his body had long since been thrown away. It was because it didn’t fit his shoulders.

 

It seemed like they went shopping for clothes just yesterday, but they would have to visit the clothing store again soon.

 

‘We should have bought bigger clothes from the beginning. Well, I didn’t know he would grow up like this.’

 

Half right and half wrong.

 

Luce didn’t know that Rev liked to go to the clothing store with her, so they bought the clothes just right every time. 

 

Rev, who gave her the hot cocoa, smiled softly.

 

Looking at the smile and face, it seemed to be the same. Luce also laughed like a habit.

 

“Have you read all the books?”

 

Cough.

 

Luce, who was laughing and drinking cocoa, choked at his words.

 

Luce waved her hand, looking resentfully at Rev, who hurriedly brought the tissue.

 

“Where are you asking, Rev?”

 

Luce had asked Rev to do it.

 

Rev gladly agreed to help her study in a way that wouldn’t get in his way, and the first thing he talked about was the math that Luce hated. 

 

When asked, “Should I do this?” Rev began to persuade her step by step with a polite and friendly tone.

 

“It is the basics of academics, but I think it will also be helpful for the business of the store run by your mother. I’ll try to narrow it down to something that’ll help with the accounting. Let’s do it together.”

 

Luce didn’t have the talent to refuse Rev, who smiled beautifully.

 

Luce blamed herself for being weak because of his face, but Rev’s words helped her a lot.

 

It was not because of the exam but because it had been a long since she had studied on her own, so it was interesting in its own way. 

 

‘But it’s against the law to ask something like this.’

 

“I don’t think it’s right to ask you this as soon as you arrive, Luce. You’re drinking cocoa.”

 

Ah, she like this kind and good-looking tutor who is surprisingly good at hitting the wall.

 

But Luce knew the weak spot of the tutor who made delicious cocoa.

 

“Of course I read it, I read it… I think it would be a good idea to change the subject a bit today, Teacher Rev.”

 

“Is that so? Well, you’ve only learned the same thing over and over again.”

 

He is weak at Luce’s request.

 

Luce knew that he decided to teach her to study because it was her request anyway so that he would keep it faithfully.

 

But she thinks that hanging out with Rev for a day.

 

Luce, who gently grabbed Rev’s hand, who was seriously considering whether there was a problem with the curriculum, pointed her chin outside.

 

“Did you know it snowed outside?”

 

“Did it snow?”

 

Rev looked out the window and nodded.

 

Luce remembered that his circle of activity never left his house.

 

“It’s the first winter since you moved into this town, Lev.”

 

“Ung, that’s right.”

 

“I think it’s worth celebrating, too. That’s why.”

 

Luce, who coughed in vain, held out the hidden bag.

 

“How about physical training today?”

 

Rev smiled as he looked at the bag containing the scarf, fluffy earplugs, and skates.

 

He won’t refuse a request. As usual. 

 

“…Ung. That would be nice.”

 

Luce, who wrapped a scarf around him who smiled, pointed to his neck.

 

Rev, who was wrapping Luce’s share of the scarf, stared at the necklace that sparkled on her collarbone.

 

Rev waited still, covering the memories of summer with what would be memories of winter.

 

“Let’s go!”

 

Luce gives her hand. 

 

Now, the hand that reached out felt as warm as it did the first time.

 

“Because my snowman is bigger, Rev?”

 

“Are we supposed to compare the size of a snowman side to side?”

 

“Your snowman may be higher, but mine is bigger in the concept of size! I won.”

 

It’s been a long time since Luce saw snow, so she was excited.

 

The tall Rev built a snowman in three tiers, but Luce’s snowman was chubby.

 

It was well worth the hard work.

 

They had a snowball fight, sledding, and skateboarding—Luce was the one who suggested skating, but after falling over 20 times in total, Luce gave up and decide to make a snowman, and after making the snowman, her body felt heavy as if it were submerged in water.

 

Rev, who was surprised to see Luce lying in the snow, approached.

 

“Can’t you get up, Luce? Are you okay?”

 

“This is also a kind of play. You should lie down too.”

 

As she pulled the hem of his robe, Rev, lying on snow with a dubious expression on his face, murmured. 

 

“Wow, it’s soft.”

 

“Right? Lying on clean snow makes me feel good. Like this, when you stir your hands and feet, it looks like a butterfly-shape when viewed from above?”

 

“Butterfly-shaped?”

 

Rev, who saw Luce wriggling, followed slowly.

 

Then, he wakes up as if to check if it really looks like a butterfly and exclaims a little.

 

His breath, which was scattered through his pale lips, faded, and then he lay down next to her. 

 

‘It’s worth bringing it out.’

 

Luce’s friend, who knew everything about science and knowledge, but was unfamiliar with such trivial things, suddenly fell in love with it.

 

“Luce, when I’m with you.”

 

It seems that Rev felt the same way. 

 

A low voice slowly spread through the winter night air.

 

“I think I always have experiences that I’ve never had before.”

 

“Is it your first time doing everything?”

 

“Ung.”

 

It’s his first snowball fight, first sledding and skating, his first snowman making, and his first snow angel.

 

As he approaches his 16th year, how many things have he not done before? 

 

How many things did he want to do?

 

“…It’s fun.”

 

He must have done things that were right for his age, but if he hadn’t met her, he would have missed out on so much more.

 

‘How have you been living all this time?’

 

Luce muttered, slowly sweeping his hair buried in the snow.

 

“Rev, I ask you to teach me how to study, too.”

 

“Ung.”

 

“So you can always ask me if you want to do something or if you don’t want to do it alone.”

 

Rev, who took off his blurry glasses, was looking at the black night sky.

 

“…You’re not going to say no?”

 

“Of course, I’ll refuse anything difficult.”

 

Luce, who had been talking playfully, stopped laughing and spoke briefly.

 

“But if it’s you, I’ll do everything for you.”

 

Just like you do to me.

 

“And you have two wishes. If it’s hard to ask, you can write a wish. You still haven’t decided what to wish for? That’s not it, is it?”

 

“I haven’t decided yet.”

 

Because he’s being careful. 

 

Luce, who was holding Rev’s cold hand and shaking it around, suddenly raised her head in a sense of difference. What bandage is on his hand?

 

As soon as she was about to ask, Rev’s words followed.

 

“…I like being around you, so I don’t feel like asking for anything else.”

 

‘This doesn’t change.’

 

To say things that could be misunderstood like that with a simple tone.

 

Rev is guilty of this. You’re in prison for life!

 

However, Luce didn’t know that Rev was also thinking similarly.