The Nerd Turned Out To Be The Tyrant - Chapter 9

The day of the Rodante Festival.

 

As soon as the sun came up, Luce opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror with excitement. 

 

“Don’t you think I’m cute today, mom?”

 

A girl with red hair in a green dress and a little straw hat with a light green ribbon was smiling.

 

“Don’t go around saying such a rude thing. Even though of course that’s the case in my eyes.” 

 

While saying that, it was clear that the clothes were ones that Chelsea had picked out herself. 

 

Chelsea, who was straightening the wrinkles on the skirt, yawned and asked.

 

“But why are you shaking so early in the morning? The festival starts at 2 p.m., but it’s 9 a.m.  and it doesn’t take a long time for a kid to walk to the next village, so why go out so early?”

 

“I’m going to study at Rev’s house.”

 

“Weren’t you going to trust him anyway? Is it because you can’t trust him?”

 

“No, I feel guilty. We’re on the same team, but I can’t just make him suffer. So I’ll do my part.”

 

Chelsea muttered as she braided Luce’s hair into a single braid. 

 

“Since you’re there, buy delicious food and buy it for your friends. There’s a bookstore on the way, so buy a book for each of you.”

 

“Well, I don’t know if we can eat together because we don’t have enough pocket money?”

 

Chelsea, who looked at the insidious smile at Luce’s words, took out a few more silver coins.

 

It was when Luce, who took the silver coin and grabbed it, bowed and was about to leave.

 

Chelsea, who was searching through the locker, took out another small straw hat.

 

It was the same hat that Luce wore but without the ribbon. 

 

“Mom made one for him. I don’t know if your friend will use it, but take one. The sun will sting in the daytime.”

 

“Wow, how can there’s nothing Mom can’t do? It’s so pretty, he’ll definitely like it.”

 

“He’ll like it because you’re giving it to him, of course.”

 

“Ung?” 

 

“It’s nothing. If you have time, say hello to Grandma Marie at the general store. You’ll know it when you see her face.”

 

“Yes, I got it!”

 

Chelsea saw the back of her daughter running excitedly.

 

It was still a secret from Luce, but Chelsea and her friend Dahlia planned to take over a grocery store in the neighboring town.

 

It was put off until Luce grew up to some extent but now seemed to be the right time.

 

‘Now that Luce has grown up to participate in the festival, I can start working soon… The time has already passed.’

 

So, seeing off her daughter on a leisurely morning like this will be a moment she will miss.

 

Chelsea is full of that look.

 

“Excuse me, Aunt, is Luche there?”

 

“How many times have I told you that timing is important when it comes to dating, Dominic?”

 

“Hiik, I’m not asking for a date!”

 

Chelsea laughed loudly at Dominic, who appeared out of nowhere.

 

*****

 

Rev might get a gift, and she has been given a lot of money for pocket money. Moreover, the weather was clear.

 

Luce, who was in a great mood today, hummed as she ran up the mountain path and knocked on the door. 

 

“I’m here, Rev!”

 

She didn’t forget their promise to knock. As soon as she knocked on it, she heard a voice at once.

 

“Luce.” 

 

It seems that Rev’s statement that he sleeps three hours a day wasn’t a lie.

 

Even though it was morning, Luce opened the door softly at the sound of an unanswered voice. 

 

“Please wait…”

 

It was before Rev’s words were finished.

 

Luce, who had grown accustomed to his house, walked right in and put her straw hat down, but he turned around.

 

“Why are you doing that, Rev?”

 

With his hand on the collar of his shirt, Rev was as stiff as a wooden doll.

 

Still asking, Luce burst out laughing at the answer he gave her.

 

“The clothes, uh, I was still wearing them.”

 

“Aren’t you answering too late for that? You’re all dressed up to be in the middle of dressing up. T-shirts and shirts on top.”

 

“A button, uhm.”

 

Rev’s neck was red as he struggled to finish buttoning up.

 

Smiling and turning around, Luce thought.

 

‘Maybe the top button has not been buttoned up yet. Was he trying to say that?’

 

Looking back,  Rev would always have his shirt buttoned all the way up to his neck.

 

She didn’t say anything else because he seemed comfortable with it, but to count one less button as undressed!

 

Luce asked with a smile.

 

“Is that also a courtesy to welcome guests, Rev? Buttoned up all the buttons to greet me?”

 

She could feel his head nodding.

 

This kid really, what should she do if he turns around and expresses his mind like this? 

 

But, whether it’s because she’s in a good mood or for some other reason, that messy figure just looked pure and cute.

 

‘I shouldn’t tease him too much, but even if I want, I’d still want to tease him more. By the way, there is something about this feeling.’ 

 

“Are you done?”

 

“…Ung.” 

 

She saw what he was wearing when he turned around.

 

Today, Rev was not wearing his usual white shirt without any patterns. Instead, he was wearing a black shirt with fine, luxurious embroidery.

 

Luce, who was looking at Rev to find the source of this feeling, naturally looked at his body as well. 

 

Until now, there was no reason or need to care about Rev’s body, and it’s not like she became close to seeing her friend’s body. But? 

 

‘I thought you were skinny because you didn’t eat much, but your shoulders are wider than I thought. Right, he had big hands, right? He’s also not short now, but he’ll grow taller when he grow up.’

 

However, it seemed that he misunderstood Luce’s gaze at him. 

 

Rev, who pulled his sleeve and covered the back of his hand, hesitated and asked. 

 

“…Does it look strange?”

 

“No, it suits you so well! That shirt is pretty, and it matches your hair color. But Rev.”

 

“Ung.” 

 

Luce said this seriously as she looked at Rev, whose lips were slightly raised when she said it looked good on him.

 

“If you wear black today, you will die of heat.”

 

“Ah.” 

 

He didn’t seem to know that the sunlight outside the window was too hot because he was only in the house.

 

Luce, who was holding Rev’s hand and had an enlightened expression on her face, said firmly.

 

“Then let’s go.”

 

“Where?”

 

“To change clothes.”

 

“I wondered why you didn’t wear a patterned shirt, but they were all here?”

 

“Ung?” 

 

“It’s nothing, Rev.” 

 

Luce smiled at Rev’s pattern shirts, which took up half of his closet, and took some clothes out.

 

Luce, who had been putting things under Rev’s chin, gave him a piece of clothing, which Rev wore repeatedly.

 

He changed his clothes as instructed, but Rev was tilting his head. Luce asked with a light smile. 

 

“You’re all wearing the same white shirts. Are you curious why I keep asking you to change?”

 

“I was a little curious.” 

 

“It has different button details, it has a wide collar, and it looks white but is called ivory and feels different.” 

 

“Ah, I see.” 

 

When she explained it, it was fun in its own way to pick out Rev’s clothes because he quickly understood.

 

The second problem was that the shirt looked great with fair skin and a good physical, and she thought I knew why he chose a black shirt that he had never worn in his life.

 

‘Rev seems to like going to festivals with me. That’s why he chose black to make me feel good and look pretty!’

 

Luce couldn’t even dream that Rev had misunderstood the competition’s theme, so she made her own logical decision.

 

But she wasn’t completely wrong in her guess.

 

Because Rev’s standard was Luce.

 

“This is it, Rev! This one suits you best, the color is just right, and the width is pretty and it will be easy to move around. The material is thin, so it will be good for the current weather.”

 

Rev smiles because he likes to hear from her that he looks good in it.

 

“Do you want me to touch your hair too?”

 

“Ah… if you need it.”

 

If she needs it? 

 

Even though the words were a little strange, Luce didn’t pay much attention to them. Instead, she brought a mirror and put Rev in front of it.

 

“Close your eyes.”

 

Luce, whose hands were wet with water, was the first to touch his bangs.

 

Even though there was nothing particularly tiring about touching the good black hair, it made her feel at ease.

 

Rev’s glasses, with his eyes tightly closed, got in the way as she flipped his hair back and forth.

 

Luce gently took off his glasses and whispered “wait” to him before looking at him in the mirror.

 

‘Whoa.’

 

She has already seen Rev take off his glasses before. It was on the first day they met when he was wet and drowning in the creek.

 

At that time, she couldn’t see his bare face properly because she thought she had to take him home quickly.

 

She didn’t look at his face on purpose because she knew it hurt him when people made fun of the color of his eyes. Just in case he misunderstands the meaning of the gaze.

 

But now she can see Rev, who is quietly giving his body to her hand.

 

‘You’re very handsome…’

 

It was an admirable look.

 

The eyes were dark and deep when they were closed, and the face line was sharp under the shadow that the long eyelashes made.

 

If he had even a tiny smile on his young face along with the boy’s innocence and the young man’s coolness, he would have made a lot of girls cry.

 

The pale lips were slightly open.

 

Recalling that the words that flowed out of those cold, sensitive-looking thin lips were always kind to her, Luce looked at him quietly as if possessed.

 

If she hadn’t felt the warmth of his ears on her fingers, Luce would just be looking at Rev’s face like it was a masterpiece.

 

“Luce.” 

 

“Ah, yes.” 

 

Luce lifted his hand in surprise and looked into his red eyes.

 

“Is it over?”

 

“Yes! It’s over.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Looking at Rev’s smiling face, Luce thought blankly.

 

‘Look, even one brat made fun of his eyes.’

 

This is a national treasure. This face with bright red eyes is a property that the country needs to protect!

 

Still, looking at his pretty eyes, how can they say they hate it? 

 

Luce, who didn’t know why she was stomping on her feet, quickly put his glasses on and left the room.

 

His heart was pounding for some reason, and after taking a few deep breaths, Luce suddenly tilted her head.

 

‘Oh, come to think of it.’

 

Is there no prescription on those glasses? Did she see it wrong?

 

Luce, who had been tilting her head until Rev came out, was awakened by the sound of a horse crying from afar.

 

It seemed that the carriage to the neighboring village had arrived.