If The Villain Catches Me Alive

Chapter 4

He seemed to nod in agreement with my suggestion. But I didn't let the opportunity pass me by...

'Really? Let's go then!'

This is good! I went down the stairs with him. This was because the cafeteria was located in the basement.

"What time did you get to work today? Aren't you too early? Did you eat?"

I made small talk with him as we walked down the stairs. He was clearly flustered by my behavior and didn't respond. I wasn't expecting a response in the first place, so I didn't feel too bad about it.

The breakfast in the cafeteria was a simple toast and salad.

The research mages usually stayed up late and came to work late, hence the unusual time. It was no wonder the cafeteria was empty. We loaded up on modest portions and sat down at a long table, facing each other.

'Oh... I feel like I'm going to get sick...'

If I'm feeling this way, how about the boy in front of me?

I can't imagine having to eat alone, face-to-face, with the same person who had been bullying and abusing me until last week... Yikes... I'm dying of discomfort even thinking about it...

'However, I've decided to take responsibility!'

Anyway, starting today, I'm going to start the first step in raising my disciple correctly. Okay, let's start with the first thing, a sincere apology!

"I'm sorry."

......Because I couldn't fully grasp the voice or expressions of this body yet, my words came out very bluntly.

There was no clear thought behind these words. It wasn't as if I was suddenly being nice... I will never do anything to Theodore... I don't want to, and I won't. I need to tell him that so he knows I've decided to turn my life around!

The boy looked at me in confusion as he munched on his salad. Is it... too unexpected? Still... I mean it.

"I wanted to... apologize."

A lot of context was left out of my apology. I had a few ideas in my head about how to properly apologize, but I couldn't bring myself to say all the things I had done with my own mouth... I feel like I'll start crying again. Even though I knew it was wrong, I couldn't help but omit a lot of words.

"I feel like I should tell you... If I don't tell you, you won't know anything... Like why I'm doing this."

"......"

"...... again... I'll try to be nice.

There was no response. I expected it.

***

'......I think my master is possessed by a demon.'

Otherwise, he wouldn't be doing this crazy stuff all of a sudden.

Theodore thought, glancing over at Dante, who sat at the desk to his left. Taking a week off out of the blue... A slacker might have been forgiven for it, but Dante was anything but that. ...He was a foolishly sincere man.

Yesterday, he even asked him to eat with him. And what of the place he followed him to?

'I wanted to... apologize.'

Theodore thought his ears had finally broken down. Dante was talking nonsense.

Picking up his salad, he focused all his attention on chewing. Theodore wasn't happy about any of this.

He didn't say anything, didn't do anything, solely because he didn't want to cause a scene.

He remembered a saying he had once heard. When he first heard it, he thought it was some kind of nonsense, but now that he saw what was happening to him, he realized it wasn't so nonsense after all.