I Became the Patron of Villains

184. Birth…day…? (5)

Alon felt the suffocating atmosphere he hadn’t deeply noticed come to an end.

Sulrang, who had been grumbling discontentedly about “my plan,” hesitantly emerged from the box again.

Thunk-

“I’ll give you this, teacher.”

Despite glancing at Yutia, Sulrang handed the document to Alon.

“……Is this a gift?”

“That’s right!”

Alon, who received the document, stared at it blankly.

He couldn’t quite grasp whether he should be thankful or what he should say.

‘……Well, it feels like that anyway.’

A space of now faded memories.

A story he had seen in a community in a previous life.

‘Is this what it feels like to receive a letter from a young daughter saying she wants to marry her dad?’

Of course, what Sulrang gave was not a letter but a marriage registration form.

With all the names of the parties filled in.

……Perhaps if Alon just stamped it once, they would really become a couple(?).

Well, anyway, isn’t the heart that gave the gift what’s important?

He soon nodded.

“I’ll accept it gratefully.”

“You can use it anytime! ……Really.”

Sulrang, who had been perking up his ears energetically, slowly curled his tail when he met Yutia’s eyes.

A smile escaped at his childlike appearance.

He raised his hand and patted Sulrang’s head a few times,

Thud-

A faint sensation suddenly felt at his side.

“?

When he turned his head, Yutia’s hand was awkwardly suspended in the air.

“What’s wrong, Yutia?”

“No, it’s just…”

“?”

Though his face was clearly smiling.

A slightly grumbling voice.

After glancing at Seollang’s head,

Yutia quickly withdrew her hand and let out a small exclamation.

“Oh, come to think of it, I also want to give you a little gift.”

“I will gratefully accept anything.”

“Hmm- I would like to give it to you right now, but- it’s difficult here, so you’ll have to come with me for a while.”

“…Where do we have to go together?”

“Yes. Is tomorrow okay for you?”

“Will it take a long time?”

“Hmm- it might?”

The schedule was tight.

After this birthday, he planned to go straight to Greynif.

‘It would be a bit troublesome if it takes too long.’

As Alon hesitated, Yutia added.

“I think it will be enough if you can spare just one day.”

“…If that’s the case.”

There was no particular problem with being a day late.

The two people’s schedule was decided.

Yutia looked around at those gathered in the room.

“Then, since it’s getting late, how about having dinner?”

“Let’s do that.”

####

The Marquis’ dinner time was noisier than usual.

It was only natural.

There were five more people than usual.

“Isn’t it fun!?”

[Kyuuu-!]

“One more time-”

[Ugh-!]

Seolang, who had been eating, started playing with Kkamangi on one side.

‘……Is Seolang playing with Kkamangi, or is Kkamangi playing with Seolang?’

Kkamangi let out a scream beyond the usual ‘Kkyu’.

It seemed like the little one was trying hard to socialize.

Next to Kkamangi, who was desperately trying to raise the tension.

“Hmm, it’s cute because it’s insignificant.”

“Right. It’s cute because it’s insignificant.”

[You damn b*stards!!! I’ve told you many times, I am a god! A god, I tell you!!]

“But this is a bit disappointing. It looks like its face is a bit squished, but if you align it horizontally like this, it wouldn’t be bad.”

[You b*stard!!!!!!!!!!]

“Hmm- I don’t mind it as it is.”

“Really? I prefer perfect symmetry.”

[If I ever incarnate, I will devour you all! Do not underestimate the punishment of a god! When I say I’ll do it, I mean it!!!]

“Anyway, because of various things happening in Raksas this time, it’s become quite a headache.”

“I see.”

[Don’t ignore me!!!!!!!]

Ladan and Deus were playing with Basiliora.

No, to be precise, rather than playing together…….

“This is delicious.”

“Hmm, indeed.”

[Don’t ignore me-!!!!!!]

It was more like teasing.

This time, turning their gaze completely to the other side.

“Hmm- well, the Marquis usually spends all day either researching magic or holed up in his office, right?”

“That’s right.”

Evan, Rine, and Yutia were having a casual conversation-

“Other than that, sometimes he goes out for a walk- or if not, he visits the auction house? But why do you ask?”

“Hmm- just purely curious?”

“Me too.”

– It wasn’t.

Alon, realizing that the subject of the conversation was himself.

He hesitated for a moment whether to intervene.

But soon gave up and shoved the remaining meat into his mouth.

‘Tasty.’

Juices spreading throughout his mouth.

A pleasant flavor that makes the corners of his mouth lift slightly.

No, it’s not because of the flavor.

“Isn’t Kkamang nice?”

[Screech-!]

“Make the face a bit more even, like this…”

“Hmm, not bad.”

[I am a god, a god I tell you-!!!]

“Well, the Marquis usually stays alone.”

“That’s a relief, haha.”

“That’s right.”

A bustling restaurant, almost for the first time in a long while.

Warmth filling the air.

Not too bad.

No-

‘…Quite nice.’

Alon unconsciously touched the corners of his lifted mouth.

He looked at the bustling interior of the restaurant for a while.

####

After the noisy birthday dinner.

A new day began in the morning.

Alon saw off the departing children.

“Teacher, I’ll be going now!”

“I’ll be going too.”

“Me too.”

“Brother, I’ll be heading back now.”

Each of them said their goodbyes.

Alon nodded once.

“Alright, take care. Thank you so much for the gift. I’ll make good use of it.”

Though, whatever the gift was.

The moment he ‘made good use’ of it, it seemed like a big problem would arise.

Whether they knew Alon’s true feelings or not.

The four of them left the marquis’ house with satisfied smiles.

“Well then, shall we go right away, teacher?”

“Let’s do that.”

Alon and Yutia also prepared to leave.

To receive the gift Yutia had prepared.

“By the way, where are we going?”

Come to think of it, he hadn’t heard the destination.

“If I tell you now, it won’t be much fun. I’ll tell you when we get there.”

“Hmm, but from what I heard yesterday, it seemed like it was quite a distance. It’s already afternoon.”

“It’s alright.”

“…Really? Can we really make it back in a day?”

Yutia smiled a knowing smile, as if she understood but didn’t.

“I’ll tell you that too in a little while.”

“…In a little while?”

“Yes. Once we arrive.”

Yutia’s gift, wrapped in perfect mystery.

Alon’s curiosity grew, but he soon climbed into the carriage.

Soon, the carriage carrying the two of them left the marquis’ house.

And began to cross the unpaved road through the forest.

####

How long had they been traveling on the rough road?

The sun, which had been in the middle of the sky, slowly set and hung on the mountainside.

As darkness began to fall on the opposite side of the sunset.

“`

“……The sun is starting to set.”

“Hmm, we’ll be there soon.”

Yutia glanced out the window.

“Ah, we’ve arrived.”

She soon called the coachman to stop the carriage.

“Let’s go, teacher.”

“Is there something in here?”

Yutia led Alon into the forest.

Before they knew it, a shallow darkness had settled in the forest.

Yutia moved forward without hesitation.

Alon followed her.

Eventually.

“……Oh.”

At the end of the forest path, a space revealed itself.

Alon couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

A breathtakingly beautiful scene.

The sun barely peeking over the edge of the mountain, the sunset about to disappear.

A dreamy sky, gradually turning blue as if bidding farewell.

From the cliff below.

Thousands of evening primroses were slowly blooming, in tune with the approaching night.

“How is it, teacher?”

“Beautiful- no, it’s splendid.”

Yutia, with a smile as delicate as the evening primroses, burst into laughter at Alon’s praise.

She soon walked slowly among the flowers.

Before long, Yutia was completely immersed in the sea of evening primroses.

As Alon watched her-

“……?”

He felt the strange sense of discomfort he had been feeling recently, once again.

It was very peculiar.

And it tickled his senses.

“`

An unknown, déjà vu.

Since being possessed by this world.

He had never seen the scenery before his eyes.

Surely, that was the case-

‘It feels like I’ve seen it somewhere before-’

At that moment.

“Teacher, do you know that?”

Suddenly, Yutia, with her hands behind her back, asked from among the evening primroses.

Alon, who had been absent-minded, came to his senses and asked back.

“…What?”

“There are cliffs full of evening primroses on that mountain, and also on the mountain ahead? If you go a few more days, there are mountains with them too.”

“Do you like this kind of scenery? You must have visited such places often.”

Yutia slowly shook her head at those words.

Her silver hair, bathed in moonlight, shimmered as if breaking.

“Actually, I didn’t know or like it before, but now I really like it.”

“I see, who told you about it?”

A faint smile appeared on Yutia’s lips.

Her eyes, solely focused on Alon.

“Yes, that’s right. But teacher, do you know why I brought you here?”

“To be honest, I don’t really know.”

Unable to find the identity of the unknown déjà vu.

Alon quietly shook his head.

In the meantime.

Yutia, who had approached Alon,

“That’s because-”

She slightly opened her lips.

“-I want to be with you, teacher.”

“…You want to be with me?”

“Yes, if it takes a long time, we can spend more time together. So… I told a little lie.”

“Then the gift that can only be given there-”

Her eyes curved like evening primroses in full bloom.

“It’s a lie.”

“……I see.”

“Aren’t you going to scold me?”

“Is there really a reason to scold you?”

“But, I lied.”

“Between us, this much doesn’t matter.”

Pause-

A moment of silence.

“……Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a relief. Honestly, I was worried you’d scold me.”

“You don’t look worried at all.”

“Did you catch me? But, I couldn’t help it.”

Yutia burst into a playful laugh again.

She soon took out a small box from her bosom.

Not large.

A box small enough to carry around in her bosom.

“……I wanted to give you a gift that would be much more memorable than the others.”

Yutia extended her small hands.

Alon, who was looking at those hands shining transparently in the moonlight, said,

“I’ll gladly accept it.”

He carefully took it.

“Go back, and open it after some time has passed since I left. Hmm- about a month later would be good.”

“Why?”

“So you’ll think about it a little more.”

Yutia, who didn’t actually mention the subject.

Alon quietly looked at her.

With the night sky fully arrived behind her.

Her figure shining nobly among the evening primroses blooming white-

In that moment, it was so dazzlingly beautiful that it left me stunned.

Therefore.

“……Yeah.”

Alon could only respond like that.