My Childhood Friends Are Trying To Kill Me

Next day

As Lelia saw Romeo had come to her room to play, she felt seriously troubled. 

Something is wrong, and not by a small margin.

“Why are you here?”

“To play with my Captain.”

When Lelia woke up in the morning and washed up, Romeo was already there. Romeo was lying down on the sofa and was reading a book, and when she looked at it closely, it was a humorous book that was only sold in a bookstore downtown. 

Phew

She thought he was reading something weird. She was surprised to know that she was expecting to find something like an obscene book.

Well, this child is only 10 years old… I have a rotten mind!

Lelia awkwardly reached out for the snacks on the table. It looks like Romeo was the one who bought it.

“Are you having fun reading it?”

“Would you like to read it, Captain?”

Romeo handed her the other book next to him, and Lelia opened the book saying, “It’s childish, what’s so funny about it?”

Then, after a while, Leila’s laugh filled the room. Romeo looked at her with a pathetic expression. 

It was then.

Knock knock

The sound of knocking on Lelia’s door was heard. 

‘Who is it?’

The only person who usually visits her room was the priest. He used to wait for Lelia’s permission to come in, but it was quiet on the other side of the door. Lelia looked at Romeo who was sitting across the table from her. After a pause, Romeo sighed and quickly got up and headed towards the door. 

‘Well. I didn’t even tell you to do it, but you’re good. Doesn’t he look like a real subordinate? It’s a bit comfortable…?’

Yes, she has to stay here for at least 3 years. And it will be quite comfortable if she has a subordinate. 

“Huh?”

But it was an unexpected person who opened the door.

“I thought the priest had come to pray…”

Since the children living here are either members of royal families, or aristocrats, the priests were troubled. They did not force nor control any activities, unless the children fought or went out. 

Except for a certain activity. 

That specific activity is to encourage the children to get closer to one another and unite. In other words, it was like getting together like in an athletic meet. Anyways, it was obvious that most of the time is free time. Sometimes the priests used to come and ask us to come out to pray, only when we stayed in our room for too long.

“What? You?”

It was Oscar who came to Lelia’s room. He, who had collapsed and was trembling yesterday. 

“I am asking you something. What are you doing here, kid? Is your mouth closed? Do you want me to open it?”

Romeo! You are…!

Lelia was embarrassed. 

Romeo grew up with sweet parents… Where the hell did he learn to say such things?

But despite Romeo’s expression and questions, Oscar looked at him with a blank face. Oscar is so small and thin that he looked much smaller than Romeo. He looked even smaller than me. 

Of course, in the future, he will become big and strong enough to be able to lift the heroine in one arm, and will grow up to have a big body similar to Romeo. 

But he is very small now. 

Nevertheless, Oscar did not show any signs of being scared of Romeo. Well, he’ll become the Emperor in the future. Lelia had heard of the rumours that he’ll be a terrible Emperor, but he must be a strong man. 

Lelia stepped up before Romeo spoked more harsh words to Oscar. 

“Hey, Romeo. Don’t scare the kid who came all the way to visit us.”

“Okay, Captain.” Romeo’s lips dropped into a straight line at Lelia’s words and he gently stepped aside. Certainly, he was listening to Lelia’s orders well.

Oscar slowly stepped inside the room and walked in front of Lelia. 

“Hi, what’s the matter?”

“Well, I…

“First of all, sit down.” Lelia tapped the seat next to her. Oscar hesitated for a moment before sitting beside her. 

“Oh, so… Thank you for helping me yesterday. I was going to talk about that… that’s all.”

“You are welcome. It’s all right.” Lelia replied with a slightly embarrassed look.

Actually, she was going to ignore it, but…

She was worried for a while, but when she heard the words “thank you for helping me yesterday”, she felt ashamed and guilty for no reason. 

I’m sorry that you went through it…

Lelia pointed to Oscar the snacks, which were on the table. 

“Aren’t you hungry? Do you want to have some snacks?”

Although Romeo had brought it, Lelia had the kindness to let her hold the cookies for Oscar. It was her attempt to get rid of her sorry feelings by offering Oscar some snacks.

“Thank you for the snacks.” 

Romeo, who closed the door and returned, seemed to be holding back, even though he had many things to say. He sat opposite to Oscar, looking at him from top to bottom with a discontented look. 

His eyes looked like he’s in a bad mood. However, Oscar did not care at all. 

“Why do you stammer?”

“…”

Romeo asked Oscar. 

Lelia glared at Romeo who then looked away. Oscar spoke, holding the cookies in his hand. 

“Sometimes I get nervous… No, it happens only when I am surprised.”

“Isn’t that like… every day?”

Romeo deliberately stammered to make fun of Oscar. His sarcastic attitude was very obvious. 

“Hey! Stop it.” Romeo huffed at Lelia’s words. 

“Don’t make fun of your friends.”

“Who is your friend? Who would want to be friends with someone like you?” Romeo screamed at Oscar and huffed. He went straight to Lelia’s study, leaving both Lelia and Oscar alone in the living room.

The room where Lelia lived was divided into a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a study, just like a house. She is a prince, so it’s obvious that she will be treated specially. Of course, the rooms of other children were divided like that as well, but Lelia’s room was a little spacious and bigger.

That kid… he is ten years old, an elementary school kid.

Lelia sighed looking at Romeo’s back, and apologized to Oscar in his stead. 

“I’m sorry, Oscar. I’ll apologize in his stead. Even though he behaves like a bad guy, he is not a bad guy by nature.”

“Oh, it’s okay. Uh, he isn’t wrong anyway… I… I have no friends.”

“What?”

“I, like me… someone who trembles, who gets fits, who would love such a child?” Lelia frowned at Oscar’s words. Oscar looked completely hurt. But Lelia’s heart broke for nothing. 

Why would you take that for granted when you are just a child?

“Hey, why would you say that? Why don’t you have friends? You can be friends with me! I even came to help you… Would I have helped you if I didn’t like you? So, please don’t think like that.”

“I don’t get fits. Even if I suffered from it, would you have helped me?”

“Of course!”

“Thank you”

In response to Lelia’s answer, Oscar lowered his head for a moment, as if he was ashamed and twiddled his fingers in embarrassment.

“Ah!” He raised his head to ask something.

“Well, do you know my surname?”

“Yes, you are the prince of the Hraesvelg Empire.”

Then, “Ah!” She asked and raised her head.

“I saw you yesterday…”

“…I guess. Until yesterday, I stayed very quiet as if I didn’t exist.” Lelia kept trying to get going, but she couldn’t pretend to not see Oscar trembling on the floor. Looking at Lelia exhaling her sigh, Oscar pointed to the room Romeo was in.

“Well, by the way, why was he calling you Captain?”

“Oh, umm… Because I am cool? He said he developed a lot of respect after he saw me save you.” Lelia lied naturally. And Romeo, who was in the study, screamed, “What? What in the hell are you talking about? Do you want me to shut your mouth?” He came out of the room running. 

“Oh, I see…”

“Yes.”

“Well, I want to call you Captain, can I?”

He certainly trembled only when he was nervous, but he seemed to get better as he talked. 

But what did he just say?

“Me?” Lelia froze for a moment and blinked. 

Suddenly, the lines and the scenes she had read in the story came to her mind. Oscar was the one who killed his father and became the Emperor. Since then, he has been called the Bloody Emperor, the Cruel Emperor, but…

And in fact, the scene was also about Oscar breaking his childhood trauma and avenging his mother. 

And when Oscar… killed his father, he said, “Father, I am going to kill anyone who is on top of me now. This is probably the beginning.”

Oscar, once again said, looking at the absent-minded Lelia, who was recalling and thinking about the story. 

“I-I… want to call you captain…”

“Uh, um…” Lelia agonized for a moment. 

“Please, let me call you…” 

Lelia wanted to say no, but… Oscar’s eyes seemed very desperate to call her ‘Captain’.

Honestly, Oscar is too small, fragile and short. He’s trying to stimulate his protective instincts. His fine silver hair, fair skin and red eyes looked innocent and delicate. In the original story, Oscar, who had already become an adult, boasts a beautiful appearance that attracts people. He definitely looked beautiful even though he is still young. 

To be honest, Lelia was worried that she would be caught and that they will discover that she is a girl, but she came here, there are many beautiful children like Romeo and Oscar already, so she let go of her worries a little bit.

“…I, can’t I? Is it because of what you saw yesterday…?”

“No, that’s not what I mean” Lelia was afraid that she’d die if she heard him call her ‘captain’.

My goal is to survive and stay alive!

After a moment of thought, Oscar’s eyes began to tear up. His lips trembled like a baby cat that was crying. 

“Okay, wait, wait! No! Call me, Call me Captain!” Just before the tears fell, Lelia managed to shout.

“Uh, really?”

Oscar blinked. Clear tears flowed down his beautiful face. Lelia hurriedly wiped his tears with the tip of her thumb.