ISTV 11

ISTV

Posted by Ali, Released on July 17, 2025

Over the past year, she had grown a bit attached to him and even found some endearing qualities in him. Now, she wanted to slap herself for thinking he was cute.

To think the day would come when she’d find an “daddy’s boy” cute!

Wasn’t a daddy’s boy only cute when he was handing out allowance?

‘Still… he is cute.’

He was very cute now, but after his coming-of-age ceremony, his body would bulk up like a bear.

Because of his baby face and gladiator-like body, he was nicknamed “bagel” (baby face + glamorous), and there were quite a few users who fangirled over Garen.

Kusmo swept his long bangs behind his ear and stepped forward.

“Seila! Nice to see you.”

“Hello.”

Kusmo was clearly conscious of the people around him.

He felt like everyone was watching them.

Just greeting Seila made him feel like his own status was being elevated.

“Do you remember me? We greeted each other a few years ago.”

“Of course. I remember.”

“You do? That’s a relief.”

“Your deeply bowed neck, like a ripe stalk of rice, left quite the impression.”

“…Huh?”

“Rice is a symbol of humility, you know.”

While Kusmo was still confused about whether that was a compliment or a jab, Seila called for Mary.

Mary was holding an orange bouquet in her arms.

“Here, this is for you, Brother.”

Compared to what other noble children were holding, it wasn’t particularly stylish.

Kusmo was momentarily offended.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but Seila’s gaze toward him felt very different from how she looked at Garen.

“A bouquet, huh? But orange flowers? That’s a bit tacky. Seems the florist didn’t put much effort into it.”

He subtly lifted his own bouquet.

Kusmo’s bouquet was flashy and colorful.

Seila didn’t react and instead handed her bouquet to Garen.

“I made it myself. It’s not as good as something made by a professional, but I put my heart into it.”

“…”

Garen accepted it as if he were bewitched.

After a moment, he managed to ask,

“You made this yourself?”

“Yep.”

Garen instinctively looked at Seila’s hand.

There was a band-aid on her index finger.

“Hey. You hurt yourself?”

He gently lifted her hand and examined the band-aid.

“It’s nothing. I was just inexperienced, since it was my first time. It’s orange, and tacky, but… will you accept it?”

Kusmo’s face turned ghostly pale.

Main characters were usually created and designed as teams, but minor characters were often left to a single person.

Philip, Garen’s magic tutor, and Kusmo, the petty villain, were both examples.

Incidentally, both Philip and Kusmo were characters she had designed—and they had fallen under her brother’s jurisdiction.

‘Philip was the ultimate efficiency-obsessed guy. Kusmo was a hyena sniffing out weaknesses.’

He was the type who would pounce on any sign of vulnerability and take delight in it.

It was crucial not to show any weakness in front of him.

‘Most of the death flags related to Kusmo only get triggered when I show weakness.’

The best thing was to avoid him entirely, but if that wasn’t possible, she absolutely couldn’t let him see a weak side.

“I don’t want to have tea time alone with the young lord.”

“Wh-what? Why not?”

“I’d rather not get involved in some needless scandal.”

At fourteen, it was more than enough to spark rumors. Most people entered high society at ten.

“Besides, didn’t Lord Kusmo just insult the bouquet I made with my own hands, calling it tacky?”

“I-I didn’t mean to…”

“Even if you didn’t mean it, it’s a fact that you insulted my feelings for my brother.”

“…”

Kusmo, his face flushed red, stepped back in shame.

‘Thankfully, Garen is grinning.’

She had successfully derailed <The Lady and the Boy>’s plotline.

Just in case, she added,

“A noble must uphold dignity and decorum.”

“Got it.”

“You understand what I mean, right?”

“Yeah, you mean ‘don’t cause trouble,’ right?”

“Exactly.”

“Okay. I won’t cause trouble. In that case, wanna have dinner with me later?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll make the new curry recipe I’ve been working on.”

“Alright. But don’t forget to be noble.”

“Okay! I’m a noble brother, after all.”

It was always best to avoid violence.

Judging by Garen’s mood now, it seemed unlikely he’d hit Kusmo no matter what the boy did.

“There will now be a blessing ceremony by the High Priest. Family members, please wait here.”

The blessing chamber was on the upper floor.

Garen waved cheerfully and climbed the stairs.

And about an hour later, a significant commotion broke out.

‘No way…’

A sacred blessing chamber.

News spread that Garen had severely beaten Kusmo in that very place.

‘Is this… the law of narrative preservation?’

Violence in a temple was a serious matter. The temple’s paladins and priests quickly subdued Garen and escorted him downstairs.

“Let me go! I said let go!”

Even while being restrained by knights, Garen was still struggling wildly, unable to calm down.

A knight frowned and warned,

“If you keep this up, we’ll have to use force.”

“Let me go! That bastard’s not getting away with this!”

People began forming a circle around Garen.

‘An informal trial is about to begin.’

The details had changed slightly, but it was unfolding exactly as it did in <The Lady and the Boy>.

Soon the High Priest descended the stairs, visibly furious.

Next to him walked Kusmo—his face a swollen mess.

Oh wow. His face is totally puffed up.

“A deeply irreverent act has occurred within the temple. Since the boy is not yet of age, we shall conduct a summary trial here. Unless he sincerely repents and receives forgiveness, Garen shall not be permitted to complete his coming-of-age ceremony—neither here nor in any other temple.”

In the world of <The Lady and the Boy>, failing a coming-of-age ceremony meant living your entire life as a child.

It also meant you couldn’t function as a full member of society.

“Does anyone wish to speak?”

In the original, Garen was too worked up to make a proper defense, and no adult or family member stood up for him.

But this time, things were different.

She raised her hand.

“I am Seila de Dvernonn, third child of House Dvernonn. May I speak in my brother’s defense?”

All eyes turned toward her.

The High Priest didn’t look thrilled, but granted her permission.

“I have no intention of justifying my brother’s violence. However, we must examine the events leading up to it.”

Lady Dern shouted,

“What do you mean ‘leading up to it’?! Are you suggesting our Kusmo provoked this?”

“I firmly believe Lord Kusmo deeply insulted my brother with his words.”

“Kusmo is a kind and gentle child. How dare you say something so outrageous?”

“Well, that kind and gentle child insulted the bouquet I made with heartfelt sincerity.”

“Don’t twist something so trivial to justify this brutality. High Priest, I believe it has no connection whatsoever to this excessive violence.”

“To you, Lord Kusmo may seem kind and gentle. But to me, my brother is the same.”

“Ha! That violent, barbaric boy is kind and gentle? Even a passing dog would laugh!”

Seila walked up to stand in front of Garen.

His eyes were brimming with tears, clearly filled with frustration, yet he was stubbornly resisting.

She whispered softly to him.

“I believe you, Brother.”

“…”

“Just wait a bit longer. Let’s have dinner together. I’ll protect you, so relax.”

Garen, who had been struggling to break free, suddenly went limp.

Tears began to fall silently down his cheeks.

Seeing him like that made her feel a bit heartbroken too.

She reached toward his neck and untied the necktie she had gifted him.

“High Priest, I wish to submit this necktie as evidence.”

It was a kind of recording device.

She pressed the hidden button inside the necktie, and Kusmo’s voice rang out clearly.

“Garen. You don’t even have a mom, do you?”

“Seems like your whole family hates you, huh?”

Apparently, Kusmo had been tailing Garen around persistently.

“You’re making me uncomfortable. Stop it.”

Garen, unusually composed for him, repeatedly told him to stop.

But Kusmo wouldn’t let up.

“Why are you upset? Because you don’t have a mom?”

Even so, Garen kept holding it in.

By the way, Garen wasn’t the brains type—he was a brute force kind of guy. He was excellent with fists, but a total newbie when it came to verbal sparring.

In the world of <The Lady and the Boy>, Garen’s setting was basically: “Why talk? Just punch.”