Chapter 6
#KindGuy #PureHearted #Melancholic
He was the perfect embodiment of these three keywords.
“Kind guys are nice. Sure, obsessed alpha types are all the rage these days, but I still like the gentle, loyal type.”
In the world of romance fantasies, where obsessive male leads dominate, a kind-hearted hero like Liotis was a rare treat. Just seeing these keywords made readers flock to “I’ll Be Happy in This Life”. He was incredibly popular.
He was the only high priest with healing abilities. He could have climbed to a position no one could dare challenge, and he could have sought revenge on those who had tormented him. But Liotis never did.
A troubled childhood, yet a straight and upright character. Selflessness that put others before himself.
Liotis was a hero as warm and gentle as sunlight. Readers loved him for that.
But his popularity didn’t last long.
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“If the male lead is that nice, isn’t he just a pushover?”
“I like good guys, but Liotis feels way too much like a doormat for me.”
“I don’t understand the emotional logic. Even if he’s supposed to be kind, why save someone who bullied him as a child and put the heroine in danger?”
“I regret spending money on this story so far.”
In the latter part of the original work, even the readers who favored him—his ultimate fans—criticized Liotis. He was just too kind, almost to the point of being a doormat.
“No matter how much people like kind guys, someone who’s kind to everyone isn’t that appealing.”
His kindness wasn’t limited to the heroine. It even caused trouble between him and her.
Moreover, when the heroine was in danger, Liotis didn’t prioritize her. He chose the safety of the majority over her.
A righteous person who couldn’t make a choice for himself even when someone he loved was at risk. That was Liotis.
And now, what did he just say?
[Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me tell you to get lost?]
Author, my child has changed…
Selena calmly composed herself.
“He’s probably just reacting like this because he thinks I’m going to harass him like the other kids.”
When emotions run high, anyone might speak harshly.
To reassure Liotis, Selena spoke even more kindly than usual.
“Liotis, I’m not here to harass you like the other kids.”
“…….”
“I want to help you.”
“You never asked me to help.”
His tone softened slightly, but it was still sharp.
“What did you just say?”
She could understand throwing the blanket he brought was excusable.
But this—this she could not ignore.
“You said I never asked for help.”
“Before that.”
Liotis didn’t seem to understand what Selena meant. Knowing he couldn’t see her anyway, Selena clenched her fists and scrunched up her face in frustration.
“You just called me ‘you.’”
“So what?”
“I’m one year older than you.”
“…….”
That was right.
Selena was a year older than Liotis.
In a country like South Korea, with its strict manners, this was not something one could ignore. Even a one-year difference made her the senior.
“I can forgive the casual speech since you’re still young. But you should at least use proper titles.”
Liotis was stunned.
She suddenly appeared and brought a blanket, pretended to be friendly, acted sweet, and now she was flipping out over a single word of address.
Had she always been this strange?
He recalled what he knew of her.
Selena.
Judging by what people said, she wasn’t particularly pretty.
“Hey, Limon. You like Selena?”
“Are you crazy? Why would I like that pumpkin?”
Limon always teased Selena about being ugly. He was usually mischievous, but especially harsh to her.
By all accounts, she should’ve been unattractive. But strangely, adults adored her. Even Sophie Elenion, who normally shivered at children as the orphanage director, liked Selena quite a lot.
“She’s such a lovable child.”
“Look at how adorable she is.”
The praise wasn’t for her looks—it was for her words and actions.
Liotis was perceptive. He quickly realized Selena was acting to appear as a “good and lovable child” in front of adults.
She spoke with a deliberately childlike lisp for the grown-ups, but behaved more maturely among her peers.
Liotis didn’t exactly admire that behavior.
He knew her other persona was merely a survival tactic at the orphanage. Why she went to such lengths to please adults, he couldn’t understand.
Truthfully, there was another reason he found Selena bothersome—not an important one. Simply put, Liotis didn’t like her.
“Liotis, are you listening to me?”
“…….”
He remained silent.
“Alright, you might not know, so I’ll explain why you should use proper titles.”
Selena babbled on. Liotis ignored her words completely.
“How long is she going to keep talking?”
By now, one might expect her to tire herself out, but there was no sign of exhaustion in her voice.
“I’m not showing off, but I even brought my lunch for you.”
Liotis was growing annoyed.
How could he get rid of this bothersome child?
“What did Limon do when the girls cried?”
He recalled the crude words Limon’s group used to bully girls.
“I’m not listening to words from an ugly pumpkin like you, so go away.”
“What?”
Selena’s voice rose in anger.
“Of course.”
Girls were sensitive to comments about their looks, and Selena was no exception.
“Ugly pumpkin. Witch’s voice.”
“You really…!”
He felt her moving. Selena was getting up.
“She’s leaving now.”
After calling him a pumpkin twice, surely she wouldn’t bother him further.
Liotis relaxed.
But a small part of him felt a faint sense of regret.
Not because he liked her, but because the fleeting interaction and attention would disappear forever.
“No, I’m not missing it at all.”
He denied his own feelings.
“I’ll leave the bread and water here. Eat it later when you’re hungry.”
Her voice was colder than when she first arrived. Liotis flinched, a mix of guilt and an unfamiliar feeling prickling his heart.
Click—the door locked. As her footsteps faded up the basement stairs, Liotis exhaled.
Growl￣
His previously quiet stomach protested. Being trapped in the storage without a single carrot, he was understandably hungry.
“Bread and water…”
Liotis fumbled in the dark. Nearby were the bread, water bottle, and the blanket he had thrown earlier.
Not the usual hard, stale bread, but soft white bread.
[I even brought my lunch for you.]
He thought he had ignored Selena’s words, but subconsciously, her voice lingered.
Munching the bread, he picked up the blanket. It still held warmth. Wrapping himself in the soft cloth, he felt the cold fade slightly.
“Was I too harsh?”
He shook his head at the thought.
“What do I care about such a strange kid.”
Liotis preferred being alone. If a fleeting curiosity and temporary affection could be easily discarded, it was better not to know it at all.
That way, he wouldn’t long for someone’s affection or feel lonely.
Being pointed at, going hungry, or being locked in a dark basement—it didn’t matter.
It didn’t matter.
It had to not matter.
In the dark, Liotis curled up. The blanket faintly smelled of sweat.
“I shouldn’t have called her a pumpkin.”
Alone in the darkness, he muttered quietly.
Her chirping, bird-like voice in the morning had been noisy but not unpleasant. Her unintelligible babbling about Confucianism and etiquette had been worth listening to.
[From now on, call me properly, ‘Noona’ (older sister).]*
Half-ignored, Selena’s words suddenly echoed in his mind.
“Noona…”
He instinctively covered his mouth. The term felt embarrassingly intimate.
“Noona, what are you…”
After all, she was only a year older.
Liotis, feeling unnecessarily petulant, now called her by her name.
“Selena.”
The name flowed smoothly from his mouth. Once he said it aloud, his lips moved naturally.
“Selena. Selena. Selena.”
A name meaning “moon,” wasn’t it?
Liotis thought the name suited her perfectly.
