While Others Became Female Leads In Romantic Fantasy Novels, I Became A Closet Monster
Chapter 21
I was still in the middle of learning my letters, so I couldn’t read well, but by piecing together a few characters from the list, it certainly looked like a name.
“Be… Bea? Beana?”
“No!”
Startled, Dedrick reached out to snatch the paper from my hand, but I quickly pulled my arm behind my back.
I looked up at him, my eyes sparkling. Seeing him flush bright red, I asked, “Is it my name? Are you giving me a name?”
“Th-that’s…”
He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding my persistent gaze.
He really was trying to give me a name!
I felt happier than I expected.
“Are these name candidates?”
“W-wait, don’t look! You shouldn’t see them yet!”
“Why! I’ll just take a quick peek and give it back!”
“Y-you can’t even read them yet anyway!”
“I can! Who knows, maybe I’ll learn if I keep looking!”
“Pfft… Ah, e-even so, you can’t!”
As I tried to stand up from the chair to dodge Dedrick’s reach, my legs got tangled for a moment.
My body tilted, and just as I was about to fall, Dedrick hurriedly lunged to catch me.
My vision flipped in an instant, and before I knew it, I was sprawled on top of Dedrick.
The dropped paper fluttered down like a falling leaf. Turning pale, he bolted upright into a sitting position to check on me.
“Are you okay?”
That was what I wanted to ask.
Dedrick had fallen backward completely defenseless to cushion me.
“I’m fine. More importantly, Didi…”
Is the back of your head okay?
As I carefully stroked the back of his head, the door opened and Perez’s gloomy voice drifted in.
“Dedrick, it’s a shame, but I have to leave first thing tomorrow…”
He stopped mid-sentence and stared at Dedrick.
…No, I think he was looking at me?
It must be a delusion, right? How could he suddenly see me now after failing to all this time?
“…What is this?”
What is what?
“Didi, you’re okay, right? Let’s get up for now. Before he finds this suspicious.”
Just as Dedrick was about to pull his hands away from me, Perez let out a shout.
“Whoa! You scared me!”
Why is he screaming all of a sudden?
“He’s weird. He must have received a strange message.”
“My mother is not a strange person.”
For a moment, Dedrick and I looked at Perez with puzzled faces, unable to process his words.
Perez stepped further into the room and pointed directly at me.
“Who is that girl with the horns?”
“You can… see me?”
“I can indeed…”
…Why?
An awkward silence filled the room, and I slunk away to hide in Dedrick’s embrace.
He also tried to cover me, hugging me as if to protect me.
How on earth could he see me?
Why now, after all this time?
“…Didi, should I knock him out?”
“Are you saying that knowing I can hear you?”
“He can hear me on top of seeing me.”
“You just asked me if I could see you.”
“Didi, what did we do differently than usual?”
“I’m at a point where I’m confused about who I’m even talking to.”
Perez answered every one of my remarks, but I kept my eyes on Didi as I spoke.
Looking at me, Didi couldn’t quite hide a strangely happy expression.
Despite my rather rude way of speaking, Perez didn’t seem angry; instead, he cautiously took a step forward.
“I’d like some sort of explanation.”
Dedrick and I exchanged glances.
Better get up first.
After a silent conversation, we separated and stood up from our respective spots.
But then, Perez’s eyes widened as he watched us.
“Where did the girl with horns go?”
Dedrick and I looked at each other in confusion.
“Can’t you see me?”
Perez didn’t answer.
“There must be a condition.”
I tried to think of anything Dedrick and I had done differently than usual, but nothing came to mind.
“He might see me again, so let’s get our stories straight first. You don’t have to tell him everything about me. Just tell him I’m a closet monster. That I just live in there. You can say I just appeared out of nowhere one day.”
Dedrick nodded slightly, looking at me with concern.
He seemed anxious because I was now visible to others.
It’s understandable. I’m not a human, I’m a monster.
Still, I patted Dedrick to tell him not to worry too much.
Though it was information from the novel, Perez was a trustworthy guy.
If we asked him to keep it a secret, he would readily do so. He wasn’t the type to go around blabbing other people’s secrets.
“…Is something wrong with my eyes? She appears and disappears.”
At those words, I let out a small exclamation.
I figured out the condition for being visible much more easily than expected.
“It’s contact.”
I took Dedrick’s hand.
When I looked at Perez, he was staring straight at me.
As I thought, that was it!
I squeezed Dedrick’s hand and said, “You have to be touching me for him to see!”
Until now, it had just been the two of us, so there was no one else to see even when we touched.
In front of others, we had been careful not to touch, fearing it might look unnatural…
Thinking back now, it was a very good choice.
One wrong move and my identity could have been revealed to the Grand Duchess and her two children, which would have been trouble.
It was a relief that it was revealed this way instead.
A confused Perez spoke up once more.
“The explanation…”
“Please sit down first. I will explain.”
Dedrick headed toward the sofa while holding my hand tightly.
We sat facing Perez, and Dedrick carefully explained exactly as I had told him.
“This girl is a closet monster.”
“…A monster?”
As he looked at me skeptically, I pointed to my horns as if to show him.
“Horns, right here.”
“To call her a monster…”
He looked at my face with a subtle expression.
To call me a monster, what?
The most effective way to piss someone off is to trail off like that.
I whispered into Dedrick’s ear.
“Am I ugly?”
“No, you’re pretty.”
He denied it immediately and met my eyes.
Then, with a firm and serious gaze, he added, “Truly.”
“…Th-thanks.”
I hadn’t expected him to be so sincere, so I caught myself stuttering.
Only then did Dedrick realize what he had said; he rubbed his cheek and avoided my gaze. The nape of his neck was bright red.
Watching Dedrick and me with a strange look, Perez asked cautiously, “Are you two perhaps…”
“We’re friends. More importantly, Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness earlier.”
While still holding Dedrick’s hand, I politely folded my hands and bowed to apologize.
I didn’t want Dedrick’s reputation to suffer because of me.
“I will be careful with my words and actions from now on.”
He looked slightly impressed by my polite demeanor.
“She is quite courteous for a monster. Did you teach her?”
“No. She is naturally a good and kind child.”
“Truly, if it weren’t for the horns, she would be no different from a human. No, she’s even… mystical…”
He stared at me so intensely it was almost burdensome.
That was when Dedrick let go of my hand.
“She disappeared, Dedrick.”
“It seemed Your Highness was unable to focus on the conversation.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
Perez chuckled awkwardly and carefully changed the subject.
“So, why is that monster here?”
“She appeared in my wardrobe one day. I don’t know the cause either.”
“Does she bring you any harm?”
“As you can see…”
Dedrick only said that much, but Perez nodded in agreement.
“She looks more like the type to be deceived than the type to deceive anyone.”
Just what do I look like?
I found myself touching my face for no reason.
“…I don’t know much else. It hasn’t been long since we met.”
“And the girl doesn’t know why she’s here either?”
Dedrick nodded.
Then he stood up and looked at the Prince.
“Um… Your Highness. I am sorry to ask this, but I would appreciate it if you could keep today’s matter a secret.”
Dedrick bowed his head and made a formal request.
“As you know, I am treated as if I don’t exist in this family. To me, that child is more precious than anything. Please do not try to get rid of her; could you just pretend you didn’t see anything?”
“Didi…”
Am I really that precious?
A wave of emotion washed over me.
Still, straighten your back. You look too pitiful.
Perez also seemed quite taken aback, not expecting him to go this far, but his expression soon changed as if he had thought of something.
“That isn’t difficult. However.”
However, what?
“If it’s a weird condition, don’t accept it. We can just turn the tables on the Prince.”
We could just spread rumors that he’s a Prince who talks nonsense.
At my bloodthirsty remark, Didi let out a small smile.
“Did the girl say something?”
Yes, well, something like that.
Since I wasn’t in contact with Dedrick, I didn’t bother to control my facial expression.
