While Others Became Female Leads In Romantic Fantasy Novels, I Became A Closet Monster
Chapter 9
His clenched fists trembled slightly, but Dedrick clearly conveyed the intent he wanted to deliver.
The sight was so admirable.
I thought it might take a little more time.
Then again, Dedrick was the male lead—the type who learns ten things when you teach him one.
A literal textbook example of a broken balance.
When he glanced toward me, I gave him a small round of applause.
“Well done!”
Bolstered by my encouragement, Dedrick continued, his voice slow but articulate.
“How could I possibly steal your book, Brother? I don’t have any servants who follow my orders, and as usual, I was simply studying in my room before stepping out for a brief walk to clear my head.”
Watching Dedrick look so genuinely wronged, Somerset’s agitation simmered down.
Dedrick’s alibi was solid.
Of course it was.
I was the one who stole it.
Maybe I should take this opportunity to stir up some discord with Axel, too.
“I’m not the only competitor you have… so perhaps you should look elsewhere.”
Even without my intervention, Dedrick was handling things perfectly on his own.
I never knew he could be this sharp-tongued.
I looked at him with newfound surprise. In the novel, he was described as a timid boy who couldn’t even answer properly until he went to the Academy.
Was it because I, the Closet Monster who had been one of the reasons for his withdrawal, was acting differently?
It was a very positive change.
“That brat gave up on the successor’s seat a long time ago! How dare you try to drive a wedge between us!”
“…If it were you, Brother, would you be able to give it up so easily?”
Somerset’s eyes widened as if he had realized something.
“It wasn’t me, so please leave.”
Somerset’s face crumpled into a menacing scowl.
Then, thumping his feet, he shoved past Dedrick’s shoulder and stormed out.
“That jerk! He could’ve just left; why did he have to hit you?!”
As I shouted at the top of my lungs, Dedrick gently tugged on my arm.
“I’m okay.”
“If you’re not okay, say you’re not okay. Got it? Don’t shoulder it all alone.”
“…I will.”
“Anyway, you were so cool, Didi!”
A shy flush colored Dedrick’s face.
“Thank you….”
A hint of joy seeped into his voice.
“By the way, did you finish the book?”
“Yes.”
“Did you memorize it all?”
Dedrick nodded lightly.
Is memorizing this entire book easy for you…?
As expected, the male lead’s stats were on another level.
“Then I’ll go leave this in Axel’s room.”
“Ah….”
He was quick on the uptake.
Dedrick realized it was a move to frame Axel as the thief who stole Somerset’s book.
I tapped his hesitant shoulder.
“They started it. Don’t feel too sorry.”
Giving a heavy nod to the boy, I flashed a devilish smile, picked up the book, and moved to Axel’s wardrobe.
The sound of Somerset and Axel arguing reached all the way here.
“If you’re so confident, let me see your room!”
“Brother! Of all the people to suspect, you suspect me? I have no interest in the position of the Blackwood Patriarch!”
“If you have no interest, then why do you keep taking the successor lessons?”
“That’s…! Ah, it’s Father’s wish! He said he’d give everyone an equal opportunity…! That’s why even that idiot is taking the lessons!”
I heard Somerset’s furious shout at the hesitating Axel, loud enough to ring in my ears.
“I knew it; there’s no way you don’t have greed! It’s the position that will lead Blackwood in the future! And to think I called someone like you my brother!”
Watching Somerset grit his teeth, Axel cried out in frustration.
“If you have to check to be satisfied, then fine, look! I didn’t steal it!”
Hearing the thumping footsteps approach, I hurried to place the book on Axel’s desk and scrambled back into the wardrobe. I watched the two boys through the slightly open gap.
Now, find it quickly!
What I brought for you!
Then, the economics book caught Somerset’s eye.
His face contorted hideously.
“Axel. Where did you say you put your book?”
“I told you it’s in the library. You asked me earlier, why are you asking again?!”
Axel, angry at the persistent suspicion, snapped back.
But when Somerset rushed to the desk and held the book up as if to show it off, Axel’s face turned deathly pale.
“Th-that… why is that…?”
“So you pretend to follow me, calling me ‘Brother, Brother’ to my face, and then stab me in the back like this?”
“N-no, Brother! I, really…!”
Beads of sweat trickled down Axel’s forehead.
Since he truly hadn’t done it, he must have felt incredibly wronged.
“I’m telling Mother right now! You’ll pay the price for daring to cross me! You didn’t even realize I’ve been going easy on you!”
“W-wait! Brother, Brother!”
The voice of Axel following him out grew fainter.
Perhaps because they were still adolescents, the way they talked about tating to their mother was hilarious.
Not cute, just funny.
And obnoxious.
I planned to leave their books alone until the upcoming meeting with the Grand Duke.
‘I’ll just sneak the books away right before they meet.’
The bullying toward Dedrick might intensify because of it, but….
‘Even so, he absolutely cannot fall out of the Grand Duke’s favor.’
That was why he had suffered so much in his childhood.
I had to protect my wardrobe while ensuring Dedrick received the Grand Duke’s protection.
If the Grand Duke deemed him fit to be his successor, he would protect him.
‘Let’s expose the stupidity of Somerset and Axel.’
I glanced at the spot where the two had been and returned with a light heart.
Don’t think you’ve paid your karmic debt with just this.
There’s still a mountain of things to settle!
Scratch, scratch.
The sound of a moving pen echoed in the quiet room.
As usual, Dedrick was studying.
I rested my cheek on the desk and watched Dedrick focus on his studies.
He even looks pretty when he’s concentrating.
Perhaps my gaze was too intense, as he gave an awkward smile, slowly set down his pen, and asked me.
“By any chance… do you know how to read?”
“I’m a Closet Monster.”
I don’t need to read.
“That means you can’t, right?”
Yes, that’s right.
I kept my mouth shut.
Looking at me as if I were cute, Dedrick suddenly wrote some unrecognizable characters in the book.
Then, pushing it toward me, he said shyly.
“Hm?”
“You read these characters as ‘Didi.’”
“Ah.”
I didn’t expect him to teach me his nickname first.
As I nodded awkwardly, he moved to hand me the pen but hesitated and set it down.
Then, looking at the long sleeves covering my hands, he asked cautiously.
“Can I roll up your sleeves?”
When I threw both hands up, the oversized sleeves slid down, revealing my arms.
Dedrick carefully lowered my pale hands. Then, he neatly folded the sleeves up past my wrists.
“Try following the strokes.”
“Aren’t you wasting time because of me?”
“No. I needed a moment to rest anyway.”
“Taking a break by making someone else study….”
Aren’t you amazing?
He gave a small laugh at my admiring words.
“You’re so pretty when you smile.”
“…Ahem, hurry up and try writing it.”
He cleared his throat, pretending not to hear.
Seeing his earlobes turn red, it seemed he didn’t dislike it, fortunately.
I gripped the pen skillfully and worked hard to mimic the strange characters he had written.
It would be more accurate to say I was drawing them.
It wasn’t English, nor was it Korean.
It resembled cursive but was even harder to read and more complex.
As I struggled with it, Dedrick covered my hand holding the pen with his.
“The stroke there shouldn’t start here, but here. Relax your hand.”
Holding my hand, he slowly taught me the strokes. It was certainly easier to understand.
“Ah, like that!”
I see.
He let go, and I tried writing it slowly again as he had shown me.
Watching quietly, Dedrick spoke as if surprised.
“You do know how to hold a pen, at least?”
I flinched but made a calm excuse.
“That’s because I’ve been watching Dedrick all this time.”
“Huh?”
“You can call me Didi.”
“Ah, right. It’s because I’ve been watching Didi.”
Resting his arms on the desk and propping his chin on his hand, he stared at me, his lips curving upward.
“You were watching me?”
Seeing him look so happy made my heart ache a little on the other hand.
He was a young boy who could trust someone and smile so purely if only someone approached him with warmth.
Thinking of the loneliness Dedrick must have endured all this time made my chest feel tight.
Of course, I also felt a great sense of pride seeing him speak so well now and smile at me often.
“Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t even asked your name yet….”
Dedrick lowered his brows and apologized as he looked at me.
“What’s there to be sorry about? It’s fine. So much has been happening.”
“Still, a name….”
Seeing Dedrick blame himself, I straightened my shoulders.
“Then ask me now!”
“…What’s your name? I’ll teach you how to write your name, too.”
“Closet Monster!”
When I answered brightly, Dedrick looked quite flustered.
“…That’s not a name.”
“Then I don’t have a name.”
I don’t even remember my name from my past life.
Seeing him look even more dejected than I was, I pondered for a moment before speaking up.
“If you want to give me one, you can.”
“A name is something that stays with you for life. How could I be the one to give it to you…?”
“That’s why you should be the one to give it, Didi. I’m going to follow Didi around for the rest of my life.”
He was silent at my blunt confession.
Did I come on too strong?
