If You Tell a Pickpocket to Save the Male Lead

Beneath the subtle interest and playfulness characteristic of the elderly, there was a serious gaze demanding an answer. However, Estribal firmly shook his head.

“The joke has gone too far.”

“Then it will be difficult. It seems it’s not yet time.”

The elder shrugged with a smile. Estribal sighed with a grimace.

“Sigh…”

The gate on the back garden was clean and neat, the gate on the capital side was under an ancient tree. It was full of bushes and dirt, and a wrong landing could cause a serious injury. But he didn’t want to make Ciello uncomfortable by force. After much thought, Estribal opened his mouth.

“I will ask the princess to borrow a carriage. The journey will be longer, but it’s better that way…”

At that moment, Ciello subtly sidestepped in front of Estribal. Then one step back. The back of Ciello’s head lightly touched Estribal’s chest.

“…Let’s go.”

Ciello gently pulled his sleeve and wrapped it around her waist. For a moment, Estribal’s lips twitched with a smile that was not a smile, and tension was visible on Ciello’s cheek.

In fact, the two couldn’t see each other’s expressions, but Noah’s heart dropped heavily.

Noah knew the tension on Ciello’s cheek. It was the same tension when Ciello approached him to measure his height.

He also knew the smile on the duke’s lips. It was the smile he had as he watched Ciello when he decided to take a long detour instead of crossing the wall.

What binds the two was not something forced like money or a contract.

So, that was it.

Ciello, with the reverse scale, the two bodies disappeared in a wave of magic power. Noah, who was blankly watching the scene, yawned loudly with a shout of surprise.

“Noah?”

The elder looked at Noah with a puzzled face.

“It’s nothing. Let’s convene an emergency meeting, elder.”

“A meeting, at this hour?”

Noah spoke confidently.

“We must complete our mission. It will be okay even without Ciello. If many thoughts gather, won’t a solution come out?”

The elder nodded with satisfaction.

“Oh, let’s do that. Now, you really aren’t lacking in replacing me.”

Noah supported the elder and entered the fortress.

Even without Ciello, it would still be okay.

****

Estribal and Ciello lightly stepped under the large tree. His chest, which had been taking a deep breath, sank with relief.

The cold dawn air, the unusually hot breath of the two turned white. Estribal carefully opened his mouth.

“Ciello…”

“Ah, there’s the carriage.”

Ciello subtly slipped out of his arms. A chill entered the empty arms.

‘So that’s what it meant to rather not expect.’

He turned his back on the warmth that had been rippling in his arms until just now and silently followed Ciello onto the carriage.

The carriage began to move slowly. Thinking that he would be trapped in awkward silence again, Estribal’s insides burned. Then, Ciello opened her mouth.

“Duke, do you remember what you said before?”

Although it was Ciello’s voice that he had been waiting for, Estribal could not answer immediately. Because all he remembered were words that pushed Ciello away or hurt her.

[Don’t try to understand me.]

[Pull the trigger. Right now.]

[It’s not that I’m worried about your safety. Don’t misunderstand.]

What the hell does she remember? The karma he had built up with his mouth was so deep that he fell silent again.

“You said you wanted me to be out of this plan.”

“…I did.”

Estribal nodded his head. It was a better word among those he had said, but it was painful to recall it now.

“You must be satisfied now.”

Estribal was silent. Not taking Ciello to the founding ceremony, excluding her from the dangerous plan. Just hiding her in a safe mansion, and bringing her out after the world was completed. That was the path Estribal wanted the most. But this was not the way.

“If you look closely, it seems like everything is going the way you want, Duke.”

“Ciello, don’t say that.”

Estribal lowered his head, but Ciello smiled weakly.

“It seems like I’m not the person who fits this plan, as you said, Duke.”

Ciello tapped the floor of the carriage with the tip of her foot. Estribal strongly denied it.

“Although you can’t handle it skillfully yet, hasn’t the power of your existence grown a lot? You should be able to fix the princess’s legs soon.”

“Well, I think if it wasn’t for me, things wouldn’t have gotten this twisted.”

Ciello sighed and looked out the window.

“If my presence wasn’t so low from the beginning, I could have ended the contract right away and returned Serpiente to you, Duke.”

Estribal looked at the side of Ciello’s face. The thin line that made up her forehead, nose, and chin reflected the moonlight and was transparent. But Estribal felt a fear beyond beauty in that sight. Because the image of Ciello, who had turned transparent while turning back time for him, pierced through the layers of memory and came to mind. The thought that Ciello might become transparent again filled Estribal’s mind. Estribal opened his mouth.

“Then what about Peregrine?”

“Huh?”

Ciello, who didn’t understand his words, asked back. Estribal spoke in a serious tone.

 

“Would Peregrine have had such an opportunity if it weren’t for you?”

“Ah… um. That’s true.”

Ciello smiled slightly. It was the brightest smile he had seen today.

At that moment, Estribal was engulfed in the urge to replace the word ‘Peregrine’ in his statement with his own name. As if to say, “Would I have had such an opportunity if it weren’t for you?” After all, the two words were not much different.

The carriage that had arrived in front of the mansion slowed down. This time, Ciello did not hastily get out of the carriage as if running away. Instead, she looked up at him.

Estribal did not miss this and was the first to get out of the carriage and held out his hand. Ciello awkwardly placed her hand on his. Ciello’s foot touched the grass, but Estribal still did not let go of Ciello’s hand.

“Duke?”

Estribal did not answer. Instead, he only loosened his grip on her hand enough for Ciello to push him away. Ciello, who had hesitated for a moment, moved her steps while leaving her hand as it was. A smile that Estribal could not hide once again crossed his lips. The hands of the two did not seem to let go as they crossed the garden.

****

After that day, the relationship between Ciello and Estribal improved a bit more than before. At least Ciello did not avoid him.

The day after Ciello, who met him in the corridor, first greeted him, Estribal headed straight to Ciello’s room.

If, as he read in the book, Ciello’s mindset affects the stability of magic, then it was only natural that Ciello’s magic was more unstable than usual. Because soothing that confusion would have the greatest impact on the success of the plan…

“Another excuse.”

Estribal, walking down the corridor, muttered to himself. Regardless of the success of the plan, he wanted to soothe Ciello’s feelings. No, to be more honest, it was irrelevant to Ciello’s feelings. He wanted to spend time with Ciello. He wanted to see the world by Ciello’s side as before.

Ciello was right. How empty it is to suddenly dig deep into one’s heart. How dear is the moment that brushes over the empty traces.

He couldn’t overcome the unfamiliar emptiness and sent people to buy clothes or jewels that would suit Ciello. Thanks to the sudden appearance of an anonymous big spender who swept away all the luxury goods that came into the capital, the merchants screamed happily, and the nobles who followed the trend screamed in the opposite direction due to the lack of goods.

But Estribal himself didn’t give a single one of those things to Ciello. Because he just remembered the back of Ciello, who threw away the contract and ran away, saying that money talk makes her sick.

Moreover, when he definitely saw the catalog, he thought it would suit Ciello and ordered to get everything, but when he actually held it in his hand, the ash-colored jewels and fabrics did not catch Estribal’s eye at all. There was not a single thing among them that could match Ciello’s smile.

So what should he give? If his truth makes Ciello uncomfortable, and his lies make Ciello sick.

What Estribal had in his hand as he pondered was an opera ticket.

‘This is a pretty good compromise.’

He thought to himself and knocked on Ciello’s door. Today, he was scheduled to meet Reposa, so it would be appropriate to watch the performance after the schedule was over.

“Ciello?”

But Ciello’s room was quiet. Just as Estribal was about to knock again in surprise, a servant who appeared from the wall quietly spoke up.

“Duke, Miss is currently in the garden.”

“The garden?”

“A guest has visited.”

“Could it be them?”

“Yes. The people who are said to be Miss’ biological parents…”

Estribal’s eyebrows furrowed fiercely. The servant added an excuse as if in his place.

“MIss seemed to be worried too, but she thought she should have a conversation anyway and took the initiative, so please kindly understand.”

Estribal took a deep breath and exhaled.

“…How is the identity investigation going?”

“As you said, we secretly contacted the informant who had a relationship with the Miss. We are also checking on our side, but since they are commoners, not nobles, our rats are somewhat underperforming.”

“Understood. Guide me.”

The servant sighed with relief and led the way. Estribal followed the servant towards the garden. Before long, color slowly began to fill his vision. It meant that Ciello was getting closer.

He looked around at the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery. Various rare flowers planted in the garden were blooming in various colors under the sun. They were all for the sake of portraying Duke Trepe’s hobby, but now that he saw it, it wasn’t too bad.

When Ciello was by his side, he didn’t notice because he was looking at Ciello, but he was living in quite a beautiful place.

[I’m fine as I am now.]

Ciello’s words came to mind. He couldn’t fully agree with her words yet, but now he couldn’t firmly deny it. Estribal spoke to the servant who was following him.

“Raise the salary of the servant in charge of the garden. I will allocate a generous budget, so order them to take more care.”

“Understood.”

The servant bowed his head. He thought it was a punishment now. But the existence of Ciello alone was making the world so different. A faint smile crossed his lips.

“…Yeah, how much I laughed when you danced before you could even walk?”

Then, a harmonious conversation came in. It was the voices of Ciello and the visitors.

“Did I really do that? How old was I then?”

“Well! That was…”

Estribal stood still on the spot. The sound of laughter, the sound of cookies crunching, and the like pricked his ears.