The Villains I Taught Became Heroes. – Chapter 20

Even after finishing the boat ride, there was still plenty to do.

Normally, Sowol would have taken Lee Hyun around to various places. Instead, she wanted to bask in their romantic atmosphere on the boat earlier.

So instead of experiencing the facilities around the lake, Sowol chose to take a calm walk.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. This is perfect for me.”

“It… never mind.”

Lee Hyun wanted to say, “It doesn’t suit you,” but there was no need to create unnecessary trouble.

Isn’t the atmosphere quite nice?

It’s much better to just quietly take a walk than to upset Sowol with unnecessary comments.

“Was there something you wanted to say?”

“If that’s what my disciple wants, I should oblige. That seems to be the walking course over there.”

The place Lee Hyun pointed to was a walking path designed to go around the lake.

Perhaps because there are many flowers and trees, it looks perfect for families and couples to walk.

‘Suggesting a place like that… Sigh. Master, really.’

Glancing at a couple passing by in front of them, Sowol gently turned her head to look at Lee Hyun.

“Isn’t that a place for families and couples to go together? If you go there with me, what will others think?”

“Do you want to go somewhere else?”

“… It’s not that I dislike it.”

After playfully deflecting once, Sowol entered the walking path with Lee Hyun.

Whether it was properly developed as a tourist spot or not, the fragrance from the flowers and trees was pleasant.

As she walked along the path with Lee Hyun, Sowol felt a warmth in her heart. She pointed to one side.

“Look over there. There.”

Sowol pointed to a place where couples were walking hand in hand. Watching them, Lee Hyun extended his hand to Sowol.

“You want to hold hands? Here.”

The large outstretched hand. A rough hand with many small scars.

Sowol silently looked at that big hand that seemed to show that Lee Hyun’s life so far hadn’t been easy, then gently placed her hand on it.

A small, clean, and pretty hand.

When that hand touched Lee Hyun’s, Sowol unconsciously shuddered.

“My, my~ They must be close siblings.”

What brought Sowol back to her senses, as she was entranced by the warmth of their hands touching, was the voice of an elderly couple passing by.

Close siblings.

Is that all they look like right now?

Sowol looked at their reflection in the lake.

An adult and a child. No matter how generously one looked at it, they would only appear as siblings with a large age gap.

“Haha. Is that how we look? We are close, aren’t we?”

Oblivious, Lee Hyun roughly ruffled Sowol’s hair.

She wanted to say something but found it difficult to open her mouth because of the hand on her head.

Unable to say anything, Sowol fixed her disheveled hair and gazed intently at Lee Hyun.

“What?”

“… It’s nothing!”

Feeling slightly annoyed for no reason, she strode forward. But that didn’t last long. Sowol, who had gone quite far ahead, stopped her steps and, without looking back, gently extended her hand.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and come.”

When the walk ended, the sun was high in the sky.

As it was about time for lunch, Sowol looked around.

Perhaps because it had many tourists, there were quite a few restaurants.

Thinking it would be better to go to a place with a nice atmosphere, she led Lee Hyun to a large restaurant closest to the lake.

“Welcome! I’ll guide you to a lakeside seat on the second floor!”

The waiter must have thought they were from a noble house, judging by Lee Hyun and Sowol’s clothes.

After guiding them to a seat on the second floor, the waiter immediately took their order.

It was a moderately expensive restaurant, but Sowol didn’t mind.

She had more than enough ability to pay for this.

“What’s the most popular dish here?”

“The trout steak and steamed trout, sir.”

“We’ll have two of those, please. And wine…”

“A bottle of whiskey. And a glass of milk for her.”

“…As he said, please.”

Once again, she couldn’t order wine.

Sowol pouted her lips, but Lee Hyun’s attitude was firm.

Having no intention of disobeying his instructions, Sowol fiddled with the large glass of milk that was brought.

“When will I be able to drink alcohol?”

“When you become an adult.”

Lee Hyun said curtly.

An adult, huh.

Generally, adulthood is considered to be after the age of 20.

It’s still many years away.

Sowol let out a deep sigh and took a sip of milk.

“And alcohol is something you should learn from adults.”

“Then will you teach me about alcohol too, Master?”

“If the opportunity arises?”

“Don’t forget those words. I’ll definitely have my first drink with you, Master.”

Lee Hyun smirked at her as she clenched her fist and spoke confidently.

By the time Sowol becomes an adult, he might be at the Academy.

Would he be able to teach Sowol about alcohol then?

Lee Hyun had doubts, but he also knew there was no need to voice them now.

“Alright, alright. I’ll look forward to it.”

“It’s a promise.”

Sowol said confidently, extending her pinky finger.

Lee Hyun shrugged and linked his pinky with hers.

“Pinky promise~. If you break it~. Ten praise stickers~.”

“That’s terrifying!”

Trying to eat ten praise stickers in one day.

As Lee Hyun shuddered, Sowol grinned broadly.

“Your meal is served.”

In the meantime, the food was ready. Trout steak made by grilling trout, steamed trout, and other dishes were placed on the table.

Looking at the quite appetizing food, Lee Hyun picked up his whiskey glass.

“Shall we make a toast?”

“What should we toast to?”

“To your growth.”

“Growth…”

‘Growth. I want to. I want to be taller and have a bigger chest.’

She also wanted to be seen as something other than just siblings, like earlier during the walk.

But in the end, isn’t it just a matter of time?

In a few years, she would grow more, and by then, surely…

‘Well, Master is just barely suitable for a pretty and capable woman like me. But still, he’s my Master!’

It was a rather enjoyable meal.

Lee Hyun did launch some attacks while eating, but she avoided them well, so there was no problem.

“Shall we head back now?”

“Let’s do some shopping before we go.”

Earlier, when she asked the waiter, she heard there were many good things in the shopping district here.

Since she had money to spare, she wanted to buy some accessories. Sowol headed to the shopping district, dragging along a reluctant Lee Hyun.

As the waiter said, the shopping district for tourists was bustling. Walking around the crowded street, I saw many pretty things.

“Master, this…”

She liked the earrings being sold at a stall. She tried them on and turned her head to ask Lee Hyun what he thought, but he wasn’t there.

Where did he go?

Puzzled, Sowol looked around, and her expression hardened.

Lee Hyun was chatting with a beautiful woman with dark black hair and a large chest, both wearing broad smiles.

She seemed to be quite close to him.

The woman, with an alluring beauty mark under her left eye, even hugged Lee Hyun before saying cheerfully,

“Oh, is this young lady your disciple?”

“Yes. Sowol, say hello. This is my friend, Rebecca.”

Another friend. Are all of Master’s friends women, and beautiful ones at that?

“… I’m Sowol.”

“My, my. Nice to meet you. I’m Rebecca, known as the Witch of the Black Forest. Hmm… I can certainly see why Lee Hyun took you as his disciple. You have extraordinary talent.”

“Right? It’s not easy to find someone with such talent.”

“If only she had talent for magic, I would have snatched her away to teach her myself. Anyway, it seems I’m taking up a lot of your time, so I’ll send you off now.”

“Huh? Where to…”

“Rebecca is a skilled magician who can use dimensional gates. I asked her to open one to our territory since she said she could.”

“Ah… I see.”

If she can use dimensional gates, we don’t have to waste time going back.

Hearing this, Sowol let out a sigh mixed with regret.

She knew that her time alone with Lee Hyun was coming to an end.

“Come find me when you’re ready. I’ll be at that café over there.”

Rebecca left with a grin. Watching her go, Sowol let out a low sigh. Her excited mood seemed to be settling down a bit.

“Those earrings.”

“Oh…”

While Sowol was touching her ear, Lee Hyun gently patted her head and smiled kindly.

“They suit you very well.”

“…..!”

With those words, her sunken mood lifted again.

Despite everything, Lee Hyun was watching over her well.

Happy about this, Sowol’s face turned slightly red as she gently lowered her head.

“Well, since you’re pretty to begin with, anything suits you well. Is there anything else you want to buy?”

“No, that’s all.”

“Then let’s go back.”

In the end, without being able to say anything more, Sowol followed Lee Hyun.

Waiting at the café, Rebecca smiled brightly when Lee Hyun and Sowol entered.

What was she so happy about?

Rebecca came to the stable, patted Lee Hyun’s shoulder, and pointed at Sowol.

“Raise your disciple well. It seems she’ll be able to have a good match with my disciple later.”

“Hey now. My disciple will win, so what good match?”

“Hahaha!! We’ll see who’s better when the time comes, right? Well then, have a safe trip. See you again sometime.”

As she lightly waved her staff, a faint white door appeared.

A dimensional gate. Through that door, which only high-level magicians could create, the entrance of the Eastern Merchant Group could be seen.

“Let’s go.”

With one hand holding the horse’s reins, Lee Hyun casually extended his other hand.

Sowol silently looked at that hand before gently grasping it, and Lee Hyun entered the dimensional gate without hesitation.

After passing through the dimensional gate, they saw the entrance of the Eastern Merchant Group.

“Ugh! Now that we’re back, it’s time for training again… Huh? What’s wrong? Do you have something to say?”

Now that they’ve reached the front of the Eastern Merchant Group, they just need to go in.

But. Should she let go of this hand now?

Sowol looked at Lee Hyun’s hand, which she held, and was about to open her mouth.

“Oh? Young lady! Master Lee! When did you arrive?!”

That’s when it happened. When that energetic voice was heard. Startled, Sowol hastily let go of the hand and turned her gaze to the owner of that voice.

It was Laila.

Having just arrived, it seemed, she cheerfully spoke to Lee Hyun without even changing out of her travel clothes.

“Master Lee! I was thinking on the way here about that compensation…”

“Ah. Right. That? What about it?”

“For the upcoming harvest festival, how about you become my partner as compensation?!”