TEB Ch 74

Liev waited for Renard to speak with a very nervous expression. Until now, he had thought of himself as nothing more than a fleeting presence in Renard’s life. After deciding not to push Renard away any longer, Liev had been bombarded with ridiculous statements like laying eggs, leaving him no time to think about it.

“…….” 

When people adopt pets, everyone expects the moment of parting. Of course, there are many people who don’t, but that’s a matter of responsibility.  

Anyone with common sense knows that their pet will live a shorter life than they will. Unless they have a special species like turtles or large parrots, everyone understands this. Even with the best care, everyone knows that an inevitable end will come someday.

But what about Renard? During his time with Liev, he didn’t even know that he would live a very long time if Liev hadn’t taught him. Of course, now that he has met Mahatra and received the knowledge of dragons, he probably knows better than anyone else. Renard’s acceptance of Liev as part of his family was nothing more than a physiological phenomenon. It was only natural that Liev had a lifespan like a speck of dust compared to his own.  

The moment Liev realized this again his heart sank. If their relationship had ended when Renard was ten years old, he wouldn’t have to go through these emotions. Maybe he shouldn’t have accepted Renard. Liev just now realized that he had been trying to push Renard away because he didn’t want to see him suffer through the evitable end of their parting. Negative thoughts began to spread like mold from the tips of his toes.  

“Ow.”  

Renard narrowed his eyes and flicked Liev’s forehead.  

“What are you doing!?”  

He guessed he was hit weakly on purpose, but the sound startled him, and it didn’t hurt much. If Renard had hit him with full strength, Liev’s forehead would have shattered as if it had fallen from a great height. Even though it didn’t hurt, the sudden shock stayed, and Liev glared at Renard with a frown.

“Why did you suddenly…”  

“Don’t worry about unnecessary things. You think I haven’t thought about that?”

Renard covered Liev’s mouth, who was about to protest.  

“I have a plan, so Liev doesn’t need to worry. When I was young, Liev took care of me, so now it’s my turn to take care of Liev. So, can’t you trust me a bit?”

At the same time, Renard put on a pretty confident face and then made a pouty expression, but Liev couldn’t think of anything to say. He was too caught up in another shock and hadn’t been able to think. He didn’t expect Renard to have already come up with a solution. It was also strange to think he didn’t trust Renard.  

Of course, if asked whether he fully trusted Renard, the answer would be no. But explaining it was a different issue altogether. Even though he no longer doubted the truth of what Renard said, Liev still treated Renard like a ten-year-old child.

It wasn’t just about how Liev treated Renard. Renard was now at an age where he was expected to take care of himself as an adult, but Liev still treated him like a child who needed to be looked after and disciplined. Whether or not Liev was aware of it, his attitude towards Renard remained the same.

“…….” 

But…

“It’s only natural, considering how he suddenly started talking about tormenting me and such when we met again!”

A pang of guilt struck Liev, momentarily weighing down his heart, but he quickly shifted the blame onto Renard and pinched his soft cheek.

“You were telling me to die when I first saw you! You’re still picky about eating vegetables! And you’re always mean to other people!”  

As Liev tried to push away the remaining guilt in his heart, he saw Renard’s expression saying, “This isn’t right.” Renard did not lose and shouted back.  

“That’s because Liev keeps lying! Vegetables aren’t something dragons are supposed to eat, so it’s natural that I don’t like them! Liev also hates being around other people and always runs away!”

The argument was on the same level of childish and Liev had no response. Engaging in a pointless back-and-forth would only make things worse. He wondered why, when he could argue so well with others, his vocabulary failed him in front of Renard.

Liev thought about what to say for a moment, but then realized that all of this was his own fault.  

The strategy of using strange words to make Liev speak honestly would not have happened in the beginning if he had not pushed Renard away. When he was young, Liev would pick out the carrots and eat them with Renard because Renard always ate all the meat. Even though he didn’t need to eat the carrots in the first place.

As for his antisocial nature and being uncooperative… he couldn’t even say anything about it.

When Liev was silent for a moment, Renard spoke again, confident.  

“I like Liev much more than Liev thinks. So, I know what’s best for Liev. I didn’t meet you again with the intention of breaking up after meeting for a short time.”  

“…….” 

Why did the argument suddenly turn into a confession? Liev blushed at Renard’s open, blank expression of affection.  

“What? Why all of a sudden?”  

I was so embarrassed that I stuttered without thinking, and Renard shouted with a confident expression.  

“So, trust me a little more. Don’t treat me like a child all the time.”  

Then he looked down at Liev with a proud expression. This time, I really didn’t know what to say. Liev looked at Renard with a speechless expression for a moment, then covered his face with the back of his hand.  

More than ever, Liev felt that Renard was no longer just a child. It wasn’t just that his body had grown; there was an unfamiliar atmosphere about him. Suddenly, it hit Liev, making him feel like a trapped mouse in this strange new environment. He quickly pushed Renard away and ran out into the hallway.

“I don’t know! Don’t say embarrassing things all of a sudden!”  

There was no bigger fool than him. Renard, who had treated him like a child, expressed his thoughts without hesitation, while Liev kept making excuses. The realization that he appeared childish in front of Renard instead of acting like an adult made him feel like his face was about to explode.

“What the hell!”

As Renard immediately followed him, Liev, overwhelmed by a surge of shame, shouted without turning back,

“Don’t follow me! I just need to cool off for a moment!”

Only then did the sound of footsteps following Liev stop. Liev slumped down against a dark corner, leaning back. Whether it was from the sudden running or from embarrassment, his heart was pounding loudly.

Why did I say things like that back there? he thought. I could have responded more naturally… But the more he pondered, the more he arrived at the same conclusion: he didn’t know what a better response would have been. He simply didn’t know.

“…….” 

Liev took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He couldn’t help it. Despite the help he received from Mr. Lambert, he had never experienced unconditional love and dedication before. Since he was young, Liev has been treated like a burden by his parents. The same was true for his older sister.  

“I’m leaving home as soon as I turn twenty. So you better prepare yourself. I won’t have the energy to take care of you.”

It wasn’t just Liev who was neglected by his parents. Even his older sister, who had just finished her internship at a vocational high school, had her salary taken away from their parents. The only saving grace was that his sister taught Liev how to hide his money from his parents. True to her word, she left as soon as she became an adult and didn’t even give Liev her new contact information.  

Liev understood his sister’s action. He had no choice but to live with his parents because he was still a minor and did not want to be deprived of the bare minimum, including his high school diploma. She was probably afraid that their parents would try to contact her through Liev. However, being completely cut off by his sister, with whom he shared the same experiences under the same parents, had a significant impact on Liev.