CHAPTER 10 - Changing Someone.

The love story between Iris and Noel began when they were both 15 years old. Iris worked at a restaurant, and Noel would often visit the restaurant just to see her.

Love at first sight, he mentioned.

"A foolish notion."

I don't believe in love at first sight; what he felt was sexual attraction towards a beautiful girl, and he confused his feelings with love.

Ah, well.

Gradually, Noel earned Iris's trust. They started as friends and later became lovers.

And the drama began when Noel was threatened with losing his surname if he didn't agree to marry a girl his parents had chosen to be his wife. He refused, and family problems started.

Iris felt guilty and tried to break up with him to spare him more trouble, but he refused to end things and kissed her, reaffirming his love for her. They got married as quickly as possible to start a life together.

I won't deny that it's admirable on his part to give up becoming a millionaire just to be with the person he loves, but...

"Is it worth doing something like that?"

Does love truly feel so good that even Noel gave up his life of luxury to be with the person he loves?

I've never fallen in love... Or have I? Not that I know of... Hmm... Ah... Hana... Hana... I think I might have had a crush on a girl named Hana or something, but I can't recall.

Well, real love, true love, I've never felt it.

But, does it really feel that good?

"I wonder if even someone like me can fall in love."

Ah, better not dwell on that.

Iris had a difficult childhood, and her adoptive family forced her to work at a restaurant, paying her nothing, under the pretext that they were covering her education expenses. They treated her like a slave until Noel rescued her from that life.

Noel fell in love with her because of her beauty, I'm sure, and she fell in love with him because he helped her escape that living hell.

Is that love? Falling for someone because of their beauty, and falling for someone because they helped you.

Is love that simple? I know nothing about love, so I better not say anything.

But, considering Sylphie's personality, which is just like her mother's, that means...

"Iris didn't love him, or rather, she loved him so much because he was the light in her life."

Iris depended too much on Noel, so much that she lost control of her life when he died, as she didn't know what to do.

Relying so heavily on one person... I'm no expert, but I doubt that's love.

I believe Noel and Iris did love each other, but Noel made the mistake of not teaching Iris to be an independent person. And Iris never learned to be independent on her own because she thought Noel would always be there for her.

Sylphie thanked me when I helped her and even told me her name because she wanted to get close to me and be friends.

"Sylphie wants to find her own Noel in life."

And that would only harm her. So far, she's been doing well, supporting her mother on her own. Sylphie is quite independent in her private life, but when it comes to her mental state, she needs a lot of help.

"And if a man approaches her, pretending to help, he could ruin her life."

She's quite easy to manipulate. If I were interested in sex, I could have easily taken her virginity on that same day, as I know perfectly well how to manipulate a fragile girl like Sylphie. And if I'm confident I can do it, others could too.

Iris and Sylphie, girls who allow themselves to be dominated because their minds are weak.

Noel, you're a good person, I'm sure it was never your intention to take advantage of Iris's vulnerability, but you made a mistake with her by letting her become dependent on you.

I need to teach Iris that she must be an independent woman, that her happiness depends solely on herself, not on others.

She must learn to love herself first.

"Ugh, what a hassle."

Iris has been lucky so far, no man has taken advantage of her, but if she stooped so low as to steal from her own daughter, I have no doubt that she could easily trade her body for more money at any moment.

I must prevent that at all costs, as it would only make my job harder.

"Ah, I hope it's worth it."

Yuki and Noel already informed me that Iris, Noel's ex-wife, left her house.

It's time for part 2 of my plan.

Humans are easily influenced by their emotions, which is why we're easy to manipulate.

A depressed woman is more vulnerable... Or so I believe... I'm not a psychologist or anything, but I have enough knowledge to know what to do in this situation.

I have experience with the negative side of human nature, but depression goes much deeper than my knowledge. Still, I have some experience with it, so I think I can handle it well.

Human nature is about survival, which is why we live in societies; we depend on others to progress, whether we like it or not. Until now, Iris has relied solely on Sylphie, but now that her money is running out, she will hit rock bottom and will have to depend on others. And I'll take advantage of that to become the person she needs.

Manipulating someone's behavior is easy.

Iris is an alcoholic because she misses Noel, her first love.

It's romantic but toxic. This has affected her daughter.

How do you solve this problem? To be honest, I'm not entirely sure; I'm just improvising a bit.

I imagined several scenarios, and the one with the highest likelihood of success is this.

I entered the store and saw Iris, a bit sober but worried.

"What? Why did the price go up?" she asked.

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

She looks too sad. Ah, buying alcohol again, huh?

She's been having financial troubles, which is why the price increase bothers her.

This is perfect.

I stood beside her and left some money on the counter.

"I'll pay for it, miss."

"Tsk. I don't need your pity, kid!"

Ah well. She didn't just click her tongue, she's also looking at me with disgust and even shouted angrily at me.

She really gets aggressive, especially now when she can't afford to feed her addiction.

"Pity? I was just being kind. Your daughter is in my class, that's why I try to help you. Don't worry, I like helping, and this small expense is no problem for me."

"... How do you know I'm her mother?" she asked suspiciously.

"My late father was friends with Noel, I remember because he used to show off the picture of his lovely wife. You haven't changed a bit, Miss Iris. You're still as beautiful. There's something strange about you, I won't deny that, but your beauty is still there."

"Flirting with a drunk woman? Today's teenagers..." the employee started before I silenced him with my words.

"Hey, idiot."

I put my finger to my lips, signaling him to shut up. Nobody asked for your opinion, trash, so keep your mouth shut.

"Shut up if you don't know what she's been through, understood? I apologize for that, Miss Iris. But setting that aside, will you accept my humble help?"

"... Yes... Thank you."

"You're welcome. But..."

"But?"

"Take anything you want, except beer. You're looking a bit frail, and I've heard some unpleasant rumors about your current situation. I'd like to help as much as I can."

"But..."

"I won't accept a 'no' as an answer. Don't think about yourself, think about Sylphie. This will help both of you a little to get by. And don't worry about the money, I have more than enough, it won't affect me in the slightest. Could you accept my humble help? I won't ask for anything in return, don't worry, and I have the nosy employee as a witness. I swear by the Norsai name."

I think I went a bit overboard with that, but I guess it's okay.

Iris is going through a horrible financial situation, and if I push her to accept my help while she's desperate, her weak mind won't want to refuse and she'll accept my assistance.

She took a while to answer and started playing with her fingers, like Sylphie did when we talked on the rooftop.

She nodded and looked into my eyes.

"Yes, thank you very much, young man. I'm grateful from the bottom of my heart."

She didn't look away or stammer, but at least she played with her fingers. Perfect, that was quicker than I thought.

"Let's see..."

I took several baskets to gather the products.

"Don't be shy," I said, offering her a basket.

She hesitated for a second, but finally took it.

Taking small steps, but I'm making progress.

•

•

After paying for our purchases, we both left the store. I paid another employee to carry all of Iris's shopping bags and leave them at her doorstep, so she wouldn't have to carry them.

The employee drove off. Ah, I think everything went well, just the most important part is left.

It's somewhat drastic, but as long as nobody dies, everything will be fine.

"It was nice to meet you, Miss Iris. Ah, by the way..."

I took out the engagement rings she sold and offered them to her.

"Here."

"Eh? A-are these...?"

"Yes, they're the engagement rings you sold. They're an important memory, you should give them to Sylphie to wear with her future husband, or wife."

"B-but... How?"

"I just followed the buyer's trail and bought them."

Noel was present when she sold them, so it was just a matter of finding the buyer and purchasing them.

"Noel might be gone, but Sylphie is still here, don't forget that."

I took her hand and gave her the rings.

"Life goes on, don't dwell on the past. Be happy again, and share that happiness with your daughter. Goodbye."

I walked away from her and started walking, not saying another word.

That sounded cheesy, but I think it was okay... I suppose.

"Hey..."

I stopped and turned to look at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Please, don't tell my daughter about this. I... I don't want her to know that I don't have money."

Ah, I'm sure she already knows, she even knows that you stole from her, but she doesn't say anything because she doesn't want to fight with you.

"Don't worry, I won't tell her..."

Before finishing my sentence, I rushed towards her and jumped on her.

A car swerved off the road and crashed into the store. If I hadn't pushed her, she would be dead.

I shielded her from the flying glass shards with my body, getting some minor cuts on my arms and back, nothing serious.

She's beneath me, in shock, not quite comprehending what just happened, while my blood splatters the ground.

Ah, yes, this was over the top, but necessary.

"Are you okay?"

"W-what?"

I got up and helped her up.

"Ah wow, that was close. I wonder if he fell asleep or was he drunk?"

"W-what?"

That was a pretty strong crash, but I think the driver is still alive.

She just experienced something I like to call "near-death experience."

She was close to dying, and that "close to dying" will become the trigger for her to realize everything she's done wrong up until now.

She's in shock. Her body won't stop trembling, and she's even crying. Yes, it worked.

Step number 2, done.

"By the way... Here."

I offered a large sum of money to Iris.

"W-what? W-why?"

"Noel helped my family in the past. My parents are dead, that's why it's my duty to return the favor. Please accept the money. I know your family is going through a lot of financial troubles, that's why I'd like to help. And don't worry, you can make up a story that someone paid off a debt or something, like a loan. I'm not doing this to seem like a good person, I just want to help the family of the man who helped mine. I hope it will be useful to you."

She hesitated for a moment, but since it's a significant amount, she eventually took it. Perfect.

"Thank you... Seriously, thank you so much."

"You're welcome. If you need help, please don't hesitate to ask. It will be my pleasure to assist you."

I smiled at her... Yes... This smile should work.

I think.

"... C-can I know your n-name?"

She stuttered. One more step forward.

"Saik, my name is Saik Norsai. It was nice to meet you, Miss."

I took her hand and kissed it. I've never done something like this before, I'm just imitating what I've seen in movies. It's a chivalrous action, so I think I did the right thing.

"I wish you luck in life."

"Y-yes... Likewise," she said... blushing.

Another advancement. Weak mindset, so simple.

I must go now.

If I stay longer, the plan will be delayed.

"Miss Iris, I have to go. I left something on the stove, and I don't want it to burn. It was nice to meet you. Goodbye."

"W-wait, you're injured!"

"Ah, right. Don't worry, I'll go to a hospital, but first, I'll go home to turn off the stove. I live alone, and I don't want anything to explode. Take care."

I walked away from her and sighed.

Well... Everything is ready.

Now I'll go home.

•

•

Iris watched Saik leave and looked at the money.

"... He's kind... Very kind..."

But upon seeing the money, she noticed the trail of blood on the floor. Saik's blood, due to the wounds on his body, wounds he got from saving her.

As she remembered Saik saving her, a nostalgic feeling washed over her, the same sensation she felt when Noel defended her from her abusive adoptive parents.

The feeling of being saved by a hero.

But that pleasant feeling wouldn't last long, as she saw the driver emerging from the car, injured but also drunk. That lovely feeling disappeared, leaving only regret and pain within her.

Seeing him stagger and complain about the situation reminded her that she used to behave that way too, filling her with guilt and frustration.

"I'm disgusting..."

Out of nowhere, two ghostly old women appeared behind her, their auras darkened.

Ghosts corrupted by the negative feelings of humans.

"Addiction."

"Carelessness."

"A bad mother."

"A filthy drunkard who's useless."

"It disgusts me."

"She doesn't deserve to live."

"She's just a burden."

They came too close to her and started whispering into her ears.

"You don't deserve that boy's help."

"Aren't you ashamed?"

"You're revolting."

"You're a shame to your daughter."

"You don't deserve to live."

"Do society a favor and jump off a building."

"No one will miss you."

"Not even your own daughter."

Iris wasn't listening to them, but she started feeling worse and crying even more than before.

"I don't deserve his help."

•

•

(Pov - Saik.)

I entered my house, and Yuki stormed over to me in a fury.

"Why didn't you let me go?! I wanted to go with you...! Uwaaaah! And why are you so injured?!"

"I'm sorry, but take this as an apology."

I offered her the bag I had in my hand. The bag was filled with candy and chocolates. People gave me strange looks when I bought them while injured, but I don't care.

"Yay! I accept your apology!"

She took the bag happily, but then her concern came back, and she dropped the sweets.

"Uwaaaah! It's not candy time! Why are you hurt? Were you mugged?"

Noel approached me.

"What happened, Saik?! Did you have an accident?"

"Everything went according to plan. Based on my calculations, in 9 or 12 days, I'll be able to proceed with the plan."

"G-great... Wow... You're amazing."

"Thank you."

"But, Saik, what happened to you?! You're losing a lot of blood!"

"I'll get a first aid kit!" Yuki said.

Am I amazing? Ah, if they knew my methods, they wouldn't think the same.