I Will Become the Villain’s Childhood Friend - Chapter 51

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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51

 

Kail spoke haltingly with his gaze lowered.

 

“…You have your maid. And that horse called Seolgi or something…”

 

“Those two are family. It’s different from you.”

 

“…It’s not even confirmed that I’ll be admitted yet. Even if I do attend, I’ll stay at the family home during every vacation and visit often during the semester, so you’re making a fuss.”

 

“But I won’t be able to run over to see you whenever I want to like I can now…”

 

Even after saying it myself, my face flushed with embarrassment, and I hastily turned away from him.

 

I had unconsciously started whining.

 

Why am I acting like this? It’s not separation anxiety, just childish wheedling.

 

No, I was genuinely anxious about having to be apart from Kail for a while.

 

I worried that Kail might turn dark somewhere beyond my reach, and what if he gets influenced by bad kids and becomes a delinquent teenager.

 

I suppressed the sudden wave of emotion that had swept over me.

 

As my rationality gradually returned, I realized how pathetic I must have looked.

 

‘Right. How long was I planning to keep Kail, who’s now much taller than me, tucked under my arm like a child?’

 

Since he was a friend I met when I was eleven and who was smaller than me then, I still treat him like a kid.

 

Even though it’s been over a year since I started looking up at him, my inner feelings haven’t changed much.

 

Or maybe it’s because I see Kail every day that I’ve become numb to his growth.

 

I belatedly realized that we were both now at an age where we should be socializing with same-gender peers rather than being childhood friends.

 

‘I should also become closer friends with other young ladies now. Go to social gatherings too.’

 

Most importantly, Kail wouldn’t go astray so easily. I’m confident that I’ve guided Kail well down the right path over the past three years.

 

Compared to when we first met, Kail has become much gentler.

 

Now he should be able to get along fine with friends even when he goes to school.

 

Once I organized my thoughts, I felt relieved.

 

I was about to change the subject to shift the mood, but Kail, who had been rubbing his neck, suddenly held up his pinky finger.

 

“Will this work?”

 

“What?”

 

Kail let out a quiet sigh, raised his head, and looked straight at me.

 

“A promise. I’ll go to Pelrn once every other weekend.”

 

I stared at him with wide eyes and couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

 

“Once every other week! Kail, it’s a ten-hour round trip, you know?”

 

“That’s by carriage. If I ride fast on horseback, it only takes three hours one way.”

 

Kail spoke matter-of-factly as if it were no big deal.

 

Even so, coming home every other week during already intense school life would be too much.

 

I’m touched that he would say something like this though.

 

“No, Kail. I’m grateful just that you said that.”

 

Instead of hooking fingers, I shook my head, but Kail waved his arm insistently.

 

“Do that weird thing.”

 

“Weird thing?”

 

“You know, that weird ritual where you wiggle your hands around. What did you call it, a promise oath?”

 

Ah.

 

“Promise, stamp, copy, sign, laminate?”

 

“Yeah, that.”

 

To think he still remembers that silly thing I did just once almost three years ago.

 

A deflated chuckle escaped me.

 

His memory really is exceptional.

 

“You fool, you can’t do that carelessly. If you can’t keep it, you’ll have to live bald for the rest of your life, you know?”

 

“I just have to keep it then.”

 

Geez, easy for him to say.

 

Since he’s being so confident, I want to hook pinkies with him right away and make him get hit by the balding beam.

 

But I held back. Getting your hopes up only to have them crushed is more disappointing.

 

I had learned this through several experiences. Promises you can’t keep are worse than no promises at all.

 

And I didn’t want to burden Kail with that kind of pressure.

 

I don’t want a relationship that feels like homework.

 

“It’s really okay. Come when you want to come. Let’s not make promises.”

 

I grabbed Kail’s arm and pulled it down.

 

He looked down at me with a furrowed brow, then shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

 

It was when he turned around after taking a deep breath.

 

“…Next month.”

 

A low, muffled voice reached me.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Let’s go somewhere fun next month.”

 

When I turned back around, Kail kicked an innocent pebble with his foot.

 

His voice, lowered by puberty, sounded unfamiliarly heavy.

 

It took me a moment to understand what he had mumbled.

 

“…Really? Just the two of us?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Wow, great! Where do you want to go?”

 

“You decide. You were always listing tons of places you wanted to go.”

 

“What’s gotten into you! Anywhere is really okay?”

 

When I asked excitedly, Kail nodded slightly.

 

Since we invited the Diern family to our territory two years ago, Kail and I hadn’t properly gone anywhere together.

 

Though we had gone out to nearby meadows a few times when I pestered him to have horse racing competitions.

 

After that, our family didn’t invite the Diern family for summer vacation either, and they didn’t offer to come first.

 

Anyway, this must be Kail’s consideration for me being sad about growing apart.

 

“Okay! Then I’ll decide where to go and let you know.”

 

After I cheerfully exclaimed, a quiet sadness settled in.

 

Because that day might become the last childhood memory I share with Kail.

 

White breath swirled in the air.

 

Along with it, light snow that might be the last of this winter drifted down silently.

 

The bell tower chimed four o’clock sharp in the afternoon.

 

“Shall we head back? Brother must be waiting.”

 

***

 

Since we had been moving since dawn and everyone was tired, we spent the night at an inn before returning to the Count’s Mansion.

 

Since Brother joined us in the carriage on the way back, there was no opportunity for Kail and me to have another serious conversation alone.

 

After finishing the two-day graduation ceremony schedule, the next day, I was going about my usual morning routine.

 

Milly brought me the letters that had been delivered.

 

Among the ordinary letter envelopes, a mysterious black paper stood out.

 

‘You are invited to the Secret Reading Club 【Reverie】.’

 

It was a suspicious invitation from an unknown sender.

 

The black envelope and letter paper with elegant gold cursive writing looked like a luxury wedding invitation just from the design.

 

‘But the content is… Secret Reading Club?’

 

Is this some kind of chain letter that started in England or what.

 

‘Second and fourth Thursday of every month at 5 PM. Cafe at 36-4 Sable Street, Pelrn City… The password is to add syrup nine times to a cafe latte and stir clockwise three times…?’

 

Below the brief invitation text were the date, location, and even a bizarre entry password.

 

It was creepy that my name was spelled correctly as the recipient, but I figured it was like spam mail or a prank call and threw it in the trash.

 

‘Since the core is a rotten adult, I’m not naive enough to fall for such suspicious letters.’

 

Whoever the culprit is, they’re certainly putting earnest effort into their foolishness.

 

Moving to the next letter, this time a tea party invitation from Baron Rastin’s family appeared.

 

Kien Rastin, who had mercilessly hurled harsh words at young Rieze in childhood. It was a tea party she was hosting.

 

‘A small gathering inviting only six people, so please attend and grace us with your presence…’

 

The other two letters were also invitations sent from other families.

 

Ugh, I groaned and picked up a quill pen to write reluctant replies.

 

Having missed social gatherings for so long, I suppose it’s about time I should show my face.

 

If there was one unavoidable duty in living as a noble lady in this world, it was social activities.

 

I had thought I didn’t need to engage in social activities until after my debutante, but that was a grave miscalculation.

 

Children from prestigious families diligently build their networks from their teenage years.

 

Most noble ladies who don’t attend academy hold small tea parties with their peers as practice before their society debut.

 

Naturally, such invitations kept flying my way too.

 

Until now I’d been a professional absentee making various excuses, but now I felt like going.

 

Since I’d decided to socialize with peer girls besides Kail from now on.

 

Making friends before being thrown into the jungle called the Debut Debutante Ball would be convenient in many ways.

 

Having made up my mind, I wrote a reply to Kien Rastin’s tea party invitation expressing my intention to attend.

 

Even though the fact that Kien was the host wasn’t great, a small gathering seemed better for getting to know someone deeply.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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