I Will Become the Villain’s Childhood Friend - Chapter 76

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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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76

“When did you come to Pelrn?”

I asked the lightest question among the many doubts I had.

“Yesterday.”

It was a question I had struggled to ask, but the answer that came back was concise.

“You came without notice? Darius didn’t seem to know either.”

“…Do I really need to give notice when coming home?”

Kail retorted bluntly with slightly narrowed eyes.

Kail’s prickly reaction wasn’t unusual, but facing him in this unfamiliar way after so long felt strange.

I calmed my churning insides and forced myself to smile.

“What brings you to the Royal Palace today?”

He wouldn’t be attending the ball, so I assumed he had some business here.

Kail looked away from me and remained silent for a long time. He seemed to be contemplating whether he should say something.

Finally, he lowered his eyes and opened his mouth.

“…I’m planning to enter high society starting this year.”

“What?”

This couldn’t be.

In the original 【Golden Covenant】, Kail never enters high society.

Originally, Kail’s only interest was martial prowess, using that strength to crush Darius and seize the heir’s position.

While the opinions of his vassals might have influence, there was no need to curry favor with high society figures.

Kail believed that winning the succession competition and gaining his parents’ recognition would be enough.

The only thing different from the original was my existence.

Because I decided to enter high society, did Kail also develop such intentions…?

It felt like tangled threads were rolling around, tearing through my mind.

“…Because of me?”

I might look like someone with a persecution complex, but I asked anyway. I couldn’t think of any other reason.

Kail let out a snort.

“I decided this for my future. Father gave me some advice.”

“Ah… I see.”

It really has changed dramatically from the original.

Then did he return to Pelrn early to match the debutante schedule?

Embarrassed by my odd question, I cleared my throat unnecessarily.

‘Well, there’s no way it would be because of a friend he cut ties with.’

I was painfully reminded of what our relationship had become.

Even as I felt self-deprecating, my chest ached.

The joy and longing that had bubbled up, along with various questions, scattered into pieces.

Instead, the resentful feelings that had taken deep root in my heart raised their head.

Emotions I thought had been diluted by giving up.

‘I sent apology letters so many times, but he ignored them. He also rejected my direct visit requests when I wanted to meet and reconcile.’

Looking at him now, he doesn’t seem angry about what happened when we parted ways.

So he really had decided to cut ties with me. That fact struck me again like a final blow.

Maybe even this moment is tiresome for him.

I should just say goodbye and get lost.

“How could you not reply for four whole years?”

But contrary to my decision to leave coolly, resentment spilled from my mouth.

Kail’s lips moved as if to say something, but he didn’t stop me.

Hurt feelings poured out from the broken dam.

“What was I to you? Weren’t we close friends? Even if I did something wrong, wasn’t it too much to disappear unilaterally for years like that?”

“Wait.”

“You’re really a bad person. You know that? Even if you wouldn’t write letters, you could have at least accepted my visit requests.”

“…What?”

My eyes began to sting.

Only now did I realize how heartbreaking it had been to wait for his contact all this time.

Ah. I don’t want to cry.

I turned away from Kail in case tears fell, and just as Kail grabbed my shoulder.

“Miss Rieze! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

A voice like a lifeline reached me.

Seeing Darius running toward me breathlessly, I quickly composed my face.

Darius’s surprised pupils moved to the person standing behind me.

“Kail. So you came here?”

“Let’s go inside, Brother Darius.”

I grabbed Darius’s arm and dragged him into the banquet hall.

I wanted to escape from Kail.

If he asked why I kept sending letters pathetically when he told me not to, I didn’t think I could bear it.

“Hey, wait!”

Kail shouted at the back of my head. I tried to ignore him and opened the glass door, but Kail’s desperate voice followed.

“I didn’t know. I never received any of your letters.”

…What?

“I received them all at once just a few days ago. I didn’t know until then. About the visit requests… I just found out now.”

I slowly turned around.

“…You’re lying, right?”

“No.”

When I glared at him intensely, Kail also frowned and responded.

Darius, who had been held by me, let out a small laugh.

“You two finish your conversation and come in. Oh, but you need to come in before dance time ends, Miss Rieze. I’ll be waiting.”

After saying that, he went into the banquet hall first.

After Darius disappeared, I pressed Kail for answers.

“What do you mean? Why couldn’t you receive the letters?”

“Why is that guy ordering you around…”

“Is that what’s important right now?”

When I coldly cut him off, Kail’s mouth closed in a straight line. Then he ran his hand through his hair and let out a long sigh.

“Our father prevented me from receiving your letters…”

“What?”

Stunned, I asked again, and Kail began his excuse—no, explanation.

Everything entering the ducal palace must be inspected and approved before it can come inside.

This applies not only to people but also to objects and mail without exception.

To prepare for the possibility of spies infiltrating, even the contents of letters are censored.

“Father ordered Count Noem Wagner, his aide, to destroy all the letters you sent.”

Kail held out a crumpled note to me like evidence.

‘Prince Kaileus.

This contains all the letters that came for you over the past four years.

His Grace ordered me to burn all letters delivered to you, and I could not disobey that command.

However, after reading the contents, I couldn’t bring myself to burn them, so I secretly set them aside…

I think I can deliver them secretly before you return to Pelrn, so I’m enclosing them.

I’m truly sorry. I have no excuse. Please convey my sincere apologies to Miss Brante as well.

Please keep this matter from His Grace.’

Huh.

I was left speechless, only letting out empty breaths.

To think that all this time I had mistakenly believed Kail had cut ties with me because of Selpieus.

“Why? Why did His Grace do such a thing?”

Though I felt I knew the reason without hearing it, I asked because it was so absurd.

Kail squeezed his eyes shut as if in pain.

“…He probably thought it would interfere with my training.”

“The visit requests too?”

“…”

He affirmed with his silence.

Selpieus, this detestable human being.

Why wouldn’t he let his own son even make friends? Did he really try to remake him into the same heartless person as himself?

And after all this, he won’t even pass on the successor position, so why.

Then suddenly I remembered the message Kail had conveyed to me when I entrusted a letter to Darius.

“You told me not to wait for your reply. That’s what Brother Darius said.”

Upon hearing my interrogation, Kail’s eyebrows drew together.

“…I never said such a thing. I’m telling you I never received your letters.”

Ah. The aide who wrote and sent this note was the same aide who made up those words.

He was trying to prevent me from continuing to write letters while desperately waiting for Kail’s reply.

In his own way, he probably felt sorry for a child suffering from false hope, but from my perspective, he was just the same as Selpieus.

“So you’ve read all my letters then?”

I asked Kail, who was struggling with emotions that seemed like disappointment or betrayal toward his father.

“…I read them all this morning. I’m sorry… I’ll apologize on behalf of my father…”

“That’s fine. It’s not your fault. But.”

I paused briefly to steady my breathing.

I couldn’t tell if my rage was because of Selpieus, the aide, or Kail.

Maybe all three.

No, maybe it was because ultimately nothing had changed.

“Kail. Did you ever write me a letter even once?”

It was a question asking if he had ever purely written and sent a letter first, not a reply.

“Did the aide intercept letters you wrote to me too?”

“…”

Kail shook his head with darkly sunken eyes.

“Did you ever tell your father you wanted to visit Pelrn?”

The speechless boy shook his head left and right.

An expression stung with guilt.

These were all answers I had anticipated.

“…As expected, you’re a bad bastard.”

Whether he had been in a state of misunderstanding for four years, or had been angry.

Only the unchanging fact remained that he had neglected and tried to abandon our relationship.

This time, unable to even make excuses, I watched Kail standing still for a while, then finally turned my back.

I left Kail behind and departed. To the banquet hall where family and friends would be waiting.

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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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