I Became the Villain’s Childhood Friend – Chapter 14

Author: lipzoldyck

When I thought about it, it seemed like I didn’t say anything about things related to Rian.

I turned my eyes for a moment and then cautiously opened my mouth.

“It’s just… Rian is bothering me just like you.”

I thought it would take too long to explain everything, so I spoke roughly, and Reynold’s frown instantly narrowed.

I thought he had something to say to me, yet I couldn’t hear anything from him.

Reynold, who was thinking about something for a moment, asked me.

“How long has Rian been at your house?”

“…It must have been a while.”

“But why didn’t you tell me this all this time?”

At first glance, disappointment appeared in Reynold’s eyes as he looked at me.

There was a clear emotion in his dark eyes that were looking straight at me.

I opened my mouth calmly.

“I thought I already told you.”

“….”

As I faced Reynold’s fierce face, I started to feel scared.

I added hastily.

“…And even if I tell you, nothing will be solved, won’t it?”

After hearing what I said, Reynold let out a small sigh.

Then he gestured towards something in the distance. Following the tip of his chin, I saw the Viscountess and Serik, who had left the meal at some point, walking side by side.

Perhaps the Viscountess and Serik left the meal early because Lotte was uncomfortable.

“Did you talk to him?”

“…I don’t know, I don’t remember.”

Reynold sighed again, as if realizing that what I said was a lie.

Then he looked at me with even sharper eyes.

“Do you really think Serik considers you a friend?”

“Yeah.”

No matter what Serik thinks of me, I’m comfortable with him. That was clearly true.

That only is enough.

Because I needed a support to survive in this world.

“You really think he’s your friend without seeing your background at all?”

“He doesn’t see that very much.”

I knew that the reason Serik came to our house was because my father was the head of the Lerdonia family.

Even if my father hadn’t introduced us, we wouldn’t have had the chance to become friends like this.

Moreover, if I had been the daughter of an insignificant baron, Serik might not have thought of wanting to become friends with me.

But Serik probably thinks of me now as a friend. At least I think so.

Reynold, who was quietly looking at my determined face, said with a frown on his face.

“…I guarantee you, if someone in power asks you to marry them, you’ll do it willingly, right?”

“I guess so.”

In response to my indifferent answer, Reynold shouted as if to start a fight.

“What?!”

I was startled by Reynold’s voice and looked at him.

His eyes were so big that they seemed like they were going to fall out.

“Are you out of your mind?”

Reynold must have realized that his voice had become a little louder, so he quickly lowered his voice.

“Just looking at it, the Detwin family is using you. Are you going to wait and see? Are you willing to go through all that and get married? Are you crazy? Didn’t you hear about the Viscount? “You’re going to get sucked up by the Viscount!”

He began speaking in a relatively calm voice, yet by the time he finished speaking, his voice had become quite loud. Seeing Reynold’s overly fiery appearance, I was speechless and just kept my mouth shut.

No… I’m the one who gets sucked up, so why is he making more of a fuss?

He even brought up this story first.

I calmly countered his words.

“Hey, but still, someone like Serik is the best husband. He’s handsome, smart, good to me, and only kind to me. Does one need anything else in a husband?”

“Wow, I’m really going crazy.”

Reynold was shaking his head roughly in frustration.

I wanted to retort that he was already crazy, but I decided to swallow my words.

It was clear that if I came here and fought Reynold, there would be a big commotion.

Reynold frowned when he saw the forces laughing throughout this party.

“Why do you keep him around when you know he’s using you? Is it because you really think he’s your precious connection?”

“…”

“Come to your senses. You’re probably the only one who thinks that.”

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t hurt by those words.

But if you ask me, I didn’t do anything good either.

If Serik is by my side because he sees my background, it’s because I keep him by my side in order to adapt to this world.

I felt like Reynold, who was pointing out facts I already knew, was too much.

I answered with a frown.

“No matter what you say…”

“Because if I don’t talk like this, you’ll never understand what I’m saying.”

Reynold added quietly.

“Sometimes I wonder if Serik has cast a dark spell on you.”

“…Just say I’m out of my mind.”

“You’re out of your mind.”

Reynold spoke while looking at me clearly and took a bite of the apple in his hand.

I was so worried that I might hit him on the back of the head like this, so I also took an apple out of the basket and wiped it on the hem of my dress. Then, to divert my attention, I followed him and bit into an apple.

Reynold must have thought that I was joking when I said I would marry Serik, so he began to speak silently.

“If you’re not going to marry the Detwin family, it would be better to cut off ties from now on. That family isn’t sane either.”

A crunching sound was heard from Reynold.

“I really don’t care what kind of person Serik is.”

At that moment, I saw the face of Serik, who spotted me from a distance suddenly brighten.

And the Viscountess’ face standing next to him.

I’ve been feeling awkward lately, but when I see him smiling at me like that, I wonder if his disappointment in me has eased a little.

No matter what happened, good things were good things.

Following Serik waving his hand, I waved my hand too.

And although I couldn’t hear it well, I heard the Viscountess call out to me, so I got up to go over to them.

But at that moment, Reynold, who had been staring at me, suddenly grabbed my hand tightly and pulled me towards him.

Thanks to that, I fell on my butt.

Aside from the pain… This was my first time holding hands with Reynold, except when we were young, so I was quite embarrassed.

When I looked at the hand I was holding and Reynold’s face alternately, asking what he was doing, Reynold suddenly got up from his seat and started running without letting go of my hand.

Suddenly, I ran after him.

“Hey! Reynold!”

It was quite absurd.

I raised my voice and called Reynold’s name into the back of his head.

Yet Reynold just ran silently, as if he couldn’t hear me.

So we left the garden in an instant. As the scent of flowers quietly filling his nose came to an end, Reynold stopped running.

I took a deep breath and looked at Reynold, and he also looked at me.

Judging by the way he was out of breath, it seemed like it wasn’t easy even if he had monster stamina.

…Does he have something to say, I wonder. The atmosphere felt strangely tense. When I looked at Reynold, he immediately pressed his head and lowered his gaze to me.

At the end of the line of sight, there was a hole that would be perfect for us to enter.

Only then did I feel like I knew why Reynold was running like a mad dog.

I asked Reynold in an effortlessly calm voice.

“…Are you serious?”

“Don’t talk nonsense and just go in.”

How big of a trouble is he trying to get into?

I mean, and when did he discover this dog hole?

But to refute his words, I didn’t want to be at this place anymore.

If I stayed here, I would have had to laugh so hard that the corners of my mouth would twitch while listening to those boring ladies.

…One way or another, I boasted that I had fantastic compatibility with Reynold.

As Reynold said, I came out through the dog hole.

Soon after, Reynold followed me outside.

The location where today’s meeting was taking place was the private villa of the Chestain family.

Because it was located on the outskirts of the capital, there was a quiet lake and forest around the villa.

“There are probably no people in the forest, right?”

I asked Reynold, checking my dress, which was dirty from getting out of the hole.

“I don’t know.”

“…Probably no.”

“I guess so. If we wander around the forest and come across thieves, it’s a big problem.”

“Where would there be any thief in this world nowadays.”

“There might be. Besides, our price is quite expensive.”

Reynold’s face was full of interest as he said that.

I don’t know why, but it seemed like he wanted to meet the thieves.

I shook off the dusty dress until it made a brush, brush sound.

Then, I walked along the lakeside with Reynold. Until a little while ago, when we were holding hands and running, we always kept a considerable distance between us.

I wanted to tease Reynold for holding my hand first, but for some reason I felt like my heart was pounding, so I kept my mouth shut.

Is it because I just ran? The wind blowing from across the lake felt even cooler.

I thoroughly enjoyed the refreshing breeze.

Reynold, who was walking alongside me, also seemed to be in a pretty good mood.

The bow tie that had been in perfect condition until the dinner table had come loose, and the jacket he had been wearing had long since disappeared.

Actually, I was no different from Reynold. The stiff dress was already wrinkled. Reynold, who was walking next to me, looked at me and giggled softly.

As I listened to him laugh, I started laughing without realizing it.

“You, but didn’t you have something you wanted to say to me?”

I asked as I wondered if he was embarrassed without answering that he even ran while grabbing my hand.

“None.”

“…”

It definitely seemed like he had something to say, though.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Reynold carefully, and he scratched his cheek as if he was embarrassed by my gaze.

In the end, I decided to wait until Reynold was ready and spoke up.

“Let’s take a little rest over there.”

I pointed to a large tree standing next to the lake.

“What kind of stamina do you have…”

When I suddenly stuck my foot out to Reynold, who was talking next to him, Reynold couldn’t continue his words and closed his mouth.