I Became the Villain’s Childhood Friend Chapter 21

 

“I think he couldn’t tell you because he felt sorry for you.”

 

“…Yes, aside from the disappointment, the strange thing is that the viscount has so much debt, so where on earth did they get the money to send Serik to study abroad?”

 

“Don’t Viscount and Viscountess Detwin have a great passion for learning?”

 

“I think it’d be better for him to enroll in the Academy with Father’s support than to study abroad, you know?”

 

I roughly calculated the cost of studying abroad in my head. Considering the debt that Detwin was losing, it was truly a minus.

 

No matter how much I thought about it, there was no way I could get the money.

 

“Besides, Father would have continued to support me if he stayed in the Orpedia Empire. Paul, you said you were also an Academy graduate, right? As an Academy graduate, what do you think about this situation?”

 

“…I can’t really deny the Miss’ opinion.”

 

As I unconsciously narrowed my eyes, Paul presented me with a plausible hypothesis.

 

“Isn’t it possible that he decided to study abroad because he received a more plausible offer from someone other than His Grace?”

 

…Honestly, there had been some people that crossed my mind earlier.

 

There are only two people who disapprove of my friendship with Serik more than anyone else.

 

But no matter how crazy my thoughts were, there was nothing I could do.

 

There was no way I could run to Father with the documents I had stolen from his office and ask him what was going on.

 

No, even if Serik had told me honestly, nothing might have changed.

 

I had no strength.

 

Although Father loved me, I was just an illegitimate child.

 

Could I have stopped Serik from leaving for Lenoir by saying this?

 

That fact was miserable.

 

“Still, I didn’t know you would go directly to the Collin Mansion.”

 

Paul opened his mouth insinuatingly. Paul and I had the same suspicions.

 

“Now that I think about it, there was something strange.”

 

“Something weird?”

 

Paul nodded his head slightly.

 

“So… the day you went out with Sir Reynold. Madam Collin said something to me that day.”

 

Paul slowly opened his mouth as if recalling the events of that day.

 

“I might lose you two outside, so she asked me to make sure you both don’t lose each other. That’s why I tied you both up with a string.”

 

“…”

 

“It’s nothing special, but I’m surprised that it turned out as she said.”

 

Paul patted my shoulder and changed the topic.

 

“Still, it might be better for Serik to live comfortably in Lenoir rather than getting hit here and there in Orpedia.”

 

“…Did Serik have a hard time because of me?”

 

“That’s not a question I can answer.”

 

After thinking about it for a while, I picked up the pen.

 

***

 

Detwin Mansion was located in the capital.

 

When Father looked for my friend, there were only three conditions.

 

The distance from Lerdonia Mansion, how much the age difference is between me, and what their mentality is.

 

The one who met all the conditions was Serik Detwin.

 

It was my first time visiting Detwin Manor without Serik.

 

“Lady Lerdonia, coming all the way here, I don’t know if your way here was fine.”

 

Madam Detwin greeted me with a smile.

 

Looking at the Viscountess, who had the same smiling face as Serik, made me want to see him.

 

She led me into the parlor, and I followed her steps, listening to her story.

 

The inside of the mansion was a mess. There was a lot of dust everywhere, as if no one was taking care of the mansion.

 

At least the living room seemed to have been cleared out upon hearing that I was coming.

 

“The mansion is very messy, isn’t it?”

 

The Viscountess asked embarrassedly as she dropped the car off for me. At her words, I urgently shook my head.

 

“Not at all.”

 

She smiled slightly, as if she could clearly see that what I said was a lie.

 

“I was a little surprised to suddenly receive a letter informing me of a visit to the mansion. Moreover, Serik wasn’t in the mansion….”

 

“The truth is… I can’t believe that Serik has left.”

 

The tea that had been dripping into the teacup stopped. When I looked at the Madam with puzzled eyes, she raised the corners of her lips with difficulty.

 

“I’m sure he’s disappointed that he couldn’t tell Lady Lerdonia about his sudden departure.”

 

What was so urgent that you went abroad to study without even telling me?

 

Was it really Madam Collin’s doing?

 

…If not her, Lotte?

 

My hand placed on the hem of my dress gained strength.

 

“If you don’t mind, could I at least get Serik’s address?”

 

“…”

 

“I had a good relationship with Serik…”

 

I continued speaking gibberish. But the moment I saw the Madam’s troubled expression, my mouth fell shut.

 

The words never came out of my mouth that I wanted to get Serik’s address in Lenoir ad visit him.

 

I felt sick to my stomach, as if something had been put on top of me.

 

‘Did Serik enjoy being with me too?’

 

That thought suddenly occurred to me.

 

Serik was with me and would have received many privileges. But was that really what he wanted?

 

“Of course I can give you the address. Lady Lerdonia was Serik’s only friend.”

 

The Viscountess’s words seemed to linger in my ears for a long time.

 

“However, I want Serik to focus on studying.”

 

And the moment I heard her speak, I was convinced.

 

Regardless of who it was, it wasn’t his choice to go abroad to study. Last time, Serik definitely said that he would go to the Academy with me.

 

No matter how much I thought about it, it made no sense for him to leave for Lenoir without saying a word to me.

 

“I heard that my friend went abroad to study, so I won’t disturb him by following him there.”

 

Although I felt sick to my stomach, I could only smile brightly and pretend not to know anything.

 

***

 

“Miss.”

 

Paul approached me with a dark face.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“That’s it…”

 

Paul opened his mouth cautiously.

 

“The debt on the Detwin family has almost disappeared.”

 

“….”

 

“They only had a small amount of debt left. So I paid off the remaining debt.”

 

It wasn’t completely unexpected. But just in case, I asked him.

 

“In whose name was the debt paid?”

 

“In the name of Viscount Detwin.”

 

I let out a small sigh.

 

“…Are you going to write a letter to Sir Serik?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

I was planning to send Serik a letter saying he could come back whenever he wanted. If I go there myself, the situation of the Detwin family will definitely be in trouble. I glanced at Paul and asked quietly.

 

“…You’re not going to tell Father about today, are you?”

 

“Is that an order?”

 

“Similar.”

 

“Then I’ll keep quiet.”

 

While saying that, Paul greeted me with an elegant look. It’s like a knight swearing an oath to a lady. Father had many similarities to Reynold.

 

In particular, the person he disliked the most was ‘a person who doesn’t know the subject.’

 

Father always warned me not to get ripped off.

 

However, if Father found out that I had helped the Detwin family because he didn’t pay off the debt once and they still had more, it would have been the end for me.

 

So for today’s work, I used the pocket money I had personally been saving. If I became independent, I would need money, so I was saving up for that day.

 

So there was little chance that Father would find out about this.

 

The sky was annoyingly clear.

 

I was dying of hatred for this world where nothing went my way.

 

***

 

The world never collapsed just because Serik left. What I feel in this wide world

 

Because sadness was nothing.

 

I mustered up the courage to send a letter to Serik asking how he was doing, but there was no reply, perhaps because the Madam had given the wrong address.

 

I looked down blankly at Reynold, who was practicing swordsmanship.

 

No matter how ignorant I was about swordsmanship, I knew very well that Reynold was quite talented at swordsmanship.

 

As if training was slowly coming to an end, Reynold wiped his face with a towel.

 

Then Reynold looked up to the second floor balcony where I was, and our eyes met.

 

“Do you want some peaches?”

 

Reynold asked me after lightly throwing and catching the peach prepared as a training snack.

 

“Is it delicious?”

 

In response to my question, Reynold suddenly threw a peach at me.

 

Thinking that if I missed that peach, the balcony floor would be filled with juice, I did my best to catch the peach.

 

After taking the peach with difficulty, I let out a sigh of relief before shouting at Reynold.

 

“You have to say something before throwing it! What would have happened if I had missed it!”

 

“You got it already!”

 

Reynold was just dumbfounded as he got angry again.

 

I cursed at Reynold, who was staring at me as if he was being wronged.

 

“Break the wooden sword while training!”

 

“I already broke it!”

 

“Show off!”

 

Madam Collin’s voice reached my ears as Me and Reynold were competing to see who was louder.

 

“Danae.”

 

Only then did the real me stick out my tongue at Reynold and hurried over to Madam Collin.

 

“Did you call me?”

 

Madam Collin, smiling brightly, offered me roses.

 

She left me alone probably because she wanted to bring me these flowers from her room.

 

“How do you feel?”

 

Without thinking, I tried to receive the roses that the Madam had given me. I paused for a moment when I saw that there were thorns on the stem.

 

Then she hurriedly rolled up the stem of the rose with a piece of paper that was on the table, as if she had forgotten.

 

Then she held out the flowers to me again.

 

I smiled awkwardly and accepted the roses.

 

Madam Collin gave a small exclamation as she saw me holding roses.

 

“How can you be so pretty?”

 

“….”

 

Then she stretched out her rose-scented hand, sat me down on the chair, and started playing with my hair.

 

“Danae, I have always loved beautiful things. So I liked looking in the mirror, and I also liked looking at my current husband.”

 

Madam Collin smiled slightly as she said that.

 

I thought that if Madam Collin liked beautiful things, she must surely like looking in the mirror.

 

Madam Collin was said to be everyone’s first love when she was young.

 

She was, and still is, a very beautiful person.

 

Well, since he resembles Madam Collin, Reynold could have taken the male lead position.

 

Her cheeks were flushed like a girl in love.