I Became the Villain’s Childhood Friend Chapter 27

 

Reynold smiled and responded.

 

“Then you’ll die.”

 

“Of course.”

 

I gave a small nod to Reynold’s wise answer and used my hands again to gradually increase the size of the snowball.

 

It was still snowing and there was already a lot of snow, so it wasn’t that difficult to size up the snowballs.

 

Of course, I couldn’t make it as big as the snowball in the storybook.

 

There wasn’t enough snow to make a crunching sound.

 

Plus, my hands were really cold.

 

Reynold’s snowball, made larger than mine, became the body. Reynold rolled the snowball under a tree where people couldn’t easily walk, and I followed him and rolled the snowball around.

 

It was truly a masterpiece when I placed the snowball I rolled on top of Reynold’s snowball that had stuck to the tree.

 

I thought I had made it big, yet compared to Reynold’s snowball, my snowball wasn’t even as big as a new foot.

 

“…I think some snow fell while rolling.”

 

My conscience was pricked mercilessly by Reynold’s gaze staring at me, so I tried to make a lame excuse and collected snow from the ground.

 

Then Reynold stopped me.

 

“It’s fine. I like this too, well.”

 

…Is he serious?

 

I looked at Reynold with suspicious eyes, but now I see that he really likes the current snowman.

 

I stared at the snowman whose head was very small compared to his body, and then tied the scarf I had around my neck to the snowman.

 

Then, looking at me like that, Reynold asked in a worried voice.

 

“Wouldn’t you be cold?”

 

“This extent is fine.”

 

“What fine…”

 

Reynold looked at the empty body of the snowman and said.

 

“I’ll pick up branches to decorate the snowman.”

 

Reynold roughly cleared away the snow that had accumulated near the tree with his foot and looked for a branch.

 

While he was looking for a branch, I decided to look for something useful to stick the snowman’s nose into.

 

As I looked around, I made eye contact with a middle-aged woman. When she made eye contact with me, she smiled.

 

“Miss!”

 

Is she really calling me?

 

When I pointed at myself and gave her a puzzled look, she waved her hand again, saying it was true that she had called me.

 

“Come here!”

 

Only then did I approach her.

 

The bag she was carrying, probably on her way back from the market, was full of groceries.

 

She smiled warmly at me and pointed to the Academy.

 

“Miss, you’re on your way after taking the Tellen entrance exam?”

 

“Oh, how did you know? Today was the last exam.”

 

“I know it when I see it!”

 

The middle-aged woman smiled sheepishly and started rummaging through the bag.

 

“Don’t snowmen need noses too?”

 

“N-No! It’s fine!”

 

In response to my dissuasion, the lady lightly tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the snowman we had made.

 

“Ey, that kid will be disappointed.”

 

Saying that, the middle-aged woman took out a carrot from her bag and placed it in my hand.

 

“You don’t have to give it to me…”

 

“It’s fine. Thanks to that snowman, our village is getting a lot of life, and this is a cheap price. The kids will love it.”

 

The look on her face when she looked at the snowman that Reynold and I made was very warm. And the carrot she held out was also very warm.

 

“Actually, my daughter also took the Academy exam. She feels like you.”

 

“Did your daughter take the test too?”

 

“Yes, ever since she was young, she drew a picture that looked amazingly like me.”

 

I smiled while holding the carrot in my arms.

 

“It would have been nice if we were in the same department… but it’s a shame. I applied to the Department of Magical Engineering.”

 

“Really? What’s your name?”

 

The moment I was about to answer her question, someone called her loudly from far away.

 

“Lella!”

 

I saw a man waving his hand in the distance.

 

“Oh my, that guy…”

 

The middle-aged woman’s face suddenly hardened, but then she smiled again and said to me.

 

“I run an inn in front of it. If you pass, come visit sometime, Miss.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

The middle-aged woman hurriedly ran to the uncle at a brisk pace.

 

I didn’t have a good impression about the Academy, but…

 

Are all the people in this village that warm?

 

The carrot in my arms felt so cozy.

 

While I was talking to the middle-aged woman, the snowman took shape, albeit crudely, with her own limbs and expressions.

 

Since it was made from tree branches, the expression was somewhat awkward, but when I added the carrots I brought, it looked quite convincing.

 

“This much, it’s not bad, is it?”

 

Reynold nodded slowly at my words.

 

He also seemed to think that the snowman we made wasn’t bad.

 

Fortunately, it was snowing during this time, and Reynold gently brushed away the snow that had accumulated on its head and body.

 

It wasn’t a bad day, except that I had to take the Academy’s entrance exam.

 

***

 

[Dear Reynold,

 

Hello, Reynold?

 

It’s my first time writing a letter to you, so it’s awkward.

 

Even if you can’t read it because of the writing, read it as if you can’t help it.

 

To put it bluntly, I failed the test.

 

I’m so sad that I failed the test that I can’t come to my senses.

 

So I’m going to go on a trip.

 

I’ll be back in time for your vacation, so study hard in the meantime.

 

From Danae, who is very sad because she failed the exam.]

 

I left the letter I wrote to Reynold on the table.

 

Now all I have to do is get ready to leave.

 

Although the entrance exam results came out today, I clearly failed.

 

Independence. I was very happy at the thought of being able to escape this horrible house.

 

But the joy was short-lived, and the door to my room burst open.

 

“Danae!”

 

The moment I saw Dad’s face with an expression of emotion, I suddenly felt chills all over my body.

 

It’s so scary… Why are you like that?

 

Facing Dad’s face, which I had never seen before, I hesitated and took a step back.

 

Dad, whose eyes were moist and red, walked towards me and hugged me tightly.

 

I couldn’t understand this situation and struggled in his arms.

 

But the moment I read the golden letters on the letter in Dad’s hand, I realized what had happened and completely froze.

 

[We sincerely congratulate ‘Danae Lerdonia’ on her acceptance into Tellen Academy!]

 

…What is it, have my eyes finally become empty?

 

***

 

In the assignment to make magic tools out of wood, I thought I had burned the wood perfectly.

 

However, the magic tool that turned black became a flame containing my magic.

 

It seemed like I had burned the tree in a really terrible way.

 

In addition, I was asked how I came up with the idea of making a flamethrower out of wood, and I got a big bonus point for creativity.

 

Going one step further, the magic circle beautifully decorated with a heart pattern also worked perfectly.

 

Does this make sense?

 

What’s even more absurd is that the number of multiple-choice questions I had chosen without thinking was correct, more than I expected.

 

The written exam for the Magic Engineering Department was so difficult that many students failed.

 

At this level, this world must be crazy.

 

[I’m so proud of you!]

 

At the dinner party, Dad shouted in a voice full of emotion, and Lotte’s face darkened a little when she heard the news of my acceptance. But that was only for a moment, and she put down the teacup with a clatter.

 

[It’s funny that everyone else is eliminated from the Academy.]

 

Graduation from the Academy, the only school that nobles could attend, meant honor to the nobles.

 

Among the nobles in control of social circles, it was harder to see those who weren’t from Tellen.

 

Thanks to this, it was natural for people in social circles, especially upper-class nobles, to enter Tellen Academy when they were old enough. For nobles who were notified of failure, it became a dishonorable label and always followed them around.

 

When Dad said that he would give me independence if I didn’t enter the academy, he may have suggested it because of the label that would be attached to me. As long as I stay in the capital, that story will continue to be heard in my ears.

 

“Harchen, if you actually exist, please cancel that acceptance notice immediately! If you don’t, I will throw stones at your statue in the square.”

 

While I was praying earnestly toward the sky, I suddenly jumped up from my seat. Then I quickly started packing my bag.

 

Let’s bounce. I had to get out of this duke house.

 

It should have been like this a long time ago.

 

With that in mind, I carefully opened the door.

 

Perhaps because it was early morning, the hallway was dark.

 

I thought I had become a rat and started walking slowly.

 

“…What are you doing now?”

 

I honestly thought my heart was popping out.

 

I urgently covered my mouth with my hand to prevent myself from making a sound.

 

However, when I realized that the person speaking to me was Rian, I calmly lowered my hand covering my mouth.

 

Rian was looking at me as if I was pitiful.

 

He then glanced at the bag I was carrying.

 

I hurriedly hid my bag behind my back and smiled shyly. And I raised my thumb.

 

“Haha, Brother’s eyes are shining today. My goodness, I just went blind.”

 

“…Stop this nonsense.”

 

“It’s for real.”

 

“Looking at it, it looks like you’re trying to run away like a rat.”

 

I urgently shook my head.

 

Rian, who was quietly looking at me, let out a small sigh and opened his mouth.

 

“Go.”

 

“G-Go, you say? I understand! You’re such a wonderful person. I love you!”

 

I almost felt nauseous trying to confess my love to Rian. But if Rian would just let me go, I could say I love him a hundred times.

 

I blew my heart towards Rian and walked away. But Rian, whom I thought would just let me go, is now following behind me.

 

I couldn’t figure out what his plan was.

 

The fortunate thing was that when I left the mansion with Rian, the guards let me and Rian out without any suspicion.

 

…What. There’s no way that sloppy bastard would do me any good, right?

 

As soon as I got out of the mansion safely, I turned around.

 

“Why are you following me?”

 

“Ha, you’re mistaken. Are you really thinking that I’m chasing you?”

 

“You’re the one who is mistaken.”

 

“Since when did you care about me? Go on.”

 

The conversation seems quite strange right now…

 

It was difficult to pinpoint what part was strange.

 

In the end, I gave up talking to Rian, whom I couldn’t communicate with, and just kept walking.

 

No, but can this be considered an escape?