I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend Chapter 113

 

Indeed, Lord River was gorgeous.

 

The way he kissed the back of my hand and politely bowed to me was like something out of a novel, a knight of the high and mighty, so of course my heart skipped a beat when he took my hand.

 

But my heart racing and my head going cold were two different things.

 

‘I’m screwed.’

 

Lord River’s words made sense.

 

It went like this.

 

He was right, the magic fields were unstable in the north.

 

By unstable, he meant that the energy waves were erratic, meaning that there was no telling where the force would strike.

 

For example, if I spent 5 mana, it could have been 3 mana, or it could have been 10 mana.

 

So it was difficult for mages to use magic, let alone use any kind of magic tool. That’s why the North was still undeveloped.

 

‘No wonder the Dukes of Bouser are so powerful.’

 

Training in a place where the magic might strike anywhere, they are naturally strong. This was especially true of the Dukes who had manifested Aurors in the past.

 

After all, I already knew that the magic fields of the north were strange.

 

Any empire could have known that. But there’s a big difference between knowing and experiencing.

 

For example, I was once unable to use my carriage.

 

‘No!’

 

I tried to sound nonchalant at Lord River’s words, but I was screaming inside.

 

It’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to get here so comfortably.

 

The carriage-no, my family’s custom-made carriage-was a magical vehicle with several practical enchantments.

 

First, it was enchanted to keep us at just the right temperature, never too hot and never too cold, then to minimize the swaying of the carriage, then to make sure that it wouldn’t break no matter how rough the terrain, and even to keep the interior fragrant.

 

It was like a carriage with all the conveniences of a single room.

 

And true to its reputation, the carriage was very expensive. So much so that my family had only a few.

 

My father gave it to me as soon as I told him I was going north.

 

‘After all, diamond cutlery is the best.’

 

Thanks to him, I’ve made it this far without experiencing any of the common things that happen after a long carriage ride, such as a bloated belly or a rumbling stomach.

 

It’s the reason I’m still so energetic, but I no longer have access to that carriage.

 

Because of the damn magic ripples.

 

‘What can I do then?’

 

Well, I couldn’t just walk.

 

To work, you need a certain amount of physical strength I had built up some basic physical strength, but I had almost no real muscles. When I was in the capital, I didn’t have to walk much.

 

In the past, I would have insisted on using a three-wheeled carriage.

 

If I had to go some distance, I would always call a carriage.

 

So there was no way I, with my legs weaker than most people, could keep up with the physical strength of the professional knights. Maybe later I would be carried on a stretcher, almost fainting.

 

I don’t even want to know after that.

 

Then the question remains, what was the best way to…

 

“Sir River, I can’t…”

 

“You can’t.”

 

But before I could get the words out, there was someone who interrupted me first.

 

In the direction the voice sounded, I looked. There was Rudrick, his face set in a grim stance, glaring at Lord River.

 

“Yes, as you say, the terrain in the north is rough, especially the closer we get to the Duchy, the steeper the slopes.”

 

“That’s why I’m taking the princess.”

 

“River Goldman, how many times have you been to the North?”

 

Seeing Lord River squint at him, Rudrick crossed his arms, then smugly raised his chin and spoke proudly.

 

“I’ve lived in the North all my life. It’s not the same as learning to ride in the comfort of the capital city.”

 

In short, he was saying, ‘I’m better than you’.

 

It didn’t take me long to realize why he was suddenly bragging about himself.

 

“There’s no place safer than on my horse.”

 

‘Ah!’

 

I let out a sneaky exclamation. Then I looked at Rudrick blankly.

 

“Why don’t you just say it out loud…”

 

So that’s what Rudrick was saying, that he was taking me for a ride.

 

And Lord River glanced at him to ensure that he understood what Rudrick was saying…

 

‘Huh?’

He stiffened, looking serious.

 

“But I am confident in my skills as a rider, and it is not as if I have learned to ride comfortably, and you have seen me on the battlefield.”

 

“Well, I haven’t seen anything.”

 

“Well, it doesn’t change the fact, and it’s not like I haven’t been to the North before, so I know the terrain well enough.”

 

“You’re stretching the lack of experience point too far.”

 

The two of them were exchanging serious glances.

 

No, they must be quite close to each other if they even know how to ride. Does that mean they’re close or not?

 

All I could tell was that sparks were flying between Lord River and Rudrick. Feeling as though I had somehow gotten sandwiched between them and ended up on their backs, I waved my hand nervously.

 

“Wait. Why do you assume we have to ride…”

 

“Yeah, well, no matter how much we try to argue, it’s your choice, isn’t it?”

 

What? You two have been fighting so hard, why are you turning the bomb on me?

 

But to my dismay, both men’s gazes turned to me at the same time.

 

Never in my life had I been stared at so intently by such handsome men, and I nearly fled in terror.

 

But I don’t know if they know how I feel or not. The two men looked at me and began to plead their case.

 

“You know how good I am, Dahlia,” one of them said, “I once carried you myself when we were children.”

 

Oh, I know. We fell off and got in trouble, pal…

 

“Dahlia, I never lose when it comes to skill, and I’ll protect you with my body if I have to.”

 

Uh, no. I’m traumatized by that. It’s a lot of pressure…

 

“And you’re going to throw yourself on the ground when you can, shouldn’t that ever happen in the first place?”

 

“What can you possibly conclude from a brief ride when you were younger, and even then, nothing happened, right?”

 

“What?”

 

Why are they asking me, but they’re answering each other?

 

In the book, I thought, “‘Oh, she’s so lucky,’ but when I experienced it, I just wanted to beat them up.

 

But if I didn’t take action, the situation would never end.

 

The life of a war hero was too terrifying for a frail lady like me, but I summoned all the courage I could muster and raised my head.

 

Then, raising my hands high, I put it between them.

 

Tack—

 

“I got it!”

 

They both turned to look at me, startled by the sound of my clap. Luckily, the pressure was less than it had been earlier.

 

I sighed heavily and looked back and forth between them, then slowly spoke with a determined look on my face.

 

“So my choice is…”

 

🌸

 

“Ugh… umph.”

 

Thud—

 

“Ahh!”

 

A shriek escaped me as my head suddenly hit the overhead ceiling.

 

That was not the end of it. My stomach was churning to the point of vomiting in time with my blurry vision, in addition to the throbbing pain in my hips from the hard, almost road-worn chair.

 

And a carriage that rattled like it was about to break. I desperately grabbed onto anything and regretted everything.

 

‘Maybe I should have just closed my eyes and stayed in the carriage.’

 

The bottom line was that I didn’t choose anyone. It wasn’t that I didn’t like them both, or that I couldn’t decide between them.

 

The reason was simpler.

 

“I can’t ride a horse.”

 

As soon as I heard the word ‘horse’ in Lord River’s sentence, my thoughts drifted to prayers.

I couldn’t ride a horse. Since the age of 10, to be exact.

 

It wasn’t until much later that I realized I couldn’t ride a horse.

 

When I was older, I tried to learn to ride as a nobleman. 

 

This time, I picked out a horse that suited my body type and provided all the safety equipment.

 

To be honest, I wasn’t that interested in riding at the time.

 

I spent most of my time in the capital anyway, so it was more efficient to ride in a carriage than on a horse, and I didn’t really have any fantasies about horses.

 

No, it’s more accurate to say that those fantasies disappeared after the age of ten. After Rudrick got badly injured, to be precise.

 

If anything, I’ve had a strange aversion to horses ever since.

 

I couldn’t stare at it for long, though, because I felt like I could hear my heart plummeting into the rocks and the ringing in my ears once again.

 

But I couldn’t keep avoiding them because I was afraid. Horseback riding was a requirement for noble socializing.

 

Moreover, I felt compelled to show no signs of weakness as Averine’s successor.

 

So, with a resolute will, I finally stood in front of the horse and was surprised by the unexpected situation.

 

It’s better than I thought, right?

 

I thought I would feel terrified, and my legs would tremble, but I was quite calm in front of the horse. I got a little nervous and my hands were sweaty, but that was it.

 

Maybe this would be okay. Perhaps I might be able to free myself from that memory.

 

To forget a painful memory, it’s good to relive it, just like lighting a match to put out a forest fire.

 

But why didn’t I know that the wrong kindling makes it worse?

 

Full of hope, I jumped on the horse with the help of my instructor, only to be thrown off again.

 

‘Ugh, ugh, umph!’

 

And I threw up like crazy. I still remember it. I remember how I felt when I got on that horse.

 

As soon as I mounted, my vision went black and everything went black. All I could feel was my heart pounding through my ears and the ringing, sharp, piercing tinnitus.

 

And for a moment, it felt like the sky had turned upside down. I collapsed to the floor.

 

Eventually, I was banned from riding again because my instructor and parents were in a panic, but…

 

Later, as an adult, I often tried to climb on a horse but still failed.

 

But now I’ve managed to persevere enough to hop on, but I can’t stay on for long without feeling dizzy and out of breath.

 

“So why don’t we just get a carriage and go…”

 

And when I calmly finished explaining.

 

I glanced up and saw. Rudrick’s face, staring at me blankly.