The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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The reason I started wearing makeup after arriving in the royal capital—something I didn’t do in Delkis or Grattanmount—was not only because I was no longer a child.

It was because the time had come when I had to care a little about how others perceived me.

In the Grand Duchy of Grattanmount, I hadn’t needed to care about appearances much, as the rulers of that region were distant relatives of mine if you traced back the family tree.

Strictly speaking, the familial connection was so distant that it was practically meaningless to think about. However, since the Duke himself had said, “Treat her as family,” I had lived accordingly.

That didn’t mean I roamed around unkempt or neglected basic hygiene. At the very least, I maintained a level of cleanliness and noble demeanor that wouldn’t shame anyone. Plus, both the Duke and Duchess already knew precisely which family I hailed from and my place within it, so there was no need to advertise or worry about spreading my family’s name.

But in the royal capital, things were different.

The phrase, “Being a noble is a profession,” might sound like a carefree existence at first. But in other words, it also meant that every other noble in the world was like a colleague.

Nobles of higher rank were like senior employees, while those of lower rank were akin to juniors.

And at the very top of the hierarchy were the royal family.

To show up in front of someone without making an effort to present yourself was impolite. Regardless of rank, it could be interpreted as an insult to the other person. To avoid hearing, “I prepared so much to meet you, and yet you made no effort at all,” it was essential to always present oneself well.

“By the way, now that we’re here in the royal capital, isn’t it necessary to pay respects to His Majesty the King?”

Given that the Grattanmount Duchy was deeply tied to the royal family, wouldn’t it make sense to announce our arrival? It had already been about a week since we arrived, but Amelia showed no intention of visiting the king. When I asked her this, she replied,

“There’s no need for us to meet His Majesty directly. Even if we wanted to, it would take weeks before we’d be granted an audience. If Father were here, it would be different, but we’re just the children of nobles who won’t even inherit the estate. It’s natural not to be prioritized unless it’s a matter of urgency.”

Amelia spoke in a small voice.

We were walking side by side through the streets. Amelia had suggested we familiarize ourselves with the geography before engaging in activities in the royal capital.

Most daughters of high-ranking noble families wouldn’t bother with such things. Typically, the only time they walked was within buildings or when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, they traveled everywhere by carriage.

But Amelia explained that each family preferred to project a particular “image.” Some noble families trained their children to align with that image.

For example, even if it was a daughter rather than a son, the child of a longstanding knightly family should know how to ride a horse and wield a sword. While high-ranking nobles rarely handled calculations themselves, the children of families known for their commercial success were expected to excel at arithmetic. Families rooted in horticulture sometimes pruned branches themselves.

Listening to her, I recalled the original novel. There were characters in the story—nobles who, despite their rank, had an odd knack for mundane tasks.

…Whether this was just something the novel hadn’t bothered to explain or a discrepancy between two versions of the story—or perhaps the novel had simply adjusted reality to seem plausible—I had no way of knowing.

“Then, are we walking around for Grattanmount’s image-making purposes?”

Grattanmount had a modest, unpretentious image despite being a Grand Ducal House. While not as rustic as Delkis, they were people who lived in harmony with nature. Even the Grand Duke himself would sometimes join local peasant hunters on their hunts—a testament to their down-to-earth reputation.

“No, not quite,” Amelia said with a small smile, shaking her head. Her expression then turned confident. “We’re creating an ‘image’ that will appeal to the heroine.”

Ah.

“Adele doesn’t hold any titles and comes from a common noble family. In fact, among nobles, her family is one of the poorest, to the point that some affluent commoners with thriving businesses might be better off financially. Though her family has a residence in the noble district, maintaining that estate is such a strain that they barely own any carriages. They have to hire a coachman whenever they need one.”

While technically not a commoner, Adele’s family’s wealth was meager compared to other nobles. On a noble scale, they ranked near the bottom.

In the novel, this was attributed to their status as a “steadfast principled knightly family.”

During times of frequent wars and battles, there were opportunities to earn money. But in the current era of peace, those avenues had dried up. Adele’s family was one of those noble families facing the risk of being demoted to commoners due to their financial struggles.

That was also why Adele was often looked down upon in the novel. Being a noble knightly family without a title implied a lack of significant achievements in battle. Even though they might earn some money through combat, gaining land or titles required truly outstanding accomplishments.

Of course, families without territories far outnumber those with them. However, Adele, a common noble, somehow became entangled with prominent figures like the Crown Emperor, the prince, and the Tower Master—children of renowned families. As a result, Amelia, the eldest daughter of the ducal Grattanmount family, ended up bullying her, claiming Adele was “out of her league.” That was the premise of the original story.

Furthermore, Adele’s personality, influenced by her father, was also “rigidly principled.”

“And naturally, I have no intention of bullying that child.”

“Well, if you did, things would really play out like the novel.”

Though I only knew the “original” story in terms of its setup, I still agreed for now.

Amelia seemed to genuinely enjoy that original work. And her effort to befriend the heroine Adele didn’t seem to be solely about “avoiding a bad ending.”

It was more like the behavior of a fan eager to meet their favorite celebrity.

…Just like in the novel.

“Right, exactly. So the first thing we need to do is get close to Adele. Ideally, close enough to call each other by name. Don’t you think?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so.”

“…Hmm?”

Amelia tilted her head at my lukewarm response.

“What’s wrong? Do you not like the plan? Is there something bothering you about it?”

“Uh, no, it’s not that, but…”

Amelia’s face lit up whenever she talked about Adele.

And for some reason, seeing her expression made me feel a little restless.

“Hmmm?”

Looking up at me, Amelia suddenly flashed a knowing smile, as if she’d figured out what I was thinking.

“Aha. Are you jealous, by any chance?”

“Huh? No? Of course not.”

I answered immediately, but Amelia shrugged with a small laugh.

“I know. Being jealous of someone you’ve never even met would be weird. Honestly, we’ve only seen Adele’s face on the cover of the novel, so we don’t even know what she actually looks like.”

The cover illustration was 2D, and according to Amelia, the illustrator had changed when the series expanded to another platform, giving Amelia’s character a dramatically different appearance across two versions.

“If a Delkis girl like you feels something weird, it’s probably instinctive. Got it. I’ll make sure to be careful, even as I try to befriend her.”

Amelia said this and gave me a bright smile.

It was a smile that looked genuinely cheerful.

In the novel, Amelia had seemed rather anxious during this period.

And just as Amelia had suggested, my emotions likely were instinctive.

After all, every time I saw Amelia’s smile, my heart raced.

It was a feeling I’d rarely experienced before. I knew full well from the novel that Amelia would end up with Adele, the heroine.

But as time passed, the more I spent my days with Amelia—sharing the same bed, having her do my makeup, imagining those kinds of moments together—the more suffocating the thought became.

…

…No, it couldn’t be.

Denying the thought, I followed behind Amelia, who seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood..