The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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At Adele’s declaration, Diane’s eyes widened for a moment before she let out a restrained laugh.

“Hmph.”

The sound of suppressed laughter was deeply unpleasant—almost textbook in its ability to offend.

Talk of a knight’s pride was something of a fairy tale even in this world. While commoners might idealize knights as chivalrous and noble, those living within the aristocratic circles knew all too well how corrupt and filthy the reality could be.

…Well, to be precise this was true for children of noble families residing in the capital.

In contrast, aristocrats from rural regions, who deliberately kept their family sizes small, often had less opportunity for such affairs. Take Grattanmount, for example, whose noble houses were far removed from such intrigue. As for Delkis, the baronies there were so informal that their nobility status seemed questionable at times.

However, both the House of Carlins and the House of Hoover were deeply tied to the royal capital.

To someone like Diane—who would not hesitate to dirty her hands to achieve her goals—the talk of knightly pride likely seemed childish and absurd.

“My, is that so? Then allow me to personally verify this knightly pride you speak of. Would you not give me the chance to meet that noble person who entrusted you with such an invitation?”

Although she still concealed her lips behind a fan, her narrowed eyes gave away her open mockery.

“To remain silent and refuse to dispel someone’s doubts is akin to insulting the very person who gave you that invitation, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I—”

Adele abruptly stopped speaking, clamping her lips shut. Her tightly clenched fists trembled.

Why does she go so far to avoid mentioning our name—

—Well, the reason was obvious. Adele did not want to drag our names into such a petty exchange.

Though Adele acted like a die-hard fan meeting an idol when she was around me, it didn’t change the fact that she was a steadfast daughter of a knightly family. Watching her rigid personality gradually soften and develop through entanglements with various male protagonists had been one of the charms of the original story.

At the same time, though, it had also been one of the more frustrating elements.

This was precisely why Amelia, both in the novel and here, had chosen to “personally deliver the invitation.” In the novel, this act of delivering the invitation herself had led my brother Harvey to fall for Amelia.

Visiting a struggling knightly family, unafraid of suspicion, to extend a lifeline—it was depicted in the novel as an effort to “establish a completely new faction.” Thus, her actions inadvertently came across as a declaration to protect the weak under the grand duchy’s banner, enhancing her reputation.

“There’s no need to confirm anything, Lady Hoover.”

When Amelia spoke, Diane turned her bewildered gaze toward her, only to flinch at the sight.

Gracefully approaching, Amelia wore a cold smile on her lips. Her naturally sharp eyes, now tinged with calculated amusement, narrowed even further, as if honed to a blade’s edge.

Though I knew that this was just her usual smile, to someone seeing it for the first time, it could only appear as a menacing expression.

No, perhaps in this situation, it was an intentionally menacing expression.

“I was the one who gave the invitation to Lady Carlins.”

“Your Highness, Lady Grattanmount.”

Hearing Amelia’s words, Diane bowed her head lightly in greeting. Amelia returned the gesture with the same refined demeanor. It was hard to suppress my admiration as I watched from the side. No matter how much I practiced, I could never pull off such elegance.

“Your Highness.”

“Adele.”

When Adele greeted her, Amelia lightly called her name in return.

“Lady Carlins and I happened to meet by chance some time ago and developed a friendly connection. After conversing with her, I felt it would be worthwhile to maintain our acquaintance, so I offered her one of my spare invitations. Is there any issue with that invitation?”

“No, of course not—”

“If there was an issue, I apologize. I grew up in the Grattanmount Grand Duchy, far removed from the capital, and only recently left. While I have occasionally ventured outside, the farthest I’ve gone is to visit my relatives in the Delkis estate. As such, I may not be well-versed in the etiquette of places like this. Have I done something wrong?”

Ignoring Diane’s attempt to deny it, Amelia clasped her hands over her chest and spoke as if genuinely reflecting on her actions.

Her sharp eyes remained unwavering, though. If anything, her demeanor resembled a classic villainess cornering her opponent, delivering lines with an air of theatrical performance. The fact that she made no effort to hide this theatricality only reinforced the impression.

Of course, here, her intent was to protect the heroine.

“Oh no, not at all, Your Highness. A spare invitation should naturally go to someone you wish to spend time with.”

“Indeed, that’s true.”

“…”

And then, someone unexpectedly interjected in their conversation.

Once again, it was an obviously rude interruption, but this time, the person speaking was someone whose authority made it impolite to even point out the rudeness.

“…Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince.”

Oh.

For some reason, Amelia’s tone seemed to chill slightly as she responded to the Crown Prince, though her posture remained unchanged, her hands still clasped in front of her chest.

Was it because he interrupted while she was in the middle of speaking?

“To extend an invitation implies that the inviter vouches for the identity of the invitee. In this case, the royal family guarantees the Grand Duke’s daughter’s status, and in turn, the Grand Duke’s daughter guarantees Lady Carlins’ status. If the invitee’s identity were truly questionable, they would not have been able to enter here even with an invitation. After all, the inviter bears the responsibility for the safety of all those they invite.”

This is why someone without an invitation would be denied entry, even if they accompanied someone who did have one.

Naturally, the royal family maintained an updated registry of nobles residing in the capital. While it might take time to verify the status of nobles who had just arrived in the capital tonight, under normal circumstances, they would already have a prepared list of “those permitted to be here.”

The House of Carlins was a knightly noble family that had been living in the royal capital for three generations, dating back to Adele’s grandfather’s time. There was no way their name wouldn’t appear on the registry. Without an invitation, of course, they wouldn’t have been allowed entry—but with an invitation, no one could prevent them from coming in.

As for arriving without an escort, that was merely embarrassing—not a breach of any rule.

…By the way, the Crown Prince must have used aura again.

Could it be he’s testing how to use aura effectively around me right now? Is he practicing for the two more duels we have left? Persistent, as always.

“By the way, Lady Delkis.”

Having provided a clear explanation for Adele’s presence here, the Crown Prince swiftly redirected his attention from his surroundings and turned toward me.

There was a noticeable mark on his otherwise handsome face—a scar at the end of his eyebrow that still hadn’t faded. Was the wound deeper than it seemed?

If it had been treated with magic before turning into a scar, it could have easily been erased. The fact that it remained implied that it had been left on purpose.

…Why?

Could he actually believe in nonsense like “a scar of honor”?

Though it was a bit late to wonder, I couldn’t help but think about it now.

“The music seems to have ended. It’s time for the next song, so why not dance this one with me?”

“Uh…”

“You don’t appear too exhausted from what I see.”

Was he mocking me for being a Delkis?

Granted, people from Delkis aren’t known to tire easily, but still.

I briefly considered pretending to be tired, but instead, I turned my gaze back toward Amelia.

The Crown Prince immediately caught the movement.

“Lady Delkis may not know this, but it’s generally discouraged to dance multiple times in a row with the same partner at a ball. A ball is a social gathering—a place to mingle with people you wouldn’t ordinarily meet. The purpose is to expand your connections by matching steps with various partners. Dancing repeatedly with the same person not only reveals a lack of sociability but also prevents your partner from forming connections with others.”

With a sly smile, he raised his hand slightly.

“Therefore, wouldn’t you agree that the second dance should be with me?”

Why was he so relentless?

Typically, if someone declines once, it’s considered polite not to ask again. Never mind politeness—doesn’t he have any pride as a Crown Prince? Clinging to a woman like this is one of the fastest ways to start rumors.

Amelia, seemingly bewildered by the situation, was staring at the Crown Prince with an incredulous expression. The Crown Prince, however, wasn’t even looking at Amelia—no, he wasn’t paying any attention to the people around him at all. His focus was entirely on me.

I glanced around desperately, and my eyes landed on Adele, who was standing alone without an escort.

…Of course, her expression showed no sign of discomfort, nor did she seem to mind. Still, standing alone at a ball inevitably gave off the impression of loneliness!

“I-I, um, actually… I promised Lady Carlins a dance, so, uh, yeah.”

I opened my mouth to make an excuse, but my brain was working too fast, and what came out sounded completely absurd.

“Pardon?”

“What?”

“Um?”

Three simultaneous reactions filled the air.

Oh no.

I’ve really messed up this time.