The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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After that, the atmosphere relaxed considerably, but Amelia maintained that ‘villainess expression’ until Adele left for home.

“Phew…”

It was only after sending Adele off in the carriage that Amelia sighed deeply and gently massaged the corners of her eyes with her fingers.

Truthfully, Amelia’s gaze was always a bit sharp. However, perhaps because I’d grown accustomed to her usual expression, the moment she relaxed her eyes, her sharp features softened, giving her an overall gentler appearance.

“Elsie—”

“I-I’m sorry.”

The moment Amelia called my name, I quickly apologized.

“Huh?”

“Earlier, when you and the Crown Prince were arguing, and just now as well, I kept stepping in and nearly ruined everything.”

“Ah.”

At my words, Amelia closed her eyes. However, it wasn’t out of exasperation. It was more of a relieved expression, or perhaps a look of satisfaction after completing a task. At the very least, she looked much more at peace than earlier.

Leaning back fully into the chair, Amelia spoke with the same expression.

“You don’t need to worry about it too much. You did it to help me, right?”

“But still—”

“Are you going to say ‘if the result hadn’t turned out well ‘?”

“…”

When her words left me speechless, Amelia chuckled softly, her eyes still closed.

“But the result was good, wasn’t it? It was resolved almost perfectly without me having to intervene.”

Relaxing completely, Amelia continued, her tone unhurried.

“And honestly, if the Crown Prince hadn’t spoken the way he did, Adele might not have fallen for our words.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Strictly speaking, all we offered was to ‘help.’ If the Crown Prince hadn’t pulled that ridiculous stunt earlier, our words might’ve just sounded like empty promises.”

Amelia opened her eyes and looked at me.

“But after hearing the conversation between the Crown Prince and the Archmage, Adele probably had thoughts like, ‘Do I really have potential?’. Even if she didn’t show it outwardly. She must have been half-convinced by the time she arrived here.”

“So, are you saying she didn’t really believe what we said?”

“Probably half and half. She might’ve believed your words, but not mine.”

When I tilted my head in confusion, Amelia explained slowly.

“It might sound a bit mean to say, but Adele probably didn’t think you were scheming anything. When you spoke earlier, you looked genuinely desperate, practically clinging to her with a flushed face.”

“…”

Her words made my face flush once more.

“And Adele respects the people of Delkis, doesn’t she? Judging by how she acted towards you, she probably knows the Delkis family motto too: ‘Nature does not lie.’ Adele, who inherited the straightforward mindset of a knightly family, would naturally believe that you adhere to that motto… which you actually do.”

Those words pricked at my conscience. Over the years I’d spent by Amelia’s side, I’d told countless lies.

And if staying by her side a little longer required more lies, I was ready for that too. While deceiving Adele stung a bit, deceiving Amelia stung much more.

But I couldn’t confess everything either. I didn’t know what kind of expression Amelia would make if she realized I’d betrayed her trust.

“So, in the end, it was you who truly swayed Adele’s heart. Who wouldn’t want to grant the earnest request of someone they admire? Everyone has a bit of darkness in their heart. There’s no one who wouldn’t feel a twinge of joy seeing someone they look up to, even just for a moment, in a position of asking for help.”

Does Amelia see me that way too?

…If Amelia were to cling to me, asking me to stay by her side forever, I’d certainly feel euphoric. It would mean I’d become an irreplaceable part of her life.

“But Adele didn’t have the money for lessons. She couldn’t just ask you for it, nor did she have anyone else to borrow from.”

“So, she ultimately agreed with you.”

“Exactly. Of course, even then, she wouldn’t have taken it if I simply offered it, so I framed it as a transaction instead.”

I see.

…But if that’s the case, the person who played the most significant role was Amelia after all.

After all, without money, nothing could have been resolved.

“Really, Adele is so stiff. If goodwill is offered right in front of her, she should just accept it, but she makes everything so roundabout.”

Despite her grumbling, a gentle smile lingered on Amelia’s lips.

Was it because the person involved was Adele?

…Seeing Amelia’s expression made me feel a bit uneasy.

*

When Elsie blushed and spoke to Adele like that, it felt like my heart sank.

Why did I feel that way? It’s not like Adele was going to take Elsie away, and Elsie certainly wasn’t going to suddenly change her position to become Adele’s escort.

The reason for the anxiety I feel every time the crown prince approaches Elsie is clear. If the crown prince were to take Elsie as his wife, it would be incredibly difficult for me to see her again.

Even though it’s just the neighboring country, in this world, traveling to the neighboring country can take days—or even weeks. And if the roads were in poor condition, it might not even be possible to visit at all.

Since it takes so much time for a person to travel, it would take just as long for letters to be exchanged. After all, letters and packages are carried by people too.

But Adele…

Adele isn’t in a position to marry Elsie. Even if Elsie becomes friendly with Adele, it wouldn’t mean I would lose her. If I were to settle in the capital, I could see her every day.

And yet, why did the thought of Elsie getting close to Adele make me so uneasy?

I ran a hand over my face.

…Feeling possessive over a friend, not even a lover—what am I, a lovestruck teenage girl?

Even if Elsie is someone irreplaceable in my life.

Still, whenever I think that Elsie’s actions are for my sake, the tension eases. Even after Adele left, Elsie stayed by my side and never said or did anything to suggest she wanted to follow Adele.

As I relaxed, leaning back in my chair with my eyes closed, I felt someone place a hand on my shoulder.

I already knew it was Elsie’s touch.

After all, she and I were the only ones in the room.

Elsie’s hands gripped both my shoulders, applying a bit of pressure.

Of course, it wasn’t painful. It was soft and slow, applying just the right amount of pressure.

“Mmm.”

A small sound escaped my lips.

“Your shoulders are really tense,” Elsie said, massaging my shoulders as I slumped in the chair.

“Were you that tense?”

“No, not at all— Ahh…!”

“The body doesn’t lie. If it’s not from tension, it means you haven’t been exercising enough.”

“That’s not— ah!”

Ignoring my attempts to argue, Elsie’s hands moved mercilessly, pressing firmly on the sensitive spots of my body.

…Well, it was just the knots in my shoulders, but still.

“I know how much effort you’re putting in. Now that we’re officially in the main story, there’s so much to investigate—the information guild digging into the Tower of Magic and the palace, the families connected behind the scenes, and so on. There’s a lot to keep track of.”

Elsie’s gentle voice flowed into my ears.

“But even so, don’t you think you’re worrying too much? I’ll be by your side. At least from physical threats, I can protect you.”

“…”

I already knew that much. I was well aware of how much Elsie was doing for me.

“Well, maybe part of why you’re tense is because of the trouble I cause.”

That’s not it at all.

In fact, I hate it even more when Elsie does nothing and shrinks back. I know she’s not that kind of person.

The past ten years and the countless memories we’ve shared prove it.

“…Elsie.”

“Yeah?”

When I called her softly, Elsie, who had been tenderly massaging my shoulders, answered. Even with my eyes closed, it wasn’t hard to imagine her expression. Elsie would surely be staring at me with her wide, round eyes. She always made that face whenever I called her with a serious tone.

Should I surprise her just a bit more?

“Do you want to sleep together tonight for old times’ sake?”

“…”

I opened my eyes, and the inverted expression of Elsie, who had been standing behind me came into view.

And the expression Elsie made was just as I had imagined.