The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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“Ah, I really thought something terrible was going to happen…”

Adele still seemed unable to calm her startled heart.

Somehow, every time I introduced the wolves to others, it felt like a rite of passage for Snow to bite my head.

At least seeing that my neck wasn’t bitten off in one gulp seemed to reassure people. Still, it would be nice if my hair didn’t get soaked with saliva each time.

I heard a soft whining sound near my knees.

Snow was lying on my lap, resting her face there and acting spoiled. I had spread a thick cloth on the floor and was sitting on it casually.

Wolves, it was said, typically never treated the humans who raised them as their masters, no matter how familiar they became. Yet, looking at Snow now, she was no different from a massive puppy. … Though, it was questionable if a ‘puppy’ was ever suppose to be this large.

Her sheer size was enough to practically fill my upper body.

“…It’s clear just by looking that the wolves follow Lady Delkis,” Adele said with a slightly bitter smile.

It was understandable. Snow wasn’t the only wolf surrounding me. Gray was being petted by Amelia, while a few others were sniffing at Adele, who was meeting them for the first time. However, the majority had gathered around me.

Thanks to them, although it was quite a chilly night, I didn’t feel very cold. Not to mention, my back was already leaning against the warm body of a wolf.

And, in this moment, I felt an immense sense of relief.

It’s not that I disliked the city with its human scents. There were joys to be found there—plentiful delicious food, street performers, musicians, and a lively market that was fun just to observe.

Even opera, which was difficult to appreciate at first, eventually became something I understood the appeal of. Still, I had no desire to attend another ball.

But all of that was “enjoyment,” not the feeling of comfort I felt now.

This—this was the most comforting place for me, outside of Delkis Castle. It felt like the safest place in the world.

Perhaps it was akin to how a child feels when they gather pillows and blankets on their bed and burrow into them.

“These are children I’ve spent a long time with.”

These wolves seemed different from ordinary canine animals. Usually, by their age, dogs would begin to show signs of aging and ailments, but these wolves showed no signs of getting old.

Pori, the animal Amelia kept, was the same. Were all northern creatures blessed with such long lifespans?

“The druid’s abilities are truly remarkable. Seeing it with my own eyes, I can’t help but believe it.”

“So, you didn’t believe it before?” I asked teasingly.

Adele shook her head vigorously. “No, it’s not that! I just never had the chance to see it myself…”

That made sense.

It wasn’t as if I made my living as a performer, nor was there any reason for me to roam the city streets with 14 wolves in tow.

Though there was a crown prince who boldly rode wolves around the city.

“If you’d like, I could teach you how to ride a wolf.”

“……”

At my words, Adele momentarily froze with a blank expression, then quietly gazed at the brown wolf she had been petting. When her hand stopped stroking its nape, Brown stared at her face for a while, then turned and walked over to me, settling comfortably in an empty spot.

Still unsure if I was joking, Adele glanced at Amelia. Amelia merely shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

“No, thank you. I’m still struggling to ride a fully saddled horse. I think I’ll pass for now.”

Realizing that I was serious, Adele politely declined.

Well, if that’s her choice, then so be it.

“……”

After a brief silence,

“Oh, right.”

Remembering something I’d forgotten, I looked down at Snow and asked,

“Did you find out what we asked for?”

There was a reason Amelia had accompanied me here today. It involved the information guild request we had made to the wolves last time.

Snow gazed up at me, whining softly.

It seemed they hadn’t found anything.

Well, it wasn’t likely to be an easy target anyway. No matter how adept the wolves were at hiding themselves, deceiving human eyes wasn’t so simple. Besides, their sheer size made them all the more conspicuous.

“It’s okay. Don’t overdo it.”

…And Amelia’s sketch had been far too abstract, to begin with.

As I patted Snow and reassured her, Adele tilted her head slightly, as if curious about what we were discussing, but didn’t press further.

*

“Thank you so much for today.”

“No, not at all. I’m actually worried we might have kept Lady Carlins here for too long.”

“No, it’s just a bit of a late evening. There’s no need to worry; my father hasn’t returned yet.”

“……”

Uh, well…

The way she said it made me feel even more apologetic.

For the record, not only Adele’s father but also Adele herself had part-time work. As I recall, she mostly did tasks like sewing eyes onto dolls in her room.

Some might suggest she take a job as a maid for a high-ranking noble family, but positions like that weren’t easy to come by. Even nobles themselves often felt awkward around strangers and weren’t eager to hire someone unfamiliar to assist them 24/7.

Typically, unless someone could make a proper introduction, getting such a job was difficult.

And the Carlins family didn’t have such prestigious connections.

Jobs like working at a café or restaurant were reserved for commoners. That sphere had its own rules, and nobles couldn’t simply force their way in. After all, if the owner was a commoner, they wouldn’t want a noble as their subordinate.

“…….”

For a moment, I glanced briefly at Amelia.

Perhaps it’s not good for us to involve Adele too much? If her working hours decrease, it could be problematic in various ways.

There were ways to personally sponsor Adele, but we had only barely managed to cover her Tower of Magic tuition by coming up with various excuses. If the issue of living expenses came up as well…

“Would you care to join us for a meal?”

“No, it’s really fine. Honestly, if I get the chance later, I’d much rather invite Lady Grattanmount and Lady Delkis to my home instead.”

“…Is that so? If we’re ever invited, we’d gladly accept.”

Following Amelia, who spoke to Adele with such grace, I also bowed my head politely.

After bidding farewell to Adele, we returned to the estate.

*

“Lady Grattanmount, Lady Delkis. Welcome back.”

“…Has someone visited?”

Amelia immediately noticed the changes in the estate and asked.

Noble estates typically remained brightly lit, even at night.

Although nobles themselves slept with their personal chambers darkened, the rest of the estate was illuminated for the staff who needed to move around—housekeepers, maids, and guards were always present.

This was also a way to display the dignity of a noble household.

The best time to showcase the interior of an estate was when the outside was dark. The brightly lit interior revealed well-furnished decorations, impressing passersby.

Of course, for personal matters, curtains would be drawn.

And now, the curtains of the guest parlor were drawn.

“Yes, as we weren’t sure of the guest’s preferences, we decided to close the curtains.”

“A guest, you say? Who has come?”

“It’s Young Master Harvey Delkis.”

“Ah.”

Right, of course.

He had mentioned in a letter that he would visit.

Amelia glanced at me with a faint smile on her face.

I was probably smiling just as much.

*

“Elsie!”

Without even changing out of my clothes, I quickly made my way to the guest parlor, where Harvey-Hyung rose to his feet as soon as he saw me.

Then, he immediately rushed toward me—

“Ah, Hyung!”

That’s right.

Harvey-Hyung was much taller than I was. It wasn’t just a matter of “a head taller”; I had to crane my neck to look up at him.

And as for my weight, with his strength, he could probably lift me with one hand.

Perhaps it had been too long since we’d last seen each other; he greeted me with an old-fashioned show of affection.

Before I could even react, he slid his hands under my arms and lifted me up.

Just like a scene from a certain famous animated film about a lion.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Amelia, who had followed me, stood behind us.

As did the maid who had been guiding us.

It seemed Hyung only realized their presence after lifting me up.

“…Perhaps you could put me down now, Hyung.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Looking rather sheepish, Harvey-Hyung carefully set me back down after I spoke with my shoulders raised in awkwardness.

…I was glad to see him, but this wasn’t exactly the reaction I had in mind.