The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Meeting the beloved protagonist of a novel I loved was definitely an exciting experience. When I was following behind Adel with Elsie, my heart was pounding with anticipation.

After all, it had been over ten years since I came to this world, and now I was finally meeting this world’s protagonist. A decade had passed since I first began reviewing and preserving every detail in my notes to avoid forgetting anything.

This was different from meeting a celebrity. An actor merely “acts” as a character; they aren’t that character themselves.

Even if I had a chance to talk casually with an actor, the most I could ask would be, “So, what do you think about that character? What do you think the character was feeling at that moment?” That would be about it. In fact, some movie actors don’t even read the original works featuring their characters, so asking such questions might be meaningless in some cases.

The same went for authors. Sometimes, an author might treat a novel I adore as their “dark history” or might not think of it as particularly important. Often, readers remember the story or its developments better than the author and uncover hidden hints more effectively.

So, stepping directly into this world and meeting the protagonist in person felt entirely different. It was hard to explain in words.

And honestly, now that I was in the novel, wasn’t this kind of encounter inevitable? In this world, even if I wasn’t in the role I wanted, I occupied a very important position. Getting involved with the heroine felt like a given.

Or so I had thought.

However, when I finally met her in person, I didn’t feel as thrilled as I had expected.

No, it wasn’t that I wasn’t happy. I was happy—but just not as much as I had imagined I would be.

Why was that?

I kept pondering over it on the way back.

*

For nobles, “seeing someone off” didn’t simply mean walking them out the door. It extended to ensuring their transportation back to their destination was secure.

Even if the region was relatively well-maintained and safe, it couldn’t compare to the modern world I used to live in. South Korea, for instance, was known globally for its exceptional public safety. Expecting similar standards in this less advanced world was unrealistic.

That’s why ensuring safety “until they arrived” was part of the hospitality extended. It was an extension of the etiquette of hosting.

Of course, if the destination was several days away, it was common to escort the guest only to the entrance of the village or city where they had stayed. And if a noble lacked the resources to do even that, it was understandable.

The House of Carlins was precisely in that position of “lacking resources.”

Since Elsie had reflexes sharp enough to catch a flying arrow, there was no real danger while she escorted me within the royal capital. In fact, if anyone was impolite, it was us, for accompanying Adele uninvited and even being treated to tea. I didn’t think it was necessary to hold it against Adele.

For the record, even by the time we finished our tea and left their house, Adele’s father had not returned.

Adele, insisting on escorting us even on foot, had to be repeatedly and politely declined. We eventually strolled out to the main road at our own pace.

“What do you want to do now?”

As we stepped out of the area where the mansions were clustered, we found ourselves on the busy main street, still crowded with people.

It was the same street Elsie had cleared a path through for me earlier.

…It feels a little awkward saying this about another girl, but Elsie was taller and had a larger build than me. On top of that, she was far stronger than most men.

When Elsie wrapped her arms around me with her strength, I wouldn’t be able to escape. Not that I wanted to escape. If I had told her to stop, she would have released me immediately.

Physically, Elsie was undeniably feminine. Yet, the way she confidently carried me through the crowd was startling in its boldness.

And perhaps because of her inherited bloodline, Elsie’s body temperature was slightly higher than average, so being held like that was incredibly warm.

For a moment, I was so flustered that my train of thought completely derailed. Until Elsie led me out of the crowd, I couldn’t think clearly. Embarrassingly so.

Even though there was no reason to feel self-conscious, since we were both women.

Perhaps, without realizing it, I’d developed a habit of entrusting myself to Elsie in such situations. If I just let her take the lead, Elsie would carry me wherever she wanted. It was because I trusted her that I could leave myself in her care—

“Amelia.”

“Huh?”

It wasn’t until Elsie called my name again that I snapped out of my thoughts. All at once, the sounds of footsteps, rustling clothes, and conversations flooded back into my ears.

Even though the sun had completely set, the streets were still full of people.

Technically, it was early spring, so while it was dark, it was still somewhere between afternoon and evening. Since it wasn’t yet time for dinner, it wasn’t surprising to see so many people out.

The photos of Nordic cityscapes I had seen in my world had looked desolate. But then again, this wasn’t the real Nordic region, so such comparisons were meaningless.

“What do you want to do now?”

Elsie asked again.

“If we go back the same way, we’ll have to push through the crowd again, just like we did earlier when following Adele. Let’s find an easier route next time.”

“You’re right,” I replied, nodding. “It really was something back there.”

Following Elsie’s words, I paused in thought before speaking.

“But since it’s already dark, let’s leave finding a new route for another time. Wandering through deserted streets at night could be dangerous.”

“That’s true.”

Elsie nodded seriously, agreeing with my point.

“It might actually be safer to walk through a crowded street like this… though there’s the risk of pickpockets.”

“But you’d notice immediately, wouldn’t you?”

“That’s no big deal. Unless the pickpocket around here is at Swordmaster level, I can easily catch them right away.”

Honestly, even if the pickpocket was Swordmaster level, I had no doubt Elsie could still catch them.

As I watched Elsie joke casually, I had those thoughts but didn’t say it out loud. If I did, she’d just treat it as a joke.

Objectively speaking, Elsie’s skills might not be superior to those of other Delkis people. This was something that had already been pointed out in the original novel, so it was likely true in reality as well.

But the fact that she “weaker than the Delkis people” wasn’t much of a weakness or flaw.

If being “less skilled to the Delkis people” was considered a flaw, then there would be almost no swordsmen in this world capable of overcoming that flaw.

After seeing Adele’s reaction earlier, I was convinced of this once again.

“Then how about we take it slow this time? After all, we’ll be living here for a few years, so there’s no rush.”

As Elsie said that, I shrugged.

We walked side by side, no longer needing to rush or follow someone. All we had to do was find our way through the crowd and move at a relaxed pace.

While walking, we occasionally exchanged jokes or engaged in idle chatter without much meaning.

And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was… missing.

“Amelia, are you tired?”

“Huh?”

Elsie’s worried expression made me blink.

“It’s just that your responses have been a little slow since earlier. I wondered if you weren’t feeling well. Did we walk too much today?”

“Too much walking? Hardly. Remember how we used to wander the forest when we were kids?”

We would ride on Gray and Snow’s backs, explore the woods, roast wild potatoes we dug up, and eat them together.

Elsie would always laugh so joyfully during those times.

“But wandering in the forest and walking through a crowded area like this aren’t quite the same.”

“Really? What about you? Are you tired?”

“Hmm, maybe psychologically speaking?”

“…”

At that response, my heart sank for a moment.

Certainly, as the one being escorted, I could afford to stay carefree. But as the one providing protection, Elsie would naturally have to remain alert and attentive.

Even if you have the ability to catch flying arrows, you must always be ready for them.

“You’re looking a bit pale. Should I carry you on my back?”

“No, that’s not necessary…”

“Then how about leaning on me?”

Without giving me a chance to refuse, Elsie reached out, wrapped her arm gently around my shoulder, and pulled me close to her side.

Before I could protest, I found myself resting my head on her shoulder.

“See? You’re tired. Let’s hurry back, wash up, and get some rest. I’ll bring you some food.”

“…Yeah. I guess I am. Must be because I went to meet the protagonist.”

A lie.

“Maybe that’s it.”

That was a lie.

Meeting Adele didn’t make me as happy as I had expected. The fact that Adele showed more interest in Elsie than in me, didn’t make me particularly happy.

The unhappiness wasn’t because of my like for Adele, nor because she was the protagonist, nor because I couldn’t put myself at the center of the story despite meeting the protagonist.

It wasn’t because of exhaustion or fatigue, and there was no real reason for me to lean on Elsie like this.

The reason my face had turned pale was the thought that Elsie, despite being by my side now, might one day realize that she found it tiresome to be with me.

A truth she didn’t know yet but might come to know someday.

And when that day comes, perhaps she’d decide she no longer wanted to stay by my side.

But since I didn’t know how to convey this tangled mess of emotions without it being misunderstood, I resorted to lying.

And you are not supposed to lie to a Delkis.

My heart pounded violently.

For so many reasons.