The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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I dislike dancing.

In fact, I don’t particularly enjoy meeting lots of people or forming connections with them either. In my previous life, I simplt liked staying indoors and spending my time that way.

You might ask what I did in Delkis, but it wasn’t as if I did anything there out of passion. Rather, it was more because I understood how shameless it would seem to live there without contributing in some way.

Even if I preferred staying at home, I couldn’t just loaf around at my parents’ house forever. The longer that situation dragged on, the more conscious I became of others’ opinions. Eventually, I ended up looking for a job, as anyone would. That’s how it was for me as well.

Even in that situation, there was no reason for me to deliberately get involved with others.

I always had several wolves following me. Building relationships with them didn’t require the kind of give-and-take that humans do. We simply wandered around together in silence, sometimes shared food, or hunted prey to divide among ourselves. There were no political disputes or heated arguments.

But banquets and balls were places where I had to mingle with people. It wasn’t just that I disliked moving my body, going outside, or visiting new places—it was the idea of dancing with strangers and engaging in social pleasantries that I couldn’t stand.

That’s why—

“How is it? Once you actually start dancing, it’s not entirely terrible, is it? Letting your body move to beautiful music and feeling the rhythm is quite enjoyable.”

Amelia, who had her arm wrapped around my waist, looked up at me with a smile.

Her flushed face could have been from the exertion of moving her legs to the music or perhaps from the slight embarrassment of the attention we were drawing.

I was likely in the same state. Given how pale my face usually was, my flushed cheeks might have stood out even more than hers.

“…Yeah.”

At my response, Amelia beamed brightly.

*

When the song ended and we stopped dancing, I found myself surprised at the faint sense of disappointment I felt.

To be fair, we had joined the dance midway, so we had danced for a shorter time than those who started with the music. Even so, I hadn’t expected to feel this way.

“Haa.”

Amelia placed a hand over her chest, catching her breath. The motion emphasized her striking figure, and my heart skipped a beat.

Just as Amelia looked up at me and began to speak—

“Oh my!”

A voice cut through the moment. It was a deliberately exaggerated exclamation of surprise.

It wasn’t directed at us specifically, though. Many people had been staring at us, likely shocked by the sight of two women dancing together. But the sudden, theatrical voice shifted the focus of the room in an instant.

Had the voice sounded during the music, it wouldn’t have drawn much attention. But since many had been silently watching me and Amelia dance, the sudden exclamation in the quiet drew unnecessary focus.

The woman who had spoken so theatrically, however, seemed delighted rather than intimidated by the attention.

A fleeting smile appeared on her lips before it was quickly concealed by an ornate fan.

With one hand resting on her hip and the other holding the fan, she had her hair styled in a picturesque bun.

…It was the kind of pastry bun that looked like you could bite into it if you wanted to. Her sparkling blonde hair was almost excessively bright, and her vibrant pink dress only added to the exaggerated flair. With a slight adjustment to her hairstyle and the addition of a crown, she could have easily resembled a princess from a famous game series. However, the haughty expression on her face, combined with her over-the-top fashion sense, gave her the air of an extra character.

To put it bluntly, she looked like she was dressed to attract attention.

It was obvious: she was one of the antagonistic ladies featured in the novel.

Her name was Diane, of the Hoover family.

The Hoover family was a count’s house, one of the key power players in this kingdom. Their territory wasn’t particularly large, nor did they produce any notable specialties. However, being located near the royal capital facilitated frequent exchanges with the royal family, and their lands were densely populated, yielding a significant annual crop.

While they couldn’t rival the Grattanmount family, known for their abundant gold and iron mines, their tax contributions were still substantial enough to be recognized.

In the original story, Diane was said to have been Amelia’s right-hand woman. Of course, the Amelia I knew from the novel had no intention of bullying Adele, so that setup only remained in the backstory.

“Isn’t this the young lady from the Carlin family?”

And the person facing off against her was, of course, the protagonist of the original story, Adele.

“…It’s been a while, Countess.”

“It really has been. Although I didn’t expect to see you here like this.”

Both of them had lived in the royal capital for a long time. If anything, Adele was more of a native, as the Carlins had always lived here without owning any other estates.

Back when the Carlin family still had some leeway, Adele’s father had tried to provide her with an excellent tutor. With the end of the war and the arrival of peace, he hoped Adele would thrive in a new direction.

The issue was that this tutor also taught the children of the Hoover family and Adele surpassed them in every way.

The tutor had enough sense not to openly compare them.

However, rumors have a way of spreading—whether through a proud student, a father bragging about his child, or some other means.

Even though the tutor didn’t mention it, the fact that Adele outperformed the Hoover children inevitably became known.

To Diane, a member of the Hoover family, Adele must have been a thorn in her side.

Pressuring the tutor to stop teaching Adele was an easy task.

And in a world where unaffiliated families often faced disadvantages from powerful factions, the Carlins quickly found themselves isolated.

Adele was unaware that this incident had snowballed into a larger issue, one that had become a heavy burden for her father.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Oh, but I truly mean it. I was so worried! You don’t even seem to have an escort. It’s fortunate you could make it here safely.”

“…Once again, I appreciate your concern. However, I am here because I was invited. I received an invitation.”

“An invitation?”

As I watched their exchange, I felt Amelia lightly tug on my arm.

“Elsie.”

“Mn.”

I nodded at Amelia’s whisper.

We slowly began walking toward them.

“So, an invitation, you say? That’s odd. Does the Carlin family have any close ties to high-ranking nobles near the royal family?”

“No, but—”

“Or perhaps your father achieved great merits in the war? Building connections with the royal family or regional lords?”

“…”

The Carlin family became knights during Adele’s grandfather’s time, but they hadn’t achieved significant accomplishments in the war. They hadn’t built connections with great nobles either. During Adele’s father’s time, there were no major wars to create opportunities for advancement.

That’s why Adele’s father had hired a good tutor, hoping to build connections through society. But misfortune upon misfortune led even that effort to fail.

When it became known that the Carlins had a poor relationship with the Hoover family, even their few remaining allies distanced themselves, leaving the family isolated.

“Now that I think about it, this is very strange. Could it be that the invitation—oh.”

Trailing off intentionally, Diane’s lips curved into a sharp smile.

In the original story, that invitation had been sent by someone from Diane’s side. Naturally, it was a forgery. And though it was unlikely to be discovered, the plan had been for Adele to be turned away at the door.

“Pardon me, but may I see that invitation for a moment? I’m sure it was checked at the entrance, but still… you understand, don’t you?”

Diane stepped closer to Adele, her tone sweet but laced with malice.

Diane herself must have sensed something odd.

If the invitation were fake, Adele wouldn’t have been allowed in. After all, forging a royal invitation was a grave offense. Such an act would suggest an attempt to smuggle an unverified guest into a highly selective gathering.

The plan had originally ensured that Adele would be accused of the crime. Yet, in both the novel and the villainess-themed spin-off I’d read, that outcome never came to pass.

“Apologies, but I cannot allow that.”

Adele’s face hardened as she replied.

“And why not? Do you have something to hide? Perhaps we could confirm whether there’s an issue with your invitation. You know I received the same one, don’t you?”

As Diane smiled and took another step closer, seemingly prepared to escalate matters—

“No,” Adele declared firmly. “I do not wish to insult the person who gave me this invitation. While I myself do not hold a knight’s title, as the eldest daughter of the proud Carlins knightly family, I will not commit such a discourtesy.”

—Adele declared with unwavering conviction.