I Became the Villain's Childhood Friend - Chapter 48

 

“I don’t.”

 

“…”

 

Adele glanced at me, as if my answer wasn’t interesting. I quickly opened my mouth in case she said something.

 

“What was your first impression of me?”

 

“First impression?”

 

Although she seemed to be thinking about it, she answered quite easily.

 

“The first time I saw you was at the Chestain Villa… As I said before, I wanted to get to know you then.”

 

“Why?”

 

You wanted to become friends with me, who was like a freaking idiot back then?

 

Adele also scratched her cheek as if she was embarrassed.

 

“My family was a bit strict… so I didn’t have any friends.”

 

“…”

 

“When I saw how close you and Reynold were, I thought it would be nice to have a friend like that. Moreover, after hearing that you had the same dream as me, I wanted to become closer to you.”

 

After Adele finished speaking, she redirected her question back to me.

 

“So what was your first impression of me?”

 

“You seemed like you had a nice personality. To be honest, I never thought anyone would talk to me.”

 

“My personality is nice.”

 

When I gave her a small nod in response to her words, Adele burst into laughter. I didn’t miss that moment.

 

“Then is there someone you like?”

 

“…”

 

Adele’s reaction was strange.

 

She paused, as if my question had hit the nail on the head.

 

That reaction clearly shows that she has someone whom she likes. I started tickling Adele’s sides wildly, then she eventually let out a name along with her laughter.

 

“A-Anthony!”

 

It was my first time hearing this name. When I looked at Adele with a puzzled expression, she curled her fingers and placed them near her eyes.

 

Glasses…

 

Only then did I realize who Adele was talking about.

 

“…Really?”

 

Instead of answering what I said, Adele closed her eyes tightly.

 

Antony was a freshman in the Math Department, in the same club as Adele. Although not often, I take Adele to her club room and we have bumped into him a few times.

 

He looked really smart.

 

“I had no idea, though…”

 

As I mumbled without realizing it, Adele quietly rolled her eyes.

 

“Because you have no sense.”

 

“…I guess so.”

 

It was a little surprising that Adele liked Anthony, but he seemed to have a nice personality on the outside, so I think he might suit her.

 

Adele hurriedly opened her mouth as she unconsciously smiled happily.

 

“You can’t tell anyone!”

 

“I have no one to talk to.”

 

“…That’s true, but.”

 

I said with a grin.

 

“Do your best.”

 

“Is that something I can do alone….”

 

Adele sighed. Then she spoke firmly.

 

“I told you about the person I like for the first time, so when you find someone you like, you have to let me know first.”

 

I nodded my head leisurely at her words.

 

But Adele seemed to find my answer quite trivial, so she stuck out her little finger to me.

 

I saw Reynold’s little finger in the past overlapped.

 

“Alright.”

 

“Great. You made a promise to me, you know?”

 

I made a promise to Adele, tying our fingers.

 

***

 

The long, long, yet short journey has come to an end. I picked up the tart Adele had given me to share with people and headed to the inn.

 

Fortunately, instead of the inn being crowded with customers, Aunt Lela was sitting alone.

 

Aunt Lela smiled brightly when she saw me entering the inn.

 

I approached her, bringing the tart.

 

“Did you enjoy the trip?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“It seems so. Your face looks a little tan.”

 

“I was wearing a hat, but I guess I got burned.”

 

“It’s fine, you’re still pretty.”

 

I proudly showed the tart to Aunt Lela, and after expressing her admiration, she went to get milk, telling me to eat it with milk.

 

And in the hand of Aunt Lela, who brought milk, was also a red letter.

 

“It’s a letter addressed to you while you were on a trip with your friend.”

 

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

 

I received the letter from Aunt Lela.

 

Red envelope… Feeling strangely uncomfortable, I opened the envelope and took out the letter.

 

And as I read the contents of the letter, my face grew darker.

 

There were three reasons why my face darkened.

 

First, the sender was Cassandra Collin, Madam Collin.

 

Second, the color of letter paper and envelopes was the now disgusting red.

 

The third thing… was that it wasn’t an ordinary letter asking how I was doing, but a letter expressing concern about my hands.

 

“Danae?”

 

Aunt Lela, perhaps worried that my face was darkening as I read the letter, cautiously called me.

 

At her call, I casually raised my head and smiled. But my mind was complicated.

 

…How did Madam Collin know I was hurt? Besides, how on earth did she know that I was staying here?

 

Like what Lotte said, I didn’t even tell my family about the injury to my hands. If Dad had found out, he would have already come to Munit and taken me to face the Academy.

 

If so, Reynold?

 

There was no way he would do that.

 

Because of his personality, he wouldn’t tell Madam Collin about me.

 

At some point, Reynold became completely reluctant to allow me and Madam Collin to meet.

 

No matter how much I think about it, Madam Collin knowing that I hurt my hands…

 

Then I stopped.

 

Is Charis, the culprit who hurt my hands… related to Madam Collin, I wonder.

 

Isn’t it possible that Charis told her?

 

“Rosie!”

 

Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly looked up when Aunt Lela shouted.

 

I turned my head to at the name I already knew, and at the end of my gaze, I saw Senior Rosie, whose face was even more wrinkled than mine.

 

Aunt Lela asked Senior Rosie in a warm voice.

 

No way… Was Aunt Lela’s daughter, who was staying at the Academy dormitory, senior Rosie?

 

“Are you going to the library?”

 

“Why is she here?”

 

Instead of answering her question, Senior Rosie, who had a fierce look on her face, pointed at me with her finger.

 

In response to her question, Aunt Lela placed her warm hand on my shoulder and said,

 

“This is the child who stays here and becomes Mom’s talking partner.”

 

“…Hello, Senior.”

 

I quietly greeted her. Then Aunt Lela, hearing my greeting, made a fuss of her own.

 

“Oh my… you two already knew each other? Danae, shouldn’t you have told me in advance!”

 

I didn’t know your daughter was Senior Rosie…

 

“You, follow me right away.”

 

Senior Rosie, who had heard Aunt Lela’s words with her own ears, spoke to me in a cold voice.

 

I gave Aunt Lela a nod and followed after senior Rosie.

 

She walked on without even looking behind, and I followed her.

 

Senior Rosie, who took me on a long walk to a deserted place, only then turned back.

 

“Why did you come here?”

 

“Of course I did because I didn’t have a place to sleep…?”

 

“…”

 

Rosie seemed to be frustrated with my foolish words and combed her bangs. It felt like she was trying to decide what to say to me.

 

At that time, the sound of people murmuring was heard from afar.

 

Only after the loud noise had passed did Senior Rosie take a step towards me.

 

She was much smaller than me. Nevertheless, I was startled and took a step back.

 

“Don’t ever come to our place again. If you’re planning on bringing your friends, stop that right now.”

 

“…Senior?”

 

When I called out to her in a daze, she just glared at me without saying a word. She gritted her teeth and asked me.

 

“You didn’t say anything strange to my mom, did you?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about now.”

 

“…”

 

“I also found out today that Aunt Lela’s daughter is you!”

 

Her eyes quickly scanned me, as if trying to determine whether what I was saying was true or not. Then she let out a small sigh.

 

“Enough, pack your bags and leave right now.”

 

It was senior Rosie, who just said what she had to say and left.

 

I was dumbfounded, staring blankly at her back.

 

***

 

There are only two weeks left until the vacation ends. However, I suddenly had no choice but to leave Munit as I had no place to stay.

 

I was planning on staying at Munit until I got a call from the Academy.

 

I thought about going to Lenoir where Serik was, but I gave up on that idea right away.

 

‘…Let’s wait.’

 

The place I chose was Tibern. It was a new place I had never been to before, but I thought it would be comfortable to stay there since I had learned the language there.

 

Besides, I couldn’t go last time, so I wanted to now.

 

It was only a few days ago that a letter in Reynold’s name arrived to me, who was comfortably staying in Tibern.

 

At the same time, there was only one day left until the start of the semester.

 

There’s no way he would send me a letter.

 

Out of curiosity, I opened his letter and saw that it was none other than a letter from the Academy. It seemed that Reynold received it and sent it to me.

 

[Thankful, aren’t you?]

 

I burst out laughing as I looked at his note. I felt like I knew what kind of expression and tone of voice the note was written with.

 

The letter from the Academy seemed to be the news I had been waiting for about my withdrawal. It asked me to visit the school because there were documents that needed to be processed.

 

So I headed to the Academy with Adele, who was belatedly entering the dormitory. I heard that something happened at Rigna and she also had to return to school a little late. Since it was a family matter, I did not ask for further details.

 

Her face was a little burned, probably because she was having fun after not seeing me for a while. She grunted and took her steps.

 

“There’s a mentoring class this semester.”

 

Mentoring class? What kind of strange class is that again?

 

I narrowed my eyebrows.

 

“That class, Professor Urien isn’t in charge of it, is it?”

 

Adele frowned, nodded her head quietly.

 

“Is there any other professor other than him who would teach such a bizarre class? It’s also a mentoring class in the Magic and Magic Engineering Department.”

 

“…”

 

“Fortunately, I was mentored by a group member who was in the same group last semester.”

 

Adele let out a sigh of relief, as if she had just had a moment.

 

“That’s a good thing.”

 

Her group members were all decent. Because they weren’t as stubborn as others.

 

“Isn’t it? Danae, I have class, so I’ll go first. Be sure to write a letter.”

 

Adele was running, leaving me behind, yet she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She then came back to me and hugged me.

 

“…Adele?”

 

“I think it’ll be awkward without you at school.”

 

She sniffed.