I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend - Chapter 102

Leona looked puzzled, but I couldn’t act as sly as usual. To that extent, Lord River’s news was quite shocking.

‘Sir, River is going North?!’

It was incomprehensible. I never imagined that Lord River would be one of the forces the Emperor sent to the North.

I had written to Sir River occasionally since our previous encounter.

Lord River started by writing a note before he added, ‘I’m worried if you’re okay.’ The content was that it was because he was concerned that I, who had fallen unconscious at the time, appeared to be in terrible shape when he wrote the letter.

I just realized the reality after that.

Although Lord River was by my side right up until the bitter end, why did Rudrick bring me home? Considering that Sir River himself wrote it in the letter.

[I handed you off to Lord Bouser because I believed he could transport you safely to your home. I’m sorry I couldn’t accompany you through to the end.]

‘I could have been carried home by Sir River.’

I was slightly disappointed, but it wasn’t that I didn’t understand his position.

Even now, my parents are unaware of my infatuation with Lord River. We could get into trouble if Sir River, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, emerged out of nowhere holding the dizzy me.

And, as he stated, Rudrick was the reason I was able to return home safely, therefore it’s done. I immediately sent him a note of appreciation.

[Dear Sir River, thank you for your letter…]

That’s how we’ve been exchanging letters so far.

Due to our limited interaction, we didn’t have many topics to discuss.

The most common responses are ‘The weather was lovely’ or ‘I read a book in the backyard and fell asleep.’ The majority of them were commonplace tales, such as ‘I tried to bake bread because I was bored, but it was all burned.’

Nevertheless, Sir River responded immediately as soon as he received the letter.

The first time he sent me a letter with dried flowers, I was very thrilled. He had written, [I found a pretty flower while taking a stroll and wanted to show it to you,] and I was so delighted to see it. I snickered, “This is called flirting,” and couldn’t stop giggling.

It’s understandable why the maid, who was arranging my hair in a bun made of leaves, jokingly said, “You seem healthier again today.”

It was thanks to that letter that I didn’t worry too much about the relationship with Lord River, even amid my headaches over the issue of the successor.

But you’re leaving for the North at the height of your life?

“No!”

Why on earth didn’t Lord River share this crucial information with me first? Does it mean to suggest that we aren’t there yet? Thoughts of all types crossed my mind, but this was by far the largest.

‘I have to catch him.’

We couldn’t end things like this…!

Long-term lovers have a reputation for breaking up after a long-distance relationship, but if they move far apart when still just courting or even admitting to one another, the outcome was inevitable.

The next time we meet, it would be ‘the girl in my memories’, not ‘the girl in my memory’. Before that, I think we just need to get a little closer, a little closer. To be honest, I haven’t confessed this much, wasn’t it the same as right before we started dating?

If I spend a little more time with Sir River, I’d soon be able to get a romantic confession, exchange an engagement ring, and have a wedding ceremony…!

‘Should I really go?’

With that thought in mind, I began to think seriously about what I had said out of the blue.

When I heard unexpected news from Leona, I was so angry that I spit it out without realizing it, so I was embarrassed and poked, “I’m kidding.”

My initial thoughts were that it wouldn’t be too bad.

Right now, the matter of the engagement was vital, but so was the proof of succession. I could terminate my relationship with Lord River and demand that I be accepted as the heir in accordance with Imperial law if things don’t work out.

Currently, I am unable to even substantiate it. I must successfully compete for the Veloa business in order to expand the company, but in order to do so…

“Are there also medicinal ingredients in the North?”

Wasn’t this a sign from heaven to go to the North?

“Never mind.”

I squinted forward, and Jeron was standing there, staring at me maliciously.

Just the prospect of going to the North made my eyes go around, and I immediately called Jeron.

In fact, I ought to let my parents know ahead of time if I’m traveling to the North. I had to finish my work in the capital first, but if my parents wanted me to take a break, they would welcome me even if I went on a trip.

To that end, I called my good performance secretary Jeron, but when he heard the news from me, his expression got worse and worse.

“So you’re going to the north to find the ingredients for the medicine?”

“Yes.”

Jeron looked at me as if he was dumbfounded.

“Since when did you say you moved directly? You can use people.”

“I only know that the demon light is in the dark forest, but I don’t know the exact habitat. If it’s the Bouser Castle, which has a lot of information about monsters, wouldn’t it be possible to find a hint?”

“Then ask your childhood friend; you won’t go into the forest anyway if you go to subdue monsters,” answered Jeron.

“Oh, it’s my business. How can I do that?” said Dahlia.

“…”

An awkward silence fell in the room.

“Just tell him you’re going to seduce him…”

‘What?! Did I get caught?’ thought Dahlia.

I twisted my hair and said shyly, “The two of you will go and come back as three.”

“Oh, my!”

“I’m kidding. But you’re in a hurry about having a fiancé. Firstly, it is safe to be recognized as a successor according to Imperial law.”

“…”

I thought that this would have been enough, but Jeron still did not let go of his dissatisfied expression.

I thought about it and asked him quietly, “Do you want to come with me?”

“No.”

Then that’s it. I knew he would answer that if he had a trauma about Rudrick. Then what does it mean? When I narrowed my eyes and looked at him, Jeron hesitated for a long time and finally confessed.

“… I don’t like it.”

“Is it Rudrick?”

“Goldman.”

My eyes widened at the unexpected name.

“Sir River?”

“Did you even decide to call him by a nickname?”

“Because I wanted to talk comfortably. But why? Because he is handsome?”

Was this the jealousy of a man? I was going to comfort him without much thought, saying, ‘Don’t get bored’. Unless he’s just spewing out the last words.

“Isn’t it weird?”

“What?”

“To be able to meet three times by chance.”

I pondered, and I answered immediately, “That’s what fate is.”

Jeron spoke with a serious tone, “I’m not joking.”

“Honestly, I want to be involved in other people’s love affairs, but there should be more than one or two suspicious parts. And if it’s fate, shouldn’t we have met at least once?”

“They were at the party before that.”

“Even so, when the war is over and Averine starts looking for a fiancée, I don’t understand why they suddenly met in a row.”

“…”

“And I heard that the first meeting was also a party hosted by Goldman.”

I smiled bitterly. To tell you the truth, it wasn’t that I didn’t have any doubts at all, either.

In particular, at the first meeting, he said in person, “I came with the news.” I thought that there would be no way to fall in love at first sight with what I saw only once at the victory party and that there must have been pressure from the family.

Even so, I didn’t have a particular reason for choosing him.

“But if you pretended to like him, it would’ve been obvious.”

“…”

“It’s not like there weren’t people who approached my family until now, and I’m also aware, but I can tell the difference between actions that target my background and those that don’t.”

To be precise, I believed him in the original work.

River Goldman. A righteous knight who pursues the right path, strong for the strong and weak for the weak, so he gets frustrated once. The reason he has been able to be righteous so far was because he was the son of a Duke. Because he realized that he was able to keep his faith because he had everything.

It was O’Neill who comforted him then. Since then, Lord River has fallen for O’Neill…

Anyway, if the image I saw of him in the original work was correct, he wouldn’t have been able to act skillfully pretending to like me. At least, it goes against his convictions to deceive others for profit.

And that night, his appearance, which had been covering my eyes for some time, never seemed fake.

“And it’s not important that the first meeting was intentional.”

“…”

“It’s more important how you feel right now. Push me.”

It was not until late that Jeron replied with a deep sigh.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. Nor am I trying to conclude that River Goldman is bad.”

“Then?”

“The current Duke of Goldman.”

My face hardened.

“You’ve heard of it, right? That the Grand Duke this time is obsessed with power.”

“…”

“And Bouser, who has now become a war hero, and Averine, who has taken over the commercial power of the empire, will be in full swing.”

Jeron uttered the last words, “Be careful.”

✿

After that, Jeron firmly shook his head at my suggestion, asking once again, ‘Would you like to go with me?’

There’s nothing to do in the North, I don’t want to see myself shaking, and most of all…

“When you get the medicine, you have to start working behind the scenes to approach King Hansen.”

When I return to the capital, I would first go to the Hansen Kingdom so that I could start working immediately.

‘Jeron…!’

I’m going to play, but the secretary was going to work. When I tried to stop him because my conscience was hurting, Jeron smiled, saying, “I won’t just work, either.”

“Take a good rest.”

Couldn’t I have saved the country in my previous life?

I was so moved, I wanted to blow his butt as badly as I wanted to be proud of him, as I refrained because I believed if I did, I would quit working behind the scenes first. How did I obtain such a lucky charm?

Instead, I gave him a heartfelt-shaped hand heart, which was obviously not Jeron’s favorite, and then I hurried to my next destination.

However, I couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable.

“Isn’t he just trying to get in-laws with Averine?”

No matter how much I thought about it, that was the only thing I could think of that was Duke Goldman’s biggest ulterior motive.

Because Bouser and Averine were close friends from before.

There would be no reason to be wary of the friendship between the two families now, and rather, he thought that Goldman would use this opportunity to build connections by aiming for the position of Averine’s son-in-law.

That’s all I could think of…

“Did I miss something?”

But the worry was not long.

Because soon I arrived at my destination.