I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend - Chapter 36

For a moment, a strange face flashed through Rudrick’s mind, but he quickly erased it and said,

“No.”

“So you’re saying you haven’t met anyone? Well, the butler or the maid or any servants… My parents. No one?”

“Yes, but why?”

“Phew, that’s a relief..”

As if relieved at that moment, Dahlia let out a deep sigh.

Rudrick tilted his head and asked again at the skeptical appearance of Dahlia.

“Why? What’s going on?”

Dahlia, who was staring into the air for a moment at his words, grabbed the jacket that wrapped around him tightly and began to speak.

To summarize what Dahlia said,

Count Hayward and his wife came to the mansion for business, and their son got lost in the middle of their arrival.

That’s why the whole family was looking for a kid.

“…You’re not looking for him, Dahlia?”

“Was he the problem now? You’re dressed as a woman. Someone might see you!”

There must have been rumors already.

While pouting his lips, Rudrick said nothing because he was happy to think that Dahlia had prioritized him.

For a person who said he should quickly hide where no one knew, Dahlia was constantly ranting out words. Then she asked Rudrick as if she had suddenly remembered.

“Right, have you seen him?”

“Who?”

“That Hayward kid. They say he’s a boy about our age. He has green hair.”

Rudrick couldn’t hear Dahlia’s words well, asking ‘wasn’t it usual?‘. Because a certain memory suddenly came to mind.

‘Green hair…?’

‘Could it be that it was that jerk who saw me earlier and called me a ‘fairy‘?’ (Rudrick)

Thinking about it, it was the same.

‘At first, I was confused because it looked like he overlapped with the surrounding grass, so I didn’t even look closely. But now that I think about it, the loose weeds looked like hair.’ (Rudrick)

So, was he the son of the Hayward family who came all the way here and got lost?

‘Play as you see fit.’

For a moment, Rudrick shivered, as he recalled his unpleasant face, with his blushing cheeks as if enchanted, Rudrick shook himself to erase his memory.

Dalia, who saw it, asked if he was cold, but Rudrick nodded lightly.

Then without any further thought, he looked up at Dahlia with a puzzled expression on his face.

“I didn’t see him…”

He’ll find his way soon.

It was time for Rudrick to move on without any regrets.

Crumble-

“…!”

“Huh?”

It was a small sound that you wouldn’t know if you didn’t listen carefully. However, it was also a sign that a trained knight would not have known.

Fortunately, Dahlia didn’t seem to hear anything.

‘Who was it?’ (Rudrick)

I don’t think you’re that kind of person, given that you couldn’t hide your presence properly.

Rudric looked around nervously at the source of the sound.

“…”

Soon his neat forehead crumpled.

‘What’s wrong with him…?’

The person who made the sound was the main character of the conversation, and the idiot who got lost and made it difficult for many people.

It was the Hayward kid.

He seemed to have found the way out of the garden because he followed Rudrick, but somehow his condition was unusual.

As if he had witnessed a shocking scene, he hid in the grass and glanced over the two… and he was staring seriously at Dahlia.

‘No way.’

Rudrick also glanced at him with anxious eyes.

For some reason, his gaze was a little different from when they met earlier.

Where did his sullen expression go? His serious gaze seems fervent…

“Let’s go.” (Rudrick)

“What?” (Dahlia)

“Quickly.” (Rudrick)

Rudrick hurriedly grabbed Dahlia’s hand.

It wasn’t enough, so he clung to Dahlia’s arms and glared at the grass.

As expected, as the gaze grew hotter, Rudrick never lost and glared coldly. Then he immediately turned away, pulling Dahlia towards his side.

Dahlia’s bewildered voice came behind Rudrick, who was moving quickly.

“What’s going on?”

Rudrick snorted without looking back.

“There’s a rat.”

✿

That day Dahlia found out a new fact about Rudrick.

‘Rudrick hates mice.’

To the point where it’s disgusting, too.

I still remember the figure of Rudrick, who was shivering while glancing through the grass, wondering when he would find the mouse again.

It’s a strange fact to think about Rudrick, who doesn’t even blink an eye on most bugs, probably because he’s seen a lot of monsters in the North.

Anyway, Rudrick and I were able to get back to the room safely.

When they came back, he only picked a place where there were no people, so other people, especially his parents, wouldn’t see Rudrick dress as a woman.

Perhaps Rudrick was relieved by my hard work, but when we arrived at the room, he smiled satisfactorily.

I thought he didn’t want to be seen as a woman.

And while we were changing clothes, the lost Hayward kid was found safely and was able to return with the Count and his wife.

I heard later that he was lost in the garden as I expected.

For a moment, I remembered Rudrick, who was hiding in the garden at a similar time, but I thought it was natural that he couldn’t meet him because the site was so large and complicated.

Anyway, the tumultuous incident that day ended like that.

‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!’

For the time being, I had to pray on my knees for Rudrick’s forgiveness.

Apparently, when I found Rudrick, his anger had dissipated, but at some point, Rudrick kept talking about that day with a sullen look.

But what could I do? I just have to be sensible and keep an eye on him.

But in the end, the weak-hearted Rudrick would soften. And if I secretly ask for reconciliation, he would hold my hand pretending he couldn’t win.

Then we’ll get along again.

Then, when I start playing tricks on Rudrick again, he gets pissed off and I would apologize again.

You know, laughing, crying, bickering…

Over time, it became natural for us to be together.

When I was young, it was natural to play alone, but now I’m used to being with Rudrick so much that being alone feels awkward.

And with me, Rudrick was changing little by little.

The old Rudrick who couldn’t properly say what he liked was gone.

He still couldn’t take off being hesitant, but he gave opinions little by little and offered a compromise when we had conflicts.

It wasn’t the first time I was surprised that Rudrick led our play.

From some time on, I’ve been away from Rudrick, and was preoccupied with sleeping and playing by myself.

How could Rudrick be growing steadily on his own? I used to feel sorry without him, but I’m proud of his growth.

But it wasn’t without complaints.

The fact that Rudrick started to stand alone means that he’s been hiding a lot from me.

For example, something like this.

‘Exchange Diary.’

Of course, months later, we were still checking each other’s day by keeping an exchange of diaries.

And I, the epitome of laziness, still embarrassed Rudrick by skipping some days and only writing one line on other days.

At some point, Rudrick was a little different.

I didn’t know that…

‘Because he was writing an extra diary!’

To be honest, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t sad.

Of course, Rudrick had no reason to tell me everything, but so far he has never hidden anything from me.

‘Our innocent Rudric has changed…’

Dahlia occasionally began to pester Rudrick after learning that he was secretly writing an extra or two on the last page of the diary.

While testing him with meaningful words, “Was there anything you’re writing?” he also openly said, “Let me know if there’s anything I’ve upset you about.”

Later, Rudrick also seemed to have noticed something, but he desperately pretended not to know, which only fueled my anger.

However, I didn’t have to peek into Rudrick’s extra diaries except by chance. Because I believed he would tell me if there was anything really upsetting that happened.

But it wasn’t long before I realized why Rudrick had been pretending.

Also, Rudrick accidentally dropped the exchange diary and the page was accidentally exposed.

Rudrick freaked out and hurriedly hid his exchange diary, but I saw it clearly. Then, I quietly read a phrase while looking at Rudrick.

“I’m so happy now that I am with Dahlia. Every day was like a dream.”

“…”

“I like it so much that I get anxious sometimes. But if there’s a God…”

“…”

“May this moment last forever…”

“…”

“Rudrick.”

At my call, Rudrick didn’t raise his head. No, it would be right to say he couldn’t hear me.

His face already turned red like a tomato, not only his face but also his neck.

But I wasn’t someone who would take care of the situation.