I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend - Chapter 63

‘No, rather, this is an opportunity.’

Yes, come to think of it, he and the princess had nothing to do with each other. There was once a rumor that the two might get engaged.

However, considering that the Duke of Bouser has never come to the capital since he returned to the north, it was speculated that the marriage was canceled.

It was also at a time when the Duke of Bouser was at its peak. Yes, maybe this is a god-given opportunity.

This is my last chance to get rid of the Bouser bastard and to be with the lovely princess!

“Great!”

So as soon as he got the notice, he left Rebeauvel without any hesitation.

Rebeauvel’s youngest son and the head of Rebeauvel, who had highly recommended him, was disappointed and offered him a large salary that he would never receive for the rest of his life, but he flatly refused.

Because there are certain things in the world that money can’t buy today.

“Finally”

He will meet her again.

After eight years, a long time.

“Finally.”

As he watched the scene of Duke Averine passing by the carriage window, Jeron was engulfed in his memories.

He, as a young man, fled with an immature heart, not wanting to meet Prince Bouser. So he got lost in a maze-like garden and met a girl who stole his heart.

The girl’s face was a little blurry now because he hadn’t seen her for a long time.

But I still remembered. The trembling I felt when I first met the little girl, the overwhelming beat of my heart, the filling of the space within me.

I can’t forget… No, how could I forget?

There was only one girl before and after that shocked me. And now, eight years later.

When I receive the notice that passed the first document.

In particular, his frozen heart melted at once when he heard that he had a one-on-one interview with the princess.

Thump—

Jeron stood at the entrance to Averine’s mansion.

His heart had been tickling like he ate something bad, and it has been pounding for some time.

And the heartbeat continued until he entered the mansion, is this really happening? My heart thumped more and more.

Later, he was worried that the butler who guided him might hear it. He didn’t tremble like this when he met the people in Rebeauvel in person. Just thinking about her makes him feel pathetic. He has become a man.

‘That’s fine though.’

Jeron recalled the princess with a faint smile on his face.

How did she change? After eight years, her face in memory might have matured.

Will her loveliness remain the same? As time has passed, maybe she has a calming atmosphere as well.

I don’t know. And I didn’t have time to think anymore.

Now he has arrived in front of her room.

Thump-thump, thump-thump—

At that moment, Jeron stood in front of the antique door. Perhaps because he was nervous or excited, the sound of the bell from a while ago kept ringing in his ears.

It was as vast and majestic as the ringing of a wedding bell, and he appeared to be out of breath and his eyes were blurry.

Suddenly, a carpet was laid in front of him. The moment he stepped on the carpet, opened the door, and looked at the pretty, shy girl waiting for him…!

“Who are you?”

“Yes?”

“…?”

✿

“Pft— Hahaha!”

I slapped my knees and laughed. It wasn’t enough, so I grabbed my stomach and fell on my desk.

I couldn’t stop laughing at the sight of the man sitting on the sofa over there with his face puffed up and unable to raise his head.

But I can’t help it. Even the attendant secretary, who guessed the approximate situation next to him, is also struggling to hold back his laughter.

“Does this make sense?”

This is how it all started. I sent a telegram to Jeron and waited for him to come.

Still, he’s my first assistant, so I can’t hire anyone even if it’s bothersome.

At least, we had to meet face-to-face and know what kind of person he was, so I interviewed by selecting only a few people who looked good.

Of course, the one I’m most looking forward to is Jeron Hayward. He was that strange man. Before he came in, I had a lot of questions in mind.

Why did you bother to leave Rebeauvel’s good position and apply as my assistant secretary, or is there any other purpose? And what does his last word mean?

“Who’s the owner of your heart?”

Is it slang in an industry I’m unfamiliar with? It means ‘boss’ or ‘little boss’ is short-sighted?

Even though I was that person, it was fine. It’s not easy to find someone with that skill and experience.

“What is your name?”

“…?”

I was unsure of his question.

“I suppose it’s okay to be short.”

‘I believe it’s that.’

With his unusual green hair and dark amber eyes, he, indeed, had the stupidest look on his face in the world.

The way he was completely dazed and with his mouth wide open was more than just stupid, it made him look like a sickly person.

I looked at him and said kindly, who was completely dazed, “Jeron Hayward, is that right?”

“…What!”

After not being able to come to his senses for a long time, he let out a startled breath. Fortunately, his blurry vision soon returned to normal.

But after that, things got a little weird. If you’re here, you’ll find your seat, but aren’t you suddenly looking at me while standing there like you’re stuck?

Are you kidding me?

When I was about to say a word to him, who was slowly staring at me and making me feel uncomfortable, surprisingly, he asked a question first.

“Eh, Princess Averine?”

“Yes?”

“…Do you have any older or younger sisters?”

What do you mean by sisters? He asked and I decided to answer it without hesitation.

“I don’t have any”

“Oh, that can’t be…!”

He looked shocked, so my doubts deepened. What? You didn’t know anything about me? But if you’re from the empire, everyone would know that I was an only child…

“Do you have any relatives who have black hair?”

“What?”

“Her face is as white as snow, and his blue eyes are as clear as the blue sky, and her soft, thin black hair is shining down to her waist.”

He didn’t even ask, but he started describing his love I’d never heard before in front of me.

Looking at what he was saying, it almost seemed as if he was praising an angel rather than someone, and adding all kinds of rhetoric, whether it was an interview or anything else, made me want to just kick him out.

But instead of kicking him out, I was listening to him seriously. For some reason, the more I listened, the more vague I felt as if I knew something.

“What is it?”

And when he finally said the ‘Pink frill dress like petals…’, I had no choice but to raise my head.

“Wait a minute…”

“It’s like a fairy that pops out of a flower… What?”

“Have you ever visited my family in the past?”

Jeron was puzzled and answered immediately., “Yes.”

Then he suddenly looked at me and strangely shook his head.

“…Do you have any affiliation with the Duke of Bowser?”

“Affiliation?”

“Maybe it’s a relative because he looks so much like Prince Bowser at first glance.”

“With me?”

Instantly, my head started spinning fast.

“Did Prince Bowser have brown hair and red eyes?”

“Yes.”

“Did Princess Averine have long black hair and blue eyes?”

“Uh… Yes.”

Realizing everything, I bowed my head. He looked puzzled at me in silence. Without raising my head, I asked him sullenly, “Jeron Hayward.”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever been lost at my house?”

When I asked blankly again, stunned by the sudden informal speech, I pointed at him with a big smile.

“It’s me, the Prince Bouser of that time.”

That’s how I’ve been laughing all this time.

“Please…”

“For a moment… I couldn’t forget you….”

“Stop!!!”

Eventually, Jeron realized that he had mistaken me and Prince Bowser. Even if I didn’t tell him, he grasped the situation at once.

Later, he got sick of hearing, “We crossed dressed while playing,” and collapsed.

Only then did I understand why he wrote such strange words at the end of the paper.

“So you mistook me for your first love?”

Jeron couldn’t stand it anymore and was pulling his hair out.

When I saw it, I burst into laughter again, and soon wiped away my tears and finally said, “Wow, how can you get so confused? Right, was Rudrick pretty?”

“Well, the Princess too… ahem! Because you look a lot like your mother when you were young.”

“No, but, how could you be mistaken when you met Rudrick at such an amazing moment… Huh? Come to think of it, he said he had never met anyone in the garden?”

When Jeron brought out the story of his first love, my eyes met the man whose face was slightly raised as if I could not help but wonder.

He shook his head sadly, “Oh, my. I was ignored by the owner of my heart.”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“All right.”

I smiled so brightly that I rubbed my sore mouth.

Then I looked at him sprawling on the sofa and said, “I’m completely relieved.

“Thank you. It’s been a long time since I laughed out loud.”

“I’m so glad…”

“Then what are you going to do?”

“What?”

At my sudden remark, Jeron turned to look at me.

“I think you’re mistaken. Shall we continue with the interview? It’s a bit of a situation, but Hayward is a man we’d like to have.”

“…Oh, my!”

Looking at him, who couldn’t control the corners of his mouth, which seemed like he liked my compliment, I added, “Or would you like me to find a job for Duke Bouser?”

“Let’s proceed with the interview.”

Seeing his face turn blue in an instant, I think it’s fun to tease him. I smiled and sat down properly.

“Then shall I ask you a few questions?”

Immediately, I began to ask the questions I had prepared. Most of them were basic questions. Originally, I didn’t have high expectations for choosing a secretary.

However, it would not have been easy to answer because there were also difficult questions in the middle, but he answered without hesitation as if it was nothing.

Then he would come up with a better way, but I felt I could understand why Rebeauvel hired him at once.

In a short time, the questions were almost finished, and my heart had already been hardened.

Nevertheless, after hesitating for a while, I ended up asking on impulse, “…The epidemic will spread.”

“What?”

“Oh, no. If an epidemic spreads during the war and you happen to have the cure, and you’re trying to spread it secretly. What would you do in that situation?”

“Can’t you just give it to them?”

“Because there’s nothing good about being caught with the cure.”

For a moment, Jeron looked at me suspiciously, but I tried to ignore it. It was indeed a strange question. This has nothing to do with investment or business strategy.

Still, he seemed to be seriously thinking about it. After being silent for a while, he carefully spoke, “So you mean you had to pass the medicine without anyone knowing?”

“Yes.”

“If it were me… I would rather pass the recipe.”

“Recipe?”

Jeron continued slowly, “If the epidemic spreads, it will spread quickly. And it will affect a lot of people.”

“Right.”

“Then you’ll need quite a lot of medicine to cure the epidemic, so where are you going to get it from?”

“…What if we set up a manufacturing facility in another kingdom?”

“It wouldn’t be on a normal scale. It’s too conspicuous.”

After thinking for a while, I answered as if realizing it.

“There’s a limit to spreading the finished medicine.”