I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend - Chapter 74

“Huh?”

I looked at him with bewildered eyes. Rudrick’s face was still expressionless, so it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

However, as if hesitating, he lowered his eyes and held my hand tightly again, which made me smile slightly, thinking that he might be feeling sorry that the dance quickly ended.

Well, it’s only a dance. We can dance later, I also wanted to talk to Rudrick about things I haven’t been able to, and I have things to tell him.

It was time for me to make a quick decision and talk to Rudrick.

“Stop that. Let’s go to the garden…”

“Young Duke Bouser?”

A strange man’s voice resounded, then I turned my head to where the sound came from.

Come to think of it, Rudrick was the main character of this ball, and there must be countless people who want to talk to him.

I just looked at the man’s face thinking his voice sounded pretty good. Then, after that I had no choice but to close my eyes.

‘That person…!’

✿

His first impression was like sunlight. A half-combed honey blonde hair tickling his straight brow.

The soft eyes that seemed to have descended a little below and the green eyes reminiscent of a sunny forest harmonised to create a warm impression.

In addition, the facial features that are as delicately sculpted as Rudrick, the jawline that bites like a man, and the dimples that fall on the lips when smiling are also very attractive.

The way he smiled was amazing, he was a good fit man. To the point where I want him to smile for the rest of his life…

But it wasn’t his beauty that surprised me.

‘River Goldman.’

Even though it was the first time I met him, I could recognize him at a glance.

That’s because he was also the second son of the Duke of Goldman among the three great Dukes of the Empire, and most of all, he was a pretty important supporting actor in [Lily of the Valley Lady].

As I said again, [Lily of the Valley Lady] was a novel written for a female protagonist. What that means is that all the handsome men in the novel fall into the female protagonist’s harem.

In particular, the more prominent their faces were, the more they became fish in the fishery of the female protagonist. As was the case with the moderately-looking Jeron.

And now this man in front of me…

[River Goldman] was number one among the fish. He was a person who could be said to be representative of the sub-male protagonists.

‘Because he only liked the female lead until the end.’

Since novels were not specifically in the genre of reverse harem or finding male characters, the male protagonist was decided from the beginning.

Nevertheless, the young men, who were fond of the heroine, all leave to find their way until the end.

From the one who decided to remain friends with the heroine to the one who finds a mate and lives happily ever after.

But River Goldman was different. It’s not until the end of the novel that there’s only one line related to him…

[River Goldman was single all his life thinking about O’Neil]

It was a really sad ending. The ‘River Love You to Death’ meeting went into an uproar.

The female lead was doing well with the male lead, crying to the person who questioned whether it would be better to live only looking at the female lead if he would live with a random woman, how could Sir River live only with the female lead for the rest of his life?

Even though I didn’t buy any stocks, I almost leaned towards Sir River when I saw that last verse, so I said it all.

River Goldman could be described as the final King of a pure man as if he were the realisation of unrequited love.

But that person is in front of me now.

Swoosh—

…Why is my mouth watering? There has been a theory I’ve been pushing for since ancient times.

‘In reality, he is a good man, and in the novel he’s a bad man.’

Isn’t that self-evident? What I go through is real, and novels are not what I go through.

It’s fun to watch the female protagonist in a novel meet a bad man and fall in love while trembling with a plague, but when I think of myself as the female lead, that’s a little different.

When I think of the bad guy in the novel doing that crazy thing to me, he’s going to have to go to bed with regrets and call the police right away.

But in my case, the situation was a little vague. I was reincarnated in the novel.

The story I used to giggle and read as someone else’s business has now become a reality for me.

Then again, that makes a difference. In the novel, the friendly man, who used to be criticised as ‘not funny’, has become the best groom in the world where I live now.

Besides, he’s a ‘sub-male’. In a word, I like the female lead, but this was not fate.

“Then…”

I caught sight of him with a hawk’s eye and soon came to my senses.

Right now, the other person doesn’t even know I exist, but I can’t even think of anything else right now.

And in reality, it might be different.

Just like when I first met Rudrick, I doubted if he was a male lead, who knows if he may have a hidden secret.

Before I knew it, I glanced at Rudrick and Goldman, who were sharing a simple greeting.

The two, who were not particularly friendly but didn’t seem to have a bad relationship, were talking familiarly and ordinarily.

Then I remembered a fact I had forgotten.

‘That’s right, in the Goldman family, the second son went to war.’

It was natural that he knew Rudrick in the war.

Goldman’s eldest son had been the head of the Imperial Knights Templar before the war, so his next best thing would have been nothing else.

Still, I didn’t feel a little strange when I first saw him. And yet I recognized him at a glance.

Is it because he looks so similar to the description in the novel? Or does it just pop out as I imagined?

As I stared at him, River Goldman sensed my gaze and turned his head. For a moment, our eyes met and his eyes widened.

‘He’s a real puppy!’

How are you so different from Rudrick?

A male lead who looks like a dark night and a sub-male lead who looks like sunshine. Is this the harmony of yin and yang?

Unknowingly, as I looked at him with a happy smile, Goldman with a blush on his cheek reached out his hand towards me.

“What about this person?”

He suddenly started talking to me, but just looking at it, it looked like he was asking Rudrick to introduce me to him.

I waited to know if Rudrick would introduce me. Because Rudrick, who participated in the war, was closer to Goldman than I.

However, no matter how long I waited, there was no response from Rudrick.

As I wondered, I glanced slightly sideways toward Rudrick. Then he stiffened himself at the sight.

Maybe Rudrick’s mood went sour, staring at Goldman.

‘Are you two on bad terms…?’

Although the two were rivals in love in the original story, it wasn’t written that they were in a bad relationship…

Rather, they could be called rivals and friends. Although the two’s tendencies were opposite, they acknowledged each other’s abilities, and when a crisis arose later, the two of them worked together to overcome a crisis.

And as if to prove my thoughts, Goldman also seemed embarrassed by Rudrick’s attitude.

Goldman, who was receiving Rudrick’s sharp gaze without knowing why I rushed forward thinking that something bad would happen.

“I’m Dahlia Averine, the only daughter of the Duke of Averine!”

I felt a piercing stare in the back of my head, but I tried to ignore it.

“Oh, you’re Princess Averine. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Did my father tell you about me?”

“The Duke seems to care very much about you Princess. You are intelligent enough to be entrusted as a Duke.”

“Oh, what a compliment. My father is a bit of a pushover.”

“No. Looking at you now, I feel that those words are not enough.”

It may appear to be a business term at first glance, but hearing it from a beautiful person makes me feel twice as good.

I asked softly, covering my mouth with one hand, “Which family are you from…?”

River Goldman took my hand and kissed the back of my hand.

“I’m late to introduce myself. My name is River Goldman, the second son of the Duke of Goldman. Please feel free to call me Sir River.”

“Wow, you are a Knight!”

I scowled and gripped the corner of my lips that were ready to rise as if I were sketching the perfect knight.

“Then I will. Please call me by my first name too.” Dahlia added.

“Oh, no. How can I…?”

“Oh, come on.”

As I moaned, Rudrick’s mouth next to me seemed to twitch. Was that too much?

When I was about to feel ashamed, Sir River in front of me blushed and said carefully,

“Dah… Dahlia…”

Then he covered his flushed face.