I’m Done Being Your Best Friend - Chapter 7
In my previous life, it was the first time for me walking down a side road and it was also my first time seeing a figure of a man collapsed on the ground. I even thought he was dead so it left me with great shock. Not surprising, given than I’m a noble’s daughter, I had a shielded upbringing.
But now, I was calm and collected since this was my second time already. Although I’ve made a little blunder by hoisting him up and failing to catch him when I missed. Nevertheless, I’m glad he still turned out fine. Though I only felt relieved after I confirmed that his pulse was beating.
Since I couldn’t carry him, I dragged him towards the side and deposited him carefully on the ground. I was just making sure he wouldn’t get trampled by a passing carriage before quickly heading out to the wide promenade. When I saw Daisy and Sir Bolt from a distance, I shouted at them for help.
“Sir Bolt, help me! There’s a man down here!”
“What?!”
“Here! Please come quickly!”
I raised my arm high and waved at Sir Bolt, who was looking alarmed after he saw me. He must have felt something unusual that he ran towards me, leaving the bewildered Daisy behind.
“Are you alright, miss?! What’s going on here? This is….”
“He was lying on the side of the road when I saw him. I think he must have lost a lot of blood, so we’d better take him to the castle right now.”
“Was he here all alone? Miss, it’s dangerous for you to come here.”
“I’m alright and yes, he’s alone. He must have been riding a horse.”
With that said, I threw my gaze to the ground nearby. There were obvious overlapping footprints believed to be from a man and a horse.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have to analyze the scene, since I’ve known all along about what happened to the Duke.
“Perhaps he fell off a horse?”
Looking at the traces I pointed to, Sir Bolt immediately understood and nodded in assent. He approached the Duke and methodically checked his body, such as feeling for a pulse and looking for other injuries. I wished he wouldn’t find any other injuries, but if he does, then I could only hope it’s not from me.
“He must have hit his head. Do you happen to find other injuries on his body besides the head?”
“No, none so far.”
“Whew. Then we should take him to the castle this instance.”
“Alright, miss.”
Sir Bolt with naturally strong built of an escort, surrounded the Duke and was about to carry him when we were interrupted by Daisy.
“Sienna! What’s going on?!”
Daisy finally arrived, huffing with heavy breaths. She showed up quicker than expected. Daisy, a spoiled rotten noblewoman, only ran for a short while but it seemed it was already too much for her.
“Who is this—”
Daisy who was demanding an explanation had to pause when she happened to look at the appearance of the Duke, whose blood was flowing from his forehead the moment she looked at him.
“AHHHH! BLOOD!”
Ugh. She’s so noisy.
Daisy’s feet twisted while hurrying to retreat, and I immediately caught her hand just when she was reeling forward. I should’ve just let her fall but I’ve done it on reflex.
However, I relentlessly let go of holding Daisy’s hand, and then pulled myself to the side to avoid falling together with her.
“KYAAAA!”
Daisy, who was relying on me to save her, fell disgracefully flat on the ground.
Are you expecting me to be your cushion? I forced myself to refrain from laughing.
Daisy stared at me with a perplexed look. But I immediately turned away from her without helping her up, so she got up on her own and tidied herself. Daisy gazed at the Duke again but didn’t make a fuss anymore.
“My God, what in the world is going on here?”
“I found him passed out on the ground. Let’s take him to the castle and give him treatment.”
“Oh, my God, so much blood…… he’s not dead, is he?”
Daisy was behaving the same as in the past, except I let her fell over.
Back then, I reassured Daisy that she would be okay, but now that I know she’s a failure of a friend, I couldn’t bother to console her anymore.
I was walking alongside Sir Bolt with the Duke on his back and Daisy was right behind us, muttering nonstop. I stood there and warned Daisy, who was at a loss.
“Shhh. We have a patient here, Daisy. Please be quiet.”
I have no intention of babying you this time…
It was not until the doctor was called in for treatment that the Duke regained consciousness.
When I heard from the doctor that he had woken up, I informed my grandmother and we headed together towards the guestroom where the Duke rested in. Even though Daisy detested seeing a patient, she tagged along, obviously curious.
“We’re coming in.”
After Grandma spoke to the Duke beyond the door, I turned the knob forward and we went inside. Soon there was a dazed man staring blankly at us. His eyes were still foggy with sleep as if he had just woken up.
It was Grandma who broke the silence. My grandmother asked kindly with her hands behind her back.
“Where am…”
The Duke felt the bandage around his forehead. The cold expression on his face turned into embarrassment which was quite rare.
Knowing his current state, Grandma explained to him what he was missing in a slow manner.
“You’re in Marquis Nelson’s castle. I’m the mother of the current Marquis Nelson. I brought you here because my granddaughter found you.”
“Ah……is that so, madame? Thank you.”
The Duke was still out of the loop, nevertheless, he thanked us. Then what happened next was the development I knew too well.
“My name is Logan.”
As expected, there’s a reason why Daisy and I haven’t recognize him.
He didn’t reveal his real name so I assumed he’s a commoner. His name, known to society, was Fabian L. Harrison, the Duke of Harrison.
Daisy once again seemed to like his chiseled good looks. She was looking at his now clean and tidy face with fond eyes. Didn’t you look at him with disgust earlier?
After Grandma left the room, we decided to stay and talked with him more.
“I plan to visit various parts of the kingdom and had come to Marquisate. I was previously staying at Wilton.”
The Duke was again posing as a traveler. I know his real identity, so I don’t understand why he was doing this.
Why are you hiding your identity? I watched him and Daisy chattering by themselves. I couldn’t think of any reason for the Duke of Harrison to come here for a trip and would pretend to be a commoner.
What good is there to pretend to be a commoner? Most noblemen would always think the higher you are on the social ladder, the better.
Daisy in front of me was the best example of that.
“Oh, I see.”
I could figure out Daisy even though she pretended to be polite. She only treats me formally.
Daisy glistens her eyes, carefully asked with a mildly high intonation of her voice.
“Excuse me, is the family name Logan of nobility?”
“Pardon?”
“You don’t …… appear to be like an ordinary person.”
It’s no different from my previous life. Logan answered firmly.
“No, I’m a commoner.”
He was rather too imposing for a commoner. The way he speaks and carries himself was all the bearings of an aristocrat. The Duke was clearly not an actor.
“Oh, I see.”
Daisy shook her head with a regretful look.
Before or now, I remember vividly what Daisy said the first day we met him. Daisy smiled softly at Logan as she did then. But the words she spitted out of her mouth was a spectacle.
“I thought you were a nobleman because you seem to be overconfident in front of a noble.”
No matter how nicely you smiled, it would still not hide the thorn in your words.
I couldn’t forget this scene because it’s my first time seeing Daisy come out like this.
Daisy has always been kind to commoners. Now that I think about it, it was because there was no commoner who could not bow down in front of Daisy.
Logan couldn’t not have realized the meaning of Daisy’s words. It was too obvious. He paused for a brief moment and apologized immediately.
“I apologize if my actions seem rude—.”
“Not at all. With a face like that, I understand you don’t follow a strict hierarchy, so do as you please.”
Then she smiles sweetly again. Who can talk comfortably to that?
But the opponent has heard you quite well. Daisy, who do you think this is?
“But I’ve never seen a traveling commoner before. Everyone’s busy working hard…. even the people in my mansion can’t dream of traveling. Logan seems to have some time on his hands.”
Of course, he’s more flexible than you because he’s a Duke. In the past, I merely watched both of them, anxiously and silently.
But now, it’s different. I had to stop Daisy so I cleared my throat, breaking into their conversation and making them looked at me.
“How was Wilton? I’ve heard it’s mostly grassland, unlike here in Marquisate.”
I introduced him as a traveler, so I was going to change the subject with this. He opened his mouth and spoke willingly with a slightly humble tone this time.
“It’s a peaceful place in a different sense, my lady. You can see the sheep running freely on the ranch.”
Starting with my query, the dialogue became balanced. I managed to get a nice conversation flowing between Logan and me, and in addition, I was able to stop Daisy from making any more mistakes.
Then again, Daisy butted in as the story progressed a little more.
“Have you thought about your next schedule?”
“Yes, so I’m going to leave the castle tomorrow.”
“Oh, already? Get some more rest.”
“But—”
“Take a rest. I’m glad I found you, otherwise it would have been a disaster.”
“……you mean you’re the lady who found me?”
Logan looked surprised.
It’s all out—the lie.
I looked at Daisy with an absurd eye. What did you say? But with my presence here, she still had the audacity to lie more.
“Yes, I saved you.”
Daisy said proudly. I was dumbfounded. I gaped at Daisy, who said some ridiculous lies.