My Childhood Friend is Like a Stone - Chapter 21

Adrienne worked hard on her feet while listening to a cheerful and fast dancing song. The mismatched tiles flapped as the hem of the dress floated across them.

‘What am I doing right now?’

Adrienne, who was moving as if she were leaving her body to music, suddenly thought of it. It would’ve been better if she chatted with Reid quietly and went back—.

“How are you?”

Why is she dancing with the prince? And in the middle of the floor. Adrienne looked at the prince, the main cause of this situation. From head to toe, the infinitely elegant Prince smiled.

The Prince, with his characteristic dark blonde hair and fresh green eyes resembling a summer forest, stood in front of her with a more mature face than that day, a few years ago.

“Yes, Your Highness, it is an honor to see you again.”

“You came today as well.”

“….”

The word ‘today’ has a different meaning from ‘that day’.

The day she followed her father to the Imperial Palace for the first time, the day she first met Prince Lionel, because she got lost in the garden.

“Yes, fortunately, today.’

Adrienne, who was embarrassed for a moment, responded with a gesture of calmness. On top of that, she pretended to be relaxed and even smiled softly.

In fact, the waterfall garden of Solanite Palace boasted the largest scale in the empire. Is she the only one who’s lost in that big place?

Ddan-dda-Ddan.

Adrienne, who was going around once to the beat, paused for a moment. Cyril was three or four steps away. His partner, the princess, was also turning lightly.

Cyril was looking at Adrienne, not the princess. Perhaps he had been lit by the chandelier, and his eyes looked more golden than usual.

What? Why are you looking at me?

When Adrienne slightly frowned, Cyril raised his handsome eyebrows. It seemed clear that he had read the meaning of the frown.

As soon as the short encounter ended, Cyril’s face disappeared, but Adrien returned to her place without seeing it.

“Don’t you cry now?”

What’s wrong with him?

As soon as she thought about it, Lionel stole her attention. Adrienne, who had almost missed an unexpected attack, managed to keep dancing.

If it wasn’t for luck because of her good athleticism, she would have been down long ago. Lionel, who pulled her arm gently, stretched the corners of his mouth.

“Are you surprised? I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

“—You said you’d keep it a secret, right?”

“It’s a promise I made to you, and I’ve just told you, so the secret is still valid.”

Lionel rolled his eyes and smiled as if she was wrong. Even if she wanted to refute it, it was difficult to find a wrong corner in the Prince’s words.

‘Why are you crying?’

‘—I’m lost.’

‘Has a friend named Cyril abandoned you?’ 

‘No, it’s not like that. It’s just—’

It wasn’t much of a story.

She got lost in the vast garden, and it was sad she couldn’t see anyone. When she cried, she thought of Cyril, and the sadness she had been holding back burst out, and she called out to Cyril. Cyril is a fool, and he doesn’t know anything—.

It was Prince Lionel who met her after crying like that. The Prince who smiled sweetly and handed her flowers that day, is now making fun of her. It was amazing.

Adding to the reality that the Prince’s sisters and Cyril were dancing, it was even more frustrating.

“Mademoiselle Cassinel.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“As you may already know, my sister has been sick for a long time. She’s better now, but she’s not in perfect condition.”

While contemplating whether this was a joke of fate, Lionel brought up the story of his younger sister. A princess dancing with Cyril with a happy face passed around them.

She could tell that Lionel’s words were true just by looking at her pale face and slender arms and legs as if they were about to collapse.

Lionel turned around and widened his view as if he knew where Adrienne’s gaze was headed. Even so, he was still elegant, and he had the appearance of a heavenly Prince.

“So that’s why she has a lot of springs. I also believe that if you beg for something you can’t have, you’ll have it.”

“—I have no idea what the reason is for saying that to me.”

“I’m afraid you’re going to have some trouble.’

“What are you—”

A soft voice had spoken something that was mysterious, but was not given the chance to ask back. It was because the rotation continued.

Adrienne moved steadily even though she couldn’t hide her embarrassment. Lionel seemed to be smiling at the subject of embarrassment.

“Nice to see you again, Mademoiselle Cassinel.”

Ironically, the music ended the moment she returned to her place. People came to him without any time to ask what the hell that meant.

“Next time—”

After hesitating for a moment, Lionel’s last words were not heard. It was because he was suddenly pushed away by the crowd.

Adrienne stared at Lionel, who was disappearing.

‘It’s nice to meet you, aside from that, what the hell is that—?’

If she put the story together, it was said that she would suffer because of a princess with a lot of spring. The princess’s desire, even if she doesn’t have to ask, it’s probably Cyril—.

‘Something you can’t have?’

As the rumor goes, if the two get engaged, the Princess will have Cyril. At that time, the only thing the Princess could not have would be old memories.

But even if they want to give it, they can’t give it, and even if the Princess receives it, it will not be of much significance. Because it’s not the Princess’s.

‘What the hell—’

There were a lot of things that she couldn’t understand.

As well as the prediction that Adrien would suffer, but even the Prince who dared to tell her was difficult to understand.

Leaving behind the unknown words, Adrienne slipped off the floor.

Laura was escorted by another man, so she didn’t have to go back to Countess Bluea.

‘Reid is also caught.’

She thought she’d go to the most comfortable twins, but Reid wasn’t alone either. There seemed to be a line of people waiting, led by a brave lady.

“Well, Mademoiselle Cassinel?”

Adrienne soon noticed that there was a line waiting for her with a different gender.

In this case, it was best to take refuge before something more troublesome happened. She didn’t enjoy the ball, but she showed her face with the chaperon, so she was doing her duty.

Would it be a big deal to avoid one of her seats in this atmosphere?

After a while, Adrienne, who smiled and made a rough excuse, left the banquet hall. The eyes that followed were not persistent.

Adrienne, who came out of the palace at all, could barely breathe after moving away from all eyes.

‘—The sound of footsteps.’

Adrienne, who was thinking of a way to spend time in moderation, heard a sound of footsteps in her ear.

Without the will to hide, the honest noise grew as if to announce its existence.

‘What kind of persistent guy is this person?’

It was hard to imagine that there would be other things to see in this direction because it was on purpose to find a place where there were no people.

Adrienne spit inwardly and hid behind a large pillar. If she did this much, she would go as far as she could, she thought.

Step, step. 

Contrary to expectations, however, the sound grew closer and now even shadows appeared beyond the pillar.

The steps, whose owner was unknown, came right next to Adrienne’s desperate wish and stopped. No matter who it was, it was clear that he had no sense of humor.

Adrienne, who frowned as much as she could, managed to relax and get ready to laugh. And then he took a step forward.

“I always tell you.”

A familiar voice was heard above her head. Adrienne looked up reflexively.

“You’re bad at hide-and-seek.”

The eyes resembling gold were staring down at Adrienne, apparently sticking out his head before she knew it.

It was Cyril, her childhood friend who always volunteered to be a tag for Adrienne.

******

The trail leading to the garden was quiet. Every light in the world is in that splendid palace, so it was natural. The shadows of the two mixed over the long line of street trees.

Adrienne looked at the shadow of Cyril, which was much longer than her, and turned her head.

The undeniably handsome Cyril immediately caught her eye. Underneath his black hair glistening in the moonlight, his beautiful profile looked as if it was out of this world.

That’s why everyone wants to go beside him—. There was nothing she couldn’t understand just by looking at his face.

“You seemed to be having fun.”

Newly admiring that beauty, Cyril, who was moving forward without a word, threw a word.

“Me?”

“I think it’s better to practice dancing more. The steps are all messed up.”

He couldn’t recall any pleasant memories, so he asked the question, but the answer that came back blew his mind away.

‘Oh my goodness,’ Adrienne murmured.

“How many things do I have to dance to? It was good enough.”

“The Viscountess Parte would have to agree.”

“—Yeah, I hope you can dance well.”

Even though she wanted to refute it, it was true that she stumbled with the prince’s outrageous blow.

When did he see that—.

Adrienne neatly declared surrender.