My Childhood Friend is Like a Stone - Chapter 22

‘By the way, how was Cyril?’ 

The face of the Princess, who smiled brighter than anyone else, was strong, but Cyril’s expression did not come to mind well. It was the same that she tried not to look.

Well, she’s sure he smiled.

Adrienne made the decision to move on rather than sit and think for a long time. It was reasonable to assume that the rumored two people who were about to be engaged danced in a good mood.

Should she ask about his engagement?

The thought that came to mind quickly subsided. She thought let’s just let it flow because there’s nothing different about it.

“When are you planning to go back to Cassinel?”

“Well, I won’t stay long. I think it’ll be next week.”

“Do you have anything else to do this weekend?”

Adrienne, who had been responding sincerely, came to a halt when she heard the words. As the question of what the intention was directed at him, Cyril took a step forward as if to continue walking and calmly said.

“There was someone who wanted to meet you.”

“All of a sudden?”

“Yeah. Suddenly.”

The nuance of answering was as if he didn’t know this would happen. Adrienne, who opened her eyes wide again, took a breath, saying, “Hmm.”

“Where should I go?”

“To my mansion.”

“—Can I do that?”

“Of course, unless you’re going to do something you shouldn’t have done.”

The pathetic gaze touched her face as if he was telling her to throw away the tricks. It felt like a plan that didn’t exist with just that look came up in an instant, but Adrienne tried to ignore it. This is because it was clear that he was making fun of her when she saw him smile.

What should I do? 

Her mind was busy. She wanted to refrain from spreading useless rumors, but since this is the first request she has received in several years, her curiosity is ahead.

“—Send me the carriage. Without a sentence.”

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

Adrienne came up with a plan coyly. Cyril nodded his head. With his long neck uselessly standing out, Adrienne turned her eyes away.

Chapter 5. Life always goes in an unexpected direction (1)

Adrienne woke up to the late noon sunlight. When she came to the capital, all she did was play and eat, and she had become very lazy.

The faithful twins who took all of his sister’s diligence and would have already gone to work at the Imperial palace, and the rest of the afternoon was spent playing the same way.

Knock, knock. 

The knock woke her up while she was thinking about sleeping a little more because she was half-asleep. Adrienne stretched out her arms.

“I woke up.”

“Lady, it’s Schumar.”

Of course, she thought it would be Emma, but it was the young butler who knocked on the door. Knowing Adrienne’s nature, the butler rarely came to visit in the early hours.

“There’s something you need to see urgently.”

Even though she was puzzled when she ordered him to come in, the butler politely bowed his head. Judging by the look on his face, he seemed to be in an unusual situation.

“—What is it?”

“It’s a letter from a messenger.”

It’s not the mailman, it’s the messenger. The messenger was the one who was in charge only in the capital and distant territory.

‘Did father send it?’

But if her father had sent it, it wouldn’t have waited this long. Adrienne was surprised when she picked up the red envelope without much thought.

‘—Is the envelope red?’

In the Persian Empire, red envelopes were not used without a special reason. And the ‘special reason’ was mainly related to marriage. Recalling that fact, Adrienne’s mind became completely clear. She had an immediate effect as if she had poured cold water on it.

“….”

Adrienne, who had lost her mind to the color of the envelope, suddenly fixed her gaze in the center of the letter. At the end of Adrienne’s gaze, there was a seal. Half black and half white wing patterns were clear on red wax.

It was an unforgettable sentence. Therefore, it was also a sentence that should not remain on that red envelope. Adrienne ripped the envelope like a broken machine.

Her eyes began to tremble little by little as she was slowly reading the open letter. The letter contained the same content as expected.

It was a proposal to Adrienne, Cassinel’s only woman.

The content itself was plain without any problems. If there was a problem, it was the one who sent the proposal to the family. Adrienne, who closed her eyes several times in front of the unbelievable reality, woke up and read the name at the end of the letter again.

[Cyril Valentin de Thesar]

Unfortunately, however, the name has not changed.

Adrienne felt like she wanted to stop screaming.

******

“I’m dying. I’m dying.”

“Can you calm down for a moment?”

“Will it work?”

The training that was conducted under the guise of correcting the disorganized discipline after the war had just ended. Those who enjoyed the Pour and Drink party until last evening or this dawn complained of pain with pale faces lying on the soil floor.

“I saw you all on the terrace yesterday.”

“You’ve been good at messing around.”

After a little while, the men who used to make a fuss now began to talk about the woman they met yesterday. About which Mademoiselle and etc—.

Cyril looked down at the pathetic creatures coldly and moved forward. The fact that they were all nobles shocked Cyril.

‘If I throw them all in front of Viscountess Parte, it will be worth seeing.’

As he passed by those who were busy giggling and laughing, he thought like that. If it were the tutor and the wife of the Viscount Parte, who was in charge of Cyril and Adrienne’s education, she would have said this.

‘Whether you have a good eye or not, you have to live properly. Please keep your body in shape and always pay attention to your behavior.’

After listening to the strict tutors’ education for several years, he could memorize the contents even when he woke up.

Cyril thought that all nobles would have received similar teachings until he joined the military or until he came to the capital.

‘It wasn’t thoughtless, it was prodigy.’

Of course, the reality was different from the ideal. A lot of that, too.  It was clear that the monster living in the mountains behind Cassinel would not take turns eating them like they did.

According to the Viscountess Parte, they were all Satan, and they had chosen a journey to Hell.

‘Half of the Persian’s nobles will be taken away.’

The reality was darker than that because it was half of the total.

He was misunderstood that he was not a desireless person or incompetent person just because he lived straight. Without going far, just thinking about yesterday’s ball—.

If possible, Cyril wanted to erase from his memory the scene where he used the curtain as a bed canopy and burned the passion.

How disgusting was the feast of flesh color.

“Sir Thesar, no, Lieutenant!”

Just before leaving the training ground, a desperate voice found Cyril. He thought he could hear him running, and then the sound of his panting breath came from nearby.

Cyril kept walking as if he hadn’t heard it. He knew who it was just by hearing his voice, so he didn’t have to look back.

“Lieutenant!”

Second Lieutenant Langred, Maxel de Langred, was stopped by reaching out to Cyril.

“Don’t touch it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot that the lieutenant had mysophobia.”

He forgot for a while that the eyes were running on the back of his head—. Maxel muttered to himself.

What does it mean, a soldier with mysophobia? At first glance, it was a ridiculous combination, but Lieutenant Thesar in front of him was a representative figure.

It was a perfect condition to get out without being able to adapt, but the heartless superior continued to be promoted. Maxel realized when he saw Cyril that other people’s worries were the most useless.

There is a lieutenant with mysophobia who wears gloves while dancing with the Princess, who cares about whom?

“Lieutenant, there’s a question that I really want to ask on behalf of everyone.”

“What do you mean on your behalf.”

The attitude of answering was not very equal. It was so clear that he didn’t want to say anything at all, but Maxel was everywhere.

“Are you really engaged?”

“Do you get engaged alone these days?”

“Aren’t you getting engaged to Her Highness the Princess?”

Cyril, who was walking towards the stable at a steady pace, stood still. Maxel, who quietly stopped following, was able to read Cyril’s expression without difficulty.

What kind of nonsense is that?

And Cyril was thinking exactly that way. After hearing a strange rumor from somewhere else—.

“Didn’t you dance yesterday too? That’s cool, too, and you’re approaching her and clenching your hand!”

“—Honestly, you should stop subscribing to that newspaper. Or rather quit the soldier and go that way.”

Baron Langred was unaware of the future of his son. Maxel was a great man who should have been crumpled in the newspapers, not the army. Humans who will risk their lives for interest are easier than risking their lives for their country— So if he comes out as a reporter or novelist, he will succeed.

Aren’t the things he’s doing the same anyway?

“Ah, why are you doing this? Rumors are already circulating. My sister was also very upset. I haven’t even talked to the lieutenant yet, but she said she’s leaving—”

“What rumors?”

Cyril, who had been shaking his head with an expression that ‘he knew it’ from the time he talked about dancing with the Princess, asked back. Seeing his stiff face, it seemed to be the first time he heard it.

“—You didn’t know?”

“Not at all.”

At Maxel’s careful question, Cyril answered straight away.

Initially, Cyril was a type far from social circles. In addition, it was usually a step slower for the noisy news to be delivered to the unit, and it took more time for it to reach Cyril again.

There was news coming and going, but Cyril didn’t pay much attention because of his work. Even now, if it hadn’t been for his talkative subordinate, he would have been unaware of such rumors.

“Everyone has a lot of imagination.”

“So you’re saying it’s not true?”

He can’t believe he has to say that. Cyril passed Maxel, marveling at his subordinate’s amazing listening ability.