My Childhood Friend is Like a Stone - Chapter 3

Episode 3. Chapter 1. Prologue (3) 

“That is why I should never give anything to a child who constantly complains.”

“Our birthdays are only a month apart.”

“Cyril, it must be a month apart. To put it another way, it’s along the same lines.” Adrienne, who gave a warning with a look that was not scary at all, turned around without regret.

“You’re not going to be discharged right now anyway.”

“Of course.”

“Then it will continue to be dangerous.”

‘If you get discharged later, I’ll give it to you then.’ Adrienne added quietly.

That is why it was said that he should spend the rest of his military life with the handkerchief she handed him.

“It’s fine to say thank you. I understand how you feel.”

“I’m happy I didn’t run into you twice.”

Adrienne walked away without saying anything. She made a meaningless wave with her hand.

“Ah, Cyril.”

“What?”

“Don’t follow me right away. I don’t want to raise suspicion.”

He felt like he was coming to a halt because he couldn’t believe what she was saying. Cyril shook his head as if he had a headache.

He doesn’t know who else would talk like that…

Adrienne disappeared, and Cyril quietly looked down at the two handkerchiefs.

2 years. 

In just that amount of time, her embroidery skills showed improvement. And it didn’t change no matter what the heart inside it was. Even though she didn’t look like it, that nice girl would have wanted to say something like this:

Don’t get hurt.

Just one word.

“Nothing’s changed anyway.”

Cyril murmured slowly. It was only then that he realized that he had returned to his daily life.

******

“I’m sorry to say this, but I believed she wasn’t a real human being. It’s awkward, however, I believe she’s a fairy or goddess. You’ve heard of such a thing.”

“Excuse me.”

“I’m sorry, Sir, and friend, but I can’t…”

“Not like that.”

Excuse the fairies or goddesses.

Cyril swallowed back the words. This would not be said or heard by an already blind subordinate.

“I had no idea red hair could be that beautiful. Besides, I thought I also saw the sea in her eyes. What exactly is it? How can it be so sparkling…”

The second son of Baron Langred, a second lieutenant in the Special Warfare Command’s 1st Brigade, was definitely blind. If his praises for Adrienne could have gone further, it would have reached the level of a goddess’s birth myth.

“That’s enough.”

“Yes, sir.”

Cyril may not have known Adrienne’s birth story, but he knew she was a totally normal human being. It was difficult just to hear the ridiculous praise for his childhood friend.

In the end, Cyril kept his subordinate’s mouth shut in one word.

“2nd Lieutenant Langred.”

“Yes, Sir!”

His subordinate, on the other hand, had a lot to say on his face. It’s fine to pretend he doesn’t know, but his eyes were desperate for an answer.

Receiving such looks from the same man was horrifying. Cyril sighed as if he had something to say.

“I heard you two have been friends for a long time.”

“So?”

“Because I’m not sure how you can just become friends.”

Cyril made a light frown on one of his eyes. As if it was not you who didn’t understand, but it’s me.

“Isn’t that right? I would have fallen in love at first sight if it had been me. How could you possibly be friends with such a lovely Mademoiselle by your side—”

“Don’t exaggerate it.”

“It’s not an exaggeration. I’m saying it from the bottom of my heart.”

Cyril, who was trying to dismiss it as an exaggeration, looked at his subordinate. 2nd Lieutenant Langred met the gaze calmly, his face devoid of any lie.

Cyril frowned deeply as he realized the words were genuine.

“—By any chance, I understand if Mademoiselle did not boast of her beauty as a child like she is now.”

“Beauty, what?”

“You know why. It’s like being ugly when you’re young and then completely changing as you grow up. If that’s the case, I’m also a little—”

“She’s always been that way.”

In response to the indifferent response, the subordinate’s face changed. Cyril was met with an ungodly stare as if asking what the hell was wrong with you.

It’s not even ‘looked like,’ but ‘it’s like that!’ Still, how could you say something like that to such a beautiful woman?

The 2nd lieutenant couldn’t understand his superior.

“All I have to say is that everyone has bad eyes.” After shaking his head, Cyril said nothing more. Cyril’s subordinate’s eyes were even more impure, but Cyril was truly sincere.

Why don’t you rationally like Adrienne de Cassinel Bluea?

Cyril wanted to ask again.

How the heck can you love Adrienne rationally?

So the whole story began 13 years ago.

Chapter 2. The Little Kid and the Little Kid (1)

Cyril, Duke of Thesar’s Young Master, was in poor health.

Cyril, who was born with a smaller body than others and was unable to cry properly, continued to live with remnants.

Cyril was the heir that the Duke of Thesar had barely earned after waiting for more than 15 years without a single mistress. What can he do to save the heir?

Not only the Duchy, but all competent doctors throughout the Empire, passed through the Duchy of the North.

‘I’m sorry, but I don’t know what caused it—’

And all of the doctors said the same thing as if they had planned it. Meanwhile, Cyril had several seizures.

“In my medical opinion, this disease can be treated overnight, or it can’t be cured forever. That is how difficult the disease is. As soon as I see it, I think you must change the environment first. You need to take him to a place where there’s plenty of greenery and warm wind all year.” Meanwhile, a doctor told the Duke.

He was the only one who didn’t give up on Cyril and helped him get through for a while.

There was no longer a doctor, and there was no other option.

However, he was unable to send his only heir to any Empire territory.

The fact that the Duke of Thesar’s heir was ill as a result of multiple doctor visits had already been spread but professing it was another matter.

It was all the more so given the Duke of Thesar’s position as a general for generations. It was impossible to make a public statement about the fact that the only heir to the Duke’s honor was ill.

A location where one can hide one’s successor’s health status and make a good cause. A place ruled by a man who is trustworthy enough to maintain his faith while doing so.

The Duke Thesar immediately remembered Cassinel. There was no reason for him to pretend to be a trainee in another family if he was the heir to one and also the Duke.

However, Count Cassinel was a different story.

Count Cassinel was an honorable knight who made his name on the continent and was the commander of the Imperial Knights.

Furthermore, until just before his retirement, he had never missed winning various martial arts competitions such as swordsmanship, hunting, and shooting, so he was still held up as an example to many people.

Cyril could have hidden the truth about his health under such a Count in the name of training.

The Duke of Thesar made the decision to send his son to Count Cassinel.

That was the start of a long, long relationship between the two childhood friends.