My Childhood Friend is Like a Stone - Chapter 6

Episode 6. Chapter 2. The Little Kid and The Little Kid. (4)

The door, which had been silent without a knock, unexpectedly opened. It’s embarrassing, but Cyril isn’t surprised. It was because he had gone through it so many times during his stay at Cassinel.

Adrienne is here again.

Cyril, who thought normally, put the book he was reading down on the bed and lifted his head, “You… What’s wrong with you?”

He was surprised. She was so startled that Cyril stuttered rare words.

“I—am an adwult—.” (t/n : This part Adrienne speaking in weird way because she put cotton pad in her mouth)

“What? No, bleed— You’re bleeding—?”

Adrienne had a blood-stained cotton pad in her mouth. Even as she mumbled, a thread of blood flowed down her chin, making it even more terrifying.

“I—am an adwult—.”

“What are you saying—? No, it’s bleeding!”

Cyril couldn’t stay in bed any longer after a drop of blood fell to the floor. Cyril, who had picked up a hand towel neatly placed on a small table, placed the handkerchief under her chin as if it were trying to block the flow of blood.

Adrienne, who was muttering incomprehensible words, closed her mouth after being met with Cyril’s unfriendly gaze.

“Lady!”

Then a new voice was heard. The maid who found Adrienne ran to her as if an urgent step was approaching.

“I was wondering as to where you were running—! You’ll have to wait a while for the blood to stop flowing. Take a look! You’ve already spilled it! Oh my goodness, Lady!”

Despite her harsh tone, the warmth that came to dominate her words was warm. Adrienne’s face was bruised as she realized this. As she replaced the clean cotton in her mouth, the maid smiled as if she couldn’t stop herself.

Cyril looked at the scene strangely.

The two seemed surprisingly close.

“Okay, that’s good. Do you have to stay like that? Just don’t run.”

Come to think of it, everyone in Cassinel that Cyril met was like that. Their tone was friendly, and they spoke with a smile on their face. Even the Count, who appeared solemn, did it in front of Adrienne.

Could it be because they live in a much warmer place than Thesar?

All of this was new to Cyril.

“Young Master. I apologize for being rude. The Young Lady suddenly ran—”

“Never mind, what’s the matter with her?”

“She pulled out her tooth. It proves how mature she has become.”

“I’m an adult now.” Adrienne, who had been calmly stopping the bleeding as told, stepped in as if she had been waiting. It was a very proud attitude.

Only then was Cyril able to know the source of Adrienne’s constant muttering.

‘I’m an adult now—’

He was curious as to what she was saying while bleeding, but it was nothing. Cyril was taken aback and tried to sigh, but as she lowered the cotton, his gaze was drawn to Adrienne’s slightly exposed mouth.

It didn’t have the two front teeth it should have had. He thought the leaking sound was really bad, but it was empty because the place where the front teeth were supposed to be was ruined.

“Pft.”

It was a bit, no, it was really funny. The sight of a big cotton pad stuck between her empty front teeth reminded him of a rabbit.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you look like a fool.”

“I’m an adult—”

“Don’t talk to me. You look like a fool.”

Adrienne looked at the maid with unfair eyes. But the maid, who should be on her side, was also smiling and couldn’t help her.

“Youwre smwaller thwan me—”

Adrienne filled the empty space with cotton.

Smaller than me?

Cyril, who understood the words right away, frowned.

“No teeth?”

“I’m twaller—”

“It’s not that I’m not tall!”

It’s a little…!

Cyril, who was trying to correct Adrienne’s words, came to a halt. Why does he have to admit how small he is?

“If you’re finished, get out! Don’t come inside my room!”

Cyril, who was angry, turned around and shouted coldly. He could hear a continuous murmur behind him, but he closed his ears and pretended not to hear it.

What rabbit. Rabbits are adorable. She’s just an annoying little girl.

As he rubbed himself under the sheets, Cyril muttered.

*****

The sons of nobles began to receive an education in the Empire when they were six or seven years old. It was a step toward fulfilling his future position as a nobleman.

In the case of Cyril, he had to take classes as a knight as well, but because he wasn’t in such good condition, he decided to first get etiquette class with Adrienne.

“Simply lower your posture rather than lying on my back.”

“You did that.”

“You’re the one who’s lying on my back, you know?”

“That’s not true.”

“I’m right.”

“Is that so—?”

Adrienne replied slowly, tilting her head. Adrienne was always confused by the same part, even though it was the third class.

By the way, stupid—.

Cyril looked at Adrienne and clicked his tongue.

What is the purpose of being tall if you don’t have a brain?

“Let’s stop. Mademoiselle Cassinel, let me explain again.” The Viscountess Parte, who came to Cassinel as a teacher for Adrienne and Cyril, spoke as if she knew what she was talking about.

The Viscountess Parte pressed her shoulders down as well, keeping Adrienne’s back straight. It was just as Cyril had said.

“Look.”

“I told you not to treat women like that, Monsieur Thesar.”

Cyril, who was sarcastically replying, said quickly, “I’m sorry.”

Meanwhile, Adrienne, who had finally found a suitable position, turned to face Cyril.

“You have to apologize to Mademoiselle Cassinel, not me.”

“…Sorry.”

“It’s all right.”

When she smiled, a gap formed between the corners of her mouth. Because the front teeth had not yet fully grown, the sound of wind leakage was still present.

Don’t laugh because you look stupid. 

Cyril held back from saying so. Adrienne alone was enough to prove her lack in front of Viscountess Parte. When they quit picking fights, the lesson continued.

Class was more of a process for Cyril of putting what he had learnt from a book into practice. In other words, it was boring, but Cyril did his best to follow the tutor’s instructions. If he was attending lessons, he might see himself as a fully grown adult one day.

The class ended with a greeting from Viscountess Parte.

“Why don’t you go out?”

Cyril focused his attention on Adrienne, who had stayed quiet long after Viscountess had left.

“Are you bored?”

“I say this every time, but I’m not bored.”

“I’m a little bored.”

Cyril shrugged his shoulders and gestured, as if he couldn’t help himself. Adrienne, who was pleased, picked something up and naturally got up to bed.

“Read it for me.”

“All right.”

The ‘something’ was a book.

Cyril sat down next to Adrienne and began reading. When he was at the duchy, Cyril was always reading. The fact that he had another person next to him didn’t change anything. So this isn’t a big deal, Cyril used to say that to himself.

It was because he thought he should.

“…And the witch was executed for the first time for kidnapping the princess. The princess who is back in the kingdom…”

“What’s that?”

“Dying.”

“Is the witch dead?”

“I just read it.”

Adrienne didn’t give in to the annoying voice. Adrienne, who returned to the beginning of the book, pointed to a paragraph.

“But the king didn’t keep his promise.”

“The issue is that the retaliation has been kidnapped.”

“What’s retaliation?”

“Revenge.”

“Re…”

“If you’re going to ask me, ‘What’s revenge?’ Get out.”

Adrienne couldn’t speak, perhaps hitting the nail on the head.

Really stupid… 

Cyril thought again.