<CHAPTER 42>

Starting as Friends

Evelyn stared intently at Kalid Lakeron’s handsome appearance.

Suddenly, she let out a brief sigh at a thought that crossed her mind.

When he smiles like that, he looks exactly like……………….

Soon, with her clear eyes shining, she brought out the question lingering on her lips.

“Duke, is your pet dog perhaps a Golden Retriever?”

At that question, the man’s blue pupils widened for a moment before narrowing again.

“How did you know?”

Just as I thought, dogs resemble their owners!

“I knew it.”

“Whenever I see you, Duke, it reminds me of……………….”

Wait, isn’t this something offensive?

Evelyn, who had paused mid-sentence, quickly observed the expression of the man in front of her.

“It makes me think of a Golden Retriever.”

Even though she had brought it up and finished it, she worried about how he would take it.

She also felt a bit of regret, wondering if her words had been somewhat careless.

But fortunately, Kalid didn’t seem offended.

Rather……………….

“It seems the young lady has been thinking about me.”

A gentle smile spread across his lips.

His clearly shining blue eyes were directed solely at Evelyn.

She, who had been shifting her gaze around, responded with a slightly flustered expression.

“I mean……………… something familiar, perhaps?”

What are you even saying right now?

It was true that the male protagonist of the original work felt familiar to her, but Evelyn swallowed a sigh internally.

Her appearance of saying anything without thinking would obviously seem strange, so she thought: ‘Does it really matter? After all, I’m just a side character. How many more days will I even meet him?’

Just as she finished that thought and showed a noticeably lighter expression.

Kalid, who had been watching her closely, made his clear blue eyes shine.

“Then it would be nice to start as friends.”

“Yes……………… yes?”

Evelyn, who for a moment doubted her ears, blinked rapidly.

‘What did I just hear?’

She had never thought about becoming friends with the male protagonist……………….

“Does it make you uncomfortable to be friends?”

Seeing the man lower his gaze slightly, she lost the perfect timing to refuse.

Receiving friendship requests from both protagonists in a moment of confusion, Evelyn’s already dizzy mind became even more chaotic.

Why does everyone want to be friends with her?

This kind of development definitely didn’t appear in the original work.

The story had already deviated from its course long ago.

But if she could get closer to Kalid, her heart only felt more complicated.

‘Won’t it be different from what I know?’

On the other hand, she thought that getting close to both protagonists might be a way to avoid her certain death ending.

If they firmly took her side, there would be no safer shield than that.

After all, they’re the protagonists, they won’t ignore me later!

Evelyn, who barely hid her agitation, extended her hand toward Kalid after gathering her courage.

“I hope we get along well from now on.”

Although she had only offered a handshake to ease the awkwardness, she felt a strange atmosphere in the air.

Was making friends always this difficult?

Just as Evelyn, embarrassed, tried to pull her hand back, the man’s firm hand grasped hers.

The owner of the warm hand smiled affectionately.

“I also hope we get along well.”

“Miss, look at this! Wouldn’t this suit Martin well?”

When Rarie shyly pointed at a sky-blue linen handkerchief, Evelyn nodded slightly.

“Right, it would really suit him well.”

Rarie and Martin had gone from being long-time friends to recently becoming a couple.

Evelyn, who was the first to hear the news of their relationship, sincerely congratulated them.

‘They really match well!’

Rarie, with a bright light on her face, spoke in a clear voice.

“Miss, please wait a moment! I’ll go pay and come back right away.”

“I’ll keep looking, so take your time.”

“Yes, Miss!”

Rarie, who responded energetically, ran quickly toward the counter.

Watching her loyal maid, a calm smile spread across Evelyn’s lips.

‘They’re in their best moment!’

The haberdashery in the afternoon was filled with customers buying handkerchiefs.

It was a custom of the Hunting Festival to gift embroidered handkerchiefs as a sign of wishing good luck.

‘Aksion definitely doesn’t need one!’

The legend said that Aksion Valentino possessed abilities as outstanding as the male protagonist of the original work.

In other words, it meant it was unlikely he would get hurt during the Hunting Festival or the fencing tournament.

Even so, Evelyn planned to give her fiancé a handkerchief out of courtesy.

It also had meaning as it was the first event she attended after coming of age.

As she absentmindedly looked at the handkerchiefs displayed on the counter.

Rarie, who had finished paying and returned quickly, tilted her head slightly and spoke.

“Wouldn’t black be better for Young Count Valentino?”

At that question, Evelyn shook her head and picked up a white silk handkerchief.

“No, dogs have black hearts, so no.”

“At least the handkerchief should be white.”

Rarie showed a slightly surprised expression, but soon smiled faintly.

“I see, so that’s how it is.”

“What, that reaction?”

When Evelyn asked somewhat annoyed, her attendant shrugged slightly.

“I thought Miss thinks a lot about the Young Count.”

This girl……………… this girl.

How dare she say such nonsense?

Evelyn ignored Rarie’s mischievous gaze with effort and called the clerk as if nothing had happened.

“Could you prepare one with this handkerchief?”

Wouldn’t it be better not to give it at this point?

Evelyn, unable to take her eyes off the handkerchief she had embroidered herself, soon showed a desolate expression.

Even a person with little self-awareness would know upon receiving such a result.

How terrible her embroidery skills were.

‘Do I have trash hands?…..’

She stared at the clumsy and messy black embroidery.

Even though she had stayed up several nights and barely finished it the day before the Hunting Festival……………….

When she showed the handkerchief to people around her, each reacted differently.

“Wow! It’s a black cat.”

“Is it an embroidered crow?”

“The skunk is cute, sister!”

Evelyn couldn’t tell them that this embroidery was actually a Black Panther.

The imposing Black Panther, which exuded intimidation just by its existence, was the animal that symbolized the House of Duke Valentino.

Embarrassed, she clenched the handkerchief with a twisted expression.

In addition to loose threads sticking out everywhere, other flaws kept catching her eye.

‘How am I supposed to give this to him?………………!’

As she let out a long sigh as if the ground might collapse and rested one cheek on the table.

Rarie, who was serving tea and seemed worried about her depressed mistress, spoke cautiously.

“Miss, in my opinion, it looks like an excellent design.”

“A moment ago you said it looked like a black cat.”

“That is……………… ahem.”

Rarie, unable to deny it, coughed awkwardly and lowered her gaze.

“Maybe it would be better not to give it.”

Hearing Evelyn mutter softly, her loyal maid flinched and shook her head.

“You worked so hard on it! The Young Count will be happy with anything you give him.”

No, Rarie, you don’t know Maxion.

That guy would definitely start pointing out flaws the moment he saw the embroidery.

Evelyn, whose head already felt like it was throbbing, pressed her temples firmly.

Knock knock—

“Miss, Young Count Valentino has come to visit.”

“What? Why is he here?”

Evelyn, who had been lying on the table, lifted her head abruptly.

Today wasn’t Zekter’s training day, and she hadn’t received any notice that he would visit the mansion.

As her brow furrowed automatically, her loyal maid lightly pumped her clenched fists back and forth.

“Miss, perhaps this is the opportunity.”