I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend

When I opened O’Neill’s box.

 

Inside was a small ring.

 

A ring I’d never seen before. The entire ring was shiny, as if it had been carved out of obsidian.

 

I would have thought it was a costly ring if I didn’t know any better. But I soon realized the ring’s true identity when I saw its engraving.

 

‘The Bouser family crest.’

 

A voice echoed in my head.

 

‘The Maid was dead, and the ring had already been stolen.’

 

The ring had been stolen, and its whereabouts had been unknown ever since. The ring was in front of me now.

 “…Huh?” 

A faint feeling of dizziness came over me as the realization hit me.

 

Why was the ring that Rudrick had exhausted all his sources to find, the ring that he had been searching for so long, still missing, here?

 

Did she not expect anyone to open it, or did she think that no one would be able to unlock it, or was it just too complacent?

 

All sorts of things went through my mind, but none of them really mattered. What mattered was why she had this ring…

 

‘Since when did you have it?’

 

O’Neill, heroine of the world.

 

‘No, the one I mistook for the heroine.’

 “…How did you know I had it?” 

Swallowing hard, I stared at her, not daring to deny it. I figured she’d find out soon enough anyway.

 

With the box propped up like that, it was only a matter of time before O’Neill realized the ring was missing, and it wouldn’t take much for her to realize it was me.

 

‘But I didn’t think she’d realize it so quickly… No, she’d already known all along.’ 

 

O’Neill smiled nonchalantly at my nervousness.

 “You were standing in front of the box.” “Maybe I was just standing there by accident. Besides, the box was under lock and key.” “You unlocked it easily, as only a princess could.” “…What?” “And…” 

She smirked at my frown.

 “Because you came into this room.” “What? Why is that…” “Because normal people can’t enter the room, and if they do, they see a different view, but they can’t see the real room.” “Are you saying you’re hallucinating or something? You’re not saying…” 

I stuttered, unable to finish my sentence as a thought flashed through my mind.

 

Looking back, I realized that I had felt a strange sense of discomfort from the moment I entered the room. 

 

There was dust everywhere, as if it hadn’t been cleaned in days, and furniture that showed no signs of being used by anyone.

 

I gaped open-mouthed. O’Neill, seeing me stare, clapped her hands in delight.

 “That’s right, illusion magic! You don’t think I wasn’t prepared for that?” “…” “It’s supposed to be an empty place with nothing in it… but you were standing in front of it, looking at a box that shouldn’t even be there.” “…So.” 

Why didn’t the magic work on me?

 

When the question came out of my mouth, I barely chewed and swallowed. For some reason, I had an uneasy premonition that I shouldn’t have asked this question.

 

No, actually, it wasn’t just this question. I shouldn’t dig any deeper, that there might be a truth lurking there that I couldn’t handle. My brain kept sending me warnings.

 

After a moment of hesitation, I spoke up instead.

 “That’s right, I took the ring, and yes, it was my fault, I’m sorry.” “That’s okay, if you’re curious. Now give me the ring back…” “No. I’m apologizing for barging into your room, not for taking the ring.” “What?” 

Watching her shake her head, I stiffened my expression.

 “It wasn’t ‘ your’ ring in the first place, was it?” “…” “No matter how you look at it, the engraving on this ring is the Bouser family’s emblem. Isn’t it the Bouser family’s ring, not O’Neill’s?” “…”  “I refuse to give it back. How can I give back something that never belonged to O’Neill in the first place?” 

O’Neill gaped in confusion at my cold voice.

 “Ha, but it’s not yours either…  “That’s right, it’s not mine either, which is why I’m giving it back.” “What…?” “Don’t you think it’s only right to return lost items to their rightful owners? And I happen to know the owner very well.” “…” 

O’Neill didn’t say anything. She just chewed her lip nervously, and I let out a small sigh. 

 

Then, with a soothing tone in my voice, I spoke,

“O’Neill, I’m not going to ask you how you came to have the ring, but if you’ll just give it back…” “I can’t give it back.” “What?” 

But the voice came back, resolute.

 “How can I give it back, I’m almost done with it.” “What do you mean…” “I’m sorry, Princess. I would do you a favor if I could, but this is something I need for myself.” “What needs would a ring from the Bouser family have for you, O’Neill…” 

I stared at her in disbelief as she spoke so earnestly, then stopped as a sudden thought occurred to me.

 

The Bouser family ring was…

 —’You do realize that the Dark Forest itself is sealed, I’m sure, and that ring is the medium for the seal.’ —‘If the seal were to be broken, the suppressed magic of the forest would spread out in an instant, and the magic wavelengths of the entire continent would be disturbed, not just the north…’ 

Suddenly, I remembered the explanation I’d heard before, and I couldn’t help but ask.

 “O’Neill, are you… are you under the Emperor’s command?” “What?” 

The reason I’d considered the possibility was simple. It had been done before.

 

‘The Duke of Goldman.’

 

According to Lord River, Duke Goldman went to great lengths to get the ring from the Bouser family.

 

But I didn’t think it was Duke Goldman alone. He had the Emperor behind him in the first place, and I figured the ring must have something to do with him, just like the gambling house.

 

Maybe he was trying to use the ring to wield the Bouser…

 “What?” 

My head snapped up from my thoughts.

 “You bought it? Ahaha!” 

Suddenly, O’Neill started laughing out loud.

 

I stared at her in disbelief.

 

Despite my stare, O’Neill couldn’t stop laughing. She wiped her tears away as if she’d just heard a hilarious joke and finally said.

 “No, how could you think that? I’m in the imperial service, why?” “But other than that, why would O’Neill need the ring…” “Oh, you don’t know what the ring does, in which case you’d have every reason to think so.” “You think I don’t know that, that the ring is the medium for the seal that holds the forest…” 

I rambled on, and then, on a whim, I asked,

“So, you’re trying to break the seal, but how is that going to help O’Neill…” “No, quite the opposite.” 

O’Neill smiled brightly.

 “To make the seal bigger.” 

What?

 

But before I could process what she meant, she suddenly leaned forward. I froze in place, unexpectedly close to her.

 “I’m going to increase the size of the seal in the forest. Big enough and strong enough to stop this empire, and the timeline we live in now.” “…What?” “It won’t be easy, of course, but I’ve found a way, and I’ve almost perfected the formula, and now I just need to execute it, and it would be a waste to give up, wouldn’t it?” “Oh, O’Neill, I understand what you mean…” “Dahlia.” 

Bewildered, I stared at her. Her eyes were glittering with an unfamiliar madness. I started to pull back, but O’Neill grabbed my hand.

 “Don’t feel too bad, it’s not like we have to do it right now.” “…” “I told you, I want you to be happy.” “…” “I want you to be happy now, and I want you to be as happy as you can be, for as long as you can be, so that when the best time of your life comes.” 

O’Neill lowered her voice to a whisper.

 “I’ll seal it for you, so that it lasts forever.” 

I couldn’t formulate any response.

 

It didn’t feel real at all. Not even this woman sitting in front of me, smiling an unrealistic smile.

 

After a long moment, I finally spoke,

“O’Neill… are you…” “Yes, Dahlia.” 

Then I spoke, my voice trembling.

 “Who are you?” 

Why, I thought I should meet O’Neill and talk to her again. The one question that remained unanswered even after I regained my memory.

 

The identity of this woman.

 “Oh, no. Are you… are you sure your name is O’Neill? What’s your real identity?” “…” “I thought it was strange, why do you know me so well, when in my previous life you and I would have had no connection at all.” “…” “Can you explain it to me? Or did we actually know each other and I just didn’t remember? But no matter how I think about it, I only remember seeing you briefly from afar…” “Dahlia.” 

A woman’s muffled voice interrupted.

 “Just to be sure, I’m not the only one who knows.” “…What?” “You know me just as well.  

My mouth dropped open, as if I’d been hit on the head.

 

To tell the truth, she was right. Strangely, I did know her well.

 

No, it wasn’t just familiarity. I knew the O’Neill of the novel inside and out. So much so that I had spent most of the novel in her point of view. 

 

Everywhere she went, what she did there, who she met, in detail.

 

It was as if I had become O’Neill…

 

…Huh?

 “Dahlia, haven’t you ever heard the saying that if you meet another version of yourself, you die a miserable death?” “…” “It’s a bit exaggerated, but it’s not entirely wrong, because if there are two of the same beings on the same timeline, they try to become one again, whether it’s because one of them dies or they merge with each other.” “…” “Don’t you get that feeling sometimes, like a memory comes to you at the most bizarre times, or you remember something in detail even though it didn’t happen to you?” “…” “The reason is simple.” 

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in my ears. It was a voice I recognized. I looked up.

 “Because you were merging with me.” 

There I was. Dahlia Averine.

 

With my curly brown hair pulled back in a neat bun, wearing a dress like a fairy tale, and sitting demurely.

 “You asked me why I wanted you to be happy.” “…” “Isn’t that obvious?” 

She smiles weakly, her familiar red eyes locked on mine.

 “Who in this world doesn’t want ‘me’ to be happy?” 

The

‘me’

in front of me asked again.

 “And guess who I am? Dahlia Averine.”