The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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When Amelia visited last time, the horses pulling the carriage didn’t seem to get startled, so I assumed the same would happen this time.

I even asked just in case, and I received confirmation that it should be fine.

However, it seemed the horses of the royal capital and those in the North had different temperaments and instincts.

“Awwooooo!”

I mimicked a wolf’s howl as usual to summon the pack.

At my call, the wolves, who had been hiding among the trees, slowly began to reveal themselves one by one.

Though they were the wolves I always saw, honestly, their size was quite intimidating.

While horses, being herbivores, had long necks and heads perched higher, making their overall height from the ground to their crown greater than the wolves, these wolves shoulder height was nearly on par with the horses.

And even then, that was just Gray, who wasn’t fully grown yet. A fully grown Northern wolf was even larger. Up here in the North, they needed to be that big to hunt creatures like moose—otherwise, their teeth wouldn’t even pierce the hide.

Perhaps because of this, the horses the prince was riding didn’t stay still.

“Neighhhh!”

The wolves hadn’t even charged out. They merely ambled out sluggishly, as if mildly annoyed, yet the horses were terrified.

“Whoa, whoa!”

For a moment, the prince’s horse lifted its front legs, and I thought he might fall.

I tensed, debating whether I should rush to catch him, but fortunately, he didn’t fall. Though war horses are war horses, after a moment of surprise, they just nervously looked around instead of going into a frenzy.

But regardless, those atop these tense horses were visibly anxious.

“Your Highness!”

The knights following behind the prince rushed forward in alarm.

“Stand down!”

At Prince Evan’s shout, the knights hesitated. No, in reality, the knights tried to push their horses forward, but the horses refused to go any closer to the wolves.

…How do they handle these horses in war?

Even military formations have spears and such aimed at them. Are these horses afraid of wolves but not spears?

Have beasts and humans become too accustomed to peace?

“Did you summon these wolves, young lady?”

“Yes, I did.”

In response to the prince’s question, which he asked with a look of disbelief after hearing my wolf imitation, I nodded.

“Are these wolves… the companions you mentioned?”

“Yes. They’re very helpful for hunting.”

Being wolves rather than humans, they were incredibly skilled at hunting moose. Honestly, it would have been hard for me to catch a moose on my own.

I had considered using my druid abilities to hunt moose, but every time I went hunting, the moose would fiercely avoid me, perhaps sensing the wolves I brought along.

No matter how big they were, a moose was still a moose, and herbivores were still herbivores. In the end, they were the prey of wolves.

“Hmm.”

Now that I think about it, it did make sense. It was funny to expect horses not to be startled when even large moose were.

While I was reasoning it out in my mind, the prince spoke to me again.

“Then… is it those wolves that you ride?”

“Yes.”

Ah, thinking about it, I guess it must be a strange idea for him.

Hunters around here often used moose for transportation when necessary. Startling a moose made them sprint in a straight line, which could be controlled by fixing their heads to face a single direction.

They said it was easiest when a male moose had antlers, but honestly, even I found that hard to believe. I had been skeptical when I first heard this, and even more so when I saw it in action.

Compared to that, riding a wolf like Gray, who knew how to follow paths instinctively, seemed far more reasonable.

“……”

It seemed the prince was at a loss for words as he looked at me.

“Shall I guide you then?”

When I asked the prince, who was frozen in shock with his mouth slightly open, he flinched and finally responded.

“Y-yes, I’ll leave it to you.”

At those words, I climbed onto Gray’s back.

*

I introduced the prince and the knights who followed him to my father and then returned to my room.

I added some logs to the fire to make it burn a little brighter, and then sat in the armchair beside it to warm myself.

“Phew.”

Though I ended up guiding the prince after our unexpected encounter, I likely wouldn’t see him again for a while. The job of hosting the prince would fall to my father or my older brother.

A greeting if I happened to run into him from time to time would be enough.

But still, why had the prince—the future crown emperor—come to such a remote place?

In the novel I’d read, there was no mention of this. If Evan, one of the main characters, had come here, Amelia surely would have mentioned it.

And it was unlikely the future had changed. I hadn’t done anything too significantly to alter the original storyline, had I?

Or… could Amelia have done something?

After pondering a bit, I shook my head.

That couldn’t be it.

Amelia had no reason to do something like that.

After all, Amelia and I had only just become acquainted, so there was no reason for her to talk about me to the prince, and besides, she’d never mentioned being close to him in the novel.

Though not explicitly stated, the two of them had a distant relationship. If they’d been close before, there would have been some mention of it.

Was it really just a coincidence?

Unable to draw any conclusions, I decided to set the thought aside for now.

Well, at least tonight’s dinner would be a bit more lavish.

*

“Prince Alwen is in Delkis?”

It didn’t take long for the news to reach me.

My father, the Duke of Gratmount, had been giving me glimpses into how affairs were managed, so I was privy to some of the region’s significant happenings to some extent.

Of course, as a seven-year-old, I wasn’t involved in critical decisions, only informed of matters that were appropriate for my age.

And the news of Prince Alwen’s visit to Delkis was just that kind of information.

Normally, I would’ve ignored it.

Although I had never read about the prince visiting Delkis in the original work, it was plausible. In the original work, the arrogant Grand Duke’s daughter, Amelia Grattanmount, sought the crown prince’s favor, after all.

But she wasn’t remarkable enough to be informed of such things at a young age. This situation was special because I was unique.

And the prince hadn’t even directly visited the Grand Duchy, so our first meeting was still scheduled for the distant future, at the ball.

…But.

“…Elsie is in Delkis.”

Though I’d never used her name in front of her, I found it easier to think of her as simply “Elsie Delkis.”

“……”

Thinking of Elsie Delkis’s presence made me feel uneasy.

If she was simply the “Elsie Delkis” character I knew, I wouldn’t be worried. The story would proceed as written, and the prince wouldn’t pay any special attention to her. Whatever his reason for coming, whether it was for training or merit, he’d fulfill it and then leave.

The Delkis territory wasn’t exactly a place anyone would want to stay in for long.

However, I strongly suspected that Elsie Delkis was, like me, someone who had reincarnated from another life.

In fact, it would be stranger if she weren’t.

If someone like her were to meet the prince…

I couldn’t even begin to imagine.

If she had some specific goal, it might’ve been easier. Then, I could at least guess where things might head. But the Elsie I’d met was unpredictable.

She seemed kind-hearted but she was also the sort of person who would splurge just to dip her potatoes in sugar.

“Is there any envoy heading to Delkis?”

At my question, the retainer who had come to see me looked surprised.

“Are you planning to go to Delkis?”

“Yes, I have something to deliver to Lady Delkis as well.”

“If that’s the case, would it not be better just to send the item? Delkis is likely busy with the prince’s visit—”

“No.”

I replied firmly.

To avoid tarnishing my reputation as a reformed “villainess,” I usually refrained from being obstinate.

But this was an emergency. A potentially catastrophic derailment of the story I knew.

“I must go. Personally.”

If so, I’d need to stubbornly insist on going myself, even if it meant being a bit forceful to assess the situation personally.

The retainer, taken aback by my unusually firm tone, looked at me in surprise but then nodded reluctantly.