The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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As if to prove her words weren’t empty, Amelia truly treated me with genuine kindness.

Over the past few years, I steadily adapted to the Grattanmount territory.

Honestly, adapting wasn’t all that difficult.

In the Grand Duchy of Grattanmount, the status of a “lady” wasn’t something that could simply be ignored. Unlike in Delkish, where everyone had to work together to survive, Grattanmount had a distinct structure and way of life.

Every action necessary for survival on that barren land required energy. Of course, just because the land was fertile didn’t guarantee an easy life. If the baronial family in Delkish chose not to work simply because they were nobles, the backlash from those beneath them would be swift.

If you wanted something, you had to prove that you were at least worthy of receiving it. In Delkis, this proof often involved patrolling the forests, hunting when needed, and stopping the southward advance of barbarians.

But things were different in Grattanmount.

In Grattanmount, a noble was truly a noble. They always behaved with courtesy and dignity, competing through conversation and knowledge rather than direct physical force.

The Alwen Kingdom, overall, had a relatively high interest in martial prowess compared to neighboring countries. However, basic martial skills were sufficient to earn acknowledgment of the people here.

Because of this, I no longer had to wander through snow-covered forests, exerting my strength as I had in Delkis.

Instead, I followed Amelia, attending classes with her, chatting, and occasionally learning various things as part of a lady’s refinement. That was the extent of my duties in the Grattanmount territory.

“……”

Still, despite having adjusted, there were some challenges.

“Elsie.”

As I silently gazed out the window, Amelia cautiously called out to me.

I turned my head to look at her.

Children grow incredibly quickly, even if they’re not from Delkis.

Amelia had grown quite a bit taller over the past five years. Of course, she still had a long way to go. She was only twelve years old now, and even by this world’s standards—where the threshold for adulthood was lower than the world I came from—twelve was still a very young age.

Even so, Amelia’s face now resembled that of a young adolescent more than the child she had been at seven. Her demeanor, however, retained its maturity, often giving the impression of someone in their twenties. People around her seemed to view her as far more grown-up than her actual age.

Her height had noticeably increased. The difference between her current appearance and that of her seven-year-old self was striking. Watching her, I often wondered how she’d grown so much in what felt like the blink of an eye.

I’d grown quite a bit as well. I was now about 160 centimeters tall—a height that could easily be considered that of an adult woman.

I would probably continue to grow, considering my age.

Not only my height but my appearance as well seemed more mature compared to regular human children, leading to frequent misunderstandings.

I didn’t mind being misunderstood. After all, even if the contents of my mind hadn’t aged further, I still possessed the psyche of someone in their late twenties. Even if people mistook me for being older than I was, I’d still be younger than my real age.

What annoyed me were the people who, upon learning my true age, made a fuss about apologizing or, worse, those who teased me about it.

I sometimes wondered if Harvey, my oppa, would have tolerated such disrespectful behavior.

“Did someone bother you again today?”

“No, nothing like that happened. Besides, I’ve been with you all day, Lady Amelia.”

“That’s true, but… if someone picks a fight with you, let me know. I’ll talk to my father and have it resolved properly.”

“I’m fine, really.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“……”

When I didn’t respond, Amelia closed the book she had been reading with a thud. She placed it on the windowsill and spoke.

“If something’s troubling you, just tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

At her words, I hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth.

“I was wondering if my parents and brother are safe.”

Outside the window, snow was falling—not lightly, but in thick, heavy flakes. It was the first snow of the year, and it was already covering the plains.

Although it was still far from the polar night season, seeing the snow gradually covering the fields made it impossible not to worry about my family.

I had been receiving news—regularly, in fact. Letters from my family often arrived with the soldiers who returned from delivering supplies.

The letters always assured me not to worry, explaining that the number of southward-moving barbarians had peaked once and was reportedly slowly declining since then.

But since I had left Delkis, my family never once wrote asking me to visit.

I had no way of knowing whether their reassurances were because there was truly no need to worry or because they were downplaying the situation to keep me from being concerned.

The Grand Duke of Grattanmount had forbidden both of us from visiting Delkis, saying it was too dangerous until the situation was fully resolved.

It’s said that a person from Delkis, even after leaving, will eventually yearn to return. It seemed I was no exception.

“The soldiers returning from Delkis say everything is fine. And you’ve been receiving letters from your family, haven’t you?”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“It will all be okay, surely.”

Amelia’s voice carried conviction, but after speaking, she paused for a moment before asking carefully.

“Do you… miss Delkis?”

“It’s my home, after all. Of course, the Grand Duchy of Grattanmount is a wonderful place. Delkis has no grasslands, always suffers from a lack of grain, and doesn’t have a wide variety of fabrics like here.”

I turned my gaze back to the window.

Below the castle, the village came into view. Beyond that stretched the grasslands, and farther still, the forest, with its towering, densely packed trees, faintly visible in the distance.

Deep within those woods lay Delkis.

“……”

Amelia was silent, so I turned back to her.

She wore a conflicted expression.

Hmm, perhaps I had been too blunt.

Still, keeping it bottled up would have been frustrating in its own way. After all, Amelia had brought me here out of consideration.

“But it’s normal for people from elsewhere to feel that way. And if I truly miss it, I can always return someday. I believe the people of Delkis will resolve the situation eventually. Someday, there will come a time when we no longer have to fend off the barbarians.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“That’s why I’m here, and why I can’t go back yet. When the barbarians are fully dealt with, I’ll return properly.”

As for Prince Evan, I hadn’t had any contact with him since. It was just a childhood memory, after all. We hadn’t known each other long enough for it to matter much.

Perhaps he had even forgotten the sparring promise he made back then. It was just as well. The prince was a far better person than I had expected, and if we had remained friends, that would have been nice, too. But a prince is a prince.

Our association would only bring trouble. Especially considering the misunderstanding he had at the time, which was exhausting just thinking about it.

I wondered if he was properly raising the wolf pup he took with him.

From the occasional rumors I heard about the prince, there were often mentions of a large wolf. So I could only hope everything was going well.

Perhaps one day, when he became Crown Prince, that wolf would become his emblem.

“I’m living comfortably here, so please don’t worry too much.”

“Well, if you’re sure…”

Did she feel guilty about bringing me here?

“Squeak.”

Hearing a sound, I glanced down to find Pori sitting on my lap.

Pori, whose name clearly wasn’t in line with this world’s usual naming conventions, was none other than a squirrel.

It was still alive and well.

Honestly, I found it a bit strange. Don’t rodents typically have short lifespans? It didn’t seem particularly young back then, yet it was still thriving.

Thinking about it, I’d never tried raising an animal caught in the wild, so it was no wonder I didn’t know its lifespan. It might look like a squirrel, but it could be a completely different species.

I gently stroked the fur behind Pori’s ears. It sat quietly on my lap, settling down as if trusting me entirely.

“It’s so peaceful.”

“Indeed, it’s really peaceful.”

The sound of crackling firewood from the fireplace filled the room as Amelia replied with a slightly relieved tone.