The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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“I guess my brother did start acting a bit strange after my visit to Delkis.”

Surprisingly, Prince Evan, whom we met afterward, made the exact same comment as Prince Allen.

“My younger brother has always been a confident person. Even when he beat me in sparring or scored better academically, he never felt the need to hold back or act humble. He never worried about stepping on anyone’s toes, even if the second prince outperformed the first.”

It sounded reasonable at first glance, but from a political perspective, it was a statement that raised some eyebrows.

If the Second Prince surpassed the First Prince in ability, it could sow the seeds of division politically.

The First Prince held legitimacy, but if the Second Prince appeared more suited to be king, factions would inevitably rally to make the latter king.

Well, in the original novel, various circumstances made such concerns irrelevant.

Amelia looked as if she had realized something after hearing Prince Evan’s story.

And I, too, came to a realization.

If we were to judge by Prince Evan’s words alone, the Second Prince might seem like a perfect prince straight out of a painting. However, his personality was quite dark and brooding.

It’s understandable for someone to feel jealous when someone who was once inferior to them becomes better or rises to a higher position. That’s human nature. Even with effort, that jealousy may not easily dissipate.

However, Prince Allen had a personality that deliberately relished the awareness that he was superior to Prince Evan from the start.

The reason he later explodes with an inferiority complex toward his older brother lies there.

And the root of it was the aristocratic entourage of Prince Allen, who raised him with such attitudes from childhood.

So, when his brother stopped taking an interest in competing with him, it infuriated him. When you throw a punch, you expect the other side to counter. But if they just leave the ring, there’s no fight.

And to make matters worse, something utterly bizarre had become part of his older brother’s skillset.

If they competed in horseback riding, they’d both mount horses. In swordsmanship, they’d pick up swords. In knowledge, they’d take exams.

But what if it involved wolves?

Imagine a wolf so large it inspired instinctive fear at first glance, and your older brother—who you deemed inferior—was able to command it.

It would be utterly disorienting. And it’d be even worse if that brother showed no interest in competing and only played with the wolf.

“…Hah.”

“Is something wrong?”

Amelia exhaled in disbelief, as if she’d reached the same conclusion, prompting Prince Evan to tilt his head quizzically.

“…Your Highness, did you truly come all this way without any purpose? Did you come simply because you wanted to travel? It wasn’t to resolve matters involving your brother?”

“I decided to come here first. I didn’t anticipate my brother would follow me.”

It seemed he had not only thrown away common sense but also fed his political acumen to the wolves.

Amelia’s pupils went blank, her expression one of complete bewilderment. She seemed unsure of how to handle the situation. Seeing this, the prince shrugged his shoulders and said:

“Now that my brother has followed me here, he might gain some perspective. This isn’t Delkis, but it’s the closest territory to Delkis. And there’s at least one person from Delkis here.”

No, I don’t think my presence will magically change the Second Prince’s personality.

I thought as much but didn’t voice it. Judging by the prince’s unsettlingly clear eyes, which seemed brighter than the last time we met, I doubted he’d understand even if I said something. So, I chose to remain silent.

—

“Elsie.”

Back in the room, Amelia sat across from me with a serious expression.

“Whatever Prince Allen says to you, don’t let it bother you too much.”

Her serious demeanor caught me off guard.

“Yes, I wasn’t planning to…”

“Understood? No matter how angry you get, don’t challenge him to a duel or anything.”

“…”

Well.

Even I understood that much.

I’d already learned the hard way after my duel with Prince Evan had snowballed into the current situation.

I wasn’t entirely sure, but I guessed that in the original novel, Elsie must have refused any duels with the prince. Then again, the original Elsie—the character who “didn’t appear in the novel at all”—might have acted differently behind the scenes. But reflecting on it, the reason I accepted the prince’s duel was likely due to the memories of my 27 years of life.

If I had been the “seven-year-old” Elsie, I would have been terrified when the “ten-year-old” prince spoke to me. Regardless of my skills or ability to handle wolves.

As a child, I had been terrified of hospital visits and strangers talking to me. If someone had said, “Let’s fight,” I would’ve trembled in fear.

But with the memories of an adult, the prince had seemed like nothing more than an immature child. So, without much thought, I had accepted his duel request.

…A realization that only dawned on me much later.

“At tomorrow’s banquet, you must stay by my side. If the prince approaches you, I’ll handle him.”

“Understood.”

Even after my firm response, Amelia looked somewhat uneasy.

Since the moment we first met, Amelia had always tried to help me. This was likely because I had become a character vastly different from the one in the original.

Adapting to this world wasn’t easy.

Watching adults treat me as a child while I thought, ‘I’m probably older than you’, or looking at nobles ranked higher than me and thinking, ‘What have they accomplished aside from being born into privilege?’ were all thoughts stemming from the fact that I, someone shaped by modern society, inhabited Elsie’s mind.

At least in Delkis, it was better. I could see my family as my family, and within Delkis, everyone simply focused on their own roles without nitpicking about decorum.

But everything changed when I came to the Grand Duchy of Grattanmount.

Here, there were always people scrutinizing my behavior as a noble, and failing to meet their standards earned disdainful looks.

Amelia corrected such situations whenever she noticed them. But it wasn’t as if she could chase down every noble in the duchy and scold them. Some were beyond even her authority.

Thus, my chosen strategy was to clamp my mouth shut whenever I stood before people I disliked.

If I stayed silent and ignored them, there’d be no fights. And no matter what they said, I was someone the Grand Ducal House had personally brought in. They couldn’t treat me carelessly either.

The problem was that this approach couldn’t be maintained in front of the prince or the nobles from the royal capital who followed him.

Amelia’s insistence that I stay close to her had its reasons.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

Amelia raised her hand and rubbed her face.

It was probably one of the two princes summoning us again. Even I thought they were calling on us too often.

“Come in.”

But ignoring them wasn’t an option, so Amelia called toward the door.

“Sister?”

“Ted.”

Amelia’s tense expression softened.

Ted Grattanmount.

A boy one year younger than Amelia.

He was likely to become the next Grand Duke of Grattanmount.

In the novel’s original setting, this younger brother was also a male lead.

…For a romance fantasy, the number of male leads seemed comparable to some reverse-harem visual novels.

Well, with the prince, crown prince, northern baron’s son, tower master, and rival’s younger brother, that made five. Slightly more than usual for a romance fantasy, perhaps? Hmm… Though, to be fair, I haven’t read many of those kinds of novels on purpose, so I’m not entirely sure.

“Lady Delkis.”

“Young Lord.”

Ted, who had smiled brightly at his sister, greeted me politely, and I nodded in return.

In the original story’s setting, their relationship was described as strained.

But, as with most villainess-centered stories, Amelia’s relationship with her family was perfectly normal. Since Amelia never intended to inherit the house, there was no reason for conflict.

“You’re both attending tomorrow’s banquet, correct?”

At Ted’s question, Amelia nodded.

“It seems only natural, given our acquaintance with Prince Evan.”

“Then, could you tell me more about Prince Evan? Father seems intent on having me handle interactions with the princes.”

“All right, I’ll do that.”

What a well-educated younger brother.

Come to think of it, he was portrayed as having a good personality in the original. A capable ally, too.

I hoped he’d lend me a hand as well.