I Couldn’t Stop my Childhood Friend from Turning Into a Villain

After I parted ways with Melissa, I headed straight to the training center, but something was wrong the whole way.

Why, unlike me, did everyone else seem to be heading out the other side of the training grounds……?

With nervous eyes, I scanned the people passing by me. At first glance, it was obvious that they were swordsmanship students and their families.

I knew it, because I recognized the neatly sheathed swords at their sides and the red cord at the end of their hilts.

That was a sign of knighthood. Anxiety gripped me as I realized what was happening.

No way.

I ran straight to the training grounds and asked the instructor guarding the entrance.

“B, by any chance, has the ceremony already ended?”

“What? Yes. It just ended…….”

The instructor scratched his head as if he hadn’t noticed. No way.

I didn’t bother to ask Liel where to go, since it was clear that the ceremony would be held at the Academy.

But if nothing else, I should have asked about the start time so I wouldn’t be late. From what I heard, it would be at the same time as the graduation ceremony…….

“Oh, you must be mistaken about the time. It was moved up an hour three days ago.”

W, why?

Why would you change the time on the third day of me not seeing Liel…….

And no matter how busy he is, shouldn’t he have at least given me a heads up in a letter?

I looked at the instructor with a despairing face, and he coughed in frustration and turned his head the other way.

I didn’t get to attend the ceremony, but I didn’t turn away. I walked back into the training center and looked for Liel.

Given that I hadn’t seen him on the way here, it was likely that he was still in the training center.

I wanted to congratulate him on his graduation.

I had been attending the academy for over a year, but this was my first time inside the training grounds, so it felt a little different.

I couldn’t help it, I couldn’t break my promise to Liel that I wouldn’t go back to the training grounds.

“Mmm…….”

I looked around, figuring it would be okay for today.

I recognized the students who hadn’t returned yet, but I didn’t see Liel among them.

Where the hell did he go?

⁂

Immediately after the ceremony, Liel fled as if being chased by someone.

Hastily ducking behind a storeroom, he sank to the floor and stifled a groan as pain shot up from his ankle.

He pulled his knees up and clutched at his ankle, but the pain didn’t ease.

He’d thought he’d gotten the hang of it lately, but as if to mock him, his ankle had been aching like it was going to snap for three days now.

“Ha…….”

With a heavy sigh, Liel lifted his chin and closed his eyes tightly.

It would be time for Lucy to come any minute now…….

With the pain that had been plaguing him for three days, he didn’t even have the presence of mind to tell Lucy the time had changed.

“…….”

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and Liel opened his eyes and released his grip on his ankle.

He sat up and stretched his legs out, leaning back against the warehouse to try and ease the pain, letting out an intermittent gasp.

But the pain didn’t go away. His eyes gradually closed as the pain became unbearable. Then Liel’s head jerked to the side.

Even as he closed his eyes in stunned silence, the snake continued to move. One moment it was slithering around his ankles, making its presence felt, and then it stopped.

Then the pain, which seemed unrelenting, began to subside.

It was then—

“Liel.”

He heard Lucy’s voice, slightly cracked at the edges. Liel’s eyelashes fluttered as he recognized the voice at once.

“Are you sleeping?”

Sleeping here?

Liel opened his eyes to see Lucy looking around with a puzzled expression on her face, his paralyzed brain finally starting to function.

Straightening his neck, Liel replied in a slow tone.

“No, I was just tired and closed my eyes for a second.”

He blinked slowly, and his blurry vision gradually cleared. Eventually, the pain in his ankle was gone.

How long would this rest last?

Asking himself the unanswerable question, Liel rose from his seat with a slow movement.

Of its own accord, Lucy’s neck lifted. Wide-eyed, Lucy reached out and pushed back Liel’s bangs.

“Isn’t that a cold sweat? Are you sick?”

Considering it was nearing the end of winter, it wasn’t sweat due to the hot weather, so Liel grabbed Lucy’s wrist just in case.

“I’m not sick. I’m just tired.”

Lucy looked him up and down, her eyes narrowing as if she sensed something wasn’t quite right about his words.

Still, there was no awkwardness in Liel’s demeanor now that the pain was gone.

Finally giving up on trying to figure out the truth, Lucy’s lips tilted up in a pout.

“Come on, let’s go. You look really tired.”

As if she believed Liel’s words to a certain extent, she held out her hand to him, looking a little worried. He took her hand without hesitation.

“Are we going to my place? Do you want the guest room? Or do you want me to take you to your place?”

Knowing that he had only started living on his own a week ago, Lucy weighed her options.

“If we’re going to your place instead, you’ll have to tell the coachman where it is.”

Perhaps conscious of Liel’s unusually quiet demeanor today, Lucy spoke in a low voice.

“…… Take me home.”

When he finally answered, Lucy craned her neck slightly to glance at Liel. In the back of her mind, she’d expected him to go to her house.

Still, she shook her head rather than argue with him, accepting his choice.

“Okay.”

You’re really okay, aren’t you?

Lucy asked again to make sure since she was still worried, but instead of answering, he nodded as he looked ahead.

His feathery purple hair fluttered in front of his eyes. He took my hand and smiled softly at Lucy as they walked forward in silence.

Let’s say he’s sick now.

Then, the affectionate her would immediately kneel down and lift up his hem as she used to. And with a terrified expression on her face, she would meet his eyes.

He felt an indescribable satisfaction when he saw the worry in Lucy’s sunset eyes.

“Lucy.”

Finally, Liel lost control of his impulse and called Lucy’s name.

“Yes?”

Lucy grabbed the beret she was wearing and turned around to look at Liel. Her big eyes waited patiently for Liel to speak.

“It’s nothing.”

Lucy’s head tilted slightly to the side as she listened to his dry reply.

She opened her mouth to protest, wondering if Liel was playing a prank on her. But after a moment’s thought, she closed her mouth.

She considered Liel’s condition. She hadn’t even bothered to ask Liel why he hadn’t told her about the change in time.

Even in Lucy’s eyes, Liel was in a bad condition today.

And he didn’t realize that Lucy was deliberately avoiding even a mild reprimand out of consideration for him.

“Come on, you go first.”

The carriage came into view, and Lucy rushed over and opened the door, mimicking a gentleman.

It was an awkward gesture that made the distracted Liel flinch.

“That’s what I’m supposed to do to you.”

Liel grumbled in a low voice, as if to say, “Why are you usurping my role?” Hearing his grumbling, Lucy replied with a smile.

“Because, as you say, I have to suffer this awkward treatment from you, the future knight, for the first and last time!”

Lucy’s consideration for her sick friend was enviously playful. Like when she and Liel had visited the dilapidated cottage where he lived.

Lucy would sometimes do this to cheer up Liel’s sinking spirits.

“Yeah…… it’s really awkward.”

As she said this, a gentle smile would tug at the corners of Liel’s mouth. It made him feel a little better to have Lucy’s attention.

Thankfully, his ankle was still fine.

He pretended to stroke his chin with the back of his hand to hide his reddened neck and turned to Lucy, who was standing by the carriage door.

“But if you’re going to do it, you might as well hold on to the door handle, in case the wind slams the carriage door shut.”

Lucy shrugged and grabbed the doorknob, glaring at Liel as if this was a question that needed to be asked now.

“…… Okay, I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

Looking much better, Liel chuckled and asked.

“You’re doing it again?”

“I was going to call it a day, but you pointed it out, so out of spite, I’ll do it again later, when you’ve forgotten.”

The party who had opened the door slipped into the carriage first.

She looked slightly pouty.

Liel lowered his eyes slightly as he watched Lucy.

Just as Lucy had drawn a line in the sand, he had a growing list of secrets he couldn’t tell her.

He thought he heard a creak from somewhere.

It sounded like the cracking of an invisible form, or the opening of a chasm.

Liel knew he was the only one who could hear it.