I Became The Male Lead's Female Friend

Looking at the back of the Duchess leaving for the annex after a brief greeting. Dahlia asked Rudrick,  “Shall we take a stroll for a while?”

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Rudrick and I walked along the path toward the garden.

As we walked together, I suddenly remembered the first time I met him, at that time, I was like an annoying kid to Rudrick, I didn’t know how to comfort him.

The little guy who cried and apologized for it has gotten so tall.

I glanced at Rudrick again and then said, “I didn’t expect you to come.”

“…?”

“Because after our last meeting, you didn’t ask at all. I thought you might have forgotten, and then…”

“It’s just… just in case, maybe you don’t like to come here.”

Did he perhaps notice what I meant or not? 

Rudrick remained silent, then he soon replied briefly, “Because I was busy.”

I didn’t ask anymore because the word ‘busy’ seemed to have innumerable emotions behind it. 

Instead, I smiled and agreed with him, “Yes, I’m sure you’ve been very busy.”

“…”

“Because you had to go to war at a young age in place of your father and your family.”

“…”

“Rudrick.”

I stopped walking for a moment and glanced sideways at him. 

He, who was walking in step with me, stopped and looked down at me.

His appearance seemed to have changed from before, but there was a similar aspect, so I laughed out loud.

“Shall we go match clothes later?”

Rudrick’s eyebrows furrowed, “What?”

“It’s been a long time since we came to the capital. In the meantime, I know a lot of good restaurants. The dessert shop… Oh, do still dislike sweets?”

“A… a little bit,” answered Rudrick.

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“Then, aside from that, there are many other delicious restaurants and…”

“…”

“Oh right! There are a lot of people I want to introduce to you. Hestia and Jeron are people who have helped me a lot, so I want to introduce you to them too.”

“Well, and…”

Rudrick was listening in silence. One after another, he seemed to have no idea what I intended to say.

I grinned awkwardly and scratched my cheek at his reaction.

“Let’s play together like we did when we were young.”

“…”

“Is it too much to play at this age? Well, then let’s go tour around together. If we spend time together and relax like before…”

Taking a short breath, I immediately continued, “I thought you might be able to let go of your burdens a little.”

Then Dahlia gently grabbed Rudrick’s hand. 

In the past, his small white hand fitted mine. But now, only a large hand with thick bones, with numerous calluses and scars, is held by me.

Dahlia stared at his hand for a moment and looked up. Then she met the blue eyes that had been looking at her for a long time.

‘Yes, it was those eyes. Sometimes when I looked up at the sky, the eyes that made me feel strangely longing were right in front of me.’ Dahlia thought.

“Rudrick, I just want you to…”

Those eyes that looked deeper than before, but still clear, have always looked straight at me since then.

“I just want you to be happy now.”

Dahlia finally laughed and continued, “And if you want to choose a path, please pick the one that will make you happy.”

‘I sincerely hope for his happiness.’

“I will always support you.”

I hope that my sincerity will also be conveyed to him.

✿

【 Rudrick’s POV 】

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‘I would always be here to cheer for you.’

Saying that and smiling softly, Dahlia seemed warm and sweet, just like her childhood memories.

That figure remained in Rudrick’s memory for quite some time.

And from that day on, he began to dream.

It was also surprising that he, who’s usually sensitive, sleeps deep enough to have a dream.

However, it was the first time in his life that he had such a similar dream periodically, so Rudrick was puzzled.

The only speculation he could make was that his time with Dahlia in the garden might have left a pretty deep impression on him.

Otherwise, he couldn’t explain why Dahlia keeps appearing in his dreams.

The contents of the first dream were ordinary.

Dahlia and Rudrick were just strolling together.

At first glance, it was no different from the day he went to Averine’s mansion.

Dahlia, who smiles happily at his visit to the mansion, and his mother, whom he suddenly met at the familiar Averine’s garden, and stories they have shared since then while walking through the patio.

“I just want you to be happy now,” Dahlia said and grabbed his hand tightly.

It felt so vivid that I couldn’t believe it was a dream.

‘That small hand, that held mine, came to cover the back of my hand, and it was so warm and soft to the touch that one side of my chest felt like it was tickling.’

The moment he thought of that, Rudrick woke up.

And he couldn’t escape the afterglow of that dream for a while.

It happened only a few days ago, but seeing her in the dream again like this, Dahlia’s last words must have been quite memorable.

At first, it was just that way…

I didn’t put much meaning into it, just thinking that I don’t hate the dreamy feeling I’ve felt after a long time.

But it wasn’t long before I realized that something was seriously wrong.

“Why?”

Rudrick had another dream.

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No, it wasn’t once, the dream repeated over and over again.

At one point, I just closed my eyes and kept dreaming the same dream.

Standing in the quiet garden, dreaming of talking with Dahlia.

‘Yeah, that was fine.’

He could have rationalized himself somehow if it’s only the conversation they had.

But the problem didn’t stop there.

From that moment on, the dream began to change little by little.

‘No way.’

Rudrick felt uncomfortable getting used to a similar dream.

The usual scene that unfolded when he closed his eyes left him indifferent.

Now, like a ritual, the two were having a conversation, and Dahlia was going to say the last words she said and held his hand.

Rudrick’s prediction was half right. This was because Dahlia, who said “I just want you to be happy now,” as he thought, came to take his hand.

Feeling the usual warmth and comfort, Rudrick now waited to wake up from the same dream.

But he didn’t wake up.

No matter how long he waited, he was standing in the garden, and Dahlia was also smiling, holding his hand.

Maybe it was because he felt anxious about the dream flowing differently than usual, or because he had been in contact with Dahlia for a long time.

Suddenly, Rudrick’s heart began to beat nervously, and when he was about to say something.

“With—!”

Dahlia came, and this time Rudrick woke up.

“…!”

Rudrick’s body was soaked in a cold sweat when he got up from his seat.

He took a rough breath and pressed it against his chest. For some time, his heart, which was beating aimlessly, was so loud that he could even hear it.

He closed his eyes tightly and had no choice but to repeat it.

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“It’s just a dream.”

But the dream didn’t end there.

Rather, the nightmare continued in earnest, as if the dream was just the beginning.

The next day, Dahlia was hugged by Rudrick just like yesterday. Not a little hug, but a hand touching her neck, and laughed softly.

… And Rudrick woke up.

The next day, Dahlia suddenly asked him to bow his head. Rudrick, unable to resist, leaned forward as Dahlia had said, for a moment, Dahlia kissed Rudrick’s forehead.

… And Rudrick woke up.

One day, Dahlia lifted herself standing by her toes, and kissed the corner of his eye. Then, without stopping, she lowered her lips and lightly kissed the back of his nose and cheeks.

Nevertheless, Rudrick did not wake up.

Now Rudrick felt increasingly threatened by his dreams.

‘I have to wake up now, and I have to get out of this ridiculous dream quickly.’

His heart was pounding like it was going to burst, and he was overcome with a nebulous panic he had never experienced before.

‘Can I kiss you?’

When Dahlia, with her face close to his, smiled softly and her eyes looking straight at his disorganized self.

‘Do you want a kiss?’

“Ugh!”

Rudrick’s eyes widened.

Then he saw the picture of his subordinates staring at him with wide-open eyes.

For a moment, Rudrick realized what the situation was like, he was dozing off in the middle of the meeting and got up in surprise.

Pulling off his wild breath, Rudrick frowned openly.

There was a suffocating silence in the conference room, and someone who had been watching him for a long time opened his mouth carefully and said, “Your Majesty, do you have a fever?”

“What?”

Then he sneakily pointed to Rudrick, “Your face is red.”