I Became The Male Lead's Female Friend

The Princess and I met at a club. To be precise, a social club where people meet to share a ‘special hobby’.

‘Romance Novel Reading Club Meeting!’

Since I was a child, my only hobby and enjoyment were reading romance novels, and as soon as I heard that a young lady of my age had such a club, I actively wanted to join it.

Fortunately, I was able to safely enter the club by writing down more than 10 chapters of the Romance Novel Reading Society registration process and writing the introductory text for my favorite romance novels, and meeting the Princess there.

What’s even more surprising was that the Princess herself was the founder of the club.

But it was the Princess’ romance knowledge that stood out. I knew she had an extraordinary mind for a Princess from the start, but her knowledge of romance novels was limited.

Moreover, she added this as if she understood my fateful view of love.

‘Since you were born as a human, isn’t it natural that you want to give your life for this fiery love? That makes sense.’

At that moment, I made up my mind that I wanted to befriend her.

After that, my active dash brought me closer to the Princess, and I still communicate with her and inquire about her news through letters from time to time.

So, even if I didn’t want to know, I had no choice but to know the Princess’ taste in men.

‘She had a taste for younger men, didn’t she?’

Did she say she couldn’t stand the difference between being a man and revealing his desires at crucial moments, even though she usually calls and shows off his younger sister?

I respected her taste, and Rudrick was a little out of character with her taste.

Because the Princess was younger than Rudrick and me.

‘It probably hadn’t happened yet anyway.’

So, without thinking, I asked Rudrick if there was any talk of marriage with the Princess.

“What about you?”

Soon I could hear him ask a strange question.

“You… are you okay?”

Rudrick asked me, so I answered, “Isn’t everything okay?”

At that, I almost spit out unconsciously.

“Yeah, nothing in particular?”

The rumor itself did not matter. 

‘No, it was even helping me.’

Rumors that Rudrick and I were madly in love began to fade as word spread that the Emperor had his eye on the Duke.

Indeed, if we were so close, the Emperor wouldn’t be able to show off so easily. And above all, it was because Rudrick never showed up when I went to various social parties.

The reaction of these people was split in half.

The fact that the rumor was a false rumor. That we’re deliberately hiding a relationship.

However, speculation that the rumor was a false rumor grew stronger because it was not an inappropriate relationship that we could not continue, and the latter was nonsense.

Of course, I added some air in between.

‘As a result, it’s a good thing.’

So, even if I heard rumors, I am in a position to welcome, let alone be embarrassed. And if I could just tell Rudrick that…

“What’s wrong?” asked Dahlia.

It was in Rudrick’s expression that he couldn’t say that at the moment.

Compared to when he was young when he couldn’t hide his emotions well, his cold face still made it difficult to understand his intentions.

When I saw him, he was restless. It seemed that he was somewhat nervous.

Furthermore, the look of confusion while staring at me strangely reminded me of a child on the verge of making a mistake, so the atmosphere became more ambiguous.

“Did His Majesty already tell you?”

I flinched and shivered when I saw him raise his voice, as if angry.

He probably doesn’t know, but unlike when we were young when he looked cute even when he was angry, he’d grown up a little, and I didn’t feel intimidated even if he frowned a little. 

Who wouldn’t be afraid to stare at him, even with that size?

I didn’t do anything wrong, but I asked carefully, looking at him without realizing it.

“Uh… Did I say something wrong?”

If it’s not, then what was it you don’t like??

But no word came back from him. Rather, Rudrick was staring at me.

In the past, when I lied, it was to conceal my true intentions. Was the difference between now and before that he’s observing me openly rather than timidly?

I was just blinking without knowing why…

After such a long silence, it was Rudrick who finally spoke first.

“Work…”

“What?”

“I have something to do.”

He suddenly stood. Then, with a face that was somehow colder than before, he spoke briefly, exuding cold air.

“I’ll get going.”

“No.”

“You already knew the Princess…”

“Not at all!”

“Then…”

After thinking about it for a while, I snapped my fingers and said lightly as if I had just remembered.

“Are you afraid I’ll be sad that you’re getting engaged? Hey, it’s not like when we were young, it’s good if your friends do well. Or you’re shy because you’re afraid I’ll make fun of you…”

“Say something that makes sense,” said Rudrick.

So Rudrick disappeared, without a blink of an eye in an instant

I was the only one left alone in a large office, spacing out. It’s no surprise that the same thing happened before. I felt an unexpected sense of surprise and belatedly shouted into the air.

“You have to tell me before you leave!”

✿

After that, I had to keep dwelling on what had happened with Rudrick all the way home.

Did I say something wrong in the middle? Or did I say something I shouldn’t? However, no matter how much I thought about it, the answer was not easy, so I was confused.

“Are you sensitive to engagement issues?”

The frosty look in Rudrick’s eyes at the end, and somehow in a strange mood, he couldn’t wash away the irritation until he got home.

And my discomfort got worse when I heard the news.

“What? Count Giovanni?”

It was after hearing an unexpected name in Lowell’s mouth.

“The Count came to our family to borrow money?”

“To be specific, they wanted to invest. They stated that if the new drug development is successful, they would share a portion of the profits.”

For a moment, I could recall a rumor I had heard at a social party I once attended.

“Count Giovanni is developing a new drug…”

At that time, I passed it on without any thought of punishment, but I never thought he would come to my family because of it.

Dahlia looked disapprovingly and asked Lowell.

“Why not go to the exchange?”

“I heard the amount is a little high.”

After all, no place lends money on a more strict basis than the exchange.

Especially when it comes to developing new drugs.

It was a fact that everyone in the Empire knew that Count Giovanni once had fun with health drugs.

However, it has been unknown for a while whether the effectiveness of a new drug was certain even after development was completed, and there are many risk factors in investing only based on the possibility.

“Did my father approve?”

“It’s still pending. There are a lot of opinions against it.”

“It’s understandable.”

My family would not have returned a very good answer unless they had brought a sample of the new drug.

I remembered the information I had heard about Count Giovanni.

A twit who worked in the pharmaceutical industry and was lucky enough to recruit Hestia to have fun with drugs, but he was blinded by jealousy and kicked her out.

He probably said that she stole all the recipes for the medicine she developed before kicking her out.

Count Giovanni had been doing well in the pharmaceutical business until now, and he seemed to be planning to develop new drugs and grow more businesses this time.

He must have already made a lot of money, but it’s obvious that he wants even more.

And my guess was right to some extent.

The result of asking Hestia directly without being able to overcome the awkwardness. She was convinced that most of Count Giovanni’s methods of making drugs were developed by Hestia.

“That’s how cheap it was. I didn’t study it for several years, and it’s not a waste to think that it was the price coming out of that trash”.

“But isn’t it a little too much? It’s a drug you developed, Hestia.”

“It’s all right. We’re getting a lot more support now than we were back then. We can make better medicines than those.”

Hestia, who says so, was so sure of herself that she had to remind me that she was a genius.

Then, as if by chance, I realized what I had heard and looked at her in a flash.

“Wait, can you make a better medicine than the new drug that Count Giovanni is trying to develop now?”