I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend

The entire carriage ride, I pressed down on the pounding in my chest. 

As the scenery outside the carriage passed quickly, I could see the familiar road, and as we approached the Bouser mansion, I became increasingly confused.

In truth, I had already thought of something to say.

From a greeting of hello, to an apology for my sudden collapse, which must have frightened him, to a proper gratitude for coming to my rescue that day.

There were so many things to say, I just needed to say them one after the other. What’s so hard about this, I wondered.

For some reason, I’m more nervous than I was when I presented at the final meeting, I thought bitterly.

At this point, I was worried that I would be standing in front of Rudrik, that my head would be blank, and I would do something stupid again, and I wondered if it was too late.

But I also felt a strange sense of anticipation.

My heart began to beat with a new pounding in my chest.

Biting my lip, I stared out the window. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and I don’t even know what kind of answer I’ll get from him, but I know that our relationship will be completely different after this.

But my hopes were soon shattered.

When I finally arrived at the Bouser mansion, I was greeted with the news that Rudrik was not there.

The butler who greeted me said that in a troubled tone, and as I listened to his explanation, I patted my chest silently.

So he hadn’t gone back yet?

The butler nodded stammeringly, unable to speak.

He seemed to be convinced, for this was the way I used to be when I was in and out of the manor, and I was more inclined to sit around than I am now.

The butler ushered me into the reception room with familiarity, and I followed him into the manor. 

Suddenly, I blurted out a thought.

The reason I suddenly asked about O’Neill was simple. 

The answer was simple, O’Neill hadn’t shown up.

Of course, she’s under no obligation to visit me. 

We didn’t even see each other that often before she started helping me with my work.

Still, I felt that O’Neill would have come to visit at some point. 

She had taken a keen interest in me, she would want to know how the meeting went, and most importantly, the news of my accident had been publicized.

But she never made a single appearance. Not on the estate, not back in the capital.

So, out of sheer curiosity, I asked him, just in case, and his answer was more surprising than I expected.

I squinted and looked at the butler, who gave me a dubious look.

Listening to the butler, I nodded dumbly. 

And at the same time, I thought,

Then why hasn’t she shown up? It’s not like she didn’t know I was back, right?

Stopping in my tracks, I pondered for a moment. 

The butler looked at me curiously, and as I tried to organize my thoughts, I made a decision and lifted my head.

Though in truth, she’d be out enough without having to go through the front door, I replied, not bothering to mention that fact.

The butler gave me a puzzled look, but he didn’t say anything else.

O’Neill was staying in one of the guest rooms, as was typical for guests visiting the mansion. If it’s any consolation, she’s staying in the far corner of the room.

As I stood in the doorway, I swallowed dryly at the odd silence.

Not knowing why it felt so unfamiliar, when I hadn’t seen her for so long, I raised my hand.

Knocking lightly on the door, I heard nothing. I shook my head and knocked again.

This time I even called out her name, but still no answer.

Maybe she wasn’t in the room after all?

But just in case, I knocked a few more times, and before long, I was convinced she wasn’t there. After a moment’s hesitation, I gently tugged on the doorknob.

With a yelp, the door slid open.

The door opened without warning, and I froze in place. 

All the other servants had already been dismissed, leaving me alone, but I glanced around nervously.

Without even thinking about it, I should have slammed the door and turned around.

It was obvious that there was no one inside, and it was rude to sneak into an unoccupied room. It was better to wait until later, or make an appointment for another time.

Still, I wasn’t easily dissuaded. On the contrary, I felt a strange urge to look beyond the room.

Somehow, I managed to brainwash myself into leaning forward.

Just to check, just to make sure O’Neill wasn’t really there, and then close the door.

But the

thought didn’t stop there.

soon turned into

and even after I entered the room, I kept saying,

or

or

At the same time, I noticed that the sense of discomfort I had felt earlier in O’Neill’s room was getting stronger and more intense.

It was strange. Her room was clearly no different from any other room. In fact, I’d say it was a little different, and it looked a little more tacky than the others.

The room was clearly meant to be inhabited, but there was nothing but basic furniture, and even that didn’t look used. 

There was even dust all over the furniture. It was as if the room had been empty for days.

I scratched my head and took a long, hard look around, until my gaze finally settled on one spot.

On the nightstand next to the bed, in a box.

The box was neither big nor small, but it looked like a jewelry box, yes, a nobleman’s jewelry box.

It was wooden and plain, not as ornate as a real jewelry box. But somehow, at that moment, I had a strangely strong foreboding.

There was something in there, something important.

I reached out and grabbed the box, but it was firmly closed. Like a safe, it was locked with a series of circles in front of it, each of which had to be turned to match the numbers.

No wonder I couldn’t crack it. I had no idea how much I knew about O’Neill, and there were no numbers to guess.

Instead, I should have just put the box down and walked away.

I panicked, but my body moved before my mind. My hands moved naturally, as if I hadn’t solved it once or twice before, and I guessed the numbers.

And finally.

The box opened. I peered inside.

For a moment, I was frozen in place.

Then, out of nowhere, a chilling voice came from behind me.

O’Neill and I turned to face each other.

She was sipping her tea with a nonchalant expression on her face, and I sneaked a look at her, trying to look as nonchalant as possible.

Luckily for O’Neill, she didn’t realize I’d opened the box.

In fact, I had closed the box before she arrived, and I quickly tucked the items I hadn’t gotten to into my arms. Then I turned and said, as casually as I could.

At my apology, O’Neill smiled as if she didn’t mind. 

My heart flutters as her gaze drifts to the back of my head for a moment, but thankfully she just turns away without comment.

Pulling on a string in the room, I called for a servant. 

But before I had time to ponder, the maid came in, and I asked her for tea and dessert, while O’Neill and I chatted about various things.

Looking at her apologetic expression, I almost blurted out, ‘

But I swallowed hard and just smiled.

O’Neill asked with a twinkle in her eye.

At her question, I smiled broadly, as if I’d heard a good answer.

O’Neill exclaimed, jumping up and down when she heard the news.

At the sight of her beaming like it was her business, I felt my nervousness melt away.

Alright, I was a little suspicious, but she couldn’t be a bad person. 

How many people could be so genuinely pleased with someone else’s accomplishments, and how many people could have such a clear face that looks like pure magic…

I winced at the sudden strangeness of the question.

But she wouldn’t let me finish. Cutting me off, she leaned forward and whispered low.