I Possessed the Villain’s Childhood Friend – Chapter 1

Aike Akses, the character from “She Heals the Wounded World,” is essentially a minor role.

If my memory serves me right, he has only appeared about three times in this work, which has surpassed 300 episodes.

And each time, it was solely to describe a character named Reina Rozelia.

According to the setting, he is the second son of the Duke House Akses in the background of the story, the Astria Empire.

He was a childhood friend of Reina Rozelia, the eldest daughter of the Rozelia Duke House.

Technically, they were used as political tools by both families, but their relationship was said not to be bad.

At least, that was until Reina got involved with the female protagonist.

The first appearance was when Aike, who has an honest personality and aspires to be a knight, intervened to stop Reina from bullying the female protagonist.

The second was when he advised Reina to lower her unnecessary pride.

The third was when he was seen walking away from Reina, who had become isolated after the female protagonist’s true identity was revealed.

His simple setting was only briefly described during a scene of conversation between the female protagonist and the Crown Prince, and there were no further appearances beyond that.

In a way, the minor role suited him perfectly.

Well, he was quite popular for a minor character due to his personality and role.

And that Aike Akses was, in fact, me right now.

“Are you really getting engaged to the Crown Prince?”

“Yes.”

Reina was glaring at me with cold eyes, forcing me to repeat her words several times.

She looked exactly like how she was described in the story.

Cold, confident, and noble.

I could understand how her seemingly trivial remarks and criticisms might be perceived as bullying by the readers.

“The announcement will be at the ball held at the palace next month. If you come, you’ll naturally find out, but since I’ve already spilled the beans, I’ll let you know in advance.”

“…Is it really okay?”

Without realizing it, that question slipped out of my mouth instinctively.

“What do you mean?”

At that, Reina tilted her head as if questioning what kind of question that was.

“You don’t even know who he is, what kind of person he is. Is it really fine for your future to be decided like that?”

If Reina’s engagement to the Crown Prince goes through, the one who would ultimately be hurt in the future would be her alone.

I asked out of genuine concern because I knew that.

After a brief frown, Reina slowly opened her mouth.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Uh?”

“Political marriages are an obligation for the nobility. Of course, the second sons and daughters may be more lenient in that regard, but it’s only natural to form an engagement with a noble family of some standing to maintain the family’s power. Our parents, for instance, were also brought together by a political marriage. That’s how it is in nobility.”

“So, you’re saying you’re okay with it?”

I wanted to say everything.

I wanted to tell her that she would ultimately be discarded, left to die alone in loneliness.

I wanted to teach her the harsh reality of life she was so oblivious to.

“I already said, didn’t I? For the nobility, a political marriage is an obligation. Individual feelings don’t matter much.”

But I couldn’t say that.

“And the Crown Prince is referred to as one of the greatest geniuses in the history of the empire. Being able to marry such a person is surely a happy thing. It’s something every noble family desires.”

As she said that, Reina added, “Well, I get what you mean. Your intentions are a bit strange, but you’re probably just worried about me as always.”

She was smiling, albeit slightly.

The Reina Rozelia I knew was not a character who smiled.

She always acted coldly, confidently, and nobly like a woman made of ice.

Even in her own side story, there was no description of her smiling.

She wanted happiness more than anyone else, but joy was an emotion forbidden to Reina.

In truth, she might have been an ordinary girl at heart.

And knowing that, her smile shone so brightly in my eyes.

“Thank you.”

I knew very well that she wasn’t genuinely smiling from happiness right now.

That smile was meant to comfort my worries.

It was as faint and bitter as it was questionable whether the corners of her mouth had risen at all.

Yet that expression was so radiant and beautiful that I inadvertently found myself spellbound.

They say the first person to fall in love is the one who loses.

If that’s the case, I’ll never be able to win over Reina.

Because I had liked her long before this.

She was the first character I fully immersed myself in while reading, and through her, I was able to endure my time in rehabilitation.

Yes. You were my driving force in life.

So now it is my turn to repay you.

Remembering that the character known as Reina wanted a world where she could be happy, I decided.

Given the current situation, it’s certainly a wish I could fulfill.

Then, I will create a future where you can be happy.

That was the first goal I set upon coming to this place.

★

The first thing I did after setting my goal was to organize all my knowledge about this world.

I had read “She Heals the Wounded World” years ago.

So, my memories were vague, like Swiss cheese with holes here and there, but that wasn’t a reason to stop me.

“The Crown Prince and the female protagonist aren’t bad people.”

The two who made Reina unhappy, in the end, would become heroes who saved the world.

In other words, they were essential beings in the story.

Above all, the female protagonist was one of the few who tried to understand Reina until the very end.

While everyone else condemned and bullied her, she never once joined that flow.

It wouldn’t be necessary to clash.

“And Aike’s role is a device to express Reina’s loneliness.”

But I had no intention of sticking to such a role.

What I wanted was a future where Reina could be happy.

If that’s impossible, then it holds no meaning for me.

“What I can do with the knowledge I have….”

While I was thinking of various methods, a perfect solution suddenly came to mind.

Let’s recall Reina’s feelings from her side story.

What she truly desired was to live happily with the one she loved.

The person Reina loved was the Crown Prince.

Even though their connection was through a political marriage, Reina truly loved the Crown Prince.

Then, there is a very simple method.

Even though the relationship between the Crown Prince and the female protagonist is undeniably a crucial part of the story, it’s not significantly related to their becoming heroes.

In other words, I just need to prevent Reina from breaking her engagement with the Crown Prince, and bring the two together.

And with the knowledge I possess, that should not be too difficult.

I already know the reasons the Crown Prince will fall for the female protagonist.

“The Crown Prince will be making his social debut at the ball held at the palace next week, right?”

“Yes. While some say it’s rather late, most people aren’t making a big deal out of it. There were acceptable reasons for it.”

This would be the third time I’d met Reina.

Our meeting time was every Monday at 8:30 P.M.

We would spend about two hours talking before parting ways.

There was no specific topic set; we simply met and had random conversations.

“Acceptable reasons?”

“His Highness had been suffering from magic fever for a long time.”

Thinking back, that setting did exist.

The Crown Prince, renowned as the greatest genius in the empire, had an overwhelming amount of magic power from a young age.

He suffered from a prolonged high fever until his body fully adapted to the magic, during which he could perform no activities whatsoever.

“So for his social debut, there’s a marriage announcement right away.”

“That’s probably to quell the public’s distrust regarding His Highness.”

As Reina said that, she sipped her tea slowly.

And while watching Reina like that, I quietly spoke.

“…If you’re going to get engaged, wouldn’t it be better for you to change a bit?”

“Uh?”

At my sudden remark, Reina set down her teacup and glared at me.

“What do you mean by that?”

Her gaze, demanding clarification, clearly held an air of intimidation.

That was classic Reina, the Ice Princess.

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

But I wasn’t at all nervous.

“You know how people perceive you, right?”

“…Am I referred to as the Ice Princess?”

“That’s right. You know that’s not exactly a good title, right? As someone who will soon be a Crown Princess, wouldn’t it be better to shed that image?”

At my answer, Reina briefly frowned.

However, that did nothing to diminish her beauty.

Rather, even that expression seemed to resemble a painting.

The saying that a beauty is beautiful no matter how you look at her proved true.

“Hmm.”

The atmosphere of Reina, called the Ice Princess, was chilling enough to send shivers down your spine if you weren’t careful.

But the reason I could entertain such foolish thoughts in front of her was because I knew it wasn’t all genuine.

“If you’re to be a Crown Princess, it would be better to have a friendly image among the citizens.”

“Honestly, I think it’s unnecessary. From the beginning, the royal family already approaches me knowing exactly who I am. There’s no need for me to change.”

After finishing her thoughts, Reina calmly stated her point.

“…But you must have a reason for saying that.”

Success.

Everything unfolded just as I had anticipated.

It had been three weeks since I crossed over into the world of “She Heals the Wounded World.”

During that time, I spent my days researching various things for my plans.

And thanks to that, I discovered one crucial fact.

That fact was that Reina was quite soft towards Aike.

Even when discussing the same topic, she listens more attentively to Aike’s words.

Even if similar proposals are made, she prioritizes Aike’s.

Most importantly, she uses informal language with Aike, which is unique among everyone—including family.

In other words, if I put in the effort, I could definitely guide Reina towards the best future.

“What specifically do you mean by change?”

“How about being a bit more approachable? Don’t always keep a blank expression. Smiling occasionally would be nice too.”

“That may be part of my inherent personality… but I’ll give it a try.”

Her inherent personality, along with the behavior she learned as a noble since childhood had turned Reina into the Ice Princess.

And I believed that the loneliness she experiences in the future largely stemmed from that personality.

If I could change just a little bit, then perhaps I could avoid the worst.

This suggestion originated from those thoughts.

“Well then, shall I take my leave now?”

Looking at the clock, the hour hand was already pointing to 11.

Feeling full of regret, I still couldn’t hold Reina back.

Unlike me, the second son of a Duke House with a relatively easy lifestyle, she had significant responsibilities as the eldest daughter of her Duke House.

“Let’s meet at the palace next week.”

“Sure.”

Now it was time to start training in swordsmanship and magic, which had become familiar to me.

Having had little relation to exercise in my previous life, I worried a lot, but this body was healthy enough to brush those concerns aside easily.

“Huh.”

Once the training was over, I immediately opened a book.

Even if I know the future, knowledge is essential.

I only knew the story, but I was completely ignorant about this world.

From the founding of the empire to the current territories of the continent, the history of the Akses Duke House, various systems, and everything else I deemed necessary.

I explored all the knowledge I thought I might need.

So that I could assist Reina immediately if anything happened.

That was always my mindset.

If my memory serves me right, an incident will occur at the ball where the Crown Prince makes his debut, which leads to Reina falling in love.

Of course, that’s something that would resolve itself even if I did nothing, but I wanted to eliminate any unknown threats completely.

I needed to become stronger and learn more.

Because I didn’t know how my existence could change the future.

And time passed quickly, with the day of the ball now right around the corner.