I Possessed the Villain’s Childhood Friend – Chapter 48

The students of Arcana are mostly children of the nobility, so it’s only natural that there exists a Banquet Hall.

After the finals, before the vacation, a ball is held during the empire’s holiday and graduation ceremony, and to use it privately, one must obtain a permit.

What on earth is Reina trying to discuss?

Honestly, I had no idea.

Even if she continued from the last conversation, was it really necessary to rent the Banquet Hall?

Though there were many people when we talked in the Misty Garden, a soundproof Barrier would be a level of Magic that even Reina could use.

Thinking this, I moved my feet.

The Banquet Hall of Arcana is located at the northern tip of the premises.

It takes about 10 minutes to walk there from the Dormitory.

And the time I arrived at the Banquet Hall was 4:50 PM.

“…No one’s here.”

The front gate and the inner door were open.

That surely meant a permit had been granted.

However, as I walked from the hall to the main building, I felt no presence whatsoever.

The clock in the center of the main building indicated that it was now 4:55 PM.

Reina has a habit of arriving 10 minutes early when she makes an appointment.

So I had come at that time as well.

I couldn’t imagine Reina being late.

Could something have happened on the way?

“Ah, you’ve arrived, Aike.”

When I turned my gaze at the sudden voice, I saw the Crown Prince walking down the corridor on my left.

“Your Highness, what brings you here?”

“Hmm? Naturally, I was summoned by Miss Reina?”

Indeed, he also intended to continue from the last conversation.

I wondered what response I could give this time.

How could I hide the feeling of not being the real Aike Akses?

“Follow me. Everyone is in the lounge inside the corridor.”

“Yes.”

I nodded and slowly followed behind the Crown Prince.

But for some reason, I felt a strange sweet aroma.

“Here we are.”

Having that thought for just a moment, we had reached the lounge.

“I’ll go in.”

The Crown Prince gave a light knock and opened the door.

And what greeted me inside was—

“Happy Birthday!”

With small fireworks sent towards the sky, I was welcomed by Reina, Sophia, Helen, and Atal.

Come to think of it, today, April 30th, was my birthday.

To be precise, it was the birthday of Aike Akses.

“Did Miss Sophia really make these sweets?”

“Yes, Helen. I was asked by Reina to work hard on them for four days.”

“Impressive. They taste better than most high-end confectioneries.”

“Hehe, thank you.”

It wasn’t particularly a lavish party.

It felt more like an ordinary tea party.

Of course, I wasn’t going to complain about not liking that kind of atmosphere.

Seeing the cheerful scene without a trace of heaviness made me regret being tense all this time.

While I was mindlessly sipping tea,

“Aike, young noble.”

Reina called out to me.

“Yes, Miss Reina.”

Fortunately, the words about not giving up from earlier didn’t seem to apply now.

“Please take care of me from now on.”

Reina gently smiled and presented me with a wrapped gift.

“It’s a gift prepared by all five of us, so I hope you’ll like it.”

“To be precise, we only contributed money. The gift itself was chosen by Miss Reina.”

With Helen’s comment, I slowly unwrapped the paper.

What emerged was a thick book.

The title was ‘All the History of the Aiter Continent.’

“It’s written by the famous historians of the empire. I’ve heard it’s the best among all existing history books.”

“Miss Reina, I’ve been curious since you mentioned it yesterday; why did you choose a book as a gift?”

“I was wondering the same. I thought young noble Aike, as a knight hopeful, would choose a sword or armor as a gift.”

As Helen and Atal asked, Reina tucked her hair behind her ear.

“I was going to do that at first, but suddenly I recalled old memories.”

“What kind of memory?”

“It’s just that when we were in the same room, we used to read books silently together. It was completely quiet without any sound, but I liked that atmosphere.”

It was, of course, a memory I shared as well.

“At that time, young noble Aike particularly enjoyed reading history books, so I referenced that part.”

Because that was the time I proposed to Reina that we should have some reading time together to get to know this world as thoroughly as possible.

I had suggested that we set aside an hour for reading, and back then, Reina was quite surprised, wondering what I was thinking since she originally hated books.

But to think she was reflecting on that.

“Shall we plan a time to read together later on?”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

Honestly, I was extremely happy.

I had reincarnated into this world after Aike’s 14th birthday.

And it had been less than two months since I spent time with Reina.

The fact that she spoke so happily about something that happened in such a short timeframe made me want to express my true feelings to Reina.

But,

Still, you’re not the real Aike, are you?

It felt like someone was saying that.

“Thank you, everyone.”

That was the limit of what I could say.

★

The clock had now passed 8 PM.

It was soon time to wrap up this gathering.

After tidying up the remaining sweets,

“I’ll head out first.”

One by one.

“I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

One by one.

“I think I should go now too.”

Everyone began to rise from their seats and leave the room.

Now, only Reina, Sophia, and I remained.

“Congratulations on your birthday, young noble Aike.”

“Thank you, Miss Sophia.”

“I’ll also get up now. I need to prepare for tomorrow’s class.”

“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, Miss Reina.”

Finally, Sophia left the Banquet Hall.

But Reina and I sat silently without any conversation.

The first to speak up was Reina.

“Aike.”

“Yes, Miss Reina.”

“Now that it’s just the two of us, wouldn’t it be okay to talk comfortably?”

“I already answered that last time.”

It was a statement I would never have made if it were the old Reina.

Let’s go back now.

If we talked more here, it felt like we might lose the flow.

With that thought firm in my mind, I also stood up.

“Wait.”

But Reina casually grabbed my arm.

There was obviously no option for me to ignore Reina, so I turned to look at her.

“This.”

Saying that, Reina handed me something wrapped up from the table.

It was different from the book I received earlier.

It had a lighter, cuter wrapping.

“It’s a personal gift.”

“Thank you.”

“Open it here.”

At Reina’s words, I untied the ribbon and opened the wrapping.

Inside was—

“…Madeleines?”

It was a type of confection known as Madeleines.

Having just eaten various sweets that Sophia had prepared, my stomach felt a little heavy, but I couldn’t refuse her kindness.

“Hmm.”

“How is it?”

To be honest, Sophia’s sweets were way more delicious.

These Madeleines were overly sweet and rich in flavor.

“They’re delicious.”

But this was still a proper gift.

I had no intention of complaining.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Well then, I think I’ll be going now.”

I rewrapped it and turned my back.

Just as I was about to open the door,

“Wait.”

Reina had stood up from her chair and grabbed my right wrist.

“Why do you keep trying to avoid me? Why do you refuse my requests?”

“….”

I couldn’t open my mouth to answer Reina’s question.

But the reason was simple.

I am not the real Aike Akses.

“I just treasure you, and I want us to return to how we were before. Do you dislike that?”

No. If only my heart were in it, I would want that too.

“Or did I do something wrong?”

Reina’s voice was shaking so violently that anyone could tell.

“Is it too late to decide to change?”

“It can’t be.”

Hearing that made me turn around to look at Reina.

Her eyes were filled with tears.

I didn’t want to see that expression.

“Reina, you haven’t done anything wrong. The mistake is mine.”

It was all because I was not the real Aike Akses.

“There’s no way Aike could have done anything wrong. He saved me. He granted my wish. He saved Anna. When everyone else fell, he protected us alone. Even at the Magic Tower, Miss Charlotte spoke highly of how hard he worked. So what has he done wrong?”

I had merely ended up in this body by coincidence.

“What on earth are you so afraid of, Aike?”

“…That you’ll be disappointed someday.”

I was scared that when you found out I wasn’t the real Aike, the warmth in your smile would turn cold.

I was terrified of hearing that if it were the real Aike Akses, he would’ve done better.

Even though I knew you wouldn’t do that.

“Aike.”

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe under the gaze that Reina quietly fixed on me.

In her tear-filled eyes was warmth that I could feel.

It made me feel like I might end up in tears as well.

“I won’t be disappointed in you, no matter what happens. Even if a strange intruder arrives and you can’t protect me, I won’t blame you.”

“And what if I’m hiding something very important?”

“Yeah. Never. I believe if it’s you, Aike, there must be a reason.”

Her declaration, lacking hesitation, caused a chuckle to escape me involuntarily.

Because I was confident that her words were true.

Despite knowing that the Reina I knew was indeed an antagonist in a novel, and that our time knowing each other wasn’t even six months.

Even with that realization, I found myself wholeheartedly trusting you.

“…I feel like I worried for no reason.”

Yes. What does it matter that I’m not the real Aike Akses?

After all, he didn’t save Reina.

In the original story, he left her to die.

No matter what circumstances he had, that fact stays unchanged.

Right.

The fact that Reina and Sophia have grown closer, that the connections with others haven’t been tangled.

That we can have conversations like this while smiling.

It’s all because of my efforts.

It’s all the result of what I, Aike Akses, have done.

Reina isn’t a puppet that moves per my desires, right?

Of course not.

She’s someone precious to me.

Isn’t it only natural to do my utmost for a precious person?

Doing my best so that they can smile is just the obvious thing to do.

It seems geniuses don’t understand the feelings of us normal folk.

“I look forward to working with you, Reina.”

“Yeah. I look forward to working with you too, Aike.”

I smiled and extended my right hand, and Reina smiled as she took my hand.

Today, I became the childhood friend of the antagonist I liked.