I Possessed the Villain’s Childhood Friend – Chapter 2

Gems so extravagant they make knowing their price terrifying.

A vast room that seems capable of accommodating dozens if needed.

A space that anyone would think is a splendid party hall.

This is the dining room of the Akses Duke House.

“Today is the Crown Prince’s debut in high society, you know, Aike?”

“Yes, Father.”

At first, I thought I could never adapt to this dining room for life, but after a month, I somewhat got used to it.

If there was anything harder, it was talking with my family.

Conversations with them were something I had hardly experienced throughout my life.

“Mother, is my brother participating in the party too?”

“Sadly, he says he can’t because he’s busy with student council duties.”

“That’s too bad.”

Father. Ados Akses.

Mother. Nia Akses.

Brother. Lukan Akses.

These are characters who never appeared in the original work and weren’t even mentioned.

Then again, considering Aike was a side character to begin with, it made sense that his family wouldn’t make an appearance.

“Aike. You know we are a noble knight family that has been alongside the imperial family since the founding of the Astria Empire. So, His Majesty has high expectations for you at the ball tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“Therefore, no matter what happens tomorrow, you must protect the Crown Prince. I know you have no talent for the sword, but I also know you’ve worked harder than anyone else. Be confident in your efforts.”

“Thank you, Father.”

But that effort wasn’t mine.

I had trained over the past month, but that was all thanks to the ‘real’ Aike Akses’s efforts.

“The Crown Prince will be your lord from now on. I believe you understand what that means.”

“…Understood.”

Father instructed me in a stern voice.

I nodded, but in my heart, I quietly apologized.

I’m sorry, Mr. Ados. No, Father. What I wish to protect is…

And then the party began.

★

“Amazing.”

As I looked around, I couldn’t suppress my honest amazement.

The Akses Duke House was impressive, but the imperial palace was even grander.

If this ballroom, located at the outskirts of the palace, was of such scale, I could only wonder how the main building of the palace would look.

It might be something created with human extravagance at its peak.

“Greetings, Lord Aike. I am the second son of the Lohr Count House…”

“Lord Aike, I am the first son of the Mariet Baron House…”

After arriving at the ballroom, I found myself steadily greeting people.

Aike was the second son, not the first heir.

However, the Akses Duke House is one of the second-generation ducal houses of the Astria Empire.

In other words, the second son of the Akses Duke House holds a status higher than that of many other heirs.

“Hmm.”

Having already met numerous nobles, I still hadn’t seen Reina’s face.

I wanted to meet her beforehand just to be sure.

Well, it’s not surprising since her being the Crown Prince’s fiancée is almost a secret, so it makes sense she wouldn’t show up until the end.

“This is a bit uncomfortable.”

The black tailcoat I was wearing felt somewhat tight against my body.

It didn’t feel tight because the clothes were small; rather, it was slightly difficult to move due to the muscle in my body.

It might be impossible to draw my sword quickly in this getup.

Normally, carrying a sword in the palace ballroom would be impossible, but the Akses Duke House had served as the Emperor’s knights since the founding of the empire.

They were allowed to carry swords, unlike regular nobles attending the party.

“But with these clothes looking like this…”

“Aike. Soon, His Majesty the Crown Prince will make his entrance. Focus.”

Father, who had approached unnoticed, whispered in my ear.

I wanted to ask about Reina’s whereabouts, but he left right after saying that, making it impossible.

Well, she is indeed the main character of the party, so she would likely appear alongside the Crown Prince.

In that case, I should prepare for what I need to do while I wait.

“I don’t know what I should do, though.”

It’s certain that some incident would occur at this ball.

But I had no idea what that incident would be.

The original story starts about four years later, with the female protagonist enrolling in the academy.

As for Reina’s past, there had only been one short extra published in the original work.

And all it vaguely described was how she falls for the Crown Prince due to some incident at the ball, with no specifics provided.

I might just be forgetting, but…

“The Crown Prince is entering!”

A male voice echoed through the ballroom.

At that, I glanced towards the entrance, where a man stood in the center, flanked by knights.

His splendid golden hair complemented his striking red eyes.

The pure white uniform decorated with numerous ornaments signified his noble status.

He was none other than the Crown Prince of the Astria Empire.

Leon Aigis Astria, officially another protagonist of “She Heals the Wounded World.”

While I couldn’t precisely recall his illustration or descriptions in the work, seeing his face somehow felt like I could grasp that kind of essence.

And behind him, a figure slowly began to reveal itself.

“…Hah.”

How many times had I been captivated by her?

Unlike usual, her lightly waved hair created a new charm against Rei’s cold demeanor.

Her dress, a blend of bright hues and platinum, heightened her pure image, and the understated accessories ended up accentuating her beauty.

She appeared to be cold as ice, yet exuded a transparent, pristine beauty.

It almost made me suspicious she had cast a spell on me with her shining presence.

I worried that the words I might utter could tarnish her charm.

Such was my apprehension.

“I am Leon. Leon Aigis Astria, the first heir of the empire.”

And before I knew it, the Crown Prince had taken the podium, speaking softly.

Everyone in the ballroom swallowed at his proclamation.

His words were short and polite but declared his firm status.

This ball was undoubtedly his debut stage in society.

To speak like that without so much as a tremble in such a setting was proof of his talent.

“Thank you to everyone for attending today.”

The Crown Prince surveyed the ballroom before lowering his head slightly.

“I hope you all enjoy the party.”

And with that, he stepped down from the podium.

Though brief, it surely left a strong impression on everyone inside.

Of course, since I already knew the conclusion, I didn’t think much about it.

“But Reina is not with him.”

I thought she would be with him because of the engagement announcement, but he came down alone.

When did she slip away, and where to?

“Did you call for me?”

But my questions were quickly resolved by Reina, who was suddenly behind me.

Yet, it wasn’t the childhood friend I knew.

Perhaps due to the surrounding gaze, she presented herself as the Ice Princess renowned for her reputation.

“Whoa.”

“Lord Aike, did you just call my name?”

“Uh, um. Lady Reina. It’s nothing.”

Guessing her intentions, I also adopted a formal demeanor, and it seemed to be the right choice as Reina slightly bowed her head.

“I understand. Have a peaceful day.”

“Lady Reina, may you also have a peaceful day.”

After our exchange, she left the scene.

Her expression and aura were beautiful yet cold.

To be honest, the Reina Rozelia I knew was much closer to this image.

In the original work, she spoke formally to everyone and permitted no close relationships.

While I preferred the camaraderie we had now, this was the Reina I recognized.

“Hmm. …Huh?”

While scratching my head with so many thoughts, I felt something between my neck and the suit.

“What could it be?”

As I pulled it out, it was a folded piece of paper.

Inside was a short message written in elegant script.

“The engagement announcement will be made midway through the party. While I don’t think it’s necessary, you must absolutely not tell anyone else.”

It was a letter containing Reina’s plea.

Did she sneak that in while standing behind me earlier?

“…I wasn’t planning to say anything anyway.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at feeling that I wasn’t trusted.

“Anyway, this isn’t what’s important right now.”

Though my thoughts paused momentarily, the key point was what was to come.

An event where the usually aloof Reina opens her heart completely to the Crown Prince.

What on earth could that be?

Sacrificing my life to protect Reina, perhaps?

But the Crown Prince only sees her as a political match, with no other feelings involved.

In the end, he chooses the female protagonist after breaking off the engagement with Reina.

This is complicated.

Ultimately, no matter what I think, I can’t step outside the realm of speculation.

All I could do was remain alert to respond whenever and wherever something might happen.

Though I disliked it, there was no helping it.

I should have personally contacted the author when the extra was serialized to inquire about the setup.

…What an unamusing thought.

“Damn it.”

As I lamented with a self-derisive sigh, I noticed the surroundings began to grow a bit tumultuous.

“You all should have greeted one another by now.”

At the center of it was once again the Crown Prince.

This time he was not on the podium, but in the center of the ballroom drawing attention.

And not just the location had changed; another twist was that Reina was now beside him.

I glanced over at a clock quietly hanging on the east wall of the ballroom, realizing that over two hours had passed since the party began.

Surely, it hadn’t been long since I had greeted Reina, but now an hour had slipped by.

“I believe most of you have already guessed, but this party is not solely for my debut.”

“That’s…”

“She must be from the Rozelia Duke House…”

“The Ice Princess.”

I could feel the atmosphere in the ballroom shift.

Given the meaning of this situation, expressions of shock painted the faces of several nobles.

They must have desired to raise their own daughters to such standing.

“Lady Reina. Would you grant me the honor of a dance?”

The Crown Prince gently knelt and extended his right hand towards Reina.

In conventional etiquette, the first partner a single man invites to dance at a ball is typically his fiancée.

Such customs existed in the empire.

Even the Crown Prince was not exempt from such traditions.

Thus, the relationship between the Crown Prince and Reina was clear.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Reina took his hand and assumed her posture.

As the music began to quietly resonate in the ballroom, the first to make a move was the Crown Prince.

In that instant, crimson blood began to scatter throughout the ballroom.