I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend

 

Rudrick gazed down at Dahlia, sleeping in his arms.

 

In truth, he hadn’t expected much from her until he lifted her onto the horse.

 

My men had acted as if they’d forgotten to bring a wagon, but he had a pretty good idea why.

 

With the terrain here, they wouldn’t have been able to get a carriage through, and they shouldn’t have brought one in the first place.

 

Eventually, they’d realize they’d have no choice but to travel on horseback.

 

And even if Dahlia was afraid of horses, they would have shrugged it off, thinking,

‘Well, she can ride once with her eyes closed.’

 

But not Rudrick, who knows why Dahlia was traumatized. Because if he’s right, Dahlia’s trauma wasn’t just about being afraid of horses.

 

Riding a horse, especially with someone like Rudrick, who was involved in the cause of her trauma, meant that something bad could happen.

 

So it was practically a gamble to put Dahlia on my horse…

 

‘Is she alright since she can’t see, or…’

 

Rudrick glanced at Dahlia, who was fast asleep in his arms, with a questioning glance.

 

Of course, when he’d first lifted her onto the horse, she’d seemed a little bewildered. And I think she shivered a little. Seeing her standing there in my cloak, unable to move, had made me tremble a bit.

 

That’s why he impulsively hugged Dahlia.

 

He held her with such confidence when rational thought would have told him to put her down immediately.

 

Maybe he thought he could calm her down.

 

But whether by coincidence or necessity, she did calm down. And she fell asleep, seemingly comfortable with my clumsy touches.

 

Although it made me look like a lonely, desperate mess.

 

‘…At least she’s safe.’

 

Indeed, in many ways, I’m glad I did. It wasn’t just that we got to ride a horse. It was the fact that she was safe when the Cyclops came out, or that she survived the fall off the cliff.

 

I still get chills thinking about the time Dahlia lost her footing on the cliff.

 

Rudrick hadn’t felt fear in a long time. It was an emotion he hadn’t felt in a decade, not even on the battlefield, not even when he was near death.

 

When he finally regained his senses, he wrapped his arms around Dahlia, and they fell together, but if he had it to do over again, he would make the same choice.

 

Even if it was the most unprepared and reckless choice.

 

‘I have no regrets.’

 

Not then, not in the cave, not even before this. When it came to Dahlia’s life, he had no reason to hesitate.

 

But now, what was I waiting for?

 “Your Excellency, what do you want to do?” 

Ruth Fedex, who had been standing beside him, driving his horse, came up to him as if he had noticed that Dahlia had fallen asleep.

 

Rudrick’s eyes glazed over at her, but he flinched but didn’t back down.

 

Swallowing a sigh secretly, Rudrick focused back on the road ahead and thought.

 “Is that…” 

The question was obvious. The theft of the Ring of Lord not so long ago. He probably meant,

‘Will you tell Dahlia what you’ve found out since then?’

 

Or, more precisely, the whereabouts of Madame Fedwick.

 

‘She was dead.’

 

The thief was found. The only problem was, she was already a cold corpse.

 

I don’t know how long she’d been thinking about betraying Bouser.

 

On her trail, it seemed that her son had gambled away his fortune and was deeply in debt and on the verge of having to hand over the estate, but none of that mattered to him.

 

All he wanted to know was what he was going to do with the ring, and who was paying for it.

And the whereabouts of the ring.

 

‘No matter where I looked, the ring was nowhere to be found. The killer must have already traveled to another country with the ring.’

 

‘He must have killed her by silencing her.’

 

Though he spoke bluntly, Rudrick was equally perplexed. The ring was a Bouser treasure that had been handed down through the generations, and only a few people knew what it could do.

 

There was no way some random person would steal it for a few pennies. The culprit must have known the ring’s value and targeted it.

 

‘The only people who know the secret are the highest-ranking nobles, the emperor, and the crown prince…’

 

Averine wouldn’t even have known so that left Goldman and the imperial family. But at the same time, he wondered.

 

‘What are they going to do with the ring?’

 

If the ring’s seal were broken, the North would be the first to be trampled on, but it would eventually become a problem for the entire empire. Anyone could see that there was no good to be gained by touching it.

 

‘Is it to intimidate me? Or to gain an advantage?’

 

But no reasonable explanation came to mind, and he decided it would be quicker to catch the culprit and hear it from his lips.

 

Rudrick immediately recognized the owner of the gambling house to which Madame Fedwick’s son owed the debt.

 

It was still illegal to operate a gambling house in the Empire, so he had a proxy, but it wasn’t hard to find out who the real owner was.

 

The proxy had been in contact with Goldman.

 

‘Funny.’

 

Here was a family that presented itself as a family of integrity, protectors of the imperial family and the empire, and yet, behind the scenes, they had their hands in the dirty business.

 

But there were still many questions.

 

How did Goldman, whose loyalty to the imperial family had always been unwavering, come up with the idea of running an illegal gambling house, and where did he get the money for it?

 

But his first thought was this.

 

‘Is River Goldman involved?’

 

Even though he was the second son, he was part of the Goldman family.

 

Even if he wasn’t the first in line to command an imperial cavalry division, he’d be worth using, especially since he’d earned the crown prince’s respect for his service in the war.

 

‘Maybe the northern expedition wasn’t for nothing.’

 

Regardless, he hadn’t acted suspiciously since coming to the north.

 

I wondered why he was wandering around on his own, and asked the imperial representative, but he didn’t seem to have any special assignments.

 

So it had to be one of two things. Either he had personal business to attend to, or he was on orders from his father.

 “Are you going to tell the princess everything?”

Ruth, who had been staring at him impatiently while he was lost in thought, interrupted him, and he finally spoke.

“The truth…” 

What? How do I say this?

 

That Madame Fedwick, the woman you knew, was dead, and that Sir River, the man you loved, might be a pawn of Goldman, the man behind it all?

 

So you must keep as much distance from him as you could, and not trust him?

 

‘Is it possible not to be hurt?’

 

It was no secret that Dahlia had a crush on River Goldman.

 

He knew better, especially since he was so close by. The twinkle in Dahlia’s eyes whenever she looked at him. The way she smiled, as if genuinely happy.

 

A

‘real friend’

would hide this from her. She’d end up getting hurt.

 

There’s no telling where River Goldman’s sincerity lies, especially if his purpose was to use her.

 

But he no longer thought of her as anything more than a friend. A sinister feeling rose in his stomach.

 

‘If I tell her…’

 

Could she finally give him up?

 

It might hurt. Maybe she might cry, but that’s okay. No matter how much it hurts, no matter how much she struggles, he’d be there to take it all in.

 

And as he comforts her… her heart might naturally be drawn to him…

 “That’s disgusting, Rudrick Bouser.” “What?” “No, I’m talking to myself.” 

Rudrick gave a self-deprecating laugh and turned his attention back to Dahlia.

 

I know. There was no way to change her mind with such a flimsy ploy. No amount of consolation would make her think of him as anything but a good friend.

 “I’ll tell her.” 

Perhaps I should tell her anyway. It’s not like she had anything to do with this.

 

If things escalate, eventually she’s going to find out, and it’s better to tell her before then.

 

But…

 “Later.” 

Again, he didn’t want to see Dahlia hurt. No matter how much he wanted her to care for him, no matter how much he wanted her to feel for him, what good would it do if she was in pain?

 

He wanted to see her smiling more than he wanted to see her crying.

 

So let’s wait until a little later when things have settled down when she’s a little more aware, and she’s ready.

 

‘Until then…’

 

I squeezed her hand, causing her to flinch.

 

Rudrick smiled to himself as he relaxed his grip again and helped her lean back.

 

‘I want you to be happy,’

he thought as he rested Dahlia’s forehead against him.

  

Upon waking, the ceiling appears unfamiliar.

 

No, it’s a familiar ceiling. It was the room I was staying in at the Bouser Ducal Residence.

 

As soon as I realized this, I jumped to my feet. The sky had already darkened outside the window, and the silence that descended on the room was soothing.

 

‘I slept this long?’

 

Of course, I was very tired. I’d been on the move all day looking for the fiends and ended up falling off a cliff and spending the night in a cave.

 

Honestly, it was traumatizing, so it’s no wonder I felt sleepy at some point.

 

But if I was comfortable on a horse, then how convenient? I thought I would wake up on the way, or if not when I got there.

 

But instead, I didn’t wake up until I was carried into the room.

 

‘Well… it was a little comfortable.’

 

I did indeed feel a sense of security when I leaned against Rudrick’s chest.

 

No, it wasn’t just safe, it was cozy.

 

It’s like it was made just for me, and when I rested my head on it, it was cozier than most beds.

 

Seriously, it’s like sleeping on the best pillow ever. If we ever sleep together again, I might even sleep without a pillow…

 “Ugh, think again, ugh… think again!” 

Hastily, I shook my head at the idle thoughts that were creeping into my mind.

 

Yeah, Rudrick’s chest pecs and all, but that’s not the point. What matters…

 “There!” 

My little demon!

 

I’d already changed into my comfy pajamas, and all of my stuff was on the table, including the pouch where I’d stashed them.

 

Without even looking, I could tell. The pouch glowed in the dark because of the luminous fiend.

 

It was glowing blue, even though it must have been dead for a long time, stuck to the pouch.

 

‘Alright.’

 

Seeing that the creature was safe, I decided to wait until dawn.

 

After all, I’d slept soundly and was feeling refreshed, and now it was time to start working.

 

When morning finally dawned, and I had eaten my fill, I burst into one of the rooms.

 “Hestia!”