Chapter 33: I want friends

The next morning, Leefe, as she got up from bed, shook her heavy head.

(I couldn’t sleep much…)

It was because Oliver at the engagement party was too stimulating.

(Because I’m used to a life without lovers or friends, I guess it can’t be helped! It was like an accident that I didn’t dislike it at all!)

As she resigned herself and tried to switch her thoughts somehow, a maid peeked in.

“Miss Leefe, when you’re ready, please come to the salon. A guest has arrived.”

“…Huh?”

Who could the guest be? Rene is nearby, and she hasn’t even met the Demon Lord in this life yet.

If it were Oliver, the maid would clearly say so, and besides, Leefe doesn’t have any friends who would come to visit her.

With a tilt of her head, Leefe, heading towards the guest salon, was greeted by an unexpected figure.

“Good day, Miss Leefe.”

“Oh, you’re looking pale. Shouldn’t you take a little more rest?”

“…S-Sonia, Aurelia!?”

Sitting elegantly in the morning salon, sipping tea, were the two young ladies who had just yesterday staged a wrestling match at the engagement party, nearly unleashing their magical powers in anger.

The moment she saw that scene, everything came flooding back to her.

(That’s right! I completely forgot amidst the commotion of Oliver’s love potion incident, but I used black magic to nullify their magic in front of these two!)

Leefe almost jumped in surprise.

Surely, at that moment, these two were also greatly astonished. They understood that Leefe’s magic was something special, easily accepted her becoming Oliver’s fiancee—.”

(And then, just as I came to a conclusion, ‘Even if it’s perceived that I’ve threatened Oliver-sama and assumed the position of the Crown Prince’s fiancee, there’s nothing I can do about it,’ Oliver-sama came to my rescue.)

She doesn’t want to remember what happened afterward because it makes her blush.

( But for these two, I’m seen as the ‘wicked woman who uses black magic as a shield to manipulate their own country’s Crown Prince’… This visit is also to restrain me, isn’t it?)

Even though in this life she hasn’t burned a dragon’s nest or frozen a mountain, she is treated so poorly despite being quiet.

(Just when I thought I had a ‘role’ and perhaps a lover, it turns out to be the high-spec handsome Crown Prince who I can’t handle, and when I thought I was being spoken to by a young lady at the evening party, it turned out to be the usual battlefield…)

She just wants to live a normal girl’s life; why does it have to turn out like this?

“I want to cry.”

As I inadvertently muttered, Sonia and Aurelia hastily stood up.

“Leefe-sama!? You’re feeling insecure just after arriving from another country! And yet, I did such a thing yesterday…! It’s okay; we’re here for you.”

“No, Leefe- Sama is still not feeling well. I will escort you to your room. Please allow me to assist you.”

“Huh…!?!?!”

(Hmm…!? What does this mean!?)

Leefe could only blink at the completely unexpected attitude of the two.

What does it mean for them to be so considerate?

“Um, may I ask one thing? What exactly are Sonia-sama and Aurelia-sama doing here…?”

“We’re obviously here to thank Leefe-sama for yesterday. If Leefe-sama hadn’t nullified our magic and stopped us, we would have faced another ban from attending balls from our father again! It would have been terrible if we couldn’t meet Oliver-sama.”

“That’s right. And besides, I’m interested in Leefe-sama. If you’re willing, I’d like to invite you to a lecture by a magician at the palace.”

In response to their answers, Leefe was dumbfounded.

“Do you not find me scary…?”

“Why would we think that? Gratitude should be given, not fear.”

“But it’s black magic, isn’t it? Manipulating people, burning dragons—that kind of thing.”

“If it’s done with your adorable appearance, we would only love you more! Please do call upon such magic whenever you wish.”

Seeing Aurelia’s cheerful response, Leefe was stunned.

“Wait, am I really not being feared?”

She had completely expected to be treated as a villainess and feared. Just as she had prepared herself, she couldn’t say anything in response to their words, which were like those of friends.

It seemed they interpreted Leefe’s silent, gaping mouth as discomfort. They called for a maid and said, “Take care,” and “We’ll come visit again when you’re feeling better,” then left the salon.

Watching their backs as they seemed reluctant to part like friends bidding farewell, Leefe snapped back to reality.

“Rene! Rene, Rene, Rene, Rene!”

“Yes, yes.”

Rene immediately appeared at the salon door when called. It seemed he had been watching over Leefe’s ‘friend’ tea party.

“To me… have I finally, ah, made friends? Is it okay to call them friends!? Hey!”

“You did it.”

“Is this a dream!? Because I can’t believe it!?”

“Miss, please stop pinching my cheek. It really hurts…ouch.”

At Rene’s voice, Leefe released her grip on the contracted spirit’s cheek and instead began pinching her own. She was so happy she couldn’t feel the pain, but Rene’s cheek, which she had just been pinching, was red, so this must surely be reality.

As Leefe basked in unexpected happiness, Rene’s cheerful voice echoed in her ears.

“Weren’t those two the daughters of the Duke of Belz and the Marquis of Mayer? They’re the families that Oliver-sama was struggling not to offend while trying to break off the engagement, right? Miss, Oliver-sama will surely love you even more now.”