My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage Chapter 86
Translated by d6y (ko-fi)
Chapter 86
Am I being sensitive?
Yeah, I'm not married, and I'm not having an affair with Lancer. So there's no need for me to feel like this.
As I'm thinking about that, someone knocks on my door.
"My lady, Lord Lancer is here to see you."
Good. I was starting to wonder when he'd be coming.
I leave the book closed and go to see him.
Lancer is sitting on the sofa in the parlour, drinking tea. His golden hair glistens and shines in the warm sunlight.
He accepts the tea from the servants with a deftness that suggests he's been practising. The way he holds the teacup with his arms slightly crossed makes him look quite mature.
Well, I'll give him credit where credit is due.
I'm just about to approach him to compliment him.
"I'm sorry."
But for some reason, Lancer apologises as soon as he sees me.
I'm dumbfounded. "What's wrong with you all of a sudden?"
"Lady Artberry sent me a letter before I could." Lancer holds out the letter to me. I take it with some trepidation. "The servant brought it to me as soon as I got up this morning."
"In the morning?"
"Yes. A servant sent by Lady Artberry has been waiting outside our gates since dawn, and as soon as the gates opened, he delivered the letter."
So Lady Artbery had a servant wait since dawn to deliver this letter….
What on earth could have been so urgent?
I quickly begin to read the letter, starting with Lancer's name.
As all letters begin, it's a string of greetings and platitudes about the weather.
I skim over those unnecessary sentences, and halfway through the letter, I pick up a vital piece of information.
Why don't we go to see a play that is very popular among the nobility these days? I think it would be a very pleasant date to go with Lord Lancer!
'This is...!'
My heart sinks as I read this, and at the same time, my gaze slowly turns towards Lancer.
"This… is a date."
"I think so."
No, you don't! It's a date! It directly mentions the word date, what's to ‘think’ about it?
An exasperated sigh escapes my mouth. "Poor Hubert. He got robbed of a date by his brother without even knowing it...."
"Oh, I haven't told Brother Hubert yet, and it's not like I said yes to Lady Artbery!" Lancer stammers, embarrassed. He seems to be feeling sorry that his little blunder yesterday has caused all this trouble.
I take great comfort in this for a moment; in the past, he would've laughed without knowing what he'd done wrong, but not anymore.
"What are you going to do?" Setting the letter down on the table, I cross my arms and legs.
"I came to talk to you about what to do."
"Well, you said just the right thing yesterday to mislead Lady Artberry, so it's up to you," I say deliberately coldly.
"But we're friends."
"...So?"
"That's why I've come to you. I know I can handle this on my own, but I wanted to talk to you about it."
"...." I stare at Lancer without a word.
A shock washes over me like a flood.
This is something I have never considered before.
I used to get annoyed whenever Lancer asked me for things. I thought he was overly dependent on me because he couldn't figure things out on his own.
But then as it turns out, it was for this reason.
"...Why me?" I ask. I can't help myself, even though I know what his answer will be.
Because you're my only friend.
Because he has no one else. The only reason I'm special to him is because I'm his one and only friend.
I'm nothing more, nothing less—
"You've always been there for me." Lancer's voice interrupts my thoughts.
My head snaps up. I can see Lancer leaning towards me.
"You're not the only one I could ask. I have my parents, my brothers, Rachel, but you're the only one who's always been there for me." Lancer's blue eyes are focused on me as he says it.
"...You've grown quite eloquent." I feel the pressure of his gaze on me and clear my throat. As if that isn't enough, I pretend to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear and turn my head away. "Anyway, I think you should turn her down fast."
"But even if I do decline, I'm sure Lady Artberry will invite me again."
"Why do you think that?"
"It was only yesterday that I asked her to meet up with me again, but this morning I received this invitation right away. I think she really wants to meet me."
"Hmm."
He has a point.
It's usually polite to say, “Maybe another time.”
But we're going against Artberry, who literally sent an invitation as soon as daylight hit. Seems like she's taken a strong liking to Lancer.
Of course, I have hoped that Lancer and Artberry can become friends. But that's it, so it's a bit disconcerting to see her approaching Lancer actively with such interest.
'No,' I thought, 'if I'm embarrassed here, I look too small-minded.'
I've been thinking about it, but Lancer has the freedom to meet other people besides me.
I can be happy that someone I liked liked someone other than me, I can live with that.
Okay, let's get this over with.
"Lancer."
"Yes, Skyla."
"Do you like Lady Artberry Vrans?"
"I like Skyla Kaerun."
The question is answered incorrectly.
"What about Artberry?"
"I don't know about her, but I like Skyla."
Well, he doesn't seem to know how to do this.
I click my tongue inwardly.
But amid my mixed feelings, I feel a vague sense of pride. It's hard to stop liking someone who tells you they like you.
Of course, I still have doubts that "like" means the same thing to Lancer as it does to me.
As I'm thinking about this, Lancer says, "What about this, why don't you come with me?"
"Huh?" I blink at the sudden suggestion.
Wait, pause. Artberry asked you out, yet you're asking me to take me with you?
"I don't think I can turn her down now, so I'll just agree with her this time, and then decline future invitations. I'm not interested in her."
"No, wait...."
If Lancer's goal is to get Artberry's attention away from him, this isn't a bad way to do it.
But there's one problem. "I… actually have plans with His Highness to go to a play this Wednesday."
"What? What play?"
"Uh… it's a play called ‘My Husband and His Childhood Friend's Wedding as a Funeral’."
Lancer's eyes widen. "Well, but… this is the first time I've heard about this?"
Huh? "Of course you haven't. How would you know about a plan between me and His Highness?"
"What? So you're going without me?"
What kind of weird questions is he asking?
I cast a questioning glance at Lancer. It's such an obvious question that I don't know how to answer it.
Lancer, on the other hand, looks like he's in for a big shock.
"Well, but… Skyla, you always take me with you wherever you go somewhere, like the last time we went to the market, or the tea party, or…!"
Oh. So that's why he's confused. It hasn't occurred to him that I can go out with someone else without him.
It's my fault….
As a kid, Lancer had always been with me for everything. Whether it was a trip to the park, to the garden, or a picnic in the countryside, he was always with me.
I remember once when Lady Aronia held a tea party, Lancer turned into a woman to go with me.
"Listen, Lancer." Yeah, this is good. Let's take this opportunity to make him realise. "I can meet and have fun with other people without you, and you can have fun with other people without me."
As I predicted, Lancer's eyes widen.
"You can't be serious!"
"I am," I say firmly, and slide the letter from Artberry on the table. "You're going to realise this time. You've got plenty of fun things to do without me."
I mean, you didn't have to spend the last Imperial Ball sulking since I wasn't with you!
But Lancer shakes his head desperately. "But I don't want to be without you, Skyla!"
"Why not? Why is your happiness conditional? Why does it bother you when I'm not around?"
Are you going to be like Princess Bliss and get depressed and do nothing without me?
"There are so many people in this world, so many people, and if I'm not among them, will anything happen?"
Will you, like Princess Bliss, become obsessed with me, shutting yourself off from the outside world and living in seclusion?
"If I suddenly die, are you going to be so sad that you'll just sob and die after me?"
Are you going to die like Princess Bliss, when you mourn the loss of me?
To that question, Lancer answers so easily, so hollowly.
"Of course!"
I can't stand it.
"DON'T SAY THAT!" I’m shouting before I know it.
And I instantly regret it.
“Ah.” My voice is louder than I expect, and I unintentionally scowl at Lancer. "Lancer, this is…."
"I was just telling you how I felt, Skyla, and you didn't like it." Lancer grips the letter tightly. The pure white paper, faintly scented with roses, crumples. "I'm sorry, I won't say I like you in future."
"Lancer, that's not—"
"I'm leaving."
With that, he stands up and storms out of the parlour.
"...."
I don't dare call after him.
Even as I watch the others stare in wonder at his sudden departure, I can't do anything.
I remain as still as a root sprouting from beneath my feet.
If I get up and catch him now…,
If I do…
I feel like I will break down in tears right in front of him.
As unfortunate as it is, I am not a strong enough person to show weakness in front of others.