ADLG 32

 Chapter 32

Nadia immediately realized that Yuria was hurt, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason. She thought their conversation had been cheerful—so where had things gone wrong?

Nadia wasn’t used to making friends, so at times she found it difficult to get along with people her age.

She expected Yuria to flare up in anger and storm off.

That was always how it went.

But Yuria’s reaction was entirely different. She let out a long breath and wore a determined expression.

“Then this time, I’ll really try harder.”

Nadia didn’t understand her words at first.

Try harder? At what?

Even while Nadia’s thoughts were frozen, Yuria kept speaking.

“We’ve only just become close, but I really like you, Nadia. I believe we could have become even closer. But since I was the one who betrayed your trust first, of course it’s my job to make the effort.”

“Lady Yuria, I think you may be misunderstanding. I didn’t mean that I never wanted to see you again….”

“But it’s true you felt our relationship was meaningless, isn’t it? And it’s natural for you to feel that way. Even if we have to start over from the beginning, I don’t mind. I want another chance to become friends with you, Nadia. May I?”

Nadia was puzzled.

Yuria was beautiful, the daughter of a renowned count. She was lively, wealthy, and close friends with the young Duke of Flang. If she wished, she could make countless friends.

And yet, she was striving so hard to win Nadia’s heart.

There was nothing to gain from it. She did it simply because she felt like it.

Looking at Yuria, Nadia was reminded of Heinrich—
that eight-year-old boy who had shown her unprovoked kindness.

She could no longer reject Yuria. Almost helplessly, she reached out and clasped her hand.

Joy spread across Yuria’s face.

“Isn’t this the Baroness of Hess?”

A deep male voice interrupted. Yuria’s shoulders hunched up in alarm.

Nadia glanced over Yuria’s shoulder and, upon seeing Count Crimson, grabbed her skirts and curtsied.

“It’s an honor to see you again, Your Excellency Count Crimson.”

“Ha ha, no need for such formality. You’re a friend of my daughter’s, after all.”

Count Crimson pretended not to remember what had happened at the Crimson townhouse.

The change in his attitude had a clear reason.

With a voice both friendly and greedy, he said:

“I hear it was you, young lady, who discovered the magic stone mine on Hess lands.”

“I was merely fortunate.”

“Perhaps, but wresting a mine from Baldwin’s hands isn’t something to be dismissed as luck alone.”

“It was nothing but inadequate skill.”

Nadia bowed politely, stealing a glance at Yuria.

Her face was crimson, as though it might burst.

The more Count Crimson acted amiably toward Nadia, the lower Yuria’s gaze sank.

Her face and even her nape flushed scarlet as she clutched her skirts tightly.

“Then I’ll entrust my daughter to your care. Yuria, let’s go home now.”

Count Crimson wrapped an arm around his daughter’s shoulders, playing the role of the doting father.

Yuria was stiff as a statue, unable to utter a word as she was led away.

Nadia watched her retreating figure with bitterness, then turned her head.

Beside her, Vivian sighed softly.

“Poor thing.”

“Don’t say that.”

“But…”

“For nearly twenty years, that man has thought of nothing but selling off his daughter. It would be stranger if such a man had any sense of shame.”

At Nadia’s words, Vivian nodded but still looked sympathetic.

“Still, apologizing takes courage. And now this had to happen… Are you going to reconcile with the count’s daughter?”

What Vivian left unsaid was: even though her father insulted you again.

“…Perhaps this time Lady Yuria won’t want to see me anymore.”

Her burning-red face had revealed how mortified she felt.

Yet Nadia couldn’t abandon her expectations of Yuria.

The memory of her brave apology, and of the tears falling onto her own cheek, weighed on Nadia’s steps.

She let out a sigh that turned into a faint laugh.

Maybe I’m caring too much. Once I return to the North, these ties might be cut anyway.

Just as she was thinking so self-mockingly—

She heard hurried footsteps behind her.

Nadia turned at once, almost as if she had been waiting for them.

There stood Yuria, clutching her skirts as she ran toward Nadia.

“Nadia!”

Panting hard, Yuria came to stand before her.

“I—I apologize for the—huff, huff—rudeness.”

Though she was struggling to breathe, she didn’t stop speaking.

“I’ll do everything I can to make sure you never have to face my father again. So please… hah… I’m sorry, I’m just so out of breath, one moment…”

Yuria pinched her nose, then took deep breaths, pressing her chest as if trying to steady herself.

Nadia couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the lovable girl.

She covered her mouth, chuckling softly.

“In that case, next time you’ll have to come to our townhouse directly.”

“…What?”

“Well, it’s impossible to keep track of every day His Excellency the Count is away from home. Unless you’d feel uncomfortable visiting our modest Hess townhouse, that is.”

Yuria mulled over her words carefully, then, realizing the meaning, broke into a radiant smile.

“Nadia!”

Before Nadia could blink, Yuria had leapt forward.

Her wide-spread arms wrapped tightly around Nadia.

“L-Lady Yuria?”

Nadia was so flustered—she had never been embraced by anyone like this before.

At first she tried to wriggle free, but the overexcited Yuria didn’t notice in the slightest.

In the end, Nadia could only give a helpless laugh and pat Yuria’s back.

Is this what a friend’s embrace feels like? Not very wide, but warm and comforting.

That day, Nadia and Yuria stayed together until the debutante ball ended.

Yuria chattered endlessly about everything that had happened, all while pushing desserts into Nadia’s mouth.

“Nadia, you need to eat all sorts of things.”

“Do I look that shabby?”

Nadia obediently ate the chocolate but asked in puzzlement.

“It’s not that—you’re just too thin. You’re already pretty, of course.”

“I suppose I lost some weight running around the mine lately.”

Nadia touched her cheek carefully.

Now that it was mentioned, her face did feel a bit hollow.

The thought that Heinrich had seen her like this embarrassed her belatedly.

While she was brooding, a tiny spoon slipped between her lips.

A milk pudding melted in her mouth—sweet and nutty, with the rich taste of a dessert prepared by the imperial kitchens.

Nadia quickly ate it, then covered her mouth to stop Yuria.

“Please don’t. There are so many people here.”

“What’s wrong with feeding dessert to my best friend?”

Yuria replied breezily.

Nadia gazed at her with a gentle smile, then asked:

“Yuria… why are you so kind to me?”

Her earlobes flushed faintly red. She had never once shared the kind of girlish conversations typical for girls her age, so she felt shy.

Thankfully, Yuria didn’t tease her for her reddened ears and answered without hesitation.

“Do you remember the little white colt I showed you last time?”

“You mean Snow White? Of course I do.”

When Nadia even recalled the horse’s name, Yuria smiled knowingly.

“Whenever I talk about Snow, everyone else thinks I’m joking and laughs. Or they cut me off, telling me to stop talking nonsense.”

“Why is that?”

“Because, in the end, it’s just a horse. They think the count’s daughter wouldn’t bother with a foal she won’t even ride. But you… you listened to me seriously back then.”

“…It wasn’t such a big deal.”

“But for me, it was the first time! You were the first to actually suggest different solutions for me.”

“In the end, I didn’t help at all, though, did I?”

“No. It was enough help for me. I don’t need someone to always take my side, and it’s fine if I get scolded sometimes. I just wanted someone—anyone—to listen to me earnestly.”

Finishing her words, Yuria gave Nadia a beautiful smile.

“And when I found a friend like that, I thought—I must never let her go.”

After saying so, she slipped another piece of chocolate into Nadia’s mouth.