Chapter 103 – The Male Lead’s Female Friend

Evelyn, neatly dressed, stood before her vanity, checking her appearance in the mirror.

Why am I so nervous about this?

Her anxious fingers fiddled once more with the ribbon at her collar.

Knock, knock—

“My lady, the carriage from the House of Lorenheim has arrived.”

Today, the original female lead of the story was expected to visit the Inevasel estate. While Evelyn had been bedridden, Dahlia had called several times to see her. However, because Evelyn’s condition had been so poor, her parents had declined all visitors.

‘By the time I’d recovered, Dahlia had already left to subjugate monsters.’

The newsletter wrote that it was a journey to uncover the truth behind the recent monster attacks.

Pushing aside her tangled emotions, Evelyn rose to her feet.

“Alright, I’ll head down now.”

When she descended the stairs, the butler greeted her with a polite bow and quickly briefed her on the situation.

“A short while ago, I showed Lady Lorenheim in.”

“Yes, thank you.”

With a small nod from her, the butler swung open the doors to the drawing room.

“Evelyn…!”

The moment Dahlia saw her, she sprang to her feet, looking as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

After meeting her gaze for a brief moment, Evelyn gave a subtle signal to the servants. The maids offered a graceful bow and quietly left the room. Now alone, the two of them sat together in a silence that felt both awkward and heavy. Having expected as much, she was grateful she’d asked the maids to decorate the room with fresh flowers beforehand.

Taking the seat across from Dahlia, she carefully weighed her words before speaking.

“It’s been a while, Dahlia.”

Perhaps the past few days had been hard on her since Dahlia’s face looked even more drawn than before. It was clear that guilt and worry had brought her here today.

Clasping her hands tightly in her lap, she bowed her head.

“I’m so sorry. I should have come sooner…”

Evelyn calmly lifted her teacup, taking a light sip before replying.

“It’s alright now. I’ve recovered quite a bit.”

“Evelyn…”

Setting her teacup back on the table, she met Dahlia’s eyes, her gaze steady and clear.

“But will you tell me in detail what happened that day?”

Just before the Lizardman appeared, the one who had been with her in the forest was Dahlia. So even though she had no wish to suspect a friend, it was necessary to understand the truth of what had happened.

“Of course. I’ve been meaning to tell you everything.”

Dahlia replied, nodding gravely before she began to explain what had occurred that day.

“I was able to find my mother’s keepsake in the woods.”

She had finally found the necklace deep within the thicket, but when she turned around, Evelyn had vanished. Realizing too late that her friend was missing, Dahlia left the forest to seek help. Later, she had been summoned as a witness during the investigation into the monster attack, but confessed she had been of little help, her voice tinged with regret.

“I never should have brought you there… I’m so sorry.”

Evelyn’s heart felt heavy at the sight of her dejection. The House of Lorenheim had already sent several gifts in gratitude as well.

‘It’s not as though I asked her here for an apology.’

She thought, absently tapping the armrest of her chair as her gaze drifted to the delicate neck of her guest. The tanzanite necklace gleamed brilliantly beneath the drawing room’s bright lights.

Yes, what mattered most was that Dahlia had recovered her precious keepsake.

“I’m glad you found your mother’s necklace.”

At those words, Dahlia’s expression went blank momentarily. She absently reached up to touch her necklace.

“It’s all thanks to you, Evelyn.”

Even so, she continued a bit hesitantly, her voice tinged with caution.

“Are we… still friends?”

Her voice held a trace of nervousness, but Evelyn only tilted her head in mild surprise.

“I always thought we were.”

Only then did Dahlia’s face break into a bright, genuine smile. After a moment, she sighed, as if something else had just occurred to her.

“Oh, and Duke Rikeran was worried about you as well.”

Now, that is completely unexpected…