It's Annoying Because My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage

Grumbling to myself, I prepared to go to sleep.

After washing myself up, I changed into the pajamas Rachel had provided and made my way to Lancer’s room, intending to visit him for a bit before heading to bed.

“Lancer?” I opened the door and went in, but there was no one in sight.

“Young Master Lancer is still washing up.” A maid passing through the hallway spoke.

“Still?”

“Yes, the Young Master usually takes a bath for about an hour before going to bed.”

Contrary to Lancer’s impression, he's quite delicate…

With that thought in mind, I entered his room and waited for him.

This room was originally for guests of the Soli Duchy. As it is designed to be for sleeping only, there were only a bed, a side table, and a small desk and chair.

I flopped down on the crisp, white sheets of a bed.

“Sigh…”

I sighed in relief. 

It had been a long day with so much going on. The exhaustion washed over me like waves.

Come to think of it, I haven't even eaten dinner.

It would be better for me to eat something, but I didn't have an appetite because I was excited about what was to come in the near future.

I can finally take over the Kaerun Duchy!

Besides, I can't believe I will go to the Hebnia Kingdom that I longed to visit so much!

I'm glad I didn't have to grab anybody and marry them.

In the past, I had thought of bringing a random person to my wedding just to inherit Kaerun Duchy.

But I was unwilling to do so, I had to work hard so there would be a better way than that.

And only today did I get to see the fruits of my labour.

A fraudulent engagement!

It's not like we’re getting married, so it's less burdensome, and it's easy to make excuses when we break up later.

It was so perfect, to the point where I wanted to bow towards the palace where the Crown Prince resides.

Though, I hope Lancer doesn't stir trouble later on.

It was a little unsettling to see Lancer destroying a room like that because he was scolded by me today.

But it would be okay since he has never done outrageous things like killing a person or causing a catastrophe, right?

As I was thinking about that, I glanced around the room and noticed something on the side table next to me.

On the table laid a blue hardcover notebook. What is that?

Curiosity got the better of me as I crept toward it, where I soon discovered the notebook’s identity.

<Diary>

It's the same diary Lancer wanted to show me.

I'm still confused as to why Lancer wanted to show me this. Did he want me to write a compliment like ‘great’ as if I was a teacher grading his homework?

Unfazed, I flipped to the first page of the diary and saw the words written in large letters in sky-blue ink. Judging by the handwriting, it was probably written when he was a child.

<WARNING: THIS IS MY DIARY. ONLY I CAN OPEN IT. IF YOU OPEN IT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION… YOU WILL HAVE HORNS UP YOUR BUTT!!!>

“...”

Let's not laugh… let's not even smile… I’m sure I wrote way worse than this when I was a kid…

Despite the fearsome curse, I turned over the page. Lancer said he was going to show me the diary anyway, so technically I do have his permission. 

I don't care if I ended up having horns up my butt anyway, at least my nickname could change into something cute and adorable like ‘Devil’ instead of being called ‘The Grim Reaper of Society’.

With that in mind, I skimmed through the beginning of the diary.

The date recorded was about seven years ago. At that time, Lancer and I were probably 12-year-olds.

<Imperial calendar, March 6, 812>

Today, I played with Skyla. The lake was as pretty as Skyla. It was so much fun.

<Imperial calendar, March 12, 812>

Today, Skyla and I saw flowers in the garden. The flowers smelled as good as Skyla. It was so much fun.

<Imperial calendar, March 20, 812>

Today, I baked a cake with Skyla. The cake was delicious. It was so much fun.

Lancer… what a fun life you lived every day.

I wanted to cry at Lancer’s hopeless vocabulary, but I forced myself to remember that he was just a kid at the time.

All the entries that followed were mundane stories that ended with “It was so much fun.”

Losing interest, I jumped straight into the second half of the diary.

Then I found an unusual sentence.

<Imperial calendar, December 31, 815>

I confessed to Skyla for the first time today.

Ah.

I remember this day.

December 31, 815. How can I forget?

I could still vividly recall everything that happened that day.

I was fifteen at the time. Thinking that I could stay alone on my own, my parents left me in the mansion and travelled to the southern sea.

I spent my time lonesome when Lancer suddenly came to my door unannounced.

I was overjoyed by the sudden appearance of my childhood friend.

It was also a time when I was tired of the dull winter and uncharacteristically longed for company, so I was so glad to see him that I hugged him tightly without realizing it.

Back then, I didn't know how much Lancer would hurt me that day.

* * *

“Skyla, I have something to tell you,” Lancer told me.

Hating the cold, I crawled into the bed in my room, while Lancer perched on the edge of my bed.

“What is it?” I asked, sniffling from how chilly it was.

Lancer poured warm water into a cup using his magic power and handed it to me. I mumbled a thank you and took it.

“You know how my first brother is getting married soon, right?” He asked, pulling the duvet over me as I leaned back in bed.

“Yeah, of course, I do.”

Following the aristocratic practice, Lancer’s first brother was to inherit the Soli Duchy. 

As a result, he proposed to a young lady he always had a crush on, and the two got married.

“I’m jealous of him.”

“Why?”

“He can spend every day with someone he likes.”

Envy filled Lancer’s eyes as he spoke.

He wasn't lying.

Originally, Lancer’s first brother had to concentrate on his work as the next head of the family, but soon he was able to spend time with his lover with the consideration of the Duke and Duchess of Soli, who did not want to confine their son to work.

The two engaged lovers often spent time taking walks in Soli Duchy’s beautiful garden. Sometimes they would approach and greet us affectionately when they see us passing time by reading books there.

I remember looking at them and thinking they suit each other. Whenever they look at one another, honey drips from their eyes to the point of making bees unemployed.

As I wondered how happy they would be on their wedding day, 

“Do you want to get married?”

Cough cough!

My tongue felt burned when I choked on the steaming water I was drinking at the unexpected question.

“Skyla! Are you okay?”

Startled, Lancer hastily snatched the cup from me.

I resentfully glared at him, “Why did you suddenly ask that?”
 

His lips parted as tears started to well up in my eyes. I could tell he was panicking and struggling with how to handle this situation.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you… is it painful? Come here, I'll lick your wound better.”

“No no no no! Dont!”

 

My wound isn't an area you can lick!
 

I hastily gulped down the cold water from the kettle at my bedside table.

My throat felt cooler, but the rage within me didn't.

What did Lancer just say to me? Marriage? With him?

Instantly, all sorts of visions flashed through my mind.

Lancer in a well-tailored suit.

Lancer walks down the aisle while holding my hand.

Lancer proudly answers when asked if he will love me till death do us part. 

Just imagining it really… really made my heart start pounding a little.

Huh?

For a moment I was puzzled by my response.

Why is my stomach suddenly in knots?

Why is my heart pounding in my chest?

And why am I overreacting to Lancer’s words in the first place?

Hold on.

I, don't tell me…

“So, what are your thoughts?”
 

Whether he knew my inner turmoil or not, Lancer asked again, as if to prod me.

“Lancer…” I carefully raised my head.

Lancer’s face always has a bright smile on it, I noticed.

He looked the same as usual.

Swallowing dryly, I slowly opened my mouth, “...Why are you suddenly asking that?”
 

I was genuinely curious, what does Lancer think of me?

Does he not just see me as a friend he's known since childhood, but someone he has a crush on?

I'm sure that must be the case. If it isn't, then why would he suddenly ask about marriage?

There were two things Lancer couldn't do since birth: tell lies and jokes.

He probably doesn't know how to play tricks, so he wouldn't turn away from me later and say, “You believed that? It was a lie!” he doesn't even dare to raise his voice.

If you think about it like that, there's only one reason why Lancer would ask that.

“Do you like me?”

I wanted to hear his answer. I've never seen Lancer as more than a friend, but I wanted to hear his answer to this question myself; Lancer, do you like me?

“...” He stared at me for a while when I asked.

I would've tapped him on the shoulder and asked what he was looking at but I couldn't do that anymore. Not when the possibility that he and I could become more than friends exist. Everything now felt different because of that one reason.

His lips didn't open easily, they were becoming more and more desperate each second.

Lancer smiled and said,

“I like you, Skyla.”

That's how Lancer broke all our boundaries of familiarity.