I'm Done Being Your Best Friend

A masquerade ball of aristocrats who had no acquaintance with me. 

It was Chloe who handed me the invitation there.

It was the first time I went to the masquerade, so the scenery was really new to me. True to the concept of a masquerade, there were people wearing various kinds of masks.

I thought everyone would wear a simple design. But guess what? It was all my mistake.

Masks with long feathers, masks with sparkling jewels, animal-shaped masks, etc. The ballroom was vibrant with masks of all shapes and sizes.

I could not help but be struck with admiration. My golden mask was nothing compared to those.

And at the masquerade that I really enjoyed, I discovered a huge secret. It was after drinking a glass of whiskey that I witnessed it.

Even though I only had one drink, my body heated up, so I went for a walk alone to get some fresh air. As the sun had gone down, I walked freely along the lamps illuminating the dark road. I turned around and saw the mansion in the distance.

Geez, how far have I come? As I was thinking of going back to the ballroom…

It was then, that two people came into my sight. I wasn’t the only one there.

It was dark, so it was hard to see, but judging by how intimate they were, it seemed like they were lovers. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to hug him like that.

How lovely. For some reason, I smiled happily. Perhaps it was because I had the soul of a 30-year-old? Occasionally, thoughts that did not match the age of my body crossed my mind.

I need to give them some space. I pretended not to see them and tried to go down the road.

Until the moonlight brightened and illuminated them…

“Percy…”

My God, isn’t that Heidi? One of them was Heidi, who went through that mess with me not long ago.

I did not know she would be in a place like this. Without realising it, I hid behind the tree next to me.

I could only see Heidi’s face from my position, but the name ‘Percy’ made it clear who she was hugging.

But is that person really the Percy I know? I tilted my head.

Among the nobles, the only person with the first name ‘Percy’ was Daisy’s ex-husband, the Duke of Grint.

Anyhow, I could not see his face because he was turning his back on me. I wondered if he really was the Percy I knew. Fortunately, ‘Percy’ spoke up.

“Are you really okay? I can’t believe it happened while I was in the Empire…”

“Yes. Can’t you see that I am in even better shape than I was back then? I’m fine, so don’t worry too much.”

“How can I not? You were trapped in a fire! That’s why I left the capital. And do you know  how much I blamed myself when I knew that?”

It was a voice full of worries toward Heidi.

The voice sounded just how I remembered. Sure enough, he was Duke Grint. No, he was only the young master for now. With that as a confirmation, I was certain he was the young lord of the Grint family.

I wondered if the two had always been like this. I was quite interested in the fact I had never known before.

I kept listening to their conversation. Percy lowered his voice as he hugged Heidi.

“If I had lost you, I wouldn’t have been able to live. A world without you is meaningless.”

Oh my, how sweet of him. The corners of my mouth rose at the sight of the two. I could not believe she died in my previous life and they couldn’t live together. Was Percy this sweet of a person? I scrambled my memories for his image.

Chloe’s younger brother, Percy, who was the same age as me, married Daisy at the age of nineteen. I had seen him a few times through Daisy’s introduction.

“You mean our relationship? There’s nothing wrong with it. I was a little worried because it was a political tie, but I guess it was all useless. Maybe he fell for me?”

That was what she told me after Daisy became his fiancée. She was just engaged, so I asked her out of curiosity, and she said that.

But Percy, whom I met in person, was too awkward for a person that fell in love. He was friendly, but very formal and distant.

Daisy did initiate light touches, like holding hands, but it was always Percy who pulled his hand out after a while. Daisy then said with a smile on her face.

“He is very shy.”

Looking back at it, he just didn’t like it. Apparently, Percy married Daisy after Heidi passed away.

So that’s how the story went… I looked at them both with sad eyes.

Oh dear. The atmosphere was getting more smitten, the two of them kissed, and I quickly turned my head. How rude of me. I felt like I had seen something I shouldn’t have.

I hurriedly walked towards the ballroom while pondering.

In any case, this meant Daisy in this life would not be a Duchess. Because Percy already had Heidi.

That means…

Should I also stop trying to match George and Daisy?

It was beneficial for me that things unfolded this way.

Though I drank alcohol, my thoughts swirled quickly in my head. As a matter of fact, drinking even made my mood become more pleasant.

***

“Where have you been?”

Chloe asked as soon as she saw me.

I just came back from checking the secret relationship between your brother and your friend. Well, I couldn’t say that, so I just told her I roamed around.

“I was only out getting some air for a while, but as I wandered, I think I went too far.”

By the way, did Chloe know? That Percy and Heidi were in a relationship? But I kept quiet in case she was clueless and they would get exposed.

“Heidi also disappeared, and I could not find her. I was waiting for her.”

Chloe had definitely gotten closer to me since that day. Maybe it was because I saved a close friend of hers. While I was Daisy’s sidekick in anyone’s eyes, she let me join her group and chatted with me without hesitation.

“You don’t have to take care of me like this, but thank you. If it’s because of what happened to lady Coventry, then it’s fine…”

“What do you mean?”

Chloe tilted her head. She wore a mask so I couldn’t see her expression, but it was clear that she was puzzled by my words.

“It’s not just about Heidi’s incident. I like lady Nelson.” 

“Pardon? Why…?”

“I like lady Nelson’s bravery, and above all, you know lady Moore’s true face.”

Ah, no wonder she kept taunting Daisy. She seemed to have grasped Daisy’s charade long ago. Unlike me, who stayed an obedient fool my whole life, only realising it on the brink of death.

I let out an ironic laugh.