My Childhood Friends Are Trying To Kill Me

Lelia faced Oscar’s surprisingly softer eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. 

She had felt this way since she was a kid, but there’s nothing like a hug to calm Oscar down. Hugs alone have changed his gaze.

But Oscar said bluntly, contrary to his muted eyes, “Think about what I’ll do to you when I get back.”

“……”

“There’s no way we’re going to be able to hug like this.”

“……”

With that said, Oscar fiddled with the tip of Lelia’s hair for a while before moving away.

After Oscar jumped out of the window, Lelia put her hand on her chest and exhaled.

She always felt nervous around Oscar because he was so unpredictable.

[I didn’t expect you to come in the middle of the night…]

Lelia closed the window and locked it, wondering if she should get rid of it altogether.

She checked a few more times and laid in bed, but she couldn’t sleep well because she was thinking about the other three recipes that she hasn’t cleared yet.

***

The next morning.

Oscar and Romeo left for the West early in the morning.

After seeing the two off, Lelia hurried back to her room.

There was a game message blinking in the corner.

Lelia’s heart pounded at the message, with the results returning faster than expected.

Lelia’s commission was about Aunt Atias and the Superion family.

Lelia, who entered the room, immediately pressed the confirmation button.

“Show me!”

A moment later, as Lelia urged, there appeared full text on the white screen as if it were a report.

Lelia looked closely at the report with a serious face.

Then, her eyes stopped at the part related to Aunt Atias.

[Oh, wait. A bill was already issued? And distributed consistently?]

Bills have been issued steadily in Aunt Atias’ name for a long time. Even just a few days ago.

But it was weird. Her aunt was nursing her grandmother, so she was always staying in the castle.

[She wouldn’t have time for that…]

Of course, she may not have done it herself, but it’s strange to say she had someone else do it.

[The original story said she borrowed a bill because of gambling. She doesn’t have time to go shopping, let alone gamble.]

It was suspicious.

Lelia looked at the report on the lords.

The most suspicious thing now was the vassals.

As a result, they had Uncle Zenon’s child as their successor.

“… I can’t believe it.”

However, there was nothing suspicious about the matter regarding the vassals.

“Are you sure you’ve done the right thing?”

“… Are you sure you investigated it properly?”

Lelia asked suspiciously, and three seconds later the message came to her mind.

*(╬Ò‸Ó)凸)*

“……”

No matter how much you feel bad about being suspected, to swear internally…

She was a little offended, but she didn’t think Alchemy was lying.

‘There’s no way that Alchemy can manipulate the personal details of the Superion family and their financial situation.’

The report was very meticulous and thorough. The weaknesses of the household vassals were written separately.

Most of their weak points were about who secretly talked behind someone’s back, secretly having an affair, or who was illegitimate.

There was no mention of borrowing bills in Aunt Attias’ name or attempting to rebel against Superion.

[Do we need to go into more detail?]

She expected a criminal among the vassals, but she was dumbfounded by the different results.

Then Lelia turned the screen back.

Reading again about Aunt Atias, she stopped at the family relationship section.

Her aunt had been married for a while, but she still had no children. So only the name of the husband was written in the family relationship.

“… Almos Galicia.”

Last time, it was the name of her uncle who took Lelia to the capital.

He was the second most powerful business owner operating under the name of Superion. 

A gentle man with a soft impression came to her mind.

She had a feeling that she couldn’t explain. He is definitely the one who borrowed the bill in her aunt’s name.

Maybe it was him who killed his grandfather and made Uncle Carius go missing.

“Please look into this man again.”

*(Don’t doubt it! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt! No doubt!)*

With a series of powerful words, Lelia shouted “I’m sorry!” in a hurry.

It was not until then that the message appeared again.

She didn’t know why the update gave her the mode to read Alchemy’s mind. 

Lelia sighed with dismay.

For a moment, she squinted and looked at the report again.

She thought maybe she could solve her aunt’s work and her grandfather’s and uncle Carius’ work at once.

***

That afternoon.

After finishing her meal late, Lelia immediately visited her grandmother.

Since coming to the estate, Lelia has been walking with her grandmother in a wheelchair once a day.

But when she arrived at her grandmother’s room, the inside was empty.

“… Huh?”

When she saw the empty room, her heart seemed to drop. 

Did something happen? 

It became dark before her eyes.

She was surprised since it was the time they always take a walk together. 

When she hastily asked a maid passing in the corridor, the maid said embarrassedly, “The duke’s wife went out for a walk.”

For a walk? With whom?

Lelia frowned and ran in the direction the maid said.

As she passed the corridor and headed to the garden, she could see her grandmother’s face in the distance.

But Lelia didn’t go straight up to her and instead stopped in surprise.

“……”

Grandma was not in a wheelchair, but was walking slowly on two feet.

She was always taken for walks in a wheelchair because she didn’t feel well, and her knee had problems too.

In addition, her expression was brighter than usual.

And next to her, a brown-haired man was helping her grandmother with a friendly smile.

It was Griffith.

Lelia slowly walked towards them.

As she approached, she saw Aunt Atias, who was sitting on the bench and looking at the two.

“Auntie.”

“Oh, my God, Lelia.”

As soon as Atias saw Lelia, she immediately checked the clock next to her. Then she reached out.

“I’m sorry. It was already time for her to walk with you, Lelia.”

“It’s okay.”

Lelia sat next to her, holding her aunt’s hand. Then she looked at Griffith walking with her grandmother.

Aunt Atias watched her and whispered softly.

“In fact, Sir Griffith came in the morning. He knew mother’s knees weren’t good, so he cast a healing spell on her.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I heard that the Kreutzs are the ones who have their eyes on him. He’s much better at healing than an average priest.”

Aunt Atias looked happy. Then she tapped Lelia’s arm.

“How does that man feel about being your husband?”

“What?”

“If you lose him to the neutral zone, you’ll never get married. Make him your husband before that. What?”

Aunt Atias seemed to like Griffith very much. 

Lelia smiled awkwardly.

Uncle Carius, too, was uncomfortably trying to keep her together with her friends like that.

[Marrying one of my childhood friends…?]

She never thought about it. She felt so weird even about a kiss.

[Marriage? Ugh.]

Lelia had never fallen in love, but she knew some things.

She knew the extent to which a married couple shared a certain touch. Just imagining it gave her goosebumps.

Lelia shook her head firmly.

Atias looked disappointed at her stern response.

And yet she guessed, ‘Aha, Lelia had a man in mind other than Sir Griffith?’

At that time, Griffith slowly approached their way with grandmother.

“Grandmother!”

“My daughter…”

Grandma didn’t really recognize her yet. The medicine was said to be slow, but it still seemed to need some more time.

Lelia was disappointed but she didn’t show it.

“Oh my God, look at you. Mother, go inside and eat the snack I made! Let’s go.”

Aunt Atias took Lelia’s grandmother to the castle with a strange look.

It was a wink to do something with Griffith.

Lelia smiled awkwardly and turned to Griffith.

“……”

“Shall we walk?”

Griffith, who was looking leisurely at Lelia, asked affectionately.

With such a comfortable voice, Lelia nodded unconsciously.