The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Since coming to this world, the hardest thing for me to adapt to was the food.

Of course, in this world, I was the young lady of the baron’s family here. Though I felt a bit uncomfortable every time I heard the term “Young Lady”, I was still grateful that I was born into a noble family rather than a common one.

Although I was at the lowest level of nobility, I never lacked food.

Moreover, nearly everything that appeared on the baron’s dining table was meat. While I sometimes missed having more vegetables, I’d still much rather prefer to have too much meat than almost none at all.

Even if this world was in a fantasy setting, commoners couldn’t eat or live as well as nobles. Being able to eat as much meat as I wanted was a blessing.

But if I were to voice one complaint, it would be that the meat lacked ‘seasoning.’

There was enough salt available. Even though the sea was far away, the Grand Duchy had a large rock salt mine that could provide a regular supply of salt.

And it wasn’t that there were no sauces for the meat. In Delkis, they often made gravy using meat juices. Even though we mainly ate meat, we understood the importance of food preservation better than anyone else in these conditions.

However, the only flavor we get from salt and a few sauces is a very straightforward ‘saltiness’.

Even when using herbs, rare fruits for sauces, and the occasional spices, the base flavor was still salty. Other flavors were simply layered on top of that.

Though it tasted good as steak, eating it every day wasn’t appealing to someone like me, who had lived in modern-day South Korea for 27 years.

… I wanted to eat something spicy food.

Not enough to make my mouth numb, but something with at least a bit of that kick.

It didn’t even have to be Korean food. I’d settle for Sichuan-style Chinese dishes with plenty of chili oil or burritos or tacos loaded with hot sauce.

But honestly, what I wanted most was some well-fermented kimchi.

And then, Amelia mentioned something interesting.

There was a food similar to kimchi. Peppers were also grown somewhere in this world. While it wasn’t something regularly traded by merchants visiting our household, Amelia was a lady of a family as prominent as the Grand Ducal House. If she wanted to, she could probably find a way to get it.

If I could get my hands on the recipe for that kimchi-like food and some chili powder, I might be able to make real kimchi.

…But I wondered, how expensive would peppers be?

‘Mass-produced’ sugar already cost as much as an entire cow per kilogram. I had to give up three moose to buy some. So peppers, which were less crucial, might cost even more.

I was scribbling notes, lost in these thoughts when I heard someone knock at my door.

“Come in.”

When I responded, the door opened cautiously.

It was my brother, Harvey.

“Hyung.”

“Ah, yes, little sister—”

But as he answered, his expression stiffened slightly.

“Little sister, isn’t it about time you changed the way you address me? Lady Grattanmount was quite surprised by your speech last time.”

True, at my age, it was about time to learn proper etiquette.

But I had no particular desire to become such a “young lady.” If I stayed here in the barony, there would be no need for such refined language.

If I didn’t have my druid powers, I might have learned etiquette more desperately. Since I had neither swordsmanship nor the ‘power’ to communicate with nature, without these skills, I’d be of little use in the Barony of Delkis. My future would likely involve marrying into a suitable family.

Just the thought of marrying a man made me grimace, but I probably wouldn’t have the right to refuse.

But I was a druid.

I could contribute as much as anyone here—maybe more. Many female warriors lived without marrying. Having a child would hinder their activities for at least a few years, so people usually turned a blind eye.

Though this was considered an unfortunate life by society, many of the female warriors I met felt quite free.

There would always be people who didn’t conform to mainstream opinions.

Anyway, I had three older brothers above me, so there was no need for me to continue the family line.

“I see you’re not planning to change your mind. Alright.”

Seeing my expression, Harvey quickly relented.

We had already spent enough time together to understand each other well. He knew my personality, and I knew his. We both understood that arguing would lead nowhere.

My father just laughed, calling me “truly a Delkis”.

“So, what brings you here Hyung? It doesn’t seem like you came just to talk about this.”

“Oh, well…”

At my question, Harvey looked around nervously before speaking.

“It’s been quite a while since Lady Grattanmount visited. I was wondering if she mentioned visiting again.”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Harvey.

How old was he?

Though I sometimes got confused because of my memories from my past life, Delkis people grew rapidly. Not just in height; they went through puberty early, essentially maturing faster.

They grew quickly and aged slowly. The ancient giants supposedly lived for 200 years, and we must have inherited some of that blood.

Harvey looked like he was in his late teens, but he was actually only twelve.

Five years older than me.

And five years older than Amelia, too.

Amelia looked barely seven. She just spoke maturely because she was an adult woman inside.

Now that I thought about it, Amelia was seventeen in the original story, so did that mean Harvey was interested in minors?

…Well, it was the ‘medieval’ era, so I supposed it was unavoidable.

Still, it was unsettling to see him react like this over a seven-year-old.

“Wouldn’t it be better to ask Father? After all, Lady Amelia doesn’t visit alone.”

Amelia didn’t come alone; she only came when the Grand Duke of Grattanmount decided to visit. Amelia’s wishes would play a part, but ultimately, she wouldn’t have the chance to come unless the Grand Duke wanted to visit.

“Ah, well….”

Harvey hesitated for a moment, then sighed before speaking reluctantly.

“When the Grand Duke last visited, he promised me a decent sword. The one I’m using now is the training sword I received when I was ten.”

Then he said something different from what I expected.

“In that case, all the more reason to ask Father.”

When I tilted my head and suggested this, Harvey’s shoulders slumped.

“That would be… a bit too insistent, don’t you think? Knowing Father, he’ll bring it up the next time the Grand Duke visits.”

Oh… He was probably right. The last time I returned to the banquet hall after showing Amelia around, they were both laughing loudly, already deep into their drinks.

We were so far north that it felt like the Grand Ducal House was located relatively south, but in reality, the Grand Duke of Grattanmount was the ‘Grand Duke of the North.’ And a northern grand duke in novels had two types: either a hearty, loud personality or a cold, stoic one. Typically, the former was an ally, and the latter was a target of affection.

“I see.”

Finally, I understood why Harvey had come to ask me instead.

“So you’re asking me to ask her? That way, your name won’t come up.”

“Exactly.”

Though he would eventually get it, Harvey was still in his early teens—a kid.

The other brothers in the House of Delkis also used swords given by the Grand Duke, and to my untrained eye, those swords looked incredibly well-made.

It was natural for Harvey to feel envious.

“Alright. I was just about to write a letter to the Grand Ducal House, so I’ll let you know if I get a response.”

“Thanks.”

Harvey’s face brightened at my answer.

“Oh, by the way.”

Since it came to mind, I decided to ask him.

“What do you think of Lady Amelia? Do you see her as a romantic interest??”

“Huh? Lady Grattanmount?”

Harvey frowned and replied.

“Well… I do prefer petite women, but Lady Grattanmount is way too small, isn’t she? Of course, she’ll grow up beautifully in a few years.”

As if his earlier words sounded too rude, he hastily added the last part, shrugging his shoulders.

“I’ll have to wait a few years to make any judgments. People outside of Delkis grow so slowly.”

“Is that so.”

So it would be a few years before he could even consider liking her.

Well, his interest in her is supposed to begin when she becomes a full-fledged ‘villainess’ in this ‘villainess romance’ story.

At least I was relieved to know that Harvey didn’t have that kind of… taste.