As I said, this novel is fluffy all the way! Enjoy the chapter!

TL: clover

ED: clover

I looked at Luke to see how I did, he made a face as if saying "yes, yes".

Apparently, it seems that I pa.s.sed safely through his pa.s.sing line. That"s the most important thing.

"Eh, then……from Luke"s master"s standpoint, what do you think of me? Am I disqualified as his friend?"

While I was interacting with Luke using eye contact once again, Chloe asked with antic.i.p.ation.

"I was not disappointed. To begin with, I didn"t mean to interfere in your a.s.sociation with him. I was just wondering what kind of girl you are. But, that"s right. I still don"t know anything about you yet, but I will not judge a good girl like you, who go to the orphanage everyday, as a no-good. I hope you continue taking care of Luke from now on."

I thought this is where Luke was supposed to be, so I asked her properly.

Then, I gazed at Luke once again.

—Fufu, did you see my gallant figure? Luke. This perfect support from me, you can report this to Al later!

If Chloe were not here, I wanted to laugh loudly with all my heart……no, that would make me look like a 『villainess』, so I shouldn"t do that. I"m pretty sure Prince Wilfred said something like that.

How dangerous.

One who is too secure is not safe. I have to be careful about my own actions.

I realized that I almost took a 『villainess』-ish action carelessly, while I was in shock, Chloe said.

"Of course. But……Lily. If possible, I want to be your friend."

"Eh? Me?"

Hearing her saying something unexpected, I blinked my eyes in surprise. Chloe nodded.

"Of course, I know that you are a n.o.ble lady of a Ducal House while I"m just a lady of an Earl House, so naturally we can"t talk intimately. But, I just wanted to get to know you since this is the rare chance for us to talk. If you don"t mind, I think I would like to be friends with you……is it no good?"

"T-that"s fine, but……"

While feeling shaken, I nodded.

I was surprised. This was my first time being asked to become friends.

Chloe who heard my reply made a joyful face. Her face looks really happy, it is a face that makes me happy feel too.

—This girl is really cute.

If there really is a 『heroine』 whom I heard from Al, she probably will be someone like Chloe.

It was strangely cute how she says what she thinks.

And if she appears as Al"s partner as the 『heroine』, I thought that I couldn"t win.

Chloe has a gentle and friendly atmosphere. I know that just by talking to her for a bit. This is something that I don"t possess. The gentle atmosphere such as soothing or amiable atmosphere. When I am with her, I can feel it to a very great extent.

—How nice. If I were more like Chloe, I wouldn"t have been called a 『villainess』.

Nonetheless, there is nothing I can do about it.

No matter where I go, I am still me, and envying Chloe will not change that.

If there were a mistake in our encounter, surely I would have hated Chloe. I might even try to aggressively reject her.

But, now I don"t think so.

Since she asked me to become her friend, I wanted to take her hand.

Because, she is my first friend.

Just recently, I was sad when I noticed that I have no friends, so I"m looking forward to be friends with her.

"Since you are Luke"s friend, you can be my friend. Um……I, I never have any friend until now, so I don"t know exactly what to do. That"s why, I will surely cause you inconvenience. But, I hope we can get along well."

"Lily, cute!"

I don"t know what to do because there are no such things as methods-to-make-friends. I didn"t want any strange misunderstandings, so I honestly told Chloe that she is my first friend. As soon as I finished saying so, Chloe"s eyes sparkled and she hugged me.

"Eh!? Hyah……!"

"I"m Lily"s first friend? Wah~ I"m so happy! Lily, please treat me well! Let"s get along!"

"Y-yes."

Looking at those sparkling eyes, I nodded while my face turned red.

I"ve never received such goodwill from the same gender so clearly. Usually, the girls around me attend to me with smiling faces and words that drew a line between us. I thought that was only natural because of our n.o.ble social status.

—It wasn"t. This is what becoming a friend truly means.

Chloe"s smile which also makes me smile is not fake. It is easy to understand her expression as it indicates she is happy to be friends with me.

—This is not bad.

I also smiled back clumsily at the grinning Chloe.

At the back, Luke was staring at me as if he was slightly amazed, but I was completely unaware of that because my attention was fully on Chloe.