“Then, I should call Dawson and Limpe too.”

“Limpe?”

“Limpe Delman. We agreed to be friends.”

For a moment, Damian’s expression soured.

“Why?”

I looked at him with sparkling eyes. I was just excited about the idea of having fun together.

“You mean that scoundrel from the Delman Viscount family?”

“That’s what they call him.”

“You agreed to be friends with him?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

I was confident, and Damian pressed his forehead as if he had a headache.

“Miss, you should be selective about your friends. Do you know how important friends are in life? People are greatly influenced by others. And you choose to be friends with someone like him?”

He started his barrage of nagging. Cold sweat ran down my back. This was at least a 30-minute lecture.

“Damian?”

I called his name in a feeble voice to try and stop him, but he continued as if he couldn’t hear me. He was no different from a mother with a 5-year-old daughter.

“Besides, how can there be friendship between a man and a woman? All men are wolves. Absolutely not,”

“Ah, I don’t know. Damian, you’re stupid. You can’t see beyond your nose.”

As a last resort, I covered my ears and shook my head vigorously. Damian looked at me as if to say, ‘What on earth is this?’

“What kind of unreasonable tantrum is this?”

“I don’t know, don’t know, don’t know. Damian doesn’t know anything.”

“Hah. What exactly don’t I know?”

I continued to insist stubbornly, repeating my head shaking.

Until Damian surrendered.

“…Alright. I’ll listen to what you have to say, so please stop.”

“Phew, are you finally ready to listen to me?”

As soon as I heard his sigh of resignation, I quickly removed my hands from my ears and sat up straight.

“Please say whatever you need to say quickly.”

“Damian, to other people, I’m probably the friend they should be selective about, right?”

Damian, who had been shaking his head with his hand on his forehead, froze like a stone. Seeing him like that, I slightly raised the corners of my mouth.

“Am I right?”

“…”

“But in your eyes, do I still look like someone others should avoid?”

“You’re different, Miss.”

“Limpe is different too. Now! Quickly go and contact Limpe.”

“But there’s the public eye to consider.”

“Damian… I don’t think adding ‘friends with Limpe’ to my reputation will make much of a difference, right?”

“Hah.”

“This is correct too, isn’t it?”

“If that’s the case, I’ll contact him in a way that others won’t know. And absolutely no meeting alone.”

Damian spoke after a moment of silence.

He gave permission, but I felt strange about why he was agreeing at this point.

It was true, but feeling annoyed, I looked at Damian with narrowed eyes.

“What are you unsatisfied with now?”

“You’re only polite in words.”

“Then I’ll go and contact the Delman family. I’ll also relay the message to Administrator Dawson.”

He casually ignored my words and left. I was about to give him a light knock on the back of his head but ended up chuckling instead.

“It’s a shame. There’s not much time left to see him like this.”

I had grown quite fond of him after bickering for months.

The smile faded from my face, leaving behind a bitterness.

***

However, before Damian could contact Limpe, we received a message from Limpe first.

The timing was impeccable.

“Here it is, Miss.”

I opened the letter with a knife, which Damian had brought with a disgruntled look, muttering about why we were throwing letters over the fence in this age of video communication. His elegant handwriting caught my eye.

[Dear Lorazie,

I heard the news that you’ve been expelled from Epine and are being sent to the barren north. I hope it’s not true… If it’s alright, please contact me. I’ll be waiting in front of the clock tower tomorrow at 2 o’clock.

-Limpe]

“‘Dear’? Didn’t you say you were friends?” Damian, who had been peeking at the letter from behind me, said.

“I have nothing to say to someone who secretly reads my letters.”

“…”

“How romantic, Limpe. I’ll go to the clock tower myself tomorrow.”

After bickering with Damian for a while longer, it was soon dinner time. After having a delicious dinner with Sion and taking a nap, the next day quickly arrived.

***

“Wow! Limpe!”

“Oh? Lora! I didn’t expect you to come here yourself! It’s great to see you.”

Limpe and I met at the clock tower, clasped each other’s hands, and jumped up and down to express our joy.

“Why did you bring us along?”

“They look like lovers forcibly separated.”

On the opposite side, Damian, Dawson, and Sion were grumbling with sullen expressions.

Limpe must have heard the grumbling because he let go of my hands and went to greet the three.

“Ah, hello. I’m Limpe Delman of the Delman Count family.”

“I’m Damian, the butler of the Epine Count family.”

It was clear that Damian was greeting him very reluctantly.

“I’m Dawson, administrator of the Epine Count family.”

“And you are?”

“…I’m Sion. Lady Lora’s-“

“He’s my bodyguard and friend.”

I cut in as Sion was struggling with his introduction.

“I see. If you’re Lora’s friend, then you’re my friend too. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Yes.”

Despite their cold responses, Limpe just smiled.

As I was wondering how to ease this chilly atmosphere, Limpe asked me with a worried expression.

“Lora. Are you really leaving for the north?”

“Well, that’s how it turned out.”

“Ah. So Epine is finally letting you go.”

He looked dejected. He probably thought I was being driven out of the Count’s mansion, as the rumors suggested. I felt the need to correct him.

“Limpe, I’m not being driven out like the rumors say. I’m leaving of my own accord.”

“By yourself, Lora?”

Limpe’s voice grew louder in surprise. I made a shushing gesture towards him. He smiled, putting his finger to his lips as I did.

“Yes. I’m tired of living like this. I want to live freely, Limpe.”

I want to live as a free unemployed person.

“…I’ve thought this since before, but you’re really an amazing person.”

“Thank you.”

Limpe didn’t know about my plans for an unemployed lifestyle, so he saw me as impressive for leaving my family.

As we continued our friendly conversation, Damian jumped in and cut the atmosphere.

He was always so jealous.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Hmm, I just came out. Is there anything fun to do?”

“You said you wanted to make memories with your friends and dragged us out, but you didn’t have any plans?”

Damian was about to get upset. It was an emergency. At that moment, Limpe, who had been stroking his chin, offered a suggestion.

“Memories, huh. If you don’t mind, why don’t we go somewhere I guide you? It’ll be a meaningful memory in its own way.”