AN: Tough week last week. Currently interning and had to work overtime for a few days. New experience, and I guess that's the point of internships.

Hope you guys have a great day and week ahead of all of you~!!! I also hope you guys enjoy this chapter~!!!!



"Lorya-sama... Why are you being so close to Evelyn?"

Hm? What?

"Are you trying to receive the grace of Duke Silium? Or perhaps you're trying to find out the weakness of the Silium Household through Evelyn?"

W-Wait! W-What's with these wild assumptions?!

"I see... Judging by your reactions, it seems I am correct. That is very unfortunate. After hearing of your genius and exploits, I though you could be Evelyn's friend and support her. But to think you were to use it for evil..."

"W-Wha... Please wait, Silva-sama. What are you talking about?"

Seriously! What's this girl talking about?

"I know from the start. From the moment I heard about you from the rumors and from Evelyn, that you are trying to use Evelyn for your own good! That's why you're getting friendly with her, aren't you!"

For my own good? Does that include wanting her to spoil me like how an elder sister would to her little sister? It doesn't, right?

This girl sure has one hell of an imagination...

"No... It is nothing that deep, though..."

"Lies! If not so, then why would you want to be close to her?!"

"Because she is cute?"

...Hm? What's with the silence? Ah, is it not enough reason?

"Evelyn is very cute, but that is not all. She is kind, honest, and very smart. Not to mention the elegance and gentleness that seemed to have already taken shape despite her young age."

She is growing splendidly to become an ara-ara onee-sama. Umu!

"I-I do not have many friends, so when I first met her in my debutante, I felt very happy that she wished to be my friend. If I seem to cling on to her very much, then that may be the reason. However, I do wish to become long-life friends with her!"

Mm, not just because I've known her from "Lovely Happenings". After knowing her in reality, exchanging letters with her, and hearing her thoughts, I genuinely wish to become her close friend, someone I can share my thoughts and opinions with without restrain.

As you would've expected, I can't share absolutely everything with my parents as well as my little sister, Kiara. Lu-nii as well. Though I've known him even before we were reincarnated here, I can't just talk about everything with him. He's my elder brother, and a boy. That limits what I can talk to him about.

Similarly, I also can not talk about absolutely everything with Alexus for the same reason. The only one who I can talk to without holding back is Lily. But she's a princess and we can not meet frequently, at least for now.

That is why, I want to make female friends who are my age who I can talk to without restraint! But those kinds of close friends are hard to come by as nobles.

Most, if not, all nobles would immediately think of profits and the benefits they would receive when making friends. That's why, most nobles couldn't make truly close friends they could trust completely. This is also the case even with young noble ladies.

Mom, Maria-sama, Seara-sama, Dad, and his majesty are extremely rare cases. A one in a thousand case. It wouldn't even be an exaggeration to call their meeting a miraculous encounter.

And that is also the reason why...

"Truthfully, I would also like to be friends with you as well, Silva-sama."

"H-Hah?!"

Celine looked at me in shock.

"W-Why would you want to be friends with me?!"

"Ufufufu~ Isn't it obvious? You have a wonderful countenance. Your gold silken hair styled in such an adorable twintail, your strong and dignified, beautiful blue eyes, and most of all, the kindness, love, and thought you have for your cousin, Evelyn, are all exemplary traits and character of not only a noble lady, but a person as well! Of course, I would like to be your friend! No, please let me be your friend!"

"W-W-Wha-!"

Moreover, you're just so cute! Look at her!!! She's blushing so redly just from a few praise!!!

If you're becoming this red just from a little praise, then I'd like to see how you'd be if I praise you for 10, no, 20 minutes!!! I might even be able to continue even after 20 minutes!!! She's just so cute~!!!!

"A-Are you an idiot?!"

...

T-There... There it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The template Tsundere line!!!!!! AS I EXPECTED, SHE'S TRULY A TSUNDERE!!!!!

Look! She's even blushing so redly!!!

Ufufufufu~ I'll definitely make you say "I-It's not that I like you or anything" to me!!!!

Guhehehe... Guhehehehe~!!!!

Ah, just imagining it makes me grin!!!

"...What are you laughing about?"

Ah! That's not good! I almost showed her something unsightly.

"Ah, it is nothing. You were just so adorable. Your cheeks are very red you know, Silva-sama~"

"T-That's not true!"

Celine pouted and averted her face away from me.

"Hmph! I don't understand why Evelyn-sama would be friends with you. You're very strange! Are all geniuses like this?!"

Hm? Genius? Ah, is it about the time I helped dad a bit with his work? Well, I guess it would look that way seeing it from her perspective.

But the real geniuses are people like Alexus and Valerie, you know? They're true five and six years old who have the ability on par with adults.

Evelyn might also be a genius, at least when it comes to social and noble etiquette. She's already showing signs of refined elegance that she learned from her mother. To the noble ladies who saw such a young child behaving so elegantly, they would think that she's a genius.

"Ever since she went to your debutante, all she has been talking about is you. Always you. She talks about how beautiful you are, how talented you are in singing, how eloquent and graceful you are... I couldn't follow what she's saying at all!! I don't know anything since I was sick and couldn't attend your debutante. But I can't just tell her to not talk about you since she looked very happy!! That's why it's very frustrating!!!!"

Eh? Then could this be...

"... Are you perhaps jealous, Silva-sama?"

Judging by what she's saying, that's the only conclusion right? She's jealous of me because I seemed like I'm stealing her precious cousin and best friend from her/

"Wha-!"

Ah! I'm right! Look, she's blushing so much right now!!! She must've also realized it now!!

"Ufufufu~! That is absolutely adorable, Silva-sama!"

"W-What are you saying! You're being ridiculous again!!"

Oh my~ Don't be like that~ You just know how to tickle my heart and make me fall for you, don't you~

"Hehehe~ there is no need for you to worry, Silva-sama. Though I am indeed friends with Evelyn, she is still your cousin. Evelyn isn't the kind of girl who would ignore you once she makes a new friend, right?"

"B-But all she has been talking about is you!"

"I am sure that is because she trusts in you very much. She feels very close to you that she can talk about anything in her mind when you are together. After all, she couldn't talk about those things to her parents or the maids, don't you think?"

"T-That is true..."

Mm. Evelyn's just as excited as me for making a new friend. In my case, I'd talk about it with Lily when I visited the castle, Alexus when he's visiting, or Lu-nii. I'm lucky to have them and they're all willing to listen to my ramblings for so long.

In Evelyn's case, it would be Celine. After all, from what I could see, she's the closest friend Evelyn has. As the daughter of a duke just like her, I could understand why it's hard to make friends. After all, we must think of our own position and our family's position. We need to know if we can truly trust the other person, who their families are, their family's background, etc. before we can truly open our hearts to them, and that is hard to do.

The only people I could truly open my heart to and show them my true self can be counted with my two hands, and that is only because I was blessed enough to meet Alexus, Evelyn, Illya, Noir, and Valerie. Else, it might only be Lily, Lu-nii, Anne, and my parents.

For Evelyn, Celine is someone she could truly open up to. That is why she's talking so excitedly about our meeting to her. She could finally open up.

But, since Celine didn't realize it before, she became jealous.

Geez~ What a cute yet troublesome little kitten~

"That is why, please do not worry. I will not steal Evelyn away. After all, she is not an object others could simply steal in the first place. She is her own person, and even from the short amount of time I know her, she is not someone who would throw away a precious friend. That includes you, Silva-sama."

"...I-I know that already! I understand!"

"Ufufufu~ That's great~ Then, since we've come to an understanding about this, let us return to our previous topic."

"Huh?"

My hand moved smoothly and gently pulled her hand towards me. I smiled at her and softly, ever so gently, placed a kiss on her hand.

"Will you be my friend, Celine."

...

Hm? Did she freeze?

She's looking at me unmoving. But... Hehehe~ Her shocked face is cute too~

Then after a while, she immediately turned red to her ears.

"A-A-A-A-Are you an idiot?!?!?!"



AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please vote and comment your thoughts~!