I’m Done Being Your Best Friend

Logan praised me, and his face was blushing.
It’s like he was not used to saying this.

Contrary to his expression, he spoke calmly.

“It’s not just today.
I couldn’t tell you before, but… milady was also very beautiful at the Beth family’s ball.”

It was only out of courtesy, but I didn’t dislike it at all.
I could feel heat rushing to my face.

“….Thank you.
And the Duke always looks nice.”

Upon responding, I fanned my face hurriedly.
My face must have been as red as Logan’s.

A man and a woman facing each other and blushing.
What would other people think of us?

I would probably have to cool it down.
As soon as I took him outside, a cool breeze brushed through my face. I’m glad we came out.

I started walking slowly with Logan.
Before long, I took a deep breath and spoke to Logan.

“I know that Your Grace doesn’t usually come to gatherings like this, but I think I see you more often these days.”

There was a total of three times, including the previous ball, the masquerade and today’s year-end party.
But I had never heard of him appearing at such events in my previous life.

“Because there was an exchange with the Duke of Grint.”

“Oh, so do you attend the year-end party every year?”

“No, not really.”

He turned his head and looked at me.

“Didn’t lady Nelson’s say that you are coming this year?”

It was as if he was implying that he had come because of me.

His voice was calm and warm.
Even the way he looked at me was warm.

Feeling embarrassed, I turned my head.
Then came the sound of his muttering voice.

“The weather is chilling.”

“I know, right…Oh…!”

The moment I answered his words, something thick fell upon my shoulders, wrapping around me.
Looking down, I found his jacket.
I looked right back at Logan and saw him in a shirt over a vest.

He didn’t have to do this…I felt my face heat up and I touched my cheek with my hand.

“Let’s walk for another while before coming back inside.”

“Then… Shall we?”

I followed his suggestion and walked through the garden together while having a small conversation.

But it’s weird.
Even though it was clearly a winter day with cold wind, the heat on my cheeks could hardly cool down.

Are my ears the same colour as my cheeks? I rubbed my cheek once in vain.

***

Sometime before midnight, many people had already gathered on the spacious terrace of the three-story mansion.

Chloe led me to stand in front of Logan.
Chloe then said proudly to Logan.

“Your Grace, the fireworks are really pretty here.
You won’t regret having come here.”

“Right.”

“Can’t you answer me in a more sincere way? Didn’t you come to the front row for a better view?”

Chloe cast a slightly dissatisfying glance at him.
I already felt it last time, but it seemed that the two were closer than I thought.
They felt like brothers and sisters.

After a while, as soon as it struck midnight, fireworks shoot into the sky with a bang! Fireworks were set off at the royal palace at this same time every other year.
Behind me, I could hear people shouting in amazement.

“Wow!”

Like them, I burst into exclamation.

Yellow fireworks exploded one after another and people began to exchange New Year’s greetings.

Chloe greeted me first with a bright face.

“Have a great year!”

“Lady Grint too!”

I then said to Logan who was looking at me calmly.

“I wish the Duke next year, no, this year will be even more successful.”

“May God’s blessing be with you.”

Looking at me, Logan’s lips gently drew an arc.

It was just a New Year’s greeting, but there was suddenly a strange fluttering feeling in my stomach.

Was it because Logan’s eyes were warm? Or was it because it’s a new year with new people in my life now?

I smiled shyly at Logan.
The pounding sensation from before came to life again.

I looked at the fireworks that embroidered the sky with him, pretending nothing was wrong.
As I watched the fireworks, I could feel something rising inside me.
And what would happen in the next year, I had no idea.

***

Not long after, lady Roberts held a tea party.
On the set date, except for Heidi, four people gathered.
This was our conversation in the parlor of the Marquis of Roberts.

“My household is a mess.”

Chloe put a hand on her forehead as if it was throbbing.

Lady Cruz pricked up her ears like a rabbit and asked in surprise.

“Oh my, what’s wrong?”

“Isn’t it because my little brother is, well, dating Heidi?”

“Oh my gosh! I beg your pardon?!”

Lady Cruz exclaimed.
Had Heidi been there, she would have forced every bit of information out of her.
But since Heidi, the main character of the story, wasn’t there, lady Cruz aimed for Chloe instead.

“Since when? I had no idea!”

“It’s been four years.”

Chloe shrugged.

I wondered what were her thoughts on her friend seeing her brother.
But by the way she looked, I could tell that the current situation in her house was not good.

“Lady Grint, your complexion doesn’t look good.”

“The atmosphere at home these days is not really positive.”

I knew it.
When asked about what had happened by lady Roberts, she explained.

“My younger brother told my parents…that he wanted to meet her as a premise of marriage, so they objected to it.
And Baron Conventry also came to talk to us….”

To make matters worse, Percy was said to have confronted the Duke almost as intensely as a rival.
It seemed very troublesome to Chloe.

“That made my father even angrier.
He never intended to allow us to date in the first place.”

It seemed like a difficult situation.
It was definitely serious seeing how she came out like this.
With all of these affairs going on, she must have had a tough time coping with it from the side.

I opened my mouth with a stiff face.

“If he is already thinking about marriage, then I think it’s no trivial feeling.
It’d be better to acknowledge the relationship between the two than to oppose it.”

“I think so too.
They are capable of taking care of each other on their own.
And it’s not like people can just go around telling them to go out with this or that person, right? But it seems that I am the only one congratulating them.”

In any case, it was said that Baron Coventry stopped Heidi’s marriage preparation because of it.
That may seem fortunate, but it was just brought to a halt because he couldn’t afford to care about it at a time like this.
It seemed that both families had no intention of allowing them to meet easily.

What will happen now?