I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend - Chapter 22

I shook my arms in a cold sweat.

 

“Oh, it still stings a little, but… It’s okay! The medicine that the doctor gave must have worked well. I got a lot better after sleeping!”

 

“Really? That’s a relief.”

 

I could feel my mother glancing at me because of my awkward lies.

 

Fortunately, my father, who did not see the scene, smiled with relief and looked sternly.

 

“But you still need to rest in your room for a few more days, because it might suddenly get worse like yesterday.”

 

“Yes…”

 

I answered weakly and glanced at my mother.

 

My mother, who was smiling meaningfully without saying a word, seemed to have no intention of revealing the truth to father.

 

Although she added a word afterwards.

 

“Yes, it would be better to take another week off and rest more.”

 

This means that the probation period has increased to a week.

 

A sigh came out of my mouth, but I was fortunate that it ended up only to this extent. If my father knew it, he might have been really upset this time.

 

I gave my mother a warm look of gratitude. Then I ran to my mother’s side and sat down with a big smile on my face.

 

Pretending not to know that my father was disappointed.

 

“So what’s going on?”

 

In the end my mother eventually asked softly, with a relaxed expression after seeing me acting cute. I decided to take turns with the two of them for a while and get straight to the point.

 

“Mother, father, how do you improve your confidence?”

 

“Confidence?”

 

Both of them tilted their heads wondering. After a moment my father’s face hardened.

 

“Why, who’s undermining my daughter’s confidence? Tell me, who’s some kind of a…”

 

“Oh, no! Well, just…”

 

I tried to make an excuse, trying to stop my father from running out with a sword.

 

“Sometimes there are days like that. When I feel less confident. I was just wondering what would you do in those times like that.”

 

Well, that’s a plausible excuse, I guess.

 

As expected, my father quickly loosened his face as if he was convinced with my excuse. But my mother was a little different.

 

My mother’s face looked vague like a person who heard something strange.

 

She made a conflicted face whether she should say this or not. Soon she said while looking at me with a serious expression on her face.

 

“Dahlia, wouldn’t it be a little too much if your confidence got higher here?”

 

“Mother!”

 

As I shouted in fright, my mother said with a refreshing smile.

 

“Whoa, I’m kidding.”

 

It didn’t sound like a joke at all!

 

However, whether or not she knew my heart like this, my mother covered her mouth and laughed, she seemed to enjoy teasing me.

 

When I looked at her with resentful eyes, my mother, who was laughing a while ago, said sorry in a soothing tone.

 

“Mom used to write a diary.”

 

“A diary?”

 

The answer that followed was surprising.

 

“I don’t have to set a specific time, but when I record what happened that day or thoughts, it’s comforting to say, ‘You did a great job today as well.’ When I remember the good things, I look forward to tomorrow even more.”

 

I looked at my mother with innocent eyes.

 

When the person who was likely to give the strangest answer gave a normal answer, I was embarrassed and confused.

 

‘Was my mother such a thoughtful person?’

 

And whether she noticed my thoughts or not, my mother smiled sweetly as usual, and she asked me.

 

“What do you think, did you get an answer?”

 

I nodded with a brighter face. Then I immediately asked my father.

 

“Then what about father?”

 

Having received an unexpectedly good answer, I stared at my father with greater expectations.

 

I thought, as my father, who was much more serious than my mother, would teach me a better way.

 

But the person who gave the strangest answer was–

 

“My confidence…”

 

It was not my mother, but my father.

 

“Comes from the sword.”

 

What have I just heard right now?

 

It was said that if a person was too embarrassed, they couldn’t recognize it, but now I was just like that.

 

I stared blankly at my father. I asked again, hoping that the answer I heard was just hallucinations.

 

“What?”

 

However, my father’s answer remained the same.

 

“Sword.”

 

“…?”

 

“To be precise, I should say that it comes from the sword.”

 

My father, who spoke in a stiff tone, looked sincere and even serious.

 

I stared at my father with my mouth wide open. After drinking tea, my mother also hardened and stared at my father.

 

There was an awkward silence between us.

 

“…Why? Did I say something wrong?”

 

It was only then that my father, who felt that the atmosphere had become weird, scratched the back of his neck and noticed our faces.

 

I laughed awkwardly and turned my gaze somewhere else, and my mother, who had been silent for a moment, looked at my father and said sadly.

 

“You don’t have good sword skills.”

 

“Honey!”

 

My father, who raised his voice unknowingly at my mother’s factual assault, looked at me trembling for a moment. He seemed nervous, wondering if I had heard it

 

But contrary to my father’s worries, I already knew everything.

 

So should he, my mother’s only hobby was to tell me about my father’s dark history when he wasn’t around.

 

Perhaps I knew all about his dark history that even my father would not even remember now.

 

And among them, my father’s obsession with the sword was famous.

 

‘It was already dug up.’

 

Even if I didn’t hear it from my mother, I’d naturally find out about it after living at the Duke of Averine to a certain extent.

 

How much my father was obsessed with swords when he was a young man, but since Averine’s bloodline were of age to generation, how much trial and error he went through before becoming a knight.

 

He eventually rose to the position of deputy head of the imperial family, but he had to give up with tears being a knight in order to continue the family.

 

My mother, who had told me everything without hiding anything, said this for the last time, wrapping up the story soon when it was time for my father to come.

 

‘You know what?’

 

‘What?’

 

‘Actually, your father’s dream was…’

 

My mother spoke with genuine regret.

 

‘It was to become a sword master.’

 

And I, who confirmed the reality of the rumors with my own eyes, also looked at my father with sad eyes.

 

My father’s ability to escape from reality was beyond imagination.

 

“Why did you think it was from the sword?”

 

But still, I’m a good daughter.

 

Knowing my father, who was upset when he found out about it, he went down to the estate alone and wouldn’t return home for a month.

 

I asked like an innocent child pretending not to know anything.

 

And whether my efforts worked or not, my father thought I didn’t hear it properly and continued to explain with a look of relief on his face.

 

“You know Dad likes swords, right?”

 

I know well that he was so obsessed with collecting all kinds of continental swords and keeping them secretly from my mother.

 

“Well, even if I’m not good at it.”

 

“Even if you don’t?”

 

My father continued, ignoring my mother’s words.

 

“Oh, hmm! Anyway, when I do what I like, I gain confidence. As my skills increase little by little, I get a sense of accomplishment.”

 

My father hasn’t improved steadily.

 

I was wondering if I could feel confident even if my skill didn’t really improve, but I no longer criticize my father’s words.

 

Because my father, when he said that his eyes were really purely shining.

 

To the point where it looks pitiful.

 

“Yes, that’s enough.”

 

I wanted to get out of my seat now. It’s because it became difficult to listen to the story of my father without shedding tears anymore.

 

I spoke clearly to my father with a soulless face.

 

“He- I see. You can do what you like. Thank you!”

 

“Yes, true effort never betrays you.”

 

“Well, though, talent and effort are separate things.”

 

“Honey!”

 

My father raised his voice with a sour face to my mother who tackled until the end.

 

My mother smiled, covering her mouth, pretending not to know. But my father’s face became increasingly stiff.

 

“I’m really angry.”

 

My father, who said that, looked very serious, and mother opened her eyes as if startled.

 

And then answered equally in serious tone.

 

“Good.”

 

“What?”

 

Mother said confidently.

 

“If you’re going to do that, then give me a kiss.”

 

I glanced at my mother with a dumb face.

 

My father also gave my mother a ridiculous look.

 

But my mother, with a really casual face, was moving her upper body and pushing her cheek towards my father’s face.

 

I was worried that my father would get angry and leave his seat.

 

Before I knew it, my father’s stiff expression was gone. I watched both of them with an impatient heart, and my father leaned toward my mother…

 

Chu~!

 

…?

 

My mouth opened wide in surprise.

 

The main culprit that made the sound right away was my father, his face was stiff and scary until now…!

 

Then I saw him blushing shyly with his cheeks as red as a little girl.

 

But that was not the end. My father, who was clearing his throat shamefully, uttered another word.

 

“The other side too?”

 

They were a match made in heaven.