ASPB 9

Chapter 9

“What… is a friend?”

Only after a long pause did he finally answer.

Ottilie felt utterly dumbfounded, and all the strength seemed to drain from her body.

He doesn’t even know what a friend is? Well, considering his personality, I suppose that makes sense.

She barely managed to suppress her urge to ask sarcastically and snap at him. Instead, she looked at him with a pitiful, gentle expression.

I’ll have to wash my eyes out when I get home…

“A friend is… someone you can comfortably call by their first name, share stories with, occasionally meet for tea, eat delicious food together, and share things you like… Something like that, isn’t it?”

Ottilie deliberately put on a lonely smile.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had a friend that I’m not even sure anymore.”

As she spoke, she cautiously took another step toward him.

“That’s all? Being friends sounds rather simple.”

This time, Rothvin didn’t back away either.

“Fine. I’ll give it a try.”

At his words, Ottilie’s eyes widened.

She hadn’t expected him to agree so easily.

“Now then—how are you going to help me touch the puppy?”

Rothvin asked, glancing at Ottilie with a crooked expression.

Despite his rude tone, which sounded as though he were challenging her to try, Ottilie simply smiled gently and held out her empty right hand.

“…What do you want me to do?”

Rothvin asked bluntly, looking down at the small, white hand in front of him.

“Would you try holding my hand?”

“Me… hold the young lady’s hand? Why on earth?”

Rothvin’s right eyebrow shot up again.

“I’ll show you how much strength you should use when holding a puppy. Come on.”

Ottilie gently coaxed him, as though she were trying to persuade a disobedient child, and gave her right hand a little wave.

Rothvin stared blankly at her waving hand with a bewildered expression. Then, as though he had finally made up his mind, he raised his right hand and lightly grasped hers.

A faint crease appeared on Ottilie’s otherwise delicate face.

How can someone be this ridiculously strong?

“Rothvin, try relaxing your grip just a little.”

Startled, Rothvin released all his strength and spread his palm wide open.

“No, Rothvin. I didn’t mean you should let go completely. Try holding it again.”

At her words, Rothvin obediently grasped Ottilie’s hand again, like a well-behaved child.

After that, Ottilie treated him like a child and taught him how to apply just the right amount of pressure. Only after quite some time had passed, when Rothvin finally understood what an appropriate amount of strength felt like, was she able to hand him Choco.

Even then, Rothvin hesitated until the very last moment, wondering whether he should hold the puppy or not. But when Ottilie assured him that it would be fine, he politely held out both hands.

With an unusually expectant expression, he carefully accepted Choco into his arms.

“Try gently stroking its fur. Choco will like it, too.”

Rothvin nodded and used his index finger to stroke Choco’s head as gently as possible.

He seemed completely unaware that Ottilie was treating him like a child or that she was casually calling him by his first name and acting so familiar with him.

A faint smile appeared on his cold face.

Ottilie quietly watched him.

Do I have to act like a puppy to win his heart?

But my hair is silver, quite similar to a white puppy’s fur, and I’m small, with drooping eyes, too. I might actually have a chance.

Besides, in my previous life, he definitely felt attracted to me when he first saw me. So perhaps I can make it happen again this time.

Ottilie steeled her resolve and slowly nodded.

“It’s getting a little cold now. Shall we head back?”

She genuinely meant it.

After spending so long in the park, Ottilie was starting to feel cold.

“Oh, right. Let’s go.”

Rothvin glanced regretfully at the puppy in his arms before taking the lead and striding forward.

Ottilie hurried after him, but there was simply no way she could keep up with his pace.

“Rothvin, we’re supposed to walk together.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Ottilie called out to stop him.

Fortunately, he stopped and turned around to look at her.

He stared at her with a slightly irritated expression, as if asking why she wasn’t hurrying up.

Ottilie pretended not to notice his expression and quickly stepped beside him, naturally placing her right hand on his left arm.

“It’s hard for me to keep up with you. Escort me. We’re supposed to be friends now, remember?”

Only then did he seem to remember that he had agreed to be her friend and realize just how overly familiar Ottilie was acting toward him.

He frowned.

His cold expression was frightening, but his sculpted face, which looked as though it belonged in a myth, was now scrunched up quite nicely.

“Surely the Duke of Altenbrick isn’t going to go back on his word?”

Ottilie quickly added.

“Friends, huh…”

Rothvin muttered quietly as he looked Ottilie up and down.

Then he slowly nodded and started walking again.

She wasn’t sure whether he was agreeing to escort her or to be her friend, but fortunately, this time he adjusted his pace to match hers.

The two walked together all the way out of the park without saying a word.

When Ottilie spotted the Falkenberg family’s carriage, she moved half a step ahead and headed toward it.

Beside the carriage, Rize and the coachman were fussing over something.

“What’s wrong, Rize?”

Ottilie asked, raising her voice slightly higher than usual.

“Ah, my lady! It looks like one of the carriage wheels has come off. The carriage is broken, so we can’t leave right away. What should we do?”

Rize looked at Ottilie with a rather troubled expression.

She didn’t even need me to explain anything. She understood the situation perfectly and immediately started acting out the scene on the spot—

Rize really is a genius!

Ottilie’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

“Oh, dear. This is quite troublesome.”

As she spoke, Ottilie deliberately put on a troubled expression and stole a glance at Rothvin behind her.

Her eyes clearly said, I need your help.

Rothvin looked back and forth between Ottilie and the carriage.

Ottilie continued sending him pleading looks, but he simply stood there, staring back at her blankly.

Ha. Of course.

“Rothvin, the carriage can’t be used right now… What should I do?”

Unable to endure the silence any longer, Ottilie spoke first.

Making a lady ask for help first…

Ottilie was almost willing to bet her entire fortune that he had never had a proper etiquette tutor.

“What do you want me to do?”

At his reply, Rize was startled and raised her head to look at the Duke of Altenbrick.

Why would someone with such a magnificent appearance use it in such a way?

Rize was genuinely shocked.

She had heard quite a bit about the Duke’s reputation, but she had never imagined he was this bad.

Did my lady really go for a walk with a man like that…?

Rize cautiously shot the Duke of Altenbrick a sideways glance, making sure he wouldn’t notice.

“…It’s very cold right now, and I can’t use my carriage to go home. So could the Duke of Altenbrick’s household perhaps help me?”

Ottilie forced herself to suppress the emotions rising inside her and approached him with a smile. It was a truly forced smile.

Her feelings were complicated, a mixture of frustration and helplessness.

In my previous life… he wasn’t this bad. Well, I met him when I was twenty-one, so perhaps he took etiquette lessons from a tutor during that one year?

“I’ll take care of Choco at the Duke of Altenbrick’s residence.”

He said this with a serious expression, taking another step backward.

Choco was already tucked snugly inside his coat.

Ottilie no longer had the strength to force a smile.

What on earth is going on inside that head of his? He’s not just rude. He’s a complete idiot!

“Rothvin, I’m cold, too. We’re friends, remember? Let me rest at your residence as well. And please send someone to repair my carriage. Surely you can at least do that much, right?”

Ottilie’s voice had finally begun to show a hint of irritation.

“Oh, Ottilie… You want to come to my house?”

Rothvin now looked genuinely bewildered.

Ottilie took another step toward him, placed her hands on her waist, and looked up at him.

Rothvin stared expressionlessly at those swamp-green eyes of hers, which gleamed with a challenging light.

For a moment, he even seemed annoyed.

“I don’t think that’s possible. I’ll only send someone to repair your carriage.”

After casually dropping those words, he turned and walked past Ottilie toward the Duke of Altenbrick’s residence, holding the puppy snugly in his arms as though he had no intention of waiting for her response.

Ottilie stood there blankly for a moment, trying to process what he had just said.

Then she let out a short sigh.

“Ha…”

Her breath spread through the air like smoke before disappearing.

At the same time, Ottilie turned around, hurried after Rothvin, and grabbed his arm.

“Rothvin!”

Her voice now sounded like that of a fierce little cat.

My lady… It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her this annoyed.

Rize watched Ottilie with wide, curious eyes, rolling her own eyes in disbelief.