Jerald’s (Jed’s) Point of View
Gabrielle’s smile was dazzling, even though it was night.
I was surprised to see her standing in front of me with her fluffy white hair blowing in the air, and a healthy white arm stretched out in front of me.
The hand that was held out in front of me was beautiful, without a scratch on it.
“Prince Jerald, please be my friend.”
I wanted to take her hand, but I wondered if I would stain it with my filthy hands.
“Gabrielle, is it… is it alright for me to be your friend?”
“If that is something you want, then yes.”
It was the first time someone had asked me to be their friend.
For the first time, someone asked me what I wanted.
There was no reason for me not to take her hand.
I gently squeeze her hand, doing my utmost best not to break it.
It was slender, yet soft and warm, and my eyes began to burn.
“Prince Jerald, you have become someone I need in my life now. So please don’t call yourself unneeded anymore.”
“Yeah…”
I shed a tear at her soft smile.
As I roughly wiped it with my sleeve, she handed me a gold embroidered handkerchief with not a single stain on it.
I shook my head and said I didn’t want it, because I didn’t want to stain her beautiful handkerchief.
“This is the token of our friendship. Please take it.”
“Is that okay?”
“This is something I embroidered myself, please take it by all means.”
A token of friendship.
She handed it to me to wipe away my tears, but I couldn’t use it.
I wanted to keep it with me.
“Please wipe your tears with it.”
“No way. This is something precious to me, so I won’t use it.”
I was being selfish, and Gabrielle looked at me as if she had given up.
“Thank you, Gabrielle.”
“… Prince Jerald, we are already friends. Please call me Elle.”
When I was puzzled by the abrupt statement, she said, “Friends are supposed to call each other by their nicknames.”
Elle, Elle, huh?
I practiced calling her by her nickname in my mind.
Okay, I thought with enthusiasm, and then I stared straight at her.
“E, Elle.”
I stuttered, even though I’ve practiced it at least twenty times.
I felt embarrassed when Elle giggled and frowned at her, “Elle, don’t laugh.”
“I’m sorry. So, do you have a nickname, Prince Jerald?”
I shook my head.
I’ve spent my entire life not even being called by my first name.
I can’t have a nickname.
“Let me call you Jed then. Is that good?”
“You can call me whatever you want, Elle.”
“Jed.”
My heart fluttered.
We called each other by our nicknames. It was just that, but I was so happy.
I wanted to talk to Elle more, but it was not possible.
“Elle? Where are you?”
Elle immediately responded to the young man’s voice.
“Prince Cyril.”
You can tell who it is just by his voice?
When I turned around, I saw a young man about Elle’s age looking around in the distance.
Elle’s cheeks reddened with happiness as she spotted him, dressed in luxurious clothes, with golden hair and clear blue eyes.
It was an expression she didn’t show me yet.
“I’m sorry Jed. It seems that I have to leave now.”
“Y, yeah…”
“You are now a needed person, don’t forget that. Let’s meet again.”
After reminding me not to forget, she smiled at the end and slipped past me.
When I turned around, I saw her walking amicably with the young man.
I pretended not to notice the pain that shot through my chest.
“Let’s meet again, Elle.”
I’ll never forget the day I made someone special.
It was very easy to find out who Gabrielle was.
She was the daughter of the neighboring Ansanse Kingdom’s Duke.
And the fiancée of His Highness Prince Cyril, the Crown Prince of the Ansanse Kingdom.
“The man from that time was her fiancé, huh…”
It’s no wonder they were so close.
Elle has a fiancé. When I found out this fact, I felt a pain in my chest. It was very similar to the pain I felt when I saw Elle and His Highness Cyril walking together in a friendly manner.
Oh, I see.
“I fell in love with her…”
It was the first time in my life that I had fallen in love.
However, no matter how much I thought about it, it would never come true.
Still, the day I forget her would never come.
Elle was my precious friend.
And four years later, I was reunited with her in the forest.