The Reason I Keep Avoiding My Childhood Friend

It wasn’t an awkward or challenging meeting because they were people that I saw often and occasionally ate together.

However, somehow the atmosphere seemed strange today.
Or should I say it’s serious? A strangely uncomfortable air permeated the restaurant.

What? What’s going on? Any big announcements today?

“Aren, it’s been a while.”

I was startled by the Grand Duke’s voice as I quenched my thirst with a glass of water.

“Yes.
It’s been a while.”

“You look small every time.”

That’s not a compliment.
My lips pouted in dissatisfaction, but everyone nodded in agreement with the Grand Duke’s words.

It’s not that those words were completely incorrect.
At some point, I felt like I wasn’t growing up, and it made me rather worried.
Regardless of physical differences between men and women, Kir grew as fast as bean sprouts every day, while I afraid that I was only growing a little and would never looked my age.

I drank milk every morning and night, so why was I not tall! I even stole the milk Kir was drinking!

However, I could not tell the Grand Duke of my discomfort.
Even though the Grand Duke said it that way, it wasn’t meant to make fun of me.
It was a simple greeting, purely like ‘You look good these days’.

From what I’ve felt so far, it’s clear that the Grand Duke was a strangely unusual person, so Kir acted just the same when he was young.

I glanced back at Kir.
Kir, sitting upright with a nonchalant face, was cool.
My palms suffered a lot to make him like this.
I praised my palm with pride.

“I am still young.
I would grow bigger.”

I said it strongly with a sense of desire, but everyone shook their heads as if it wasn’t.
Don’t do that! Father, don’t do that! I’ll grow up! I puffed out my cheeks at everyone’s reaction.

“You’re cute, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t get bigger.”

The Grand Duke’s words was something no one could be sure whether it was a compliment or not, and I couldn’t cry or laugh.
It was difficult because he seemed so sincere when he spoke.

It was clear that the Grand Duke really liked me.
However, there must be something wrong somewhere.
Because I want to be bigger! Why was everyone ignoring my desires!

“Then, now that everyone is here, shall we start eating?”

The Grand Duke asked everyone’s intentions with his gaze, and when no one objected, he gave a signal to the butler.
It was definitely a birthday dinner, so the food served was different from the occasional dinner I was invited to.

The food was luxurious, but the atmosphere that I felt earlier was still strange.
The air remained low until the main menu was served.
Somehow, rather than celebration and joy, it seemed that trembling and coldness lingered instead.

I held my breath and looked around, and I immediately knew the reason.
No one was talking to Kir.
There were no common birthday greetings.
And even though Kir knew about it, he pretended not to know.

What was it? Why was the atmosphere so serious on this fine day? It was strange to ignore the main character, Kir.

“……Did you like it when you do things your own way?”

At that time, words that could make me guess the situation flowed from the Grand Duke’s mouth.
There was subtle anger in his voice, which seemed cold and indifferent.
Kir, who had been silently cutting the meat, slowly raised his gaze and met the Grand Duke’s eyes.

“It is a finished matter.
Please stop.”

There was no more Kir who longed for the Grand Duke’s affection like before.
Rather, he often challenged back showing that he had reached puberty properly.
I knew that this father-son relationship was not as friendly as my father-daughter relationship.
But the cold wind didn’t blow that hard.
There must have been something big going on between the two.

“Are you saying things like that without thinking about the political difficulties caused for doing things your own way?”

The Grand Duke’s voice sank heavily, showing that he was angrier at Kir’s actions, and I could feel the softly seething emotions inside.
I held my breath while holding my fork and knife tightly in the almost-bursting atmosphere.

I don’t think this should be the case after inviting guests…