I'm the Friend of a Male Lead who went Crazy after the Female Lead Died

Killian Haunbert.

Although he was presently losing his mind without anyone knowing, he also was quite famous. There was no one on the continent who didn’t know him.

He became the Empire’s first sword at a young age and was a descendant of the Haunbert family known for producing high-ranking paladins to the Aeterna Holy Empire for generations.

After becoming the Holy Empire’s guardian, he was entrusted to protect the continent together with Saint Arwen. Eight years ago, he pulled out the Holy Sword and saved the continent from destruction, which made him a hero not only to the Holy Empire but to the entire continent.

And everyone, no matter what race they were, bowed their head in front of him.

If Killian were to get hurt, everyone would go crazy; Elshnain thought as she gently stroked the gypsum flowers nestled in her arms.

Across from her, Killian was sitting with his eyes closed just like before, and now that she looked at him closely, he seemed slightly tired.

This is the time when his emotions are supposed to be all over the place according to the book.

And that’s exactly what was happening to him right now.

Killian got injured when he went to the Dairn Kingdom; the place her consciousness was previously summoned to.

He fell into a trap set by a high-ranking demon and although there were no physical injuries, his senses were affected.

 His ability to perceive magic and spiritual energy was damaged.

It would probably heal and go back to normal on its own soon enough, but the demons, noticing his handicap, did not miss the opportunity to plant one of their own kind in his mansion.

Normally, Arwen would have recognized the demon right away because she was a saint.

This incident was quickly resolved by Arwen, who had been with Killian for a whole year.

It also served as a great opportunity for the two of them, who had been having an emotional struggle around that time, to reconcile.

But Arwen is not here.

So, the demon should have successfully infiltrated by now.

Their goal was to slowly infect Killian with demonic energy, meaning they should be secretly drawing a strange magic circle in his basement right about now.

We must quickly find who the disguised demon is.

However, since she supposedly lost her memory, she couldn’t suddenly say ‘I swear on my grandfather’s name, that person is a demon in disguise!’

Which is why she planned to act as if she had accidentally discovered the fact.

“Um, this is Duke Haunbert’s house. Should I keep going?

The carriage seemed to have reached the Duchy because the coachman’s slightly trembling voice was heard.

“Keep going,” Killian nonchalantly ordered.

“Yes, yes,” the poor man replied.

But when the carriage arrived at the gate, it was immediately blocked by stern guards.

“This is Duke Haunbert’s main residence, may I ask who you are here to visit?”

“I-I’m just…. I received a request to drive the carriage here.” Elshnain heard the coachman’s panicked voice say.

Then, the guards approached the carriage’s windows with brisk strides, and jumped in surprised when they saw who was sitting inside.

“Your Excellency, Duke Haunbert! My apologies for not recognizing you.

And only then did Killian turn his head towards them.

Elshnain could hear the other guard’s voices from afar.

“Why is he coming back in a carriage?”

“Could it be that he has someone with him?”

“No way, that’s not possible.”

It might have sounded like quiet whispers to others, but it was clearly audible to someone like her who wasn’t a regular human being. Killian probably heard it too.

The carriage that had momentarily stopped at the gate, smoothly glided on until it reached the main building of the estate, adorned with a gorgeous garden and fountain.

“It’s an honor to have escorted you this far, Guardian. Please, you don’t need to pay.”

Finally realizing Killian’s identity, the coachman waved his trembling hand, refusing to take the money, but Killian just put the banknote in his pocket before turning away to say,

“Get off.”

Elshnain, who had been observing the quivering coachman with her head poking out of the window and her hair fluttering like a willow, got off the carriage with a slightly irritated expression.

The gypsum flowers that filled her arms swayed gently.

She gazed at the place she hadn’t seen in a long time. There was a large forest behind the beautiful and elegant mansion. That forest was where she was born, and where she met Killian for the first time. It was also where he spent his childhood.

It’s been a while.

She never imagined coming back to this place……

“Welcome.”

What greeted Killian, who was walking with big strides, and Elshnain, who following behind him, was a long line of greetings from the employees.

Most servants seemed to have been replaced during the eight years she was absent because there was no one familiar to Elshnain’s eyes.

And although they must have been taken aback by their master’s sudden arrival, the servants welcomed him without hesitation, maintaining an unfazed and neat appearance, just like the ones she knew in the past.

These people are like dolls.

Do they resemble the owner?

Considering that people of the Haunbert family have always had a cold personality just like Killian, it seemed it had an influence on their employees.

“This is your room,” Killian suddenly said.

The place where he stopped after walking nonchalantly through the crowd of servants and up the spiral stairs was a place Elshnain was quite familiar with.

Oh, is this really my room? she asked herself, profoundly disturbed that he didn’t empty out the room of the friend who kidnapped Arwen for eight years.

Is this a proof of how determined he is to find Arwen and bring her back?

Elshnain glanced at Killian’s cold face while forcing the corners of her mouth to rise into a smile.

“Wow, th-this is my room! It’s so big. The bed looks really nice too!”

And pretending to be innocent, she excitedly hopped towards the bedroom, when, in reality, shivers were running down her spine.

Ugh, that obsession was scary. So scary!

But she abruptly stopped with an astonished expression on her face.

It’s exactly the same.

Elshnain scanned the room, and while looking at it, she felt as if she had traveled back to eight years ago.

It was just as she remembered it, down to the last detail.

Well, she wasn’t a genius, so it would be difficult for her to perfectly recall what the room looked like back then, but she had a good reason to believe that it didn’t change in the slightest.

This chessboard….

Next to the large window where sunlight streamed in, there was a white table with a chessboard placed on top.

The pieces were positioned as if two people had just finished a game, each in different locations with the black king piece in a checkmate position.

There wasn’t even a speck of dust on the board.

‘Ugh, I’m not playing anymore, you always win! Let’s do something else.’

‘It was you who suggested that we play chess, Elshnain…. Alright, then what else?’

‘Let’s go swim in the lake! Let’s bet on who can reach the end first!’

‘Huh, a swimming bet with the water spirit?’

Elshnain could hear the boy’s voice, sighing like it couldn’t be helped, as if he was right in front of her.

Unfortunately, shortly after their bet–a summoning command was used–and she was forced to swim, not in the lake, but in a sea of monsters.

“Did you remember something?”

“Huh?”

At adult Killian’s voice, Elshnain quickly erased the blissful smile on her lips, and tilted her head in confusion.

“Remember? Remember what?”

“…..”

“By the way, whose room is this? Look, was someone else playing chess here?”

“No, this was originally your room. You….never mind. If you want to clear it and start over, go ahead.” Killian finally answered as he crossed his arms, and looked down at the chessboard coldly.

“This house is also your home, so feel free to do whatever you want from now on,” he continued.

“Uh-huh.”

He then glanced at flowers still in her arms, “I arranged for someone to bring you a vase for the flowers. It will be here shortly. Well, then….”

Afterward, he walked away.

***

Just as Killian said, it didn’t take long before a maid came in with a white vase.

However, she asked for the vase to be sent back to Killian, and as if she didn’t know the layout of the mansion, she followed the maid to where Killian was, his office.

Isn’t he tired?

She was still holding the pile of gypsum flowers in her arms; it was a spider web used to catch demons. So, they had to be kept next to Killian, in abundance, and in every place where he and the servants frequently interacted.

“Elshnain?”

“Oh, Killian. I didn’t have the chance to tell you earlier. This, well, it was a gift for you.” Elshnain smiled awkwardly and approached the room.

Killian was sitting behind a large oak tree desk, and perhaps because he had already spoken to them separately, the knights guarding the office’s door didn’t stop her.

“Also, I’m sorry for not remembering you. I couldn’t even say that earlier. It seems like we were good friends.”

“…..”

“We were close, right?”

Well, I did end up stabbing him in the back, but….

Before then, they were close, haha.

Killian titled his head as he stared at the woman smiling sweetly at him.

“The flowers are a gift?”

“Yeah. Can you hold the vase for a second?”

“Okay.”

The maid looked up at Killian with an embarrassed expression, but he just stood up without saying a word and took the vase off her hands.

 A tinkling sound could be heard from the inside, where the water of life Elshnain had place in advance was.

Good.

The gypsum flower was the symbol of The Holy Empire.

Although it was commonly found throughout the whole empire that worshiped the god Aeternus, it was no ordinary flower.

When it was placed in the water of life, the flower would release divine energy into the air.

And once that air touched a demon’s skin, it would dispel their disguise.

Obtaining that elixir was a difficult task; it was a very expensive item that could only be acquired with considerable effort.

This is what was left after having used it on Arwen.

In fact, the bag she brought over was filled with useful tools.

Elshnain moved closer to Killian with a fresh smile, “Here, my gift. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Then, she dropped the flowers inside the white vase, and as if the clouds had been cleared up from the sky, the noon sunlight shined on her cheeks at that moment.

Her fair skin was originally tainted with a rosy color, and the sunlight only made it shone more beautifully.

At the same time, a floral fragrance brushed against the tip of her nose.

Meanwhile, Killian, with the vase still in his hands, was blinking confusedly.

“Please take care of me in the future, Killian.”

Elshnain cobalt blue eyes, reminiscent of a spring day by the lake, gently folded.

“…..”

In that moment, she captured something in Killian’s squinted orbs looking at her. Then, a strange sound was heard from behind, making her quickly turn around.

“Grrrrrr! This…this scent…Grrr.”

There, the maid, who had been standing politely in a corner of the room just moments ago, was clutching her face with both hands while her body convulsed.

And soon, a grotesque snake-like creature took her place.

God! the demon!

Elshnain took a sharp, quick breath.

No, why did the demon have to be the maid who brought the vase! It should have appeared when I wasn’t around! She complained as she leaned back to avoid the long arms that were coming straight at her.

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