I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 117

Gale set out for Whitewood, leading a group of soldiers accompanied by several retainers.

At the same time, Edgar aimed to have a serious conversation in the room with Ariel, who had barely been calmed down and left behind in the castle.

She sat there like someone suffering from an incurable disease, staring blankly down at the floor, and only snapped back to reality when he returned from fetching some water.

Edgar first offered his apology.

No matter how much it was for her sake and the sake of the Robeheim Family, it was true that he had ignored Ariel’s feelings.

“I’m sorry, Ariel. It couldn’t be helped.”

“…No, I think I must have lost my mind. To think I would even go to Whitewood in that situation. And I yelled at you too…”

Ariel, unable to lift her head, apologized instead, expressing that she felt bad.

With Yulken absent, she had to stand guard here.

Yet, with the unexpected news, she almost lost her composure and nearly made the worst possible decision.

Additionally, she had snapped at the advice of her lover, who was more level-headed than anyone.

At this point, it felt like she had lost all qualifications as the next head of the family and as his lover.

She was shaking with self-loathing.

“If I were in your shoes, I’d probably say something similar. Of course, I always feel grateful to His Highness and Lady Helene, but at the end of the day, I’m just an outsider.”

This is why when someone seeks counsel, those around them can remain more composed and provide plausible advice.

While differences in mental resilience exist, most people find their minds go blank or their judgment muddled when dealing with incidents or accidents.

Thus, a third party often struggles to grasp even the most obvious perspectives.

Edgar believed that the current situation was one such moment.

No matter how much he considered Yulken and Helene as benefactors, he, in the end, wasn’t family to either.

To speak coldly, he was merely a stranger.

That’s why even when he mentioned that Yulken might be in trouble, he could calmly assess the situation and stop Ariel from acting rashly.

If the roles were reversed, Edgar wouldn’t have acted very differently.

Thus, Edgar couldn’t accept Ariel’s apology.

No, more accurately, he didn’t feel the need for it.

What had just occurred was merely a gap created by the differences in their perspectives.

“First, drink some water. Lord Gale has already set out, so your only job now is to gather your thoughts and prepare for what’s next.”

“…I always end up being a burden to you.”

Ariel muttered self-deprecatingly.

Normally, Edgar would have shot back that she now understood, but he knew that saying such things wouldn’t help lighten her heart right now.

“Who’s causing a burden? Just get up.”

He responded casually with a hint of a smile, handing her the cup of water as he lifted her up.

“Where’s Shuri?”

“I told her to stay outside for a bit. And the news might be a bit heavy for you… Lady Helene probably caught wind of it by now.”

“It can’t be helped. It was bound to be revealed eventually.”

Ariel added that she was more worried about her mother than herself, but Edgar thought differently.

Of course, it was possible she could be in shock, but unlike Ariel, Helene had been by Yulken’s side during the height of the battles.

In other words, she probably had made countless emotional preparations before he went off to war.

“So she might not be as deeply shaken as you.”

‘Still, I should go see her.’

Even if he tried to keep a calm facade so as not to trouble those around him, it couldn’t be helped. There’d be no way to avoid the shock.

Thus, Edgar resolved to calm Ariel down and planned to visit Helene’s chambers by tomorrow morning at the latest.

More than anything, he had a promise to fulfill that Yulken made before he left.

For the sake of that obligation, going to see her was the right thing to do.

‘But first, I need to get Ariel to sleep.’

With Gale having already departed for Whitewood, there wasn’t much else for Ariel to do.

In a way, it could be said that the situation was out of her hands, and worrying would lead nowhere.

So, Edgar thought it might be better for her to try and catch some sleep, so they could discuss things more clearly in the morning.

“Ariel, it’s a bit early, but try to sleep for a while. Now that Lord Gale is gone, you can loosen up a bit.”

“Do you think I can sleep in a situation like this…?”

“Well, let’s try. Or would you like me to sing you a lullaby?”

Trying to lighten the mood, Edgar cracked a joke, and Ariel’s eyes brightened for a moment.

Even though she wasn’t really at an age to be lulled to sleep, she suddenly remembered one way to feel better.

“Ed.”

“What? Do you want more water?”

“Uh, no, it’s not that…”

Perhaps due to her psychological instability, her tone felt oddly awkward.

Edgar gently patted her head, encouraging her to speak slowly, and Ariel took a moment before hesitantly opening her mouth.

“Can we… sleep together for just one night?”

“…Huh?”

Thus, the princess, with her heart softened, shyly asked to share a bed.

* * * * * * *

Turning off the light, the two lay down on the bed, turning their backs to each other.

Ariel was in somewhat comfortable attire, but Edgar kept his clothes on as if he planned to sneak out midway.

She gave him a hint about changing clothes, but Edgar couldn’t bring himself to say the truth.

He just avoided the issue, ensuring Ariel wouldn’t notice.

“…Ed, are you asleep?”

“No.”

To Ariel’s question in the dark, Edgar replied in a low voice.

It was impossible to sleep in such a situation, and since he planned to sneak away later, he couldn’t afford to doze off.

“How long has it been since we last slept together like this?”

“That sounds weird.”

Since they were childhood friends, there had been times when they played together, took naps in bed after returning home, or even spent the night together.

Thinking back, Ariel must have been reminiscing about those times, but to Edgar, it felt somewhat inappropriate.

Or perhaps it was due to the naughty thoughts creeping up in his own mind.

“That’s not wrong. We used to sleep like this often as kids.”

“…That is true.”

Ariel’s calm response led Edgar to quickly nod in agreement.

It had been at least 13 years since they last slept in the same bed.

She, always so fond of playing outside, would often come back exhausted and fall asleep without notice.

Watching her, Edgar would sometimes fail to account for how much younger she was then and would end up sleeping beside her.

Moreover, he still vividly remembered something that happened when they were five years old.

That day, the Robeheim girls had visited Ardem again, just like always.

After playing all day, as night fell and Edgar was just about to fall asleep in his room, Ariel came in with her pillow.

The reason was simple.

Having heard a ghost story from Shepi and finding it frightening, she asked if she could sleep with him.

At first, Edgar had suggested she go to Helene’s room, but since the story concerned a ghost that took women, she argued that she needed his strength for that one night.

“Back then, you came to my room because you were scared of ghosts; now the reasons have changed a bit.”

“Y-You said not to talk about such things? I’m trying to sleep, so be quiet.”

Ariel snapped back as Edgar casually let that slip.

Given the size of the blanket, there was plenty of space left for Edgar, but he released his grip, feeling nostalgic.

It wouldn’t serve much purpose, considering he would be leaving soon anyway.

“Ed, are you sleeping?”

“You were the one saying you’d sleep.”

“…I can’t sleep. Tell me a story that would help me get to sleep.”

“Are you a kid or something?”

Edgar couldn’t help but throw out a remark, exasperated.

Whether counting sheep or whatever, he hoped she’d around herself to feeling sleepy.

Yet, perhaps due to her anxiety, Ariel seemed to demand more than usual today.

Judging that it would be tough to lull her to sleep with words, Edgar ultimately turned towards her.

When he did, he found himself making eye contact with Ariel, who had been looking at him from behind.

Neither shy away, they stared intently at each other.

How was it that even in such a dark room, they could see each other so well?

The question arose in both their minds as they gazed at their lover.

Just then, Ariel was the first to move.

She half-rose and stepped close to Edgar, resting her head on his arm.

They had shared countless hugs and kisses, but it felt strangely new to curl up on his arm like this.

“Do you think Dad will be okay?”

“I told you, Lord Gale is leading the charge himself. You just need to safeguard Hespania and wait for the victory news.”

“I want to believe that, but it’s just not that easy…”

Ariel’s hand, which gently gripped the sleeve of Edgar’s shirt around his chest, trembled slightly.

She had seemingly calmed down a bit, but her discomfort still enveloped her.

Edgar hugged her shoulders tightly and gently patted her back.

He was grateful that her fragile body, almost as if it could shatter, had not completely crumbled under such shocking news.

“Do you know why I asked to sleep together?”

“Didn’t you say it was because you thought you couldn’t sleep?”

“Of course, but the truth is, I was scared of something else.”

Something else? What could that be?

Edgar asked, “What do you mean?” and Ariel, shifting in his arms like a cat, lifted her head slightly.

“It’s the first time I’ve heard that Dad has gone out to battle and something like this has happened. I was afraid that when I open my eyes tomorrow, you might not be here too.”

“…Why on earth are you worrying about something like that?”

Edgar chuckled softly as he patted her head, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Ariel, knowing how mentally overwhelmed she was.

“Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll be right here.”

“Even if the sky splits apart?”

“I’ll be here even if the sky splits or tears in ten places. So just relax and sleep.”

“…Okay, I’ll trust you.”

It felt like Ariel had reverted back to her innocent and pure self today, more so than ever in Edgar’s eyes.

He had heard somewhere that people tend to revert to infantilism under psychological pressure, and it seemed like now was one of those moments.

But she looked cute, and that wasn’t bad at all.

It would have been even better if this adorable side of her hadn’t appeared just because of the unfortunate news, but that’s something he couldn’t wish for right now.

As Edgar continued to pat Ariel’s back, her breath gradually grew softer, only the sound of gentle sighs could be heard.

When he gently pulled away to sneak a glance at her, he found that she had closed her eyes and fallen asleep without him even noticing.

‘Looks like I have to stay here tonight.’

Originally, he had planned to find a chance to slip away and keep an eye on her from the sofa.

But remembering the request that Ariel had made earlier, he felt he couldn’t refuse that, and so, with a wry smile, Edgar closed his eyes as well.

He just hoped that by the next morning, there would be news that would bring a smile to her face.

That was his only wish as they fell asleep together.