I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 127

Edgar found himself in the room of Robeheim Castle, where he had been staying.

What that meant was he had been asleep for at least a few days until returning here.

‘They must have been really worried.’

Edgar understood the feelings of Ariel, who was embraced in his arms. He smiled bitterly, patting her back.

If he had never come back, it might have been different, but if someone returned barely alive and didn’t wake up, just imagining how much they must have worried was heartbreaking.

“…I’m sorry, Ariel. I almost couldn’t keep my promise.”

“It’s not that you almost couldn’t keep it; you didn’t keep it at all, you idiot…!”

Ariel’s voice dripped with anger as she clutched her fists tightly, then slowly relaxed.

Though she wanted to punch him squarely in the chest or face, he was now officially a patient, so she couldn’t do that.

Just looking at all the bandages wrapped around him clearly showed how badly injured he had returned.

“You said you’d come back to me, and you made me wait alone. Who wanted that kind of thing!?”

“…Even so, I couldn’t just let your father die. That was the best option.”

“Best for who? I never wanted such a noble sacrifice!”

Even though she knew she shouldn’t, Ariel stood up and loudly shouted.

Of course, she wasn’t ungrateful to him for saving her father.

In fact, she would have gladly kneeled and thanked him a hundred times over.

But the sorrow and emptiness of almost losing him overshadowed her gratitude, prompting such a reaction.

She felt resentment towards him for not even trying to think of a way for everyone to survive.

“You’re really a terrible person…! I’ve been—!”

As Ariel yelled, the floodgates opened, and she eventually collapsed into her seat, crying heartily.

Relief that he was alive.

Guilt for sacrificing himself to save her father.

Joy that the one and only person was back in the world.

Each conflicting emotion swirled and intertwined within her, reaching a level that was beyond expression.

Knock.

“Miss, is everything okay…!?”

As Ariel was shedding tears like a chicken, Edgar silently comforted her when the door suddenly opened, and Shuri entered with a towel and warm water, stopping in her tracks.

“Y-your…!”

Thinking she might have seen wrong, she pinched herself, and once she realized it was real, a soft voice escaped her lips.

With a wry smile, Edgar met her gaze and awkwardly greeted her.

“Shuri, you’ve had a lot to deal with because of me and Ariel.”

While Ariel must have been deeply troubled, Edgar figured Shuri, who had been by her side, had also endured a lot.

As Shuri blinked in disbelief, she slowly started to look him over, trembling with excitement.

“C-could it really be… you, my lord? Not a spell or an illusion but really…?”

“If you’re so curious, why not come over and hold my hand?”

Though his arm felt a little stiff, it was working well enough for him to raise his left hand and present it to her.

Shuri hesitated to take his hand, instead poking his arm with her finger like she was checking some unfamiliar insect.

As her fingertip felt the warmth of his skin, her eyes widened in surprise.

It was really him, alive.

Realizing that, moisture began to collect in Shuri’s bright eyes.

“My lord…! Sniff! I thought you were really gone…!”

Like Ariel, Shuri’s pent-up emotions overflowed, and she burst into tears.

As Ariel’s tears were winding down, it was Shuri’s turn to let her feelings take the stage.

Edgar couldn’t very well tell her not to cry, so he could do nothing but console her, just as he did for Ariel.

At least, thankfully, she didn’t curse him out like Ariel had.

“…Shuri, first stop crying and bring others here.”

“Sniff! Yes, Miss.”

Once Ariel regained her composure, she gave Shuri the order. Shuri wiped her messy face with her handkerchief and quietly exited the room.

After she left, silence returned, and amid the uncomfortable quiet, Ariel shot a displeased glance at Edgar’s smiling face.

“What’s so funny?”

If he really knew how anxious she had been, there was no way he could have such a face.

Feeling that frustration, she snapped out sharply, but Edgar shrugged it off, replying nonchalantly.

“I’m just happy to see you again. Don’t you feel the same?”

“I feel like I could kill you on the spot.”

With a menacing aura swirling around, Edgar felt even more frightened than when he faced Kelrag.

It truly felt like she meant every word, making him even more terrified.

“…Is that really something you should say to someone who just returned?”

“Being back is great. But the thing is, you didn’t even plan on doing that from the start, so it just infuriates me.”

“Um.”

She was right, in a sense.

Edgar had chosen to sacrifice himself at that moment to save everyone else.

The very moment before he lost consciousness, he thought it was the end, without any particular attachment to life.

That was precisely what Ariel found troublesome.

It didn’t mean she hated him coming back; she hated that he had given up on life.

Especially the fact that he had no intention of keeping the promise they swore.

“Did you really think you could just leave me behind? Who gave you the right to do that?”

“Well, you could say it was unavoidable… not what I truly wanted….”

Edgar waved off her sharp claims, desperately struggling to justify himself.

Truth be told, it wasn’t a lie; he’d want to return if he could.

He had simply weighed his life against the others, particularly Yulken and the others, and found that sacrificing himself was the most rational choice.

Fortunately, since Ariel had regained her calmness, despite his flimsy excuses, she didn’t push him any further.

“…Well, fine. Arguing more would be pointless anyway.”

Pouting her lips in dissatisfaction, she touched her reddened eyelids.

She had cried so much that her surrounding was stingy and wet.

“Are you considering forgiving me?”

“I’d love to beat you up right now, but I can’t very well hit someone who saved my father.”

With a grin, Edgar asked, but as she glared at him with sharp eyes, she lightly waved a hand dismissively.

Putting aside her personal anger, he was undoubtedly the one who had risked his life to save Yulken.

Punishing him for that, rather than rewarding him, would tarnish the name of the Robeheim Family.

As the next head, that was not an option for her.

Of course, despite this, it was entirely possible she’d still explode with anger later and smack his back, but for now, she just had to let it go.

“Am I going to be hated for this incident?”

Noticing others would be coming soon, Edgar asked in a teasing tone, keen to strike up a lighthearted conversation.

Just how had he fallen into this state in less than thirty minutes after regaining consciousness?

Ariel’s desire to punch him fired up, but upon seeing him safe, her heart melted like butter.

“…I hate you, you idiot.”

Even so, the grudge lingered, leaving her unable to say anything sweet, and she finally turned her head away with a mix of emotions.

Through that scene, Edgar could finally feel that he had truly returned to life.

* * * * * * *

When Shuri came back with the others, the room quickly filled up, leaving no space to spare.

Yulken and Helene, along with the retainers who participated in the mission, had come to express their gratitude.

“Are you really alright?”

“Yes, thankfully, I seem to be intact, Your Highness.”

“That’s a relief. Had you not awakened…no, even if you had, if your body wasn’t whole, I would have felt like I spent my life owing my daughter a debt.”

The truth was, Yulken had avoided any direct contact with Ariel during the time Edgar lay unconscious.

As if returning to before their relationship had recovered, his heart felt heavier than it had back then.

“I’m glad my survival helped ease your burden, Your Highness.”

“Thank you for considering it that way. Anyway, for now, you’ll need to rest, so focus on recuperating and don’t mind outside matters. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let someone know.”

At that moment, Elin, who had been nearby, flinched at Yulken’s attention and took a step back.

She was someone so distant that merely looking up was hard for her.

“The treatment I’ve received until now has been kind, so I doubt I’ll need much more… but I’ll keep that in mind.”

Honestly, Edgar preferred to get out of bed as soon as possible rather than lie around enjoying such treatment. He wanted to hear more about what had happened in Whitewood.

Of course, he also had things to share.

But for now, knowing Ariel was watching him, and that rising could possibly unsettle others, he decided to accept their kindness.

He thought it would be practically impossible for him to get up right away anyway.

After Yulken finished the conversation, the thanks from Helene and the other retainers began.

Particularly, Helene, who almost cried as she kneeled, made Edgar feel a bit uncomfortable.

On the one hand, witnessing that scene, Edgar realized he had indeed stepped into something serious, provoking a myriad of mixed feelings.

But still, knowing that choosing to save Yulken hadn’t been the wrong decision made him happier than anything.

“Ed.”

“Ha ha… huh?”

After chatting with a few retainers in laughter, Edgar raised an eyebrow at Ariel, who suddenly called his name.

She looked at him with a determined expression, as if she had come to a resolution, and after a moment of hesitation, she took a deep breath and brought up the point.

“Do you remember? We talked about making the bond of servitude.”

“Of course, I remember.”

Since the chaos erupted right before they were about to form that bond, it was weirder if he didn’t recall it.

“Once the bond is made, the master and servant can each request something from the other. Of course, it has to be agreed upon….”

“Ah, um….”

Edgar became puzzled as to why this topic had suddenly come up. Was there something she wanted to ask him for through the bond?

While curiosity swelled, he tilted his head in confusion.

As he looked at her with baffled eyes, Ariel firmly held his hand and declared her newfound determination.

“When that time comes, promise me you won’t leave Hespania.”

“…What?”

“Don’t leave Hespania.”

Interpreted positively, it could mean she wanted him to stay by her side, but it also implied that he shouldn’t leave Robeheim Castle.

“I know that if something like this happens again, you’d be willing to sacrifice yourself. I want you to do anything but get hurt far away from me.”

“…….”

Caught off guard by such an unexpected request, Edgar gaped.

Her strong desire to possess him made sense, especially as she feared losing him after all that had happened.

“Stay by my side, Edgar. Please.”

Thus, the lady earnestly pleaded with her newly awakened lover not to disappear from her sight, gripping his hands tightly.

The pain of potentially losing her beloved was immense.

That feeling was something she had never encountered in any study she had ever learned before.