I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 129

After some time, Edgar finally got out of bed and was free again, but he wasn’t exactly celebrating the occasion.

“Ed, where are you going?”

“Oh, um… the Prince called for me.”

Even after Yulken returned, the office remained under Ariel’s control. Consequently, Edgar naturally stayed by her side, and whenever he had to step out for a moment, she’d always ask him this.

“You’ll be back soon, right?”

“Probably… I guess?”

Since the person he was meant to meet was Yulken, there was no way he could dictate when he’d return. So when Edgar replied with a hint of uncertainty, Ariel looked up at him with sharp eyes and echoed his earlier words.

“…Probably?”

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.”

In the past, Edgar would at least make some counterarguments, but ever since he returned, the situation rarely flipped in his favor.

Edgar thought it was partly because he felt he had failed to keep his promise to Ariel, so he thought it wise to concede for a while, but on the other hand, Ariel’s gaze had crossed the line from mere annoyance to something more concerning.

“Sigh.”

“You seem to be having a tough time, young master.”

As soon as Edgar left the office and closed the door, he let out a small sigh. Shuri, who had been approaching with something on a trolley, noticed his distress and offered some consolation.

Though it wasn’t very comforting for him.

“If you know, why don’t you try to stop her?”

“Well, but you were in the wrong too, young master. Even if I were the lady, I would have reacted similarly.”

“…Still, she asks every time I leave. At this point, doesn’t it feel like some kind of obsession?”

Edgar wondered if Ariel needed to see a therapist or something, but Shuri, who had been watching her closely, provided a different response.

“Please bear with it a little longer. While you were out, the lady even drank alcohol she usually wouldn’t touch. It’s better now.”

“…She drank alcohol?”

Edgar’s eyes widened in shock at this news.

It was surprising because, while Ariel didn’t strictly abstain from drinking, she generally avoided it unless there was a reason.

“Yes, she would only drink until she couldn’t handle her body anymore just to fall asleep… and sometimes she even came to your room crying.”

“……”

Ariel fundamentally hated getting drunk. That’s why every time Edgar tried to drink, she would warn him to keep it moderate.

The fact that she drank to the point of losing control meant her reality must have been incredibly tough.

She had to drown her burdens in alcohol just to find sleep.

It was shocking enough for her to consider avoidance when she usually faced reality head-on.

“…Well, hearing that, I can’t really argue back. Guess I’m a bad guy here.”

Scratching his cheek awkwardly, he glanced at the office door and then back at Shuri.

Whatever the reason, he had left an unforgettable trauma for Ariel.

He realized it was wrong to casually brush it off, thinking she was just going through some emotional turmoil.

Of course, Ariel’s approach was a bit excessive, but the root cause was certainly something he provided.

“Still, I doubt the lady thinks about it that way. I don’t either.”

“Still, it feels unsettling. I mean, I never thought I’d make her cry while living together…”

In life, people have their crying moments and laughing moments.

So while Edgar thought about his future with Ariel, he never entertained empty fantasies that could never come true.

But if what made her cry was because of him, he really wouldn’t know how to comfort her.

“Anyway, thanks, Shuri. I should have a separate talk with Ariel later.”

“Just keep in mind, even if you’re the young master, you shouldn’t torment the lady, alright?”

“Of course, I sometimes do poke fun at her.” Shuri gave a cheeky smile.

Edgar chuckled and nodded.

“I’ll try my best. I need to visit the Prince for a moment, so please look after Ariel.”

“Yes, be careful.”

With a deep bow as a final farewell, Shuri carefully entered the office.

When Ariel spotted her, she briefly glanced through some papers and asked, “You’re back?”

She seemed unaware of the conversation Edgar just had, so Shuri sighed in relief, responded, “Yes,” and began placing the snacks she had brought on the table.

Hoping Edgar would return before Ariel’s mood soured.

—

As Edgar made his way to the Reception Room where Yulken would be waiting, he was surprised to find an unexpected guest there.

It was a face he was quite familiar with, but he never imagined running into her here, making his expression turn bewildered.

“S-Sonia?”

“Ueepa!”

Even with wobbly steps, Sonia, the small child, came running at the top speed she could muster upon seeing Edgar.

Edgar was puzzled; how could his little sister from Ardenum be here? Just as he mulled over this, he noticed a couple sitting on the sofa.

“Father, Mother—what brings you both all the way here?”

While Ransel waved cheerfully at him, Katrian couldn’t hold back any longer, bursting out due to her son’s nonchalant demeanor.

“What do you mean? Your son almost left his parents behind, and you want to know why they’re sitting here like nothing’s wrong?”

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

Edgar had never imagined the news would reach Ardenum, so he quickly apologized while scooping up Sonia’s small body.

He could certainly feel the difference in her weight compared to when he first saw her.

His little sister, once just lying in a crib, was now clumsily toddling around, which Edgar found fascinating.

However, today he couldn’t enjoy the joy of reunion because he was already dreading being scolded by his mother.

“Come on in. I secretly called for these two as a surprise gift for you.”

In truth, it wasn’t so much Yulken calling them, but rather some ambiguous timing led to the Billhark Family being contacted, and upon learning about Edgar, his parents hurriedly packed their bags and came over.

Fortunately, the timing was after Edgar had regained consciousness, which likely eased their worries.

If he hadn’t been fully aware by then, Ransel might have taken it in stride, but Katrian would probably have fainted right there.

“It was indeed a wonderful gift, Your Highness. So the reason you called me was…?”

“Since it’s been a while, I thought it’d be nice for the family to spend some time together.”

“I see… hmmm…”

While he appreciated the sentiment, Edgar couldn’t help but worry about Ariel left back in the office.

She would surely be thinking he would just chat lightly with Yulken and return.

“Is something bothering you?”

“Ariel is urging me to return quickly…”

“…I must have forgotten about that. I’ll have to call for my wife anyway, so why not call for her together?”

Yulken promptly commanded a servant waiting nearby to bring Helene and Ariel.

Then, once he had left, he invited Edgar to sit next to Sonia on the sofa.

“By the way, she’s grown quite a bit. I heard she can speak a bit now?”

Sonia clung to him, repeatedly trying to say “brother” in a clumsy accent, while Edgar fondly watched her, prompting him to ask Ransel.

“Yes, especially when it comes to snacks; she seems to understand that immediately.”

“That’s surprising.”

She seemed so small, she didn’t look like a big eater.

Edgar wondered if Sonia was destined to become a glutton and looked her over carefully.

After all, her chubby cheeks could surely store away a plate or two of meat.

Knock, knock.

– “Your Highness, here are the two ladies.”

“Come in.”

As Edgar was enjoying playing with his little sister, the two women arrived, and he got up to greet them.

Before he could finish saying hello to Helene, Ariel rushed over and embraced Edgar.

Watching this, Helene placed her hand over her mouth in surprise but smiled warmly at the scene.

Even after everything, it was a good sign that they shared such closeness.

“Ariel, there are eyes around, so let’s hold off for a moment…”

“But you’ve seen my father and mother plenty of times. It’s not a big deal.”

Ariel was generally quite affectionate and never held back even when Yulken or Helene were watching, so her point wasn’t entirely wrong.

However, she overlooked one key detail…

“That’s not it; our parents are here.”

“……?”

At Edgar’s unexpected comment, Ariel instantly stiffened.

She then turned her gaze to Ransel and Katrian, who were already there, and her face flushed bright red as if it had caught fire.

“Y-You should have told me beforehand!”

“You ran at me without a care in the first place.”

“Well, that’s true, but…!”

Even if she boldly embraced Edgar in front of others, showing affection in front of her future in-laws was inevitably embarrassing.

For the next 30 minutes, instead of properly conversing with her guests, Ariel found herself counting the patterns on the table.