I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 143

The night of the Succession Ceremony had faded, and by the time Edgar opened his eyes the next day, the castle was significantly quieter.

Although there were still a few who hadn’t returned, it was evident that the number of people had drastically decreased compared to yesterday.

Yulken had offered to see off the guests with Helene, and since he advised Ariel to rest well after the hard work of yesterday, Edgar was able to enjoy a normal morning.

‘Glad I don’t need to strut around with my head held high.’

After finishing his morning routine, Edgar strolled through the now peaceful castle, wearing a satisfied smile.

He wasn’t particularly one to take things too seriously, but he had to admit he was somewhat stiff yesterday given the circumstances.

However, today he was just happy to be free from that pressure.

Eager to share this good news with Ariel, he headed straight to her room as part of his routine.

And there she was,

“…What are you staring at?”

A woman gazed at him with a decidedly different outfit and a sulky expression.

She wore a white dress that clung somewhat and was adorned with golden decorations on both shoulders.

It was clear that this wasn’t an outfit one would wear for casual outings, yet it was neither overly flamboyant nor inappropriate.

What truly captured Edgar’s eyes was the deep red cloak draped over her shoulders.

This was an item symbolizing the ruler of the north and had previously hung over Yulken’s office chair.

Despite not having worn it since the Succession Ceremony yesterday, today was the first time he had seen her in it.

It certainly conveyed a certain dignity befitting the title of ruler of the north, and it was based mostly on her attire.

“Um… it suits you well?”

“Y-You’re just teasing me, aren’t you!?”

“Teasing? What do you mean… *snicker!*”

“Admit it, you are teasing!”

Ariel didn’t want to show herself like this and let out a frustrated sound, punching Edgar lightly in the stomach.

Sadly, her attempt was too weak to penetrate his well-trained body, but considering she did it out of frustration, it didn’t bother him too much.

“I just laughed because it looks awkward. But honestly, it seems to suit you quite well, doesn’t it?”

“R-Really? Doesn’t it look weird?”

Ariel still looked doubtful as she glanced up at him, wiggling her fingers.

Even Shuri, who had helped her change, had told her it suited her well, but in her eyes, it didn’t quite feel right.

If she had to describe it, she felt like a newborn baby wearing an adult’s clothes.

“It’s dignified and splendid. Now that you’re the head of the Duke’s family, isn’t this within the scope of acceptability?”

“It just feels weird. Hearing people call me ‘Your Highness’ last night felt strange too.”

“You’ll get used to it in time. Your Highness… no, even Father mentioned that, right?”

“You’re not that accustomed to it either.”

When Edgar hesitated for a moment in addressing Yulken, Ariel caught onto it and couldn’t help but let out a faint laugh.

They still had a lot they weren’t used to, but they would gradually improve.

Just then, Shuri, having tidied up the room, cautiously closed the door and left.

Upon stepping out, she confirmed that the two who were expected to head to the office were lingering outside, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Your Highness, you should be heading to the office soon.”

“Ah… right. Speaking of which, hearing that title from you still feels odd.”

“Honestly, it feels odd for me too.”

Sticking out her tongue in agreement, Shuri tried to relax her somewhat tense body with a shy smile.

Today marked the first day her master, after assuming the head role, would be performing official duties, naturally causing her to feel a bit tense.

“Anyway, I need to see Father before heading to the office. Do you know where he is?”

Ariel wished to check in with him, especially since it was the first day, wanting to gain strength and assurance from Yulken.

However, unfortunately, Shuri’s following words shattered that hope.

“Excuse me? This morning, he went out with the lady…”

“…He went out? Today?”

Ariel stared at Edgar, looking utterly bewildered.

Her eyes seemed to ask, ‘Did you know about this?’ to which he subtly shook his head.

It was the same for him.

“Didn’t you hear? He mentioned wanting to enjoy his time off from duties since it was a rare occasion…”

“……”

Ariel felt as though she was getting a glimpse of a different side of her father today, and mixed emotions washed over her.

On the surface, he seemed to act with great authority as the head of the family, yet deep down, he probably had a rather carefree personality.

“Anyway, I get it. I guess we should just head directly to the office without taking any detours.”

“That seems wise. Fortunately, Lord Elpelt is still at the castle, so if anything comes up, we can consult him…”

“Trusting Elpelt should be reliable. That’s not a bad idea.”

Ariel knew Elpelt well, having learned a lot from him when she first took on her duties. His skills were second to none.

Unless it was a matter of extreme importance, most things could be handled through him.

If he hadn’t been around, they might have faced some troublesome difficulties, but it was certainly a relief to have that last bastion of support.

“Ed, have you finished your morning routine?”

“I wrapped it up ages ago.”

Edgar shrugged nonchalantly.

He had immediately completed his training upon waking and had come directly to Ariel’s room afterward.

“Then, let’s check our tasks first, and if we have spare time, we can dive into things a bit later.”

“Sounds good. By the way, are you okay with breakfast?”

“Yeah, not really feeling it after drinking yesterday. Shuri, could you prepare some light snacks later?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

As the two women grimaced at the awkward titles they still weren’t accustomed to, Edgar couldn’t help but smile alongside them.

He believed that, in time, everything would be resolved as it should.

* * * * * * *

Contrary to their expectations, the amount of papers set in the office was quite manageable.

Thanks to Yulken tidying up substantial tasks early on, they didn’t have much to deal with on the first day, which might’ve otherwise overwhelmed them.

Ultimately, after briefly addressing a few matters, time seemed to drift away, and they decided to have an unexpected tea time, but a small commotion arose in the midst of it.

“Ariel, what’s this?”

“This? It’s the contents of a letter I asked Father to send to the royal court not long ago.”

“No, that’s not what I mean… the content inside is quite serious.”

In Edgar’s hand was a document containing most of the contents from a letter personally stamped by Yulken.

Excluding the usual greetings and other trivial details, the focus of the letter was quite weighty.

“The power for immediate execution of prisoners? So until now, the Robeheim Family had no authority over the treatment of prisoners?”

“Yeah, while it was permissible to kill enemies encountered on the battlefield, we needed permission for captured prisoners. It was an old custom.”

Considering the Duke’s family belonged to a nation, it could be seen as a natural rule, but thinking of their autonomy and previous contributions, it was quite an unexpected regulation.

In truth, it might have continued unchallenged because previous heads of the family hadn’t cared much about it.

Just as a baby needs to cry for milk, there was no reason for the royal court to offer power that wasn’t even asked for.

“Is this the content Father approved?”

“Of course. Do you think I threw a tantrum in front of him?”

Ariel requested it knowing full well Yulken would agree.

The Robeheim Family, which had to frequently confront foreign tribes due to geography and status, could benefit from gaining such approval, reducing their tasks significantly.

Though it couldn’t be denied that Ariel was somewhat pushed to send the letter due to her insistence.

“Seeing this pushed through, it seems there’s been some change in feelings on his part.”

As Edgar recalled, the Ariel of the past hadn’t openly expressed discomfort towards foreigners like this.

To be more precise, she hadn’t appeared to have any hostility towards them at all.

However, the fact that she sought permission for such authority even before taking on the position of head indicated that a clear animosity had brewed within her.

Curious about the reason behind this change, he decided to ask her, and Ariel’s crimson eyes brilliantly revealed a distinct emotion.

The usual brilliance and warmth of her demeanor shifted to a more solemn and heavier tone.

“Do you remember? The question I asked you on the night of the dance.”

“Hmm… Ah, that? You asked what I would do if the day came when my principles clashed with my duties?”

“Exactly. The truth is, I didn’t have a strong aversion to the foreign tribes before.”

Hearing this new revelation, Edgar quickly took a seat across from Ariel, who had been staring at him.

At the same time, the rich aroma of tea wafted through the air, but he wasn’t in the mood to drink just yet.

For now, he was more interested in what this girl had to say.

“It’s not some profound revelation. It’s just a curiosity I’ve carried since childhood. Whenever I watched my father head off to battle, I always wondered why we were fighting those tribes.”

When Edgar silently gestured for her to continue, Ariel took a sip of her tea to wet her throat before proceeding.

“Eventually, I learned that war isn’t something good at all. So, if I were to become head, I wanted to strive to avoid war and to attempt understanding one another’s circumstances.”

“That was quite different from who you are now.”

“Yeah, because of that, I found myself questioning whether someone like me should inherit the head position.”

The Yulken she remembered was a ruler who cherished the northern folk more than anyone else.

He genuinely mourned whenever someone died, and that’s why he bared his teeth in fury towards the foreign tribes.

In contrast, Ariel had no clear animosity towards them.

In fact, she had even pondered whether they too were perhaps fellow residents of the north and believed there were reasons behind their behaviors.

So why did she request powers regarding the immediate execution of prisoners?

It stemmed from the incident that had occurred between Yulken and Edgar.

“Maybe I was just naive back then. At least I had never seen my family or anyone close to me die or get hurt. So I couldn’t understand.”

Provocations of animosity within humanity tend to be quite simple.

The closer pain or tragedy strikes, the easier it is for a person to harbor ill will and a burning desire for revenge.

Ariel was just another one among many who experienced this.

“From the start, we too have our own circumstances. Yet, they always brutally trampled and disregarded them. They showed no interest in understanding us, so why should we try to understand them?”

“……”

As memories of that day resurfaced, the crimson magical energy flowed through her body, flooding the office.

Despite facing it head-on, Edgar remained unfazed.

Whether her choice would lead her towards the right path was something he couldn’t predict either.

However, one thing was clear: the fact that vengeance doesn’t always lead to tragedy doesn’t mean understanding will bring peace.

Ultimately, only once the lid is lifted can the true outcome be known.

What he could do was to stand beside Ariel on her new journey and assist her in staying balanced.

“…Just make sure your choices are regret-free. No matter the direction, I’m on your side.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already made up my mind. At the very least, I won’t look upon the ones who mocked my father and you as equals any longer.”

Her declaration carried a weight, and for a brief moment, Edgar noticed the spark that had vanished from her eyes.

Having ignited such fury in the current ruler of the north, he couldn’t help but think that the future of the foreign tribes might not be all that bright.

Of course, this was not something he needed to concern himself with.