I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 163

Edgar, having spent the previous day leisurely chatting with Ariel, was finally able to enjoy a reunion with Leonel the next day.

He had many questions, but first, he wanted to ask about the circumstances that led Leonel to leave the Royal Knights.

He was curious about how a boy who had once dreamt of becoming a knight and even aspired to rise to the position of captain ended up giving up on that dream.

“At first, I went in with big hopes. But reality turned out to be quite harsh.”

“Was life that tough?”

Maybe there was discrimination within the Royal Knights, or perhaps it was just hard to keep up with others.

However, the answer that came back was quite unexpected.

“No way. I actually felt I could endure it. But I started to wonder if this was really the dream I had.”

“What do you mean?”

“At least, the concept of a knight didn’t exist there. Hearing the stories the seniors shared at dinner was enough to make me sigh.”

Not all knights were like that, but it seemed the ones Leonel encountered were particularly rotten and corrupt.

Some of his seniors even bragged about using their title to intimidate women, which was just appalling.

At that point, Leonel’s dream was already far from what he had envisioned.

He had always wanted to be a protector of the weak, not become someone who preys on them.

“That’s why I immediately left the Royal Knights. Around that time, I also ran into Enya again and made my way to Hespania with her.”

“Oh, so you traveled all the way back to Hespania together… does that mean what I think it does?”

Edgar poked Leonel with his eyes, clearly intrigued.

After all, it wasn’t every day that ordinary friends of the opposite gender traveled such a long distance and then chose to return together.

That wasn’t an easy decision.

But if they were in a romantic relationship, it changed things a bit.

Perhaps the two boys and girls who had first met in their childhood in Hespania were now adults reuniting to start anew in a place that felt like home?

That would certainly be a charming development.

Meanwhile, Leonel scratched his cheek, looking caught as Edgar guessed correctly.

He had expected they would discuss this eventually, but with Edgar guessing first, he felt unexpectedly embarrassed.

Nonetheless, he shrugged it off with his usual composure.

“It turned out that way.”

“That’s a good thing. Do you know how frustrated I was watching Enya’s gaze toward you back when it was different?”

“Y-You noticed that? Enya mentioned something like that….”

Leonel awkwardly smiled, clearly flustered, a behavior he wasn’t used to showing.

The truth was, since becoming a couple with Enya, she had confessed to him a while back that her feelings echoed what Edgar had just said.

She had wondered why he recognized it so late.

She had felt like she wanted to smack her head against a wall, yet she always held back.

Even on the day they parted, she thought maybe he would notice, but it ended in just a single hug, which made her so frustrated.

In fact, Enya had confessed first, making Leonel realize he had completely missed her feelings until now.

“How could you not notice someone trailing after you like that?”

Edgar picked at Leonel’s sore spots, bringing up stories that would make Ariel want to scream if she were there.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t present, and Leonel didn’t have the details to launch a counterattack.

So, after a while of getting hit with stories about Enya, Leonel reaffirmed his determination to treat her well.

When he heard that she had held back from confessing due to not wanting to be an obstacle to his dreams, he felt incredibly guilty.

It took him a while to respond to Enya’s confession, but hearing that statement solidified his resolve.

Could he ever meet someone who thought of him that much again? Leonel questioned himself, receiving only a negative response in return.

Moreover, the fact that he was feeling awkward seeing a matured Enya only intensified those feelings.

“Then where is Enya staying now?”

“She got a place outside. She had some savings from her brief time in the Royal Knights.”

In short, they were living together.

Edgar thought that far less surprising until he learned she had secured a house with very little money, which raised his concerns.

He had heard from Creed about the Royal Knights’ pay system and knew the lower ranks earned very little.

Even if Enya had done some work before, she would surely have struggled to afford a place.

“Hespania isn’t exactly cheap on real estate.”

It’s not just not cheap; Hespania’s land is significantly more expensive compared to other northern regions.

Thanks to the influence of the symbol of dominion, it shares a unique climate similar to other areas, making the residents’ lives rather comfortable, and as the land in such a desirable area becomes scarce, the prices continue to rise.

When Edgar, who had been in the field and was quite savvy about such matters, voiced his worries, Leonel scratched his head with a peculiar expression that was neither a smile nor a frown.

“It’s a little small. But what can I do? I’ll have to gather more little by little.”

“Hmmm….”

Edgar looked contemplative for a moment, resting his chin on his hand as he muttered.

‘I feel like I can help.’

His hidden stash contained the rewards he had received from Yulken during the last distribution of merit and those he accumulated on his recent trip to the Imperial Palace.

He’d been living here without needing to spend money, with the most he’d done being buying gifts for Ariel every now and then, so he was quite at a loss about what to do with that wealth.

Why not use it to help a friend settle down and enjoy a reunion?

‘My father used to say….’

When Yulken and he talked, Yulken often mentioned that one shouldn’t demand loyalty first.

If someone enters your life, you need to show care for them to receive loyalty in return; there’s no such thing as loyalty handed out freely.

And Yulken was someone who embodied that principle well.

Whenever someone in his direct line, like Elpelt or others, faced personal issues or crises, he was always the first to step in and help.

Although Edgar might not be someone as prominent as Yulken, he wanted to emulate that mindset.

Perhaps this would be his first opportunity.

“Leo, is your place far from the castle?”

“It’s at the very outskirts… so a bit far. Walking is a bit of a struggle.”

“Hmmm, then how about this?”

Unlike those who had separate rooms within the castle, Leonel only had an office to work from.

This meant he had to commute from home each morning, and if the distance was long, it wouldn’t be too efficient for work.

Having heard enough, Edgar finally steeled himself and decided to speak up.

With this, he had a sufficient reason to offer his help.

“I’ll help you find a suitable house around here. Wouldn’t it be more convenient to stay with Enya there?”

“How could you do that? You’ve already helped me settle down!”

“Don’t overthink it. Besides, this is as your superior, not just as a friend.”

Of course, it could also be seen as a gift celebrating a friend’s new start, but for Edgar, the bigger concern was securing Leonel’s loyalty.

If he could use some extra cash he had lying around for a good cause, why wouldn’t he do it?

“Besides, even if it’s just you, Enya is there too. Think of it as an advance wedding gift.”

“…Even so, I’m not sure I can accept this.”

Despite Edgar’s continuous persuasion, Leonel still had many concerns weighing on him.

More than anything, the psychological burden of having already benefited from his friend was the biggest factor.

If he accepted a house from Edgar now, wouldn’t it seem like he had come to leech off his friend from a third party’s perspective?

That thought made him feel uneasy.

Yet on the other hand, he was also worried about what Edgar had mentioned regarding Enya.

That house would definitely be too small for the two of them, it might have some smells, and worse, located on the outskirts, its security was insufficient.

Leaving Enya alone in such a place while he commuted back and forth would certainly weigh heavily on his heart.

“Well, if receiving it feels awkward, how about pretending to borrow it for a bit? Later, when you’ve saved up, you can move to a bigger place.”

“…That makes sense. Okay then, I’ll accept it, but just for now.”

Leonel knew well that Edgar’s phrasing was mere wordplay.

Even if it was framed as a temporary loan, Edgar would surely make him take it whether he wanted to or not.

However, that semantic game helped narrow the psychological distance, and more importantly, the thought of someone he cared about was right in front of him, causing his pride to yield.

Leonel definitely would have refused this a while ago.

But now, he was showing that he had learned to let go of something precious for the sake of someone even more valuable.

Edgar smiled contentedly and tilted the wine glass in front of him.

He would have liked to share a toast, but since he still had work to do today, that couldn’t happen.

“I’ll find a place for you soon and let you know. I have someone in mind.”

“Okay. When I tell Enya, she’ll probably be shocked.”

“Happy shock?”

“Probably. But knowing her, she’ll likely tell me to refuse it later on.”

Edgar imagined that scenario in his head and grinned, encouraging Leonel to charm Enya into accepting it.

He had learned this with Ariel; those in love can be exceptionally weak when it comes to each other.

He figured Enya wouldn’t be too different, so she wouldn’t avoid Leonel’s persuasion.

“Alright, let’s wrap up the chit-chat and get to work. I have quite a bit piling up today.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Oh, that sounds nice!”

As Leonel bowed exaggeratedly while offering respect, Edgar just smiled back and playfully tapped him on the shoulder.

Like a superior saying, ‘I expect great results from you.’

Leonel felt a strange sensation as if Edgar’s gesture helped lighten his emotional burden toward him.

He could be a friend privately, but he reminded himself he now had a superior he needed to be grateful to for the rest of his life.