I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 19

Ariel’s fondness for stars had a simple origin.

It was a story from when she was even younger, a time when her mother’s skirt was the most comforting place.

Her mother, Helene, often looked up at the night sky from the terrace or balcony.

At first, Ariel thought her mother was merely gazing at the stars, but after witnessing such scenes frequently, she suddenly became curious.

‘Why does mom look at the sky so often?’

To young Ariel, the night sky always seemed the same.

It only changed when it snowed a lot or on cloudy days when there seemed to be fewer stars.

What could be so entertaining about that unchanging night sky that made her look so joyful and smiley?

Unable to contain her curiosity, Ariel ran into her mother’s arms, burying her face in the folds of her skirt.

Helene briefly looked surprised but quickly welcomed her with the same affectionate touch as always.

Mom always smelled good.

Was it because she was pretty and kind that she smelled so nice? What about me?

Ariel absentmindedly buried her nose in her shoulder and sniffed like a puppy.

There was no particular scent.

Her dream was to become someone like her mom, but that probably meant she still had a long way to go.

“Why are you sniffing around like a puppy?”

“Because mom smells good, so I thought maybe I would too.”

“Really? Mom thinks her daughter smells good.”

Helene lifted Ariel into the air and kissed her cheek.

Then, noticing the outside air had grown quite chilly, she draped the coat she was wearing over her daughter, worried she might catch a cold.

“Aren’t you cold, mom?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Hehe, mom is amazing, as always.”

To Ariel, Helene was an object of admiration.

She was always graceful, more beautiful than anyone Ariel had ever seen, kind-hearted, and accomplished everything she set her mind to.

Even the typically headstrong Ariel listened to her mother’s words because she had made her mom her goal.

Gently stroking her lovely daughter’s head, Helene cautiously asked,

“Do you think I’m a good mom?”

Every mother in the world carries their own uncertainties, to varying degrees.

Helene was no exception.

Was she really acting rightly for her daughter?

Had there been any mistakes in her upbringing?

Without knowing her daughter’s true feelings, those worries and aspirations were burdens she must bear as a mother.

“Of course!”

Ariel answered instantly with a brilliantly bright smile, dispelling her mother’s anxiety.

Helene’s lips curved into a relieved smile.

She felt that it was good to know how much her daughter loved her, especially after wondering about it for a while.

Maybe I should throw in a teasing question.

“Then, who do you like more, mom or dad?”

“Mom!”

“Hehe, dad might feel hurt to hear that.”

But she had somewhat expected that.

Her husband was not a bad person, but his parenting style and values were quite rigid.

It was natural for a young Ariel to feel averse to that.

Helene had insisted on connecting two toddlers as friends and had raised Ariel more freely than other young ladies her age for this very reason.

With one dominant figure already in the house, if her mother interfered too, who would listen to the child’s voice?

“By the way, why did you come looking for mom?”

“I noticed mom looking at the night sky every night, so I got curious.”

Helene’s eyes widened for a moment at Ariel’s answer, then she smiled gently and pinched her daughter’s cheek.

It seemed that, despite everything, the only one looking out for her was her daughter.

“Do you dislike stars?”

“No, I don’t dislike them. I just don’t particularly like them either.”

“Hehe, you take after your mom. I used to feel the same way a long time ago.”

“Really, mom?”

Looking at her mother now, it was hard to imagine.

But Ariel didn’t question her mother’s words, trusting her completely, because her mom had never lied to her.

That was the power of the trust they had built.

“Of course. If you listen to the stories I tell you, you will definitely come to like stars too.”

“Are they fun stories?”

“Well, I don’t know? Let’s give it a listen, and then you can tell me what you think. I’m very curious too.”

With her inquisitive nature, Ariel’s eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously at hearing a story for the first time.

Helene noticed her daughter’s hair being blown by the cold wind, gently tidied it up, and began to speak slowly.

“This is a story my mom, Ariel’s grandmother, told me.”

“Uh-huh.”

Ariel’s grandmother had passed away before she was born.

So, she had always heard stories about her grandmother through Helene, but knowing that this story had come directly from her grandmother filled her with more curiosity.

“It’s called ‘The Story of the Stars.’ A long, long time ago…”

Listening to her mother’s voice amidst the cold air, Ariel felt warmth blooming in her heart.

In a soothing yet engaging manner, with just the right tone to keep from being boring, Helene recounted ‘The Story of the Stars’, which was incredibly interesting.

Ariel had always thought stars were just mysterious objects floating in the sky.

She had never attributed any meaning to them and had never wished upon one like other children.

‘The Story of the Stars’ painted a very different picture of stars for Ariel.

To summarize it went like this.

Each star has its own story, its own face, and its own color.

And when the quiet dawn arrives, while the world sleeps, the stars momentarily reveal themselves to exchange ‘star stories’ among themselves.

But during that calm dawn, which seemed devoid of anyone, a girl trapped in a high tower caught sight of the stars as they shared their tales.

Since it was forbidden for humans to find out about them, the stars decided to grant her one wish in exchange for erasing her memory.

When they asked the girl what she wished for, she expressed a desire to know the whereabouts of a boy who had visited her at the tower when she was young.

He was someone who always shared stories of the outside world and promised to take her away from the tower, but for some reason, he had stopped coming.

She requested to know if he was alive or dead, even if he never returned.

The stars combined their magic and searched for the boy, but he had already been killed by a band of robbers.

However, thinking it might hurt the girl to convey that news directly, the stars devised a clever plan.

They explained that while the boy could no longer visit the tower, if she was interested in his story, they would share it with her. They would leave her memories intact.

The girl agreed, and the stars began to tell her various tales about people they had secretly observed in the night sky, adjusting them a bit and sharing them night after night.

As decades passed, on the last night of her life, the girl revealed a truth she had kept hidden from the stars.

– I already knew that person was dead. I will never forget the efforts made for me, even if you are stars.

It is said that she wrote ‘The Story of the Stars’ in an old notebook in her room to share it with others.

But she added a request that the stars must only share it with two people in her lifetime to keep their secret safe.

“Isn’t it fascinating?”

“Yeah, it’s fascinating.”

So, do the stars still secretly reveal themselves to share stories at dawn?

As Ariel tilted her head in thought, Helene chuckled, as if she could guess her daughter’s thoughts, and spoke.

“Actually, the reason mom looks at the night sky every night is to see if the stars are sharing their stories.”

“You haven’t seen them yet, mom?”

“True. Your grandmother probably hasn’t seen them either.”

It must be something very rare.

That makes sense, so it’s only conveyed through stories.

Nodding in understanding, Ariel confidently raised her hand.

“Don’t worry! I’ll definitely listen to ‘The Story of the Stars’ and tell you all about it!”

“Really? Thank you, my dear.”

Once again, Helene kissed her daughter’s cheek, holding her as they entered the castle.

The air was growing colder, and she couldn’t keep her daughter outside for too long in the chilly breeze.

“Mom, but does this story really have to be told to only two people for a lifetime?”

“Yep. That’s a promise passed down through generations.”

“Then who else have you told besides me?”

“Hehe, well, who could that be? Can you guess, Ariel?”

If it was only two people in a lifetime, those must be very special persons.

Even young Ariel could guess that much.

‘Someone precious to mom….’

As she racked her brain, she suddenly seemed to realize the answer and exclaimed with wide eyes.

“Dad! It’s dad, right?”

“That’s right! You’re amazing, my daughter!”

“Hehe.”

Excited, Ariel bounced in place, then suddenly seemed to remember something and quickly asked Helene.

“Mom, then who do I have to tell?”

“That will be your decision, dear. Someday, that person will surely appear.”

“How will I know?”

“Even if you don’t know, the child sleeping within you will definitely let you know when the time comes. So don’t worry.”

Ariel blinked as she pointed to where her mother indicated on her chest.

Is someone sleeping in there? Then why isn’t it telling me now?

She thought she should lie in bed and ponder it over.

And with that, Ariel dashed back to her room.

A face popped into her mind midway, but it quickly vanished, making her tilt her head in confusion.

For some reason, that night was one where a friend’s face floated into her thoughts.