I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 197

As the ministers at the Imperial Palace saw them off, the two climbed onto the carriage heading to Hespania.

Unlike before, this time they were accompanied by a guard, allowing them to breathe a little easier regarding Albrecht’s potential threats.

“Now, tell me. Why didn’t you inform the Emperor about that?”

Just as the carriage was leaving Hildak, Ariel couldn’t hold back her question.

Since there was no one around to hear, the formal address of “Your Majesty” had long vanished.

“Sorry. It’s not the right time to talk about it. Just bear with me.”

“What does that even mean? Are you seriously asking me to suppress my curiosity until we reach Hespania?”

It was a long way to Hespania, even with the Dimensional Stone. No matter how you traveled, it definitely wasn’t something you could do in a day.

For Ariel, who was somewhat impatient, that felt like a death sentence.

“I need to tell my father about this too. Moreover, it’s not a topic to be discussed lightly outside.”

Edgar was well aware of this. After all, who knew Ariel’s character better than him? Even Helene would say that he understood their daughter better than she did.

However, his refusal to share the information didn’t stem from wanting to see her stomp her feet in frustration.

That might be a rather rare and entertaining sight, but he wasn’t foolish enough to joke about something so serious.

‘What does he mean by ‘lightly’?’

Meanwhile, Ariel couldn’t shake the feeling that his words carried a weight she couldn’t quite grasp.

After all, none of the matters they discussed previously had been trivial.

Still, they had conversed freely in the carriage on the way here, and sometimes even sought each other’s opinions outside.

But this time, it felt different, and she couldn’t help but wonder why.

Perhaps it meant that there were topics weighing heavier and more secret than any inferences or assumptions he had previously hinted at.

‘Come to think of it, he also stopped short yesterday.’

Edgar had asked her to forget what he had alluded to, but the memory was still vivid in Ariel’s mind.

It was absurd.

And it was something that shouldn’t be.

He surely dismissed the assumption that had flickered through his mind in an instant, but what if he had some kind of reason that brought the thoughts to the level of certainty?

Then it would make sense that he suddenly changed his course of action today while remaining tight-lipped.

Although Ariel didn’t know the details of why, she felt it.

“…Okay, I’ll wait. But there’s no grace period of a day or two. As soon as we arrive in Hespania, you tell my father and me together.”

Ariel was the kind of person who trusted herself more than her reliable subordinates or anyone else around her.

If there was only one person she trusted more than herself, it was Edgar.

That’s why, in front of him, she could relinquish her stubbornness just a little.

He had an exceptional foresight, the kind that allowed him to see beyond what she could.

There’s an old saying to see the forest, not just the trees, but for Ariel, Edgar could see both the trees and the forest while noticing even the little creatures scurrying about in between.

Whenever an idea popped into his head, he constantly presented evidence and theories to substantiate it, but even when things didn’t align, he would not stop thinking.

That was a remarkable ability that even the great Ariel Robeheim lacked; it was a specialty that went beyond mere intelligence.

This was the biggest reason Ariel could trust him.

“I intended to do just that. But then again, it’s strange. I thought you would insist on telling me first.”

“Hmph, do you think I’m still just a child?”

Ariel scoffed and crossed her arms, turning her head away.

To be honest, she did have the urge to act that way, but since it was Edgar, it was entirely possible.

If he believed that was necessary, then there surely was something she wasn’t seeing.

Acknowledging that casually and accepting it showed how deep her trust in him really was.

However, the pouting was more a result of her own disappointment at not being able to read his true thoughts.

For her, Edgar was not only a beloved partner but also a wall she aspired to surpass.

Ever since childhood, that singular goal had driven her forward, and now, she still felt distant from it, which made her all the more frustrated.

She also couldn’t shake the feeling that this oaf wouldn’t even notice her feelings.

“Anyway, thanks for trusting me.”

After a brief commotion, as the atmosphere around them shifted toward concluding their negotiation, Edgar expressed his gratitude to her.

They say the most frustrating thing for a person is to bring up an issue only to drop it midway.

For someone as impatient as Ariel, that went without saying.

Still, her choice to bend a little was surprising for Edgar; it was indeed something to be grateful for.

I guess people grow and change as they go.

“…Is that all?”

Before she could let the thought pass, Ariel fixed him with a pointed stare as if demanding something in return.

Having conceded her stubbornness, she felt there should be something expected in return.

“Pfft, what do you want?”

“W-Well, it’s not that I expect much, but… if I’m putting in an effort, shouldn’t you at least reciprocate?”

Usually, Ariel was the type to offer kindness without expecting anything in return more readily than most people realized.

For instance, she might gift Shuri with a cherished accessory or grant her a break if she seemed worn out.

But curiously, she was strict about this with Edgar.

Of course, it wasn’t that she was a tiresome person calculating gains and losses in a relationship; when she found just the right excuse, she would tend to make little demands and whine.

Edgar saw this as Ariel’s way of showing her affection.

Seeing someone of her stature acting coyly and cautiously like that was quite cute.

“Alright then. How about next time we go out just the three of us, you, me, and Sonia?”

He knew better than anyone that Ariel would be over the moon at the mention of Sonia’s name.

Moreover, they hadn’t had a chance for just the two of them to enjoy a light-hearted outing lately, so he proposed it with that in mind.

However, her reaction was completely unexpected…

“…, ….”

“What? I couldn’t hear that, sorry.”

With her head hung low, Ariel was grasping the hem of Edgar’s clothes, mumbling something he didn’t catch.

When he leaned in closer to ask again, she replied in a voice barely audible.

“I-I do prefer being alone with you. Of course, it’s not that I dislike Sonia, but….”

Ariel cherished Sonia like a dear younger sister; or perhaps even more fondly, but this was a different situation.

Since it would be a rare outing without worries, she hoped no one would intrude.

“…Fine. Then when things calm down a bit, let’s find the right time and just the two of us will go out.”

“Uh-huh….”

As Edgar’s hand that had been patting her head ventured down to her cheek, Ariel made a small sound like a kitten, nodding her head.

Soon, her ruby-like red eyes gazed up at him, as if desperately wishing for something, but Edgar could only offer her a rueful smile, confined within the carriage.

* * * * * * *

At the same time, Dana, who was left alone in the Imperial Palace, buried her fears deep within as she focused on her work as usual.

She knew she was living on borrowed time.

If someone who had been manipulating her saw this scene, they would surely want to end her life. She couldn’t escape that threat either.

‘But I must fulfill my duties until the end.’

In her honest feelings, she wanted to run away.

Spending each day fearing someone whose face she didn’t even know might threaten her was unbearable; she would rather leave somewhere and live under a new identity.

But she couldn’t do that due to a sense of pride in being part of the Imperial Palace.

And she wanted to repay the debts of life owed by the two who had saved her.

That was why she remained here, acting as though nothing were amiss.

“Dana, you’re so diligent today?”

“Ah, y-yeah… I feel like I’ve been slacking off lately….”

Just as Dana mustered her resolve inside, a woman approached her, one of the handmaidens she interacted with most frequently, named Reshi.

Unlike Dana’s diligent nature, Reshi was more of a laid-back worker by nature, but thanks to her warm demeanor and wide reach, she gathered all manner of gossip circulating through the palace.

“Hey, you’re still considered diligent relative to your usual self. By the way, a lot of people are coming today that we haven’t seen for a couple of days.”

“True. Not only Lord Bertus but also the Duke….”

Having mentioned someone she had just encountered, Dana felt a slight start in her chest, but she tried to maintain a neutral expression while going along with Reshi’s remark.

Then for some reason, a wide smile appeared on Reshi’s lips as though she had caught wind of something.

“Seeing Lord Bertus come out first, I guess it’s indeed as expected?”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

Dana’s expression fell in confusion as Reshi seemed to jump on her words.

“Come on, be honest. What’s your relationship with him?”

“What kind of relationship… we hardly even met!”

Dana retreated nervously, perplexed by Reshi’s unexpected inquiry about Albrecht, and her demeanor felt like she had stumbled into some gossip about private romances.

Meanwhile, Reshi took her reaction as a convincing denial, giving her shoulder a hearty pat while wearing a mock serious expression.

“Oh come on. How could you play dumb with me? Isn’t that a bit hurtful?”

“I-I really don’t know what you’re talking about….”

Dana felt wronged, pondering why Reshi was bothering her like this, but Reshi had her own reasons to press on.

Leaning in close with an irritatingly smug grin, she began to recount what she had seen yesterday.

“You were alone with Lord Bertus somewhere yesterday. You didn’t think I’d see you while I was tidying up the refuse, did you?”

“Alone with Lord Bertus… me?”

“Yeah, you little minx. When did you manage to seduce him? I didn’t know you were such a capable girl!”

“…….”

While Reshi babbled away like a giddy chick caught up in its joy, Dana felt as though she had been struck by a hammer, struggling to find an appropriate response.

‘Why was I alone with him?’

She had no answer even when she questioned herself.

All recollections of the previous day had whitewashed in her mind.

What little remained was entirely incidental details that were of no help to her usual duties.

‘His Highness the Duke mentioned that someone may have been manipulating me with magic. And Lord Bertus is the Empire’s leading magician.’

The pieces that had been scattered in her mind began to fit together one by one.

Finally, as she reached the last inference, a chill began to rise up from her toes, making her body tremble.

Thud.

In the end, the broom she had been holding let out a tiny scream as it clattered to the floor, plunging her into silence.