I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 200

Edgar’s words wrapped up the four-person conversation, which had dribbled along before finally coming to an end.

Above all, what he had said was so shocking that Yulken found himself in a muddle, unable to keep the conversation composed.

Though it was somewhat unlike him, Edgar completely understood his feelings.

After all, the Emperor was not only the ruler of the land he had sworn loyalty to but also someone he had known as a friend long ago.

The fact that this person was now reaching out to the Robeheim Family in alliance with a villain was hard for him to accept.

This meant that the shock he experienced was even greater than that of the other three.

Squeak.

As they decided to share the rest of the story the next day and retired to their respective rooms for sleep, Edgar headed to the study and carefully opened the door.

“…What a surprise.”

Staring out the window with a glass of wine in hand, Yulken was unfazed by the unexpected visitor’s arrival.

“I thought you might need a drinking buddy.”

“Ah, how curious… To have my friend, who is like a son, see into my heart.”

Edgar offered a faint smile, which was reciprocated by a bittersweet grin from Yulken.

It was a bit embarrassing to have his inner thoughts read by someone so much younger, but on the flip side, he felt a deeper gratitude.

After all, he had been struggling to drown his anxious feelings in alcohol without revealing them to his wife, and this timely help came just when he needed it.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Just give me the same as yours.”

Following Edgar’s request, Yulken retrieved another bottle of the same wine and approached the table in the middle.

“If you have a hangover tomorrow, just blame it on me. That kid will surely understand.”

“Not a chance! I intend to be a proper drinking companion and fulfill my duties tomorrow too.”

In truth, he hadn’t come specifically at someone else’s request but merely acted on his own whims.

Moreover, it was part of his character to refuse to acknowledge a situation where he couldn’t focus on what he was supposed to do while seeking someone’s understanding.

“That’s a very you thing to say. I’m glad you came.”

“Not at all. In a way, I may have disturbed your feelings, so I have an obligation to soothe them.”

“No need to think so complicatedly. It’s simply because my resolve is not steadfast enough.”

Edgar was simply doing what he felt he ought to do.

The reason Yulken hesitated to respond properly afterwards was the reality that he had to view the man who was both his lord and an old friend as an enemy.

“Your words give me a lot to think about.”

“What thoughts do you have?”

“Just some memories of the past. From the first meeting with that friend… I mean, His Majesty, to the process of growing apart.”

“…If I may ask, could I hear about it?”

When Edgar cautiously inquired, Yulken smiled as if to say, “What could it hurt?” and began to reminisce about the old days.

It wasn’t anything particularly special, but nevertheless…

As a child, due to the relationship between the former Emperor and Yulken’s father, he had quite a few encounters with Bartheus.

At least he considered Bartheus to be a close friend.

For they shared similar thoughts, had matching personalities, and enjoyed conversing together.

Most importantly, both were destined to one day stand at the top.

Certainly, there couldn’t be two suns in the sky; hence, the one who stood at the very top would be Bartheus, but Yulken was also the heir of a grand dukedom and quite the contender as well.

Therefore, their bond had felt natural, and they could share each other’s burdens.

However, as time passed and Bartheus assumed the crown, they suddenly began to drift apart.

To be precise, it was more accurate to say that it was Bartheus who intentionally distanced himself from Yulken.

The letters they used to exchange eventually ceased, and even when they met at official functions, the way they would set aside time to converse vanished entirely.

They had become merely the Grand Duke and Emperor. That was the only relationship that remained.

Yulken didn’t believe that it was incorrect.

The position of Grand Duke was merely that of a subject in the Helbenior Empire, and to him, Bartheus would someday be the lord he would respectfully serve.

However, what raised suspicions was Bartheus’s attitude.

Whenever he met Yulken, he would act as if he had done something wrong, avoiding direct eye contact like someone who was guilty.

Due to this, Yulken would sometimes have an inkling that something external had influenced their growing distance rather than it being a natural result of their respective positions.

Although as time passed, he found himself not speaking with him, his suspicions naturally faded away.

“He was a friend without any flaws since childhood. Neither a saint nor a villain… Just a deeply human person. And now he….”

‘Has he been tainted by a villain?’

Unable to utter that sentence aloud, he swallowed his words, and Edgar, who took a sip of wine, spoke gently.

“Nothing has been proven yet.”

“That’s right. It could simply be a coincidence.”

Yulken nodded at his words, but the bittersweet smile on his lips lingered.

Three coincidences. Relying on just that made it feel hollow to believe in an old friend.

“In fact, I’ve received a few messages from Beatria.”

“Beatria, you mean… the Empress?”

“Yes.”

Surprised by the unexpected name, Edgar’s eyes widened.

He was curious as to what message she had sent for him to appear so approving.

After all, her attitude at the Imperial Palace had shown signs of something strange, and Edgar had been pondering her relationship with the Emperor as well.

“It must have been around three years after they wed. Beatria suddenly sent me a letter.”

“She usually doesn’t send letters, does she?”

“No, that’s not her nature. It was just the content of the letter that was unusual.”

Yulken began reciting the vividly remembered content of the letter, lost in thought.

“It said, ‘Yulken, something’s off with him. He came into my chamber yesterday drunk, asking me to kill him. I’m scared. What have I done for that good person to willingly label himself a sinner? Yulken, I’m sending this letter hoping you might know something.’”

“A sinner… you say.”

“Yes. She did send letters even after that, but at some point, they stopped. It seems she couldn’t find anything worth suspecting until communication ceased.”

A sinner. Why did he call himself a sinner?

What wrong had he done to his only wife, and why couldn’t he reveal it?

‘So that’s why their relationship became so estranged.’

Edgar’s mind wandered to the last lonely gaze from the Empress, deepening his thoughts.

While he couldn’t be certain, given her expression or tone and the nature of her discussions about the Emperor, it was likely that Bartheus’s hidden secret had not yet surfaced.

“The reason I couldn’t back my friend without hesitation was that these words haunted my mind.”

“So you assumed His Majesty had some kind of secret?”

“Perhaps. I’m not sure.”

Yulken speculated that there must have been some misunderstanding between them, and he had already lost interest in them long ago.

He held onto the hope that they would get through this safely, without being able to provide any tangible assistance as an old friend.

Listening to Edgar’s reasoning now was bittersweet, as it felt like the thoughts he had harbored alone were finally aligning.

Perhaps he claimed to be a sinner because the crime he committed was truly great, which led to Beatria’s sentiments.

“In reality, the two events may not be related at all. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that they are.”

“Do you have any evidence?”

“No, I have none. Rather, the fact that I can’t trust my friend even without evidence signifies that my heart has swayed.”

While Yulken relied heavily on his instincts, he also considered visible evidence significantly important.

For someone like him, to put faith in Edgar’s theories with no substantial proof was surreal on some level.

However, this also implied something else.

In a situation where there was no evidence, and with only Edgar’s speculation and his intuition, he couldn’t fully affirm his trust in an old friend.

At that moment, he was already suspecting him as an accomplice.

No matter how many coincidences occurred, or how the surrounding circumstances pointed towards Bartheus siding with Albrecht, trust could still remain intact.

However, Yulken had cast it aside. The reason was simple.

Somewhere in his heart, he was crying out that he was an enemy.

“I once read a quote in an old book. It said that human emotion is so profound that even when masked with a smiling face, enemies become glaringly obvious, while allies can touch the heart even through angry eyes.”

“…….”

Edgar was left speechless.

What he was about to convey next was essentially the declaration of his old friend and lord being treated as an enemy.

Perhaps it could also be seen as a self-reproaching statement, seeking to affirm his resolution.

In it, there would be no solace, no respect; nothing would resonate with him.

“Starting tomorrow, investigate everything regarding Bartheus closely. However, until proper evidence surfaces, I trust you understand that I cannot take the lead.”

“Yes, I had no intention of asking you to do so.”

Edgar still held onto hope.

In truth, the content he had speculated could be nothing but falsehoods, and if he was being arrogant and overthinking things, ruining the bond between two friends in vain, he wished for that to never be the case.

Thus, until clarity emerged, he had no desire to ask Yulken for assistance or burden him further.

“Do you have anything else you wish to ask?”

“No, I’ve already received ample help.”

Edgar’s reasons for wanting to inform him about this matter were twofold.

To understand the past and nature of this man called Bartheus.

And to seek permission to delve deeper.

Having achieved those two goals, all that remained was to act.

With hope still alive, while firmly imprinting the notion that Bartheus could indeed be an enemy.

In retrospection, how paradoxical it all had become.

“Well, I suppose it’s best to let this be the final toast before we turn in for the night. Both of us likely have swirling thoughts in our minds.”

“Indeed.”

As the two prepared to clink their wine glasses, suddenly Yulken broke away from the edge of his cup and voiced a thought that had just crossed his mind.

“By the way, isn’t it about time to sleep with your daughter as well? I don’t think there’s any need to worry about the prying eyes around you.”

“Guh-! Cough! Cough!”

Just like that, with what could be taken as a jest from Yulken, the heavy atmosphere from moments prior lifted instantly.

Watching Edgar choke on his drink, Yulken, with a heartfelt smile, patted his back in apology.

Ultimately, only the two of them knew how that conversation wrapped up.