I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 202

The story has come to a satisfying conclusion, and the members of the Billhark Family decided to head up to Hespania to settle there.

Surprisingly, there wasn’t much to pack, and things progressed quickly, allowing them to set out for Hespania after just four days.

Meanwhile, Helene, who had been enjoying her time reading alone in the castle, heard this news and quickly dashed out of her room.

This was because Edgar had conspired with Ariel to surprise her without letting her in on it.

Clatter!

“Ed, is it true that Katria is coming!?”

The two people who were leisurely having tea after finishing their morning tasks were startled by Helene’s unexpected entrance.

However, as they realized what was happening, they made room for her and added some explanations.

Though it was Edgar who was supposed to speak since Ariel was poking him in the ribs.

“Yes, I mentioned it not too long ago, and things progressed quite quickly. Your father will probably already know.”

Hearing the relaxed tone different from how Edgar usually spoke to Yulken, Ariel couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Perhaps that’s why Yulken had once seriously confided in her that he thought Edgar was uncomfortable around him.

‘In my opinion, it seems like it’s because he’s spent more time with Mom.’

Even if he were to say that out loud, Yulken probably wouldn’t accept it.

Still, she thought that between the two of them, they were quite close for a potential father-in-law and son-in-law, so she had never mentioned this fact to Edgar.

“How could you not tell me such news…! Well, I’m just glad to know, and now I can rest easier.”

On the other hand, Helene let out a sigh of relief, clasped her hands to her chest, and began to bounce in place.

It was quite an adorable sight for her age, but perhaps due to her exceptional beauty, it didn’t feel out of place.

Edgar thought that if he exaggerated a bit, people might not believe she was Ariel’s sister.

“Looks like my mom is happier about this than I am.”

“Meeting friends is always a joyful occasion. I’m glad I built it in advance.”

“…Huh? Built what?”

Edgar blinked in confusion at the unexpected sentence thrown in.

With a triumphant smile, Helene waved her finger playfully and revealed a fact he hadn’t realized.

“Have you seen the new building that’s been under construction recently?”

“Yes, I have, but…”

Since the castle grounds were so expansive, it wouldn’t be surprising to see one or two new buildings popping up. Edgar had merely thought, ‘Oh, something new is coming up.’

But did that building have a hidden purpose?

“Actually, that building is for your parents. I thought it would be inconvenient since there are so many people passing through the castle.”

“….”

In short, it meant that they were preparing a new residence exclusively for his parents while leaving this massive castle, which could easily accommodate hundreds of people, as is.

Even a grand duke’s family shouldn’t be going overboard like this, and Edgar found himself speechless.

“And you didn’t say anything to me….”

“Come on, it’s more fun to tell you later. Plus, if your father or Katria didn’t plan to come, and we blabbed, it might change their minds out of guilt.”

Just as Edgar had kept quiet about his family coming, she had kept this fact hidden as well.

In their little game of keeping secrets from each other, they both broke into laughter.

“Wait a minute. What if they decided not to come? What were you going to do?”

Suddenly curious, Edgar asked again.

There had been no certainty that the two of them would come, so where did she get the confidence to build a house first?

If his parents decided not to come, it would be pointless to have built it, and he couldn’t just tear it down afterward.

Helene, unusually casual, made a rather reckless statement.

“If it really came to worst, I was going to say it could be your honeymoon house. Since even if business is done in the castle, having a separate cozy place to stay wouldn’t be bad, right?”

“…A honeymoon house is a bit extravagant.”

To be honest, just the daily trips to and from there after work seemed like a hassle.

But perhaps this was only Edgar’s opinion, as Ariel next to him chimed in, “That wouldn’t be so bad either,” in agreement with Helene.

Despite everything, they were indeed quite similar in many ways, mother and daughter.

“For now, tell them to stay in the castle until then.”

“Of course. Again, thank you for your generous consideration.”

Who would go to the trouble of building a house for in-laws and inviting them into their territory?

It was truly Helene’s kind-hearted nature that made such a thing possible.

Edgar knew this and bowed deeply to express his gratitude, causing a satisfied smile to spread across her lips.

“Hehe, what do you think he would say if he heard this?”

“I imagine he would say he’s received more than he gave and humbly express it.”

“You know him well. My answer is the same.”

Helene didn’t just think he did a lot since arriving in Hespania.

He had quietly stayed by Ariel’s side, who had always been alone since childhood, and sometimes he harshly admonished her when she risked heading down the wrong path.

Especially during that time, Helene had felt immense guilt towards her daughter and could never discipline her properly, so Edgar’s presence was all the more precious.

If it weren’t for him, Ariel might have turned into an all too ordinary aristocrat, one of the many oppressive and worldly nobles around.

Watching the man who was now about to be her son-in-law hold her daughter’s hands so tightly with warm eyes, Ariel burst in to break the warm atmosphere.

Though they were her own parents, she couldn’t just sit back and watch them create an intimate ambiance.

“Mom, that’s enough. Edgar, you should yield to me now.”

“You were calling her ‘Mother’ just this morning, and now you’ve changed it again?”

“Hmph, if I don’t say something like this, I’ll never get you back.”

As Ariel pouted, holding out her hands like she was asking for some item, Helene smiled teasingly and slowly turned away.

“Then this mother must leave to find my lord. Have a nice time.”

One wondered if she was doing this to make a fuss as she felt left out.

With her grown daughter now sticking to her son-in-law and ignoring her, Helene couldn’t help but show her displeasure.

“Be careful and come back safely, Mother.”

“Just sit down already. Where do you think you’re going?”

“Hey, what are you saying to your mother…?”

“There’s not much break time left. Just sit down.”

Ariel, not caring about that, just kept tugging at her fiancé’s hand, demanding he come over to her side.

Normally, they’d say men never grow up, but it seemed the opposite was true in this case.

Helene quietly observed the two of them with a warm smile as she exited the room.

—

The day before the Billhark family arrived in Hespania.

In the Imperial Palace, Dana rushed to complete the task assigned by Ariel and Edgar while trying to avoid the gaze of others.

“Ugh, ugh….”

Even as she tried to maintain a calm expression, the urgency in her legs and breaths was impossible to hide. It signified she was in a tight spot.

“Ugh….”

Dana shuddered as she recalled the image of Albrecht, who had just spoken to her moments before.

The difficulty of catching her breath, which felt unusually heavy today, stemmed from the baffling sense of threat emanating from that man.

‘So it was that man, Marquess Bertus.’

Just as Edgar had said.

That if someone who usually never spoke to you suddenly approached, it was a warning to be cautious.

Moreover, considering the remark her friend and colleague Reshi had given her not long ago, all the evidence pointed to him being the mastermind behind the scene.

‘For now, I made an excuse and ran away, but what do I do next?’

Although Albrecht showed no signs of pursuing her, one could never be too sure.

And since she’d have to do the same job in the same place tomorrow and the day after, it would be impossible to keep dodging and making excuses forever. If this kept happening, who knew what moves he might make?

‘There’s nowhere to hide. Should I ask Reshi for help?’

Her family home was far away in the eastern region, well removed from Hildak.

Even if she sought to find a place to hide for the time being, there weren’t many options.

Her best bet would be to ask Reshi, who had a home in the imperial capital and wide connections, but then that might involve her as well.

Would she really end up being killed at the hands of that man with no solutions in sight?

As the rising anxiety filled her head, she felt her body trembling with dread, but suddenly her eyes glinted with resolution.

And then,

*Smack!*

She slapped her cheeks hard with both hands to snap herself back to reality and nodded firmly.

After all, thanks to those two’s kindness, she had barely saved her life; why would she hesitate now?

Since submitting to this mission meant she had already given up on her own safety.

If she could take this as an opportunity to extract even just one shred of information from him to relay back, that would count as fulfilling her duty.

‘Alright, let’s go back.’

Without realizing, she had wandered into a rather secluded area.

If she happened to run into Albrecht here, that would be the definition of a dead-end.

So instead of staying hidden, it’d be much smarter to return to where she was earlier and use the crowd as a shield to face him.

Just as she turned to bolster her resolve,

“You’ve come quite far.”

“…!?”

Albrecht had approached without a sound and caught her off guard from behind.