I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 239

Today at Robeheim Castle

Today, Robeheim Castle was bustling from the morning.

With the head of the household, Ariel, sitting at her desk right on time without a hitch, the subordinates couldn’t pull any tricks and had to start their work.

“Sis! Sonia came to play!”

Of course, there’s always an exception.

Even though she wasn’t invited, the arrival of a beloved guest meant that the work in the office had to be momentarily put on hold.

Ariel stole a glance at the clock and realized she still had about two hours to spare before she immediately got up from her seat.

She spread her arms and approached Sonia, enveloping her in a warm embrace.

As careful as if handling a precious glasswork.

“It’s been a while, Sonia. That’s a dress I haven’t seen before?”

Sonia had just come back from a trip with her parents.

Not too far, just to the northern city of Olorese, known for its beautifully blooming snowflowers.

As evidence of her trip, a white flower was stuck in her hair.

A piece of jewelry famous as a specialty of Olorese, the White Flower.

“I came to show you, sis! Isn’t it pretty?”

“Sonia is always pretty. Come here, let me see!”

“Okay!”

Sonia rushed over at Ariel’s call and stuck her face out.

Then, Ariel bent down slightly and brushed off the little dust that was on Sonia’s hair.

With her innocent and carefree personality, Sonia often came back with various smudges, big and small.

“Did you bring this from Olorese too?”

“Hehe…”

Letting out a shy, bashful laugh, Sonia twirled around on the spot.

It was to show off her newly bought dress.

“Where did you get it?”

“I bought it where you told me! Actually, I got one for you too!”

“My own?”

Ariel’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected news.

Could it be that Sonia really bought a gift for her?

If that were true, she was ready to give her a hundred kisses on the cheek as she looked at Sonia with eager anticipation.

“Yes, and it’s the same as what I’m wearing!”

“You mean the one you’re wearing right now?”

“That’s right!”

Hearing that they bought the same dress in different sizes, Ariel broke into a grin.

Even though Sonia was still young, she had a peculiar eye for clothes. You could say she had a keen sense of aesthetics.

That’s probably why Ariel found Sonia’s dress to be lovely enough to catch her attention.

If one were to nitpick on taste, there might be some flaws, but in front of a cute little sister’s gift, it was as good as non-existent.

“Then shall we wear them together later and go out with big brother?”

“When?”

“When the baby is born.”

Ariel pointed to her round belly as she spoke.

Having entered the final stages of her pregnancy, she was currently waiting for the day to come, so she wouldn’t be able to try on the gift Sonia brought just yet.

Instead, she thought that once the baby was born and Sonia had more freedom to move around, they could go somewhere together then.

“Okay!”

“Then it’s a promise?”

“Yes, it’s a promise!”

The two girls hooked their pinky fingers together, giggling with joy.

Just then, Edgar suddenly appeared through the still-open door of the office.

“What are you two up to, leaving me out? I’m feeling neglected.”

“What are you talking about? You weren’t playing with your sister, so I was entertaining her. Right, Sonia?”

“Yup, that’s right!”

As the two women teamed up and ganged up on him, a sheepish smile spread across Edgar’s face.

But he wasn’t one to let that slide easily.

“Geez, you two are teaming up against me now, are you?”

“Are you sulking?”

“Am I a child? Anyway, I’m back now.”

Edgar had just returned from Hildak after three days, and this marked his late greeting.

Ariel looked at him closely, sensing he was missing something.

When Edgar noticed her subtle cue, he chuckled and glanced at Sonia beside him.

“There’s Sonia, too.”

“So what? I don’t think Sonia will care.”

“True.”

Agreeing with her, Edgar lightly kissed her.

At that, Ariel finally broke into a radiant smile.

Sonia, observing from the side, realized it wasn’t her turn to step in and quietly took a small step back.

It was a maturity not suited to her age.

“How was work?”

“Was there even any work? I just got treated like a VIP and came back.”

Now that the battle with Albrecht was over, apart from being the second-in-command of the Grand House, Edgar had also become a guest of the imperial family.

Therefore, he would occasionally be summoned to the imperial palace by Bartheus or Beatria, and each time he’d return after being treated lavishly, just like now.

At first, being as down-to-earth as he was, he found it hard to get used to such treatment.

But after realizing they were trying to express their gratitude, he felt less burdened and would accept their invitations more readily.

“Big brother, where’s my gift?”

Sonia, who had jumped onto Edgar’s leg like a cicada, began searching for her present.

Now he knew that whenever he went somewhere, his sister would be eagerly awaiting gifts.

Normally, Edgar would have taken Elin to fetch the present at this point, but today was different.

Instead, he crossed his arms and pretended to sulk, deliberately trying to tease Sonia.

“What’s this? Were you more excited about the gift than me? That’s disappointing.”

“Ugh, no! I like big brother more!”

Sonia confidently declared that she could say such a thing without hesitation.

Even if a mountain of her favorite sweet chocolate cakes was piled before her, she would still choose Edgar.

However, regardless of her adorable proclamation, Edgar’s teasing continued.

In fact, spurred on by her response, he donned an even more mischievous smile and subtly asked Sonia in a teasing tone.

“Oh really? Then I guess you don’t need a gift?”

“Huh!? T-That…”

Pfft.

Sonia, caught off guard by the unexpected response and wringing her hands, sulked as both siblings burst into laughter together.

It was a cuteness that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

How wonderful would it be if the baby born later were just as cute? She couldn’t help but think that.

Of course, having not just one but two adorable beings around was already unrealistic enough.

After teasing her a bit more, Edgar decided to draw the line, worried that Sonia might start crying.

He lovingly ruffled her hair with his roughened hands from wielding swords, causing Sonia to look up with a sniff.

Sure enough, her eyes were glistening with tears.

“I’m just joking, Sonia. Later, I’ll ask Elin to bring your gift, and we can look at it together, okay?”

“…Hehe, okay!”

As Sonia wiped away the tears that were about to spill and beamed brightly again, it felt like flowers blossomed in the room.

Edgar grinned, pinching her cheek gently, then straightened up.

* * * * * * *

In the end, the two were stuck with Sonia for the whole day, unable to get any work done and being dragged around.

Later, when Katria heard about this, she apologized, saying that tomorrow she would keep hold of Sonia so they wouldn’t be disturbed.

However, they both enjoyed playing together and had enough trustworthy subordinates to not worry too much, so they politely declined.

Of course, the workload tomorrow would inevitably increase, but that was to be expected.

“What are you staring at so intently?”

After finishing their day’s work and lying side by side on the bed, Ariel noticed Edgar’s gaze on her and asked curiously.

His eyes were fixed on her prominent belly.

Perhaps because he was aware her due date was approaching, he felt a bit more concerned than usual.

He thought it was better to stay in Hespania unless absolutely necessary for the time being.

“I’m still amazed. The fact that our baby is in there.”

“Our baby, you mean? If someone overhears, they might think I’m having it alone.”

“Right, our baby.”

As Edgar quickly corrected himself, realizing his mistake, Ariel’s cheeks puffed up slightly.

At that moment, there was a little kick from within her belly.

“See, even our baby is protesting by kicking.”

“Daddy must have done something to be sorry for. Should I not be able to apologize?”

“I’ll convey it for you, so try passing it on.”

Just then, Ariel took the chance to lean in, and a chuckle escaped Edgar’s lips.

She was a woman who could never let her guard down.

That was what made her attractive.

Smooch.

After sharing a longer and deeper kiss than the one before Sonia, Ariel nodded in satisfaction.

For moments like these, the affection between a husband and wife should be a little more intense, after all.

While she was always perceptive of odd things, the way her husband now chose to act sweetly after marriage made her feel an unparalleled joy.

While some couples quickly fall into a rut after tying the knot, she thought that certainly wasn’t the case for them.

This feeling only grew stronger; there was no sign of it diminishing at all.

“By the way, Ed, I have some good news to share. Do you want to hear it?”

“Oh, what is it?”

As Edgar gently caressed Ariel’s belly, he lit up at the unexpected good news.

Given that it came from Ariel, there was little chance it would be a false alarm.

“Actually, regarding the baby in my belly… the chances of twins are high.”

Edgar’s eyes widened at this bigger news than he anticipated.

This news was completely opposite to what he had previously heard from Helene.

“Twins? But your mother’s family clearly…”

“Yeah, they were only able to have one child at a time. Mother was the same.”

“But how?”

Of course, he was happy.

Edgar secretly wished for two children, whether they were siblings or not, so that they could look after each other and sometimes bicker as they grew up.

Yet, the news was so unexpected, it left him in awe.

Moreover, he was curious about how such a miracle occurred.

The characteristic of their bloodline had been passed down for so long; there had to be a reason it broke in this generation.

“Minette said she doesn’t fully understand the principle. The most likely reason is the influence of the governing magical power mixed with the Robeheim family bloodline and the changes in my body as I’ve reached a certain level.”

“Is that really possible…?”

It was indeed hard to believe.

However, since it was Minette who said it, he could trust that it had a real possibility.

She was famous for being someone who rarely brags recklessly, just like Ariel.

“How about it? Are you happy?”

Having held this hot-off-the-press news in since the morning, Ariel was itching to share it all day.

Curious about how her husband would react, she subtly turned her head to gauge his expression.

“I’m super happy. Honestly, if it weren’t night, I might’ve yelled.”

“Really?”

“Of course, I’m happy. Honestly, I might tear up a little.”

Just knowing this news alone was enough to bring joy.

But Edgar’s emotional response came from understanding the hardships Ariel had endured.

Even when they were just ordinary lovers and during their wedding preparations, she would occasionally remind him of her limitation of bearing only one child, often speaking with a touch of self-deprecation.

Each time, Edgar would try to instill confidence by saying it was alright as long as they cherished even one child, but he could never fully soothe her worries.

How thrilled she must have been upon hearing this news today.

Imagining that scene brought tears to Edgar’s eyes.

Though couples likely cannot share emotions, for that moment, he felt Ariel’s emotions resonate within his heart.

“Hehe, I’m amazing, right?”

“You are amazing. Who’s my wife? You’ve worked hard.”

With one arm, Edgar gently draped it over Ariel’s shoulder.

Through the thin fabric, he could feel her warmth and the sweet scent emanating from her.

“Tomorrow, when we tell our parents, they’ll be so happy.”

“Especially your mother, she’ll be over the moon. She might even cry.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Mom cries more than I do.”

Ariel’s voice began to quiver with moisture, but Edgar tried to ignore it.

He didn’t want to presume to understand her heartache.

Tap. Tap.

Instead, he softly tapped the fingers that were wrapped around her shoulder in silent comfort and encouragement.

He acknowledged the hardships she had faced.

Though there was still a bit more hardship ahead, he believed she would manage it.

“By the way, having twins… do you think they’ll fight a lot?”

Wiping away her tears with her sleeve before Edgar could see, Ariel leaned into his chest, pouring out her worries.

It seemed that having two babies unexpectedly born was a source of concern for her.

“They’ll grow up fighting, just like you and I did.”

“That’s true.”

Edgar casually replied.

After all, the two of them used to point fingers and bicker whenever they got the chance as children.

Yet, in the end, their feelings of cherishing one another always prevailed.

Just as those two people, who seemed to be running along parallel lines, ended up holding hands in the end.