I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 241

That Evening on the Same Day

For some reason, Silvia visited Robeheim Castle all by herself.

“Looks like your husband doesn’t even care about you anymore, huh?”

Ariel, who had been observing her intently while seated at the table, casually threw out the remark.

Caught off guard while slicing her food, Silvia puffed up her lips in irritation.

“No way! It’s just that he was being considerate because you’re pregnant, you know!”

“Really? Well, Hagel is actually quite considerate, unlike you.”

“How is that different…?”

Why are friends being so prickly with each other after such a long time apart?

Even though the delicious meat was dancing in her mouth, Silvia felt like tears might well up at any moment.

“Why are you being so fussy after not seeing each other for so long? You’ll make a baby cry.”

“Nothing new there, so why bother?”

Edgar stood up for Silvia today, but Ariel didn’t flinch at all.

In truth, despite her words, Ariel had been the happiest when Silvia had come to the castle unannounced earlier.

It’s just that she often couldn’t be totally honest in front of her husband, and her usual snappy behavior came out.

Deep down, she was thankful for Silvia’s visit.

“So, is the food to your taste?”

Ariel finally used the excuse of asking about the meal to strike up a conversation.

Normally, Silvia would have bounced back quickly, but today she was still wearing a sullen look, which was unusually concerning for Ariel.

“Umm… it’s delicious. If my friend didn’t just hurl insults, it would have been even better.”

“That was just a joke!”

“Hmph, whatever. I’ve been hurt enough.”

Ariel managed a bitter smile as she watched Silvia sulk and choke down her food.

It seemed like her joke had been too harsh.

Her personality didn’t suit the image of someone waiting eagerly for a long-lost friend, and now it appeared Silvia had taken it more seriously than anticipated.

“Ariel, this time you were wrong.”

“I-I know.”

Even though Edgar wasn’t fond of siding with other women, he stood up for Silvia once more.

It was a given that Silvia would sulk from this later, but Ariel was indeed in the wrong today.

Silvia was not oblivious to that fact; she glanced at Silvia with a glum expression.

While Silvia was clearly showing her displeasure, she was still grappling with her piece of meat.

In between bites, she occasionally snuck glances at Ariel.

“So, how have you been?”

“…Pfft, you’re asking me that now?”

As Silvia considered feigning a bit more sulking in response to her friend’s question, she quickly felt herself lightening up.

This woman, the ruler of the North, was surprisingly cute.

The people of the world probably had no idea about this side of her, seeing her as a being devoid of blood and tears.

That was a bit regrettable, but it felt oddly delightful knowing that this was a side shown only to those close to her.

“I’ve been as usual. It’s still easy to roam around, being single and all.”

“Single? What about your husband?”

“W-Well, I mean I don’t have any kids yet!”

“Oh.”

Silvia almost spilled a major blunder but quickly scrambled to recover.

She was right, though.

While Ariel was already preparing for childbirth, Silvia had only been married for a couple of months and didn’t have a child yet.

In fact, Ariel had been pregnant before the wedding took place, so she wasn’t exactly slow.

Silvia had been so surprised when she received the news that her friend was pregnant a month before the wedding.

It wasn’t necessarily wrong, but she had never imagined they would rush into it so quickly.

“Ah, anyway, I’ve been having fun roaming around. My husband is with me, too.”

“How’s Hagel doing?”

Edgar suddenly piped up to ask about Hagel.

It seemed men preferred not sending letters back and forth to ask after each other, so they often learned about each other’s situations through Silvia or others.

“Of course. Since we’re on the topic, how about you two exchange letters?”

“Letters between guys? Isn’t that a bit… awkward?”

“Same thing my husband said. No matter what, guys seem to have this mutual understanding.”

As Edgar parroted back the exact line Hagel had said, Silvia burst into laughter.

She found it amusing because she thought the two men were polar opposites.

Except for their mutual skill with swords, their preferences in food, personalities, speech patterns, and atmospheres were all completely different.

Still, because they shared the common trait of being men, they ended up saying the same thing about not sending letters back and forth, which was both funny and intriguing.

In that relaxed atmosphere, the three of them continued their meal, laughing heartily.

Whenever they gathered, Silvia usually ended up leading the conversation.

Today was no different, as she chewed up the last bit of some mushrooms covered in white sauce before deciding to speak.

“By the way, Ariel, do you have time tomorrow?”

“Why? In this condition, going out is pretty much a no-go.”

Wiping her mouth lightly with a napkin, Ariel preemptively replied.

While she could technically go out, it was a burden on the baby.

To this, Silvia waved her hand in a carefree manner like a local woman gossiping.

“Come on, I’m not an idiot. There’s no way I’d ask a heavily pregnant friend to go out!”

“Idiot or not, you know I’m right.”

“No, I’m not!?”

“Seriously, what do you think I am?”

“Actually, I have a younger brother, you know. Do you remember him?”

“Younger brother?”

Given that she rarely showed much interest in her friend’s family, it was unlikely she would remember Silvia’s younger brother.

Ariel tilted her head in confusion, and Edgar, who had already finished eating, interjected with the answer.

He remembered that Silvia had mentioned she had a younger brother before.

“Isn’t he the little brother you mentioned back then? The same age as Sonia?”

“Oh, that’s right! Edgar has always had a good memory for these things.”

“I remember the useless stuff pretty well.”

Edgar casually brushed back his falling red hair and shrugged.

He’d always been the type who couldn’t remember things well when it came to studying, but he could recall details like this without fail.

That said, it did occasionally come in handy.

“Ahem, so what has that younger brother been up to?”

Ariel cleared her throat unnecessarily and inquired again about a topic she’d initiated.

Watching the two chat happily in front of her, she felt a twinge of jealousy—definitely not that she’d admit.

“Well, it’s not a big deal, but he’s coming tomorrow. If it’s okay with you, could he play with Sonia?”

“I should probably ask your parents about that… Edgar, what do you think?”

“Why not? Sonia doesn’t get much chance to play with kids her age.”

It was indeed a fact that since moving to Hespania from Ardenum, it had become harder for him to socialize with peers.

Moreover, as a daughter of a high-ranking family, people often hesitated to approach her.

When someone who was once ordinary suddenly turned into a wealthy person, people would typically flock, but if the status was too high, they would easily feel intimidated and back off.

The weight of having a grand duke as a backing was significant.

“So, is it okay to bring him along?”

“That’s settled then! What was his name again?”

“Allen. He’s a bit shy, so Sonia might have a hard time with him.”

At Silvia’s concern, both of their gazes met, and they couldn’t help but burst into laughter simultaneously.

It was understandable; Sonia’s ability to make friends with anyone she met was out of this world.

They had no doubt that she would quickly become friends with little Allen too.

“Even if you leave them alone for 30 minutes, they’ll be giggling away!”

“Really? Is that so?”

“Yeah, Sonia is pretty sociable. She easily clings to people.”

With Edgar chiming in with Ariel, Silvia blinked in surprise.

She recalled that when she first met Sonia, the girl had been rather shy; she wondered how she had become so sociable now.

“She wasn’t like that before, right?”

“Maybe it’s because she’s encountered a lot of people since moving to Hespania. After some adjustment period, she quickly started chatting with everyone.”

“That’s impressive.”

Regardless, thanks to this, Silvia finally felt she could put aside her worries for tomorrow, and a smile broke out on her face.

Soon after, a sorbet was served for palate cleansing, and the three of them indulged in it, easing the former heavy flavor in their mouths.

* * * * * * *

“Hello! Are you Allen?”

“Um, yeah. Hello.”

The following day, a bright girl appeared, suddenly extending her hand to Allen, who was nervously looking around.

Though he had followed his sister under some obligation because she claimed she would help him make a friend, facing a girl was a challenge for this shy little gentleman.

He stood there, flustered, unable to grab her outstretched hand, making Sonia tilt her head in confusion.

Luxuriously observing this pair, Elin bent down slightly to whisper some advice.

“Miss, Lord Lorentz is quite shy. If you treat him kindly, you two will become friends in no time.”

“Oh, I see… Okay! I got it!”

That was easy enough.

While Sonia was still quite young, she had a remarkable ability to understand others’ feelings.

Though her older brother’s strength and Ariel’s charisma were on a different level, for a child, it was undoubtedly a point of pride.

“What does Allen like?”

“Um? L-Like what?”

Allen blinked at this sudden question.

Like something? Of course, he liked things.

But he found himself wondering why she was asking that out of the blue.

“I like tasty treats! Especially chocolate cake! Have you tried it?”

“Uh, yeah… I like cake too.”

Just like any child, Allen also had a sweet tooth.

Though he wasn’t the type to go hunting down treats like Sonia, he enjoyed sweets.

Finally finding a common ground to talk about, Sonia’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

If this was the case, there might just be potential here.

“Hehe, let’s have snacks together! I’ll show you how delicious my home’s treats are!”

Now, while she referred to Robeheim Castle as “my home,” no one disagreed.

Even Ariel, the castle’s actual owner, watched Sonia with a warm smile, so who would dare to question it?

Thus, Sonia took the hesitant Allen’s hand and excitedly rushed over to the sofa.

Watching this, Edgar nudged Ariel gently and spoke up.

“Looks like they’re doing fine. We’re not needed here.”

“True. But… ugh.”

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Ariel suddenly made a noise indicative of discomfort, causing Edgar to glance over in alarm.

Given how close she was to her due date, each passing day was like a tightrope walk.

But the response that followed was completely unexpected.

“…Somehow, watching Sonia play with a boy makes me feel jealous.”

“What? Pfft.”

Edgar couldn’t believe she felt jealous of Sonia, of all people.

He chuckled in delight, wondering just how far her jealousy reached.

“D-Don’t laugh! I’m being serious!”

“Well, even if you tell me not to laugh… Pff!”

“Stop laughing!”

Ariel, with her heavily pregnant belly, lunged at him playfully, but with little strength to do any real damage to Edgar’s frame.

“Even if she makes more friends, a brother or sister has a different bond. She’ll soon come scampering back to you!”

“Do you think so?”

“Of course.”

Friends are good.

But for little kids, while friends are playmates, brothers and sisters always remain something to aspire to.

So even if Sonia’s circle of friends grew and she eventually had a boy friend, Edgar genuinely believed that her attitude towards them wouldn’t change.

“If you’re that jealous, why not join in and play with them?”

“W-Who can an adult just join in on children’s games? I’m just saying!”

Yet for someone who just said that, he kept glancing at Sonia far too frequently.

Edgar chose not to push that point, however.

“W-Wait, would they actually start dating?! That’s a whole different issue…”

“Hey, how old are they? They’re just kids, after all.”

“What age matters…! Anyway, it’s way too early for them to date.”

Seeing her draw that line for the participants, Edgar wondered just how deep this issue ran for Ariel.

Still, he appreciated her deep fondness for her younger sister.

Meanwhile, after Sonia quickly ran over and fed Ariel a cookie, her mood noticeably improved, which was only an aside in their little story.