I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 245

His gaze cast upward at the night sky seemed to hold a certain melancholy, as if he longed for something.

Was it a desire to return to the world he once lived in?

Or was it simply nostalgia for a previous life he had experienced?

I couldn’t say for sure, but it was evident that this side of him was something he had never shown her before.

“There weren’t many stars in that world. Sometimes, when I was holed up inside the house and ventured out at dawn, the only thing welcoming me was a round moon hanging in the sky.”

“So it was a world without stars?”

“Not exactly. They just weren’t visible. I heard that the air there is so polluted that it affects visibility.”

I wondered what it felt like for the air to be polluted.

It was a concept that Ariel found somewhat hard to grasp.

Unless one were to step into a dust-covered warehouse, air was always clear in her eyes.

“Then, you couldn’t see them even in the mountains?”

“Yeah, it was hard to see. If you went way out to the countryside, you could witness the stars pouring down like here, but… even that has been decreasing.”

Edgar recalled the time he visited his grandmother’s house and sat in the pavilion near the neighborhood, looking up at the night sky.

It was when he first learned, before coming to this world, that there were many stars at night.

“Oh, so that’s why you said what you did back then.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I visited your house, and we watched the stars together. Do you remember?”

Edgar had many memories of stargazing with Ariel.

He tilted his head slightly, unsure of which specific instance she was referring to.

Ariel, believing he couldn’t recall their shared memories, puffed up her cheeks and poked him playfully.

There was no real force behind it; it was merely a cute little act of mischief, like that of a cat.

“Remember the day we climbed up onto the roof of the warehouse for the first time?”

“Oh, I remember that. What about it?”

“You said you liked it here because there were so many stars.”

Ariel found it somewhat strange.

For her, the stars in the night sky had always been plentiful; she simply thought it was a matter of visibility depending on the weather.

But Edgar spoke as if it was the first time—or a long time—seeing so many stars.

He had passed it off as a small wonder in his early childhood, but upon reflection, it likely held more meaning now.

“So, isn’t there anything else to talk about?”

Without questioning the fact that he hailed from another world, Ariel pressed him eagerly, reminiscent of a child listening to tales from her grandfather.

Of course, it wasn’t surprising.

Though she usually remained unflappable, the notion of dimensional travel, even surpassing magical theories, left her mouth agape.

Yet maintaining her calm demeanor wasn’t about indifference; the important thing for her was that he was Edgar Billhark.

And that all the memories and time they shared were real.

“What story should I tell?”

“Anything is fine. Since it’s your world.”

Thanks to her kindness in allowing the subject matter to fluctuate based on the listener’s preference, Edgar could continue the tale without much thought.

“There are so many that it would be hard to tell them all. Do you think you could believe in carriages that can move without horses or flying machines?”

“Without horses…? Then how do they run? Does a person pull them?”

“Of course not. You just put oil in the machine, and it moves by itself. The only thing a person does is steer.”

“Then it must be an incredibly precious item?”

Edgar shook his head, saying it wasn’t particularly so.

While cars were indeed quite expensive, it was common for most households to have at least one.

“So did you have one? That…?”

“You mean a car?”

“Yeah, a car.”

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and before he knew it, she had transformed back into the Ariel he remembered from when she was nine.

The kind of Ariel who was full of wonder about the world and would cling to Edgar, asking him the names of trees they passed by.

“Yeah. Should I draw a picture of what it looked like later?”

“A picture? You can’t draw.”

Just as he was about to offer a kind gesture, Ariel unexpectedly plunged a dagger into his heart.

Edgar coughed, recovering from his metaphorical wounds, and shot her a grumpy glare.

“Geez, I was just trying to be nice…”

“Hehe, I’m kidding. Do draw it if you get the chance.”

“With you saying that, I’m starting to lose my patience.”

Edgar crossed his arms, shaking his head disapprovingly.

Ariel found his disgruntled look endlessly adorable and took a step closer, hands behind her back.

Peck.

With a cute sound, their lips met softly, and a playful smile similar to Edgar’s appeared on her face.

“What about this?”

“…You’ve been going for this sort of thing lately, haven’t you?”

Peck.

“So, you don’t like it?”

“It’s not that I dislike it, just a little annoying…”

Peck.

“…Alright, I give up.”

Could Edgar really resist after three pecks?

Overwhelmed by Ariel’s unexpectedly charming antics, he quickly declared his defeat, raising both hands in surrender.

“Hehe, if you think you can keep winning against me forever, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Really? I never thought I could beat you.”

“Is that so? I figured you teased me so much because you thought you could.”

At her somewhat surprising answer, Ariel blinked her eyes in confusion, and Edgar couldn’t help but smirk.

He understood what she meant, but surely, it had nothing to do with him.

After all,

“You already lost the moment you confessed to me first. Since that day, you’ve been in a position where you can never win.”

“S-So… you dislike it?”

“Dislike? I honestly think it was the best choice of my life.”

Edgar fondly rubbed her head before settling his hand on her cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb.

Looking at each other like this reminded him of the first time they met when she was just a baby.

Perhaps, even without Helene’s suggestion that day, he would have decided to protect that tiny girl.

People often refer to it as fate.

While Edgar didn’t particularly believe in such a concept, if there was one true destiny in his life, it was definitely Ariel.

“Ed.”

“What?”

“If there were a way for you to return to the world you lived in… what would you do?”

It was quite a poignant question.

However, Edgar had somewhat anticipated this question coming.

The world he lived in and the one he was currently in. The conflict between two worlds was a common theme even in fictional tales.

“Would you go back? My world is here. Besides, there’s no real reason for me to return to that world.”

“Why not? Family or… oh.”

Ariel caught herself, realizing she shouldn’t venture into that topic.

Sensing the atmosphere turning heavy in an instant, Edgar pinched her cheek gently with the hand that had been caressing her face.

Smoosh. As his thick thumb sank into her soft cheek, Ariel’s face squished like dough.

“What are you doing?”

Ariel protested weakly, her lips protruding due to being pinched.

Edgar burst into laughter, covering his mouth as he chuckled.

After wiping away the tears from laughing too hard, he casually opened his mouth.

“Just. Don’t overthink it. I don’t really have a place to go back to, and even if I did, I’m not in that world but here.”

“…Don’t you want to visit it again?”

“Maybe. I’d like to know how it has changed, at least…”

He hadn’t completely lost interest in the world he left behind.

That said, he didn’t mean he wanted to return; he was merely curious about how the landscape he once walked through had transformed. Just that was enough.

But since there was no clear way to go back, it remained just a distant wish.

After all, if he didn’t even know how he got here, how could he know how to return?

“Forget it. I’ve been living without thinking about it for several years now.”

Unless he found a way to return far in the future, right now, it was just a far-off desire.

So Edgar resolved to focus solely on the life he was currently living, trying not to dwell on that past.

“…Really?”

In response to his answer, Ariel turned her head with a strange smile.

Though it seemed like she was ready to end the conversation, there was a peculiar longing glimmering in her eyes.

And so, the two of them chatted until the early dawn.

Unlike the usual times when Ariel dominated the conversation, it was Edgar who spoke today, unraveling his memories.

Everything he shared was fascinating facts that Ariel could not have dared to imagine.

As they continued discussing until the break of dawn, Ariel reaffirmed her own determination.

Though it was still too early for her to share with Edgar.

* * * * * * *

About a year later, on a seemingly ordinary day.

While taking care of the children as usual, Edgar responded to an unexpected call from Ariel and made his way over.

The location was none other than the workshop Minette was using.

Feeling somewhat surprised since Ariel hadn’t really visited this place recently, he pushed the door open.

“What’s going on all of a sudden?”

“Oh, Edgar! Come quick. I have good news!”

“Good news?”

At such an unexpected statement, Edgar tilted his head in confusion.

Ariel, regardless, had a gleeful expression as she hurried Minette to show it.

Just then, a loud clattering came from the storage room next to the workshop as Minette went inside to fetch something.

It seemed a lot of stuff was piled up, making it quite the ordeal to find what they needed.

“Your Highness, here it is.”

“Thanks, Minette.”

Finally, Minette emerged with what appeared to be a disc-shaped item.

The bottom was flat, and it seemed like it could comfortably hold two people standing on top of it.

As she took hold of it, Ariel showcased it to Edgar as if it were a laurel crown earned by a hero.

It was the first time Edgar had seen Ariel so effusively joyful over just one item, only serving to heighten his curiosity.

“What on earth is that?”

“Hehe, don’t be surprised. This is a magical tool that will allow you to go to the world you lived in!”

“…What?”

Flabbergasted, Edgar asked again, doubting what he heard, and the smile on Ariel’s lips grew wider.

This was indeed the reaction she had aimed for, keeping it a secret from him until now.

“However, it can only take you back and forth once. The materials used were precious, so it might be a long time before another opportunity arises.”

“Well, I get that it’s only once, but… are you really saying that I can go to the world I lived in?”

“Yep, Minette told me so.”

What could be the principle behind such a creation?

Usually, to create such an item, one would need a medium that connects to that world.

“Minette, is that for real?”

“Of course. It’s a tested item, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

With a wink, Minette urged them to stand on the disc together.

After spending nearly a year working solely on this one project, she hadn’t managed to create something they could use permanently—just a one-time travel item—but she felt satisfied nonetheless.

After all, this item meant they could create unforgettable memories together.

“In case something goes wrong when you get there, it’ll be okay since your Highness will be with you.”

“Ariel?”

“Yes. I can’t explain the detailed workings of it, though.”

She figured there was little point in explaining magical theories, as he likely wouldn’t understand, so she turned her head away.

Nevertheless, the fact that this small device made travel possible to the world he came from was just bewildering.

He never even dreamed such a day would come.

“I’ve always wanted to visit at least once—your world.”

“So that’s why you prepared so much?”

“Yeah. It’ll be an unforgettable memory.”

Indeed, her curiosity about a world she had never been to wasn’t the sole reason for her request to Minette.

It was merely her desire to wander through the world he had lived in alongside him.

She gently grabbed his hand, and together they stepped onto the disc, facing each other.

It would pass in an instant, but she wanted to enjoy it as much as possible.

As if adrift in sweet dreams with him.