I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 246

Everyone has probably imagined being in a world completely different from the one they live in at least once.

However, even if you vaguely think about what kind of world it might be, picturing the specific details is not so easy.

Ariel was no exception to this.

She had always heard about the world Edgar lived in, but every time, she found herself feeling self-pity over her meager imagination.

Flying vehicles, transportation methods that run without horses, and buildings so tall that they could rival Robeheim Castle, with lights still glowing long after dawn.

Everything was beyond her comprehension based on the common sense of the world she lived in.

“Wow…”

Once she arrived in this new world, Ariel could do nothing but gasp as she witnessed the scenes Edgar had described.

“How is it? Just as I said, right?”

“Yeah, it’s really true. I can’t see the tops of the buildings even when I look up.”

Robeheim Castle wasn’t anywhere near this scale.

In terms of height, the apartment she was looking up at now was much taller.

“So, this whole place belongs to you, Edgar?”

“Not at all. The place we just came from is my home, and the rest are all individual living spaces.”

“I see…”

In a way, this meant that every room in Robeheim Castle could be considered a home of its own.

Of course, they might be a bit more spacious than those rooms.

Anyway, she was so fascinated by the sights she was seeing for the first time that she simply couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

Aside from the fact that the large clothes Edgar had given her were flapping around a bit, everything was new and exciting.

“Is the clothing okay? I don’t have any women’s clothes at home…”

“It’s a bit big, but it’s wearable.”

Ariel replied while flapping her oversized hoodie.

There was a strange scent, as if the clothes carried his lingering smell.

Not to mention a peculiar fragrance that resembled a faint perfume.

As she touched the material of the light purple hoodie, examining it closely, Ariel suddenly realized one thing.

‘The absence of women’s clothes at home means there hasn’t been a woman living there, right?’

At first, the overly large clothes felt somewhat uncomfortable, but thinking it this way made her oddly happy.

Edgar had mentioned that he had never even once experienced a romantic relationship, and perhaps that included his time in this world.

Reaching that thought made her curiosity bubble over.

She didn’t want to be the petty woman who digs into someone else’s past, but what could she do about her curiosity?

Eventually, Ariel couldn’t help but call his name cautiously.

“Edgar.”

“Yeah?”

When he turned his head, Ariel was momentarily startled.

Before starting the conversation, she wanted to lay a soft foundation to avoid him thinking of something strange.

“This is not jealousy, I’m just curious, but… did you have a girlfriend in this world?”

“A girlfriend? Why do you ask that all of a sudden?”

“W-Well, it’s just that since you don’t have any women’s clothes at home, I got a bit curious…”

Even if he had had a girlfriend, he could still lack women’s clothes.

After all, unless they were married, they wouldn’t be living together.

But since Ariel couldn’t grasp the concepts of this world, she asked out of a sense of doubt.

“Why? Would you want me to have had one?”

Edgar teased her in a playful tone while wearing a mischievous smile.

Even though she said it wasn’t jealousy, he could see right through her feelings.

However, it didn’t come off as obsessive; it felt more like the cute whining of a playful girlfriend.

“I-I guess… I wouldn’t want it, but…”

“But?”

Wondering if there was more to the story, Edgar echoed her last word, and Ariel, blushing late, shouted.

“W-Wait! I hope there weren’t any other women besides me in your past! Is that okay?”

“Okay, okay! As you said, I’ve had no girlfriend in this world either, so you don’t need to worry.”

With a mischievous grin, Edgar finally spoke the truth.

He didn’t fabricate this to prevent Ariel from feeling jealous; he genuinely never had a girlfriend.

“What? Re-Really?”

Ariel asked back with wide eyes, surprised by the unexpected answer.

It made sense that she felt that way; to her, Edgar seemed like the most wonderful man in the world, and it felt strange to think of someone not falling for him.

Of course, even if she felt bashful, she couldn’t voice such embarrassing thoughts in front of him.

“Yep, really.”

“Why?”

“Why? Well… I just wasn’t popular.”

Edgar tilted his head, wondering if he’d just gotten deep with that response.

But all Ariel could do was look at him, utterly bewildered, as if she couldn’t understand.

Noticing her expression, Edgar leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

As their faces pulled apart with a soft smooch, Ariel blushed and hurriedly looked around.

Fortunately, there were no passersby.

“Are you crazy? Out here…?”

“Isn’t that something for you to say? Besides, we’re married; what’s the big deal?”

Edgar found it absurd that now, during an intimate moment, she would act like this, considering how she used to boldly kiss him in front of others during the succession ceremony.

Wasn’t this the kind of hypocritical behavior they would call “double standard” back in his world?

“Anyway, don’t be unnecessarily jealous. Every one of my first things was with you.”

“‘First’ sounds kinda weird.”

“It’s the truth; what else can I say?”

Edgar shrugged, treating it lightly.

It wasn’t meant in any weird way; most of the new experiences he had were all with Ariel.

And it wasn’t just about romantic moments as a couple.

Even when they were friends, he often had many new experiences while spending time with her.

If moving to this world brought about the most significant change in his life, then Ariel brought about the greatest transformation.

“So today, I’ll show you something new. Let’s go.”

“Something new? Like what?”

“If you’re going to lose something, you might as well see it, so follow me. We don’t have a lot of time left.”

There were only three days to be spent in this new world.

Within those three days, they needed to do all the things they wanted.

It was an opportunity that might not come again.

Thus, Edgar resolved to make the most of their remaining time and create precious memories with her.

* * * * * * *

As soon as the two stepped into the city, they started shopping.

Even if they only had three days, they had to find some clothes for Ariel to wear.

Fortunately, Edgar had enough money.

Before going to that world, he hadn’t exactly spent lavishly, and his inheritance from his parents provided him with a rather comfortable living.

“Did you buy too much? You’re a commoner here, right?”

Meanwhile, Ariel wore a somewhat troubled expression as she looked at the shopping bag in her hands.

No matter how she looked at it, the number of clothes was way too much for just three days.

Aside from a few bourgeois, she considered that commoners equated to people who weren’t well-off.

She wasn’t just a noble, but rather a duke, sitting atop the food chain, so it was somewhat reasonable for her to have a different understanding.

While it was fine for them to spend freely in that world, she wasn’t foolish enough not to distinguish when to splurge and when not to.

So, she expressed her concerns to Edgar, who just smiled at her, finding her worry cute.

“It’s fine; even without being a noble, I can afford this much, so don’t worry about it. But hey, these clothes are nice.”

“Really? They feel a bit awkward since I’m not used to this fabric…”

While she was happy about his compliments, she couldn’t help but move around, noting that the clothes felt smoother than what she had worn before.

Especially the blue jeans felt the most odd.

They hugged her body tightly like stockings but felt heavier. Yet, moving in them was surprisingly comfortable.

What in the world were they made from to feel this way?

“You’ll get used to it. So, how do you like the clothes? Do you like them?”

“Well, since you picked them out… What’s more, they’re not too flashy, so I like them just fine.”

Ariel’s outfit was a typical women’s style at the moment.

She wore a slightly oversized white shirt along with a beige knit that could be worn on top.

Initially, Edgar considered dressing her in something cuter, but he thought this appearance suited her aloofness quite well, so he decided on this.

After all, he would see her in other outfits when they returned home later.

For now, he thought wearing something comfortable for her to move around in was the best option.

“By the way, there are so many people here… I wouldn’t expect this many in Hwangdo.”

“This is a representative bustling street of where I live. You can think of it as always being like this.”

As Ariel kept her mouth shut, watching the number of people pass by Apgujeong Street, Edgar kindly elaborated.

Originally, he thought about taking her somewhere with more sights, like Hongdae.

But since he didn’t know that place very well, and Apgujeong was somewhere he frequently visited, he decided it would be easier to guide her along here.

After all, they could always move if she got bored.

That was one of the greatest advantages of this world, being the traffic system.

While Edgar and Ariel were wandering around, just to give her a view, she suddenly tugged his sleeve and pointed at something.

“Ed, what’s that?”

That was none other than a street vendor selling Tteokbokki.

With a considerable crowd gathered around, it seemed to be a popular spot for a stall.

“That? That’s Tteokbokki, and it’s quite spicy. It’s one of the dishes I enjoyed in this world.”

“How spicy is it?”

“Hmm, it’s a bit hard to describe… but the first time you eat it, you’ll probably feel like your mouth is on fire.”

“What? That much?!”

Even from afar, the bright red appearance of it looked quite intense.

But feeling like your mouth is on fire? Just how spicy could it be?

Feeling anxious yet excited at the same time, Ariel couldn’t help but feel motivated to try it, especially with Edgar’s enthusiasm for it.

Having always been competitive, she was determined not to back down from a challenge just because it was spicy.

“I want to try some.”

“Are you sure? Will you be okay?”

“I’m not a child. I’ve outgrown whining about spicy food. Just don’t be surprised.”

Ariel was burning with determination to finish an entire bowl clean.

With Edgar unable to stop her from going forward, they moved together towards the vendor.

Now all Edgar could hope for was that her tongue would handle the unexpected spiciness well and that this vendor’s Tteokbokki wouldn’t be too spicy for her.

That was all he could wish for.