I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 259

That evening, Evan decided to visit his sister before his father.

Edgar was known for his kind nature, always nodding to his children’s requests whenever possible, but he wanted to cover his bases, just in case.

When Evan entered the room, Serina was sprawled on a gigantic bed, long dark hair draped over her like a blanket, swinging her legs.

What had her attention? A fairy tale book.

Compared to Evan’s lively personality, she was relatively calm, enjoying her solitary play and reading even at a young age.

Fortunately, seeing the familiar figure of his sister, who had eyes as red as their mother, Evan entered the room with a sparkle of excitement, calling out to her in a cheerful voice.

“Sis! What are you doing?”

“Uh? When did you get here?”

Despite his bursting in without any warning, Serina didn’t scold him. More accurately, it seemed like she had given up on expecting better behavior from her little brother.

This brother of hers often made a habit of raiding a lady’s room without permission, time and again. She had admonished him several times, but after catching him smiling innocently and apologizing, she’d figured it was a hopeless case.

It was just unfortunate that the girls from the Academy, unaware of this, kept running after him.

“What were you just doing?”

“This.”

Instead of answering, Serina lifted the fairy tale book she was holding, proudly presenting it.

Evan, curious about the unfamiliar cover, tilted his head as he climbed onto the bed.

“A fairy tale book? Did Dad buy it for you?”

“Uh-huh, Aunt Silvia brought it over.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected name, Evan realized a little too late why he came there in the first place.

“Oh! Actually, I came to ask you for a favor.”

“A favor? What is it?”

Evan wondered what he could possibly ask for, but Serina drew a blank.

It made sense; if something was too tough for Evan, he would go to their parents, not his sister.

Still, her curiosity piqued.

It wasn’t that she felt an obligation to fulfill whatever her precious little brother asked for—she was just genuinely curious about what it could be.

“Well, I wanted to ask if you could get Dad to come to the Academy tomorrow.”

“To the Academy…? But revealing our family name is forbidden.”

Evan smiled at her response, as it was similar to the worry he had dealt with earlier that day.

That was precisely what had been on his mind, but the solution came to him far too easily.

“My friend Lily said that just because Dad comes doesn’t mean everyone will know our family name, so it’s okay.”

“Huh? Is that so?”

Serina tilted her head, blinking her golden eyes that took after their father, both puzzled and uncertain as to whether that made any sense.

“Think about it. How could everyone know Dad just because he shows up at the Academy? He’s not the Emperor.”

“Well… I guess that’s true.”

To her childlike logic, it made sense, and Serina nodded.

In fact, it was something both of them could have thought, considering they rarely experienced their father’s reputation firsthand.

He didn’t take his children along when he visited other places for work, and if they ever did go out together, he would disguise himself, even changing his hair color.

In reality, the very idea of disguising himself meant he was worried about attracting too much attention—though the two kids were oblivious to that notion.

Ultimately, persuaded by Evan, Serina began the next topic, saying, “So, what will you do? Are you going to ask Dad like this?”

“Yeah. But Dad is always so busy; I think asking him alone might not work.”

“So that’s why you came to me?”

“Right?”

True to form, moving with their father’s playful smile, Evan fiddled with his hands.

Serina let out a short sigh, then slammed the fairy tale book shut, leaped off the bed, and landed on her two feet.

“Alright. I want to see Dad at the Academy too.”

“Yes!”

Having successfully gained her support, Evan whooped with joy, and together they exited the room.

Their target? The office where their father was busy with work.

Steps of two felt lighter than ever as they headed toward it.

—

The Robeheim siblings’ mission to charm their father was a resounding success.

As evidence, the next morning, two excited children found Edgar riding in the carriage with them.

After having suddenly requested him to accompany them to the Academy the night before, he was momentarily taken aback but soon realized they were not the type to do anything against the rules, so he thought it would be fine to leave the castle with them.

Unfortunately, Ariel couldn’t join them. She had her own responsibilities, as some important guests were coming to the castle.

Watching Evan, who was singing cheerfully in the carriage, Edgar had one last question on his mind.

“Is it really okay for Dad to go?”

“Of course!”

The response was enthusiastic and honest.

Feeling reassured, Edgar dismissed any concerns from that point onward.

“Going to the Academy with Dad… I’m so excited.”

“Me too!”

“Really? I would’ve thought you’d be the one to dislike it.”

In Edgar’s understanding, parents coming to their kids’ school was not usually a pleasant thing.

It often meant trouble or some sort of embarrassment was bound to happen.

Moreover, he couldn’t fathom why anyone would feel nostalgic about seeing parents they usually saw at home again at school.

So, seeing his children happily bouncing around the carriage was simply fascinating to him.

On another note, he felt a new kind of warmth knowing he was so loved.

‘Come to think of it, it’s my first time going to the Academy.’

Although the children had been there for almost three months, Edgar had never visited.

No parents were allowed at the entrance on the day of enrollment, and since the kids always came back joyfully, he never even thought to check it out.

“What do you want to try first with Dad when we get there?”

“Um, I want to brag to the other kids! About how cool Dad is!”

“I’d love to do anything with Dad.”

Their responses reflected their personalities perfectly, and Edgar smiled fondly.

While Evan wanted to show off and express his admiration for his father, Serina seemed more inclined to keep her affection for him to herself.

It was as if he were watching his own past with Ariel replayed right in front of him.

‘Ariel always told me not to draw too much attention in front of others.’

Especially in front of the girls.

She often said he should shine by her side, being hers alone.

Eventually, as Edgar’s reputation grew, she realized it felt better when he shone in front of others too, leading to a change in her attitude.

In contrast, Edgar had always wanted others to know Ariel was his beloved.

Perhaps the two situations mirrored the feelings their children had towards their father.

With happiness riding along with them, the carriage soon arrived in front of the Dimensional Stone.

This was the spot leading directly to the Bastia Academy, now one of several located throughout the Empire.

Zing!

When the light wrapped around the carriage and the three inside opened their eyes, they found the background had already changed.

‘Wow, this is amazing.’

Suppressing an inward comment that sounded like it belonged to an older person too, Edgar marveled at the sight of the Bastia Academy looming before them.

Just a few years ago, Dimensional Stones were positioned only in major cities—even now they connected to Academy grounds.

It truly was fascinating.

Clank!

“Please step down carefully, young master, young lady.”

At last, the carriage door opened at the Academy entrance, and Elin emerged, offering a hand to assist the two kids down the little stairs extending to the ground.

During the descent, Evan jumped off the last step to prove he didn’t need help, while Serina cautiously made her way down, thanking Elin afterwards.

The contrasting behaviors emphasized their distinct personalities.

“You can’t pass here! Please identify yourselves!”

As they approached the gate, a female guard stepped in front of Edgar and blocked their path.

No one other than students and staff were allowed access here; anyone with an unknown identity was strictly prohibited.

Moreover, with so many important figures visiting, security was paramount.

“My apologies. I came here at the children’s request, but is it impossible to enter?”

“I see. If you’re the parents of these children… But I’m afraid that is not permitted… Huh?”

Feeling something poke her back, the guard, who had been dealing strictly with Edgar, glanced over her shoulder.

Standing there was another guard, whose face was extremely pale, as if all life had drained from it.

“Uh, let them in! You idiot! What are you doing!?”

Her face scrunched in disbelief as she heard her partner’s faint command.

After all, most of the kids attending this Academy came from distinguished families.

Those guarding the entrance were also acquainted with reputable figures, so the appearance of a somewhat well-known person wasn’t shocking.

Unless, of course, the Emperor or a Duke suddenly appeared.

So why the fuss? The guard began reciting the Academy rules in a cold tone to her colleague, who had interrupted her.

“What do you mean? Parent access is restricted unless it’s an exception—”

“Shut up and let them in! You want to be out of a job by the end of the day!?”

“Wait, who exactly is he…?”

Ah.

At that moment, the guard realized something and let out a resigned sigh.

After all, there was exactly one person who fit that description.

While he rarely revealed himself in public, his fame overshadowed even that of Emperors or Dukes and was revered among knights as nothing short of a god.

‘Wait a minute, I think he had red hair…’

The guard snapped her neck back as the pieces came together.

“Excuse me, but are you Lord Edgar Billhark?”

The Duke’s son-in-law, permitted to retain his own surname.

She awaited the hesitant response with bated breath, feeling the sweat trickle down her back.

“Ah, yes. That’s me.”

“……”

Startled, the man sheepishly scratched his cheek as he affirmed it.

In that instant, both women experienced a moment of sheer panic.

Swish.

“I-I apologize! I didn’t recognize the glorious hero of the nation! I will atone for my offense with my life!”

“Me too! I apologize for my rudeness!”

As the two guards suddenly unsheathed their swords, making a scene as they expressed their regret through impending self-sacrifice, Edgar found himself in a tight spot, scrambling to soothe them.

Ultimately, after a half-hour of convincing, he managed to gain entrance to the Academy, but he couldn’t shake a feeling of guilt towards the guards and faculty members he had inadvertently startled.