I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 273

Ariel led Serina to the place in the castle where the stars shined the brightest.

It wasn’t officially defined by anyone, but in her eyes, this place was simply the best choice.

“Serina, aren’t you cold?”

It had been quite a while since the sun set, so it was pretty chilly outside.

Worried about this, Ariel looked down at her daughter and asked. Serina confidently raised both her arms.

“Yes! I’m fine!”

As the cold wind blew, her coat, which was a bit oversized for her, fluttered.

It was a sight that made Ariel smile without realizing it, as if she were looking at a little girl wearing her father’s clothes.

“Mom, why did you want to come out?”

“I wanted to tell you a story, and this is the best place to do it.”

“……?”

Serina tilted her head in confusion.

And it was understandable, because this was just the back yard of the castle.

There were no beautifully manicured gardens or flowerbeds; only an endless stretch of weeds greeted the two.

There was some moonlight to replace the soft glow of lamps, but it didn’t seem like a good spot for a chat.

I wondered why it had to be this place. Suddenly, a doubt crossed my mind.

Thud.

Just as I thought this, Ariel suddenly flopped down onto the cold grass.

Serina’s eyes went wide like a rabbit at the sight.

Laying down in the grass or dirt is something that seemed forbidden in her little mind, as it would dirty her clothes.

“How about it, Serina? Do you want to lie down too?”

At her mother’s invitation, Serina hesitated for a moment, unsure.

“Is that okay?”

“Of course. Mom’s lying down, right?”

With a gesture inviting her, Ariel tapped one arm, and Serina scurried over and laid her head on it.

Just like when Ariel was cradled in Helene’s arms, Serina felt a similar sentiment being held in her mother’s embrace.

‘Mom smells like flowers.’

At first, she thought it might be perfume, but the scents she remembered were heavier and not her young taste.

Then where is this fragrance coming from?

Is it because her mom is as beautiful as a flower that she smells like one too?

It was a cute assumption possible only for a young girl.

“Serina.”

“Yes?”

Just then, as she was lost in her thoughts.

Ariel gently tapped her shoulder, her finger pointing towards the sky.

“Do you want to look at the sky like this?”

“The sky?”

Serina, still with her eyes wide open, turned her head to look directly at the sky.

“Wow!”

In that moment, a bright exclamation escaped Serina’s lips.

The stars, which had always felt so distant, were right before her eyes, and it seemed like the sky was closer than the ceiling she would see while lying in bed.

It was astonishing that just changing her position could make such a difference.

Serina’s eyes sparkled as though she had gained a profound realization about life, and she exclaimed, “It’s amazing. It feels like we’re covered by a blanket of sky.”

“Hehe, really?”

To Serina’s remark, Ariel felt more curious than amused.

‘Just like her father.’

It was exactly the same feeling and expression Serina’s father, Edgar, had when he first lay down and looked at the night sky.

Is it true that when you inherit blood, you also inherit these emotional traits?

I’m not sure of the principles, but I finally felt that she truly was my daughter.

“Actually, this place is where your dad and I used to come to look up at the night sky together.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.”

Serina lifted herself a bit to glance curiously around the dark surroundings and then lay back down.

I was wondering why she had brought me to this empty space, but it turned out there was such a reason.

“And what you’re seeing now is something your dad first showed to me.”

“My dad?”

Once again intrigued by this magical backstory, Serina turned her head to look at the night sky.

There stood Ariel, smiling not as a mother, but with joy as a woman.

“Yeah. Even back then, I loved the stars, but I’d never thought to look at them while lying down.”

For her, the stars were like unreachable dreams, scattered endlessly beyond the balcony railing, feeling like the most distant existence in the world.

She had never reached out to them, content merely to observe from afar.

However, on the day she visited the Billhark manor.

At Edgar’s suggestion, she climbed up onto the storage building of the mansion and saw the night sky for the first time, realizing since that day that the stars weren’t as far away as she thought.

“Your dad’s always been like that. He brings what I thought I couldn’t reach right to me and shows me things I didn’t know.”

“Me too.”

“Right? And that’s the role of family and adults, like your dad and me, or your grandparents.”

As she gently stroked Serina’s black hair, which resembled her own, Ariel continued.

“But Serina, you should know one thing.”

“What is it?”

“When you grow up and meet someone new, you’ll encounter someone who brings you things you didn’t know.”

“Not dad or mom?”

Ariel nodded slightly in affirmation.

“Like the names of flowers you didn’t know, or the names of stars. Or even ways to cheer up when you feel down, and how to enjoy new foods you’ve never tasted.”

“Hehe, like a teacher.”

“Exactly. That person might just turn out to be the greatest teacher in your life.”

Thinking back, Ariel realized that Edgar had been a teacher to her too.

How to make friends, how to know forgiveness, how to muster up courage, and how to love someone.

She learned all these things through him, mastered them, and could use them.

Even if that person didn’t explain everything in words, there’s something to learn just by being by their side and walking together.

“So, when you meet someone who shares their stories with you in the future and that piques your interest, make sure to listen closely and take an interest in their voice.”

“Will there be someone like that for me?”

Ariel smiled knowingly, “I’m not sure, but I truly believe that there will be.”

Turning her gaze from the night sky to her precious daughter, Ariel’s eyes shone with motherly love.

She then reached out her right hand and tickled Serina near her stomach.

Startled by the sudden touch, Serina turned her head quickly as Ariel chuckled, then pointed to her own stomach as she spoke.

“When I first realized I loved your dad, this little one told me.”

“Is someone inside?”

Serina looked down at her own chest, blinking her eyes.

Did someone sneak into her body without her noticing?

On the other hand, it sounded quite creepy too.

“Yep. You might not understand it yet, but when that person finally appears, I’m sure they’ll tell you too.”

Ariel gently tapped on Serina’s chest where her heart is, mimicking its beating sound.

“Like this.”

“So what should I do?”

“You don’t have to do anything. Just hold your breath and carefully watch the person in front of you.”

‘Then you’ll come to understand. What I’m saying to you now,’ Ariel thought, carefully removing her hand from her daughter’s body while giving a mysterious smile.

“Hmm… Love seems really difficult.”

“Right? But it will be fun once you understand. I struggled at first too.”

Ariel pinched the cheek of her daughter who was pouting in confusion and smiled knowingly.

She was just like that too.

Though she recognized the feeling of love at a much younger age and had once tried to confess her feelings to the person she loved.

But as she reached adolescence, somehow every little expression became embarrassing and awkward, and whenever they met, she would fuss unnecessarily. If his gaze didn’t meet hers, she would sulk alone.

Looking back, she really was a bothersome girl.

But then, at some point, she realized that someone’s existence mattered more than any fleeting pride or embarrassment, and that’s how she became the proactive person she was now.

In that sense, she worried that Serina might follow the same path she did, but she also thought that would be pretty interesting.

No matter what, she trusted that Serina would make the right choices without a doubt.

“Then shall we stop talking about difficult things and get to some fairy tales?”

“Sure! But what’s the title of the story?”

“Right. This story is called ‘The Story of the Star’…”

Someone who would finally receive the story she had once heard from her mother, following Edgar. Ariel smiled softly, thinking about whether she should share it with her son, who had been in his first love for three years.

With a growing warmth in her heart, she began the story in a tone reminiscent of when she read fairy tale books to her daughter when she was little.

“Once upon a time, a long time ago…”

As soon as her lips parted, the wind began to blow.

It was as if to help keep the secret story exchanged between mother and daughter from slipping out into the surrounding night.