I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 279

Chapter 15: A Change of Seasons

As the year turned anew and the first leaves began to sprout,

Good news had been flooding Robeheim Castle.

From the news of Sonia’s pregnancy just half a year after her marriage, to the announcement of Evan and Claire’s wedding date.

While watching her younger brother reap the fruits of love, Serina seemed to have little interest in romance herself.

Instead, what deeply captivated her was none other than becoming the Head of the Family.

Ever since she was little, she dreamed of becoming a woman like her mother and marrying a man like her father. Ever since her coming-of-age ceremony, she dedicated herself to her studies, pouring her heart into becoming a fitting successor to the Robeheim Family.

“Sister, are you planning to stay in your room again today?”

At the breakfast table, Evan subtly reached out to his sister.

He had noticed that for almost a week now, Serina had rarely left her room, which worried him.

“Yeah. I still have so much to learn…”

With that, Serina nodded slightly as she continued chopping with her knife.

Though her eyes seemed a bit sunken, inside, she felt a sense of pride.

It felt like with each new thing she learned, she was getting closer to becoming the person she dreamed of being.

While Evan respected his sister’s dedication, he couldn’t help but express his concern that she shouldn’t overdo it.

“Take breaks. After all, I’m not interested in the Head position anyway.”

“That’s why I’m worried. Since you’ve given up your claim, I have to be the one to be worthy of being the head.”

Indeed.

In truth, Evan had relinquished his claim to the title soon after becoming involved with Claire.

It wasn’t out of a foolish desire to drown in romance and neglect everything else, but rather a decision he had been contemplating for some time.

While Serina had always been the kind of child who quietly pursued her dreams alone, in contrast, Evan was one to enjoy life as it came.

Thus, even as he had been trained since childhood to be a potential head of the family, he had often wondered,

If he truly was fit for the position, and if it was genuinely the path he wanted.

Then one day, he had overheard Serina’s dreams.

She said she dreamed of becoming a wonderful head of the family like their mother, to lead people.

‘That was the moment.’

After hearing those words, Evan began to rethink his position on succession.

Could he really be a competitor against his sister, who so earnestly pursued her dream of becoming head, when he himself had no sense of ambition?

As he contemplated this, he ended up finding fulfillment with Claire, who offered him some sage advice.

Claire said, “Evan, just follow the path you want. Now I’ll be there with you.”

It felt like he had gained an army at that moment.

From that day on, Evan clearly expressed his intention to renounce his claim to the title in front of his parents. They were initially surprised, but then accepted his decision after listening to his reasoning.

They realized it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment whim.

“So where are Dad and Mom? When did they leave?”

Wiping her mouth lightly with a napkin, Serina glanced at the empty places at the table.

Normally, there would have been at least four people seated at this large table, but today it was just the two of them.

“They left early this morning. They’ll be back either tomorrow or the day after, I think?”

“Oh, really? They took off early.”

Serina acknowledged this with a nod, having received a heads-up during dinner the night before.

Compared to her, who slept a lot, Evan trained every morning, so he must have encountered both parents before they left.

“By the way, where did they say they were going?”

“I can’t remember the name… but it’s where Father’s family home is.”

“Oh, right.”

Recalling yesterday’s conversation, Serina fixed her gaze outside the window.

Her golden eyes, resembling her father’s, looked out at the endless sky in the distance.

She smiled softly, thinking that they were likely staring at the same scenery and then rose from her seat.

Today, for some reason, she felt like studying would go particularly well.

Chapter 16: The Rare Outing of the Robeheim Couple

It was quite unusual for the Robeheim Couple, renowned for seldom leaving the castle, to take a carriage together somewhere.

Especially to go alone without family or servants.

Clatter, clatter.

As the carriage rattled down the slope, the two inside leaned against each other.

Even if the situation hadn’t been as it was, they were likely to have ended up this way regardless.

For the shaking of the carriage was merely a reason to get close, as the couple still held that tender atmosphere, undiminished by the passage of time.

“Serina is probably still holed up in her room, huh?”

Ariel, resting her head on Edgar’s chest, casually asked the question, to which Edgar nodded without a second thought.

“Most likely. She seems even more diligent than you were in your youth.”

“I think so too. I just wish she wouldn’t overdo it.”

Although it was virtually decided that Serina would inherit the head position, her academic zeal showed no signs of waning.

In fact, seeing her dive into various studies with such enthusiasm made Ariel’s jaw drop in surprise.

As parents, they hoped she wouldn’t overwork herself to the point of being unhealthy, but they also appreciated her seriousness about carrying on their legacy.

After all, to take on the mantle of her parents was a solemn commitment.

“So, as the current head, what do you think? Do you think Serina will manage?”

“Of course. Leaving aside my perspective as a mother, I believe she will do well.”

While one’s abilities are certainly crucial for the head of a family, in Ariel’s view, the right mindset was even more important.

From that angle, Serina was a woman who considered the responsibilities and duties of being head deeper than many current family heads.

She also inherited the sharp intelligence passed down from her parents.

Thus, Ariel was confident.

If she was the daughter born of her womb, she would undoubtedly become an even better head than they were.

“When we get back, we’ll be busy preparing for the wedding and succession ceremonies.”

“True. But once that’s over, we’ll have a lot more free time.”

She firmly believed that after a time of being extremely busy, they would find themselves unexpectedly free.

Just like when Yulken passed on the headship and took off traveling with Helene along rivers and mountains, she planned to rest leisurely with Edgar once everything was wrapped up, allowing the next four months to burn out before they got to work on family matters.

“By the way, when was the last time we went to Ardenum?”

As Ariel leaned against her husband with her eyes shut, she opened her mouth just as the scenery outside changed from snowy lands to dense forests, and then to a village she had never heard of.

At her question, a low hum escaped Edgar’s lips as he calculated how long it had been since.

“Seventeen years.”

“That long, huh?”

Ariel blinked in surprise, realizing how close that was to twenty years.

It could indeed be that long since all the Billhark family members relocated to Robeheim Castle, and they hadn’t set foot back since they changed rulers while retaining ownership with the Emperor’s permission.

Still, seventeen years.

The fact that they hadn’t visited even once during all that time took her by surprise.

You would think they would have swung by to reminisce about the past.

“Ed.”

As she grew older, Ariel found herself often calling him ‘dear’ or ‘darling,’ but for the first time in a while, his name slipped from her lips.

“Hmm?”

“Do you think the place we lived is still there?”

“… I’m not sure. I’ve heard that now the mansion is hardly visited except for the occasional visits from caretakers.”

Edgar shrugged, conveying what he had recently learned.

The once elegant estate used by the Billhark family, now read like a rundown place, transformed into a repository of memories.

The current steward of Ardenum lived in a different, closer mansion to the village.

“Is there anywhere you want to visit?”

“Not really. If I had to choose, I’d like to see the balcony.”

Edgar’s eyes widened in surprise at her unexpected answer, thinking she might say she wanted to visit the hills they used to climb together.

“The balcony?”

“The one where I used to secretly watch you when we lived in the mansion. Do you remember?”

“… Ah, the place where I made excuses and then got caught later?”

“W-well, there’s no need to delve into the details.”

At his wife’s pout, Edgar quickly nodded in reassurance.

How could he forget?

Although he hadn’t realized it back then, finding out later just how adorable she had been was quite a revelation.

It was a stark contrast to the proud ruler of the North she was today.

Back then, she didn’t want anyone to know she was watching her crush; she would hide away on the balcony pretending to admire the garden.

If Serina or Evan were to hear about this, they probably wouldn’t believe it.

There was indeed a considerable gap between who she was then and now.

“Anyway, I hope we get there soon.”

“Same here. Oh, I wonder if that storage shed is still there?”

“Probably. They said the original ones were all left untouched.”

That storage shed was the place where they both had once lay down together as children, stargazing.

It was also where Ariel had first realized she could cover the night sky with a blanket.

In fact, it wasn’t just the shed; there were countless memories scattered throughout that mansion.

If they were to list them all, they could easily talk through the night without running out of stories.

But even so, that was fine.

Staying up all night, talking until they were bored, and falling asleep side by side in one bed.

Perhaps there was no scene more romantic than that of childhood friends turned spouses welcoming such a moment.