Upon arriving at Ardenum, the two received a key from the caretaker guarding the mansion, opening the front gate and stepping inside.
They had heard that someone sent from the Robeheim Family personally managed the place, but it seemed that wasn’t just limited to the interior of the mansion.
“Oh….”
“It’s just as it was.”
“Right?”
As they walked in through the front gate, they were greeted by a garden that looked freshly tended too, prompting soft gasps from both of them.
It truly was a strange sight.
It has already been nearly 20 years since they last visited this place.
The outer walls of the mansion and the surrounding scenery were hardly any different from those days.
It made one wonder if someone had cast a time-stopping spell or something.
Edgar looked at the scene as if it were a precious memory preserved in a dusty old journal.
“Ed, look at that. Those flowers are still blooming.”
Then, Ariel tugged on his sleeve excitedly, pulling his gaze away to another direction.
There, rich flowers with white petals adorned with purple patterns stood proudly.
These flowers were quite familiar to both of them.
They bloomed abundantly during the summer, the time when the Robeheim mother and daughter visited most often.
“Were they called Lysianthus? I can’t quite remember.”
As Edgar murmured the flower’s name, Ariel nodded in affirmation.
“That sounds right! Mother loved those flowers.”
“True. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember seeing them in the garden of Robeheim Castle.”
Different families tended to prefer different flowers, so it was only natural that they wouldn’t see the same blooms everywhere.
Therefore, Edgar recalled that they hadn’t seen these flowers since coming to Robeheim Castle, and he felt a pang of nostalgia seeing them again.
“Speaking of which, I should mention it to the gardener when we head back. They should be sure to decorate with Mother’s favorite flowers.”
“Mother would be so happy.”
Though Katria, now part of the Robeheim Family, wouldn’t necessarily want something like that, it was certain that she would be overjoyed and beam like a child upon receiving them. Just picturing that made Edgar smile already.
“Wow, that tree is still here! It looks even bigger than before.”
“Right? It’s growing better than me!”
The next object of their attention was none other than the quinces tree.
It was the spot where they once buried a time capsule, standing proudly like a leader in this Billhark Family garden, which was otherwise sparse.
When they were children, they had to crane their necks to see the tips of that tall tree, and somehow, it felt like the difference in size was even more pronounced now that they had grown older.
No matter how tall a person gets, humans usually max out around two meters, but trees can grow far taller.
Thinking that wouldn’t be easy to judge from afar, the Robeheim Couple decided to walk under the tree and stretch their necks just like they did back then.
Sure enough, as in those times, it was quite a challenge to catch a glimpse of the top of the towering quince tree.
“I used to be so frustrated back then, but not anymore.”
“Maybe we’ve aged out of measuring heights now?”
Ariel had always been sensitive about height when they were younger.
Often, she would bring Edgar over to compare who was taller, sometimes marking their heights on the wall inside the mansion.
But now, reaching adulthood and beyond, such competitive spirit seemed all but forgotten.
At least, that was Edgar’s assumption.
“Well, I think it feels a bit different now. If I had to put it in words, it’s more like I’m just glad it’s still here.”
Ariel shook her head and offered her own perspective, moving forward to gently brush her hand against the surface of the quince tree.
It wasn’t about that childhood competitiveness; it was simply a joy to still have something that looked down on them.
As people grow, their eye levels change.
That could be due to a simple increase in height or perhaps shifts in social status or rank.
Within that change, Ariel had transformed a great deal from the girl who used to look up at the quince tree.
Now, she was in a position of authority, often looking down at others, even those who stood two heads taller than her would bow their heads before her.
Yet, that tree remained unchanged.
Instead of assigning great meaning to it, the mere fact that something was unchanged brought her joy.
Unlike before, she could once again look up and ponder what might be at the top, recalling the feelings of that foolish girl.
“Let’s head inside now. I think we’ve seen enough of the garden.”
“Agreed.”
After giving the garden one last glance, Ariel spun around on her heels, her arms crossed behind her back, and began walking away.
With her still youthful beauty, she appeared even more captivating.
Watching that scene with a smile, Edgar decided to follow her from behind, reminiscent of those childhood days when she seemed more like a little sister than just a woman.
Squeak.
Yet, there was at least one thing that testified to the time that had passed.
That was the soft creak of the untended wooden door, as Ariel easily pushed it open and stepped inside, instantly staring blankly at the red staircase that faced her.
In that moment, Edgar’s voice suddenly called from behind.
“Come to think of it, on the day we met that wild boar, didn’t I sneak out of the storage room over there?”
Pointing at the hallway on the first floor next to the stairs, Ariel paused for a moment in thought, then nodded.
If her memory served right, that should be the case.
To avoid the watchful eyes of the guards, she had learned a magic called Perbado, allowing her to slip through the walls of the storage room and escape outside.
Thanks to that, she had to inhale dust from the storage room, but it was worth it.
Recalling that memory, Ariel felt a mix of emotions rushing through her.
“It feels odd seeing it again.”
“What feels odd?”
“Just everything. I never thought as a child that I would have the courage to confess to you, or that you would confess to me.”
Their bond began when they were just infants crawling across floors, unable to speak properly.
It was remarkable that their connection lasted this long, but Ariel was taken aback by how dramatically it had changed.
Who could have known?
That they, once just neighborhood friends who ran around in the hills behind their homes and teased each other, would grow up and become a married couple.
Even Helene, who had watched them all along, declared that this transformation was one of the most surprising experiences of her life, calling it nothing short of a miracle.
But looking back now, Ariel suddenly started to think.
From that moment when they randomly met in this mansion, perhaps the outcome had been predetermined.
That he was the most special relationship sent by God to save a young lady who had almost lived her life locked away in the castle with a colorless existence.
Holding tight.
Ariel kept her husband’s hand in hers and gracefully ascended the stairs with light footsteps.
In the past, they used to play a game of rock-paper-scissors to see who could get to this place first, but back then, she only thought of winning to get ahead of Edgar.
But now, they were at an eye level that felt just right.
No longer did either of them want to be above or below; neither front nor back.
Just like this, looking into each other’s eyes, they desired to share silly conversations about what trees were there or what flowers were blooming on the other side.
All they had to do was walk alongside each other until they reached their destination.
No matter how long the remaining journey was or what new challenges may come.
As long as they held onto this hand, they would fear nothing.
Thus, the Robeheim Couple walked slowly down the second-floor corridor, matching their paces.
Sometimes peeking into the master bedroom where Edgar’s parents used to stay, or visiting the nearly unvisited study.
There were hardly any furnishings left in any location, leaving a desolate scene, but somehow it felt refreshing.
“Is this where your room was?”
“Yeah.”
The last place they arrived at was none other than Edgar’s room.
This time, both of them believed they would be greeted by an empty room, but what unfolded before them was quite different from their expectations.
“…Huh? This room looks the same?”
Seeing that the bed, bookshelf, and table remained untouched, Ariel blinked in disbelief.
Thanks to the caretaker’s efforts, not a speck of dust could be found on any of the books lined up on the shelves.
Edgar was puzzled as to why this room was the only one left untouched, but then remembered something and nodded slightly.
“Right. I came to the castle first, so maybe it’s because of that.”
Unlike the rest of the Billhark family members who came along after their marriage, Edgar had already set out for Hespania beforehand.
Thus, it seemed he had left the items in this room undisturbed, thinking there was no need to collect them later.
Thanks to that, he could once again see the room as it was back then, making Edgar feel as if he had stumbled upon a hidden treasure.
“Oh, this book! It’s been ages. You used to read this to me all the time.”
“I must’ve read it over twenty times, right?”
“Not that many, but anyway, you always read it to me when I took a nap…”
As Ariel tried to gauge how many times she had actually been read that book, she felt a pang of embarrassment at the thought that it might be nearly twenty.
That memory was still vivid.
Back then, when she ran around outdoors with Edgar and returned home exhausted, unlike that lively Edgar, she would quickly tire and fall asleep.
Yet, not wanting to lose time with him, she would lie beside him, insisting she wasn’t sleepy and throwing out random chatter.
It would reach a point where Edgar would feel it necessary to read from the bookshelf, and reading aloud was so mesmerizing that she would soon close her eyes and fall fast asleep.
‘Truly, there is not a single place in this house that isn’t filled with memories.’
Gently patting the headboard of the bed, Ariel cautiously seated herself atop it.
Once Edgar sat down next to her, the scenes from those days came rushing back as if to make themselves clear.
The times they played around on that bed.
When she proudly presented some precious toy she had found from somewhere and Edgar would respond dismissively, only to feign interest when he saw her sulk.
Every single moment that once seemed fleeting had now woven into a tapestry of memories, fading yet still leaving visual traces intertwined with the homeowners and the place itself.
“When we leave, we have to take this book with us. I should check if there’s anything else I want to take.”
Ariel held the book close to her chest and immediately approached the bookshelf to search for remnants of their memories from that time.
Watching her from afar, Edgar got up and walked over to her side, extending his arms to embrace his wife snugly.
Covering her slender hands with his broader ones was just a bonus.
“When we go back, we’ll have so many stories to tell the children.”
Weighing the meaning behind his words, Ariel looked deep into his golden eyes that remained unchanged, filled with warmth.
Despite any physical transformation compared to those times, the tenderness reflected in his gaze was still as pure as ever.
Moved by that sight, Ariel stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his.
A kiss that wasn’t too intense yet not too light, merely confirming their love for one another.
When their lips parted, Ariel opened her mouth, now wearing a mature smile that she could never have mustered in her childish days.
“…Yeah. There will be plenty more. Enough to tell the children throughout the night.”
“That’s the way it should be.”
The time they had lived through was likely shorter than the time they still had ahead.
The time they would continue to share would outweigh all the memories they had made thus far.
The unwritten stories ahead of them far outnumbered the emptied pages of the journals they had revisited today.
Even today, as they reminisced about the past, it was bound to transform into new memories they would recall in the distant future.
At that moment, they might find themselves with deeper lines in their hands, their eyesight dimming, but one undeniable thing would remain unchanged; their radiant smiles would still shine as brightly as they did now.
Just like those days when they laughed together with dirt smeared all over their faces.
Reflecting on that, the two continued their treasure hunt like they did in childhood.
Unlike those days, however, the urge to compete over who could find something first or who could find more had long since faded away.
Now, they simply opened one drawer after another, rediscovering the treasures contained in their memories.
That was the most significant change that had come upon them as they transitioned from childhood friends to spouses.
– The End of the Northern Duchy’s Childhood Friends –
![[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TS-Obsessed-Gamer-The-Ultimate-Return2.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return")
