I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 282

Hespania is basically a barren city.

To be precise, Hespania is relatively well-off due to the power of the “Symbol of Dominion,” but the surrounding areas and the northern regions are undeniably harsh.

This barrenness serves as a backdrop that values power, which is why the northern lands are rife with all sorts of monsters that wouldn’t dare be seen in a peaceful golden era.

Sometimes these monsters can surpass the power of an entire army, causing significant headaches, but—

Phew!

Since the appearance of a man, even that has become a thing of the past.

This man is none other than the hero of the nation, Edgar Billhark, the second power of the Robeheim Family, recognized for maintaining the castle even as a son-in-law.

“Phew, it’s finally over.”


“Well done, Count Billhark.”

Only after decapitating the White Wyvern, the most powerful monster in the northern region, did Edgar toss back his sweat-drenched red hair with a sigh.

His aide-de-camp and friend, Leonel, approached, saluting him while handing him a dry handkerchief after assigning his subordinates to clean up.

While they usually called each other by their names in private, in such formal settings, they always had to address each other with titles.

“Thanks. By the way, is that it for the wyverns?”


“Yes, it should be. The other one was taken care of by the lord himself not long ago, saying he was tired of it…”


“I told him to hold on, but it seems he couldn’t stand it.”

Thinking of the now-roasted wyvern, Edgar smirked.

It’s not that he didn’t trust his wife to handle such tasks; No, in some sense, Ariel might even surpass Edgar in raw power.

However, her strength is often destructive and tends to wreak havoc on the area when she’s not careful, which is why he usually asked her to hold back, but it seemed she finally got off her heavy behind.

“Still, at least this time, I heard you didn’t cause any damage to the town like last time.”


“That’s a relief to hear.”

Glancing at Leonel, who stuttered while giving the report, Edgar finally let out a sigh of relief.

That must have been quite an effort for Ariel, considering her personality.

“Sir Leonel! We’ve finished cleaning up the area. Would you please return now and leave the rest to the rear?”


“Yes, that’s what he said.”

As the report from another soldier arrived, Leonel looked at Edgar as if to say, “What now?”

“Then let’s head back. Ariel must be anxiously waiting.”


“She might be angry because we’re later than expected.”


“Stop with the anxious comments.”

Even though the situation couldn’t be helped, he knew better than anyone that excuses wouldn’t fly, so he turned with a bitter smile.

For him, calming his upset wife was harder than fighting the massive monsters of the north.

***

Edgar returned to the castle after the sky had turned completely dark.

Just as expected, at the castle entrance, Ariel was waiting with her hands on her hips, a clear sign of her anger.

“Ed! You said you would be back before dinner!”


“I’m sorry. It was a bit tougher because of the lesser wyvern, so I took longer than expected.”

As Edgar scratched his cheek with a weak apology, Ariel’s eyes widened in realization of her mistake.

“Oh, it was a lesser wyvern? You mean the White Wyvern?”


“Yep.”

Unlike other wyverns, the White Wyvern is a peculiar creature that only resides in the northern region.

It possesses a robust body capable of withstanding the harsh northern climate but generally avoids contact with other beings, making it rarely seen.

Even Ariel, who has lived solely in the northern region since birth, has only seen it twice in her life, and even then, it was just from a distance.

When hungry, however, even this typically docile creature turns 180 degrees, rampaging through places seeking food indiscriminately.

Compared to other wyverns, it is almost dragon-sized and, while not equal to a true dragon, it can unleash powerful techniques akin to a storm of ice, earning it the title of the hidden ruler of the north.

What bad luck that he encountered such a creature.

“The report only mentioned a wyvern, though…”

Ariel frowned, looking flustered, which was uncharacteristic of her.

And rightly so, because Edgar had instructed that the report should only say “wyvern” and not “White Wyvern.” Since they had already confirmed its identity, it was unlikely that it had been misreported, so she thought it was just a common wyvern.

“Otherwise, wouldn’t you be going too? I told you to make it a bit more formal.”


But it turned out Edgar had a hand in that decision.

Realizing this late, Ariel looked as if she had been hit on the head with a hammer, and Edgar winked to reveal he had reasons for it.

“Ugh…”

Ariel pouted, not because she was upset about his lie meant to spare her worry, but because it felt cheap that he could see through her so easily.

She thought they had both hidden their true feelings as adults, but it seemed almost like they had become more transparent after marriage.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get angry without knowing the circumstances… Did you get hurt?”

Since she didn’t know the situation properly and had yelled at her husband who just returned from a fierce battle, Ariel quickly apologized and moved closer to him.

With blood-red eyes that others found intimidating, her gaze towards him was as warm as the sun, scanning for any injuries with a worried expression on her face.

‘Looks like things are finally settling down.’

Finally feeling the fatigue of the day wash away, Edgar smiled. She was strangely endearing in her own way.

“It was my fault for being late. To be honest, I thought I could finish with the White Wyvern quickly. So, don’t worry; I’m fine.”

Then he wrapped his arms around Ariel’s waist, pulling her close.

This was an action only allowed for him in this country. The aides looking on couldn’t help but smile warmly at the sight.

“Y-you fool! There are people around…”


“Someone who has kissed in front of people can hardly say that… Oof!”


“Be quiet! Why do you keep bringing up something I was trying to forget?”

Ariel hurriedly tried to cover his mouth as he reminded her of an almost embarrassing memory, leaving onlookers baffled.

Did he really believe such a shocking sight could be forgotten? Perhaps this duke was surprisingly pure in personality.

“Um… Miss, it’s about time that Count Billhark should head inside and rest…”

While it was a delightful scene, one couldn’t help but feel they couldn’t keep a duke and his wife outside for so long, so Shuri stepped in.

After all, she was likely the only one bold enough to respectfully advise Ariel in this situation.

This was evidenced by the fact that even after becoming a duke, Ariel was still called by the same title she had when she was a lesser lord.

“Oh, right. Then have the soldiers rest up, and take care of the rewards for those who returned. It was a White Wyvern, so make it generous. Got it?”


“Do you have any orders, Your Highness?”

Knowing her thoroughness in matters of rewards, the aide bowed deeply and led the soldiers away down another path.

“Let’s head inside quickly too, Ed. Serina is anxiously waiting and hasn’t fallen asleep.”


“Still? It’s already pretty late…”

With a sly tone hinting at something, Ariel leaned against him, causing Edgar’s eyes to widen.

Serina, only four years old, should be deep in sleep by now. Evan would have likely collapsed from exhaustion long ago, which is why Ariel only mentioned Serina’s name.

“You know she won’t sleep until she sees Daddy. Why not sing her a lullaby?”


“I’m not as good at singing as you are.”


“Then I’ll sing the lullaby, just pat her from the side.”


“Should I?”

Feeling pleased with the suggestion, Edgar smiled and embraced his wife’s warmth as they headed into the castle together.