I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 30

The castle of the Robeheim Family, upon arrival, was a sight to behold, showcasing the grandeur of a ducal house at a glance.

With its enormous size, it felt like a blessing if one could manage not to get lost inside, alongside the vast stretch of land it occupied.

But it wasn’t just a single building; within this sprawling castle grounds, numerous structures were lined up, making it seem like a small city had been relocated here.

‘This is overwhelming.’

And who would have thought I would end up entering the castle myself? I was sure I would be given a place to stay somewhere outside where people wouldn’t easily see me.

Or perhaps, there might actually be a place for me to stay amidst this expansive castle grounds.

“Ed, what are you doing? Hurry up!”

“Uh, um… I’ll be right there!”

With Helene vouching for Edgar, the guard blocking the castle gate let them in without any unnecessary procedures.

As he passed through the gate, he responded to Ariel’s urging while dazedly moving his feet.

The view he saw from outside was magnificent, but stepping inside only amplified the splendor.

As he walked over a long bridge, he noticed a massive drainage canal flowing right below him.

‘I wonder if I can catch fish here?’

Lost in such trivial thoughts, Edgar suddenly realized he had fallen behind and hurried to catch up with his companions.

“How does it feel? Much bigger than the mansion you lived in, right?”

“Ariel, don’t talk about my friend’s house that way.”

“But it’s the truth, right? Mom?”

Ariel tilted her head at Edgar as if asking for confirmation.

It wasn’t exactly wrong, and comparing them was practically pointless, so Edgar nodded and backed her up.

“By the way, Mrs. Helene, where will I be staying?”

“I’ll let you know soon. But first, we need to meet someone.”

‘Someone we need to meet?’

Didn’t I mention my arrival to anyone?

I was pretty sure I hadn’t hinted at it to any of the retainers or others in the castle, except for my closest companions like Shephina and Shuri.

If I were to guess, it would probably be the head of this family, Ariel’s father.

But why would such an important figure come personally to meet me? I dismissed that thought from my mind.

After all, Helene was handling things, so she would manage well enough on her own.

“Ed, while you’re staying here, you must not mention being the heir of the Billhark Family, understood?”

“You mean I shouldn’t say I’m Ariel’s friend either… right?”

“Exactly. You’re clever.”

As Edgar successfully deduced the next statement, Helene gently smiled and ruffled his hair.

‘That’s all well and good… but I still have questions.’

This was what he had aimed for, so he didn’t think much of it.

However, one thing lingered in his mind: the fact that he had been allowed into this castle suggested that his identity had been covered in some way.

Could it be that the lady of the ducal house would not be questioned for allowing a stranger with uncertain credentials into her midst?

At the very least, curiosity about the boy named Edgar was unavoidable.

Then why did she choose to make this castle his home?

Just for the sake of making it easier for him to meet Ariel? That seemed like quite a risk.

With questions swirling in his mind, he followed her, and before long, they arrived at the castle’s main building.

“Welcome back, Master.”

As they waited briefly at the entrance on the first floor, Shephina appeared out of nowhere and greeted them.

Even Edgar and Ariel jumped a little, but Helene nodded calmly as if she had expected it, then lowered her voice to reply.

“Thanks, Shephina. You’ve prepared the waiting area, right?”

“Yes, this way, please.”

With a deep bow, Shephina began to lead the way, and the rest followed behind.

Edgar had no idea where they were headed, but one thing was certain: it didn’t feel like they were walking on a normal path.

That made sense, though; no matter how big the castle was, he should have encountered a person or two along the way.

However, the path they were taking was eerily quiet, void of any presence.

“They’re waiting inside here.”

Following her guidance, they arrived at a rather shabby-looking door.

It was in such an out-of-the-way place that it was almost surprising for someone to live there, yet no one seemed to find it odd.

Helene nodded subtly and held Ariel and Edgar’s hands.

“Thanks, Shephina. Wait outside for a moment with Shuri. I’ll just take Ariel and Ed inside.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

After Shephina stepped back with the girl, Helene approached the door and gently knocked.

Just then, someone from the other side opened it, revealing a middle-aged man.

“Welcome, lady. And you, young lady are here too.”

“Sorry for the trouble, Creed.”

“Long time no see, Creed.”

As Helene apologized, the man named Creed waved it off with a smile, saying it was nothing.

He had a broad body that matched his robust laughter, which filled the room.

“Haha, don’t worry about it. By the way, who is this friend…?”

“That’s right.”

“He looks ordinary enough at first glance. But he does have a very nice gaze.”

As he observed Edgar, he thoughtfully stroked his chin.

The man had a decent-looking face, but nothing about him screamed ‘special’ beside that.

If anything, he appeared well-built for someone who was quite young.

“As I said, I hope you’ll take good care of him along with the others.”

“Who else knows about this?”

“Only the maids outside and those within the Billhark family know. Even the coachman who brought us here is unaware of this.”

From the very mention of the Billhark Family, Edgar realized this man was someone who would secretly assist him.

“Oh, I see. This seems to be quite a heavy responsibility.”

Still, he nodded as if there was something appealing about it, then extended his hand toward Edgar.

It was definitely a handshake invitation.

After a moment of glancing at Creed’s figure, Edgar promptly took his hand.

“Nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

“Edgar Billhark.”

“I’m Creed Downer. I’ll be the one taking care of you for a while, even if it’s not for long.”

Creed Downer?

Hearing the name struck a chord in Edgar, who tilted his head a bit.

There had been a sense of familiarity with it, and now that he heard the title, the memory surged forth and spun his head.

‘Downer, Downer… Ah!’

Edgar’s eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered a name from his recollection.

Surely it belonged to the former commander of the Two Knights of the Helbenior Empire.

He was a warrior whose valor was noted in texts and hailed as a hero who had made his mark in history.

“Oh, you know my name?”

“I’ve heard of it. You were certainly among the most notable knights in the empire…”

“Anything recorded is just reputation. Right now, I’m just an old man caring for children in a back room.”

As Creed released Edgar’s hand and shrugged, Helene, realizing it was her turn to speak, continued explaining to Edgar.

“He was a knight commander of the empire before retirement, but now he’s someone who takes care of kids here.”

“Kids… you say?”

“Yes. It’s both our hobby, you see. There is a small place in this castle where abandoned children are cared for. He looks after that.”

‘Is that so?’

Now Edgar understood the reason why he was brought here.

Just like hiding a tree within a forest, the idea was not to conceal his home secretly, but to integrate him openly within the castle amongst other children.

After all, Helene already did this to begin with, so others would likely think nothing of it, assuming he was just another child picked up from somewhere.

Plus, they wouldn’t need to bother finding a separate mentor for him either, which was a huge plus.

Even if he had retired from the front lines, the teachings from a former knight commander of the empire would be invaluable.

“How many kids are there right now?”

“Excluding you, only two. It’s not easy to look after many kids, and they’re usually quickly placed into suitable homes.”

‘Placed’ likely meant being adopted as a foster child into a reputable family.

With just two kids, it would provide a decent level of bustle without being overly loud, which seemed perfect.

He had thought he might feel a bit lonely after suddenly being alone, but it seemed like there would be companions to keep him company.

“With similar ages, you’ll help each other out. One of them is a bit timid, but… is a kind-hearted child, so it should be fine.”

“I’ll try to get along with them. After all, we’ll be living under the same roof now.”

Although he wasn’t one to easily make friends, living together like this would surely create opportunities to bond.

Now, the only remaining concern was,

“But when can I see Ariel? I have a feeling it’ll be hard to find the chance.”

Even if everything else fell into place, it wouldn’t be good for others to see him meeting Ariel.

He needed to avoid being caught while meeting her as much as possible, but with so many people around the castle, it was bound to happen.

As Edgar voiced his concerns, Ariel’s nose shot up as high as it could go.

“W-what? Do you want to meet with me that much?”

Since she couldn’t muster the courage to speak it herself, she felt glad Ed was expressing in words what she thought, but another part of her felt it was not just her own desire.

“What’s with that? I came here for you, didn’t I?”

“…Huh?”

Ariel’s eyes widened in disbelief at the unexpected declaration.

Meanwhile, Helene and Creed exchanged smiles, as if amused by the adorable antics of the children.

It was as if they were saying, ‘What have you kids gotten yourselves into?’

“Are you saying you came… for me?”

“Otherwise, why would I come all the way here? Come on, think about it.”

It was infuriating how she brought up the idea of visiting Hespania in the first place.

To hear her say something like this now was just agonizing.

Meanwhile, Ariel was overwhelmed with embarrassment.

Of course, she knew he had come such a long way for her, but she never expected him to admit it so openly.

She expected a reply like, ‘What would I come that far for you?’ but the very opposite was revealed instead.

“Geez, when someone talks, you should listen.”

“Shut up! It’s all your fault!”

“You really think I’m to blame for this?”

Eventually, Helene had to intervene before their argument escalated, ending their conversation with no clear winner.

Unfortunately, there were no victors here.

One was blushing bright red, while the other bore an expression of exasperation, pounding their chest in frustration, and so it came to an end.