I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 33

Ariel’s eyes were filled with an unprecedented bewilderment.

Thinking it might be an illusion, she pinched Edgar’s cheek, only for him to brusquely swat her hand away, grumbling, “What are you doing?”

“How did you get in? At this time, the barrier should be…”

The Robeheim Family had a security structure more formidable than any other noble family’s guards. That was the massive barrier surrounding this castle.

As the sun set, the vast barrier automatically activated when people inside began returning to their quarters one by one.

From the outside, the security around the castle was tight, yet the inside felt lax, making it easy to breach the walls. Before long, many would end up ensnared by the barrier, meeting a gruesome end.

Yet, how on earth did this man break through the barrier and make it here?

There was only one way to bypass the barrier: to dispel it somehow and enter the castle.

But Ariel knew better than anyone that this man lacked the magical prowess to do so.

As she faced Edgar’s faint smile while staring into her trembling red eyes, something peculiar began to change in her senses.

“Y-you wouldn’t…”

Even though he was right in front of her, his presence momentarily felt as if it had vanished into thin air.

It wasn’t merely an assassin’s trick where one loses their presence; she was completely aware of his physical form, yet it felt as if all vitality was absent.

It was as if a ghost was floating there.

At that moment, Ariel finally deduced how her childhood friend had penetrated the impenetrable barrier.

It seemed utterly absurd. Yet, considering his history and origins, it didn’t feel completely impossible.

As Ariel pointed a shaking hand at him, Edgar shrugged, raising his shoulders and eyebrows before flopping down onto an empty chair.

“Of course, a genius would pick up on it right away.”

“The magical power flowing through your body… you stopped it?”

“Yep. It was written in that book you showed me before.”

This was during the time when Edgar was engrossed in his magical training.

When Ariel had visited Ardeunum, she had brought back a pile of books—all related to magic. Some talked about barriers and various spells in considerable detail, explaining how they functioned.

So, when she had the chance, she had once tried making a small barrier spell, and it had ended rather successfully.

Of course, to create that one barrier spell, she had studied so hard it felt ridiculous, only to realize it barely lasted long enough to hold a cup of tea.

“What an outrageous thing you’ve done.”

“To meet a highborn friend like you, I had to do this.”

Ariel had heard from Helene over a year ago that the Robeheim Family was surrounded by a barrier.

Of course, she hadn’t experimented with it for moments like these, but luckily the result had turned out well.

“Well, it was something you could manage. I certainly didn’t expect it to be possible.”

The barrier’s activation conditions relied on the wavelengths of magical power flowing through a human body. When intruders approached, their magical power disrupted the barrier’s wavelengths.

So if one were to pass through the barrier while halting the flow of their magical power, what would happen?

Stopping all one’s magical power would mean transforming oneself into a mere weed rolling on the street.

Having magical power without it flowing made the analogy more than fitting.

So, what does that mean? Obviously, they can’t be detected. But anyone who thinks about creating a barrier considering that notion doesn’t really exist.

“How many people can stop their magical power from flowing?”

Magical power is like blood. It exists in the body and must flow to hold value.

There’s no way a human could consciously stop the blood flowing through their body.

Yet, Edgar was an exception.

Born with magical power but a constitution that prevented it from flowing, he was initially incapable of using magic.

He had overcome that limitation with the sword Helene had given him, successfully establishing a circulation of magical power.

On top of that, he had also managed to consciously revert his body to its original state, stopping the flow of magical power.

If the developer of this barrier spell witnessed someone like Edgar, they would undoubtedly feel a deep sense of grievance.

Here was a barrier supposedly made perfectly, only to have a lawbreaking individual appearing out of nowhere to cut through it with ease.

“Honestly, I was taking a gamble too. I’m just lucky it worked out.”

Chuckling, Edgar handed her a stuffed bear he had been cradling in his arms.

It was a fluffy brown bear, quite large.

It seemed like it would feel nice to hug while sleeping, with a pleasing texture and all.

How had he even gotten this stuffed animal?

Moreover, how had he brought it at such a perfect moment, as if reading her mind just before?

“Oh, and I brought some snacks from outside. They’ve cooled down a bit but still tasty.”

“How did you manage to bring all this up?”

Even if he had passed through the barrier, climbing this height was nonsensical.

Did he perhaps tie a rope and climb up? But there were no such items in sight.

“They have footholds here and there. I just jumped up appropriately.”

“You’re really quite daring.”

Even though a barrier was set, that didn’t mean there weren’t any guards around.

While the number was low, there was still a good chance of being spotted on a misstep.

If he had been caught, his head could have easily rolled right there.

Why on earth was he taking such risks to come here?

“Despite saying that, your smile hasn’t left you, has it, my lady?”

“Humph, it’s just that I’m speechless. You fool. What on earth were you thinking…?”

Even as he teased her with honorifics, Ariel refused to fall for it, turning her head sharply.

‘This is ridiculous.’

Seeing her own grinning reflection in the mirror across, she felt as if her face might burst from embarrassment.

Even if she said those words, how could she not feel happy?

She wanted to hug him right away for coming all this way despite the danger.

But true to her nature as a princess who couldn’t be honest with her feelings, Ariel’s mouth was busy pouting today too.

“I-I don’t even like stuffed animals that much… But since you’ve brought it, I’ll accept it.”

“How thankful I am, I’m on the verge of tears.”

Despite saying so, Edgar knew well that Ariel had an interest in stuffed animals.

After all, he had noticed her lingering outside a shop when they were exploring Ardeunum together not long ago.

At first, he was puzzled, but later realized it was a store displaying plush toys.

Remembering that moment, he had brought some snacks along with the bear, which seemed like a good choice.

The muscles around her mouth kept twitching, betraying her insincere feelings.

He felt tempted to tease her about it, but held back for today.

The stack of books on the nearby desk was a stark reminder of how hard this childhood friend had been working.

‘Why does this room feel so empty?’

It didn’t feel much like a fourteen-year-old girl’s room.

It lacked that earthy vibe of a lived-in space.

He had expected a more sparkling and charming atmosphere.

It could be her taste, but to him, it didn’t fit at all.

“Why are you looking around a lady’s room? It’s making me uncomfortable.”

“Ladies be damned. Anyone who sees this would think you just held a debütante ball.”

Debütante ball.

These are the dances or events held for the children of noble families making their entrance into society. Those who enter are called debütantes.

Depending on the family, the timings of these debütante events differ, but generally, the more prestigious the family, the sooner they push their daughters into social circles.

The Robeheim family was one such example.

“I have a little time left, you know?”

“When?”

“Probably next year. If not, at least the year after that.”

That was indeed quite soon.

Considering that the age of adulthood was nineteen, entering society three years before reaching adulthood was no small feat.

Although there might be a few who debuted at the same age as both of them, that’s a truly rare case.

“Do you have someone to go with?”

“Of course, it has to be you. I-I mean, it’s not worthy of you, though.”

“Not sure that would be possible.”

Typically, young ladies entering their debütante balls rely on the assistance of the gentlemen around them.

Close male friends, lovers, or even betrothed companions decided by the family.

There were countless scenarios.

But the one commonality among them was that the statuses, at the very least, of their families or individuals need to be at similar levels.

In that sense, Edgar was still lacking in many ways for such a role.

“What, you don’t want to? I’m offering to accompany the illustrious young lady of the Robeheim family to her first social debut, yet you say no?”

“Not that I dislike it, but it feels too much for me, you fool.”

Edgar lightly flicked her forehead and stood up.

No matter how much she wished for it, her family wouldn’t allow it so easily.

At least not if they weren’t a prominent count family—handing out calls would be tricky.

Helene could manage it with her influence, but that wasn’t what Edgar wanted.

His first goal would be to remain an indispensable friend by her side until that time.

“My hair is getting messy.”

“It’s going to be fixed anyway, so what does it matter?”

Edgar silently looked down at Ariel and, without saying a word, ruffled her hair gently, as if he was handling a precious piece of glass.

“Alright, I’ll come without delay.”

With that, he took off beyond the balcony.

It was as if the bright moonlight that had been shining just a moment ago suddenly hid behind a cloud.

Ariel wondered if everything that just played out was a dream, but the warmth lingering above her head made her realize otherwise, and she smiled softly.

‘Seriously, showing off like that.’

But maybe for today, she could let it slide.

Just a little bit, not a lot, but really just a tiny bit, he could be deemed cool.