I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 36

The meal was decent enough for Ariel to be satisfied.

Especially since it had a clean and subtle taste without an overuse of spices, it delighted her palate.

Now that they were full and enjoying a pleasantly blowing breeze, the two decided to linger outside for a bit longer before moving on.

Just to catch up on the conversations they couldn’t finish.

“How was the meal?”

“Hmph… Well, it wasn’t bad considering the place you took me to.”

Was it really that hard to admit it was tasty?

It seemed that the pride of a duke’s daughter was too lofty for him to grasp.

Though she feigned indifference, her faint smile betrayed her.

Edgar, catching a glimpse of her side profile, found his lips curving into a similar smile.

It felt a bit dull to let it slide, so teasing her a bit would be fun.

“Oh, by the way. I chatted with the guards from your family on the way here.”

“What did you talk about?”

It was usually Ariel who initiated conversations when they met, so his sudden mention of ordinary talk piqued her interest.

“You know I train every morning, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it turns out that the guards who are either on patrol or have some downtime come to watch.”

The rest of the story was already familiar to her.

She just hadn’t heard it from him before, only having caught glimpses of him training through the window or occasionally overhearing Shuri.

Ariel nodded slightly in response, trying to play it cool even though she wished to flaunt her knowledge.

Edgar, too excited to tease her, didn’t notice and continued smoothly.

“After I finish sparring, I usually sit down and chat with the guards for a bit before heading back to my lodgings.”

“And?”

“So, I was sitting there as usual today when Creed gave me a wink. He said you asked to meet today.”

It wasn’t incorrect, but hearing that made Ariel feel a tad embarrassed.

She felt like a capricious girl throwing hints at a guy who was seriously focused on his training.

“No way.”

This was all because the guy hadn’t shown up to see her for three days.

She definitely wasn’t at fault. Of course not.

“Anyway, when I got that news and was about to get up in a hurry, the guards started asking where I was off to. They joked about whether I got a girlfriend.”

“G-girlfriend……!?”

Just one unexpected word turned Ariel’s face as red as her hair.

How dare some wretched soldier utter such nonsense?

A girlfriend? Please, know your place.

“Well, I could consider it if she put in the effort.”

But that was merely a ‘consideration’. Certainly not an acceptance.

How likely would an opportunity arise to welcome someone as a partner worthy of the proud Robeheim family?

If she found out that soldier’s name, she’d immediately summon him and mete out severe punishment.

What an infuriating experience that was.

“S-so… what did you say?”

Please tell me you didn’t agree to the girlfriend thing.

Ariel asked him in a tone filled with anxiety—not expectation, but anxiety.

If he confirmed it, she swore she’d turn him into a mush.

The heat emanating from Ariel’s glaring eyes dissipated instantly with his brief reply.

“What did I say? Well, obviously, I said no.”

“……”

The only thought that entered her mind was one.

‘Of course.’

What was this strange feeling—neither anger, nor rage, nor disdain?

If anything, it was close to absurdity. Or maybe not even that.

Only the thought that the result turned out precisely as she predicted filled her mind.

“…Phew, so what did you say afterwards?”

“Nothing much. When they kept asking how pretty you are, I had to give them a line.”

“Hmph, I bet it was predictable since it was you saying it.”

Surely, he must have said she wasn’t pretty and that she looked like a tomboy.

After all, it had been a decade since she last received compliments from Edgar.

And that had only been a jab to her side back then.

Not that she expected any compliments, so she didn’t bother asking what he said.

She only turned her head sharply and took a sip of the tea she had ordered after the meal.

Watching her, a playful smile graced Edgar’s lips.

He hadn’t exactly insulted her, but he didn’t praise her either.

It seemed like the truth needed to be revealed.

“Actually, I didn’t say you were pretty. I just said you were kind of cute.”

“C-cute……!?”

Ariel’s face turned as crimson as before, the shock matching that when she first heard the word girlfriend.

How could anyone say she was cute!? Didn’t she tell him not to treat her like a child?

How dare he say that to someone destined to become the ruler of the North?

Such foolishness had limits. If she let this slide, she’d probably be subjected to it again next time.

In this moment, she felt like a volcano ready to erupt, charging at him with steam spewing everywhere.

“Why not just say ‘not pretty?’ That would kill the mood! So I added a nice remark.”

But Edgar wasn’t just anyone.

He was the same boy who had babied this naïve noble lady for nearly thirteen years. He was well-versed in the art of soothing children.

He could easily deflect such remarks without batting an eye.

“You could have just said I was pretty instead of cute! What’s with that?! It’s infuriating.”

“Isn’t praise better than insults?”

“Certainly not! It’s more aggravating than an insult! You fool!”

Honestly, if she had to choose between feeling good or bad, she would selectively take the ‘good’ label.

In any case, she was being praised, and she still felt a mix of shyness and joy when her mother told her she was cute.

But no matter the reason, an inexplicable displeasure nagged at her heart.

That peculiar feeling, which Ariel couldn’t quite put her finger on, made her flustered.

Meanwhile, Edgar couldn’t stop chuckling despite her tsundere attitude.

If she were an ordinary girl of the same age, the notion of being called cute would be cringeworthy, but she still felt more like a little sister to him, making it easier to say.

He himself would probably ignite a raging fire if he called someone else that.

“Alright, alright. From now on, if I get such questions, I’ll say you’re pretty. Now, please take it easy.”

“Ugh, that sounds like pitying me!”

When it comes to compliments, they should be genuine, coming from the heart.

What good is a compliment without sincerity?

Ariel struck the table forcefully with her hand, fueled by her growing anger at how he was trying to placate her.

‘Men with such high standards are bound to end up alone.’

It would be a sorry fate for the girl who would marry such a man.

Though just to note, whenever she’d gone out holding her parents’ hands as a child, she would always receive attention from boys her age.

Thus Ariel was acutely aware of her appearance and how it influenced others.

Yet this guy approached her with all the indifference in the world.

Was his taste just that different? Did he hold a different standard of beauty?

Countless thoughts plagued her mind, but nothing concrete came to light.

“Quit sulking and let’s get up. I’m treating you generously today.”

“Not a chance. Do you think I’m a child?”

It was always like this with him.

Did he really think that just a few nice words would melt her?

Of course, she couldn’t deny such a phase existed, but now it was something she needed to correct.

Ariel huffed at him, refusing to even turn her head as she pouted.

He had effectively declared war by ignoring him like that.

‘Just watch me stand up.’

If he thought throwing compliments around was enough to win her over, he would be burned to a crisp.

She wouldn’t fall for empty flattery.

“Ariel, look at me!”

“…What?”

In her resolute stance, she resembled a statue as Edgar walked around the table, squatting down to meet her gaze.

Ariel tried her best to look away to resist his charm, but one sudden remark shattered her unwavering resolve.

“You don’t think I would ever see you as anything less than beautiful, do you?”

“……?”

What was that? Did she hear it wrong?

Hearing him speak as if he thought she was beautiful caused her head to snap towards him.

“What? You really thought that?”

Edgar, surprised by her reaction, found himself flustered in turn.

What a foolish thought.

Did he genuinely believe he wouldn’t be able to discern whether she was pretty or not?

“W-well… do you think I’m beautiful… in your eyes?”

“Wow, I guess it really was true. You really are something.”

Without giving a clear answer, Edgar chuckled.

Suddenly, he reached out a hand toward Ariel.

Flustered at his unexpected gesture, she hesitated before weakly placing her left hand on top of his.

Edgar’s smile grew even broader.

“How could friends tell each other they’re pretty? You know how it is, everyone knows but no one says it.”

“Seriously… do you really think I’m pretty?”

Her lips trembled as she seemed almost unable to believe it.

Edgar let out a chuckle, realizing the ridiculousness of her self-doubt.

“Seriously? If you’ve looked in the mirror just once in your life, there’s no way you could think like that.”

“Ugh! You never said anything like that before…”

What was she trying to imply now?

If he had only said something even once a year, this situation wouldn’t have occurred.

Yet, he casually transferred the blame onto her without batting an eye, and Ariel found herself speechless.

While they weren’t lovers, it should be totally possible to express such a compliment to a childhood friend they had known for almost thirteen years.

It wasn’t that she had an open mindset; it was simply that his lack of tact left a lot to be desired.

“Alright, I’m sorry. Even if we’re friends, I could have said you’re pretty at least once. Isn’t that right?”

“See? You know it…! You idiot!”

Ariel felt like tears might burst forth from her eyes in frustration, but somehow she swallowed them back.

Honestly, it was harder to suppress the urge to smile from his little compliment!

“Come on, don’t cry on a good day. We don’t have much time left so let’s hurry and go have fun, my sweet little noble lady.”

“Ah! You added ‘little’ again!”

Can’t he just call her a beautiful noble lady without adding anything more?

But she decided to suppress her simmering anger, suspecting it was his peculiar way of trying to overcome his own embarrassment.

Sighing deeply, Ariel stood up and followed Edgar, with her head hung low, feeling very embarrassed.

Thinking of how she had acted moments earlier only made her want to disappear into the ground.

“So, beautiful noble lady, since we’ve eaten, do you want to go for some sweets?”

“…No thanks. You can’t even eat them anyway.”

“And please don’t call me a beautiful noble lady.”

Cutting off his playful title with a sharp tone, Ariel scolded him.

Edgar shrugged in response, acknowledging her sentiment, but she coyly caught hold of his right arm.

“Still, could you at least say it once a year? Just as friends.”

Pausing in confusion at her sudden request, Edgar quickly recovered and grinned.

Most likely, she heard such remarks dozens of times a day from people around her, so why would she ask him?

He didn’t particularly find it hard to oblige, so he nodded happily.

“Sure! Maybe I can even throw in the odd compliment three months from now.”

“…That’s enough for now. If I keep hearing it, it loses its meaning.”

Now? Edgar felt as if her words hinted that she might demand even more regularly in the future.

‘Even I find that a bit embarrassing.’

She briefly wondered if she had spoken too quickly, but any such doubt was washed away by the radiant smile on her side profile as she lifted her head.

Surely, more effort was needed.

To keep on soothing that sweet little naïve noble lady’s heart, after all.