I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 40

After the events of last night, as Edgar had expected, the Robeheim Family was thrown into unexpected chaos.

It was also surprising that two intruders managed to breach the Barrier in the middle of the night, and one of them was presumed to be an Assassin. Even more shocking was that the boy was said to be one of Creed’s subordinates.

And to top it all off, Helene later revealed that the boy was the heir of the Billhark Family, who had been living here incognito for his studies.

That all of this could occur in just one night made it no wonder that the retainers were in a panic.

“Ed, want some grapes? They’re really good!”

As if unaffected by the chaotic situation outside, Ariel casually handed Edgar a large bunch of grapes she had somehow gotten.

For the record, the place where Edgar was currently lying was Ariel’s chamber, where the incident had taken place yesterday.

“Do you really think I can eat grapes right now?”

“There’s nothing you can’t eat.”

“…Well, that’s true.”

In the end, Edgar sighed deeply after reluctantly chewing on one of the grapes Ariel handed him. His mind was a complete mess due to the events of yesterday.

‘I can’t look Ariel in the eye.’

Honestly, lying here and casually munching on fruit she was offering felt guilt-ridden.

Yesterday’s events were a series of misjudgments, epitomes of foolishness.

Had things gone even slightly awry, it would have been impossible to enjoy a leisurely morning like this.

From start to finish, there wasn’t a thing he managed to accomplish correctly.

“Hah.”

His right hand, in contrast to his exhale of despair, clenched tightly.

When he regained his senses today, seeing Helene tearfully thanking him had made him want to die immediately.

If she had known the truth behind yesterday’s incident, she would never have uttered such words.

His actions had essentially squandered all the kindness and consideration she had ever shown him.

‘What was I thinking?’

The sense of déjà vu and the inexplicable anxiety he felt from the man he encountered in town yesterday.

The fact that he had ended up checking Ariel’s room under such an uncertain apprehension was somewhat justifiable.

After all, causing a scene when it wasn’t even clear if someone had breached their home wouldn’t have helped anything.

But the real problem lay with the actions taken afterwards.

“He should have just called for help or woken Ariel if need be to resolve things quickly.”

He had plenty of thoughts. But the problem was that those thoughts came too late.

At first, he planned to deal with the intruder alone and bury the incident in secrecy. He assumed that if word of this got out, he’d have to explain why a boy named Edgar was even present in such a situation, anticipating the chaos that would ensue.

Moreover, above all, he did not want to give Ariel unnecessary shock.

He couldn’t stand the idea of a mere fourteen-year-old child facing the existence of those who threatened her life.

Yet, that reasoning was simply a product of shortsightedness.

“Ariel.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What’s there to be sorry for? You protected me.”

Edgar chuckled at her blankly tilting her head and gently tidied her messy hair.

It wasn’t that simple a matter.

In truth, he had been quite lucky to get through it all; he hadn’t done anything right from start to finish.

If he had been the slightest bit slower to catch on to the opponent’s next move, he would have ended up in a worse position trying to evacuate Ariel.

Although he might have had superior combat skills, Edgar lacked real-world experience, making him clumsy at reading his opponent’s psychology. Plus, he had overestimated his skill, not recognizing that the gap between them wasn’t the least bit overwhelming.

Furthermore, he ultimately didn’t trust Ariel.

He thought she might become a burden by being unable to deal with such an assault.

That’s probably why he hadn’t woken her.

How ironic and foolish it was that by not trusting his friend, he nearly put her in greater danger.

“Hey, Ed. You’re not actually thinking something foolish, are you?”

“What foolish thought?”

Edgar, deeply immersed in contemplating yesterday’s events, was momentarily hurt by the dismissive tone of this.

“You’re not thinking you couldn’t handle that guy on your own and now feel guilty about it, are you?”

“……”

Was she reading his mind or something? Ariel was spot on about his feelings, leaving Edgar speechless, merely blinking in surprise.

Why did it feel like his position had flipped upside down?

“You always worry about unnecessary things. Remember that time we encountered wild boars in the mountains and ran away?”

“Uh, yeah…”

For some reason, Edgar saw a reflection of the gentle Helene in Ariel.

Flabbergasted by how different she had become, he stuttered a reply, as she grasped his hand tightly.

“Mom told me, you were apologizing and said that you should have stopped me from going that far rather than blaming me for it.”

Sure, that had happened.

But it was only logical reasoning based on the circumstances, so why did it qualify as a foolish thought?

While Edgar continued to wrestle with this notion, Ariel’s words kept flowing without pause.

“Mom said that you can be very mature and level-headed for your age, but sometimes you’re too hard on yourself.”

“…Did I?”

He hadn’t really thought about it.

He had never pushed himself harshly or desired to rise above, always considered himself fairly carefree.

Perhaps this expression is used in instances where the impression others have of oneself differs from one’s own perspective.

“You fought for me yesterday. Sure, you probably could’ve called for reinforcements or woken me up, and it might have been better, but you took on the enemy alone.”

“Ariel, that’s…”

“Stop with the nonsense. I know. From your perspective, I was a nuisance. Waking me wouldn’t have helped in that situation.”

‘You didn’t call for reinforcements because you wanted to resolve things quietly,’ Ariel added.

Unlike Edgar expected, she truly saw straight through his intentions.

She understood why he had made that judgment.

She even grasped why he was putting himself down.

“But was it really for my sake? Wasn’t that for you?”

“That… is true.”

That was a fact Edgar could not deny.

Had he not thought of her at all, he wouldn’t have needed to handle the matter so intricately.

A smile crossed Ariel’s face as Edgar agreed, which was all she needed.

“You think too much. Sure, you might have made a mistake, but it was to protect me, and ultimately you succeeded in that.”

“Does a hero save everyone? No, right? Yet people celebrate them. The gains from what they protected outweigh their losses.”

Every word she spoke pierced deeply into Edgar’s heart.

“If you’ve protected something, cherish what you’ve kept. And if you made a mistake, don’t repeat it next time, just forget it for now. I’m here because of you.”

“…Wow.”

To think there would come a day he’d receive comfort not from anyone but Ariel herself.

Edgar felt a mix of amusement and a strange sense of pride.

His friend, whom he had always viewed as younger, had matured enough to offer him consolation.

“Why are you smiling like that? It’s creepy.”

This wasn’t the kind of smile friends share, and Ariel raised an eyebrow at him as if peering at a child.

“Uh… No, it’s just amazing that you’ve grown up instead of staying the clueless princess… Ouch! That hurt! I’m a patient, you know!”

“I’ll really smack you now! Maybe I should’ve just let you die back then! You moron, idiot, Edgar!”

If only he hadn’t opened his mouth, they could have wrapped this up nicely, but why did he have to ruin it like a fool?

Angry, Ariel swung a pillow nearly the same size as her body at him with all her strength.

“Stop it! I’m sorry… Hey! That’s a wound, don’t hit the wound!”

“Serves you right! I’d rather see the wound open and let you die!”

A sensation hit him harder than when a decorative item fell on him yesterday.

To survive the late-night visitant and then to be beaten by his childhood friend, would this become a running joke?

Thud.

“Ed, how are you feeling now… Ariel!? What are you doing to an injured person!”

Just as Edgar was writhing in pain, thanks to Helene opening the door, an unfortunate incident was averted.

“Uh, Mom! It’s all Edgar’s fault!”

“Get off him! No matter how immature you are, what are you doing to the person who saved you!”

“Seriously, it wasn’t like that at all!”

In the end, this dramatic chapter concluded with Ariel basking in unfairness.

Afterward, Edgar learned from Helene that the chaos outside had calmed down to some extent, and the narrative had nearly concluded.

However, it seemed they needed his testimony since he was the focus of the incident, so they asked if he could accompany her for a moment.

From here on out was likely the real problem.

Edgar nodded with a face devoid of laughter.

This incident would be a turning point.

Whether he could stay by Ariel’s side or, conversely, be barred from even staying at that place was at stake.

“Be careful, Ed.”

“Yeah, I will.”

With a strange smile, Ariel saw him off.

It felt as if she were hinting at something, but Edgar had no clue what it was.

He tilted his head in uncertainty but responded and walked out with Helene’s support.

Fortunately, it appeared he could walk without much trouble, as he soon broke away from Helene’s grasp and managed to step on his own.

“Don’t worry, Ed. The explanation is mostly done, and I doubt anyone will think poorly of you.”

That was reassuring to hear.

Often, if they looked down on you from the beginning, people might not hear what you said no matter how you explained.

This was all thanks to Helene’s influence.

Edgar wanted to take advantage of this incident as a means to repay her and Ariel.

He needed to keep the mistakes he made last night in his heart while moving forward, never to forget them.

That way, he could tread the right path for his friend and himself.