I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 41

Walking through the dazzling corridor, Edgar finally arrived at a room with a long table set inside.

He presumed it to be a room used for important discussions among the head of the family and his vassals.

‘The atmosphere isn’t as tense as I thought.’

As Edgar stepped into the room and took a quick look around, it seemed no one was glaring at him or sizing him up.

Rather, the murmur among them suggested they were quite curious to see someone like him in person.

‘Feels like I’ve become a spectacle.’

As he took a seat at a suitable spot under Helene’s guidance, a drop of cold sweat trickled down his back.

No matter how much he tried to hide it, it’d be strange if he didn’t feel nervous thinking that so many people were watching his every move.

Noticing Edgar’s tension, Helene gently patted his shoulder, as if to say it was okay.

Even a mature boy like him would feel burdened in a situation like this.

All he could do was hope the discussion would proceed without a hitch.

After a good while of everyone just sizing each other up, a man sitting opposite Helene finally spoke up.

He had a rather dashing mustache and seemed vaguely familiar to Edgar.

“Are you Edgar Billhark? I apologize for causing you to come here. It’s a chaotic situation, and we really need your statement.”

“No, it’s all right. I’m simply grateful for the warm welcome.”

“A gracious reception is the least we can offer to the one who protected our lady. Ah, I’m late on my introduction.”

The man, introducing himself as Elpelt Glaciar, was the top authority of the family, aside from the Robeheim couple, and also served as the head’s advisor.

As Edgar searched his memory, he recalled this was the same man who, during his visit to the castle with Creed, had playfully ruffled his hair and given him chocolate.

Despite his substantial size, he had a kind smile that suited him quite well.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Mrs. Helene. So, you’ve been living here under the guise of learning, huh?”

“Not solely for education, but that’s a rough summary.”

“Oh, so it’s not just for education? If you don’t mind me asking, what other reasons led you here?”

At his probing, Edgar took a glance at Helene seated beside him.

It was a question of whether he could share more details, but she simply smiled, giving him a look that suggested he should proceed as he wished.

“It’s because my dream was to stay near my friend.”

“By friend, do you mean Lady Ariel?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

Since everything was already out in the open, hesitating to say it wouldn’t be of much use.

As Edgar openly expressed his affirmation, Elpelt’s smile broadened.

“Just as I thought. I’ve heard you rejected entering the Robeheim Family by using Mrs. Helene and Lady Ariel’s names?”

“Yes.”

“Is there a reason for that? I’m not prying, but wouldn’t it be preferable to learn in a more comfortable environment?”

Well, is he really going this deep?

Now that he had decided to speak up, Edgar casually revealed his true feelings.

“If that were the case, I could’ve easily taken refuge under the Robeheim Family’s protection. But who would recognize the heir of a small noble family with nothing to show for himself?”

“In other words, you wanted to stand by the lady solely with your own abilities, without relying on anyone else… is that the case?”

“Yes.”

Hearing him, it felt as though the discussion was leaning towards the idea that he sought to become Ariel’s promised partner, but he didn’t have the leisure to worry about such things.

Besides, others likely wouldn’t consider that a mere baron’s heir would eye the seat next to a grand duke’s daughter.

“Alright, I’ve listened well. Let’s shift the conversation from this to what happened in the lady’s chamber yesterday…”

‘Here comes the moment I dread.’

That was the very issue Edgar worried about the most.

While his actions might have ultimately protected Ariel, discussing the process was sure to stir up some waves.

After all, his unauthorized entry through the barrier wouldn’t just disappear.

The real question was how they would approach this on the other side.

If they were determined to pin the blame solely on him, he would have no means to counter that.

However, if they were willing to consider the circumstances and overlook that part, there might be room for dialogue.

As Edgar swallowed nervously, a peculiar smile crept onto Elpelt’s face.

“You know there’s a barrier set up around this castle, right?”

“Yes, I was informed by Ariel.”

He briefly pondered whether to use a title for Ariel, but it seemed no one else was correcting him.

Did this imply they recognized him as her friend?

That alone felt like a significant win.

“We discussed how you managed to cross the barrier and enter the lady’s chamber with that intruder yesterday. Yet, we found no clear leads.”

“…….”

Had Ariel not mentioned anything at all?

Surely, besides themselves, no one would have a proper answer on how to bypass the barrier.

Just as he contemplated whether he should clarify that point, Elpelt spoke up again.

“We did a thorough investigation of the incident, but for now, you’re in the clear because the lady vouched for you.”

“…Pardon? Vouched?”

Vouching or not, there was no denying he had intruded into Ariel’s room.

But for Ariel to step forward and provide an alibi for him? What was with this unexpected twist?

“No need to play dumb. I’ve already been informed that the lady called for you just before the barrier was set.”

‘Sounds like you really had to climb high before coming here,’ he added playfully, and Edgar felt utterly dumbfounded.

Does this mean Ariel intentionally lied, putting the blame on herself for any potential troubles?

“Ariel… said that?”

“Yeah. I figured you’d be the type to take the blame without wanting to trouble the lady, so she asked me to make sure to let it slide.”

Seeing Elpelt’s beaming smile, Edgar realized he had been outplayed.

‘No wonder she was grinning earlier.’

He finally understood the meaning behind her cryptic smile from before.

Most importantly, the fact that Ariel had insisted on speaking up for him was a real game-changer.

If she presented her testimony first like that, then even if Edgar was to tell the truth, Elpelt would only interpret it as him intentionally lying to side with Ariel.

Furthermore, as a vassal of the Robeheim Family, Elpelt couldn’t casually doubt the words of the one he served.

He had effectively been caught in a checkmate set by Ariel, using every tactic she could manage before he even got up.

‘How unlucky can I get?’

There’s no way out.

To think that the one he had underestimated this much, Ariel, would be the one to turn the tables on him like this.

Just sneaking a glance at Helene, she merely smiled as if she were already aware of everything, saying nothing.

Edgar now realized this entire situation was a sort of play staged on his behalf.

Most likely, the mastermind behind this whole affair leaned closer to Ariel than Helene.

She must have seen this incident as a golden opportunity for him to gain recognition, taking the risk without a second thought.

Helene was merely giving him a gentle nudge from behind.

After all, both his reckless decision to tackle things alone without calling for reinforcements and his nighttime breach of Ariel’s chamber could only hold up with Ariel’s testimony to back him.

In this situation, no matter what he said, it would be as futile as closing one’s eyes and hoping not to be seen.

While it might be dismissed as a little white lie, she had effectively toyed with all these vassals through her falsehoods.

All for the sake of ensuring that her friend received the recognition she deserved.

‘What a tyrant she is.’

It only made him worry even more about his future.

What on earth prompted her to handle things this way?

But the most ludicrous part of all this was that he was actually pleased with her consideration.

“Today, the reason I called you here was to discuss your future treatment. We cannot ignore the one who protected our lady.”

“Treatment…?”

Edgar’s mind couldn’t keep up with the swiftly advancing conversation.

He had just barely managed to sort out the events of last night and was moving on to the aftermath, and now they were already talking about his treatment.

Although recognizing contributions was important, the pace was moving too rapidly.

However, Elpelt also noted Edgar’s confusion.

He was, after all, a vassal serving the Robeheim Family, and ultimately, he couldn’t ignore the pressure being handed down from above.

“Lady Ariel caused quite a stir. Setting everything aside, she insisted that your efforts deserved recognition and requested that you be allowed to remain close to her.”

“Ha ha…”

He never imagined she’d put things in this way.

Today had truly been a complete defeat. Edgar realized he had never felt such a profound sense of loss against Ariel before.

Yet, strangely enough, his heart warmed despite the feeling of defeat.

He had anticipated such emotions would surface someday, but to have them come so soon was unexpected.

‘I certainly didn’t want it to end up like this.’

Gaining opportunities from his friend’s predicament, were there any more unpleasant outcomes than this?

But on the flip side, to reject the elaborate scheme Ariel set up would also feel like an insult to her.

Could it be that she had even predicted he would feel this way?

“I’ll follow your words.”

“Good, that’s neat. We’ll likely have a detailed discussion during the week. Mrs. Helene also wishes for rapid progress on this matter.”

Just as expected, it seemed she had lent a proper hand.

As Edgar looked at her with a hint of resentment, Helene kept a beaming smile, shrugging it off.

Ultimately, through this incident, Edgar realized he still had much to learn and that his once naïve childhood friend was not merely a little child.