I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 5

Even when exploring the mountains, nothing particularly dangerous happened.

It seemed that my experience from a previous visit made the mountain paths more familiar this time, despite it being just once.

‘The ground is slippery, though.’

It had rained quite heavily about two days ago, so there were still some wet spots scattered about.

Normally, this northern region would see more snow than rain, but the area where Edgar lived, Ardeanum, was different.

Being the southernmost part of the north, it enjoyed relatively mild temperatures.

Furthermore, because it was next to the sea, it often received rain instead of snow.

‘The trees must be keeping the ground from drying.’

Not to mention, the dense vegetation probably blocked the sunlight from reaching the ground.

If this were flat land, the soft ground would have been helpful, but on a mountain trail, the slippery grass could work against me.

“Ariel, walk carefully.”

“Don’t worry. Am I going to fall again?”

“……”

Edgar swallowed the countless things he wanted to say.

Though only ten years old, perhaps because she was ten, Ariel often overestimated her abilities.

Watching her made him feel as uneasy as a parent watching a child play near water.

He turned his head to look back at the path they had come, realizing they had ventured deeper than expected.

It would be dangerous to go further.

Now that he knew there were wild boars and other mountain beasts, he wanted to avoid any situation that could turn hazardous.

‘And it’s hard to even discern the way back.’

There wasn’t a clear path for walking; they were maneuvering through bushes and shrubs.

If he wandered too deep inside, he wouldn’t even be able to find his way down.

Finding himself lost in the woods behind the village wasn’t a funny joke he wanted to be part of, so Edgar decided to redirect Ariel’s attention and stop walking for a bit.

“By the way, Ariel, how did you use that magic earlier?”

“Hmm? Magic?”

Edgar naturally hopped onto a flat rock nearby and asked.

In mountain hiking, when one person stops, the other tends to stop as well.

Only then did Ariel halt her busy legs and respond to Edgar’s question.

“I heard that not many adults can use magic. But how did you learn it?”

“Well, I’m not really sure, but it’s said that our family has a power of domination.”

‘So that’s it.’

He had glimpsed something like that in books.

It was the symbol that allowed the current Robeheim family to exist and the reason they could reign as rulers of the north.

The bloodline of the Robeheim family was said to be born with immense magical power.

The name “power of domination” originated from the legend that the first head of the Robeheim family used this power to subjugate all the tribes of the north.

‘That legend might be a lie, but the bloodline is definitely real.’

Just from the aura he saw a moment ago, it was clear how enormous the magic she possessed was.

Since she was still young, the magical energy likely bled out depending on her emotional state.

He could only hope he wouldn’t become a victim of that magic.

“That power is peculiar in nature, allowing people from our family to control their magic as if it were their limbs from childhood. Isn’t that amazing?”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

This time it was genuine admiration, not just flattery to please a noble lady.

Magic was a concept far removed from Edgar’s world.

He was born with low magical power and, more importantly, an unusual constitution that prevented his magic from circulating.

In other words, he had blood in his body, but it couldn’t move.

This condition was so rare and miserable in this world that it rendered him completely unable to use magic.

He had even thought of building up his own physique to compensate for such weaknesses.

Maybe that’s why he felt envious of Ariel, who was born with the talents he lacked.

‘What a silly feeling.’

Feeling envy for a ten-year-old kid.

Besides, those with great power also bore great responsibilities.

As the eldest daughter of the Robeheim family, someday that title would weigh heavily on this little girl’s body.

Even if he wasn’t sure he could stay by her side when that time came, he thought it would be better to adopt a sense of competition than jealousy, to at least rise to her level.

Lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice Ariel beside him.

By the time Edgar snapped back to attention, a pair of worried red eyes were already watching him closely.

“Ed, what’s wrong? Your face looks weird.”

“You’re saying my expression is weird? That sounds even weirder!”

Of course, he had never thought he was handsome.

In the first place, he was born into this world with a face almost identical to his first life, which wasn’t considered ugly.

He didn’t recall thinking he had a bad face, but compared to the residents of this romance fantasy world, he probably looked like a squid.

‘How gloomy.’

Meanwhile, Ariel was already blossoming into a beautiful flower, even at the age of ten.

Seeing a face like that every day, it was impossible for him not to feel inadequate about his own looks.

“That’s not what I meant, you idiot! I just thought your expression seemed serious!”

“I know, I was just joking. It’s no big deal, so don’t worry.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, but…”

Perhaps feeling uneasy, Ariel kept watching Edgar’s face closely.

He appreciated her concern, but her gaze really made him uncomfortable.

How many people could ignore those vividly glowing red eyes scrutinizing them, even in the middle of the night?

‘She’s quite perceptive.’

She usually busied herself with teasing him, but at times like this, she was sharp.

Especially in reading others’ expressions and moods, she was skilled enough to catch Edgar off guard from time to time.

Perhaps it was a trait passed down from the Robeheim family, who thrived in fierce battles of nobility.

“Stop worrying and sit down to rest. My legs are sore.”

“Your legs are sore? Why didn’t you say…”

‘Actually, they’re not sore.’

Still, it was rare to see the typically proud noble lady make such a face, so he decided to keep quiet.

After all, venturing deeper into the forest would only bring danger.

It would be best to chat for a bit, kill some time, and then quietly return to the mansion.

“By now, Lady Helene is probably looking for us, right?”

“Nah, it should be fine for now.”

What on earth gave him such confidence?

Last time, Lady Helene showed a bit of mercy, but if they got caught this time, it wouldn’t be easy to get out of it.

Not to mention, she would be in for a real scolding from Katria, their mother.

Just thinking of the worst-case scenario made a deep sigh escape his lips.

“Let’s not go deeper; it’s dangerous, so let’s stop here.”

“Why? Is there something scary in there?”

“Rumor has it there are wild boars and wolves. It’s not a place for kids like us.”

Edgar intentionally exaggerated the rumors.

If he didn’t, the frivolous noble lady wouldn’t take his words seriously.

However, it seemed Ariel’s curiosity and determination were even greater and firmer than he had anticipated.

“Wild boars and wolves!? I want to see them!”

“…Huh?”

The spark had returned to her previously dull red eyes.

Did I pick the wrong option?

Unfortunately, there was no save backup option in this world, and there was no way to take back what he had said.

‘I messed up.’

Edgar cursed his own judgment for not being able to predict his childhood friend’s reactions.

‘This is unfair.’

If a god were watching this scene, wouldn’t it be only fair to rewind time five seconds?

He genuinely thought so.

—

“Ma-Master! Something terrible has happened!”

“What’s going on, Shephy?”

After a long time, Helene had come to visit the Billhark family, holding her daughter’s hand.

As she was having a cozy chat with Katria, an old friend, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the maid who burst in without knocking.

It wasn’t because she disrupted the pleasant atmosphere; she wasn’t that uptight.

It was just that she recognized this was no ordinary matter when Shephy, who usually kept her composure, was flustered and sweating.

“A-Ariel has gone missing! Young Master Edgar too…!”

“Excuse me!?”

To Shephy’s words, it wasn’t Helene who reacted strongly, but Katria.

After all, a similar incident had occurred the last time Helene and Ariel visited together.

Back then, Helene casually dismissed it as merely a matter of children playing and hadn’t imposed any penalties.

But if such incidents were to happen a second time, the story would change.

“…Have you searched the entire mansion?”

“Yes… We’ve checked the inside of the mansion, along with all the spots outside where they could be, but it’s no use…”

“I see, calm down. Katria, it seems our reckless daughter is causing you and the Young Master a lot of trouble.”

“N-No, it’s not the Young Lady’s fault.”

Even if it were truly Ariel’s fault, there was no way she could voice that opinion in this situation.

Katria bowed her head, scolding herself for not managing her child properly.

Helene watched her ruefully before reaching out to pat her shoulder.

“Let’s find the children first. Shephy, gather all the guards immediately to search the vicinity. They probably went to the mountains again, so focus on that area.”

“Yes, Master.”

Shephy hurriedly moved to leave the reception room.

Helene, who had managed to keep her composure while giving orders, finally collapsed into a chair as if she had been drained of all energy.

While worrying about her missing daughter, she was also concerned about what might happen when they returned. After all, if the child had gotten in trouble before, it would be easy for her to repeat the same behavior.

‘Considering how many hints I dropped.’

Though the world called her a genius, in Helene’s view, she was just an arrogant, carefree princess who thought she was better than anyone else.

If she ventured into the mountains again, Edgar would surely try to stop her. It was in his nature.

That said, if Ariel didn’t listen to that advice and repeated her folly, it meant it was time for a stern reprimand from a mother.

“Madam, please don’t worry. The guards will surely find her very quickly.”

“Thank you, Katria.”

A deep sigh filled the reception room.

That silly little daughter was probably unaware of how serious her mother was and was playing happily somewhere.

The once peaceful heart was now engulfed in dark clouds.