I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 63

As soon as Edgar walked in, a look of sheer confusion washed over Ariel’s face.

“…What are you doing here, you idiot? If you had any sense, you wouldn’t have come today.”

“I came because I have something to say. Besides, when did I ever care about your circumstances?”

“Tch, seriously, you don’t even listen to my words.”

Edgar was baffled as to why she was saying all this when it was spot on, but he decided not to argue and simply occupied the empty seat.

“I didn’t ask you to sit.”

“Am I supposed to let my friend stand? You’re really uptight.”

“Tch.”

Ariel knew all too well that this sarcasm wouldn’t make him get up willingly.

After clicking her tongue and turning her head, Edgar lowered his gaze and maintained silence before eventually speaking up, albeit with a slight delay.

“That candy you had, it lasts until tomorrow, right?”

“You knew that before coming here? You’re really a piece of work.”

“Have I been a piece of work for just a day or two?”

Ariel shot him a glare, thinking how shamelessly he smiled back—it was pure bragging, right in her face.

‘Why the hell did he come here?’

Although Ariel felt an overwhelming urge to leave the room right then and there, for some reason, her feet wouldn’t budge. Maybe it was because she was too wrapped up in controlling her feelings for him to focus on anything else. That’s what she guessed.

“It’s quite a lovely moon tonight, isn’t it?”

Meanwhile, Edgar, now standing up and heading towards the balcony, gazed up at the round moon with a quiet admiration.

Normally, such remarks wouldn’t mean much, but on this night, Ariel interpreted it as just a means to change the subject. She shot him a look that said that wasn’t amusing at all.

“Trying to sound poetic? You don’t care about that kind of stuff like I do.”

“Sometimes, days like this come along. You should come see it too.”

“No thanks, just go away already. I’m sleepy and want to rest.”

The good thing for Ariel was that, unlike right after eating the candy, she could express herself much more easily now.

If she just continued to poke at him without engaging too much, perhaps he’d get tired of it and leave.

Thus, against her true desire to stand beside him, she outwardly prodded Edgar with whatever ice-cold words she could muster.

“…….”

“What’s wrong? Why the silence?”

Ariel felt a strange sensation as Edgar, who usually would have bantered back with a witty remark, was simply staring at her without a word. She instinctively shrunk back.

Edgar then stepped closer to her, not responding, and reached behind her neck, bending down as he did so. Then, with a quick motion—

“Ugh.”

He threw her off balance by lifting her with his hands positioned just behind her knees, hoisting her up with a grunt.

“What the heck are you doing, you idiot!”

“If you won’t come, then I’ll take you with me. The moon’s really bright tonight, you know?”

“Shut up! I said I’m not curious! Put me down already!”

Despite saying that, the hands striking him lacked any real power.

Edgar took it as acceptance, grinning as he carried Ariel along toward the balcony.

“Should I keep holding you like this? Will you come down quietly?”

“…Ugh, annoying.”

Ariel was fully aware that being held like this wasn’t as humiliating as it might have been, considering she wasn’t weak enough to get all flustered from him just holding her.

In the end, even if she decided to retaliate for the sake of revenge, it would only make her feel embarrassed and ashamed since she was the one being held.

“Alright, just let me down. I want to see how bright it is.”

When Ariel admitted defeat and asked him to release her, Edgar didn’t hesitate, playfully grinning as he gently set her back on the ground.

“You see, wouldn’t it have been nice to just say it?”

“…Do you want to burn?”

“Hey, even so… that’s a bit much!”

Suddenly, a spark flared up from Ariel’s hand, and Edgar quickly tried to calm her down, imploring her.

Ariel didn’t genuinely mean to show off fire; it was merely a threat, so she snorted and extinguished it. Then, after stealing a glance at the moon, she turned her head back to Edgar to bring the main topic back.

“So, why exactly are you here?”

“You know it’s quite pleasant to be admiring the moon; do you really have to rush right to the essentials?”

“That’s your issue, not mine. If you don’t want to, then drop it. I’m going to sleep for real.”

“Ugh, how could I possibly win against you?”

Edgar didn’t expect Ariel to patiently wait while he dragged this out.

Eventually, he turned to her as per her request, facing her directly with his most composed expression and finally spoke.

“Ariel, how many years has it been since we met?”

“Two years… No, to be exact, since about eight months after I was born? It’s been at least 17 years.”

Unlike Edgar, Ariel couldn’t distinctly remember their first meeting, so she estimated based on the tales she had heard from Helene.

“17 years… Long or short, it’s a bit of both.”

“To me, it felt long. I don’t know about you, though.”

“Why?”

“Just because it felt long. What’s so hard to get about that?”

As Ariel shot back with a sharp retort, Edgar nodded in acknowledgment, suppressing the urge to prod further with a chuckle.

Seventeen years. Certainly, it was a period that could be deemed both short and long, yet one thing was undeniable: it was more than enough time for the gazes exchanged between them to shift and for feelings to bloom.

Edgar reminisced about the countless experiences they had shared together, from hunting wild boars in the mountains, to burying a time capsule, to spending nights gazing at the stars.

What once seemed like a mundane page of their lives now stood out clearly with the passage of time.

“Do you remember that time you told me the ‘Tale of the Star Lord’?”

“Why do you suddenly bring that up? You didn’t even hear it in full.”

“For sure, you just said something like it exists. I misspoke.”

Lying on the roof of the shed in the backyard of the Billhark Family’s garden, watching a rain of stars pour down as she recounted that tale.

At that time, Edgar hadn’t understood why she hadn’t explained it in more detail, nor the meaning behind the story—how someone who once had no interest in stars fell in love with them.

Yet, in retrospect, wasn’t it really just a simple and straightforward reason?

“I actually heard about it from Lady Helene. I got a sense of what it’s roughly about.”

“What? You heard… it?”

In an instant, Ariel’s mind went blank, blinking in bewilderment.

Helene had pinned a note stating that the ‘Tale of the Star Lord’ was something she could only share with two people in her lifetime.

So, how could Edgar have heard it from Helene? That made no sense.

Noticing Ariel’s confusion, Edgar raised one corner of his mouth and ruffled her hair.

This hair, which he casually touched without thinking before, felt exceptionally soft today—was that just his imagination?

“Of course, I didn’t hear the contents, but when I helped out a bit with your family some time ago, I got a vague idea about what it symbolizes.”

Back then, Edgar hadn’t given it much thought. Preoccupied with handling the issues right in front of him, he shrugged off the idea that the ‘Tale of the Star Lord’ was something only given to two people in a lifetime.

Yet now, to him, the fact that Ariel wasn’t the complete essence of the ‘Tale of the Star Lord’ was still a significant clue.

Perhaps it wasn’t too far-fetched to think that, for the ten-year-old girl who managed to muster the courage to share her feelings, it was an extraordinary confession.

‘It might just be a delusion, though.’

Until now, Edgar had never imagined that Ariel would see him as more than a friend.

Still, it meant that if a small shift occurred in that thought direction, it could lead to seeing their past interactions and her behavior from a different perspective.

“Of course, I don’t really know what you truly think of me. Maybe this guess is nothing but a silly delusion, and you might very well slap me right now.”

“…….”

Ariel finally understood what Edgar was trying to convey, maintaining silence while looking deeply into his eyes.

What a foolish man he was.

To only realize that now, to think back on it all, knowing full well how much she despised someone who couldn’t keep up with the passage of time.

“But you’ve never been honest, have you? Even if you put it like this, I still feel like you’ll try to wiggle your way out.”

“…Yeah, you’re not wrong. You idiot.”

Ariel growled, spitting out words she didn’t mean, annoyed at how Edgar had figured out her feelings.

And it was then that Edgar recognized it was time to unveil his secret weapon, abruptly reaching into the pocket of his coat.

When he pulled out the desired item and displayed it in the palm of his hand like a prized possession, Ariel’s eyes widened in shock.

A tiny pink candy that shimmered and sparkled like the fragments of stars they had looked up at together not long ago.

It was also the bold object that had continually bothered her throughout the day.

“What are you planning to do with that…?”

“Just… wanted to play a prank like I always do.”

Edgar had indeed thought deeply about how he got this far.

In the process, he had asked himself what the ultimate goal he wished to achieve was.

Did he want to become her lover?

Sure, that would be the best ending, but that wasn’t the most primitive wish he held.

What he wanted was simply,

“I just want to hear Ariel’s true feelings.”

Her current heart.

Even if she once liked him in the past, perhaps her feelings had changed as she grew up.

That’s why he simply wanted to know how she felt about him at this very moment—whether her feelings aligned with his.

That was why he had brought the candy.

To find out whether her sweet whispers throughout the day were just the effects of the candy or if they were genuine feelings hidden behind a veil of falsehood.

He figured this was the only way to hear the truth from her, who could never be honest with him.

“……!?”

“It tastes good. I knew it’d be a flavor you’d like.”

Edgar tossed the pink candy into his mouth, and Ariel was left speechless, staring at him with her mouth agape, unable to utter a word.

‘There’s no strange sensation.’

Ariel thought there would be some tremendous turmoil within him, but surprisingly, Edgar exhibited no change at all.

Could it be that there are individual differences at play?

In any case, it didn’t matter much to him since this was just for show.

“Hey, if you want me to let go, you can just slip out, you know. I’m not even putting too much pressure here.”

“…You idiot.”

Was that a sincere comment or just a lie?

Edgar couldn’t decipher it, but he didn’t care much either way.

What he was about to say might just earn him more harsh words.

“I think you might have guessed by now, but… I love you, Ariel.”

“……”

“Even though I don’t know how you truly feel about me, I wanted to say this tonight, even if after this, we might never see each other again.”

Edgar felt her body trembling in his arms.

It wasn’t just because of how cold the night air of Hespania was today but also because she was always sensitive to chill.

Hiding her face in his chest, Ariel finally broke her silence, her tone hinting at her irritation.

“…You idiot. There’s no mood, no flair, what kind of confession is this?”

Surely, it could have been in a more romantic place, with a more appropriate atmosphere.

If only he had put a bit of thought into it, there were countless situations that would have been a hundred times better than this.

Why on earth did this man choose such an ordinary place and circumstance to confess?

But more than anything, she was hardest on herself.

How could she feel this fluttering in her heart at such a simple confession, devoid of any beautiful embellishments or sweet poetry?

Was she really such an easy girl?

Or maybe it was because it was this man, who always managed to cut through her weaknesses.

“I thought that just looking at the moon would create some romantic mood, but I must’ve been wrong.”

“You were wrong. You were way off.”

Soon, she thought she might have to teach him properly, making it all the more annoying that he chose to confess like this.

Ariel continued to voice her thoughts, throwing curt remarks his way.

Edgar, who had been listening quietly, flashed a playful smile, momentarily letting go of her and bending down to meet her gaze.

If his confession was merely a prelude, then what was to come next was the real beginning of the game to hear her genuine thoughts.

“So, now it’s your turn, Ariel.”

“My turn? Hmph, you should be thanking me if I even acknowledge you. Do you really want to hear me say I love you?”

Having already heard the confession, she felt indifferent about hearing that much from him.

Just as she opened her mouth, intending to say something, Edgar placed his hand over her mouth, shaking his head lightly.

“Well, that’d be nice, but… what I really want to know is whether what you did today was genuine or if it was because of the candy.”

“W-what do you mean that it was because of the candy? If it hadn’t been for that, how could I behave in such a manner around someone like you…!”

But she couldn’t bring herself to admit that so she panicked, reacting defensively.

Edgar had anticipated that she wouldn’t just give him a straightforward answer, but her reaction was even more intense than he thought.

However, he didn’t dwell on it. After all, he had eaten that candy knowing it might lead to this outcome.

“Are you okay with that?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the effect of the candy I just ate. You mentioned its effect yourself.”

“Effect…?”

Ariel blinked, momentarily dazed, tilting her head in confusion.

The falsehood she had told Edgar about the candy’s effect.

It was surely something like, ‘It makes you blurt out whatever’s on your mind.’

And the candy Edgar had just eaten would definitely have the same effect.

Which meant…

“You, you…!?”

“Now, what’s your answer?”

“You idiot…! Is there really such a ridiculous confession!?”

Ariel’s eyes widened in realization, her hands and feet trembling in panic.

Edgar was cleverly using the lies she had told against her.

‘Indeed, that candy is the problem!’

If Ariel couldn’t muster up the courage to confess her true feelings out of embarrassment, he would slyly say, “The confession I made was a lie from the candy too,” to probe her thoughts.

Even if Ariel understood the candy’s true effect, she wouldn’t be able to voice it.

Admitting that would mean acknowledging her deeply humiliating actions directed at him throughout the day.

In either case, she had to confess her true feelings to reach the end of this ludicrous performance.

“So, what about it, Ariel? I want to hear it from you.”

“Ugh…!”

Ariel blurted out every cursed word she could think of while silently seething inwardly at the man who had just sweetly confessed his love for her.

The confessions she had seen in novels or plays were always portrayed with some poignant tenderness, so why was she stuck in this bizarre situation?

But that didn’t mean she could just ignore this confession.

After all, she had waited with such anticipation for this moment.

“Well, if you’re so curious… I might be able to let you know.”

Now that she had already received the confession, she felt she had won the battle against him.

Acknowledging the shameful actions of the day might just be something she could reconsider for a greater purpose.

That said, with the last remnants of her pride, she uttered a single line, only for Edgar to poke at her feelings, even in this earnest moment.

“What was that? I didn’t quite catch it.”

“Ugh…!”

She was certain he had heard it clearly—she had seen the slight smile creep upon his face as he caught the moment!

The urge to scream at him was overwhelming, but in this scenario, Ariel was in a subordinate position.

Unless she had the courage to face him with her heartfelt words, this deadlock wouldn’t break.

With an annoyed expression, Ariel looked up at the mischievously smiling man before her.

This playful grin that persisted even now really did irk her.

She felt that she had to get back at him somehow to relieve her agitation.

Swoosh.

Suddenly, as she grabbed Edgar’s tie, he recognized it as a sign that she would finally speak.

Yet, what awaited him wasn’t a heartfelt confession from her.

“What? You finally feel like giving me an answer…?!”

‘You fool, idiot, Edgar.’

Pulling his tie, she stood on her tiptoes to meet his eye level.

In that moment, their lips met, casting a shadow over the scene.

It wasn’t a deep and sensual kiss of adult intimacy.

It was simply the way a girl could pour her heartfelt confessions and all the day’s stories into a mere act.

Perhaps it was due to the candy he had just eaten, but Ariel’s first kiss carried a faint strawberry fragrance.

As their lips finally parted, Ariel gazed at Edgar’s golden eyes, which sparkled with the moonlight, as if to engrave her possession of him into his very being.

“You won’t even begin to realize the magnitude of what you’ve done.”

“…What exactly did I do wrong?”

“Of course, you know, don’t you?”

Edgar was taken aback, feigning disbelief at the sudden escalation of “wrongdoing” he had received for merely confessing. But Ariel’s unwavering gaze held firm without any wavering.

Taking a few paces toward the edge, Ariel embraced the cool night breeze wholeheartedly, turning back to rest a finger on her lips.

A smile emerged on her face that Edgar had never seen before.

It felt almost dangerous, as if she was tempting the prey lying just ahead of her.

“You’ve made it impossible for me to resist you. Now, you can’t escape me, whether you like it or not.”

The times when I lacked honesty were a pleasure, and I’ll make sure you feel it too.

“Please, watch what you say. My foolish lover.”

Hearing her hidden truth being laid bare made Edgar unconsciously smile wryly as he pondered.

Maybe he had truly fallen for an utterly ridiculous girl.