I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 64

After a night that felt like a dream, Ariel woke up with a stretch that came out as a groan.

It felt like the warmth from yesterday still lingered on her lips.

Lost in thought as she absentmindedly played with her lips, she eventually buried her face in the pillow, kicking her legs.

“Am I crazy? Am I out of my mind? Ariel Robeheim!”

What on earth possessed her to act so boldly?

No matter how caught up in the mood she was, she had definitely crossed the line.

Starting today, she’d have to face Edgar’s face. What was she going to do about that?

“It’s all that idiot’s fault! I’m not lewd or anything like that!”

Even though they had officially become more than friends, Ariel’s blame towards Edgar continued as usual.

Honestly, she felt a bit wronged.

Who would’ve thought he’d confess at such an unexpected moment after all?

It must’ve been the excitement from having her long-held wish come true.

Or perhaps it was just that the moon was shining unusually brightly yesterday, making his not-so-good-looking face look a tad bit charming.

Knock knock.

“Miss, did you cough?”

Meanwhile, Shuri knocked on the door to greet her in the morning, completely unaware that her master was creating chaos by kicking off the blanket.

In situations like this, it would usually be appropriate to respond with silence to imply she was still asleep, but for Ariel at this moment, normal reasoning was impossible.

Thus, the absurd words escaped her lips.

“Uh, no! I’m not awake yet!”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah…!”

What did it even mean for someone who was already awake to say they weren’t?

Realizing her mistake a moment too late, Ariel sighed, but she couldn’t unspill the water that had already been spilled.

“If you’re awake, may I come in?”

“Uh, yeah. Come on in.”

Ariel knew that if she told Shuri not to come in, it would only raise more suspicion.

Ultimately, she muttered a word of permission with the mindset of whatever happens, happens.

As if her strings had been loosened, her head drooped down, and a beat later, Shuri entered.

“Good morning, Miss. But why is your face so red?”

“R-red? It’s just my imagination, my imagination!”

“Is that… so?”

For it to be just her imagination, her face was as red as her eye color.

It was concerning enough to wonder if they should call a doctor right away.

“Did something happen?”

Now that she had just woken up, it didn’t seem like anything dramatic could’ve happened.

So, she needed to recall yesterday’s events, but all she remembered was Edgar coming to her room…

“Ah!”

In that moment, Shuri suddenly recalled a memory she had completely forgotten and clapped her hands together.

If there was something that had stirred Ariel’s heart, it had to be that!

It was puzzling how she had forgotten about it until now.

“How foolish of me. I should have asked about that right away.”

Anticipating how her master would react to that question while doing her best to keep her expression neutral, Shuri approached the side of the bed.

Then, she began tidying up the scattered clothes and items, casually bringing up the topic.

“From the looks of it… Miss, it seems you’ve developed a good relationship with Edgar.”

“!?”

Ariel’s expression was one of disbelief, prompting Shuri to stop what she was doing and move closer, speaking in a teasing tone.

“I’ve shared quite a bit about my love life with you, so I think I have the right to hear about yesterday’s events… what do you say?”

“…….”

Ariel nodded slightly, burying her face in the pillow, showing she was willing to talk.

After all, there was no point in hiding it; if it was Shuri, she trust her enough.

After mumbling for a while, memories of yesterday began to resurface from her lips.

* * * * * * * * * *

Just as Ariel was busy unwrapping the bundle of memories from yesterday, Edgar was lingering outside her room, awkwardly scratching his cheek.

He was well-acquainted with Ariel as a childhood friend, but today was his first time meeting her as a romantic interest.

He was at a loss over what kind of expression he should have when facing her.

“I never imagined I’d be pondering such things.”

Though it was a dilemma, Edgar knew it was certainly a happy one.

Any other man would be envious of the beautiful woman who was now his love.

When he woke up this morning, he was finding it hard to discern whether yesterday’s memories were dreams or reality, pinching his cheeks and holding back the urge to shout for joy.

Regardless of how Ariel was feeling, for him, it was a thrilling, unmatched sensation.

Click.

“Oh my, you’re already here, young master.”

While Edgar was all alone, savoring his triumphant delight, the firmly closed door to Ariel’s room swung open, revealing Shuri first.

Realizing she was aware of everything, Edgar scratched the back of his head.

“Oh, yeah. That’s how it went.”

“Hee hee, Miss? Young Master Edgar is here; you should hurry out.”

“Sh-shut up! I’ll go out on my own…!”

From inside, Ariel’s sulky voice could be heard as usual.

However, it felt like there was a noticeable softening compared to how she usually acted, or maybe that was just Edgar’s hopeful impression.

After what felt like an endlessly tense standstill, Ariel cautiously revealed herself outside.

For some unknown reason, she wore a flowy dress that she had rarely put on before.

“Ah…”

“What’s with that face? Go ahead and laugh if you want. I’m not used to it either.”

Ariel preferred active wear that allowed for easy movement.

This outfit, which seemed more focused on aesthetics than practicality, was certainly not her preference.

Thus, with a faint blush on her face, hands resting on the hem of her skirt, her fidgeting demeanor was a lethal ambush for Edgar.

“I wouldn’t laugh. It looks beautiful.”

“B-beautiful…!?”

Ariel, who was utterly defenseless against such direct praise, couldn’t fully articulate her response and turned away sharply.

“Ugh, if it were the old days, I would have shown it off easily.”

Was there really this much of a difference just because their relationship had changed slightly?

Being so flustered from a simple compliment felt utterly embarrassing, yet Ariel didn’t reject that feeling.

“I think I should step back now.”

Finding her to be a perfectly blossoming young woman, Shuri chuckled and bowed to Edgar before deliberately stepping aside.

It would be tough for the two to indulge in affectionate acts, now that they had just become lovers, without being conscious of others.

In such moments, she needed to set a good example as someone with more life experience.

“Ariel.”

“D-don’t look at my face right now! I must look odd…!”

“Odd? No, you look beautiful.”

“That’s off-limits! Just go stand over there for a bit!”

She didn’t want to appear as a silly girl whose self-esteem crumbled at a mere compliment after bravely declaring her feelings yesterday.

She wanted to guide him with the grace befitting the heir of the Robeheim Family, composed yet gentle.

Suddenly.

“Ah!?”

Just when Ariel thought she had gathered her thoughts and nodded firmly, she was met with an ambush without any warning.

It was Edgar, who was nearly a full head taller, wrapping around her from behind and tenderly enveloping her shoulders and waist.

“What’s that scream? I thought it was a cat.”

“D-don’t hug me out of nowhere! At least let me prepare myself mentally…!”

“It’s just a hug; what’s there to prepare for? Be grateful I didn’t kiss you.”

“Kiss…!?”

She felt an urge to shout that he had never received such permission, but in that moment, Ariel’s mind replayed the memories from yesterday.

When she thought about it, it was she who had pressed her lips to his first.

There was no escape now.

“You want to kiss…?”

“Why? Do you want to?”

Seeing him respond playfully, Ariel let out an inner groan.

He must know how she felt yet was still playing around like this.

What was going on that their relationship had shifted from friends to lovers but his teasing wasn’t showing any signs of waning?

“I-it’s not like I particularly want to… but if you really want it, I won’t be opposed.”

“Well, I’m fine just holding you like this.”

“Tch…!”

Ariel felt she might explode from frustration any moment.

Yet, refusing to budge only made it harder when she couldn’t withstand the warmth and male scent enveloping her from behind.

Ultimately, Ariel calmed herself and reached down to gently pry loose his arms.

Then she turned her body and looked up at him with wide eyes.

Her red gaze looked almost pleading, as if to say why he wasn’t doing more.

“Alright, I’m sorry. I might’ve teased a bit too much.”

“That’s just wrong… I’m no longer your friend, but your lover… you idiot.”

While in the past, they would tease each other as friends, now that they were lovers, didn’t it make sense to treat her a little kinder?

Realizing the hidden meaning behind her words, Edgar smiled ruefully and lowered himself to press his hand against her cheek.

“I said I was sorry. Instead, to make up for it, I’ll stay with you all day today.”

“…If you’re lying, I’ll never see you again.”

“That would be a bit tough. We’ve only been lovers for a day.”

“I don’t care, you fool. Just apologize properly first.”

Though he had just apologized moments ago, Edgar was puzzled about what more she wanted but soon realized she wanted a ‘proper apology.’ He grinned widely.

Then he leaned in slightly and pressed his lips against hers.

Ariel, while feeling a bit of a flutter, rose onto her toes, closing her eyes to welcome his approaching lips.

How long had it been since the two closed their eyes like this?

Once their lips finally parted and the pair opened their eyes, they found an unexpected guest standing nearby.

“Silvia…?”

The name of her friend slipped from Ariel’s lips in a low voice as she realized what had happened.

Then there was a brief moment of silence.

During this fleeting moment, Silvia, who had been watching the affectionate scene with a hand over her mouth, had a variety of expressions that changed drastically.

Finally, as Ariel’s face turned crimson and an awkward smile formed on Edgar’s lips, she hurriedly spoke up.

“I-I’m sorry! I actually wanted to tell you that the candy I gave you yesterday wasn’t ordinary candy, but it seems you don’t need to know that anymore!”

Suddenly pouring out words like a waterfall, unlike her usual playful and carefree self, Silvia ended with, “I’ll see you later!” and dashed off.

Ariel stared blankly between Edgar and where Silvia had been, bewildered about what just happened.

After roughly three seconds passed,

“Hey, hey, Ariel! What will you do about that?!”

“Let go of me! I said let go! You idiot!”

With her face flushed bright red, she brandished a fireball that was far larger than she had intended as a warning to Edgar, ready to chase off Silvia at any moment.

“If that hits, you might really hurt your friend! Are you insane?!”

“I’ll cook her! I’ll burn her to ashes!”

In this ridiculous situation, one side had just transitioned from friend to lover while the other had fallen to the realm of revenge.

However, one thing was for sure: despite that candy being nothing but ordinary, it had left much more consequential results than any grand magic could ever achieve.