I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 66

When the two were just a year away from adulthood, an unexpected news knocked on the doors of the Robeheim family.

The reason they had to board the carriage and leave Hespania for a bit lay here…

“You don’t have to come.”

“What? Does that mean you don’t want me to go with you?”

Inside the running carriage, Edgar spoke to Ariel, who wore a troubled expression. When she replied in a gruff tone, he scrambled to comfort her, thinking there’s no way she meant that.

Edgar didn’t actually want to be away from her; it wasn’t that simple. He understood better than anyone that time was precious for her, as she would soon reach adulthood and start her serious public duties.

Nevertheless, when he heard her insist she would go to Ardenum with him, he busying himself to dissuade her.

“It’s not that long, just wait a moment.” That was how he tried to soothe her.

But Ariel’s answer was straightforward.

“Well, it’s good if it doesn’t take long. We’ll just go together.”

With that one statement sinking Edgar, he had no choice but to schedule a trip to Ardenum with Ariel.

Right now, sitting in the same carriage was the result of that.

“Besides, if it’s your family’s matter, it’s my family’s matter too. Don’t see me as someone heartless.”

“……”

Ariel, who usually held back from sentimental remarks, stated this without any embarrassment, indicating her words were sincere.

Edgar understood that very well, nodding silently and holding her hand tightly.

‘Suddenly a sister, I never expected that.’

About a month ago, a letter arrived at Edgar.

The content was simply that a new name had been added to the heir list of the Billhark family.

Furthermore, it wasn’t a case of just being newly pregnant, but instead the fact was hidden until she gave birth, and only then did they announce the news.

When Edgar first heard this, he couldn’t believe his ears.

“Would you like a girl? Or a boy?”

“I feel like you want a younger brother.”

Still feeling the shock from the first letter, Edgar leaned back against his seat, staring blankly at the ceiling.

As Ariel poked him on the shoulder, Shuri, who had been listening silently, chimed in.

“Well, I haven’t really thought about it.”

In the first place, he had never considered that he would get a sibling, so he hadn’t thought about their gender either.

“I wouldn’t mind having at least one younger brother.”

“A younger brother for you? You would surely take good care of him.”

Ariel nodded in agreement, imagining Shuri caring for a younger brother. Despite Shuri always being busy with her antics, she had maintained her role as a maid, which suggested she had a good nature and liked to care for others.

“Still, I hope it’s a younger sister.”

“A younger sister? Why?”

Considering she was marrying into the Robeheim family, it would be better for the heir to be a son.

Curious about his unexpected response, Ariel tilted her head and asked for clarification.

“Before, you felt like a younger sister to me. But now that’s changed, so I’m hoping for a new younger sister.”

“Is that so? If so, I hope it’s a girl too.”

Though he hadn’t specifically praised her, Ariel felt oddly flushed.

Since his sister would also be her sister, if she were to care for her cutely later on, it seemed better to have a younger sister.

For some reason, she felt like having a boy might create a strange distance.

“Oh, when we arrive, there will be a puppy, so you’ll be happy.”

“A puppy? Right, you said there was one since you got back from the last visit.”

“Yeah. It was really small then, but it might have grown a bit by now.”

It was quite well known that Ariel loved animals.

However, since Helene, who was weak against animals, resided at the Robeheim mansion, they couldn’t keep any pets.

Still, outside the castle, there were stray cats and dogs that the guards would play with, which allowed Ariel to get by sometimes.

“Have you not told your parents that we are dating?”

“I didn’t really have the chance. And it’s not exactly the sort of thing I’d just throw into a letter.”

“If that’s how you feel…”

Though she said that, inside Ariel was glad that he didn’t take their relationship lightly.

Today, she was going to greet her parents not as a playful childhood friend but as a prospective daughter-in-law, so she needed to present herself well.

With that thought, she turned her head slightly and noticed Edgar, who had closed his eyes and was breathing softly.

“Looks like you were quite tired.”

“Why? Did something happen yesterday?”

As Edgar slept, Shuri seemed to have some idea, and when Ariel blinked her eyes and asked, a faint bitter smile appeared on her lips.

“Sir said not to tell you…”

“…Which is more important? My orders or Edgar’s?”

“Well, it’s the lady. That’s what I’m struggling with.”

If her conversation partner weren’t Ariel, Shuri would have kept her mouth shut.

But she felt it was something worth sharing with her.

“Actually, there seem to be some people in the family who view the young master unfavorably.”

“Unfavorably? What do you mean?”

Just having opened the topic, Ariel’s aura of energy made Shuri flinch.

It was no surprise that like father, like daughter, her reactions to someone viewed as an enemy were similar.

Although Shuri had never seen Yulken on the battlefield, she had heard enough about his reputation through her mother, Shepi.

“Excuse me, could you lower your voice? Miss. He might wake up…”

“…Fine, go on.”

Lowering her voice was important, but beyond that, it was akin to telling her to suppress her emotions.

There was no point in getting worked up; things wouldn’t change.

Shuri had anticipated that Ariel’s eyes would turn wild when she said this.

Therefore, it was significant to convey the story clearly so she could understand.

Of course, Edgar had asked her to keep this quiet, but Shuri was Ariel’s servant first.

That meant prioritizing Ariel’s happiness above all else.

It would be better for this information to surface later rather than have her master blame herself for it.

In the end, this was also a choice made for her master’s happiness.

“Please keep this a secret from the young master.”

“I’ll keep it a secret from Edgar. As for how to deal with those wretched ones, I don’t know either.”

Watching Ariel clench her fists tightly, showing determination, Shuri felt a sense of reliability.

It was different from the girl who had always been shielded by her parents, family, and friends.

Thus, she believed she could trust her with this story.

‘I hope this leads to our lady protecting the young master this time.’

It was necessary for the two to move forward, looking out for each other.

Today, Shuri resolved to take on the role of the villain.

—

When they finally returned to Ardenum, nothing much had changed.

Unlike Hespania, the air was warm and the greenery was lush.

The scenery of the village they passed was not bustling but radiated a sense of familiarity.

It had been almost four years since Ariel visited Ardenum, making her feel nostalgic.

While Edgar frequently stopped by whenever he had the chance, she had remained in Hespania.

“Ugh, I just can’t get used to carriages.”

Stretching lightly, Edgar mumbled as he loosened his stiff neck and shoulders.

Thankfully, thanks to the Dimensional Stone that shortened the travel time, or else he would have suffered far more.

If he ever met the developer of the Dimensional Stone, he wanted to give them a gift.

“Maybe I should stop by the Mage Tower.”

“What business do you have at the Mage Tower?”

“…! Ugh, you scared me.”

When Ariel quietly approached him after overhearing his muttering, Edgar didn’t notice her presence in time and jumped slightly.

As expected of a genius, after training him, he had become better at masking his presence, day by day.

Every time he asked him to at least make some presence, he received a fierce retort, “Is there something you’re trying to hide?” and ended up keeping his mouth shut.

“I’m not asking what business you have at the Mage Tower.”

“I heard the current Mage Tower master is the one who developed the Dimensional Stone. I thought maybe I could show some gratitude.”

“…It’s not because of a girl, right?”

The look in her eyes said that if he said something foolish, she would crush his legs on the spot.

Edgar felt a chill run down his spine and quickly waved his hands.

“Girls? Forget about it. Wasn’t the current Mage Tower master a woman?”

“I don’t know, just throwing it out there. I don’t care who it is.”

“You really are something else.”

Even though the current Mage Tower master must have more fame than the head of a noble family, the fact that she didn’t even know the gender showed a lot about her personality.

Ariel was a woman who wouldn’t pay any attention to things she was not interested in.

Thus, after chatting about trivial matters, the three finally arrived at the mansion.

The guard at the entrance was about to greet Edgar but froze upon recognizing the woman behind him.

“Y-you’re back! Young master!”

“Yeah, I’m back. And there’s no need to fuss too much, I won’t eat you.”

“What kind of beast do you think I am?”

From the back, Ariel’s complaining voice was heard, but Edgar tried to ignore it and asked the guard to open the door.

As the guards on either side quickly opened the grand door, two familiar figures came into view from the opposite side.

“Both of you. I told you there was no need to stand out here.”

“When would a mother keep herself holed up at home when her son returns? How ridiculous.”

“Exactly. It’s probably a mistake on the young master’s part.”

“Exactly, I’m the one to be killed.”

Brushing off their banter, Edgar crossed the garden and greeted his parents.

“Our son, welcome home. Was the journey difficult?”

“Welcome back. But did you really bring the lady with you?”

“I’ll explain in detail once we go upstairs. But mother, why are you outside when you’re not feeling well?”

Not knowing his mother’s heart, Edgar scolded her, but a faint smile appeared on Katria’s face.

“With my son coming back, I can’t just sit at home. Today’s a nice day, so I came out for a bit to look at the flowers.”

“If you want to see flowers, you can just look in a mirror; there’s no need to come to the garden.”

“Pfft, at least my son knows to flatter his mother. Your father doesn’t even say such things anymore.”

Even as they exchanged words, Edgar knew his parents had a very good relationship.

If their relationship hadn’t been so strong, they wouldn’t have had a late child.

As the Billhark couple had a heartfelt conversation, they soon turned to Ariel, who had stepped closer.

In a flurry, they greeted her.

Ariel smiled sweetly and gently grasped the edges of her skirt with both hands before speaking in a polite and proper manner.

However,

“It’s been a while, father, mother.”

Those words were more than enough to leave the Billhark couple in a daze.