I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 82

Vincent and Lux died, and only after their families were purged for generations did the details of the incident come to light.

However, during this process, the main objective of the deceased was publicly altered from ‘assassination of Edgar Billhark’ to ‘assassination of Ariel Robeheim.’

The reason was simple.

If there was a massive purge that obliterated an entire family, the crime surely had to match the severity of the act.

No matter how much Ariel and Edgar were lovers, using that as a pretext to take their lives could have stirred up trouble.

However, if the target of the assassination were the only daughter of the Grand Duchy and a cherished gem, the narrative changed.

That was exactly what Yulken had aimed for.

Ariel merely killed those who needed to be eliminated but complained a bit about having to change the reason behind it. In the end, though, she seemed to accept it.

After all, she wasn’t so dull as to not understand the reasoning behind it.

The complaints she had voiced earlier were merely grumbling; she wasn’t genuinely raising objections.

There was also a lot of talk in the public about this matter.

A popular theory claimed that the Grand Duchy had manipulated evidence and falsely announced facts in order to kill vassals who threatened their power.

However, this theory was quickly buried, especially in the northern regions of the empire, where the sentiment towards the Robeheim family had reached an all-time high.

The malevolent northern barbarians were personally dealt with by the head of the family, and sometimes, when the poor climate in the north afflicted the common people, they also showed benevolence, handling various matters diligently.

So, things seemed to be flowing quite smoothly.

No, to be precise, it was going exceedingly well.

Except for one anxious woman, that is.

“Edgar wouldn’t know, right? Would he?”

It had already been over four days since Yulken revealed the details of the incident.

Yet Ariel was still in a state of panic, and occasionally when she found herself alone in the room with Shuri, she expressed her anxiety like this.

While it was good that her revenge was fulfilled, it was unlikely that it was executed the way he would have wanted.

Because of that, Ariel secretly felt a sense of unease not due to the guilt of taking lives but because of the guilt towards Edgar, leaving her heart heavy with anxiety.

Now that everything about the incident was public, that anxiety exploded.

“Miss, please calm down first. The young master hasn’t said anything since that day either, has he?”

“B-but that fool is strangely perceptive about me… What if he knows?”

“Hm… That may be true, but…”

It was undeniable that, from what Shuri had observed, Edgar possessed a rather mysterious ability.

He could pinpoint Ariel’s inner feelings almost like a ghost, not just sensing whether she was happy or sad, but being specific about her emotional state.

Having seen that, Shuri couldn’t reassure her that it would be fine.

Surely, even a fortune teller wouldn’t be able to pinpoint every detail, she thought.

“See! You agree with me, don’t you?”

“But just sitting in this room won’t yield any fruitful results. All this does is raise more suspicion.”

“I-I know!”

Ariel didn’t want to waste time like this when she could be meeting Edgar and having fun.

However, it was precisely because of her overwhelming anxiety that she was in this state.

Most importantly, not long ago, when Edgar asked in a subtle tone, “How did you punish those people?” it made her feel like he was questioning, “You killed them, didn’t you?”

“If you’re so anxious, why not just tell the young master directly?”

“There’s no way I can do that! He’ll definitely get angry!”

Ariel shot up from her face buried in the bed and shouted.

She couldn’t even fathom the idea of speaking with him directly, and here was Shuri suggesting it as advice.

Her face was hot from the irritation.

Despite her outburst, Shuri continued in a calm voice.

While she didn’t believe she understood Edgar better than Ariel, she at least knew him well enough from what she had seen.

“I’m sure the young master would understand. What you did wasn’t out of malice but was all for him, after all.”

“……”

“Or do you remember the young master you knew as someone who would scold or get angry just for acting somewhat against his will?”

Shaking her head.

Ariel merely shook her head, hugging a big pillow like a pouting three-year-old without uttering a word.

“If it’s a bit overwhelming to tell him, how about going out for a bit?”

“Going out…?”

“They say a change of environment can change one’s mood. Perhaps going somewhere alone with the young master might give you some courage.”

Ariel’s eyes widened at this unexpected suggestion.

That certainly made sense.

Moreover, if they went somewhere nice, Edgar, who might be a little angry, might calm down and listen to her more naturally.

“But… where should we go?”

“I have just the place in mind.”

As if she had been waiting for this moment, Shuri whispered about a location with a trustworthy smile.

Hearing this, Ariel’s eyes grew bigger, and soon she was smiling brightly, praising Shuri for the good idea.

The anxious feelings she had been experiencing transformed into a hopeful anticipation to see him.

She was eager for tomorrow to come.

—

Recently, Edgar had been realizing that Ariel was avoiding him quite a bit.

At first, he thought maybe they were going through a phase, but when they met briefly, she acted as if nothing was wrong while stealthily clinging to him, making him dismiss that idea quickly.

So what could possibly be the problem?

He couldn’t fully understand Ariel’s situation, and he only felt more and more frustrated.

Then one day, out of the blue, he received a summons from Helene.

Without any prior notice, she called for Edgar, waiting for him in the reception room with her usual gentle smile.

It seemed to be quite a significant conversation as she didn’t even bring Shefi along.

“It’s been quite a while, Edgar.”

After Helene followed Yulken’s inspection, it was the first time they had arranged to talk like this.

Given how chaotic things had been for both of them, exchanging polite greetings had been all they managed.

“I should have come to see you… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be so stiff. Just think of it as the complaints of a mother who misses her son’s face.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Edgar’s polite demeanor only elicited a chuckle of disappointment from Helene.

In the past, he had been somewhat like an old man, yet still retained some cuteness about him.

As he matured, she found it a pity that none of his former self remained.

Seeing a child who once came up to her waist now looking down on her was a bittersweet feeling.

“Since it’s been a while, I wanted to check in and see if everything was okay. I wanted to see your face as well.”

“Yes, everything has been fine. I knew I should have come to visit sooner, but I felt guilty for being the cause of worry… so I hesitated.”

“Why would that be your fault? Don’t even think that way.”

Helene cut him off with a frown, her tone firm.

Before he could finish his sentence, he found himself smiling and nodding unconsciously.

Of course, while Edgar said that, he didn’t genuinely believe it was entirely his fault.

If he were capable of thinking that way, he would never have confessed his feelings to Ariel.

He only felt sorry for causing unnecessary trouble for others.

He also knew that publicly disclosing this matter would not leave a good impression on the world outside.

Still, he was grateful to the Robeheim family for accepting him despite it all.

“How has my child been? I imagine you’ve had quite a tough time with her being such a bundle of energy.”

“Ariel has matured a lot, so you need not worry. In fact, I’m benefiting from her quite a bit.”

“I appreciate the words, but if she ever acts up, do tell me, alright?”

“Ha, I will.”

The role reversal in their conversation made Edgar burst into laughter.

Thanks to that moment, he unintentionally relaxed the way he spoke, emulating his previous way of talking, and then he cleared his throat to adjust back to a proper tone.

On the flip side, Helene, who preferred the previous tone, pouted her lips in disappointment, mimicking her daughter.

Responding to her, Edgar continued the conversation in a somewhat friendlier tone, closer to the old one.

“By the way, I suppose you haven’t been able to go out with Ariel recently?”

“Yes, it seems that way…”

“Then how about taking a break from all this and getting some fresh air? She enjoys going out more than you might think.”

More than just enjoying it; she downright loved it.

While Edgar preferred to relish his time at leisure, Ariel had a penchant for activity.

It was evident from how she habitually roamed the mountains and gardens since childhood.

“It sounds great, but I don’t have anywhere specific to go.”

While Edgar knew quite a few places to visit in Hespania, he wanted to explore somewhere new since he was taking Ariel along.

Just because they’d been to places didn’t mean they weren’t enjoyable—but emotions were involved in that.

In that respect, he certainly didn’t know enough about places to hang out in the northern regions.

But what if a helping hand appeared for him?

“How about this place I have in mind? I’ve been there a few times in my youth, and the scenery is fantastic.”

“What kind of place is it?”

“You’ll know once you go. It’s not a raucous spot, but a nice place to chat peacefully.”

“Ah…”

Edgar’s guess was that it wasn’t overly lively but rather a place lovers could enjoy a quiet walk together while appreciating the scenery.

Since they hadn’t had a deep conversation with Ariel in a while, he thought it was a great opportunity, so he asked her the location.

Helene immediately lit up with a soft smile, as if waiting for this chance.

Thus, a somewhat clumsy date schedule for the inexperienced couple was created through the combined efforts of one maid and one mother.