I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 83

Chapter 15: The Proposal Dilemma

It was all good until I sought advice from Shuri, but as the next day approached, Ariel found herself completely lost on how to propose this.

Before they became lovers, she had often dragged him around without ever asking for his opinion. Now, it felt awkward to do that.

In fact, the reason she decided to suggest it today was to convey messages she hadn’t yet shared with him, so she didn’t want to sort of blurt out a meeting request without a proper approach.

It needed to be in line with the dignity of the Robeheim Family’s heir.

She wanted to maintain a neat demeanor, enough to hold out a hand from the other side.

“I’ve leaned on Edgar every time.”

Once they became lovers, Edgar took the reins on most of their date plans.

Where to go, what to do, and what to eat.

Ariel had considered this to be a natural difference in roles between a gentleman and a lady, but in hindsight, she realized how shallow that thought had been.

In an equal relationship, sometimes one should pull, other times the opposite.

She figured that the fact she had been a spoiled girlfriend played a part in this matter.

So today, she called him out under the pretense of strolling around the castle’s gardens, which was essentially a strategy to propose a meeting for a short while.

“What are you doing?”

“AH!?”

Waiting in the hallway, Ariel jumped and turned her head at the voice that came from nearby.

Sure enough, the man she had been waiting for had a puzzled expression on his face.

“Y-you idiot! Make some noise!”

“I did. What do you want me to do, act like an assassin and sneak around to meet you?”

“R-really…?”

“It’s true.”

Rather, it was Ariel who felt dumbfounded by his nonchalant shrug.

She must have been too lost in her thoughts.

There was no use being anxious anymore, so it was more important to gather herself and enjoy the walk with him.

“…You showed up, so let’s go.”

“Sure. But what’s up all of a sudden? You were just saying there’s nothing to see around the castle.”

Edgar always admired the well-kept gardens of the Robeheim Family, but for Ariel, who had seen them since she was born, it was just a matter of indifference.

When she suddenly relayed through Shuri that she wanted to stroll around the castle, Edgar even wondered if she was feeling unwell.

“Sometimes it’s nice, okay?”

“Well, your whims aren’t exactly new.”

“What?”

“Nothing, my lady. Let’s just go.”

With the sharp glare from her eyes that almost crackled, Edgar quickly tucked his tail between his legs and guided her by hand.

Noticing Ariel glaring at him as if to say she would watch him closely, she finally took a step forward, indicating she would hold back for now.

Unbeknownst to her, Edgar let out a sigh of relief behind her.

As they stepped out of the castle towards the gardens, they were greeted by the neatly arranged landscapes and the waterways sprawling beneath them.

For Ariel, the scenery still evoked no excitement.

However, when Edgar’s lips curved into a faint smile at the sight, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

The problem was, she had no clue how to progress the situation next.

“…….”

“……?”

Seeing her silently walking with tightly sealed lips, Edgar wore a puzzled expression.

Under normal circumstances, he would have gotten an earful about why she was trailing behind and how she should properly be escorted, but today, she was particularly quiet.

‘What am I supposed to say?’

It was understandable since Ariel’s mind was a whirlwind at that moment.

She couldn’t figure out what topic would ease this stiff atmosphere, as if she had forgotten how to converse.

Yet, she lacked the courage to suddenly say “Let’s go to Etle!” in her current state.

Even questioning whether that was the right way to start a conversation crossed her mind.

Her last shred of pride desired to make the proposal in a natural manner.

“Uh, Edgar!”

“Yeah?”

At times like these, she wished Edgar would approach her first, but she couldn’t lean on him forever.

In the end, to clear the air, Ariel called out his name anxiously and awkwardly brought up a topic that felt like it would barely fizzle out.

“The weather is nice today, right?”

“…It’s full of clouds.”

Edgar retorted while pointing upwards, suggesting she should look at the sky.

The surprise was evident in her expression for a moment, but refusing to back down, Ariel persisted with her specialty of pretentious reasoning.

“C-cloudy weather is nice too!”

“Well… I guess.”

To be honest, as someone who felt more bothered by heat than cold, Edgar did find the weather rather pleasant.

Though, he wished there were fewer clouds.

Having the sun blocked out while walking felt rather dreary.

“Why are you so far away today?”

“M-me?”

“Who else would it be but you?”

Ariel had been subtly trying to distance herself under the pretense that a nearby flower was pretty ever since they started walking.

Eventually, unable to stand it any longer, Edgar boldly stepped closer and pulled her neck from behind, embracing her.

It almost looked as though someone was abducting a noble daughter.

“W-what are you doing? We’re outside, you silly…!”

“And so what if we are?”

After all, anyone who saw them knew what their relationship was.

On top of that, Edgar felt a bit miffed that while she sometimes hugged him in public to show off, she now said this.

It felt as if she was allowed to, but he wasn’t.

That thought stirred something in Edgar.

“Why are you acting weird today?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Look at me and speak. Don’t avoid my eyes.”

Having turned her around, he firmly held her waist, looking down at her as he continued.

He had shed any earlier playful demeanor and wore a serious expression, leaving Ariel no choice but to meet his gaze, albeit cautiously.

“It feels strange. You want to do a garden walk, which you’ve never cared for, and then you bring up this weird topic to avoid something. Plus, until a moment ago, you were avoiding me.”

“I-I wasn’t avoiding…! That was…”

“That was what?”

When he urged her to finish her sentence, Ariel merely fumbled her lips, glancing away.

‘Is it really boredom creeping in?’

Seeing her like that made Edgar feel frustrated.

Even if he was good at reading her mind, there were some things that could only be understood through conversation.

If she continued to avoid, misunderstandings would pile up and turn into bad thoughts gradually.

He wasn’t sure if it was too soon for a phase of boredom, but as someone who had never dated, it was uncharted territory, leaving him uncertain.

Moreover, since the point at which interest wanes differs from person to person, how could he possibly gauge that?

Still, simply waiting and watching wouldn’t change anything.

It was crucial to actively resolve the issue now.

“Ariel, just be honest with me.”

“W-what…?”

With Edgar’s voice having settled down, Ariel’s eyes widened in surprise, wondering if he had caught onto the recent incident.

However, what came out of his mouth was altogether different.

“You haven’t grown to dislike me, right?”

“…Huh?”

Why was he bringing that up out of the blue?

On the contrary, she liked him so much that her heart was racing, making it hard to calm down.

Had she done something that might lead him to misunderstand?

Recalling the earlier situation slowly, she reviewed her actions.

Engaging in behavior she rarely performed, hesitating to say something important yet having nothing to say, and moreover, trying to create distance…

‘Ah.’

At that moment, Ariel felt a twinge of regret for actions that could easily lead him to misunderstand.

Why did she act that way?

She could have simply behaved normally and then subtly suggested the date at the end.

Instead, she had inadvertently instilled doubt in him.

Sigh.

“Ariel?”

“…….”

Staring blankly at him, Ariel then chuckled to herself, burying her face in Edgar’s chest.

The fact that he openly asked this after waiting patiently for her spoke volumes about his concerns.

It made her feel as if doubts about her actions would draw a heavy sigh from herself.

She had decided to approach him first because she disliked waiting for him to come to her, yet ironically, the outcome revealed she was looking for the same affirmation from him.

If she didn’t speak, he wouldn’t understand.

Wasn’t that the very lesson she learned through her father?

“Edgar.”

“I’m listening.”

Despite having asked that earlier, Edgar’s eyes still brimmed with affection as he looked at Ariel.

“I love you.”

“…What?”

“I said I love you.”

“Oh, um… I’ve heard that before.”

Struck by an unexpected confession, Edgar scratched his cheek awkwardly.

It was only natural; while Ariel had expressed affection before, she had hardly ever said she loved him.

Edgar assumed it was due to shyness that it was rare, but still, it was a significant event in itself.

“You know, I want to go somewhere with you tomorrow.”

“Where?”

“Will you come with me?”

“Of course!”

The way he accepted without asking for the location made Ariel beam her brightest smile.

“I’ll tell you then. So can you wait just one more day?”

“I can do that. I’m sorry if I rushed you.”

“Uh-huh, it’s fine.”

Ariel shook her head lightly before burying her face back in his chest.

It was her fault for being so clumsy in how she treated him; it wasn’t his fault at all.

“In fact, I also wanted to suggest going somewhere tomorrow. What an uncanny timing.”

“Where?”

“You’re going to come with me?”

“Of course!”

The two began to repeat the conversation, switching roles.

Realizing this belatedly, they both burst out laughing.

“I heard there’s a place called the Ever-frozen Lake in Etle. Have you heard of it?”

“Huh? That place…”

“Do you know it?”

It wasn’t so much that he knew it, rather than he was well aware of it since it was the same place she had just suggested to visit.

Ariel tilted her head, wondering if it was just a coincidence, but soon she shrugged it off with a smile, nodding along.

She wanted to see his surprised expression when she revealed the meeting location tomorrow, so for now, she thought to keep it under wraps.

For the moment, she wished to enjoy this comforting embrace a little longer.

Recently, she hadn’t fully relished this cozy sensation even while held in his arms.

Watching Ariel rub her face against his chest like a cat, a playful smile crept onto Edgar’s face.

“Ariel, since we’re at it, say I love you one more time.”

“N-no way! I said that once specially!”

“Oh, that’s suspicious, isn’t it? Maybe love has cooled down?”

“Stop it, really!”

How could he ask that right after just questioning her?

It seemed like he planned to keep her pinned down until she confessed her love outright.

In the end, Ariel was finally released after squeaking out those words of affection, and seeing him so pleased, she reflected on how she needed to say that once in a while, but still, it remained a tad embarrassing.

Why was it that saying “I love you” felt more awkward than kissing or being held in his arms?

Even though it was her own feelings, she found them truly impossible to fathom.