I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 86

Ariel hadn’t parted with her teddy bear since she bought it.

Edgar, wondering if it would be a hassle, casually offered to carry it himself, but she stubbornly hugged the teddy bear tight and refused to let go.

When Edgar jokingly asked if she really liked the toy that much, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she merely buried her face against the teddy bear.

Thus, Ariel dragged the toy along until they found a halfway-decent restaurant for lunch.

Finally arriving at a place written on a piece of paper, she was able to place the teddy bear beside her and take a moment to breathe.

“You must have had a hard time, huh?”

With its fluffy fur, it was no wonder she was sweaty from clinging to it all day.

Edgar, grinning with his chin resting on his hand, teased her, and Ariel shot back with an irritated glare.

“I told you not to call it that! It’s just a teddy bear, a teddy bear!”

“Then why did you give a name to the teddy bear in your room?”

“You just misheard!”

“Hmm…”

Though it made no sense, Edgar decided to step back since Ariel seemed ready to explode at any moment.

To tease a lady like Ariel Robeheim, it’s essential to balance the pressure appropriately.

Get it wrong and you could get burned, so handling her with care is a must.

“Heh.”

“What, why are you laughing in a way that makes me uncomfortable?”

When a significant other smiles directly across the table, isn’t it common to ask if something pleasant is happening?

Yet for these two, such conventional wisdom didn’t apply.

Despite mentioning that he felt uncomfortable, Edgar simply shrugged it off, his gaze filled with mixed emotions.

“Just had a nostalgic feeling.”

“Nostalgic feeling?”

“Don’t you think? I felt like our relationship changed a lot after we became a couple.”

“Oh…”

Ariel let out a low sigh, relating to his feelings, and took a sip of the water the server had just brought.

Sure enough, just as he said, the first two to three weeks after they became a couple had been quite awkward.

The mere change from ‘childhood friends’ to ‘couple’ left her feeling as if she had forgotten how to interact with him.

As months passed, they became more accustomed to being in this relationship and learned what being a couple meant. However, for a while, it felt like they were facing an uphill battle.

“We were really awkward at first, right?”

“…True, it felt like there were certain things we had to do as partners.”

Ariel liked the idea of being in a couple, but it felt like the comfortable familiarity they had as childhood friends had vanished, leaving her feeling confused at first.

Put differently, she felt that the term ‘couple’ came with a sense of obligation.

Compared to the times they could just comfortably look at each other, now there seemed to be an expectation to hold hands or embrace and have tender moments together, and she didn’t like that pressure.

However, one day, that delicate distance was broken by something Edgar said.

“You said we shouldn’t feel burdened just because we’re a couple.”

“Impressive that you remembered.”

“Do you think I’m as clueless as you?”

Ariel replied bluntly, but in contrast, a gentle smile crept up on her face.

“Anyway, I think that’s true. Looking back now, I wonder why I felt that way.”

Yet Ariel didn’t regret that day when they’d looked a little foolish.

All those clumsy feelings and actions had arisen simply because it was their first time with each other, now fondly settled as a small memory.

Only, she felt a slight twinge of regret, thinking that if only she had thought a bit more, she would have understood.

It was only much later, after having received advice from her partner, that she realized these things, and that little embarrassment stuck with her.

“Maybe that was just our vibe.”

“What does ‘our vibe’ even mean?”

Ariel was genuinely curious, not sarcastic.

Everyone interprets relationships differently.

So how did Edgar see the two of them within that ‘us’?

“We always end up being goofy, don’t we? You trip and get hurt often, and I’m always blurting out nonsense.”

“I-I never got hurt that much…”

“Dude, I counted ten times at least! Are you going to pretend you don’t know that?”

“Shut up, you idiot!”

As Ariel raised her voice with a pout, Edgar simply added, “Anyway.”

“You and I are meant to be foolish together. So, whether in the past or in the future, we just need to keep that in mind.”

“Stop acting so serious like it’s a big deal.”

“Do you think it’s easy to give you that advice, and then you brush it off like this…?”

Edgar muttered incredulously, while Ariel just stuck out her tongue in response.

Of course, she knew.

How thoughtful he was, always keeping deeper things in mind, while she couldn’t measure up.

Still, this dynamic was her way of lightening up the heavy atmosphere that had begun to settle.

Having known each other since childhood, they felt comfortable joking and teasing each other.

So when a somewhat serious and heavy moment lingered, it felt constricting in a way.

Ariel was sure Edgar felt the same way.

He might say such things outwardly, but inwardly, he must be grateful to her for lightening the mood.

“Enough of this sappy talk; let’s just order some food. I’m starving.”

“Right. Oh, by the way, did the paper have any recommended dishes?”

“No, nothing like that.”

Ariel unfolded the paper that Shuri had given her to show Edgar.

There was the name of the restaurant, but as she said, no specific recommendations.

Perhaps that meant all their dishes were good enough that recommendations weren’t necessary?

They’d just have to try it to find out, so Edgar promptly called the waiter.

“Yes, may I take your order?”

The same man who had brought the water earlier returned to their table.

Since it was their first time here, Edgar figured it would be best to let the staff recommend something, so he asked Ariel for her approval while scanning the menu.

“Is there anything you’d recommend?”

“Well, this dish is popular among the ladies. It’s a beef salad with finely shredded cheese, and today, both ingredients are fresh.”

Edgar subtly looked at Ariel for her reaction, and she nodded slightly as if that sounded good.

Of course, they couldn’t just order that one dish, so they went on to request about three more recommendations before finishing their order.

They also asked for some wine to accompany their meal, which Edgar would probably end up drinking mostly.

“You won’t drink much, will you?”

“Just a little. I usually only drink when I’m at the castle.”

Ariel didn’t particularly prefer tea but would occasionally enjoy a drink or two.

Though she wouldn’t chug it until she was smashed, she’d sip it while sitting alone on her bed at night.

She didn’t exactly love alcohol; she enjoyed the slight emotional lift it gave her.

That said, she didn’t like the idea of drinking in front of many people.

She disliked imagining what might happen if she lost control and didn’t want to show her vulnerable side to others.

Before long, the waiter brought the wine and approached their table again.

He showed them the label, then expertly opened the cork.

“This is a wine recommended by our owner; I hope it suits your taste.”

“I’m not a connoisseur, so it’s fine if you just serve it.”

Anyway, Edgar wasn’t that picky with food.

To be precise, he was somewhat sensitive about flavors, but he managed to enjoy whatever placed in front of him.

It was no different with alcohol.

The waiter poured a suitable amount of red liquid into their wine glasses.

From this point, their contrasting styles became evident.

As soon as the glass was filled, Edgar brought it straight to his lips.

In contrast, Ariel gently swirled her wine glass, took in its appearance, sniffed the aroma, and then cautiously sipped it.

Typically, the latter was more common, but Ariel didn’t feel the need to point out Edgar’s habits.

Since whether it was alcohol or food, everyone had their own way of enjoying it, as long as it didn’t massively breach etiquette.

In fact, she thought that attempting to change or criticize that would only spoil the fun of the evening.

“Oh, we forgot to toast.”

“Really? Now?”

Edgar scratched his cheek awkwardly, and Ariel, taken aback, propped her chin on one hand and gently proffered her glass.

Edgar lightly clinked his glass against hers.

The distinctive sound of wine glasses ringing out filled the air as they both took another sip.

While there was a hint of a lack of aroma compared to what they had at the castle, it still tasted quite satisfying.

They weren’t sure how the food would turn out, but this was shaping up to be a pleasant meal.

Ariel thought while gazing intently at the guy seated across from her.

She felt a growing warmth in her face.

It seemed a little pathetic to be tipsy after just two sips.

“What are you staring at? Is there something on my face?”

“It’s mine, so am I not allowed to look?”

“…You’re already tipsy, huh.”

Seeing him shake his head in disbelief, Ariel smiled with a hint of victory.

There weren’t many days when she could claim a win over Edgar, so this was quite a satisfying outcome.

It seemed like the day would turn out well.

“Anyway, how to handle this…”

If only she could solve this strange sense of déjà vu that kept occurring.

She felt the presence of two magical powers she had encountered before, but she couldn’t quite place who they belonged to.

Actually, to be precise, it was one of them she recognized.

The other, however, was from someone fairly familiar to her as well.

The question remained: why was that person here? That was something she would have to confront later.

With her glass empty, a smile adorned Ariel’s lips.

However, it was a colder smile, one fitting of a tyrant, rather than the warm one she’d worn while watching Edgar.