I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 91

Ariel’s red eyes shimmered, reflecting light in a way that created an extraordinary hue, quite unlike her usual appearance.

Edgar felt as though her eyes, which he suddenly found himself staring into, appeared as if green was layered over a red glow, or perhaps a white layer rendered them faintly shining.

He assumed it was due to the various colored lights all around them casting their reflections.

‘Is she ready to speak?’

The girl he had known as Ariel Robeheim was always like this.

They say eyes are the windows to the soul, and among those, Ariel was one of the few who could distinctly communicate through her gaze.

Even when she was resolute or determined, or sometimes even shy or joyful, her eyes conveyed her emotions without uttering a word.

The eyes that Edgar now gazed into were radiating an unusual bright red more than ever, signifying a firm resolution.

It meant she had gathered all her courage to voice what she was about to say.

Thus, Edgar didn’t feel the need to offer her the option to remain silent if she didn’t want to speak, as he feared that ignoring a woman’s resolve would be inconsiderate.

“Ed, do you remember what I asked you before?”

“What do you mean?”

“I once asked you how you would seek revenge if someone tried to kill your lover or family.”

“Oh… I think I remember that.”

It was something he had brushed off at the time, but due to Ariel’s strong follow-up, the conversation remained etched in his mind.

“I said I wanted to make them taste the same pain and despair I felt when I nearly lost someone I love.”

“Still sounds pretty ruthless. Yeah, I remember that for sure.”

“But I thought you’d dislike such thoughts. You seemed like the type who contemplated revenge through death.”

Some people might label this attitude as somewhat soft.

Ariel had felt similarly when she heard Edgar say those words but didn’t think negatively of them.

She figured it was just typical Edgar Billhark behavior.

However, this was entirely different from Ariel’s way of seeking vengeance.

She was not the type to just slap someone back after getting slapped.

If she was slapped, she would retaliate with her fists, and if her fists were attacked, she believed she needed to drive a sword into her opponent’s belly to feel satisfaction.

The education she received from the Robeheim family taught her this, and in order to survive in the chilly northern plains and earn the favor of the Grand Duke, a heart of iron and blood was essential.

Yet, this wasn’t for Edgar.

In the end, she delivered judgment solely for her own satisfaction, without considering the opinions of those she sought to punish.

What Ariel wanted to apologize for now was precisely that aspect.

“You probably haven’t heard about the punishment for Vincent and Lux. I told my father to keep it a secret.”

“…Yeah, I noticed there was nothing said.”

Even if they wanted to keep it internal within the family, one would expect it to reach his ears, yet he had heard absolutely no news about their punishments.

Even if Yulken and Helene chose to remain silent due to their position, at the very least, Shuri, who was close to Ariel, should have conveyed the information.

Edgar held doubts about this as well.

What if it wasn’t that the family was covering it up, but rather that they were deliberately withholding the truth from him?

Since he didn’t have any particular reason to inquire, Edgar didn’t force himself to care, but he had always been curious.

Why exactly was that the case?

Even if the other party belonged to a reputable noble family, how significant could the punishment of these mere criminals be to warrant the utmost secrecy?

Yet, he had underestimated the influence of Ariel in this matter.

It was completely unexpected.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to tell you. I wanted to keep it hidden since that meant I committed actions without your consent.”

“Is this about their punishments?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Ariel gently nodded her head and brushed back her hair, which had been disrupted by the breeze.

But, with strands still sticking out, Edgar reached out to help her fix it.

Having rarely done it herself, she wasn’t accustomed to such grooming.

“Why did you want to hide it?”

“I told you, I acted without your consent.”

“Must’ve been quite harsh, then.”

“A bit… No, judging by your standards, it was probably a lot harsher than you’d think.”

Ariel didn’t attempt to justify her actions further. She spoke plainly about the punishments as they were.

Certainly, they were much more brutal than Edgar had imagined, but he didn’t feel any particular emotion about it.

This was simply Ariel’s method of vengeance against those who had dared to cross her.

It was entirely her action and motivation.

Ariel likely wouldn’t say, “This is for you,” he believed.

So what could anyone add to that?

“Then let me ask this. What’s the reason you brought this up to me now?”

“I don’t have any specific reason. I just didn’t want to keep anything from you, and if I had to say, I wanted to apologize.”

“An apology.”

That apology wasn’t about the punishments they dealt out.

Edgar anticipated that Ariel probably thought she did right in catching the two bugs that had sinned and wouldn’t believe it was wrong.

Yet even so, the fact she brought up an apology stemmed from the fact that she hadn’t asked for his opinion before delivering judgment.

And the fact that she had led him on while hiding this up until now.

“Well… to be honest, it wouldn’t be a lie to say I feel a bit hurt.”

“Yeah, I know.”

It was the first time he had honestly spoken about feeling hurt like that, and Ariel, while trying to reply in a calm manner, felt a jolt of emotion inside.

As she tried to lift her gaze, intending to catch his eye, she met his golden eyes instead.

Quickly looking down again, pretending to observe the ground or somewhere between it and the air, Edgar chuckled softly and continued.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m upset at you for keeping this secret. If anything, it makes me wonder if you think I’m so untrustworthy that you felt the need to hide it.”

“That’s absolutely not true. Trust me.”

“I know, you idiot.”

“Idiot….”

When Ariel used that familiar term for him, now turned back against her, she repeated “idiot” as if retracing its meaning.

For the first time, she realized how mentally impactful that word could be.

“Anyway, I appreciate your feelings. I understand why you’ve kept it in your heart until now.”

“Then… does that mean you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive. I wasn’t angry in the first place.”

His earlier statement about feeling hurt was merely a form of expression; in essence, Edgar’s self-critique was more on himself.

After nearly 18 years together, and as lovers at that, he felt he should have earned her trust by now.

In a fleeting moment, such self-doubt washed over him.

Yet, thinking back on their conversation, he also realized it wasn’t entirely his fault.

This was simply the heartache of a woman worried about her own impulsive actions.

In the end, no one had done wrong.

“Aren’t you… scared?”

“Scared of what?”

“That, well, it wasn’t me who killed them, but… even if they deserved to die… it’s just….”

Edgar, watching Ariel hesitate as she attempted to voice her concerns, couldn’t help but smile slightly.

He could sense what she wanted to say.

Regardless of their guilt, it was indeed a cruel act for an eighteen-year-old girl to commit.

She must have thought it natural to feel fear in confronting another person as a person.

Yet Edgar shrugged it off nonchalantly, taking her hand gently.

“Of course, I was surprised. But that doesn’t mean I’m scared of you.”

“Really…?”

“Why would I lie about something like this? In the first place….”

He swallowed the rest of his words and suddenly pulled her hand, embracing her tightly.

The small splash of water echoed softly amidst the silence as the boat tilted unexpectedly, but he gazed down at her, looking playfully surprised.

“What’s there to be scared of, when a girl like you gets embarrassed just by hugging?”

“I’m not embarrassed…! I was just surprised when you suddenly pulled me…!”

“Go ahead and spit out whatever lies you’ve got.”

If it had been dark around them, she could have easily brushed it off with a lie, but the lake was quite bright, thanks to the colorful lights scattered all around them.

Though the sunlight wasn’t blinding, it was sufficient to discern each other’s expressions.

Seeing her mumbling such absurd lies, Edgar smirked and raised his eyebrows, a mischievous smile forming.

Ariel’s heart raced as her stomach twisted at that playful grin.

“Ah, thinking about it, I’m feeling rather let down. I might have to demand an apology.”

“Y-You’re lying…! You idiot! You’re just gonna pull something else out of me while pretending to be upset!”

“Demand an apology between lovers? What kind of nonsense is that? It’s just a negotiation we need to have.”

While it sounded like a negotiation, Ariel knew there hadn’t been a fair outcome in any of their previous interactions.

Mostly, Edgar would seize an opportunity and leverage it against her for an unfair deal.

And today would surely end up in a similar way. The problem was, there was no escape route.

He had a knack for creating situations where she couldn’t refuse and then cleverly baiting her.

“Well, what is it? If it’s something difficult, I’m out.”

“I’m not asking for anything difficult. Hmm, what would be good?”

Since Edgar was only thinking on the fly, he had no idea what to ask.

He knew asking for something material would just label him petty, and it was evident that a request wouldn’t be difficult for Ariel.

In such situations, he needed a desire that was difficult for her to grant yet wouldn’t make him seem greedy.

Though it sounded hard, Edgar was always adept at picking the right nuances.

As if proving this point, an idea suddenly popped into his head, causing his smile to deepen.

He was confident that it would be a good choice.

“Just show me a little cute side of you.”

“A cute side…? What do you mean by that?”

“You know, like how Silvia does it. Like making cute sniffling noises or just being playful.”

“……!”

She hadn’t realized he meant something as ludicrously challenging.

Ariel’s face turned a shade of red that could explode at any moment.

She was practically steaming all around.

“Y-You idiot…! How can I do something like that…!”

“Come on, if your knight is feeling let down, you can’t at least do that for him?”

“Geez, you moron…!”

Seeing him feign a stern demeanor, Ariel let out a furious voice.

Silvia had occasionally playfully teased Ariel and later put on a cute act to patch things up, but those instances had been embarrassing for everyone around.

Yet now, he was telling her to do that personally.

What an abominable request.

‘But I can’t refuse.‘

As previously mentioned, Edgar always created situations where she couldn’t escape and then set his demands.

In other words, by the time the current situation unfolded, she had no option to reject him.

Ultimately, glancing at him with a pout while initially feeling shy, Ariel nestled into his embrace.

Like a cat appeasing its irritated owner.

“Uh, well….”

“Well…?”

“Uh, I feel sorry, so… maybe just this once….”

“Oh.”

Was she really going to use a third-person perspective for the performance of cuteness?

Edgar hadn’t expected such a move from her, leading him to stare at her in astonishment.

For reference, this was a technique Silvia often used when she clung to Ariel to act cute, and it seemed like Ariel was about to unleash that tactic.

“…Tch, no way! I’m not a beast lacking dignity, so how could I do something like this!”

Of course, her determined spirit shattered within three seconds.

Having unintentionally turned into one of Silvia’s ridiculous characters, Edgar decided to offer empathy, playfully mocking her.

“Seriously, what does that make Silvia?”

“She’s a fool, and that’s why it’s possible for her!”

“Hmm….”

He couldn’t deny that calling Silvia a fool might hit a little close to home, so Edgar fell silent.

Ultimately, she had still put forth some effort, so it would be reasonable for him to be satisfied at this point.

After all, how rare it was to see Ariel referring to herself in the third person.

All in all, he smiled with warmth. “You did well. Thanks to you, I’m feeling quite satisfied.”

As Edgar stroked her hair with a satisfied expression, Ariel’s forehead tensed up.

She was embarrassed enough as it was, so why was he so casually thanking her?

To brush this off so easily left her frustration with nowhere to go.

“Really? But what’s this? I’m not satisfied at all.”

With that, Ariel, fueled by her previous grudge, chose to lean back into his arms, using her weight to topple him over.

Under normal circumstances, Edgar would have easily caught himself, but perhaps he had let his guard down, as he exclaimed ‘Whoa,’ and fell back.

With a flop, Ariel landed atop him.

As he rubbed the back of his head, which now stung from hitting against the ground, he noticed Ariel smiling with satisfaction, and without thought, she pressed her lips against his.

What followed wasn’t the light peck they usually exchanged, but instead a deeper, more intense kiss.

Even Edgar was momentarily taken aback by Ariel’s boldness.

“…Hah.”

Not long after, Ariel withdrew her lips.

As the silver thread that had bound them broke, she rose first, delicately touching her lips with her fingertips.

On her face blossomed a sultry smile that she had never shown before.

“Now you can’t just vanish after a little fun like that, you dolt.”

For a woman like Ariel Robeheim, whose nature demanded that what she received must be returned in kind, this was merely the way of things.