I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 96

While changing clothes with the help of her nanny, Silvia’s eyes brightened at the sight of a letter laid out on the table.

Nobody knew about the content of the letter except for Silvia and her parents.

What was contained within was overwhelmingly joyful news.

“Miss, it seems you have some good news!”

“Well, of course! It’s super good news!”

As her nanny, Petra, finished tidying her hair with a pleased expression, Silvia nodded vigorously with a smile like a carefree three-year-old.

Though Petra had aged into a wrinkled figure over the years as Silvia’s caretaker, she was still one of the few who understood Silvia’s heart.

For this reason, Silvia sometimes found herself turning into a child again when she was in front of her.

Petra was just happy to see Silvia still retaining a hint of that childhood innocence.

“Petra, do you know where this letter is from?”

“From the looks of the emblem… it’s from the Robeheim Family.”

“Eek! I knew Petra would get it right!”

Celebrating Petra’s correct guess, Silvia lifted her arms to shoulder height and danced joyfully before quickly unfolding the letter to show her.

“Is it appropriate for this old lady to read it?”

“Appropriate or not, I want to show you everything!”

“That’s kind of you. Well then, if you don’t mind, I’ll read it.”

Recent trouble with her eyesight aside, Petra took out her glasses and began to read the letter.

Though the glasses made the letters appear considerably larger, they were still a bit unclear, causing her to frown slightly as she read each one carefully.

With each word that sank in, a faint smile began to emerge in sharp contrast to her furrowed brows.

She thought she finally understood why this lovely girl looked so excited.

“A coming-of-age ceremony… It’s already that time, huh?”

The coming-of-age ceremony.

While its significance has somewhat faded recently, it’s still regarded as quite an important event among noble families.

According to what Petra read long ago in a book, there was a time when the nation gathered all those coming of age for a grand ceremony, but lately, it seems the scale and format have been simplified.

These days, most coming-of-age ceremonies are hosted by distinguished families who have children reaching the age, just like the Robeheim family that sent this invitation.

“A coming-of-age ceremony… I wonder what it will feel like?”

“It seems you’re rather excited about it.”

“Of course! I’m looking forward to this even more than a ball!”

The term “adult” carries a sort of magic that makes the hearts of young boys and girls flutter.

Silvia was not an exception either.

Becoming an adult made one feel as though the world would change dramatically, and imaginations of suddenly wielding immense power and abilities always creep in.

“Plus, becoming adults together with friends, right? It feels special somehow.”

“Even Lord Hagel is part of it, right?”

“Uh, yeah! Of course.”

Almost forgetting about her beloved, Silvia marveled once again at Petra’s attentiveness and nodded in agreement.

Even though her beloved was certainly not a jealous man, she speculated that he might feel a bit miffed if he were present now.

“With only a month left, you must prepare thoroughly, Miss.”

“Right? Oh! I need to pick a new dress… Will you help me, Petra?”

“It might be tough for this old lady to choose an outfit suitable for you. How about asking Lord Hagel instead?”

Petra thought that surely the dress that looked best in her beloved’s eyes would be the most fitting.

Plus, it would give them the chance to spend time together alone while trying on dresses, too.

However, despite Petra’s suggestion, Silvia jokingly and firmly responded.

“As if! Petra’s eyes are the best! Only you can help me this time!”

“Are you sure you won’t find it boring, accompanying an old lady?”

“Of course not! You’re like a grandmother to me!”

Silvia beamed, giving a thumbs up.

Seeing her granddaughter-like mistress’s bright smile, Petra returned a happy grin.

After all, it seemed like this week would be filled with fun activities with her granddaughter.

* * * * * * *

Ariel felt uneasy today.

There are many reasons someone might feel out of sorts on any given day.

It could be due to the unusually cloudy sky they glanced at, or perhaps dissatisfaction with breakfast.

But Ariel could summarize her gloomy mood today into a single reason.

It was because not a single outfit among the dozens, if not hundreds, of dresses brought to the castle for her coming-of-age ceremony piqued her interest.

Helene had been following her around trying to help, but Ariel only scowled at every option presented.

“I had no idea my daughter was so picky about clothes.”

“I’m sorry, mother.”

In the end, she couldn’t pick a dress from breakfast until the evening came.

As Helene managed a slightly awkward smile, Ariel expressed her apologies, lowering her head with a sour look.

It was surprising for her in a way.

She had assumed she would choose a dress for the coming-of-age ceremony in the blink of an eye.

Ariel wasn’t particularly picky about clothes, nor did she have an exceptionally refined taste. She knew that well.

So why was this happening?

In all honesty, even if they brought in new clothes tomorrow, she doubted there would be anything to her liking.

None of today’s outfits were unattractive, yet something always seemed off, leading her to put them back on the rack.

“What’s there to apologize for? If you don’t like it, we can get new ones. Isn’t that right, Benelian?”

“Of course. We have not even brought half of what’s prepared, so please do wait for tomorrow.”

Benelian, the tailor, worked for the Robeheim Family and was known to bring all kinds of ready-made garments as needed.

For any significant family events or when needing special attire, one can always count on his assistance.

“Still, it seems that as you mature, you’re starting to care more about clothes.”

“Haha, that’s what I’m saying. It’s strange that the girl who always only wanted comfortable clothes is suddenly so picky. It must be thanks to Ed, right?”

“Um, mother…! Why is his name coming up now…?”

Feeling the natural awareness of her appearance, Ariel adamantly denied that her newfound interest in clothes had anything to do with Ed.

Meanwhile, Helene and Benelian shared knowing glances, both smiling softly as if they had much to say.

It seems loving girls are always adorable no matter when you see them.

Just as Ariel turned her gaze back to the pile of clothes that she carelessly dismissed with a slight blush, Shuri burst in, panting.

Normally she would have knocked first, but due to a prior arrangement from Ariel, today was an exception.

“Miss! The young master has returned!”

“Already?”

Ariel had specifically asked that she be informed when Edgar returned.

Considering he had left for a hunt, the timing was surprisingly early, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

But Shuri stepped back to reveal Edgar, waving cheerfully as if to prove her claim.

“Wait, what? You really came back?”

“What kind of greeting is that? I came back early just because I heard you were picking out outfits.”

Though he wasn’t seeking a grand welcome, Edgar felt let down by Ariel’s rather subdued reaction.

“How about father?”

“He came along too. The prince also said he wanted to see your dress as soon as possible, so he urged us to return.”

“Oh… I see….”

It was only then that Ariel realized why the two returning from hunting were back so soon.

“Did you choose a dress?”

“Actually, about that….”

It was difficult for Ariel to tell that she hadn’t managed to find a suitable outfit after half a day of sifting through options.

She didn’t want to be perceived as indecisive by him.

As she fiddled with her hands, Edgar discreetly glanced back at Helene.

Sure enough, she caught on immediately and shook her head with a wry smile.

From this exchange, Edgar quickly realized that Ariel had not made any progress.

“Hmm, come here for a second. I’ll help you choose.”

“Huh? I’ve looked at all the outfits already.”

“Even so, it’s different when you look versus how I look. You never know, we might find a decent one together.”

Trust me, he flashed a smirk as he took Ariel’s hand, leading her through the endless rows of outfits.

Benelian was ready to introduce various options but paused when Helene subtly held him back with a shake of her head, signaling him to leave it be.

“I’ve already seen everything, how could it possibly help?”

“Just be quiet and follow along… Oh, this one’s nice!”

Slightly exasperated by Ariel’s complaining behind him, Edgar aimed to hush her as he spotted a striking red dress.

It had a wide shoulder cut, and the chest area appeared slightly translucent, making for a clean look that caught his eye.

Especially since both he and Ariel liked red, it seemed even more fitting.

“Try this one on. You like red, right?”

“True, but….”

Ariel hesitated, not wanting to admit that it was one she’d dismissed earlier.

However, with Edgar encouraging her, she agreed to try it on, hoping to show him a fresh side of herself.

“Miss, I’ll help you!”

“Okay.”

Once she moved away with Shuri to change, she saw her reflection in the full-length mirror.

It was indeed a beautiful dress, but strangely it still didn’t feel quite right.

What was the problem, she wondered.

As she asked herself the question, no solid answer returned to her.

“Wow…! You look absolutely stunning, Miss.”

“Yeah, the dress doesn’t seem bad. But…”

“Is there something you don’t like about it?”

“Well… no, it’s fine.”

After all, she only wore it to show Edgar, so she convinced herself it didn’t really matter, and headed back to the room where they had laid out the dresses.

As she opened the door, Edgar’s face brightened when he saw her.

The dress was surely pretty, but it felt as if Ariel enhanced the overall ambiance even more.

Could this be the importance of how a dress hangs on someone?

“How’s this? Not great…?”

With his mouth agape, Edgar stood there speechless, and Ariel, misreading his silence, twirled anxiously.

He shook his head as if to say, “What are you talking about?” and stepped closer to her.

“There’s nothing bad about it. It’s super pretty! I think it suits you the best out of all the dresses you’ve tried on.”

“R-Really? You like it?”

Surprised by the unexpected compliment, Ariel looked bright-eyed and asked, and Edgar nodded vigorously without hesitation.

“Yeah. I’m not lying; I really like it. Of course, if you don’t think it’s good, then it doesn’t matter…”

“Ah, no. I think it’s pretty too. So, should we go with this one…?”

Ariel glanced at the mirror in the other room and once more assessed her appearance.

Indeed, she had been somewhat dissatisfied earlier, but now the dress seemed gorgeous.

More than anything, she adored the red color, and the exposure felt just right, while the dress wasn’t overly restrictive, either.

She couldn’t fathom why she’d almost missed such a lovely outfit.

“Benelian. I’ll go with this dress.”

“It seems you’ve finally made a choice. I must say, it’s a brilliant selection, Miss.”

Thus, with her choice solidified through Benelian, Ariel cheerfully inspected her appearance, smiling brightly.

Watching her, Helene wore a perplexed look, neither laughing nor crying.

She began to understand her mother’s words about raising a daughter being quite meaningless.

Despite her ambivalence towards compliments from her mother, the sight of her daughter falling for a few kind words from her beloved was truly beyond expression.

So, even though the day had been quite eventful, the monumental dress for the Grand Duke’s daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony was finally decided.