I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 97

Many members of various noble families were invited to the coming-of-age ceremony hosted by the Robeheim Family.

Coincidentally, many of them were the same age as Ariel.

As a result, there hadn’t been a single slow day at Robeheim Castle preparing for the coming-of-age ceremony.

The users were busy running around here and there almost every day, and the family members weren’t much different.

About a month after the invitations were sent out, carriages from various regions began to creep into this chilly northern land.

Of course, Hespania was a land with a milder climate compared to the other northern regions, but that was just a way of expressing it.

Meanwhile, to welcome the guests, Ariel was already early in getting ready today.

Normally, only Shuri would help her, but today, other users from the family were also assisting her.

“I heard Silvia will be arriving soon.”

“Really? She’s coming quite early.”

When Edgar, who was watching Ariel get ready, relayed the news, Ariel tilted her head in surprise.

Her friend Silvia had a lively personality, yet she tended to be a bit sluggish.

After all, the coming-of-age ceremony hadn’t even started yet, and it was scheduled to begin the day after tomorrow, so Ariel assumed Silvia wouldn’t appear until then.

But already, she was almost at the castle?

Ariel wondered if the sun would rise from the west tomorrow as she contemplated the absurdity.

“Miss, you can’t talk right now. You’ll mess up your makeup.”

“…The dress is nice, but can’t we tone down the makeup a bit? It’s so stuffy.”

As Ariel started chattering in response to Edgar’s comment, Shuri, who was helping her with her makeup, gave her a flustered look.

However, it was also somewhat unjust for Ariel since she never particularly liked makeup in the first place.

She would at least dress up when going somewhere with Edgar, but she couldn’t understand why she had to go through this annoying process facing strangers she didn’t even know.

Instead of simply applying makeup as usual, she felt like she had become a blank canvas at this rate.

“Ugh, no way. I’ll get scolded by the mistress if I let you do that.”

“Ugh…”

Today, Shuri wasn’t easily swayed by Ariel’s whines.

In the past, if she felt that Ariel was upset, she would have corrected her behavior immediately, but she had gained quite a bit of experience now.

Thus, mentioning Helene, who could be seen as Ariel’s weakness, Shuri firmly cut off Ariel’s complaints, making her comply with the makeup.

“Well then, you follow behind slowly. I have to go as the prince called for me.”

“Father…? Why?”

“Who knows?”

Shrugging, Edgar left the room after saying to Shuri to take care of Ariel.

Ariel, who was staring blankly at the spot where he disappeared, quickly diverted her gaze.

She attempted to speculate why Yulken called for him at this moment, but nothing substantial came to mind.

* * * * * * *

It was quite a sudden call, but Edgar headed to the office without a second thought.

Yulken sometimes summoned him for trivial chats, after all.

Just three days ago, he had called him over simply because good wine had arrived, so it was evident that he liked having Edgar around.

“Hmm? Young Master, what brings you here?”

“Lord Elpelt, could you please treat me a bit more casually?”

As he reached in front of the office door, Elpelt, who had just closed the door and was leaving, caught Edgar’s eye.

Despite his robust figure, Elpelt bowed respectfully and inquired about his business, a mannerism that Edgar found somewhat burdensome.

“That wouldn’t be possible. If I treat the lady’s lover like that, then I’d surely get scolded by the prince.”

“Is that so…?”

Edgar felt quite uncomfortable being treated with such respect solely for being Ariel’s lover, considering Elpelt was the most powerful person in the castle aside from the Robeheim family, and his reputation was anything but low.

“I see, if you keep saying that, it’s going to become difficult for me.”

“Hmm, then there’s nothing I can do about it.”

However, Edgar understood Elpelt’s position and felt there was no choice but to back down.

“Please, if you have business with the prince, you should go in first. I will guide you.”

“Aren’t you coming out for other business too, Lord Elpelt?”

“It’s not important, so you don’t have to worry about it. Come on.”

Elpelt immediately opened the door and ushered Edgar into the office.

He didn’t knock simply because it wasn’t that he lacked manners; usually, Yulken had stated that they could just come in without sending word back and forth due to the frequent visitors.

Moreover, considering the nature of the master he served, it was clear that Yulken would stop whatever he was doing and come out to see Edgar anyway, so Elpelt thought a little flexibility was permissible.

“Oh, it looks like you came right on time. Sorry for calling you out of the blue.”

“Not at all, Your Highness.”

Elpelt’s assumption was proven correct as Yulken appeared without a furrowed brow, stepping away from his desk to greet Edgar.

Once Elpelt finished guiding Edgar, he left the room, leaving only the two men behind.

“Oh dear, I didn’t even prepare tea for my guest.”

“I’m alright with tea; I neither dislike it nor like it much. Isn’t that the same for you, Your Highness?”

“Haha, indeed. You and I find alcohol to be more comfortable, after all.”

Technically, Edgar didn’t particularly prefer alcohol either, but it was true that he found it better than tea, so he nodded in agreement.

“The reason I called you is regarding the upcoming coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Is there something else to keep in mind?”

“Um, I believe the conversation will be lighter compared to before. I just wanted to give you a piece of advice.”

Edgar understood that the previous conversation referred to the topics of the vows of subjugation and his position as Ariel’s advisor.

If it was lighter than that, there was no need to be overly tense.

Though he couldn’t remain too carelessly relaxed, he thought he should calm his heart a little.

“As you know, after this coming-of-age ceremony, people will get to know more about you. Even if you haven’t formally announced anything.”

“Yes.”

Edgar was already aware of that.

Despite being in a relationship with Ariel, they hadn’t officially established a clear connection.

Naturally, they had not held a wedding, let alone a typical engagement ceremony.

Thus, among those who were truly aware of how close they were, it was mostly the Robeheim family members, while people from surrounding families remained largely unaware.

However, it was a fact that couldn’t remain hidden forever.

If they were seen together throughout the coming-of-age ceremony, it was bound to come to light.

Regardless of whether Edgar’s personal reputation was good or bad, they would inevitably be subjects of gossip.

Yulken was worried about this.

Though he seemed like a carefree man without any worries on most days, Yulken had come to realize through past experiences that he was quite deep thinker.

Thus, he wanted to give him a little advice to prevent unnecessary worry.

“However, I want to tell you that you need not feel burdened about this. Given how sharp you are, you might overthink things.”

“Please do not worry, Your Highness. Ariel conveyed similar words to me.”

“Really? My daughter?”

“Yes.”

The unexpected news caused Yulken’s eyes to widen in surprise.

He would have understood if Helene had given him advice; however, hearing that it was Ariel was quite surprising.

This led him to think that in the end, no one cares for their lover as much as they do themselves, making a content smile form on his lips.

“Anyway, it’s relieving to hear that she doesn’t seem much concerned. Oh, and this is something my wife wanted to ask, so I’ll ask it for her…”

“Please go ahead.”

Now that he had already received a similar hint from Ariel and organized his thoughts, there was no reason for him to hesitate any longer, so he immediately sought to change the subject.

Even if he borrowed Helene’s name to ask, it was something Yulken had been wondering about.

He had been thinking of casually bringing it up, but for various reasons, it had been delayed until now.

“Have you considered hiring a maid?”

“…A maid, you say?”

“Yes. I heard that you’ve never had one until now, but if you plan to help Ariel later, won’t you need someone beside you to assist?”

If Edgar were to assist Ariel with her duties, he would inevitably become neglectful of his own self.

Helene was concerned about this too, so she had asked Yulken indirectly, and he had similar thoughts, wanting to ask this question at this opportunity.

Upon hearing this, Edgar did not find it particularly unexpected. He had heard this story a few times before.

However, what puzzled him was why it specifically had to be ‘a maid’ and not just ‘any servant.’

Suddenly feeling an oncoming sense of unease, Edgar cautiously opened his mouth.

If his assumption turned out incorrect, it would be irrelevant, but if it were correct, it could lead to quite a complicated situation.

“Your Highness, do you perhaps have someone in mind?”

“Hm? How did you know? Actually, I’m looking for someone to take care of a girl who was taught by Shephy this time.”

“……”

As Edgar’s conjecture was proven correct, he immediately shut his mouth tight.

Suddenly, a conversation he had with Ariel nearly a month ago replayed vividly in his mind.

“I’m okay with getting a maid, but I don’t want a girl.”

“Just how far does your jealousy go?”

“Ugh, anyway, if you say no, it’s a no! Even if she comes in, she better not catch my eye.”

“Alright, alright.”

Feeling that he needed to have a serious conversation with Yulken, Edgar sighed deeply and lifted his head.

He thought that even if his own concerns could be put to the side, he absolutely could not allow that unnamed maid’s life to be at stake.