I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

Translator : Idris

After dinner, Ariel, asked Shuri to serve her a cup of tea, then directly slumped on the bed like a dried fish left to sun dry on a string.

Shuri, who returns to the room with a cup of tea in her hand, witnesses this scene and broke out into a light smile.

Ariel's current state was a sign that she no longer have a strand of strength to lift a finger and something that is seen from time to time.

At times like this, Shuri knew better than anyone else that it was the best thing to do her own chores without disturbing her tired master as much as possible and quietly prepare only what was necessary before going out.

“Shuri, prepare an extra cup of tea for you too.”

“Yes? For me… … .”

Shuri, who was preparing tea cups and refreshments on the table, expressed doubts about the sudden request of her master.

The meaning of preparing for hers, it means to have tea time together.

However, the Ariel that Shuri had seen so far was a girl with a stricter distinction between master and servant than she thought.

It was common for her to talk with the subordinates, but she rarely asked for tea or meals together.

Surprised by this, Shuri stared at Ariel with her eyes wide open, then smiled softly and nodded her head without saying anything.

It was because her master’s intentions were somehow predictable.

“Come on, my lady. You should get up before the tea gets cold.”

“Okay… There’s nothing I can do about it, since I have to drink after I asked for it.”

Ariel, who had been rolling over from side to side on the bed as if readying to get up for quite some time, got up belatedly and walked towards the table with weak steps and sat down.

“What are you doing? You, sit down too.”

“Ah yes.”

When Shuri, who was really worried about whether she could sit with her master or not, stood still and was pondering, Ariel, feeling frustrated, pointed at the seat opposite with her chin.

“What tea leaves are these? It tastes good.”

“It is called Dhalia. It entered the market a few days ago and the customers said it was good.”

“Is that so? hehehe… … .”

Ariel wasn’t a big fan of tea, but she often enjoyed drinking tea leaves that suited her taste.

And of all the tea leaves she's ever drank, this one was particularly good.

She's not sure if it’s a fruity scent or what not, but she felt a unique acidity in taste, so it left a refreshing aftertaste on her tastebud.

“In these days, brew tea with this Dhalia leave. Are there any tea leaves left?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Good.”

Even if there isn't enough, with the Robeheim family’s connections, they could bring and present even the most precious tea leaves in front of this one and only heiress.

It is safe to say that there is nothing that Ariel desperately wanted and couldn't have.

No, to be exact, there was only one.

“But why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Say what… what shall I talk about?”

“You're being quite today. Isn’t it usually at times like this that you have to turn the tide of the conversation as a servant?”

Indeed, this was a tyrannical aspect of her master that was recognized by Edgar.

However, she called the servant first as if she had something to say, and then blamed the servant because she was afraid to speak!?

However, even in this situation, Shuri did not show any signs of embarrassment, and she handed over an apology cautiously and opened her mouth.

“Then, with all due respect, would it be all right if I start talking first?”

“Is there anything you want to say?”

“I didn't mean that. It’s just that I think I have a vague idea of what you want me to say.”

“… … .”

Except for Ariel's parents and Edgar, Shuri is the person who had been the longest person to stay beside Ariel, so Shuri was proud of herself to know Ariel very well.

The fact that her master, who has always been somewhat high-handed and somewhat blunt towards the servants, took the initiative today first must mean that she had something to seek help with, even with a feeling of grasping at straws.

[T: grasping at straws means ‘an attempt to succeed.']

And looking back at the most recent incident that happened to Ariel, Shuri made a rough calculation and the answer came out easily.

But would be up to the master she serves to decide whether or not she should say those words out aloud.

Ariel : “Before, I have once asked about the story of you and Ronan. And at that time, I was not being honest… … .”

Shuri : “Not honest at that time… what do you mean?”

Shuri's face held an expression of ‘Then you are being honest now?'

Ariel : “Wha.. what is with that tone of voice..?”

Ariel expressed an embarrassed look at the tone of the servant who seemed to be complaining but also asking!?

However, from Shuri’s point of view, it was a natural reaction.

At that time, her master clearly denied the fact that she likes him, now she seems to express that she likes the boy but not enough to express it out aloud.

In the end, it seemed to her that Ariel’s attitude towards Edgar had not changed much.

Even so, ‘now I’ve become honest.’ I’m saying that, but can a good look come out?

But then Ariel expresses that ‘I want to be honest now'. How is Shuri supposed to conclude her master's intentions?

“Do you want to love, my lady? Do you want to … … ?”

“Mmm, I don’t know! It's something I’ve never done before… … .”

“haaa.”

That’s right, it is indeed so.

Shuri let out a sigh when she realized that her line of thoughts didn't seem to fit with her master's.

Come to think of it, the girl she is serving is also just a young girl who was about to be eighteen and fell in love for the first time.

Just an ordinary girl who had to mature earlier than her peers and develop her abilities early.

The feeling of love is probably all that she has read through novels, literature books, or others.

In a way, it was natural for such a girl at her age to be anxious about how to deal with the unknown feelings she felt for the first time in her life.

On the contrary, it must have been all the more confusing for Ariel because it was a matter that could not be learned only by theory, such as magic, martial arts, and family affairs.

‘Thinking of it that way, my master seems very cute.’

Shuri knew that her master is a pretty and a cute girl from a young age, but thinking that all of today's actions came from her innocence made Ariel's feel even cuter.

“I don’t know what the lady will think, but Ronan and I instantly fell in love with each other directly without a date or …”

“Hmm? They said you guys were childhood friends, so both of you somehow ended up dating each other.”

“Of course, it’s true that I realized my feelings after seeing him often because we were childhood friends… At first, I was confused too.”

The story might have been a little different if one had been conscious of one's partner as a member of the opposite sex from the beginning.

However, Shuri and Ronan did not meet each other through a meeting place or someone else's introduction, they were just childhood friends who had been playing hand in hand since a young age.

That’s why, when Shuri saw Ronan as a member of the opposite sex for the first time, she was at a loss as to what to do when she felt her heart's strange pounding.

Perhaps, if they weren't friends, but in a relationship where things could be cut off cleanly leaving behind no regrets, then she might have been able to go all out and confess boldly.

However, for Shuri, Ronan was an irreplaceable friend, and that acted as a fragile spot that holds her back.

Does the other person hold the same feelings as hers? If her confession is rejected, what will their friendship end in?

Not even being able to maintain their friendship was something Shuri can't even imagine.

“So I can understand how you feel right now. I was also hesitant, even when I realized to some extent that Ronan had feelings for me.”

“ He also… You said?”

“Of course. He hasn't confessed yet, so it was just my wild guess, something that can’t be sure.”

There is a saying that to believe one in ten.

If it were to express Shuri’s feelings at the time and Ariel’s now, that would be the perfect expression.

Is it true that he likes me? Does he see me as a member of the opposite sex?

Even if such speculations were rampant in her mind, the moment when she tried to reach out her hand for the answer, she hesitates.

Is she doing the right thing? Wouldn’t their relationship just collapse in a night because of one misunderstanding?

So love is difficult.

Until one of the two conveys their sincerity, a situation inevitably comes where they just confront each other without knowing the truth.

Besides, it’s not something that happens because of someone’s fault.

It’s just a funny situation that happens because they cherish each other too much.

“Didn’t the lady say that? If you confess to the young master first, you will lose.”

“Yes… Yes it was.”

“But do you really mean that? It seems to me that even that is only a means of avoidance.”

Ariel’s body trembled for an instant at the servant’s sharp blow.

The content that she couldn’t spit out to anyone, even to herself.

Hearing that through Shuri’s mouth made Ariel feel like a part of her heart was being torn apart.

“… how did you know?”

“I told you. I have had a similar experience.”

The Shuri of the past and Ariel of the present were very similar.

If there is only one difference, is Ariel deceiving herself and continuing this act, but Shuri vowing to be honest with her feelings?

“Young lady is just scared. Even though you believed that the young master liked the lady, you still hesitate because you aren't sure yet if your speculations are true.”

“… If anyone heard about this conversation, they’ll think you've pried apart my skull and looked into what is in my head.”

“Even if it isn’t for a very long time, I’ve been watching my lady from the side all the time. Even if I don't pay attention, I will still know.”

At least, the girl Shuri had seen so far, Ariel Robeheim, was like that.

Sometimes she cannot be honest with herself.

She is a girl who did not commit acts that her pride would not tolerate.

But before that, she had a personality that was more possessive than anyone else.

Can’t she approach the first man in the world that she didn't have yet, something she wants more than anything else, then why talk about her pride?

Regarding this, Shuri couldn’t help but tilt her head.

“This is probably why he was happy when he realized that the young lady had feelings for you to some extent.”

“… … .”

Ariel shook her head softly without answering.

It was Shuri’s words.

As always, she relied on the kindness of a boy named Edgar.

Shuri thought ‘ I’m sure he’ll come to you first this time too, so you can wait for him to come before you reach out your hand first and tremble with anxiety.'

In other words, instead of relying on an uncertain future and hoping for progress in their relationship, they hoped for a more certain future, even if they looked somewhat farther away.

Even if it was questionable whether he really loved her as a woman, it was clear that she loved him as a man.

If Edgar came to her first and whispered love into her ear, there wouldn’t be a happy ending as sure as that.

“The fact that you didn’t honestly tell the young boy about candy… That must have been the reason.”

“Oh, did you know?”

“I think you sometimes see me as an idiot. Of course, I’m a bit blind, but… … .”

Shuri pouted for some reason and inflated her cheeks a little.

It was a story that made no sense in the first place.

Do you keep saying things you don’t want to say?

If someone who knew Ariel’s true intentions had seen that scene, they would never have believed it.

Just ‘not yet.’ Anyone would have noticed that it was a lie of a clumsy girl who wanted to delay her heartfelt confession.

‘perhaps… … .’

Shuri inadvertently remembered a man’s face and let out a windy laugh.

If it was that person, who knew Ariel better than she did, there is a good chance that he can probably grasp the essence of the situation.

“First, I’ll clean up the tea cups and bowls and come back. Do you still have something you want to say?”

“Yeah.”

‘Well, even if I stayed up all night, it wouldn’t be enough.’

Shuri also nodded as if she understood her feelings, and left the room, putting the empty teacup and the bowl that used to serve sweets on the trolley.

She's going to go back and listen to all the stories of her master who is so cute today.

The moment she opened the door with that feeling,

“Ah!”

“uh… hi?”

In front of her, is the man who had been on the topic a moment before standing with his hand raised awkwardly.

“Kuk Kuk.” [Suppressed Laughter!]

Shuri couldn’t hold back the laugh she had at the whim and burst out laughing involuntarily, and stood there with her mouth covered, then pointed to the room and opened her mouth to Edgar.

“If you are looking for my lady, please come inside?”

“I haven't announced my presence yet, is that going to be okay?”

“Then, as her handmaid. I will take the punishment.”

“… Thanks, Shuri.”

In response to his thanks, Shuri shook her head lightly and left the room with the trolley.

From Ariel’s position, the hallway was in a blind spot, so she probably didn’t see Edgar.

If Young Master Edgar entered the room at this time, there would be screams and, at least, a lot of noise.

‘My lady, do your best.’

Without looking back, Shuri reached out one hand behind her and quietly closed the door, then crossed the hallway with her back straight as usual.

Sending cheers to her master, at least inwardly.

[T: sorry for the late update, I am studying a pretty time demanding course and the chapters also gained alot more words. So, how do you think their confessions will go!?😏]