I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

Editor : Aizen

A year before they were both about to come of age, unexpected news arrived at the Robeheim family's doorstep.

That was why they boarded the carriage at an unusual time and left Hespania for a while…

"You actually didn't needed to tag along "

"What? Are you saying you don't want me to come with you?"

Edgar spoke to Ariel with a troubled expression as the carriage moved.

When Ariel responded abruptly, he had to intervene and try to calm her down, asking if that was the case.

Edgar didn't say it simply because he wanted to get away from her and be alone.

He said it because he knew better than anyone that every minute and every second mattered for her. She would soon come of age and had to immerse herself in public affairs.

Nevertheless, when he mentioned that he would go to Ardenum in accordance with his schedule, she tried to stop him.

"It won't take long anyway, so please wait a moment." He tried to appease her.

But Ariel's response was simple.

"Since it won't take that long, it's better. We can go together."

Eventually, Edgar, who was determined, had to adjust his schedule to go to Ardenum with Ariel.

And now, they were riding together in the carriage.

"Besides, if it concerns your family, it concerns mine as well. Don't see me as someone who is uninvolved."

“… … .”

Ariel's statement, devoid of any shame despite her usual reserved demeanor, clearly came from the heart.

Edgar was well aware of this, so he simply nodded silently and tightly held her hand.

"I never expected to suddenly have a younger sibling out of nowhere."

It was a letter for Ed that arrived about a month ago.

The contents were nothing out of the ordinary, but it mentioned that a new person had been added to the list of successors of the Billhark family.

Edgat wasn't even revealed to the fact that his mother has been pregnant until now, as she kept it a secret so as not to burden her son, who was far away, and only disclosed it after giving birth this time.

Edgar was taken aback when he first heard the news.

"Do you want a girl? Or a boy?"

"I think deep down, you want a younger brother."

Edgar lost in thought and gazing at the ceiling while leaning against the backrest, seemed to still recall the surprise he felt upon reading the letter.

Ariel tapped him on the shoulder and asked the question. Shuri, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, also chimed in to help.

"Well, I never really thought about it."

After all, he had never considered the possibility of having a younger sibling, so he hadn't even pondered the gender.

"I wish I had at least one younger brother." Shuri said in a dreamy voice.

"You wish for a younger brother too, Shuri? I'm sure you would take good care of them."

Ariel nodded in agreement, envisioning Shuri caring for her younger brother.

Despite her usual complaining, the fact that Shuri had remained a lady-in-waiting for Ariel all this time indicated that she enjoyed taking care of others and had a good personality.

"Um, but I wish it would be a younger sister." Edgar cut in.

"Younger sister? Why is that so?"

Considering his future role in the Robeheim family, it would be better for the new born to be a son. So as to have a successor for the Bilhark family.

Ariel found his response somewhat unexpected and tilted her head, seeking clarification.

"Before, I felt like you were my little sister. But not anymore, so I wanted to have a new younger sister."

"I see… If that's the case, then I also wish I were a girl."

Ariel blushed slightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed despite not receiving any praise.

If she were his younger sister, then she would also be his little sister, and it was clear that being a younger sister was preferable if he would treat her with affection later on.

For some reason, she started to feel oddly reluctant about having a younger brother.

"Oh, and a puppy will be waiting for us when we arrive. You'll like it."

"A puppy? Wait, didn't you mention it before?"

"Yes, it was very small back then but may have grown a bit now."

Ariel's fondness for animals was widely known.

Although the Robeheim family had Helena, who was allergic to animals, and raising a puppy wasn't a feasible option.

Still, Ariel occasionally found solace in watching stray cats and puppies that the guards played with outside the castle.

"Have you told your parents about us dating yet?"

"We haven't had the opportunity to talk. Besides, it is not a matter that can be casually discussed in a letter."

"If that's how you feel…"

Though Ariel replied lightly, she felt happy deep down that he didn't take their relationship lightly.

She had always met with Edgar's parents as their son's childhood friend who had always been by the boy's side like a tomboy, but today she will be greeting them as a potential daughter-in-law, so she wanted to make a good impression.

With that thought in mind, she turned her head slightly and found herself gazing at Edgar, who was sleeping peacefully with his eyes closed.

"Young Master must be tired too."

Shuri glanced at the sleeping Edgar and made a speculative remark.

"Why? Did something happen yesterday?"

Shuri blinked at the question, a wry smile forming on her lips.

"Young master asked me not to tell you, but…"

"…Are the master's orders more important, or Ed's words?"

"That's right, miss. That's why I'm worried."

Shuri would have kept silent without uttering a word if it weren't for Ariel.

However, she felt that she should inform Ariel, that's why she brought this topic up.

"Actually, it seems that a few people within the family have a negative view of the Young Master."

"A negative view… What does that mean?"

She just brought up the topic. And Ariel..

Shuri momentarily flinched at the intensity radiating from Ariel,

Indirectly faced with Ariel's anger meant for her mortal enemy, Shuri seem to recall a shadow of the Lord, Yulken.

Although Shuri had never witnessed Yulken's prowess on the battlefield, she had heard enough about him through her mother, Sheppy.

"Excuse me, but could you lower your voice for a moment, Miss? The young master might wake up…"

"…Alright, go on."

Lowering her voice is important, but it also meant to suppress her emotions.

Although difficult, getting excited right now won't change anything.

Shuri had already anticipated Ariel's dismissive reaction when she made that statement.

In this situation, it was important to tell the story in a way that Ariel could understand it best.

Although Edgar asked Shuri to keep this a secret, Shuri was always loyal to Ariel as her squire.

That meant prioritizing Ariel's happiness above all else.

It would be better if this fact was revealed later, and the owner took the blame upon themselves.

Ultimately, this choice was made for the owner's happiness.

"Please keep this story a secret from the boy."

"I'll keep it a secret from Ed. I'm know what to do about those beggars."

Watching Ariel grit her teeth and clench her fists, Shuri felt that she could trust her master.

Ariel was different from a girl who had always been protected by her parents, family, and friends.

So Shuri believed she could confidently tell her this story.

"I hope this leads to the result of the young lady protecting the young master."

The two of them needed to face each other honestly and move forward.

Today, Shuri decided to play the role of the villain.

* * * * * * *

Ardenum, upon returning after a long time, remained unchanged.

Unlike Hespania, there was a warm breeze and lush greenery.

The scenery of the village they passed through was friendly and welcoming rather than bustling.

It had been nearly four years since Ariel last visited Ardenum, so the experience felt even fresher.

Edgar used to visit whenever he could, but Ariel had always stayed in Hespania.

"Ugh, I still can't get used to riding in carriages."

Edgar muttered to himself as he stretched, relieving his neck and shoulder stiffness.

He couldn't help but think about the suffering he would have endured if not for the shortened travel time through the dimension stone.

If he later ended up meeting the person who developed the dimension stone, he would like to express his gratitude with a gift.

"Should we stop by the Magic Tower?"

"What are you gonna do at the Magic Tower?"

"Woahh, what the…you startled me." Edgar's voice held a slight tremble.

Ariel, who overheard Edgar talking to himself, approached him quietly, causing Edgar's body to levitate for a moment in surprise.

In case someone isn’t a genius, Edgar taught her martial arts, and as the days go by, her skills inevitably reached a certain state enough to sneak up on people just like a cat without making a single sound.

Edgar would often ask for a sparring to test her skills, but she would always confront him with silent.

"Why are you going to the Magic Tower?"

"I heard that the person who developed the dimension stone is the current owner of the Mage Tower. I just wanted to express my gratitude."

"…Is it because of a woman?"

The look in Ariel's eyes seemed to suggest that if Edgar said anything foolish, she would immediately give him a smack.

Edgar felt a chill run down his spine and quickly waved his hands, trying to diffuse the time bomb.

"I'm just kidding. How can you be so cold. Is the current Mage Tower owner a woman?"

"I don't know. I just thought of it that way. I don't really care who it is."

"You're a unique one, that's for sure." Troubled, Edgar could only concede.

Even though the current mage lord had a higher reputation than many noble families, Ariel didn't even bother to know their gender.

Afterall she is Ariel Robeheim. It was just her way of being indifferent to things that didn't interest her.

As the carriage neared the mansion, the three engaged in such trivial conversations along the way.

The guard at the entrance was about to greet Edgar as usual. However, he stiffened upon realizing the woman's identity accompanying the Young Master.

"Young master has returned!"

"Relax. There's no need to make a fuss."

"What am I, a beast?" Ariel quietly grumbled from behind, but Edgar ignore it and asked the guard to open the door first.

As the guards on either side opened the gate in an orderly manner, two familiar figures came into view from the other side.

"You two came along too? I told you that you don't need to accompany me."

"My son has finally come back. Can't you see that? Fool."

"I know, right? This might have been a misunderstanding on Young Master’s part."

"Yes, yes. I am the one to blame."

Edgar crossed the garden, gracefully passing by the servants from both sides and exchanging greetings with his parents on the other side for the first time in a while.

"Welcome back, my son. Was the journey hard?"

"It was fine. But why did you bring the princess with you?"

Both his parents started bombarding him with inquiries, albeit different topic.

"I'll explain in detail later. Anyway, I told her my mother wasn't feeling well, and for some reason, she insisted on accompanying me."

A faint smile appeared on Katria's lips as she observed her son's behavior, as he was oblivious to his mother's feelings and concerns.

"As a mother, I can't stay at home when my son visits. The weather was lovely today, so I came out to enjoy the flowers along the way."

"You can see the most beautiful flowers when you look into the mirror. Why go all the way to the garden?"

"Ha! You know how to flatter your mother. Even your father doesn't say things like that anymore."

Even though Helena said that, Edgar knew very well that his parents were highly affectionate.

Otherwise, his mother wouldn't have been able to give birth to a child at a later age.

In this manner, the Billhark couple conversed with each other for the first time in a while and then turned their attention to Ariel, who had approached them.

Ariel smiled and, in a respectful yet discreet tone, held the hem of her skirt with both hands and spoke.

But,

“It's been awhile. Father, Mother”

The only problem was that the simple sentence she said was enough to make the spirits of the Billhark couple blown away.