I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

In the end, Edgar, who was swayed by Ariel's persuasion, ended up having dinner outside and returned to the mansion late.

Katria who was anxiously waiting in the garden, started to complain at the very sight of her son who arrived just in time, she hurriedly asked "Where were the both of you have been to?", she managed to calm down only after Helena showed up and stood beside her.

In fact, it was none other than Helena who told them to play for a while. It was not wrong.

She was just a little surprised because she didn't expect them to come back this late.

She put on a stern face, but looking at her daughter's face full of joy, she seemed to have had a good time, so her heart was relieved.

She then asked her concerns “Have you had dinner yet?”

“Yes, mother. We just ate a simple meal outside.”

“How was the meal? How can you just casually treat outside food to the princess.”

Many years have passed, but Katria's attitude towards Ariel was still polite.

It must be because she(Katria) still thinks of her(Ariel) as someone who should be served rather than as a friend of her(Katria) son.

Ariel was a bit uncomfortable with this, but because of the differences between her families, she thought it was inevitable and said nothing.

Because she knows that if she tries to say anything, it will only make the matter worse and it would be inevitable for both parties to feel awkward.

" It's okay, I don't get to eat outside food often, but it was pretty good.”

"Alright then….However, if you are still hungry, please let me know, I will tell the chef right away to prepare some food for you."

“Ok, Aunt.”

It was a very strange relationship, one calls the other as ‘Aunt', while the said aunt calls the other as ‘princess' respectfully.

Edgar, who was watching this, smiled wryly for no reason.

Helene, who was standing behind her, smiled uncontrollably and went back into the building with Katria.

Left in the garden, the two decided to look around for a while to digest their full stomach.

"It's been a while since I've been here, but almost nothing has changed."

Ariel, who was looking around the main building, gave Edgar an expression of absurdity at the brief sentiment that came out of her mouth.

"What the… Anyone who sees it often will know that it has changed.”

“That's what it says. Read the mood, you fool.”

At Ariel's scolding, Edgar just lightly shrugged his shoulders and avoided her gaze.

Well, that's what he said, but it's also true that the other girl's visits have decreased in numbers compared to when they were young.

There were times when her visits would stack for two or three times in just a month, and she would even stay for close to ten days, but it was the story of when she was ten years old.

On the other hand, it had been almost two months since she visited the Billhark family this time.

It must be because her family's education is becoming stricter by the day, and the burden on her shoulders is getting heavier, making it difficult for her to move recklessly.

‘I couldn’t possibly live like that. She is awesome.'

Although nominally a nobleman, as the head of a small local family, he was not given the same heavy responsibility as Ariel.

It's just a family that is a little more affluent than ordinary people, plus a comfortable bed and a plentiful meal to enjoy for the best.

Strict education in the family? There is no way that could happen.

Besides, the family study was also the educational policy of Lancel family, the head of the household and his father.

If at all, it would be teaching basic etiquette and interpersonal relationships.

Even that didn't feel harsh, he just had to learn it enough not to look bad in public or in front of others.

RAISE CHIN.

Ed – "What? Feeling bad.”

Ariel – "What reason is there for me to feel bad?”

Feeling sorry for his troubled childhood friend, he unconsciously put his hand on her head.

Which earned him a glare and the sharp tongued girl threw out several words out of anger. He broke out in laughter at the sight of the immature princess.

"It's even weirder because there's no reason, stupid."

Ariel shook her head and struggled to brush his hand off, his bloody hand resting on top of her black hair, her pride.

She doubts his treatments towards her are out of specific affections but since he is treating her without any clarified statement she can't help but feel like being treated as a child, so she was particularly not in a good mood. (She thinks Ed's care is out of love for her, but this love isn't clarified as lover's or sister's, thus she is in her dilemma)

She has always felt like being treated as a child.

He was the same age as hers, but he was always more mature, reliable, and laid-back than she was.

She doesn't mean to say it's bad, but there were times when she felt distant from him sometimes.

She brushed herself off, and there was an overwhelming sense of distance that she couldn't catch up with even if she ran a little faster.

"You always do. You just treat me like a child."

"You're a child, aren't you?" You and me."

"That's why I don't like that.”

There are children who can boast about themselves as adults, but there is no child in the world who can say that they are just children with their own mouths.

But Edgar could and he was always like that.

He said that he was also a child.

He said he's no different from her.

She sometimes wonders if she had already become an adult or when she can become an adult.

It was clear that his perspective on the world is fundamentally different from her, who always asks herself such questions.

“Why are you being stubborn again? Didn't you like dinner?"

"Never mind. just… … .”

A woman's heart is often compared to a reed(1).

And in the midst of puberty, a girl's heart is more sensitive and ever-changing.

Her emotions were not something she could easily control.

‘What was he trying to say?'

Words that I couldn't bear to answer Edgar's question a while ago lingered in my mouth.

When he said, ‘I feel like you’re going to go far away’, even when she thought about it again and again, she couldn’t understand the meaning even when she tried to.

If he had heard that, even her childhood friend would have been dumbfounded.

“By the way, do you have any friends? I was worried because you don't get along with anyone but me.”

“Yeah, it looks a bit like it. It's not like I can talk to anyone openly like you.”

When she told him that she would introduce him next time the opportunity came, Edgar smiled softly.

‘I'm glad though.'

It was one of the things she was most worried about.

Unlike Edgar, who enjoyed being alone quite a bit, she liked to lean on others and enjoyed being with someone, even though she seemed brave on the outside.

When she was stuck in her huge castle for weeks without any friends, she had no choice but to reach her limit no matter how much she whipped herself because it was her duty as her successor.

Even though she was only fourteen years old.

Edgar had already guessed it from when he went out with her to the village.

He guessed that, perhaps more than the frustration of not being able to go outside, she might have the hardest time not having a conversation partner she could relate to.

“Ed.”

“I’m listening, tell me.”

Edgar noticed right away that her voice was heavier than before.

Ariel kicked the empty floor with her foot, turning her head away for nothing, as if making eye contact with him was burdensome.

To which Edgar noticed, and turned away from her as well, acting as casually as possible with his response.

“Will it be difficult for you to come to Hespania?”

“… I guess so.”

There will be no proper place for him to live, and above all, there was no proper justification.

If he stayed at the Robeheim family castle, there would be limits just because he was a friend.

There are cases where he stays with a friend's family for only a few days or weeks at most, but it's extremely rare for a few months or years.

If she used the name of the eldest daughter of the Robeheim family to push through, it wouldn't be impossible at all, but there was a high probability that no one would listen to her request as she hadn't reached adulthood yet.

In fact, stalling his answer is right.

“Let’s go in. Change your clothes comfortably and talk… … .”

“That’s right. It's already too late.”

It was strange that she hadn't rejected his request and pushed for his answer as she usually used to do, which had caused the immature princess to behave like this.

It must mean she has a lot on her mind.

Edgar felt a sense of deja vu from that appearance, but felt sorry for the fact that there was no way to solve it right away.

Except telling her to come visit often.

As the two entered the mansion together, they saw the back of the person waiting on the first floor.

Black hair that hung down to the waist was rare, so the two knew at once who it was.

“Mom, why are you outside?”

“Yeah, I have something to tell Ed. Ariel, will you listen too?”

What do you mean? She couldn't even figure out what else she had to listen to.

In the meantime, a question suddenly passed through her head.

‘Come to think of it, why did my mother want to come to Ardenum?'

Even before they came here, she had only been told that she(Helena) had business that she could not send an assistant for, but she had not been told what it was specifically.

Ariel too, just guessed that there must be something important to tell between her families.

“Ed, I already asked your mother, but I want to ask because your opinion is the most important.”

"Opinion… what are you talking about?"

What kind of matters is it that his own opinion should be included?

He pondered, but nothing came to his mind.

A moment of silence followed, and as Helena looked at the two of them alternately, a soft smile appeared on Helena:s lips, her mouth opened soon.

“If you have any thoughts, would you like to spend some time with our family?”

"What?"

What do you mean by my family? The family in question sounded like it was talking about the Robeheim family.

Ariel also blinked her eyes and made eye contact with Edgar because she thought she heard it wrong.

As if they were asking, ‘We heard it right, didn't we?'

"I know it was an abrupt suggestion. But would you take some time to consider it?”

Here's what Helena said.

Not just because she wanted to put two people together, who are friends, but because she wanted to open a way to help them in their future.

It would be good for Edgar to see the wide world at least once, and he has been training recently, so learning from a good teacher will be of great help in the future.

And since the relationship between the families is a master-servant relationship, it would be okay for Ariel to proceed with several tasks if she wanted Edgar by her side later.

"Don't you like the proposal?”

"Oh, no. Rather, it is too much of a suggestion…….”

"Don't think so. Of course, I wouldn't say that there were no additional points because you were Ariel's friend, but apart from that, it's a suggestion that I made after seeing the possibility of a boy named Edgar Billhark."

Helena disappeared like that, leaving a message that if he needed time to think, he would have about three days before they depart.

The two people who were left looked at each other dumbfounded.

Perhaps Helena gave this suggestion on this occasion, guessing Ariel's inner thoughts?

"…What are you going to do?”

"What?"

"Don't be silly. Are you coming to Hespania?"

I don't know.

Edgar looked at the ceiling with a deep sigh.

Of course, I know that going to Hespania now will help me in the future.

But anyway, he was the only heir to a family, still he was not quite ready to lead the family yet.

Is it right to suddenly move to another place when has not learned enough about how to lead his family yet? He was just worried about that issue.

"What do you want me to do?”

"…I don't know. Do as you please."

Ariel turned her head around and answered casually, as if it was not her case to interfere.

However,

GLANCE.

Edgar could clearly see Ariel's gloomy figure as she was diligently rolling her eyes and examining him.

So, I can't be honest.

It was also funny that when he suggested that he would not be able to come to Hespania at some point, he came out with the attitude of whether or not he would come because the mat was already covered.<b>

It was also funny that he met a dilemma on going or not when he was suddenly given the opportunity to go to Hespania, while , just a moment ago he was contemplating over the matter of not being unable to go to Hespania. (He's kind of mocking himself for hesitating when he was given the choice (with a solid reason) to go or not, but just a while ago he was mulling over the fact that he can't go to Hespania without a solid reason.)

‘Should I let myself lose this once?’

Edgar silently trudged over to her side and placed his hand gently on her silky hair.

“Okay, let’s go.”

"Yes? Really… Are you coming? To Hespania?”

“It is a tempting proposition. Besides, I can see you often, and it's nice.”

She couldn't believe that these words would come out of Edgar's mouth, not anyone else's.

Ariel felt the muscles on her face begin to loosen up immediately, but she pretended not to and jerked her body around.

“What is good…You just annoy me.”

“Then shall I refuse to go since it's to bother you?”

"I-I didn't say that!"

Got it, got it.

Edgar soothed her with her horns and made her laugh as she chewed on Helen's suggestion in her head.

He was pondering some trivial thoughts and he wondered if he might have to live with a huge debt to Helena for the rest of his life. (For Helena's request to bring him to Hespania and the childhood friend pact.)

Reed – it's a type of tall and slender grass, but it can also refer to a person or thing which is too weak to rely on; one who is easily swayed or overcome.