I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

In the blink of an eye, the two-years-old kids who became friends in their first meeting has both grown up to the age of walking and playing together. 

Before they knew, they had both turned 10 years old and they were often running around without knowing fear.

On the day Ariel visited the Billhark family holding the hand of her mother, Helena, Edgar's hands and feets were both busy.

She was a tyrant. To be more precise, she was more like a gangster.

The thing she wants, she must get it and the things she wants to do, it has to be done no matter what. In a way, it could be predict as a personality suitable for the next head of the Grand Dukedom.

Edgar had been following up with his routine of physical training from an early hour, that has started since he turned ten years old.

He wanted to build up his body in advance as the future head of the Billhark's family, since he knows that his brain is totally a mushed up case.

In this era, strong physique and high martial arts can also be recognised as an ability.

"Ed! Let's go to the mountain today!"

You just arrived unannounced like this.

He is not sure if this can be considered natural because of the difference in the family's status in the first place. 

"Again? You were scolded when you secretly went to the mountain the last time."

Edgar sulkily replied to Ariel, who suddenly appeared, without even saying hello.

"It's okay! I can go without getting caught this time!"

Ariel boldly expressed her ambition by stretching her chest out , which has yet to grow.

Edgar could be sure that this is the least reliable line he has ever heard.

Doesn't this little Grand Duchess remember exactly what happened just two weeks ago?

"…Are you going to fall down and cry again?"

"Who's crying? Ed, you idiot!" 

Who's crying? Ofcourse it's you.

As the eldest daughter of the Roneheim family, Ariel has been learning various studies including imperial studies from a young age,

but inside she was a girl just like others who would cry even from just a sma scratch. 

 “You can’t remember? You fell while climbing the hill and cried to me… Oww!”

 “Tell me one more time !! And I'll really beat you up!"

 "You're already beating me… Ah, I see! Stop hitting me because it hurts!”

How on earth does this destructive power come from the hands of this delicate girl?

Edgar was ready to shed tears because of the pain on his back.

By the way, why does she want to climb the mountain so badly? Has she been reading any adventure novels recently?

"Does a 10-year-old kid read novels?"

He is not sure either. Atleast, in his opinion, novels were something one touches only after becoming an adult.

It's uncertain whether a 10-year-old would enjoy reading books with only words and no pictures.

It seems that she has get her hands on a book that depict pictures of adventure in an interesting way. He should also ask her to share some of them if he has a chance later.

 “But how in the world are you going to get out? There are many guards too.”

The previous mountain exploration was only possible because of luck.

Even if they are friends, the other party's indentity is the heir of the Grand Duke, one of the three most powerful house in the the empire.

There are always bodyguards who were protecting her from the shadows.

Escaping from their eyes is the most difficult task for a ten-year-old.

However, Ariel looked somewhat confident while listening to Edgar's concerns.

To be exact, it was as if she had been waiting for this question to be asked. Her shoulders were also higher than usual.

"Good question! Let's go inside for now. That's how I can show you."

"What?"

" Right. Ed, I brought you a present today, did you know?”

 “I have no idea.I didn't even know that you were coming over in the first place.”

 It's a gift anyway. What's up with him?

As mentioned earlier, she was a tyrant. He is used to receiving presents , but to especially prepare gifts was not something ordinary. 

Nope, let me rephrase it. It is that she has never conceded to Edgar.

 ‘ Particularly, she's not a bad kid. ‘

 Ariel was especially used to teasing Edgar.

 When they were playing like best friends, the two of us happily ran around in hahahoho, not knowing the time was passing, but after that moment, she pouted and ticked him for no reason.

 ‘I can’t understand the feelings of children.’

He doesn't know if it is because of the different in gender, but since it's not the case it only deepens the query.

 In addition, it was difficult to interpret the intention of her giving a gift because of her past mischievous actions. 

Maybe she will puts a caterpillar she brought from somewhere on her hand and gives it as a gift.

 “I am looking forward to it. "

 "Alright! I'm sure you'll be surprised, my mom said it too!"

 “Hey.”

Hearing that, I could feel alittle bit of relief.

 No matter how much she is a princess, a 10-year-old kid would not sell out her mother's name.

 ‘Mrs. Helene is trustworthy.'

For Edgar, Helene was nothing short of a saint.

It was thanks to her that he was able to talk informally with the daughter of the Grand Duchess, whose status difference was enormous at this moment, and she was also the one who always treated him and Ariel as if they were her own children without any discrimination.

Thanks to that, his faith in Helen was complete.

‘I’m kindof curious. What kind of gift will it be?'

Although the mental age to inflate expectations for a gift has passed, since it was a gift directly from the daughter of a grand duke, not from anyone else, he became curious.

Thinking of her family, I wouldn't be surprised if she suddenly brought a mansion and said, ‘It's a gift!'

 ‘ Guess that went too far.’<b>

 </b>

Regardless of the power, it will be a small gift because it is the right amount of gifts that only 10 years old can give and receive even if they are bestfriends.

Recently, reading books has become interesting, so it would be nice to get an interesting book as a gift.

I can only hope she has enough sense.

Two people entered the building talking like that.

Ariel walked freely through the main building of the Bilhark family with familiar steps, as if it were her home.

It is not a surprise thing coz this mansion is her most visited place except for her own house.

‘Come to think of it, I've never been to the Robeheim family.’

According to what I heard in the past, it is an ancient castle of a huge size.

If I get a chance later, can I go there someday?

From his point of view, the Bilhark family's mansion was large enough, but he wanted to see it at least once in his life as it is a huge castle that could only be seen in books.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

After a moment of bewilderment, Edgar opened his eyes wide when he found Ariel heading to the left hallway.

There is a fixed place for the two to go inside this mansion.

The dining table at mealtime, Edgar's room to play, and a reception room at someone's parents' call.

Among them, if we have to consider it now, it will be the play time.

Even so, somehow Ariel's steps were directing somewhere else.

"I'm going somewhere other than Ed's room.”

"Different place?"

It's getting harder and harder to understand her.

Anyway, Edgar followed her silently as she was leading the way. 

She didn't know what kind of reaction would come out if she tickled him here.

"There! Ed, hurry up!"

"Oh, yes."

She pointed to a small storage room in the corner of the first floor.

A shabby place that is usually used by servants to put away things and the other odds and ends that are no longer needed.

It was also a place where even Edgar, who lives in this mansion, had rarely visited.

A heavy squeak sounded.

Perhaps it hadn't even been properly oiled recently, the door opened with the distinctive scream of a wooden door.

 At the same time the door opened, white dust covered the two of them.

His eyes were so itchy that it was almost shedding tears.

 “Achoo!”

 “Cough! Cough!”

How the hell are we managing this place?

At least, dusting once a week wouldn't pile up this much of dust seriously.

Edgar immediately took out the handkerchief from his bosom and held it out to Ariel.

"Cough…! Hurry up and cover your nose and mouth with this."

"What about you?"

"Because I'm done."

Ariel stared blankly at the handkerchief held out to her, then accepted it with a shy nod.

 ‘Anyway, why did you ask me to come to a place like this?’

‘Do you have anything you need here?'

Edgar soon rummaged through the piles of luggage in the storage room after breathing in the fresh air.

Certainly, in a place like this, you wouldn't have to worry about being caught by the guards.

 “What are you going to do?”

 “I’ll show you right away, so wait a bit.”

It seems that there is indeed a gift something prepared.

Ariel suddenly walked to the center of the storage room and crouched there.

Soon, she rummaged something out of the small pocket attached to the chest of her jacket.

Edgar looked closely, and there was a pile of unidentified powder on her little palm.

In the first place, he had no magical talent. Not to mention the fact that the Bilhark family's bloodline can't perform magic for generation. 

Naturally, there were no books or items related to magic in the mansion.

 If there is, it is just a magic tool that ordinary people can use?

 "Look Carefully. Using this… … .”

 Ariel started muttering something while her hands were half-clenched into fists.

 Although Edgar was unfamiliar with magic, he could tell that it was an incantation chanted before using magic.

He has seen people used magic a few times before. 

 ‘Can she use magic already?’

It is said that even the world's best wisard can only learns mana at the age of 10, and activate magic only when he is 12 years old.

How much talent does this little girl infront of him has?

Unknowingly, goosebumps appeared on Edgar. 

A giggling sounded.

Soon after, the light that was getting bigger in her hand rose into the air, and it headed straight to the wall of the warehouse.

Then, as soon as it touched the wall, it became a circle larger than the size of the two.

Beyond that, to his surprise, he could see the outside of the mansion.

"It's the first magic I learned. Isn't it cool?

"Are you going to secretly go to the mountain with this magic?"

"Yes."

It was a naive answer, but I couldn't believe it was the behavior of a ten-year-old.

What kind of kid learns magic and break through a hole in the wall to enjoy a day of escape.

‘The way she think is different.'

 Of course, it is not impossible if you have that kind of ability.

 Edgar, whose absurdity had disappeared, pointed at the wall with his chin in desperation.

 Then he took a small knife that was lying in the corner of the warehouse.

 ‘I'll be able to get rid of the branches of trees with this.'

Since it happened like this, it would be better to go quickly.

A bright smile bloomed on Ariel's face after reading Edgar's actions.