I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

Translator : Idris

Walking down the brilliant hallway, Edgar finally arrived in a room with a long table.

He presumed that it is a room used by the Lord and the subordinates when there is something important to discuss.

"The atmosphere isn't as bad as I thought."

Edgar, who entered the room, glanced around, but a few people seemed to be looking at him with particular glare.

On the contrary, they seemed quite surprised to see him in person as they were buzz among themselves, asking if he was that child.

‘ I feel like I've become a spectacular animal.'

Following Helena's guidance, a drop of cold sweat passed down Edgar's back, as he sat in a suitable seat.

Even if he tried to cover it up, it would be strange not to be nervous when he knew that so many people were closely watching all of his actions.

Helena, who was watching Edgar closely, patted him on the shoulder as if assuring him it was okay.

‘Even if you're a kid-adult, being in this kind of situation is always tiresome.'

He just hopes the case will proceed fast without any major problems.

And it's been a long time since they've been looking at each other without a word.

Soon, a man sitting opposite from Helena opened his mouth as a representative.

He had a pretty stylish mustache, and Edgar remembered seeing him around here.

"Edgar Bilhark, I'm sorry to have let the patient walk here. It's a confusing situation and I really need your statement."

"No, I'm just grateful for the hospitality."

"I'm sad that I couldn't even treat the benefactor who protected the lady to that extent. Oh, I'm late in introducing myself."

Identifying himself as Elfeld Glasier, he was none other than the Robeheim couple, the first power of the family and also an aide to the family.

When Edgar recalled his memory because he thought he had seen the man somewhere, he could see that Elfred was a man who patted his head and gave him a chocolate the other day when he visited the castle with Creed.

Despite his size and physique as big as Creed, he remembered Elfred was quite a good match for a kind smile.

"I've heard a lot from Mrs.Helena. So, you stayed here with your identity hidden for learning?"

"It's not just because of learning, but it's also a part of the reason."

"Hoh, not just because of learning? If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you what the other reason is."

At his counter-question, Edgar glanced at Helena sitting next to him.

It was a question of whether Edgar could tell him the details, but Helena smiled nonchalantly and winked as if telling him to do what he wanted.

"Because my dream is to stay with my friend."

"Do you mean Lady Ariel when you say your friend?"

“… Yes that's right."

There was no use in hesitating to speak when things are already exposed anyway.

When Edgar coolly expressed his affirmation, the smile on Elfred's lips grew even wider.

“I have heard. I heard that you refused to enter the House of Robeheim by borrowing the names of Lady Helena and the Young Miss?”

"Yes."

“Is there any reason? I'm not going to interrogate you, but it wouldn't be bad to study in a more comfortable environment."

Really, are you asking that far?

What should be told has already been told anyway, so Edgar decided to speak up without caring for anything.

“If so, I would have been able to rest comfortably under the protection of the Robeheim family right now. But who will recognize the successor of a small family who has not achieved anything?”

“In other words, I wanted to stand by the Young Miss only with my own abilities without borrowing the help of others… That's what I mean.”

"That's right."

Hearing the words that came out of his own mouth somehow made him feel as though he was working hard to become Ariel's fiancée, but he couldn't afford to pay attention to that right now.

Besides, as long as these people have some sense, they wouldn't think that the heir to a rural Baron would be aiming for a seat next to the future Grand Duchess.

“Yeah, I have heard the story too. So let's move on to our chat, just about what happened in the lady's bedroom yesterday… … .”

‘It has come!.'

This was Edgar's biggest concern.

In the end, it was an act that protected Ariel, but if he told them what happened throughout the whole process, it would definitely bring about a repercussion for him.

In any case, the act of trespassing through the barrier is not a small matter.

Now, the problem is how to wind his way out of this matter now.

In the first place, Edgar won't have a chance to resist if he tries to bite the bullet and reveal the truth..

However, he sees that there is room for extenuating the circumstances and if he tries to bury that certain part, at least there will be some room for conversation.

As Edgar anxiously swallowed his saliva, a strange smile formed on Elfred's lips as he watched Edgar.

“You are aware that there is a barrier around this castle, right?”

“Yes, I heard it from Ariel.”

He was wondering if he should put Ariel's full name after her name, but fortunately no one seemed to point it out.

Does it mean that they acknowledge him as her friend?

This alone is a great harvest.

“I spoke with the intruder yesterday about how he was able to pass through the barrier and enter the lady's bedroom. But there was nothing that stood out”

“…….”

Didn't Ariel say anything?

No one but him and Ariel would have the right answer on how to pass the barrier.

Just as he was thinking about whether to reveal it now, Elfred's mouth opened again.

"So I investigated the case closely… First of all, nothing major is the case and the Young Miss explained about your appearance at that time."

"…What? What do you mean by explanation?"

It was a fact in name and reality that he broke into Ariel's room, whether there is an explanation or not.

But Ariel came forward on behalf of him and explained, what kind of nonsense is this?

"You don't have to pretend you don't know. I've already heard that you were called to her room just before the barrier activated."

When Elfred jokingly added, "You must have had a hard time climbing up high," Edgar felt dumbfounded.

In other words, Ariel deliberately falsely stated and took the blame on herself.

"Did Ariel say that?"

" Yes. Maybe she knows that you'll try to take the blame all on yourself because you don't want to bother her, so she earnestly asked me to make an exception for you."

Seeing Elfred smiling happily, Edgar realized that he had taken a punch from her and smiled a despondent smile.

‘So that's the reason for your mysterious smile.'

At the end, he could finally understand the reason for the meaningful smile she showed.

Above all, it was a hard fact that Ariel added the last sentence (Elfred's last sentence at above) at the end when Ariel delivered her words to Elfred.

Once she has made that statement first, Elfred will feel that Edgar is deliberately lying to cover up Ariel, even if he tells the truth.

In addition, from the perspective of Elfred, a subordinate of the Robeheim family, he can't doubt the words of the person he is serving.

Indeed, before Edgar woke up, Ariel used all the means she could to fulfill her goal.

"I'm going crazy."

There is no way.

He didn't expect Ariel to treat him so well.

When he glanced at Helena, she only smiled as if she knew everything, there was no need to say anything.

Edgar could finally realize that this situation was a kind of play made up for him.

He guesses Elfred is closer to Ariel than Madam Helena.

Rather, it is clear that Ariel thought of this incident as an opportunity to gain recognition and pushed ahead without hesitation.

Helena must have also given a light push from behind.

Edgar's recklessness in trying to solve it alone without calling in reinforcements anyway, and how he broke through the barrier in the middle of the night and entered Ariel's bed.

The only matters that could be questioned were those that could not be confirmed without Ariel's statement.

Since things have to come to this point, no matter what the person in name(Edgar) said doesn't matter anymore, the person in charge of this case will close his eyes and write what should be written.

He doesn't know if he should dismiss this as a white lie, but in any case, she fooled many of her subordinates with her lies.

Only to create a situation where her own friend is fully appreciated.

‘ She's very tyranny.'

It's only now that he started to worry about the future.

Why the hell did she handle things in such a reckless way?

But even in this situation, the funniest thing was that he was delighted at her consideration.

“The reason I called you today is to decide on your future status. I cannot turn a blind eye to the benefactor who protected our Young Miss.”

“If you are talking about the rewards… … .”

Edgar's brain couldn't keep up with the story that was going too fast.

It's only just now that he's finally sorted out last night's incident and entered the post-processing, but he never thought they would directly enter the phase about granting him rewards.

Although saving the Young Lady is an important task, the pace of progress was too fast for him to keep up.

However, it is not that Edgar's doubts did not go unnoticed by Elfred.

It's just that he is a subordinate working for the Robeheim family anyway, and in the end, he was in a position where he couldn't ignore the pressure from above.

“The lady was very upset. Putting aside anything else, she said that since you have done so much, she asked me to let you stay by her side from now on.”

"haha… … .”

He can't believe he has been out done by Ariel today.

Today was a complete defeat. Perhaps he had never felt so deeply defeated by Ariel before.

Even so, what is truly strange is that the heart stained with defeat was very warm.

He expected the day would come when he would feel this way from that immature princess, but he didn't expect it to come this soon.

‘I didn't want it this way.'

Taking a friend's crisis as an opportunity, could there be a more disgusting situation than this?

But on the other hand, he also felt that refusing something that Ariel has put on a silver-platter while going so far as to tell lies, is an insult from him.

Maybe she even predicted that he would feel this way.

“Please, I will follow whatever you say.”

“It’s nice to be clear. Perhaps we will talk in detail during the week. This is a matter that Madama Helena also wanted to proceed quickly.”

As expected, it seems that Madam Helena also supported him with a hand.

When Edgar looked at her with a little resentment in his eyes, Madam Helena did not know what he was thinking but only smiled at him.

In the end, through this incident, Edgar realized that he is still far away from his initial goals and that his immature childhood friend is no longer a child.