I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

Translator : Idris

The Debutante Ball is held every year in the annex of the Imperial Palace in the name of the Empress, not the Emperor.

The time varies slightly depending on the season, but usually between April and June.

Of course, it does not end in one day, but is held several times over a period of about two months.

At this time, among the young ladies of aristocratic families from all over the world, those who want to enter the social world gather in this one place, and they literally form another flower garden.

The age of participation is generally between the ages of 14 and 19, and depending on the role or position in the family, this period may be advanced or delayed.

Typically, when there is only one daughter in the whole family as an heir, their debuts are always earlier than the rest.

Among the examples, the grand duke's daughter is also included.

“Ugh, it’s inconvenient ……after all, it's not today, so do I really need to dress up like this?"

Ariel frowned at herself in the mirror, as if she didn't like the fancy dress she was wearing.

If they travel through the dimension stone, they will be able to arrive two days before her debut ball anyway.

But, is there a reason for her to go there in advance wearing such splendid clothes that it is difficult to walk?

Her values ​​were incomprehensible to her, who liked comfortable clothes more than pretty clothes.

“This time, the young lady is going there as the face of the Grand Duke's family. Even if it's uncomfortable, you have to bear with it a little.”

“I know that. I mean, is there any reason to wrap me up like this already?”

“Because I don’t know who will even spare the dress at a glance, all I must be on you."

These were not empty words to please her.

As she turned 15, Ariel, whose beauty gradually blossomed with her increasing age, if put on light makeup and a fancy dress that she hadn't worn very often.

She was so beautiful that even the same gender as her would be, so much so that she will even have the desire to live with that face for just one day.

“Hmm, that’s normal. What about Ed?”

Ariel, relieved by her quick shrug at one of her compliments.

Only then did she have time to look around her, so she asked Shuri for the traces of her childhood friend and her entourage.

She had decorated herself this far, so isn't it polite for him to come and see her at least once?

She didn't really want praise from that guy, but the problem was that the boy didn't have the attitude of an attendant who should support her and stay by her side.

“Maybe he is waiting in the hallway. He said that, given the nature of a young lady, she would not want to show herself dressed up.”

“Oh, was it like that? Hehe… Ed had indeed thought it out for me.”

She was a girl that was trying to be a little scandalous, but she never thought he would have such a heart.

He indeed is quite a childhood friend, and his understanding of her feelings well deserves praise.

‘Then shall I surprise him a little?'

Ariel's mischief, which had been quiet for a while, was activated.

Due to the nature of her dull childhood friend, he will not be impressed no matter how pretty she dresses up.

If so, how would she react if she showed a completely different side of herself?

What if she really showed a noble and dignified figure befitting her position as the daughter of a Grand Duke?

‘Because he seemed to like a classy and novel woman like her mother.'

Although she had never had a definite answer from his mouth, seeing how he treated himself, she got a sense of his liking to some extent.

Just after Ariel immediately formed those thoughts, she started replaying her mother's usual behavior in her mind.

She did not try to hide her true self, but it was easy enough for her to put on a mask and imitate a gentle and elegant noblewoman.

No matter what anyone says, it is one of the skills that is inherited in the lineage of the Robeheim family.

“Shuri, no matter what I do after this, don’t say anything. Understand?"

“Yes?”

Shuri's doubts were raised at the sudden request from her childish master.

What the hell is this immature master trying to do again?

At the very least, she should have told her the plans so that she could at least handle the aftermath, but she didn't even do that.

Shuri just hopes everything goes smoothly.

“Oh, are you out? Your clothes are pretty.”

“… … .”

A word that Edgar casually threw as soon as she opened the door to the room.

She didn't like it when someone insisted on picking up her clothes and saying that she was pretty, but for a while, Ariel bit her lip to pretend to be a dignified young lady for him.

"Miss! You look so good together!”

“The head of the family should have seen this scene… … !”

Unlike Edgar's calm reaction, the reactions of others, including those around him, were explosive.

It is said that the servants of this place witness Ariel's beauty several times a day, but due to her natural character, she is troublesome to decorate and they have not seen many cases where she is dressed in such a perfect manner.

She was not even an adult yet, but her beauty started to bloom and her wings ran, and she was so attractive that even women alike felt fluttered.

“Oh, this time the attendant selected to accompany you is only me and Shuri.”

"I see. Well, the two of you are trustworthy enough. I wish you well.”

“Uh, uh… … .”

Ariel answered with a benevolent smile that reminded him of Madam Helena.

Even though there was nothing particularly wrong with her reaction, Edgar nodded his head with an expression of slight disapproval, slipped away, and whispered to Shuri.

It was a judgment based on experience that his childhood friend must have eaten something wrong in the morning.

“… Shuri, what's going on?"

“I-I don’t know either. The lady didn't even say anything to me… … .”

"It's driving me crazy. What kind of wind blew and did that?"

Ariel's capriciousness was not something that happened yesterday or today, but today it was only more confusing because the direction the wind was blowing is quite different.

In the end, the three of them escaped from the main building of the castle while being seen off by the people around them with a bad heart.

After following Shuri's guidance, they soon met Helena and her subordinates waiting outside.

“I’m sorry, my daughter. As a mother, I wanted to be with you when you were going to an auspicious place, but circumstances did not allow it… … .”

Helena also wanted to accompany her daughter, but since her husband and head of the household had not yet returned from the northern expedition, she had to stay at her post.

If the journey was long, she might have to go to her husband's side for a while, so she had to stay here all the more.

Feeling sorry for her, she hugged her daughter tightly and let go, and Ariel's calm red eyes came into Helena's field of vision today.

“Ed and Shuri are next to me. Don't worry too much, mother. I'll have a good trip."

“… mother?"

The subordinates around her, who were watching this scene, praised Ariel for her mature attitude, but her reaction from Helena, who knew her better than anyone else, was different.

She wasn't an idiot, and she noticed right away that the way she had seen her daughter changed overnight.

The most reluctant part of her was that her title, which seemed unlikely to change even after she became an adult, had changed.

She's not the sort of kid who could suddenly change just because of her debutante ceremony. What is this?

"… … ?”

“… … .”

Helena immediately turned her gaze to the two people standing on either side of her daughter, and she asked with her eyes what was going on.

The both of them lowered their head slightly in response, and averted her gaze.

Then Helena let out a sigh of relief, realizing that nothing serious had happened to her daughter

‘It looks like she is acting on a whim again.’

If the effects aren't on the negative side, then it is just fine.

Besides, just seeing her daughter, who seemed unlikely to grow up forever, became an adult even for a moment, had a different taste to her.

“Have a safe trip, Edgar. Take good care of the young lady.”

“Yes, Sir Elfred. Please don't worry.”

Now that the head of the household is away, the role of congratulating Edgar has been replaced by his aide, Elfred.

First, Elfred held out his hand to shake Edgar's hand and wish him luck, and Edgar responded with a smile as he held the grown man's hand.

Ariel got on the wagon first, followed by the two of them while being escorted by the maids.

Shuri, who happened to be sitting alone in her carriage, felt a man and a woman sit side by side on either side of her.

Normally, as soon as Ariel got on the carriage, she would have made a fuss about wanting to use it wide alone, but she was somehow quiet today.

Edgar was only then convinced.

That there is something really wrong with his childhood friend.

“Hey, Ariel. What is going on with you today?”

"Huh? what? I am the usual me.”

“You are talking nonsense. Why don’t you get rid of that exaggerated hand gesture first?”

She was not an actor in any opera, and every time she spoke, it was hard for Edgar to come to his senses at the hand gestures that went back and forth between her mouth and chest.

It was the same for Shuri too.

At his sharp reply, Ariel recognized that it would be harder for her to hold on to his acrimonious reply.

"I did it for someone's benefit."

She didn't know he wouldn't recognize her generous mindset.

What a tactless man he is.

"Hey, you like things like this, don'ya. Since it's been a while, I acted for you."

"What? What for?"

It was Edgar who was rather dumbfounded by Ariel's attitude of raising her nose and shrugging her shoulders proudly as if asking to praise her quickly. .

She doesn't even know why she did that in the first place, but it was frustrating to show off and then fall down.

If noble gestures and cheesy speech, which are not usually done, fall under "this kind of thing," it is not what she wants at all.

"I know you like people who are elegant and noble like my mom. That's why I showed you while I was dressed up."

"What are you talking about? I've never talked about it before.”

He knows that Helena is a model of a benevolent woman who seems to directly come out of a painting, but such a woman is definitely not his taste.

He respected Helena as a respectful woman and he liked her active and friendly personality.

"Oh, you do not like it? Then how am I seen as while acting like that?"

"Whatever it becomes. You become a fool who did something you didn't need."

Shuri, who was listening to the conversation between the two, eventually couldn't hold back her laughter at Edgar's last word.

Ariel's head swung violently when the sound of the wind blowing rang in her ears.

"Hey, don't take it out on Shuri who's innocent after you've made a fool of yourself."

"Oh, I know. I'm embarrassed…….”

In the end, when she endured the embarrassment and acted, the only thing that came back was the bad compliments and bitter words that she received face-to-face.

Is there a more unfair exchange than this?

As Ariel shook her head with her face covered, a bitter smile formed around Edgar's mouth as he watched it.

Still, he was grateful for her intention to act and let him see his friend's ideal female image.

Honestly, there was nothing to say about it, but he enjoyed this fresh feeling.

In this case, it would be reasonable to do a short lip service for his dear friend.

"Hey, but you are really pretty today. To be honest, I didn't have an ideal type, but I could call you an ideal type today."

"Yo, you mean……!?”

Ariel's hands shook in the air recklessly at the sudden bombardment of unexpected praises.

Why is this man digging in at such an unexpected timing.

This is why she can't let her guard down for a moment.

However, Edgar also had an excuse for this issue.

"Honestly, it's not wrong."

Most of Edgar's ideal type of personality remains the same, more over her face is outstanding, and she is a talented girl who is good at everything.

It's just that she's always busy and disingenuous, and it's hard to stop her when she wants to behave in a devilish manner, so in a sense, she is right to be the woman who fits his ideal type the most.

However, it may be the story of looking at it as a woman, but it was taken out of the line, so Ariel had no choice but to be beaten defenselessly.

Then, as Edgar stroked her hair with his hands clumsily from the training, Ariel's cheeks turned red at once, and soon blood penetrated her ears.

Meanwhile, Shuri, who was watching from the opposite side, had no choice but to step up for the mental health of her master.

"Well, Mr. Edgar, why don't you leave it at that?"

"Why? You're afraid that her hairdo will be ruined?"

"I'll just say yes for now…….”

Shuri quickly rescued her master from the crisis, who seemed to be about to explode at any moment, and asked him to switch places with her.

At least until the wagon reached another area through the dimensional stone, it seemed that the two should not be stuck together.

She absolutely couldn't let a laughable story such as; being teased by the childhood friend to the point of dying because of heart disease before she even got to the ball.