I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

Translator : Idris

Edgar glanced at his childhood friend, who had been silently walking for a while without saying anything.

He wondered if following her through the corridors of the castle had ever felt so heavy than this moment.

The unknown air surrounding her was more suffocating than the pressure of facing the owner of the grand duchy.

At first glance, her stance looked like a warrior ready for a decisive battle, but it was different in Edgar's eyes.

If he had to express it, he would say it’s like a child who is trying to put a lot of energy in order to cover what he’s afraid of.

“Ariel.”

“Uh, huh?”

“Calm down, if you put any more strength, you might break your neck."

Edgar playfully patted her on the back and pointed at her shoulder.

Only then did Ariel realize that her body was strained too much, and she smiled shyly and lowered her shoulders.

Edgar had to feel an unprecedented sense of alienation from that appearance of hers.

If it was normal, she would have definitely shot back saying ‘ Who the hell is nervous here!'

However, the fact that she obediently responded to his words instead of doing so was an example of the fact that she was indeed nervous.

As they were walking down a corridor that seemed to continue endlessly, a familiar figure approached us from the other side.

Ariel, who was moving while looking only at the floor, lifted her head at the sudden shadow cast upon the floor, and when her eyes met, her complexion brightened.

“How have you been? Ariel. Both of you have suffered a lot.”

[T: the suffer here doesn't represents the word suffer, it's more like ‘you guys have work hard'

Please read at galaxytl site to help the translator get your views.]

After giving thanks to the two people who stood by Ariel’s side, Helena held Ariel in her arms.

Feeling the warmth in her mother’s arms after a long absence, Ariel belatedly asked where her father was.

“Mom, Dad… … ?”

“He is in the office, receiving official reports from Lord Elfreld.”

Office.

At that word, Ariel licked her lips with a pale complexion, as if she had a bad memory.

Helena, who was aware of this, smiled sadly and patted her daughter’s hair, inviting her to go to the office together.

“Ed, Shuri. You may go back to your respective rooms. I’ll take Ariel with me.”

At first glance, it seemed like a word given out of consideration for the two people who had traveled a long way, but neither Edgar nor Shuri’s expression brightened.

Rather, Shuri carefully opened her mouth with a look in her eyes that she had many things she wanted to say but couldn’t bring herself to say.

“However, madam… … .”

“Shuri, do as Mom said.”

It was Ariel, not Helena, who firmly cut off Shuri’s words and drew a line.

As if she didn’t want to show the scene in front of her, she lifted her head and made eye contact with Shuri, smiling helplessly.

Confirming this, Shuri pursed her lips and bowed her head in gratitude, probably feeling that she could not protest against her master’s words.

Ariel, who sank Shuri like that, cast her eyes to the left this time and looked at her childhood friend.

It’s like, ‘I don’t have to tell you, right?’ eyes that seemed to say.

Edgar delayed his answer, avoiding her gaze, and eventually opened his mouth with a laugh.

“Ed, you too… … .”

“No, I’m not busy, so I’ll accompany you.”

However, Edgar dismisses her request at once and responds in a tone that makes her feel cold.

At this, Ariel’s angry voice rose at once.

“It’s okay, go to your room and rest. Why don’t you listen to me even if you’re considerate? you stupid.”

“I’m not tired, so why don’t you listen to me saying you’ll go with me? you idiot.”

“Don’t hold the horse’s tail. I’m serious now.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Because I am serious now.”

Ariel glared at Edgar as if feverishly exploded at once, and Edgar stared at Ariel with a cold gaze that he wondered if he had shown her so many times before.

Only Shuri, caught between the two, was about to die in an out-of-the-ordinary quarrel.

In the end, Helena, who was watching this, interrupted the conversation and intervened between the two, as if the atmosphere was overheated.

To be honest, she had expected Edgar’s reaction to some extent, so she wasn’t too surprised.

“Come on, don’t fight. Then, since it’s been a long time, let’s go with Ed. It happened that he(Daddy Grand Duke) also wanted to see you at least once.”

“Ok, it happened to be that I also want to meet with the Grand Duke at least once.”

What does that really mean?

Since Edgar was a child, he wasn’t someone who acted within an expected range, so she felt a little anxious, but she also felt some kind of anticipation.

Meanwhile, Ariel was still looking at her mother with worried eyes.

Helena, who belatedly noticed her gaze, gave her a pat on the back to be relieved, sent Shuri to her room, and the three of them headed to the office together.

Arriving at the door, Ariel couldn’t keep her hands still and straightened the hem of her clothes.

Observing this, Edgar reached out and grabbed her wrist and nodded silently.

Ariel nodded her head, as if she had calmed down a bit, and confidently moved her gaze towards the closed door.

Helena, who had been waiting for her daughter to relax, knocked on the door belatedly, and a solemn man’s voice came from inside and gave permission.

Sigh.

It looks like it may have been less oiled.

The office door opened with a short screech, and soon the three of them saw a middle-aged man with light hair sitting in a seat and Elfred standing next to the desk.

“Sorry for making you step twice, wife.”

‘wife!’.

Edgar reacted to the title with a small raised eyebrow.

That would mean that this man is Yulken Robeheim, the owner of the Robeheim family.

‘Great.’

Edgar condensed his first impression of the man named Yulken into a short expression.

He's not talking about the man's physique or appearance.

It seemed that the weight and vessel of this man’s life were revealed just by meeting him face-to-face.

It feels like a huge mountain is standing in front of you.

He had a similar feeling when he saw Creed for the first day, but the feeling right now is more distinct and majestic than that time.

“What is it all of a sudden? Since you brought the child you were looking for, let’s talk.”

“Hmm.”

Yulken got up from his seat and approached the three without saying a word. Instead of saying hello to his daughter, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, he reached out to Edgar first.

Edgar’s eyebrows slightly furrowed at that foreign sight, but he didn’t try to show it, and held the rough hand.

“My name is Yulken Robeheim. I’ve heard a lot about you from my wife, so I really wanted to see you at least once, but it turned out well.”

“My name is Edgar Bilhark. It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness Robeheim.”

“It would be Yulken. I don’t want to receive such a generous courtesy from my daughter’s benefactor.”

Contrary to Edgar’s expectations, Yulken’s reactions and actions were very ordinary.

Rather, on the outside, he was closer to the ideal father who cares for his daughter.

He just feels that the man looks blunt because he doesn't show my emotions well.

After exchanging short greetings with Edgar, Yulken’s gaze turned towards his daughter, who bowed her head as if she had committed some crime.

“Ariel, long time no see.”

“Yes… father. I’m glad to see you unharmed.”

It’s a very different look from when he was dealing with Helena.

Looking at the father and daughter who seemed to be having a conversation across a wall, Edgar only licked his dry lips.

“Yeah, how's your study on magic and martial arts?”

Yulken did not ask about the daughter he met after a long time, but wanted to check on her progress in learning.

It was something that Ariel expected in advance, but when it happened, it felt like her hair went white.

“Father, actually, there has been quite a bit of progress on the magic side, but the martial arts side is still… … .”

“… yet?”

Yulken repeated Ariel’s words and urged her to answer.

Ariel couldn’t help but open her tightly closed lips with a hint of nervousness, knowing that one of the things he hates the most is procrastinating an answer.

“I haven’t made much progress in martial arts yet… sorry.”

“It must have been quite a while. Still, do you think it makes sense that there is no progress?”

“… No, it’s all because of my negligence. I’m sorry, father.”

At the icy voice that came out of the ruler of the north, Ariel just bowed her head and asked for forgiveness.

Watching this scene, Edgar’s left hand tightened and his teeth gnashed.

The conversation between these two people was closer to that of a retainer than a father and daughter.

The figure of a father simply disciplining his children was not there, only the figure of the monarch who exposed the shame of his subordinates and strictly scolded them for the sake of punishment, and the figures of his subordinates who bowed their heads.

When Edgar’s gaze, unable to hide his resentment, met Helena's, she narrowed her eyes and shook her head slightly.

He knows what she wants to say, so he must pretend he doesn’t know for now.

“Since your father was away from the castle for a while, it seems that you played as if it was your own world. Don’t you have any sense of duty as an heir?”

“… … !”

“honey! What does that mean!”

Those were the words Ariel never wanted to hear from her father.

When Helena realized that her husband had crossed the line, she felt sorry for her daughter and stopped him, albeit belatedly.

At that, Yulken threw his gaze at his wife, then stared at Ariel, who bowed her head again, and left the office without saying a word.

bang!

The door closed violently, and Elfred, who had been watching this scene from afar, hurriedly followed after Yulken.

After that, there was only cold silence in the office.

“Huh… Whoops.”

The sound that broke the silence that seemed to last forever was neither someone’s voice nor the sound of a book falling from the bookshelf.

Just the sad cry of a girl.

Edgar took a handkerchief out of his pocket and held it out to her in silence.

Took.

“… Get rid of it, because you don’t need it.”

However, Ariel brushed it off coldly, wiped away her tears with her sleeve, and raised her head to meet his eyes.

Not the usual lively red eyes, but bloody eyes full of sadness.

Edgar couldn’t say anything because the look in her eyes seemed to ask why he did that.

“This is why I told you not to follow me… I didn’t want you to see such a pathetic side.”

“Ariel, calm down. It’s not Ed’s fault.”

“I know! I know!”

Ariel wasn’t a stupid girl.

Whichever way it is, it’s rather that he has a smart and outstanding brain compared to any of their peers.

That’s why she felt so pathetic, and there was no way to express it, so she expressed it with anger like this.

To show such a pitiful appearance in front of a friend whom she has been with for over ten years.

Even though she knows it’s not his fault, she has no place to express her anger and throws it out at random.

She felt so pathetic that her body trembled at the feeling of contempt for herself.

“Ed, you better go back for now. When Ariel calms down, I’ll tell Shuri to call her separately… … .”

“No. I’m the one who has to take Ariel now. It was my fault, so I think I have to fix it.”

As a friend of ten years, Edgar could guess what she was feeling right now.

She is a girl who has higher pride than anyone else, has strong self-esteem, and is reluctant to let others know her weak side.

A woman who longed for always being upright, firm, and noble.

Even her anger now is more like a sense of contempt and shame towards herself for being caught in a scene like this, rather than directed at her childhood friend who blindly followed her.

Then, the only person who could solve it was the one who knew her current feelings best.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. This kind of … … .”

“No. To put it bluntly, it is his fault. But I hate myself for not being able to blame my husband.”

Edgar felt a strange sense of deja vu from Helena's words.

Somehow she seemed to know that the reason Yulken was treating her daughter so severely was not simply because of educational policies.

But it would not be appropriate to inquire about it now.

And it was not in his temper to carelessly ask about other people’s family affairs.

It would be nice if Ariel herself answered, but judging from the current situation, that would be impossible.

If he had known the detailed reason for this situation in the first place, the situation wouldn’t have been driven to this point.

It seemed that there were complicated circumstances in many ways.

“Ariel, let’s go.”

“… no. Leave me alone.”

“okay. I’ll leave you alone, so let’s go to your room first. If you're uncomfortable, I’ll even call Shuri.”

It could be said that the worst thing to do was to scold her for what she should do when she is alone caught up in this predicament.

The right option is to somehow calm her down, give her a private space, and try to talk when she calms down.

That’s why Edgar deliberately mentioned Shuri’s name and said that he would disappear right away if she came.

It was only then that Ariel’s emotions seemed to have subsided a little, and she nodded slightly and left the room in his arms.

Today was also the first day that Ariel did not feel the warmth of being held in Edgar’s arms.