I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

Editor : Aizen

Ariel's eyes widened with surprise as Edgar walked into the room, a bewildered expression etched across her face. It was as if his unexpected presence had caught her completely off guard.

"Why are you here, you idiot? If you have any idea, why did you come today?" she exclaimed.

"I came to tell you something. Besides, when have I ever cared about circumstances?" Edgar replied nonchalantly with a calm demeanour.

"Ugh, never mind. When have you ever listen to my words!" Ariel muttered in frustration.

Edgar took a moment to contemplate Ariel's words. Deep down, he knew that she had a point. So, he went to an empty seat nearby and sat down without retorting Ariel.

"I didn't tell you to sit down yet," Ariel said.

"Do you want to leave your dear friend standing? That would be rather heartless, don't you think!?" Edgar teased with a mischievous smile.

"Ugh!" Ariel sighed.

Ariel knew all too well that at this moment, a single word wouldn't be enough to make Edgar budge.

With a slight tongue click, she turned her head away. Edgar, in response, lowered his gaze slightly and remained silent before speaking a moment later.

"That candy, does it's effect last until tomorrow?" Edgar inquired.

"Did you come even after knowing that? You have a bad personality!" Ariel snapped.

"My personality, has it been bad for the past day or two?" Edgar responded.

Ariel once again spat sarcasm at Edgar, who cheekily replied with a wide grin, proudly displaying his self-satisfaction.

‘What on earth did he come here for?' Ariel thought to herself.

Ariel had a strong urge to leave the room immediately and escape, but her feet wouldn't move an inch. for some reason

‘Perhaps it's because I am still in the middle of the conversation, and I cannot spare my attention on anything else.' Ariel alone speculated her actions.

"The moon has risen so beautifully today, hasn't it?" Edgar suddenly remarked.

Meanwhile, Edgar, rising from his seat, made his way to the balcony and let out a quiet exclamation at the sight of the round moon ascending.

It was a remark that might have seemed casual under normal circumstances.

"Don't pretend to be sophisticated. You don't care about that any more than I do." Ariel rebuked.

"Sometimes we all have days like this. Would you like to come and see?" Edgar responded calmly and undeterred by her words.

"No, thanks. Please get out, I'm tired already and just want to sleep." Ariel dismissed the offer.

Fortunately, Ariel found solace in the fact that she was able to speak her mind freely, unlike immediately after consuming the candy.

Areil guessed that if she didn't actively reply to Edgar, he would grow bored and leave the room.

Thus, contrary to her intention of wanting to stand by his side, Ariel chose to pierce Edgar with icy words.

“… … .”

"What's wrong? What's with your reaction?" Ariel asked as silence ensued.

Edgar, who would typically tremble and respond in kind, simply stared back at Ariel without uttering a word. This unexpected reaction sent a strange shiver down her spine, causing her to withdraw instinctively.

In an unexpected turn of events, Edgar trudged toward Ariel without offering a reply. He reached a hand behind her neck, his hand carefully positioned, and leaned over himself. And then…

"It's alright," he said reassuringly.

With his other hand securely positioned under her knees, he easily balanced his strength and lifted her.

"Wait! What on earth are you doing, you idiot!" she exclaimed, caught off guard by Edgar's dramatic action.

"Since you refuse to come, I have no choice but to escort you myself. Isn't the moon exceptionally bright tonight?" Edgar said while lifting Ariel.

"Enough with the nonsense! Don't you think so? Put me down!" Ariel yelled.

Although she spoke with annoyance, Ariel found herself lacking the strength to strike him.

Edgar interpreted her lack of resistance as a sign of surrender and wore a wide grin as he approached the balcony, embracing Ariel in his arms.

"Shall I keep holding you like this? Or shall I put you down?" Edger asked her softly.

"Ugh, that's so bothersome." Ariel said

Ariel was well aware that he possessed enough strength to hold her effortlessly for as long as he pleased.

Ultimately, even if she entertained thoughts of seeking revenge and chose to make him suffer, she would only sink deeper into humiliation and shame for being held by him.

"Fine, put me down. Let's see how bright it is." Ariel said.

Defeated, Ariel conceded and requested to be released. Edgar smirked mischievously and gently returned her to the ground without hesitation.

"It's good to hear you say that." Edgar said with a smile.

"Do you have a death wish?" Ariel said with a hard stare.

"Hey, calm down. I meant no harm, but this is a bit…!" Edgar said

Whoosh!

As flames violently erupted from Ariel's hand, Edgar hastily intervened, appealing for her to stop.

Ariel extinguished the flames with a snort, knowing that she had only used them as a threat and had no intention of displaying fireworks.

She shifted her gaze to the moon, then turned her head back to Edgar, bringing up the main topic.

"So, what's the reason for your visit?" Ariel asked Edgar

"Well, I just thought the moon was splendid tonight. Do you really need to ask the main topic?" Edgar said in response.

"That's your problem, not mine. If you don't like it, you can leave. I'll sleep just fine." Ariel said sharply.

"Ugh, how can you be so stubborn?" Edgar said.

Edgar had never expected Ariel to wait for him to waste time like this patiently.

In the end, he complied with Ariel's request and turned around, speaking as calmly as possible while facing her directly.

"Ariel, how long have we known each other?" Edgar asked.

"Since two years old… Or, more precisely, didn't we meet around eight months after we were born? So it must be up to 17 years." Ariel responded.

Unlike Edgar, Ariel couldn't recall their initial encounter clearly, so she calculated the time based on what Helen, her mother, had told her.

"Seventeen years… Whether it feels long or short, that's subjective." Ariel said after calculating.

"It felt long to me. I don't know how it felt for you." Ariel said.

"Why?" Edgar asked.

"Regardless, it felt long. Why are you asking in such a roundabout way?" Ariel said impatiently.

When Ariel snapped at him, Edgar chuckled while nodding, not pushing for further explanation.

It had indeed been seventeen years, as he had said. Whether or not it felt long or short, it had undeniably been a significant length of time.

However, one thing was certain: it had been enough time for their perspectives to shift and their emotions to change.

Edgar pondered for a while, reminiscing about his various experiences with Ariel.

Going on a mountain excursion together, encountering a wild boar, burying a time capsule as a symbol of their bond, and spending nights gazing at the stars side by side.

Back then, those moments seemed him like just ordinary pages of everyday life, only gaining clarity when revisited over time, Edgar thought.

"Do you remember? The thing you mentioned about ‘The Story of a Star.'" Edgar said inquisitively.

"Well, why are you suddenly asking about that?" Ariel asked.

"You never explained it in detail in the first place." Edgar said defensively.

"Well, all I said was that it existed. I was wrong anyway." Ariel replied sharply.

It was a story Ariel had told him while lying in the rooftop of the backyard of the Billhark family garden, while watching shooting stars.

At the time, Edgar couldn't comprehend why he hadn't asked her to elaborate on the story or what significance it held for her, someone who had no interest in stars.

Looking back now, perhaps the reason was simple and straightforward.

"Actually, I heard about it from Mrs Helena. What is the story about?" Edgar said.

"What? You heard… from mother?" Ariel asked.

Ariel, momentarily bewildered, asked again with wide eyes.

Helena herself had deemed the story of the star as something to be shared with only two individuals throughout one's life.

So how could Edgar have heard it from Helena? It didn't make sense.

Noticing Ariel's perplexity, Edgar raised the corner of his mouth and gently placed his hand on her head.

Did he imagine it, or did her hair, which he had absentmindedly caressed countless times, feels particularly soft today?

"Of course, I didn't hear the entire story. While assisting with a past matter concerning your family, I learned a bit of its significant."

Edgar hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.

He had been preoccupied with resolving the immediate issue at hand, and all he knew was that "The Story of a Star" was meant to be shared exclusively between two individuals in a lifetime.

However, now it struck him as significant that Ariel had chosen to disclose its existence to him, even if not the full contents. It served as a big clue for him.

Perhaps it was the confession of a lifetime, a representation of a young girl's courageous expression of her feelings despite her shyness, even at the tender age of ten.

‘It might be a delusion, but…'

Edgar had never entertained the thought that Ariel saw him as anything more than a friend.

However, even a slight shift in her perspective could alter how she viewed the world and her interactions with him.

"Of course, I have no way of knowing what you truly think of me. Perhaps all my assumptions are nonsensical delusions, and you might slap me across the cheek right now."

“… … .”

Finally, Ariel grasped the meaning behind the man's words and locked eyes with him in silence.

What a foolish man.

Did you realize it only now? Look back and see.

‘Isn't it a little too late, at the very least? Especially when he knows better than anyone how much I despise people who can't be punctual.'

"But you haven't always been honest either. Even if I were to express it this way, it seems like you would just find a way to evade it somehow."

"… Right, you're wrong. You fool."

Ariel, now understanding her own heart, couldn't help but scold him and utter words that didn't reflect her true feelings.

Edgar recognized that it was time to unveil the secret weapon he had been keeping hidden from Ariel's views. He reached into the pocket of his coat.

After some time, Edgar retrieved the item he sought and opened his palm, proudly presenting it to Ariel. Her eyes trembled with intensity.

A small pink candy, shimmering like a fragment of a star in the night sky they had once gazed upon together.

It was also the mischievous little thing that had been constantly bothering Ariel throughout the day.

"That… What are you planning to do with it?" Ariel asked shakily.

"Just something I always do, a playful prank." Edgar said with a smile.

Edgar had also arrived at this point after much contemplation.

During the process, he had posed questions to himself and pondered what he desired most in the end.

Did he wish to become her lover?

Certainly, that would be the ideal happy ending, but it wasn't the most basic desire he harbored.

All he wanted was…

‘I want to hear Ariel's sincerity.' Edgar thought.

The state of her heart currently.

Even if she had once harbored feelings for him, those sentiments could have changed as they grew older.

That's why he was simply curious about how she regarded him now, in this very moment, and whether her heart resonated with his own.

Hence, he had brought this candy.

Was the sweet whisper she shared with him earlier a mere falsehood induced by the candy's effects, or did it carry genuine sincerity concealed underneath the lable of spoking lies?

He believed that this is the only way to hear the unadulterated truth from someone as guarded as Ariel.

“… … !?”

"The taste is delightful. Are you certain it's a flavor you'd enjoy?" Edgar said to Ariel.

Edgar tossed the rolling pink candy into his mouth.

Ariel, observing this, was so taken aback that she couldn't utter a word, her mouth agape while staring at him.

‘I don't feel anything extraordinary.' Edgar thought.

Ariel had anticipated a dramatic upheaval in Edgar's demeanor due to the candy's influence, but to her surprise, nothing about him seemed to change.

Could it be that there are individual differences from each person?

It didn't matter much to him anyway, as this was just a justification.

Tightening his grip

"Hey, why are you suddenly doing this? Let go…!" Ariel said.

Ariel struggled as if trying to escape while muttering in a brusque tone at his actions of eating the candy and hugging her without saying anything.

"If you want me to let go, you can leave. I have no strength left." Edgar said.

"… Dummy."

Were those words sincere or insincere?

Edgar couldn't discern the truth, but at this point, it didn't matter either way.

What he was about to say next was something he wanted her to hear, even if it meant facing harsh words.

"I might have expected this much after coming this far, but… I love you, Ariel." Edgar said softly.

“… … .”

"Even though I don't know how you feel. But even just incase I never see you again after tonight, I wanted to tell you this."

Edgar felt Ariel's body tremble in his arms.

It wasn't due to the cold night air in Hespania or merely feeling chilly. There was something more to it.

Ariel, who had been listening to his confession on this moonlit night, with her face buried in his chest, finally spoke up in a sulky tone.

"… Dummy. There's no ambiance, no style. What kind of confession is this?" Ariel said in response.

It should have been in a more romantic setting.

With a slightly more plausible atmosphere.

If you had thought a little more, there would have been countless situations that would have been a hundred times better than this.

What on earth was this man trying to do by confessing in such a plain place and situation?

However, even amidst these thoughts, the thing Ariel despised herself the most.

How could she get so caught up in this confession, which was simply an honest expression of his true feelings, without any beautiful eloquence or sweet flamboyance?

Was she such an easy woman to please?

No, perhaps it was because of him.

Because he was a man who always brought forth his shortcomings.

"I thought there would be a perfect ambiance with the silver moon up there, am I mistaken?" Ariel heard Edgar asked himself.

"You are. You have been an idiot for so long." She replied.

Then he mentioned that he would have to train himself from now on and expressed embarrassment over his hastily made confession.

Ariel once again poured out words that did not reflect her true feelings, criticizing him.

Edgar, silently listening to all this, smiled mischievously. He released her from his embrace momentarily and lowered himself slightly to meet her gaze.

If the previous confession had merely been a prelude, then this was the start of a genuine prank to uncover her true feelings.

"Now, it's your turn, Ariel." Edgar said.

"My turn…? Heh, you should be grateful if I simply accept it. Do you really want to hear me say that I love you?"

Since she had already heard the confession, Ariel was about to open her mouth obediently, thinking it wouldn't matter. However, Edgar shook his head slightly, blocking her with his hand.

"It is fine, but… To be precise, I want to know if your actions towards me today were sincere or merely influenced by the candy."

"That, that's… of course it's because of the candy! How could I behave like that towards someone like you if it wasn't for the candy…?"

Unable to bear telling the truth, Ariel reacted nervously and startled.

As expected, Edgar knew she wouldn't provide an easy answer, but her reaction was more intense than he had anticipated.

However, he didn't pay much attention to it. He had eaten that candy precisely for situations like this.

"So, it's safe to say it worked?"

"What, what do you mean?" Ariel asked in confusion.

"The effect of the candy I just ate. You just confirmed it yourself."

"What… effect?" Ariel asked.

Ariel blinked in confusion at the sudden turn of events, tilting her head.

The effect of the candy she had lied about to Edgar was clear.

Obviously, he is talking about ‘the effect of making up lies and blurting out words that were not true.' which I said in the morning.

‘And the candy Edgar had just eaten have the same effect.' Ariel thought to herself.

‘Which means…'

"You, You were…!"

"So, what will you do now?" Edgar asked

"This idiot… What in the world is this kind of confession?"

Ariel's eyes widened as she belatedly realized the reality of the situation, and her hands and feet trembled.

Edgar was actually using the lies she had told him earlier against her.

‘As expected, it is that damn candy's fault.'

If Ariel doesn't express her honesty now out of embarrassment, Edgar wil joke, ‘I lied about the the candy too.' I'm going to talk to her about her true feelings.

Even though Ariel knew the true effect of the candy, she couldn't just blurt it out.

Revealing the truth would mean admitting that all the humiliation words and actions she had done throughout the day were genuine.

She had to convey her true feelings to bring this unpleasant game to an end.

"How about it, Ariel? I want to hear it from your own mouth." Edgar requested.

"Ugh…" Ariel responded.

Ariel cursed internally at the man who had just confessed his love to her.

Confessions she had witnessed in novels or plays had a more affectionate and tender atmosphere. But how come it is like this when it comes to her?

But she couldn't dismiss this confession as nonsensical.

She had secretly hoped for this moment with some kind of anticipation for a long time.

"Well, if you're that curious… I suppose I could tell you."

He had already confessed regardless, so it is like she has already win against him.

Acknowledging and accepting the embarrassment of her own behaviour would be enough for the sake of the situation.

It was a final decision she made with pride. Yet, even in such a serious moment, this man still managed to touch her heart.

"What's wrong? Can't you hear me well?" Edgar teased.

"Ugh!" Ariel reacted.

She had heard him clearly, listened attentively, and even seen the gentle smile on his face!

The urge to scream was building up inside her, but Ariel hesitated.

Unless she mustered the courage to confront him with her true feelings, this stalemate would continue.

With the expression of a broken heart, she looked up at the man's face.

She despised that smirk even in this situation.

In the end, it seemed that being direct might be the only way to resolve things.

Swoop! (probably the sound of Ariel reaching for his collar)

Swiftly, she grabbed Edgar's collar, causing the boy to turn his head, anticipating a conversation.

But what awaited him wasn't a sincere declaration from a girl's heart.

"What's the matter? Are you finally going to answer me… now?"

"Fool, idiot, Ed." Ariel responded.

Without hesitation, Ariel yanked down Edgar's collar and tiptoed slightly to meet his eyes.

And their lips met, their shadows intertwining.

It wasn't the passionate, adult kiss that entwines tongues.

Nevertheless, her actions conveyed the sincerity she had been unable to express until now with words, along with all the hidden emotions of the day.

Was it because of the candy he had consumed earlier?

Ariel's first kiss in her life carried a faint scent of fresh strawberries.

Soon, their lips parted, and Ariel's red eyes stared directly into his, bathed in moonlight.

As if claiming him as her own, as if etching her mark into his golden eyes.

"Do you even realize the gravity of your actions?" Ariel asked.

"I haven't done anything else wrong have I?"

"Then… Are you certain?" Ariel asked.

She had only confessed once, and now Edgar, with his sudden increase in offenses, responded as if it were absurd. But Ariel's eyes, as she shrugged her shoulders, were clear and resolute.

Ariel walked away, embracing the cool night breeze that caressed her entire being. She turned back, placing her index finger on her lips.

Edgar had never seen such a bewitching smile.

It seemed as though a mythical horse was attempting to charm its prey.

"Because it drove me to the brink of madness. Now, even if you detest it, you can't escape from me."

‘I'll make you realize that the moments when I wasn't sincere were actually enjoyable.'

"Please take care of yourself. My foolish sweetheart." Ariel said to Edgar.

Upon hearing her calmly expressed true feelings, Edgar couldn't help but smile wryly.

Perhaps he had fallen in love with an incredibly audacious woman.

[T: My editor said he loves this novel so much, what about you guys?]