The Star's Tale (1)
Edgar let out a heavy sigh as he replayed the recent events in his mind. Everything had been perfect. The birthday congratulations, the precious gift he had received, even the tears that had overflowed from being overwhelmed by emotion. But one massive problem still remained.
“Crybaby Ed, what are you doing?”
Ah, I want to die.
The fact that Ariel, of all people, had witnessed that scene. While he had been busy sobbing over a mere tumble down the mountain, she had completely ignored his surge of genuine feeling and spent the entire day teasing him by calling him a crybaby. Should he smack her once, or hold back?
“Just sitting here.”
“Hehe, are you sulking? Did I make you sulk by calling you a crybaby?”
She had been poking at his nerves from over his shoulder, and now she was standing right in front of him, stretching his cheeks out wide with both hands. It was only today that Edgar learned just how elastic the flesh on his face could be.
“Mmph… stahp…”
“Why? Are you going to cry again if I keep going?”
“Haa.”
There was no escape. No matter what he said, she would just shoot back with “crybaby Ed.” What words could possibly work?
Edgar closed his eyes tightly and decided to ignore her completely. It was a rather petty tactic he usually avoided, but nothing worked better on children.
Just three minutes of silence should do it.
By then, Ariel would surely be the one stomping her feet and offering reconciliation first. From her perspective, having to stay at this mansion for at least another week, turning Edgar into an enemy would bring her no benefit. Of course, it would also mean losing her playmate.
“Crybaby Ed? Why aren’t you talking?”
“……”
“You think I’ll come begging just because you ignore me? Hmph.”
What? It’s not working?
In truth, Edgar had never tried this method on Ariel before. He had only heard it was effective with children and decided to test it. Perhaps the results varied from person to person? If so, the situation was more serious than he had imagined.
“What, are you really ignoring me? Over a little teasing?”
“……”
Was this the mindset of the offender? What Edgar had suffered from Ariel until now felt far more devastating, yet here she was, speaking as if it were nothing.
How cheeky.
This needed to be nipped in the bud. It was time to correct the temperament of this spoiled young noblewoman. A stronger approach would be necessary.
With that thought, Edgar opened his tightly shut eyes and sprang to his feet. Ariel, who had been glued to his side and prodding him, naturally tumbled backward.
“Ow!”
“Hey! You didn’t have to do that!”
This time Edgar didn’t even spare her a glance as he walked away. Honestly, his stomach was in knots. What if Ariel ran to Helene and tattled? The worry gnawed at him. But what choice did he have? He had already drawn his sword; he might as well cut the radish.
“E-Ed! Wait for me!”
“……”
When Edgar silently opened the door, Ariel came running and grabbed his sleeve. She wasn’t about to throw a punch, was she? With her fiery personality, it wasn’t entirely impossible, and his heart pounded violently.
Maintaining the most nonchalant expression he could, Edgar turned to look at her. What he saw were Ariel’s eyes, glistening with unshed tears.
Huh? Wait.
“I won’t tease you anymore… so please don’t ignore me. I’m sorry…”
Before long, fat tears began rolling down Ariel’s cheeks one by one. Instead of getting angry, she was crying? This was completely outside his expectations. He had thought she might apologize first, but crying had never crossed his mind.
“N-no! It’s okay! It’s fine, so stop!”
“Because I always bully you… hic…”
Well, that part is true.
He couldn’t say that in front of a crying child. Calming her down came first. This young lady had done the same thing four days ago too—why did she always burst into tears the moment she was at a disadvantage? The real problem was that those tears were the most lethal weapon against Edgar.
Crying is cheating.
Wasn’t there a law against it or something? Even as such silly thoughts ran through his head, Edgar pulled out a handkerchief and hastily wiped Ariel’s tears. The sight of clear droplets falling from her crimson eyes felt strangely alien.
“It was a joke. There’s no way I’d actually get mad over something like that.”
He offered words that clearly weren’t landing, desperately trying to comfort her, but once the floodgates had opened, the tears refused to stop. If Mrs. Helene happened to walk in on this scene…
Oh, I don’t even want to imagine it.
Still, when he pulled her small frame into his arms and patted her back, the trembling in her shoulders gradually eased. He had nearly needed to write a will today. Normally, even if Ariel cried, it was usually because she had done something wrong, so it didn’t matter. But today, his own guilt ran deep. No matter how gentle Helene was, she wouldn’t simply smile and overlook a sight like this.
“Stop crying. Let’s go look at the stars instead.”
“St-stars…?”
At the sudden non sequitur, Edgar puffed out his chest with exaggerated confidence and thumped it firmly.
“They say the stars are especially beautiful tonight. You like stars, don’t you?”
“I do, but… how did you know that?”
“Huh? I-It was in a book?”
Edgar had now delivered the “this clearly isn’t working” line twice in a row. Of course, he had heard there were books about astronomy and the movement of stars, but those texts were a million light-years removed from his own interests. This was simply a ploy to lure Ariel outside. He figured that some fresh air might help her feel better.
Fortunately, his earnest wish must have reached the heavens. Ariel quickly recovered her smile and nodded. The two of them put on an extra layer of clothing and left the mansion at once.
“Ed, where are we going?”
“There’s a spot behind the main building with a great view of the stars. Come on.”
Edgar took Ariel’s hand and led her not toward the garden but to the annex behind the main house. This area housed the servants and staff. Right beside it stood a solitary storage shed used mainly by the gardener. The shed was tall enough that even an adult would struggle to climb it without a ladder.
Edgar circled the building until he found what he was looking for, then smiled.
“Ariel, do you think you can step on these to climb up?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Good.”
Several low platforms, each shorter than the children’s height, were scattered outside the shed. He wasn’t exactly sure of their purpose, but they were probably used for garden work. Stepping on one, then another, the pair eventually reached the roof.
“Lie down here.”
“Won’t it collapse?”
“Don’t worry. It’s sturdy.”
Edgar answered Ariel’s anxious question with confidence. And with good reason—he had visited this spot many times before. It had begun by chance, but afterward he would often come here on nights when the stars were especially bright. He had even verified that the shed could handle far more weight than this without collapsing.
“Not cold, are you?”
“A little?”
“Then use this.”
He draped the coat he had worn over his shirt across Ariel’s body, then lay down beside her.
“Whoa—!”
“Amazing, right?”
“Yeah. It feels like the stars are about to pour down on us.”
Unlike the night sky Ariel usually gazed at while standing, lying down made the heavens feel vividly close, as though they were right before her eyes. It was like lying beneath a blanket woven from the night itself.
“How did you find this place?”
“Just by chance. Do you like it?”
“Yes! I love it.”
Hehe. Laughing like a mischievous child, Ariel immediately reached out her small hand toward the twinkling stars overhead. Especially the one that shone the brightest. She pointed at it as if claiming it for herself.
“But why do you like stars so much?”
“When I was really little, Mom told me the story of the star. I think that’s why.”
“The story of the star?”
Just how young did she mean by “really little”? In any case, the story of the star. He was dying to know what kind of tale could capture the interest of this wild young lady and turn it toward the night sky.
Maybe the stars are in love with each other or something.
Edgar tried to rack his brain for a creative idea, but nothing satisfying came to mind. If anything, he only felt ashamed of his own pitiful imagination.
He glanced sideways, wanting to see Ariel’s profile, but found her looking at him instead of the stars. Thankfully the distance between them kept anything awkward from happening, but he was curious about her reason.
“Why are you looking over here? Your favorite star is over there.”
“Then why are you looking over here, Ed?”
“Uh……”
She had him there. Completely outmaneuvered in a single exchange by a ten-year-old, Edgar scratched his cheek in embarrassment. There wasn’t any particular reason. If he had to explain, he had simply been wondering how brightly her eyes would sparkle while she gazed at the stars.
At a loss for words, Edgar searched for something to say and decided to return to the earlier topic. The story of the star. Just what was it about? Although he had brought her out to cheer her up, introducing her to such a wonderful spot surely deserved some kind of finder’s fee.
“Ariel, what exactly is this story of the star?”
“Are you curious?”
“Of course I’m curious.”
It was a little annoying that she had piqued his interest only to pull back, but he answered honestly. Ariel suddenly sat upright. Wearing a mysterious smile that was neither mocking nor warm, she declared:
“I’m not going to tell you yet, Ed!”
“What? There are conditions just to hear a story?”
“Yep. That’s what Mom said.”
If it was something Helene had said, there was nothing he could do. Edgar clicked his tongue in disappointment, nodded, and turned his attention back to the night sky. Yet a corner of his heart continued to itch with unresolved curiosity. It would have been better if she had never mentioned it at all. Saying “not yet” only made him want to know more. Was it not an ordinary fairy tale?
“What? Why are you smiling like that?”
Edgar, who had been staring at the stars, noticed Ariel’s gaze and turned his head. She was still watching him with that enigmatic smile. The atmosphere felt strangely intimate. The usual reckless, tomboyish young lady had vanished, replaced by someone who seemed to be savoring the very sight of him.
“It’s nothing. The stars are just beautiful.”
“They are beautiful.”
“What about me?”
“Huh?”
Y-yes, you’re pretty.
The sudden question made him stumble over his words, but Edgar somehow managed to give her a perfectly satisfying answer. Why was she acting so strangely today? To him, the ever-shifting sides of this young noblewoman felt utterly unfamiliar.