An Unexpected Proposal (4)
After being dragged around by Ariel all day, Edgar ended up eating dinner outside as well before finally returning to the mansion. Katria, who had been strolling through the garden, scolded her son the moment he arrived, demanding to know where he had been so late. But Helene appeared shortly afterward and took his side, which helped smooth things over. After all, it had been none other than Helene who had suggested he go out and enjoy himself for a while. She wasn’t wrong. She had simply been surprised that he would stay out quite this late. Still, seeing her daughter pretending otherwise while barely holding back a giggle, Katria felt relieved that the two must have had a good time.
“Did you eat before coming back?”
“Yes, Mother. I had something light.”
“Is that enough? It might be fine for you, but I doubt outside food would suit the young lady’s palate.”
Even after all these years, Katria’s attitude toward Ariel remained impeccably polite. She still saw her less as her son’s friend and more as the cherished treasure of the Robeheim family who must be served with utmost respect. Ariel found this somewhat uncomfortable, but she understood it couldn’t be helped due to the difference in their families’ stations and kept her thoughts to herself. She had learned by now that adding unnecessary comments would only burden the woman further.
“I’m fine. I don’t get to eat outside food often, but it was surprisingly delicious.”
“If you say so… Still, if the meal wasn’t enough, please tell me right away. I’ll instruct the chef personally.”
“Yes, Aunt.”
One called the other “Aunt” while the other used “Young Lady”—a truly peculiar dynamic. Watching them, Edgar couldn’t help but smile wryly. Helene, standing behind them, gave a helpless smile of her own before heading back inside the building with Katria.
Left alone in the garden, the pair decided to walk around a little longer to help digest their full stomachs.
“It’s been a while, but nothing here has changed at all.”
Edgar gave Ariel an incredulous look as she gazed around the main building and offered that brief observation.
“Oh please. Anyone listening would think you haven’t been here in a year.”
“That’s just how it sounds. Read the room, you idiot.”
At Ariel’s sharp rebuke, Edgar shrugged and looked away. Come to think of it, although she phrased it that way, it was true she visited far less often than when they were younger. Until she turned ten, she used to come two or three times a month, sometimes staying nearly ten days at a stretch. By comparison, this visit to the Bilhark family had come after nearly two months. The education in her household grew stricter with each passing day, and the weight on her shoulders grew heavier, making it difficult for her to move freely.
I could never live like that. She’s amazing.
Though he was technically a noble, as the head of a minor rural family, Edgar had none of the heavy responsibilities Ariel carried. His was simply a more comfortable life than most—affluent enough for soft beds and plentiful meals. Family education? There was none. That had been his father Ransel’s policy as head of the house. The only lessons he received were basic etiquette and interpersonal skills, and even those weren’t particularly harsh. He simply needed to know enough not to make a bad impression in public or at formal events.
Tap.
“What? That’s annoying.”
“Nothing. Does there need to be a reason?”
Feeling a pang of sympathy for his childhood friend who faced such a difficult path ahead, he had unconsciously placed his hand on top of her head. The sight of the immature young lady immediately glaring at him and snapping in irritation brought a chuckle to his lips.
“It’s weirder precisely because there’s no reason, you idiot.”
Ariel shook her head vigorously, trying to dislodge the hand resting shamelessly atop her prized black hair. If there had been some reason, she might have let it slide, but the silence made her feel like she was being treated like a child, which she hated. It was always like this. Despite being the same age, he was always more mature, relaxed, and easygoing than she was. She didn’t think that was a bad thing, but sometimes the distance between them felt overwhelming—an insurmountable gap no matter how hard she pushed herself or tried to run faster.
“You always do this. You only ever treat me like a child.”
“You are a child. Both of us are.”
“That’s exactly the part I don’t like.”
There were children who could call themselves mature, but no child in the world would willingly call themselves a child. Yet Edgar always did. He would say that he was a child too. That he wasn’t so different from her. While she constantly asked herself when she would become an adult, whether she had already become one, his view of the world was fundamentally different.
“Why are you sulking again? Was dinner not to your taste?”
“It’s nothing. Just……”
People often compared a woman’s heart to a reed. The heart of a girl in the throes of puberty was even more sensitive and changeable. Even her own emotions refused to be easily controlled.
What was I about to say?
The words she couldn’t bring herself to answer earlier still lingered on her tongue. It feels like you’re going far away—even now, thinking back on it, she couldn’t understand what she had been trying to express. If she had actually said it, even her childhood friend would have been left speechless.
“Speaking of which, have you made any friends? I worry because you don’t get close to anyone but me.”
“Yeah, I’ve made a few. Not to the point where I can speak openly with them like I do with you, though.”
When she added that she would introduce them next time the chance arose, Edgar smiled softly.
That’s a relief.
It had been one of his greatest concerns. Unlike Edgar, who quite enjoyed solitude, Ariel might appear energetic on the surface but actually liked to rely on others and preferred being with someone. If a girl like her stayed shut away in that enormous castle for weeks without any real friends, no amount of self-discipline as the successor could prevent her from reaching her limit. After all, she was still only fourteen.
Edgar had sensed it during their trip to the village together. Perhaps what troubled her most wasn’t the frustration of being unable to go outside, but the lack of anyone she could truly talk with and be understood by.
“Edgar.”
“I’m listening. Go on.”
Even Edgar could immediately tell her voice had grown heavier than before. As if making eye contact was too much, Ariel turned her head and kicked lightly at the empty ground. He turned with her and responded in his most nonchalant tone.
“It would be difficult for you to come to Hespania, wouldn’t it?”
“…It would.”
There was no proper place for him to stay, and more importantly, no justification. Even if he stayed at the Robeheim family’s castle, being “just a friend” would only allow for so much. It was one thing to stay at a friend’s home for a few days or weeks, but months or years would be extremely rare. If she used her position as the eldest daughter of the Robeheim family to push the matter, it might not be entirely impossible, but there was a high chance her request would be dismissed as mere childish whining since she wasn’t even an adult yet. In truth, it would have been exactly that.
“Let’s head inside for now. Change into something comfortable, then we can talk……”
“You’re right. It’s already late.”
It was unusual for the stubborn young lady to agree so readily when she would normally insist the conversation wasn’t over. It only showed how much she had on her mind. Edgar felt a strange sense of déjà vu watching her, but it pained him that he had no immediate solution. All he could do was tell her to visit often.
As the two stepped into the mansion together, they spotted someone waiting on the first floor with their back turned. The rare sight of black hair cascading all the way to the waist told them instantly who it was.
“Mom, why are you out here?”
“I had something to tell Edgar. Ariel, would you listen as well?”
What could she possibly have to say? And why did he need to hear it together with Ariel? Then a sudden question crossed his mind.
Come to think of it, why did Mom come to Ardenum in the first place?
Before arriving, he had only heard that the matter was too important to entrust to a representative, but he had never learned the specifics. Ariel had simply assumed there must be some significant discussion between their families.
“Edgar, I already spoke with your mother, but since your opinion as the person concerned matters most, I wanted to ask you directly.”
“My… opinion?”
What matter would require his input? He thought hard, but nothing came to mind. After a brief silence, Helene looked back and forth between them. A gentle smile curved her lips, and then she spoke.
“If you’re willing, how would you like to stay with our family for a while?”
“Pardon?”
Stay with their family? It sounded like an invitation to board and lodge at the Robeheim household. Ariel blinked rapidly as if she might have misheard and met Edgar’s eyes, as though asking, Did we hear that right?
“I know it’s a sudden proposal. But won’t you consider it this time?”
Helene explained that it wasn’t simply because she wanted to keep the two friends together. She wanted to open a path that would benefit their futures. It would be good for Edgar to see the wider world, and since he had been training diligently lately, learning from skilled teachers would prove invaluable later. Given the relationship between their families, if Ariel ever wanted Edgar by her side in the future, this could serve as a natural step in that direction.
“Does the offer not appeal to you?”
“Ah, no. It’s just… far too generous……”
“Don’t think of it that way. I won’t deny that your friendship with Ariel earned you some extra consideration, but this proposal comes from seeing the potential in the boy named Edgar Bilhark.”
She added that if he needed time to think, she would give him three days until her departure, then left. The two remaining stood there, stunned, simply staring at each other. Perhaps Helene had even guessed Ariel’s inner feelings and made the proposal with that in mind?
“…What are you going to do?”
“About what?”
“Don’t play dumb. Are you coming to Hespania or not?”
Edgar let out a deep sigh and gazed at the ceiling. Of course he knew going to Hespania now would benefit his future. But he was the sole heir of his family, and he still lacked the proper preparation to lead it. For someone like him, even beginning to learn the family’s affairs now felt insufficient—how could he justify suddenly changing his residence?
“What would you like me to do?”
“…I don’t know. Do whatever you want.”
Ariel whipped her head away and answered indifferently, as if it had nothing to do with her. But from the corner of his eye, Edgar could clearly see her stealing glances, her eyes darting as she watched his reaction. She really could never be honest. After being the one to suggest he couldn’t possibly come to Hespania, now that the opportunity had been laid at his feet she acted as if it didn’t matter whether he came or not. It was almost funny.
Maybe I should let her win this round.
Without a word, Edgar walked over and placed his hand atop her silky hair with a pat. She complained that he would ruin it, but he had no intention of removing his hand.
“Alright. I’ll go.”
“Huh? Y-you’re really… coming? To Hespania?”
“It’s an enticing offer. Besides, I’ll get to see you often. What’s not to like?”
To think such words would come from none other than Edgar. Ariel felt her face softening and quickly turned away, pretending otherwise.
“Like? As if… Just try being a bother and see what happens.”
“If you think I’ll be a bother, should I not go?”
“I-I didn’t say it like that!”
Alright, alright. Edgar soothed the irritated girl while inwardly turning Helene’s proposal over in his mind, a quiet chuckle escaping him. It seemed both he and Ariel would have to live the rest of their lives owing Helene an enormous debt. With that trivial thought in mind, he smiled.