A Firm Resolve (2)
That evening at dinner, Edgar announced to Helene his intention to leave for Hespania. Surprised by how quickly he had reached his decision, Helene seemed pleased, yet suggested they discuss the details properly afterward. They agreed to gather in the drawing room once everyone had eaten their fill.
By the time Edgar arrived at the drawing room with his stomach somewhat settled, the entire family—including his parents—was already assembled.
“You’re late, you idiot.”
True to her impatient nature, Ariel hated both waiting for others and making them wait. As if to prove it, the moment the drawing room door opened and Edgar appeared, she snapped at him in a sharp tone.
Edgar hadn’t meant to keep so many people waiting either, so he offered an awkward smile and an apology.
“Ariel, we didn’t even set a specific time. You shouldn’t snap at your friend like that.”
“Ugh… S-sorry, Mother.”
Come to think of it, Ariel hadn’t come especially early on purpose. She had simply been pacing the hallway when she spotted her mother heading into the drawing room and followed along. If she hadn’t, she might have been the one in Edgar’s position right now.
Her tendency to speak without considering differences in perspective was something Helene often pointed out, so this time Ariel meekly lowered her head and expressed her regret to Edgar.
“It’s fine. It was my fault anyway. Don’t look so down—here, have some cookies. These are really good.”
“Yeah…”
Edgar knew Ariel disliked sweets. Seeing him crunch on cookies he rarely ate just to comfort her filled Ariel with quiet emotion. The adults watching them exchanged warm, gentle glances.
“Every time I see this, I think the same thing. Edgar, deciding to keep you by my daughter’s side was the third best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”
“The first must have been meeting the Grand Duke. The second, giving birth to Ariel.”
“Hehe, you’re quick to catch on.”
After taking a sip of tea and sensing the mood had softened, Helene finally brought up the main topic.
“So, you’ve decided to come to Hespania with us?”
“Yes.”
“It might be odd for the one who made the offer to ask this, but let me pose just one question. What made you decide to leave this place?”
Why had he chosen to leave? It was a purely curious question. She wasn’t doubting his resolve, nor was she asking out of worry that the boy might change his mind. For a boy who had not yet reached adulthood to decide to leave the home where he had lived his entire life was no easy conclusion to reach.
Although she had given him three days to consider it, depending on his answer she had been prepared to extend the deadline. Yet the response that came back in less than a day was remarkably clear and certain. There wasn’t the slightest tremor or anxiety in his voice. He seemed almost relaxed, as if he had simply seized an opportunity he had long anticipated.
Just what reason could have allowed him to make such a momentous decision so quickly?
“I’ve thought about it for a long time. Even if I were to inherit the Bilhark family someday, the day would come when I would need to leave this place and learn more about the world.”
“I see. A child like you would naturally have considered that.”
Helene nodded as if she had expected as much, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. She wasn’t trying to belittle the Bilhark family, but even in her eyes, this place felt far too small for the boy. From what she had observed of Edgar, he possessed a large vessel yet made no effort to fill it with anything in particular. In kinder terms, he lacked greed; in harsher ones, he lacked ambition. Nevertheless, she believed that if he ever set his mind to something, he would surely accomplish it.
It was that very faith that had prompted her to make the offer, and it had coincidentally aligned perfectly with Edgar’s own wishes.
“Lady Helene, may I ask a few questions as well?”
“As many as you like. It is your right, after all.”
There must be a mountain of things he wanted to know. This wasn’t someone else’s future—it was his own. It was only natural. Helene nodded, resolving to answer each question with utmost sincerity.
“If I come to Hespania, where exactly will I be staying?”
“You will reside in the main house of our family.”
“Does that mean I’ll be living in the same residence as Ariel?”
“That’s correct.”
The moment the answer he had feared most came out, Edgar’s brows furrowed slightly. This was not good. Of course, he was grateful for her high regard and overflowing consideration. But at least for what he hoped to achieve, this would not do. If he wanted to minimize his encounters with Ariel, he needed to secure separate lodgings, even if only for that purpose.
“If possible, could you arrange for me to stay somewhere other than the Robeheim family estate?”
“Is it uncomfortable for you?”
“It’s similar, but a little different. Explaining it in detail might take a while… Is that alright?”
“Of course. Speak freely, don’t worry.”
She could not handle such an important matter without properly hearing the opinion of the person most concerned. At her reply, Edgar briefly glanced at Ariel, exchanging a look with her before giving a small nod. It was a sign that he would convey exactly what he had told her earlier.
What followed was a rather lengthy explanation from Edgar, but its essence was similar to what he had told Ariel. The only addition was a premise he had not mentioned to her: that bringing someone with no proven achievements into the Robeheim family would reflect poorly on both Helene, who had proposed it, and on Ariel.
Since he did not intend to take much time, he asked only that they create an opportunity for him to prove his worth once he had become capable enough. He requested that his residence be somewhere he would not frequently encounter Ariel, yet still allow them to meet discreetly when she wished, away from prying eyes.
After he finished explaining with great enthusiasm, gesturing with both hands and feet, Helene—who had been listening with wide eyes and a dazed expression—finally came back to her senses.
“How astonishing. Did you truly come up with all of this by yourself, Edgar?”
“Yes. Though I’m sure there are many holes I haven’t considered.”
“Even if there are holes, they can’t be very large. Still… how did you come up with ideas like this…?”
This was no longer a matter of simply calling it impressive or clever for a fourteen-year-old. It was as if he had put himself in the position of the Robeheim family’s senior retainers, as well as in Helene’s and Ariel’s shoes, before devising his plan. No matter how talented someone might be at a young age, the most difficult thing is always human relationships. Most lessons in that area can only be learned through direct, painful experience, and guessing at people’s emotions and perspectives often leads to disaster.
It was not uncommon for heirs of prestigious families who had made a name for themselves early on to falter in human relations once they actually took their positions, only to quietly fade into the back alleys of history.
‘He’s looking incredibly far ahead.’
Helene had already considered to some extent what might happen if she brought him into the Robeheim family. There would certainly be some noise at first, but she was the mistress of the Robeheim household and possessed the power to silence it. She had simply assumed that once he proved his ability, everyone would quiet down.
But Edgar was looking even further than she had. He had foreseen that the conflict arising from the difference in positions between Helene and the senior retainers upon his immediate entry into the family might remain an unhealable rift and a burden in everyone’s hearts, even after he later proved his worth.
He was assessing reality far more coldly than she, who had believed it would somehow resolve itself.
“Son, isn’t it too much for someone your age to be thinking about so many things?”
“I agree with your father. I understand your intentions, but wouldn’t it be better for you to stay within the Robeheim family for now?”
But a parent’s heart is always the same. Their son was already leaving for a distant land; even if he slept beneath layers of silk and gold, they would worry. The idea of him living separately, without properly receiving the Robeheim family’s support, was deeply unsettling.
Understanding their feelings as a mother herself, Helene did not immediately accept Edgar’s request. She paused for a moment before continuing.
“Your parents are right, Edgar. There’s no need for you to shoulder so much at such a young age.”
Though fourteen was not exactly a tender age. In prestigious families, children that age were often already learning the family’s administrative duties, and in especially early cases, making their debut in high society to build connections. However, very few chose such paths of their own free will. Most simply bore them as the obligations of a family heir.
In contrast, Edgar had not been given any such duties or responsibilities that would require him to fulfill the conditions he had mentioned. So why was he trying to consider so many things?
That was what puzzled Helene.
In response, Edgar offered a faint smile and gazed gently at his childhood friend sitting beside him before speaking.
“It’s not really out of a sense of duty. Nor is it to repay the kindness Lady Helene has shown me all this time.”
“Then why?”
“It’s simple. No one wants to watch their friend running far ahead while they remain stuck behind.”
A friend is someone you walk beside, arm in arm. On the surface, Ariel and Edgar’s relationship appeared to be that of friends, but beneath it lay many differences in position—differences in family status, birth, and talent. When all of that was taken into account, the gap between them would only continue to widen.
The reason Edgar had chosen this path was neither purely for her sake nor out of a desire to repay Helene.
“I want to stand beside my friend. That is simply my wish.”
Even if he could not stand shoulder to shoulder with her, he wanted to at least reach a level where he could steal glances at her profile as she walked toward her destination. It wasn’t merely about standing on equal ground. He simply wanted to become someone who wouldn’t feel ashamed even if he stood beside her.
“I see. If your resolve is that firm, it would be rude of me to try to stop you. We’ll do as you wish, Edgar.”
After praising his determination, Helene glanced subtly toward his parents. The two remained silent but gave small nods. And beside them, her daughter—who had been nibbling at the cookies on the table like a squirrel—had stopped moving entirely. She was hunched over so deeply it looked as though she might bury her face in the tabletop.
‘How adorable.’
Helene felt as though she could read her daughter’s unspoken feelings and quietly turned her gaze away. For some reason, the thin crescent moon rising in the night sky felt especially bright tonight. Perhaps this was the most satisfying night of her entire life.