A Moonlit Promise
A look of bewilderment Ariel had never seen before crossed her eyes. Wondering if it was an illusion, she reached out and pinched his cheek. Edgar swatted her hand away with a gruff “What are you doing?”
“H-How did you get up here? The barrier should have been active at this hour…”
The Robeheim family’s security was tighter than that of any other household. A vast detection barrier encircled the entire castle. It activated automatically once the sun set and the residents returned to their quarters. From the outside, the guards looked formidable, but the interior seemed lax—making it tempting to scale the walls. Anyone who tried would soon be caught by the barrier and meet a gruesome end.
Yet this man had somehow slipped through and reached her room. There was only one way to bypass the barrier: dismantle it entirely. But Ariel knew better than anyone that Edgar lacked the magical skill for such a feat.
As she stared at him with trembling crimson eyes, a deep smile curved Edgar’s lips. At the same moment, something strange happened to her senses.
“…You didn’t.”
Even though he stood right in front of her, his presence had vanished. It wasn’t the crude stealth technique assassins used to erase their presence; she could still see him, yet he felt utterly lifeless. Like a ghost floating in midair.
Only then did Ariel realize how her childhood friend had breached the ironclad barrier. The explanation was absurd, but given his background and nature, it wasn’t impossible.
When she pointed at him with a shaking hand, Edgar shrugged his shoulders and eyebrows at once before flopping into an empty chair.
“As expected of a genius. You figured it out right away.”
“You stopped the mana flowing through your body?”
“Correct. It was written in that book you showed me before.”
It was from the time Edgar had been deeply immersed in magic training. During a visit to Ardenum, Ariel had brought him a stack of books—all related to magic. Some detailed barriers and various spells, explaining their structures in considerable depth. When the chance arose, he had tried creating a small barrier spell and succeeded rather well. Of course, he had studied until his eyes nearly fell out just to make that one spell, only for it to last barely long enough to drink a cup of tea. Still, it had been a start.
“That was an incredibly reckless thing to do.”
“When visiting such an esteemed friend, I figured I ought to at least manage this much.”
Helene had mentioned the barrier around the Robeheim estate more than a year ago, in passing. He hadn’t experimented with it in mind for this exact situation, but he was glad the results had been favorable.
“Well, it’s something only you could pull off. I never even considered it possible.”
The barrier reacted to the mana waves emitted by living beings. If someone’s mana signature clashed with the barrier’s own, the structure would destabilize. So what would happen if someone crossed it with their mana completely stilled?
Stopping all mana flow meant turning one’s body into something no different from roadside weeds. Mana existed, yet it did not circulate. The comparison was apt. In that state, the barrier simply couldn’t detect them.
But no one who designed barriers ever accounted for such a possibility. ‘How many people have mana that doesn’t flow, anyway?’
Mana was like blood. It only held value when present and flowing. No ordinary human could consciously stop the blood coursing through their veins. Edgar, however, was an exception. Born with mana yet unable to circulate it, he had been incapable of using magic. With the sword Helene had given him, he had overcome that limitation and achieved circulation. On top of that, he had learned to consciously revert his body to its original state and halt the flow once more.
The barrier’s creator would have been mortified to witness this. Their supposedly flawless design had been effortlessly bypassed by someone who defied common sense.
“Honestly, I was gambling too. Glad it worked out.”
Chuckling, Edgar handed her the doll he had been carrying. It was a light-brown, fluffy bear—quite large. Hugging it while sleeping would feel pleasant in every way. How had he even brought the doll? And how had he known to bring it at the perfect moment, almost as if he had read her mind?
“Ah, and I bought some snacks outside. They’ve cooled a bit, but they were delicious.”
“…How did you climb up here carrying all that?”
Even if he had crossed the barrier, scaling this height was another matter. She wondered if he had used a rope, but none was in sight.
“There were footholds here and there. I just jumped up.”
“You really have a death wish.”
Even with the barrier in place, guards still patrolled—though fewer in number. Getting caught would have meant instant execution. Why had he taken such a risk just to see her?
“You say that, yet you’re smiling, aren’t you, my lady?”
“Hmph. I’m just dumbfounded, you idiot. What on earth possessed you to do something so reckless…”
Edgar teased her with formal speech, but Ariel refused to play along and sharply turned her head away.
‘It really is him.’
Seeing her own foolish grin reflected in the mirror opposite, she felt her face might burst. No matter what she said, how could she not be happy? He had braved such danger just to meet her—she wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms. Yet, true to her stubborn nature as a young noble lady, her mouth kept running with complaints.
“I-I don’t even like dolls that much… but since you brought it, I’ll accept it.”
“My, I’m so moved I could cry.”
Despite his words, Edgar knew Ariel was fond of dolls. Not long ago, while strolling through Ardenum together, he had seen her lingering in front of a shop. At first he hadn’t understood, but later realized it sold stuffed toys. Remembering that, he had bought one along with snacks on his way here. It seemed to have been the right choice—her mouth kept twitching, betraying her true feelings.
He wanted to tease her about it, but decided to hold back for today. The pile of books on the desk beside them told him how hard his childhood friend had been working until just moments ago.
‘Why is this room so empty?’
It hardly felt like a fourteen-year-old girl’s bedroom. There was no sense of life in it. He had expected something brighter and more charming. Perhaps this was simply Ariel’s taste, but to him, it felt wrong.
“Why are you looking around a lady’s room like that? It’s rude.”
“Lady, my foot. Anyone would think you’d already had your debutante ball.”
A debutante ball was an event held for noble children entering high society for the first time. Those who participated were called debutantes. The timing varied by family, but older houses often introduced their daughters earlier. The Robeheim family was one such house.
“Hmph, it’s not that far off, you know?”
“When?”
“Probably next year. At the latest, the year after.”
It was indeed quite early. Considering that adulthood came at nineteen, it meant entering society at least three years before coming of age. While a few people their age had already debuted, such cases were rare.
“Do you have someone to go with?”
“Of course you’re coming with me. Though I suppose it’s too much to ask of you.”
“I wonder if that’s even possible.”
Young ladies attending debutante balls usually received assistance from male companions—close male friends, lovers, or fiancés arranged by their families. The common thread was that the man’s family or reputation had to be of comparable standing. In that regard, Edgar still fell short in many ways.
“What, you don’t want to? I’m offering you the honor of escorting the Robeheim heiress to her first social debut, and you’re going to refuse?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to—it’s that it’s too much of an honor, you idiot.”
Edgar flicked her forehead lightly before standing up. No matter how much she wanted it, her family would never easily grant permission. Unless he was at least the son of a prominent count, they wouldn’t even consider it. Helene might be able to pull strings, but that wasn’t what he wanted. His first goal was to become someone worthy of standing beside this reckless young lady by then.
“Y-You messed up my hair.”
“You’re going to bed soon anyway. What does it matter?”
Standing beside her, Edgar looked down at Ariel in silence before gently stroking her head. She grumbled and leaned away. What’s with all the fuss from someone about to sleep? He chuckled, withdrew his hand, and walked slowly toward the balcony.
“You get lonely easily, so I’ll come visit often.”
“Tch. I’d be perfectly fine not seeing you for days.”
‘Well, I won’t stop you if you do come,’ she added under her breath. Edgar barely managed to suppress his laughter. How could one young lady be so stubbornly dishonest? She was difficult, but there was a certain charm to it.
“Just wait a little. Before long, I’ll walk through that door properly.”
“……”
Not sneaking up the balcony like a thief, but entering openly as a friend. After declaring his resolve, Edgar placed one foot on the balcony railing. Jumping straight down to the first floor would be madness, so he scanned for the footholds he had used earlier. Suddenly, something grabbed his right hand.
Startled, he turned to see Ariel with her head bowed low, clutching his hand. Her lips moved soundlessly at first, then her grip tightened. Her cheeks flushed beneath the moonlight, and at last her crimson lips parted.
“…You know I hate waiting. Don’t be late.”
The words that escaped—caught between her dishonest heart and her desire to speak honestly—brought a smile to Edgar’s face. Instead of ruffling her hair as he usually did, he stroked it gently, as though handling delicate glasswork.
“I won’t be late.”
With those words, he vanished over the balcony in an instant. It was as if the bright moonlight had suddenly hidden behind the clouds. Ariel wondered if everything that had just happened was a dream, but the lingering warmth on her head told her otherwise. A soft smile bloomed on her lips.
‘Showing off as usual.’
Still, for today, she would admit it. Just a little—not much, but truly just a little—he had been cool.