A White Lie's Shield
Aftermath Arrangement (2)
Following the resplendent corridor, Edgar finally arrived at a room furnished with a long table. From what he could surmise, it appeared to be a chamber used whenever the family head and his retainers convened for matters of importance.
‘The atmosphere isn’t as hostile as I expected.’
Stepping inside, Edgar glanced around at the gathered faces, but few seemed inclined to glare or scrutinize his appearance. Instead, they murmured among themselves, their curiosity piqued by the sight of the boy they had only heard about.
‘I feel rather like an exhibit at a menagerie.’
Guided by Helene, Edgar took a seat. A bead of cold sweat traced its way down his back. No matter how composed he tried to appear, it was only natural to feel tense when so many eyes were fixed upon his every move.
Helene, who had been watching him closely, gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. Even a child as mature as he was bound to find such a gathering daunting. She could only hope the discussion would proceed without incident.
For a while, everyone simply studied one another in silence. At last, the man seated across from Helene spoke on behalf of the group. He wore a rather dashing mustache, and Edgar recalled having seen him once before.
“You are Edgar Bilhark, I presume? My apologies for summoning a patient all the way here. The situation is chaotic, and your testimony is essential.”
“Not at all. If anything, I am grateful for the generous hospitality.”
“It would be unseemly not to extend at least this much courtesy to the benefactor who protected our young lady. Ah, my introduction is overdue.”
The man introduced himself as Elfelt Glacier. He was none other than the foremost power in the household aside from the Robeheim couple themselves, and also served as the Grand Duke’s chief aide. When Edgar searched his memory for where he had seen the man, he recalled the occasion when he had accompanied Creed into the castle. Elfelt had greeted him warmly, ruffled his hair, and offered him chocolate. Despite his imposing build, comparable to Creed’s, he possessed a kindly smile that suited him well.
“I have heard much from Lady Helene. So, you lived here while concealing your family name in order to study?”
“Not solely for study, but that is essentially correct.”
“Oh? Not solely for study? If it is not too presumptuous, may I ask what the other reason was?”
At the question, Edgar glanced sideways at Helene. His look asked whether it was permissible to speak plainly. She merely smiled and gave a slight nod, as if to say he should answer as he wished.
“Because my dream was to remain by my friend’s side.”
“By ‘friend,’ do you mean Lady Ariel?”
“…Yes, that is correct.”
Since everything had already been laid bare, there was little point in hesitating. When Edgar answered frankly, Elfelt’s smile deepened.
“Just as I heard. I am told you refused entry into the Robeheim household even when offered under the names of Lady Helene and the young lady?”
“Yes.”
“Was there a reason? I do not mean to press you, but surely studying in a more comfortable environment would not have been so terrible.”
So they were going to ask that after all. Since he had already resolved to speak openly, Edgar laid out his true feelings without hesitation.
“In that case, I could have enjoyed the protection of the Robeheim name for the time being. But who would acknowledge the heir of a minor house that has accomplished nothing on its own?”
“In other words, you wished to stand beside the young lady through your own abilities alone, without borrowing anyone else’s hand… Is that it?”
“That is correct.”
The conversation was beginning to sound as though he had done it all to become Ariel’s betrothed, but he had no leisure to worry about that now. Besides, so long as these people possessed any sense, they would never imagine that the heir of a rural barony would aim for a seat beside the daughter of a grand ducal house.
“Very well. I have heard your story. Let us set the pleasantries aside and turn to the matter of what occurred in the young lady’s chambers last night……”
‘Here it comes.’
This was the point Edgar had dreaded most. While his actions had ultimately protected Ariel, recounting the process would inevitably cause ripples. After all, the fact that he had breached the barrier and entered without permission would not simply vanish.
Everything hinged on how the other side chose to approach the issue. If they intended to press the matter and pin a crime on him, Edgar had no means of defense. Yet if they were willing to consider extenuating circumstances and overlook that detail, there might still be room for dialogue.
Edgar swallowed nervously. A peculiar smile formed on Elfelt’s lips as he watched him.
“You are aware that a barrier has been erected around this castle, yes?”
“Yes. Lady Ariel informed me of it.”
He had wondered whether he ought to add an honorific after Ariel’s name, but fortunately no one corrected him. It seemed they were acknowledging him as her friend. That alone was a significant gain.
“We discussed how you and the intruder were able to pass through the barrier and enter the young lady’s chambers. However, we could find no satisfactory explanation.”
“……”
Had Ariel said nothing at all? Aside from her and himself, no one else should possess the means to cross the barrier. Just as Edgar was debating whether to reveal that fact now, Elfelt spoke again.
“We conducted a thorough investigation of the incident… but in your case, the young lady herself provided an explanation, so there were no further issues.”
“…Pardon? An explanation?”
Regardless of any explanation, the fact that he had intruded into Ariel’s room remained undeniable. Yet for Ariel to have stepped forward and offered an explanation on his behalf—what on earth was this about?
“There is no need to feign ignorance. We have already heard that the young lady summoned you to her room just before the barrier was activated.”
“It must have been quite the climb to reach such a high place,” Elfelt added with a playful tone. Edgar felt his mind go blank.
In other words, Ariel had deliberately given a false statement, shifting any potentially problematic aspects onto herself.
“Ariel… said that?”
“Indeed. She pleaded with us quite earnestly, saying that if it were you, you would surely try to shoulder the blame alone to avoid causing her trouble, and asked that we overlook it.”
Watching Elfelt smile contentedly, Edgar realized he had been thoroughly outmaneuvered and let out a hollow laugh.
‘So that was why she was smiling so smugly.’
He finally understood the meaning behind the enigmatic smile she had worn at the end. More than anything, the words Ariel had reportedly added when conveying her statement to Elfelt were the true masterstroke. By giving her testimony first in that manner, even if Edgar were to tell the truth, Elfelt would naturally assume he was lying to protect Ariel. Moreover, as a retainer of the Robeheim household, Elfelt could hardly doubt the words of the person he served.
It was a preemptive strike that only Ariel could have executed, utilizing every resource at her disposal before Edgar even had the chance to act.
‘She’s unbelievable.’
There was no escape. He had never imagined he would be so thoroughly bested by the very Ariel he had underestimated. Glancing at Helene, he saw that she was merely smiling, as though she had known everything from the start. Only now did Edgar realize that the entire situation had been orchestrated for his sake.
Presumably, the mastermind behind this was closer to Ariel than to Helene. She must have viewed this incident as an opportunity for him to gain recognition and pushed forward without hesitation. Helene had likely provided support from behind the scenes.
After all, both his reckless decision to resolve matters without calling for reinforcements and his nighttime breach of the barrier to reach Ariel’s chambers were issues that could not be substantiated without Ariel’s own testimony. Anything he said in this situation would be little more than a futile attempt to hide the obvious.
He was not certain whether this counted as a white lie, but the fact remained that her falsehood had deceived all these retainers—for the sole purpose of ensuring her friend received proper recognition.
‘She’s quite the tyrant.’
Her future already seemed worrisome. Just what had possessed her to handle things in such a reckless manner? Yet the most absurd part was that, even amid this situation, he found himself genuinely pleased by her consideration.
“The reason we summoned you today is also to determine your subsequent treatment. We cannot simply ignore the benefactor who protected the young lady.”
“By ‘treatment,’ you mean……”
The conversation was advancing far too rapidly for Edgar’s thoughts to keep pace. He had only just begun to sort through last night’s events and move on to the aftermath, yet talk of his own treatment had already surfaced. No matter how important it was to reward merit, the pace was excessively swift.
Elfelt, however, seemed to understand Edgar’s confusion. He was, after all, a retainer of the Robeheim household and ultimately could not disregard the pressure coming from above.
“The young lady caused quite an uproar. Setting everything else aside, she insisted that since you had rendered such a great service, we must at least allow you to remain by her side immediately.”
“Haha……”
He had never expected her to have moved this far ahead. Today was a complete and utter defeat. He could not recall ever feeling such a profound sense of loss at Ariel’s hands before. Yet strangely, the defeat left his heart feeling remarkably warm.
He had anticipated that one day this childish noble girl would make him feel this way, but he had not expected it to happen so soon.
‘This isn’t the method I wanted.’
Turning a friend’s crisis into an opportunity—could there be a more uncomfortable outcome? At the same time, however, he felt that rejecting the stage Ariel had prepared for him, even going so far as to lie, would be an insult to her. Perhaps she had even anticipated that he would feel this way.
“I will follow whatever instructions you give.”
“How refreshingly straightforward. The details will likely be discussed within the week. Lady Helene also wished for a swift resolution.”
As expected, she had lent her full support. When Edgar shot Helene a mildly reproachful look, she merely smiled innocently, pretending not to notice.
In the end, through this incident, Edgar came to realize both how far he still had to go and that his once-childish childhood friend was no longer merely a little girl.