An Unwelcome Encounter
Edgar glanced sideways at his childhood friend, who had been walking in complete silence for some time now. Had the simple act of following her down the castle corridors ever felt this heavy before? The pressure of facing the master of the Grand Duchy was nothing compared to the suffocating, indefinable atmosphere that surrounded her. At first glance, her expression looked resolute, like a warrior steeling herself for battle, but to Edgar it was anything but. If he had to describe it, she reminded him of a child desperately trying to hide her fear by forcing strength into her eyes.
“Ariel.”
“Y-yes?”
“Ease up a little. You’re going to snap your own neck at this rate.”
Edgar gave her back a playful pat and nodded toward her shoulders. Only then did Ariel realize how tightly she had been clenching them. She let out an awkward laugh and slowly lowered her shoulders. The sight filled Edgar with an unprecedented sense of dissonance.
Normally she would have snapped back at me.
She would have shot back something like, ‘You think I’m nervous or something?’ and raised her voice instead. The fact that she had quietly obeyed him was proof enough of just how tense she truly was.
As they continued down the seemingly endless corridor, a familiar figure approached their group from the opposite direction. Ariel, who had been staring at the floor, lifted her head at the sudden shadow. The moment her eyes met the newcomer’s, her face brightened dramatically.
“You’re back? Ariel. And you two must be exhausted as well.”
After offering her thanks to the pair who had stayed by Ariel’s side, Helene pulled her daughter into a warm embrace. Ariel savored the familiar comfort of her mother’s arms for a moment before belatedly asking about her father.
“Mom… where’s Father…?”
“He’s in his study. He’s receiving a report from Lord Elfelt.”
At the word study, Ariel’s face turned pale, as if unpleasant memories had resurfaced. She chewed her lip. Helene, sensing what was on her mind, offered a sympathetic smile and gently stroked her daughter’s hair before suggesting they head there together.
“Edgar, Shuri. The two of you may return to your rooms. I’ll take Ariel with me.”
On the surface, it sounded like a considerate gesture toward the pair who had traveled a long way. Yet neither Edgar nor Shuri looked relieved. If anything, Shuri’s eyes were filled with things she wanted to say but couldn’t. She opened her mouth cautiously.
“But, my lady…”
“Shuri, do as Mother says.”
It was not Helene but Ariel who cut Shuri off with firm resolve. As if she didn’t want anyone to witness what was about to happen, she lifted her head, met Shuri’s gaze, and offered a weak smile. After a moment of hesitation, Shuri realized she could not defy her mistress. She bowed her head in gratitude.
Having silenced Shuri, Ariel now turned her gaze to the left, toward her childhood friend. Her eyes seemed to say, ‘You understand without me having to say it, right?’ When Edgar averted his eyes and delayed his answer, she let out a small chuckle and spoke herself.
“Edgar, you should…”
“No. I don’t have anything urgent to do, so I’ll come along.”
His reply was immediate, his tone so cold it bordered on icy as he dismissed her request outright. Ariel’s voice rose sharply in response.
“I told you to go rest in your room! Why won’t you listen even when I’m being considerate for once, you idiot!”
“I’m not tired, so why won’t you listen when I say I’ll go with you? You’re the idiot here.”
“Stop twisting my words. I’m being serious right now.”
“You’re the one spouting nonsense. I’m being serious too.”
Ariel glared at him, her temper flaring in an instant, while Edgar stared back with the same cold gaze he had shown her several times before. Caught between them, Shuri looked like she wanted to disappear. Eventually, Helene stepped in, deciding the atmosphere had grown too heated.
Truthfully, she had somewhat expected Edgar’s reaction, so she wasn’t particularly surprised.
“Now, now, no fighting. Since it’s been a while, let Edgar come along too. It seems my husband has been wanting to see him at least once.”
“Yes, he is someone I’ve wanted to meet at least once as well.”
She wondered what meaning lay hidden behind those words. The boy had never once acted outside her expectations since childhood, which made her both anxious and strangely expectant.
Meanwhile, Ariel was still watching her mother with worried eyes. Noticing her daughter’s gaze at last, Helene patted her back reassuringly, sent Shuri back to her room, and the three of them headed for the study together.
When they reached the door, Ariel couldn’t stop fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. Observing this, Edgar reached out, gently took her wrist, and gave her a silent nod. Only then did she seem to calm down a little. She nodded back, then turned her gaze firmly toward the tightly closed door.
Helene, who had been waiting for her daughter to collect herself, finally knocked. A deep, authoritative voice answered from within, granting them permission to enter.
Creak.
The door must not have been oiled properly. It let out a short groan as it opened, revealing a middle-aged man with graying hair seated at his desk and Elfelt standing beside it. All three pairs of eyes took in the scene.
“I apologize for making you walk all this way twice, my dear.”
My dear. Edgar’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the term of address. So this man was indeed Yulken Robeheim, the master of House Robeheim.
He’s huge.
Edgar summed up his first impression of the man named Yulken in a single word. It wasn’t about his physique or presence alone. Simply standing before him made one feel the weight and depth of the life he had lived. It was like facing a colossal mountain. Edgar had felt something similar when he met Creed, but this was far more distinct and majestic.
“It’s nothing new. You’ve been looking forward to seeing this child, after all. Let’s talk.”
“Hm.”
Yulken rose from his seat and approached the three without a word. Instead of greeting his daughter whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, he extended his hand to Edgar first. Edgar frowned slightly at the unusual gesture but hid his reaction as he took the rough, calloused hand.
“I am Yulken Robeheim. I’ve heard much about you from my wife and have wanted to meet you at least once. This is fortunate.”
“My name is Edgar Bilhark. It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace Robeheim.”
“Just Yulken is fine. I have no desire to receive such excessive courtesy from my daughter’s benefactor.”
Contrary to Edgar’s expectations, Yulken’s reaction and behavior were remarkably ordinary. If anything, he appeared to be the ideal father who cherished his daughter. The only impression was that he seemed blunt because his emotions rarely showed.
After their brief greeting, Yulken’s gaze shifted to his daughter, who stood with her head bowed as if she had committed some crime.
“Ariel. It’s been a long time.”
“Yes… Father. I’m glad to see you are well.”
The scene was the complete opposite of how he had treated Helene. Watching the father and daughter converse as if separated by a wall, Edgar could only chew on his dry lips.
“So, how have your studies in magic and martial arts progressed?”
Rather than asking about his daughter’s well-being after their long separation, Yulken immediately inquired about her academic progress. Although Ariel had anticipated this, actually hearing it made her mind go blank.
“T-to be honest, I’ve made decent progress in magic, but in martial arts I still…”
“Still?”
Yulken repeated her trailing words, urging her to continue. Ariel found it difficult to speak, but she knew one of the things he hated most was hesitation. Swallowing her anxiety, she forced her tightly sealed lips open.
“I… I haven’t made any notable progress in martial arts yet… I’m sorry.”
“You’ve had plenty of time. Do you truly believe it makes sense that you’ve shown not even the slightest improvement?”
“…No. It’s entirely my fault for being negligent. I’m sorry, Father.”
The icy voice of the North’s ruler made Ariel lower her head even further as she begged for forgiveness. Watching this, Edgar’s left hand clenched tightly, his teeth grinding together.
To anyone watching, their conversation resembled that of a lord and his vassal rather than a father and daughter. There was no sign of a father disciplining his child. Instead, it looked like a monarch sternly rebuking a subordinate for their shortcomings while the subordinate bowed their head in submission.
When Edgar’s furious gaze met Helene’s, she lowered her eyes and gave a small shake of her head. It was a silent plea to pretend he hadn’t noticed, knowing exactly what he wanted to say.
“It seems that while your father was briefly away from the castle, you treated it as your own playground. Do you feel no sense of duty as the heir?”
“……!”
“Darling! What are you saying to the child!”
Those were words Ariel had never wanted to hear from her father. Realizing her husband had crossed a line, Helene quickly tried to stop him. Yulken glanced once at his wife, then stared at his daughter with her head still bowed before silently walking past the three of them and leaving the study.
Bang.
The door slammed shut with force. Elfelt, who had been watching from a distance, hurriedly followed after Yulken. An icy silence descended upon the study.
“Hic… sob.”
The sound that finally broke the seemingly eternal silence was neither a voice nor the thud of a book falling from the shelf. It was simply the sorrowful weeping of a young girl. Edgar pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and silently offered it to her.
Swat.
“Take it away. I don’t need it.”
Ariel coldly knocked his hand aside, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and lifted her head to meet his eyes. The usual lively crimson gaze was gone, replaced by blood-red eyes filled only with sadness. The look in them seemed to ask him why he had done this, leaving Edgar unable to say a word.
“This is exactly why I told you not to follow… I didn’t want you to see me looking so pathetic.”
“Ariel, calm down. This isn’t Edgar’s fault.”
“I know! I know that!”
Ariel was no foolish girl. If anything, she possessed a sharper and more brilliant mind than most of her peers. That was precisely why she felt so pathetic, why she had no outlet for those feelings except to lash out in anger. The fact that she had shown such a miserable side of herself in front of a friend she had known for over ten years. Even though she knew it wasn’t his fault, she had nowhere else to direct her rage and ended up turning it on him. Everything about the situation felt utterly pathetic, and the self-loathing made her teeth clench.
“Edgar, it would be best if you returned to your room for now. Once Ariel calms down, I’ll have Shuri call for you…”
“No. Right now, the one who should take Ariel is me. Since this is my mistake, I believe I should be the one to resolve it.”
As someone who had known her for ten years, Edgar could clearly read what she was feeling. She was a girl with immense pride, strong self-respect, and a deep aversion to showing weakness to others. She yearned to always be upright, steadfast, and noble. Her current anger wasn’t truly directed at the childhood friend who had followed her without permission. It was closer to self-loathing and shame at having been seen in such a state. In that case, the only person who could soothe her was someone who understood her heart better than anyone.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I intruded without thinking and caused this mess…”
“It’s not your fault. If I must say, it’s my husband’s. But I hate myself even more for being unable to simply blame him.”
Edgar felt a strange sense of déjà vu from Helene’s words. It seemed she knew that Yulken’s strict treatment of their daughter wasn’t simply due to his educational philosophy. But now was not the time to press her about it. Besides, prying into another family’s affairs went against his nature. It would be best if Ariel explained it herself, but given her current state, that seemed unlikely. If she had fully understood the detailed reasons behind this situation, she wouldn’t have been driven to this point. There appeared to be many complicated circumstances at play.
“Ariel, let’s go for now.”
“…No. Leave me alone.”
“Alright. I’ll leave you alone, but first let’s go to your room. If you don’t want me there, I’ll call Shuri for you.”
Scolding her by saying she wouldn’t accomplish anything by being alone right now would have been the worst possible choice. The right approach was to soothe her somehow, create a situation where it was just the two of them, and then talk once she had calmed down. That was why Edgar deliberately mentioned Shuri’s name, implying he would disappear the moment she arrived. Only then did Ariel’s surging emotions seem to subside a little. She gave a small nod, leaned into his chest, and left the room with him.
It was also the first time Ariel had been held in Edgar’s arms without feeling any warmth at all.