Unexpected News
When the two of them were only a year away from adulthood, an unexpected piece of news came knocking at the gates of the Robeheim household. That was exactly why they had boarded a carriage at such an odd hour and left Hespania for a time.
“You really don’t have to come, you know.”
“What? Are you saying you don’t want me with you?”
Inside the speeding carriage, Edgar wore a troubled expression as he spoke to Ariel. When she snapped back in that prickly tone of hers, he had to work hard to soothe her, insisting that wasn’t what he meant at all.
It wasn’t that he wanted to get away from her or spend time alone. He simply knew better than anyone how precious every minute was for Ariel, who would soon come of age and have to throw herself fully into official duties. Even so, when she declared she would accompany him to Ardenum to match his schedule, he had spent the entire time trying to talk her out of it. It wouldn’t take long, he said. Just wait for him. He had coaxed her as gently as he could.
But Ariel’s answer was simple.
‘If it won’t take long, then it’s perfect. We can go together.’
With that single blow, Edgar sank. In the end he had no choice but to adjust their itinerary so Ariel could join him on the trip to Ardenum. The fact that they were riding together in this carriage was the result.
“Besides, if it’s your family’s business, it’s my family’s business too. Don’t look at me like I’m some cold-hearted person.”
“……”
The fact that Ariel—who usually hated anything the least bit sappy—could say something like that without a trace of embarrassment meant the words had come straight from her heart. Edgar knew that well, so he simply nodded in silence and took her hand, squeezing it tightly.
‘A younger sibling all of a sudden… I never saw that coming.’
About a month earlier, a letter had arrived addressed to Edgar. Its contents announced that a new name had been added to the Bilhark family’s line of succession. What’s more, they hadn’t even told him about the pregnancy at first. Fearing it might burden their son who was far away, they had kept the conception secret and only informed him after the child was born.
When he first heard the news, Edgar had been utterly stunned.
“Would you rather have a little sister or a little brother?”
“I feel like the young master would want a younger brother.”
The shock from that first letter still seemed to linger. Edgar leaned back against the seat, staring blankly at the ceiling. Ariel reached over and lightly tapped his shoulder as she asked the question. Shuri, who had remained silently listening until now, chimed in as well.
“Hmm, I’ve never really thought about it.”
Since he had never even imagined having a sibling in the first place, it was only natural that he hadn’t considered their gender.
“I’ve always thought it would be nice to have a younger brother.”
“You with a little brother, Shuri? You’d definitely take good care of him.”
Ariel nodded in agreement as she pictured Shuri looking after a younger brother. The fact that Shuri had remained Ariel’s maid all this time despite the young lady’s constant grumbling proved that Shuri genuinely enjoyed caring for others and possessed a kind personality.
“Still, if I had to choose, I’d prefer a little sister.”
“A sister? Why?”
If Edgar were to enter the Robeheim family, a son would be better for the line of succession. Ariel found his answer quite surprising, so she tilted her head and pressed him for his reasons.
“You used to feel like a little sister to me. But now you don’t, so I thought it might be nice to have an actual little sister.”
“R-really? If that’s how you feel… then I guess I’d like a girl too.”
Even though he hadn’t exactly complimented her, Ariel’s cheeks flushed faintly with embarrassment. Since his little sister would also be her little sister, thinking of someone cute to dote on did make a girl sound better. A boy, on the other hand, felt strangely difficult to imagine.
“Oh, right. When we arrive there’ll be a puppy too, so you’ll like that.”
“A puppy? That’s right. You mentioned there was one when you visited before, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. It was really tiny back then, but it’s probably grown quite a bit by now.”
It was fairly well-known that Ariel loved animals. The only problem was that Helene, who lived in the Robeheim household, was particularly weak around them, so they could never keep a dog. Still, there were stray cats and dogs outside the castle that the guards would play with, and Ariel would watch them to get her fix.
“You still haven’t told your parents that we’re dating, right?”
“There wasn’t really a good time. Besides, it’s not the sort of thing you casually mention in a letter.”
“If that’s what you think, then…”
Though she said it lightly, Ariel was secretly delighted that he didn’t take their relationship lightly. Today she wasn’t going as the childhood friend who always ran wild with him, but as his prospective daughter-in-law. She had to make a good impression.
With that thought in mind, she turned her head slightly and saw that Edgar had already closed his eyes, breathing softly in sleep.
“He must have been tired after all.”
“Why? Did something happen yesterday?”
Shuri spoke as if she had some idea what it might be while looking at the sleeping Edgar. Ariel blinked at her in confusion, and a faint, bitter smile formed on Shuri’s lips.
“The young master asked me not to say anything, but…”
“…Whose orders matter more—mine or Edgar’s?”
“Yours, of course, my lady. That’s why I’m struggling with this.”
Had the person asking not been Ariel, Shuri would have simply sealed her lips without a word. But she felt she ought to tell her, which was why she had brought it up at all.
“The truth is, it seems a few people within the family have recently begun to view the young master unfavorably.”
“Unfavorably… what does that mean?”
She had barely begun to speak, yet the murderous aura radiating from Ariel’s entire body made Shuri flinch. Like father, like daughter—her reaction toward those she considered enemies was exactly the same. Although Shuri had never seen Yulken on the battlefield, she had heard enough about his fearsome reputation through her mother, Shephy.
“Forgive me, but could you lower your voice, my lady? The young master might wake up…”
“…Fine. Tell me.”
Lowering her voice was important, but it was also like asking her to suppress her emotions entirely. Getting worked up now wouldn’t change anything. Shuri had already expected that Ariel’s eyes would blaze the moment she heard this. Therefore, it was crucial that she explain everything in a way her lady could understand clearly.
Of course, Edgar had asked her to keep it secret, but Shuri was ultimately Ariel’s servant. That meant she must place her lady’s happiness above all else. It would be better to tell her now than for the truth to come out later and have her master blame herself. In the end, this too was a choice made for her lady’s happiness.
“Please keep this from the young master.”
“I’ll keep it from Edgar. As for what I’ll do with those pathetic bastards, even I don’t know yet.”
Watching Ariel grind her teeth and clench her fists so tightly they looked ready to shatter, Shuri felt a surge of trust. This was different from the young lady who had always been protected by her parents, her family, and her friends. She could entrust her with this story.
‘I hope this leads to the young lady protecting the young master this time.’
It was something the two of them needed if they were to move forward while regarding each other more sincerely. For today, at least, Shuri resolved to play the villain.
Ardenum, after so long away, remained exactly as she remembered. Unlike Hespania, the air here was warm and the vegetation grew lush and green. The villages they passed on the way felt less bustling than they did welcoming. Since it had been nearly four years since Ariel last visited Ardenum, the experience felt especially fresh. Edgar had stopped by whenever he had the chance, but she had remained in Hespania the entire time.
“Ugh, I never get used to riding in a carriage no matter how many times I do it.”
Edgar stretched lightly, rolling his stiff neck and shoulders as he muttered to himself. It was a good thing they had used the dimensional stone to shorten the journey; otherwise, he would have suffered even more. He almost felt like finding the person who developed the dimensional stones later just to give them a gift.
“Maybe I should stop by the Magic Tower.”
“What business do you have at the Magic Tower?”
“…! Whoa, you startled me.”
Ariel had quietly approached while he was talking to himself. Caught off guard, Edgar’s body actually lifted into the air for a moment. No one could call her a genius for nothing—ever since he taught her martial arts, she had only grown better at erasing her presence. Every time this happened Edgar would beg her to at least make some sound, but her chilling reply of ‘Do you have something to hide?’ always left him speechless.
“I asked what business you have at the Magic Tower.”
“I heard the person who developed the dimensional stone is the current Tower Master. I thought I should at least express my gratitude.”
“…It’s not because it’s a woman, is it?”
The look in her eyes said that if he gave the wrong answer, she would break both his legs right then and there. Edgar felt a chill run down his spine and frantically waved both hands.
“Woman? No way. Besides, is the current Tower Master even a woman?”
“I don’t know. I was just testing you. I don’t care who it is.”
“You really are something else.”
Even so, the current Magic Tower Master would have more fame than the head of most noble families, yet she didn’t even know their gender. That fact alone spoke volumes about Ariel Robeheim’s personality. Once someone fell outside her sphere of interest, she wouldn’t spare them a single glance.
Chatting about such trivial things, the three of them arrived in front of the mansion. The guard at the entrance was about to greet Edgar when he noticed the woman behind him and froze stiff.
“W-welcome back, young master!”
“I’m back. And she doesn’t bite, so you don’t have to be that tense.”
“Am I some kind of wild beast?”
Ariel’s grumbling came from behind, but Edgar deliberately ignored it and asked them to open the gate. The guards standing on either side promptly threw the doors wide, revealing two familiar figures waiting on the other side.
“Really, both of you. I told you there was no need to come out.”
“Our son is coming home after who knows how long—how could we stay inside? Idiot.”
“Exactly. I think the young master’s thinking was mistaken this time.”
“Yes, yes. I’m the one who deserves to die.”
Edgar lightly brushed off the teasing coming from both sides as he crossed the garden and greeted his parents for the first time in a while.
“My son, welcome home. The journey must have been exhausting.”
“Welcome back. But why have you brought the young lady with you?”
“I’ll explain the details inside. By the way, Mother, your health isn’t the best—why did you come out?”
Katria’s lips curved into a faint smile at the way her son scolded her without understanding a mother’s heart.
“When my son is coming home, how could I stay cooped up inside? The weather is nice today, so I came out to enjoy the flowers.”
“If you want to look at something beautiful, just look in the mirror. There was no need to come all the way to the garden.”
“Pfft, our son certainly knows how to flatter his mother. Even your father doesn’t say such things anymore.”
Even as she said it, Edgar knew his parents’ relationship was exceptionally harmonious. If it weren’t, they could never have had a late-born child like this.
The Bilhark couple enjoyed a peaceful family chat for the first time in a while. Then, noticing Ariel who had drawn closer, they hurriedly greeted her. Ariel smiled softly, lifted the sides of her skirt with both hands, and spoke in a modest yet respectful tone.
The only problem was that her words were enough to send the Bilhark couple’s minds reeling.
“It’s been a long time. Father. Mother.”