An Ominous Smile
From this year onward, Ariel was permitted to enter her father’s office. There were two main reasons for this.
First, Yulken was often away from the castle. Second, it was to prepare Ariel—who would come of age next year—to begin handling official duties in earnest. In other words, it also meant that whenever Yulken was absent, she would effectively become the mistress of the castle.
Whenever that happened, Elfelt no longer followed his master’s schedule. Instead, he stood by Ariel’s side and assisted her with her work. Though she had been learning since a young age, she was still inexperienced in practical affairs. Unless Edgar someday mastered the duties and took over Elfelt’s current position, for now, he was far better suited for this role.
“You already carry the dignity of the next head of the family so naturally, my lady.”
“It still feels awkward, so please don’t say things like that.”
When Elfelt playfully gilded her face with praise, Ariel averted her gaze slightly and let out a small laugh.
There was still so much she lacked. Far from possessing the dignity of a family head, she had never even considered herself a fully formed successor. The Yulken she had watched all this time possessed both the dignity and presence befitting the master of House Robeheim. It was almost as if he had been born with that charisma. Reaching that level would undoubtedly require many years of experience, yet Ariel wanted to hasten that time even a little.
“You seem impatient.”
“A little. I heard that Father began charging into battlefields at seventeen and fully carried out his duties as successor.”
This was also why Ariel had originally wanted to follow Yulken to the front lines starting this year. She believed that to draw even a little closer to him, she needed to at least be capable of following in his footsteps.
However, Elfelt simply smiled gently and shook his head. That had been a time when the North was far more chaotic than now, so Yulken had not gone to the battlefield by choice. There was no need to cling so desperately to that fact.
“Your Highness, you are you. There is no need to torment yourself by making comparisons. His Grace would surely think the same.”
“…When you say it, Elfelt, it feels more trustworthy. After all, you probably know Father better than I do.”
From what Ariel had heard, although Yulken and Elfelt outwardly shared a master-servant relationship, they were also comrades-in-arms who had braved battlefields together through thick and thin. The bond they had built over such a long time was something that could not be approached merely because of a father-daughter relationship.
That was why Ariel could not bring herself to claim she knew her father well in front of Helene or Elfelt. It would be like a pupa trying to lecture a butterfly.
“Isn’t that how it usually is? Though it may be presumptuous to say this to Your Highness, I suspect Young Master Edgar knows you even better than His Grace does. It is a similar case.”
“Hmm, I wonder what kind of reaction Father would have if I told him.”
What if she said to Yulken himself, ‘Father’s aide told me that my lover knows me better than you do!’? Would he chuckle with a bitter smile and play along because he felt guilty, or would he find it impertinent and summon Elfelt for a scolding? Ariel was incredibly curious.
On the other hand, the one who had spoken those words—Elfelt—could only break into a cold sweat and hope for mercy.
“Please show me mercy just this once.”
“It was a joke. Conversations shared here should stay here, right?”
Ariel winked playfully and laughed before immediately picking up her pen and scanning through the documents.
There were still many things she didn’t understand, and some matters that only Yulken could decide. So she finished organizing only what could be handled at Elfelt’s level, then asked for his perspective on how to view certain issues. In this way, Ariel was learning the practical side of things one by one.
“By the way, did you greet Young Master Edgar’s parents properly?”
“You knew about that too, Elfelt?”
“Of course. Given Your Highness’s personality, you wouldn’t travel all the way to distant Ardenum without a good reason.”
Fundamentally, Ariel was the type who moved with clear purpose. Unlike the leisurely Edgar, she had a pragmatic nature. Of course, if she had gone all the way to Ardenum simply because she wanted to be by Edgar’s side, there would be nothing more to say—but having watched her for so long, Elfelt guessed there must have been another reason.
And one of those guesses had been exactly this.
“Yes, it went well. They were quite surprised when I told them.”
“They would have been. If I had been in their position, I would have considered myself lucky not to faint on the spot.”
“W-was it that shocking?”
Ariel had expected the other party to be surprised, but since she wasn’t the one receiving the news, she hadn’t been able to gauge just how much. Yet hearing Elfelt’s words made her realize anew just how astonishing the news she had delivered must have been.
That said, if asked whether she regretted it, the answer was no.
“Since you have been a member of House Robeheim from the moment you were born, it is only natural that you cannot fully understand their feelings.”
Whenever Ariel gauged the prestige of House Robeheim, she did so from the perspective of someone already inside the family. She knew it was awe-inspiring, but she remained ignorant of just how much impact it had on outsiders.
Yet how could that be considered her fault? If she had understood the Bilhark Family’s position more precisely, that would have been impressive—but it did not make her foolish. Moreover, Elfelt even viewed this as a small gain.
The higher one stood, the harder it was to look down properly, and differences in perspective naturally arose. However, thanks to this incident, it seemed she had gained a clearer sense of House Robeheim’s standing and what it meant to be its heir. From now on, she would likely be more cautious in her words and actions.
“It is fine to make mistakes. What matters is what you realize from them.”
“You’re saying the exact same thing as Edgar.”
“Did the young master say something like that to you?”
“Yes. It was so long ago that my memory is a bit hazy, though.”
‘That idiot was always too busy scolding me even when we were little.’
At Ariel’s added remark, Elfelt smiled warmly.
‘Indeed, she has a good person by her side.’
It was rare for a friend to not only point out one’s mistakes but also offer advice—especially when one was still young and immature. In that sense, the man named Edgar was fulfilling his role not only as her lover but also as a guide through life.
‘He would make an excellent husband for the lady, but he would also be perfect as an aide. What a shame.’
For a brief moment, Elfelt genuinely thought so. Of course, he dared not voice it aloud, knowing what Ariel’s reaction would be.
“Oh, right, Elfelt. There’s something I want to ask. Can you answer me honestly?”
Her head, which had been scanning the pile of documents without even meeting his eyes, turned toward him. She looked up at Elfelt, who stood at her side, and the playful atmosphere that had filled her eyes just moments ago had completely vanished.
It was a chilling sensation Elfelt had not felt in a long time. It was eerily similar to the cold aura Yulken had radiated during their battlefield days when he looked at an enemy he needed to eliminate.
As if an invisible blade of ice were about to pierce his skin at any moment, he swallowed dryly without realizing it and nodded.
“How could I ever lie to you, my lady? Please ask me anything.”
“Really? Then I’ll get straight to the point.”
With an ominous curl at the corner of her lips that seemed to say how convenient, she unhesitatingly stabbed at the part Elfelt would be most sensitive about.
“Are there people within the family who find Edgar’s existence unpleasant?”
“……”
Although he had expected it to some degree, her direct strike made it difficult for him to maintain his composure. Above all, even though he knew he had to tell the truth, he was extremely reluctant to reveal it to Ariel’s face.
‘I knew it would come out eventually…’
But he never imagined it would be revealed this quickly. The source of the information was probably the maid Shuri. With her sharp mind, she could have noticed it just from observation, but if Ariel was this certain, the story changed slightly.
“I thought you said I could ask you anything… Did I remember wrong?”
“Ah, no. It is simply that I feel apologetic for having to speak of this matter to you……”
“What does that have to do with you? I only asked whether such people exist.”
Although she spoke that way, Elfelt realized the question also carried the hidden meaning of ‘Did you join them in that opinion?’ His dry lips moved awkwardly.
“…My apologies. There are indeed some retainers who show such signs, but excluding a very small minority, the majority hold positive views. Please do not worry.”
“I trust that you are not included among that small minority, Elfelt.”
“That goes without saying.”
After all, Elfelt himself had not come from a particularly distinguished background. Yet his achievements on the battlefield had caught Yulken’s eye, and through years of shared hardship, his abilities had been recognized, allowing him to rise to his current position. Therefore, looking down on a man like Edgar solely because of his origins would have been absurd.
It would be no different from a frog forgetting it had once been a tadpole. He was not foolish enough to do that.
“…Well, that’s fine. I can understand why they feel that way.”
“Pardon? That tone sounds almost as if you agree with their opinion……”
Elfelt’s eyes widened at Ariel’s tone, which seemed to suggest she sympathized with them. But Ariel, who had already seen through his thoughts completely, responded with a sneer that seemed to ask if he truly believed that.
“Understanding them doesn’t mean I forgive them. Of course, if they had only voiced their opposition, the story would have been different.”
Ariel was no fool; she knew she could not simply expel the family’s key vassals for such a reason. That was why, from the moment she had heard this information from Shuri, she had been pondering how to resolve it. And now those fools had handed her the perfect justification.
If they had simply sat in the back room flapping their clever mouths, they might have kept their lives. But Ariel was not gentle enough to overlook those who dared point blades at someone precious to her—even if she might have forgiven it if it had been directed at herself.
“First, give me the list of their names. Or would that be difficult?”
“…His Grace gave strict instructions before departing.”
Before leaving for his inspection, Yulken had given strict orders: if Ariel returned, she was to be told nothing about this matter. Even if she somehow learned of it, detailed information was not to be given until he returned.
Elfelt had no choice but to follow those orders, but seeing the look in the eyes of the girl sitting before him now, he doubted she would understand.
“Father said that? Then I suppose there’s nothing to be done.”
Phew.
Contrary to his worries, Ariel’s unexpectedly calm acceptance allowed Elfelt to breathe a sigh of relief. But he soon realized through her following words that she had not given up—she had simply held her breath for a more decisive response.
“After all, there are things I cannot do without Father’s permission.”
Ariel murmured this calmly, lightly twirling the pen in her hand as a refreshing smile spread across her face. It was a very bright smile, as if she were simply looking forward to what would be served for dinner tonight.
Watching her, Elfelt instead found the sight even more eerie. The emotion in her eyes was dead; the smile seemed to exist only to inform others that she was fine, carrying no meaning or intent whatsoever.
It could not possibly be more ominous.