Shadows of Guilt and a Mother's Arrangement
It was only after Vincent and Lux had been killed and their families purged across generations that news of the incident finally reached the outside world. In the official account, however, the primary target of the assassination was reframed from Edgar Bilhark to Ariel Robeheim. The reason was simple. When a purge of such scale wiped out an entire bloodline, the crime had to match the severity of the punishment. No matter how close Ariel and Edgar were, using their relationship alone as justification for so many deaths could have created unnecessary backlash. But if the intended victim was the Grand Duke’s cherished only daughter, the story changed entirely. That was precisely the angle Yulken had been aiming for.
Ariel grumbled that she had simply eliminated people who needed to die and saw no reason to twist the facts, but she eventually accepted the decision. She wasn’t foolish enough to misunderstand the importance of public justification. Her complaints had been nothing more than idle whining; she never raised any formal objection.
The event stirred considerable talk throughout the North. The most common rumor claimed the Grand Duchy had fabricated evidence and spread lies simply to eliminate vassals who threatened their power. Yet even that speculation quickly faded. In the empire—especially in the northern territories—the Robeheim family’s reputation stood unshakably high. The Duke himself had slain the barbaric northern tribes, and when the harsh climate brought hardship to the common people, he had always extended a generous hand. Such accumulated goodwill ran too deep to be easily overturned.
On the surface, the matter appeared to resolve smoothly. Or more accurately, it had been flowing without incident—except for one woman who lived in constant anxiety.
“Edgar doesn’t know, right? He couldn’t possibly know… could he?”
Four days had passed since Yulken made the official announcement. Yet Ariel remained a nervous wreck. Whenever she found herself alone with Shuri in her room, her fears spilled out in exactly this manner.
She had carried out his revenge in his place, which was good. But it likely hadn’t been the method he wanted. Because of that, even while delivering death to those men, Ariel’s guilt had centered less on the act of killing and more on what she had done to Edgar. Now that the full story had been released to the public, that anxiety had finally exploded.
“My lady, please calm down first. The young master hasn’t said anything at all since then, has he?”
“B-but that idiot is weirdly sharp when it comes to anything involving me… Who knows what he might have figured out?”
“Hmm… that’s true, I suppose.”
Shuri couldn’t deny it. In all the time she had observed Edgar, the man possessed an almost supernatural ability to read Ariel’s heart. It went beyond simply sensing whether she was in a good or bad mood—he could pinpoint her exact emotional state. Having witnessed this countless times, Shuri found herself unable to confidently reassure her mistress that everything would be fine. In her honest opinion, even a professional fortune-teller couldn’t match his accuracy.
“See! Even you think so!”
“Still, hiding in your room like this won’t solve anything. If anything, it will only make him more suspicious.”
“I know that!”
Ariel had no desire to waste the precious time she could be spending with Edgar, laughing and teasing each other. Her anxiety had simply grown too large to ignore. Most of all, when he had casually asked her the other day, “How were those people punished?” his tone had sounded to her ears like, “You’re the one who killed them, aren’t you?”
“If you’re that worried, why not just tell the young master directly?”
“How could I possibly do that?! He’d definitely get angry!”
Ariel jerked her face up from the pillow where she had buried it and snapped. The very reason she had reached this state was because she couldn’t bring herself to confess to him directly—yet here Shuri was, offering that very suggestion. Her face burned with frustration.
Despite her mistress’s outburst, Shuri continued in a calm, even tone. She didn’t claim to understand Edgar better than Ariel did, but after years of observation, she knew him well enough.
“If it’s the young master, I’m certain he would understand. Your actions weren’t born from malice—they were all done for his sake.”
“……”
“Or has the young master you remember ever scolded or grown angry with you simply because you acted in a way that differed slightly from his own wishes?”
Ariel hugged the large pillow like a sulking three-year-old and shook her head without offering a proper reply.
“If speaking to him feels too difficult right now, perhaps you could go somewhere together for a short trip?”
“A trip…?”
“They say a change of environment can shift one’s mood. If you went somewhere alone with the young master, you might find the courage you need.”
Ariel’s eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion. There was logic to it. And if they went somewhere nice, even Edgar—who might otherwise grow angry—would likely calm down enough to listen to her properly.
“But… where would we even go?”
Shuri smiled with the reliable expression of someone who had been waiting for this exact moment and whispered a destination into her mistress’s ear. As Ariel listened, her eyes gradually grew larger. Soon a bright smile bloomed across her face, and she praised her maid for the excellent idea. The anxiety that had weighed on her heart had already transformed into eager anticipation of seeing him. Tomorrow suddenly felt full of promise.
Recently, Edgar had begun to notice that Ariel was avoiding him. At first he wondered if she had already grown tired of their relationship, but even during their brief encounters she would pretend otherwise while subtly clinging to him. That observation erased the thought from his mind. If that wasn’t the problem, then what was?
Since even he couldn’t know everything about her, his frustration only continued to grow. Then one day, he was suddenly summoned by Helene. Without any prior notice, she had called for him. As always, she waited in the reception room with a gentle smile on her lips. Whatever the topic, it seemed quite private—she had not even brought Shephy with her.
“It feels like quite a long time since we last spoke properly, Edgar.”
This was the first time they had sat down together since Helene had accompanied Yulken on his inspection tour. With so many hectic matters demanding their attention lately, they had only managed passing greetings.
“I should have come to see you sooner… I apologize.”
“Don’t be so stiff, dear. Think of it as a mother’s small complaint after missing the sight of her son’s face.”
“Yes, my lady.”
At Edgar’s courteous response, Helene could only let out a soft, regretful laugh. There had been a time when, despite his old-mannered ways, a trace of adorable youth still remained. Yet with each passing day he grew more mature, until even those remnants had vanished. It was always a joy to watch a child mature from an adult’s perspective, but that same growth carried the bittersweet pain of loss. The boy who once reached only to her waist now looked down at her, stirring a complex swirl of emotions.
“I called you here to ask whether anything troubling has happened since then. It’s been a while, so I wanted to see your face as well.”
“Yes, nothing in particular. I truly should have visited earlier, but I felt I had already caused your family enough trouble on my account… I couldn’t bring myself to appear before you.”
“Why would that be your fault? Never entertain such thoughts.”
Helene cut him off with a firm tone and a slight frown. Before he could even finish speaking, his words were denied. Edgar let out a small chuckle without realizing it and nodded. Of course, he hadn’t truly believed it was entirely his fault. If he had, he never would have confessed his feelings to Ariel in the first place. He simply felt sorry for the unnecessary burden his presence had placed upon the Robeheim family. He had also known that revealing the truth publicly would damage their reputation. Even so, he felt only gratitude toward every member of the household who had chosen to embrace him despite it all.
“Are you getting along well with our daughter these days? She has such a wild personality—I’m sure she’s giving you quite a bit of trouble.”
“Ariel has matured a great deal, so you needn’t worry. If anything, I’m the one benefiting from her growth.”
“Even if it’s only words, thank you. If she ever does anything wicked to you, tell me immediately. Understood?”
“Pfft, I will.”
The strangely reversed roles made Edgar burst into laughter. For a moment his speech slipped back into its more casual tone from the past, and he quickly cleared his throat to correct it. Helene, who had preferred that earlier manner, pouted her lips in disappointment exactly like her daughter might have done. In response, Edgar continued the conversation in a slightly warmer, more familiar register.
“Come to think of it, you and Ariel haven’t been able to go out much lately.”
“No… not really.”
“Then why not set aside matters within the castle for a while and take a short trip to get some fresh air? She secretly enjoys going outside, you know.”
It wasn’t secretly at all—she was quite open about it. While Edgar preferred quiet, leisurely moments, Ariel favored more active pursuits. It was hardly surprising, considering how she had roamed mountains and gardens since childhood.
“That would be nice, but… I’m not sure where we should go.”
He knew several worthwhile places within Hespania, but if he was going to take Ariel, he wanted to visit somewhere new. Familiar locations weren’t necessarily boring, but the feeling mattered. Besides, he didn’t know many scenic spots in the northern region. What if a helpful ally appeared to guide him?
“In that case, how about the place I have in mind? I visited there several times with my husband when we were younger. The scenery is quite lovely.”
“What kind of place is it?”
“You’ll know when you see it. It isn’t noisy or crowded—it’s a good spot for quiet conversation.”
“Ah…”
Edgar guessed it was the kind of location suited for lovers to stroll hand in hand, enjoying the view, rather than a lively destination. Since he and Ariel hadn’t shared a deep conversation recently, the timing felt perfect. He asked for the location. Helene smiled softly, as if she had been waiting for the question.
And so, through the combined efforts of one maid and one mother, an outing for two clumsy lovers was quietly arranged.