I Became a Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

***

Three days had passed since Edgar had received the entire mountain as a birthday gift. Today was none other than his birthday.

Though the family wasn’t from a particularly high-ranking noble house, as the eldest son of a noble family, there were still guests at the mansion who weren’t familiar faces. Among them were some prominent families with reputations for their power and influence.

‘Looks like they’ve come to make an impression.’

Edgar, despite his small stature, accompanied his parents to the first floor to greet the arriving guests. These were people who wouldn’t normally come to their mansion, but on his birthday, they came out of courtesy or to maintain connections.

The fact that the head of the ducal family had personally introduced her daughter’s friend, a branch of the noble family, was widely known by now.

‘The adults have it hard, too.’

While children might enjoy the attention and celebrations of their birthdays, the adults had a different perspective. Edgar didn’t despise or criticize that, he simply felt it was tiring.

“Must be nice, son. There are so many people here to celebrate with you today.”

“Yes, mother.” 

Edgar replied, recognizing that his mother, even though she knew the true intentions of these visitors, couldn’t say that to a ten-year-old. He smiled back at her innocently, nodding.

‘My head will probably explode.’

As the guests passed by, everyone praised his beautiful hair, often asking permission to pat it. The red hair that symbolized the Bilhark family was a rare color in other regions, which made it stand out.

By the time Edgar realized what was happening, he had given up trying to fix his hair. People would pass by and fix it later anyway.

“Helene is running late. Did you hear anything about that, dear?”

As the crowd thinned, Ransley, his father, couldn’t hide his impatience as he spoke.

Most of the people gathered in the hall had come to meet the duchess. If she didn’t show up soon, rumors would spread among them.

“I think she’ll be here soon. I’ll stay here, you go ahead and greet the guests.”

“That’s a good idea. We can’t leave the guests waiting.”

Although it wasn’t a formal occasion, Ransley, as the head of the family, still felt it necessary to greet the guests and make a lasting impression.

So, he excused himself from the room and made his way up to the second floor.

“Don’t be too disappointed if the princess doesn’t show up. Got it, Ed?” h

“Don’t worry, Mom. Ariel will definitely come.” 

“You’re full of confidence.” 

She smiled, though she knew better than anyone that nothing was certain.

Edga, despite knowing that no situation is ever guaranteed, felt certain today. He knew that if Helene couldn’t make it to the birthday party, she would have sent a letter in advance. Moreover, the sword she promised as a gift would likely be sent with it. Even though she wasn’t a man, Helene was the type who kept her word and took responsibility for what she said.

*Click. Click.*

Just as Edgar’s confident words resonated, two women appeared at the door, hand in hand, smiling brightly as they made their way toward the Bilhark family.

When their eyes met, mother and son exchanged smiles, no words needed.

Edgar waved his hand cheerfully.

“Sorry we’re late, Kartria.” 

“Happy birthday, Ed!”

The two exchanged pleasantries, each offering a greeting to the other based on their own level.

Ariel, bouncing around as though it were her own birthday, reminded Edgar of a little black bunny hopping here and there.

“Thanks. You look lovely today.” 

“Ah, I know! I didn’t wear it for you, though!” 

“Who said anything about me?”

Edga couldn’t quite figure out where Ariel’s hot-button issues were. He had only complimented her sincerely, yet she responded with such defensiveness.

Though, it seemed like she wasn’t actually upset she hadn’t puffed out her cheeks like usual. Still, it was hard to understand why she was reacting that way.

Why be so sensitive if she wasn’t really angry? His confusion deepened.

“Ha ha, listen, Edgar, Our daughter may act tough, but in reality…”

“Mom! What are you saying!?”

What was she trying to say? Was there some hidden story?

Unfortunately, before Edgar could dig any further, Ariel’s shrill interruption stopped him. He decided to leave it for later and just nodded, eager to move on.

Then, without warning, he was caught by the sharp, blood-red gaze of Ariel.

He flinched involuntarily.

“If you ask Mom anything behind my back, I’ll get you!”

“Okay, okay, I won’t ask.” 

“Promise?”

Ariel’s stern look was hard to ignore, and Edgar almost wondered if he should make an actual promise with a pinky swear, but he simply nodded again to avoid further drama.

‘This is why I can’t stand sharp little kids.’

He sighed, shaking his head, and then turned to check if there were still any guests before closing the door to the mansion.

Since it was his birthday, and the guests had come to celebrate, he figured he should avoid teasing them too much.

As he led Ariel and Helene upstairs with Kartria, Ariel lightly tapped his shoulder.

“Hey, Ed. Is there a friend of yours among the people who came today?” 

“Friend? Hmm…”

Unfortunately, Edgar had very few people he could call friends.

He knew that other noble families had children around his age, but he had barely met any of them. The children he was somewhat familiar with were either already adults or much older than him.

“I don’t really have anyone.”

“Really? Hehe.”

“…?”

Edgar was taken aback by the unexpected response.

Ariel was mocking him for saying she had no close friends? He couldn’t figure out what she was really thinking.

‘Maybe Ariel has a lot of friends?’

He assumed that, due to family connections, there must be several children from other noble houses that she met often. Among them, she likely had a few friends she got along well with.

But he didn’t know for sure; it was just speculation.

The four of them arrived at the door to the room on the second floor.

As they were about to enter, members of other noble families who had been talking outside quickly lowered their heads and greeted Helene upon seeing her.

Among them were individuals from powerful families whom Edgar even recognized.

‘That’s impressive, really.’

Were they really on friendly terms with these people?

Although Edgar hadn’t gotten close to anyone because of Ariel’s family name, seeing the way they interacted with her made him realize how much influence she carried.

Being under the protection of such a powerful family was not only a privilege but also a luxury Edgar hadn’t fully appreciated until now.

With a deep breath, Edgar opened the door.

As soon as they entered, the chatter among the guests gradually slowed down, eventually giving way to complete silence.

Fearing that Helene might think it rude, Edgar tried not to make eye contact with anyone, but most of the people in the room were stealing glances at Edgar and his family.

“Are you not Lady Helene from the House of Löweheim? It’s an honor to see you again.”

Breaking the silence, the first to speak was a man who appeared to be in his forties, with a solid and imposing presence.

As Helene tried to recall his face from memory, she eventually remembered with a faint exclamation of ‘Ah.’ and greeted him.

“It’s a pleasure to see you. You must be the head of the Ardeltein family, correct? I apologize for not remembering your name due to my poor memory.”

“Ha ha, my name is Moltred Ardeltein. It’s not a particularly remarkable name, but I’d appreciate it if you could remember it going forward.”

Though he wore a friendly smile, the Ardeltein family was a countship with considerable influence in the region.

For the head of such a family to laugh off the fact that someone couldn’t even remember his name spoke volumes about the high status of the person he was addressing.

Watching this, Edgar couldn’t help but smirk, sending a silent sympathy to the head of the Ardeltein family, whose name had been forgotten.

Though he might not show it, he was probably fuming inside. Those with mediocre power and influence often have the highest pride.

“Coincidentally, some members from other families have been eagerly waiting for you to arrive, ma’am. If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind having a brief conversation with them?”

Moltred was attempting to escort her with a rather eager attitude.

In a situation where others from different families were only watching, it was clear to Edgar that Moltred was trying to stealthily usher her into the crowd.

But she was the head of the Löweheim family.

She had navigated many social circles, and she knew exactly what to say in situations like this.

“I appreciate the gesture, but I must decline. Today, I’m here to attend my daughter’s friend’s birthday party, not as the head of the Löweheim family.”

“Ah… I see. I apologize for not noticing sooner.”

Her indirect way of speaking carried the unspoken message: why couldn’t he distinguish between business and personal matters?

The guest of honor today was, after all, the young heir of the Bilharck family celebrating his birthday, and she was simply here to celebrate her daughter’s friend, not to get caught up in the power struggles of other families.

Her face expressionless, Helene gave a subtle smile and shook her head, signaling that no further words were needed.

Moltred quickly offered his apologies and hurriedly excused himself.

“Katria, let’s leave the children for now and have a chat among ourselves. I’m not feeling well enough to mingle with the crowd today.”

“Understood, ma’am.”

Helene deliberately spoke loudly, as if to make sure everyone around her could hear.

In essence, it was a warning to stop approaching her.

If anyone dared approach after the head of the Löweheim family had clearly spoken like this, it could only mean that they had either discarded all common sense or were already beyond caring for their life.

“Ariel, let’s go over there and play. I heard there’s a lot of delicious food today.”

“Okay!”

Edgar, picking up on the subtle hint, grabbed Ariel’s hand and quickly left the area.

As they passed by, their eyes met Helene’s, but she simply smiled and waved at the two of them without saying a word.

The other members of the surrounding families who had been observing all this couldn’t hide their shining eyes.

If they couldn’t strike their target, they’d strike with words.

To them, the two children leaving their mother’s side now appeared like a powerful warhorse, ready to take on anything.

***