11 – Another gift
Ariel, who had coldly dismissed the boy whose name she did not know, returned to her usual self as if something had happened.
Even Edgar felt a sense of alienation at that tremendous change of posture.
Because the charisma and determination that comes from a mere 10-year-old was hardly considered.
‘I’m not the Grand Duchess for nothing.’
For some reason, I felt sorry for the boy.
Edgar could well guess why he was talking to him, and he didn’t mean to say that it was the right thing to do.
There was a small doubt on one side that it might not have been a crime to be kicked out with that level of contempt.
“… De, Ed!”
“uh?”
A sharp voice, as if not to let go of my thoughts, struck my ears.
When Edgar hurriedly came to his senses, it was already a step too late.
Ariel, who had puffed out her cheeks, was glaring at him with her hands on her hips.
“Why don’t you answer when I call? I called several times.”
“Sorry. I must have thought of something else for a second.”
“Seeing, I hate you!”
Ariel sternly crosses her arms and turns her head away.
Normally, he would have played a prank to tease him a little more, but this time Edgar decided to bow his head obediently because he had committed a sin.
“Look at me just once. I did it because I thought it was cool that you kicked that boy out earlier.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, it was really cool.”
It was not wrong.
It was to the point where I thought it was the scene that best suited the word girl crush he remembered.
That’s not to say that he exclaimed with his mouth wide open because he was cool, but that’s not the case, but when flattering at times, a bit of exaggeration is necessary.
And, as if the effect had been quite evident, Ariel let go of the air that had been put into her cheeks and made a shrug of her face.
‘Ah, it’s here.’
This immature princess has a habit of pouting her lips once and pulling her hair back behind her ears whenever she has something to brag about or when her nose rises.
The triumphant smile drawn on the corner of the mouth and the raised shoulders are a bonus.
It was one of her habits that only Edgar, who had spent the past ten years with her, knew about.
Perhaps not even Helena knows this.
“Hey, if that’s the case, I can’t help it. Um, but was it really that cool?”
“… oops.”
Oh, I shouldn’t be laughing
Edgar, who managed to overcome the pain by biting his lip as the air tried to escape, shook his head.
Then, out of the blue, she put on a determined expression and suddenly began to praise her actions.
“then. was it really cool? It was like a female knight from a fairy tale.”
“That, is it? Hee hee.”
I already knew that she liked the word female knight more than the word princess.
It must be that the influence of the family that has been in charge of immigrants for generations is large.
Even her father right now is a veteran of the war who has gone through countless fronts. I can’t help but feel a sense of admiration.
‘Come to think of it, I said that.’
While reading a storybook together, the words Ariel casually threw out were still vivid in my head.
Apparently, the princess said she didn’t like it because she seemed like an incompetent person who stuck to the castle and did nothing.
Anyway, she is a princess with a very unique set of values.
As we were chatting with Ariel, who was so relieved, a woman approached the two of them with cautious steps.
A woman dressed in a maid’s uniform with light green hair growing to her shoulders.
It was none other than Helene’s exclusive maid, Sheppy.
“Lady, Gongja. The hostess is calling.”
“no. I want to play with Ed more.”
‘Hey, what’s my opinion?’
Obviously, I called both of them at the same time, but somehow it was Ariel who was the only one expressing her opinion.
There was no way that Helene had called for nothing, and it must have been urgent.
As if to prove this, Sheppy, who had been smiling embarrassingly at Ariel’s tantrum, opened his mouth again.
“It won’t take long. You say you want to personally deliver the present you prepared.”
“Ah, that was it. Then let’s go quickly, Ed!”
“yes.”
Ariel, who quickly became angry, grabbed Edgar’s hand tightly and followed Sheppy.
In the end, without being able to express his opinion, Edgar, who was led by the hand of the princess, was eventually able to reach Helene.
“Sorry to say come and go, Ed. Still, I called you because I wanted to give you this gift myself.”
“No, ma’am. Rather, I should be grateful.”
You should be grateful for what you give. Are you going to question that from the point of view of receiving?
Edgar bowed his head halfway and politely thanked him.
“Huh, it would be nice if my daughter could talk just as well as you. Right, daughter?”
“My, what am I!”
Edgar was in a position to strongly sympathize, but he decided to endure it because he did not know what revenge he would face later on from this princess who stood next to him if he showed such a hint.
Helene, who was watching this with admiration, gave a glance to a man standing next to her.
In his hand was a sword that was wrapped in cloth and was not even visible.
‘Are you sure you’re thinking of handing it over here?’
Edgar was startled and turned around to look at the guests.
Unsurprisingly, the eyes of a considerable number of people who had overheard or spied on the conversation were gathered together.
“Could it be that Madame Helene is going to give that kid a sword?”
“Ah, that can’t be. Even if he’s the princess’s childhood friend, that’s all.”
A murmur erupted from everywhere.
Although he couldn’t ask Helen directly, each person made their own guesses and guessed what Helene was about to do.
Although the fact that the Robeheim family and the Bilhark family were intertwined in a master-servant relationship was widely known externally, it was a different story when the hostess of the Robeheim family gave a sword directly to such a young child.
Even the opponent was a boy whom the hostess had connected with her daughter by hand.
It was a more strange procedure that there were no rumors.
“Are you even thinking about your future partner?”
“Crazy? If you went somewhere and said that, your throat would fly off right away?”
“But that… … .”
Aren’t you too sure about the situation? A man who struggled to swallow the afterwords shut his mouth.
Helene is an intelligent woman. There was no way he could not have noticed the air around him.
Rather, if he had just decided to give the sword as a gift while hiding this fact, he would have secretly handed it to him. At least, he must have borrowed Catria’s hand.
Even so, it was also a kind of bluff that she decided to hand over the sword to Edgar in a gathering of so many people.
This man was recognized by the mistress of the Loveheim family.
That to dishonor this man would also be to dishonor the Loveheim family.
‘The way you look at this child will also change.’
Even though her actions alone won’t change people’s perception of the boy named Edgar at once.
This was just the first step he needed.
The eldest son of the small family, who is quick to count from behind even in the baron family. From such a person, the hostess of the Loveheim family personally studied the sword.
At that moment, they will recognize again as a boy named ‘Edgar’, not ‘the eldest son of a small family’.
It is not that difficult to change the evaluation of the people around you as long as you break the frame that confines a person.
All Helene wanted to do was create that little opportunity.
“Ed, come here.”
“Yes, madam.”
Helene received the sword from the servant and untied the cloth herself.
What was revealed in it was neither crude nor flashy. If someone who doesn’t know how to see a sword sees it, it’s probably nothing more than an ordinary sword.
It was the same in Edgar’s view.
“Doesn’t it look like an ordinary sword?”
“To be honest… That’s right.”
“Huh, it looks like that. But I prepared it myself for you. Would you like to listen to it if possible?”
He expected the sword to be handed over after some solemn ceremony, but unexpectedly, the sword came quickly into Edgar’s hands.
It was definitely a real sword, so it was quite heavy. Perhaps even wielding it would be a struggle for an ordinary 10-year-old.
“!?”
Edgar, who was examining the appearance with both hands holding the sword, widened his eyes at the sudden sensation.
sigh.
It was as if the blood vessels throughout his body were spurting upside down and regaining new movement.
what? I almost dropped my sword at the feeling I was experiencing for the first time in my life.
“Eh, what’s wrong with Ed? It’s fine?”
“Leave Ed alone, Ariel. You will be fine soon.”
When Edgar got down on one knee and was about to sit down, Ariel hurriedly ran over and checked his condition.
However, Helen, who was watching this, urged her to leave and stared at Edgar.
pounding. pounding.
Edgar’s beating heart gradually began to calm down.
Could it be because of this sword?
Edgar unconsciously raised his head and met Helen’s eyes.
Recognizing the look in his eyes, Helene grinned and asked Sheppy to support him.
“Sorry for the suddenness, Ed. It’s probably your body’s process of adjusting to that child.”
“Adaptation… May I ask what you mean?”
His speech, which had been polite and formal due to his lack of energy, was also somewhat relaxed.
However, Helene didn’t point out much, thinking that this tone was more suitable for a ten-year-old.
“I heard a story from Katria. They say you are incapable of using magic.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Helene frowned for a moment at the tone that quickly returned to normal, but she decided to postpone the story and continued talking again.
“That child is a sword that circulates the magic power in the body. It’s a great sword in itself, but it’s said that it allows children like you who are naturally incapable of chanting spells to be able to use magic.”
“I… Magic?”
I had never thought about it.
Since I was born that way in the first place, I thought of myself and magic as a matter of a distant country, and didn’t even pay attention.
But I didn’t think there was a solution like this.
“Ariel said so. He said you were very curious to see him use magic.”
“Yeah, that’s right, but… … .”
“Don’t be envious, but writing it yourself is the best way. Ariel said, too, that it’s sad that I can’t talk to you about magic.”
When Edgar looked at Ariel with his eyes wide open at the story he had heard for the first time, she shyly jerked her head away.
That’s why I wondered if he was trying to show himself so much magic.
That way, at least when we show magic, we’ll be able to share the same topic.
“If you practice repeatedly in that state, you will be able to use magic even if the sword falls off your body later, so just keep diligently.”
“Go, thank you. wife.”
I received an unexpected and valuable gift.
To be honest, I thought it would be a good idea to give a sword rolling around, but what the hell is this?
“uh? Ed cries!”
Mistress, embarrassing.
At Ariel’s cry, Edgar hurriedly wiped his tears with the sleeve of his clothes.
It was nice to be able to use magic, but above all, the gratitude to Helene for caring about even the smallest details made her emotions surge.
A smile appeared on the lips of Katria and Helen, who watched this.
Edgar’s tears, not anyone else’s.
A rare sight that I had never seen before was unfolding before my eyes.
“What is it, Ed? I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you cry.”
“I am so glad you are so happy. Happy birthday once again, Ed.”
Edgar, who was stroked by Helen with tears in his eyes, felt like a real child for the first time in this world.
It was a bit embarrassing, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.