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Edgar headed to the room that Helene used exclusively.

Usually, they would sleep in their couple’s bedroom, but I heard she would stay here when she wanted to be alone or had personal matters to attend to.

“Welcome, young master. What brings you here?”

“I wanted to see Lady Helene. Is she inside?”

“Of course. Please wait a moment.”

Shepi asked for a moment to inform her and turned to knock on the door.

When Helene’s voice asked who it was, Shepi informed her that Edgar had arrived.

– Tell him to come in.

Edgar wondered if Helene might not want to meet him, but fortunately, permission came quickly.

As Shepi opened the door for him and guided him inside, Edgar’s eyes fell upon a room he had never seen before.

‘This definitely looks like a room suited for Lady Helene.’

If Ariel’s room felt devoid of the owner’s presence, this room could not be more different.

As the whole view of the room filled his sight, he felt the owner’s aura shining through.

Golden embroidery adorning the bedding and a calm atmosphere mixing white and beige filled the space.

The decorations were not excessive, nor were they lacking, and it felt like harmony was prioritized over flair in the arrangement and design of the furniture.

“Welcome, Ed. Come to think of it, this must be your first time here.”

As she said, it had been quite some time since Edgar had been at the Robeheim household, yet this was the first time visiting this room.

In fact, since he often faced Helene in daily life and had more than enough conversations with her, visiting wasn’t seen as necessary.

“It is. I hadn’t had a reason to visit before.”

“That’s right. So today, I take it you’ve come with something important to share?”

When Helene’s soft gaze met Edgar’s, he felt the sensation of his innermost thoughts being uncovered.

Though he had felt it a few times before, he still couldn’t get used to it.

Usually, she appeared to be a woman who laughed gently and carried an air of decorum, but occasionally she could pierce through him with her sharpness.

Moreover, there was an oddly pressing sense in her endlessly soft eyes, making it impossible for him to utter a lie.

“…Yes, you probably know already.”

“Ha ha, I figured you would be like that. Since the conversation will be lengthy, shall we have some tea?”

“That works for me. Especially if it’s Shepi’s brew.”

Shepi’s skills were among the best of the teas Edgar had tasted, easily ranking in his top picks.

As Edgar smiled at an unexpected slip, Shepi, who was listening from behind, also wore a smile.

“I’m glad the master is finally getting compliments. I’ll go prepare now.”

“Oh, Shepi. Saying things like that makes it sound like I’m stingy with my praises.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t offer compliments; he just didn’t want to mention things that were self-evident.

To twist that around before Edgar and embarrass him, it seemed there had been a failure in the maid’s training.

“I apologize, but it’s the truth.”

“Oh dear, it’s always like this; you never lose with words.”

Since Helene recognized that these were just Shepi’s occasional jests, she didn’t say anything further.

Despite the two’s nominal master-servant relationship, it was actually closer to a friendship.

As Shepi bowed and left the room, Helene lightly glanced over at Edgar seated across from her.

She knew well that if it concerned Ariel, he would stop at nothing, but she didn’t expect him to come looking for her so quickly.

“Is the reason for your visit related to him?”

“More precisely, it’s about Ariel.”

“…I misphrased the question. I suppose his existence is of no concern to you.”

Realizing her mistake, Helene chuckled softly and corrected herself.

Though the intent was roughly the same, there was a slight discrepancy in the wording.

If Yulken had behaved that way towards someone else, he likely wouldn’t have reacted at all.

His curiosity wasn’t about “Yulken’s actions,” but rather, “why he was treating Ariel that way.”

This fact showed how genuine he was towards matters concerning his friends.

Such a drastic difference in responsiveness merely because the subject changed was startling.

Though it made Helene glad that someone cherished her daughter, she felt bittersweet about having to reveal it.

‘Still, I guess I have to let him know.’

If there was a boy who truly embraced her daughter, she thought it would be this young man.

To tell him this fact might be an extension of that very matter.

Of course, she felt an overwhelming desire to take action herself.

However, in some sense, she might not be so different from her husband, feeling a sense of guilt and always holding back from taking that step.

Suddenly, this boy had come along, and perhaps he was the lifeline that had been passed down to the Robeheim family.

“Both of you, the tea is ready.”

Just as a delicate silence fell, Shepi returned with a trolley containing teacups and snacks.

She was quick to notice that the atmosphere between the two was different from usual, but she didn’t point it out.

“Ah, thank you, Shepi. We have urgent matters to discuss, so could you wait outside?”

“Yes, I’ll step out once this is concluded.”

Having planned to do just that, Shepi nodded calmly and completed the table setting.

She then stood up, bowed her head, and quietly exited the room with the trolley.

As the fragrant scent of tea began to fill the room, Helene gently withdrew her hand from her thigh and opened her mouth.

“Do you remember what I told you before? That my daughter resembles him a lot.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“It must have felt strange for you to see him today. He doesn’t resemble her at all, does he?”

“I suppose so…”

Honestly, it wasn’t just a little; he felt vastly different from what Edgar saw.

The Yulken he had just seen felt as though he didn’t possess any paternal affection for his daughter, rather than simply being unable to be honest like Ariel.

When Edgar replied like this, Helene nodded weakly and took a sip of her tea.

Given that there would likely be much to discuss, it was best to moisten her throat ahead of time.

“Surprisingly, he used to resemble Ariel a lot. Or rather, I’d say he still doesn’t differ much now.”

Edgar felt like her words were suggesting that Yulken was simply unable to be honest, but his affection for his daughter was ever-present.

If that were truly the only reason behind it, he felt like going straight to Yulken and throwing a punch in frustration.

Sure, there are feelings that don’t need expressing, but there’s always a limit to that.

With the absurd thought that his daughter would understand his feelings, Edgar had no respect for Yulken, a friend of his treating her coldly.

“It seems you have many questions. Then, it might be a bit lengthy, but will you listen to my story?”

“Coincidentally, Ariel said the same thing. What do you think my response was?”

“Ha ha, you probably said you’d listen until dawn.”

“Exactly.”

Helene lightly pierced through his actions, and as Edgar playfully clapped, she gently smiled and nudged the treats toward him on the table.

“Even if you don’t like sweets, I bet you’d enjoy this. He loves this snack very much.”

“You seem to have a surprising fondness for snacks.”

“Yeah, just look at his build.”

That kind of size must make eating difficult too.

Just one glance could tell it wasn’t just simple fat, but rather, hardened muscle forged from battle.

Still, Edgar couldn’t exactly contradict her face lit with amusement as he silently took a bite of the cookie she offered.

The mildly bitter flavor was actually quite pleasant.

“Ed, did you hear the ‘Star’s Story’ from Ariel?”

“Yes, I didn’t get to hear the details, though.”

“That story is like a legend passed down in our family. It’s supposed to be told only to two individuals in a lifetime.”

Only two in a lifetime, huh.

Edgar later concluded on his own that it likely referred to one’s spouse and child.

But one question arose – why specifically mention “two”?

It’s fine for spouses, but you never know how many children you might have. Why specifically two?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to say “spouse and children” instead?

And now, the story Helene was about to tell would also be related to clarifying this question.

“Actually, my previous family, that is, my bloodline from my family home, has a peculiar trait.”

“A peculiar trait?”

“Yeah. The reason the ‘Star’s Story’ is passed down to only two is actually because of that.”

Helene tilted her head as if to ask if he understood its meaning.

Edgar, continuing his line of thought, reached one conclusion.

“It means you can only have one child.”

“…That’s correct. It’s not a matter of being weak or ill; it’s like a curse that has fallen upon the women in this family.”

“Hasn’t there ever been an exception?”

“No, not a single one.”

With Helene’s firm reply, Edgar couldn’t help but show a look of pity.

By now, it was fair to call it a curse.

Whether there was an actual hereditary illness that passed down or if their family history alone made them frail is unknown.

However, as long as the underlying cause remains unclarified, it wouldn’t be strange for them to refer to it as a curse.

“He proposed to me despite knowing about my lineage. Given the family’s stature, he must understand what it means to only have one child.”

“Ah…”

Well, even normal minor nobility would inevitably be concerned about issues regarding heirs.

Especially for a family among the most distinguished in the Empire.

Even then, at the time, Yulken vowed to be with Helene for life despite being aware of her situation.

It must have been an incredibly tough decision for him and the Robeheim family as well.

“At that time, I accepted his proposal simply out of happiness… but now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve brought misfortune upon the child we will have. It’s the same for him.”

“Is it the pressure of being an heir?”

“If it were just that, it wouldn’t be so bad. Do you see Ariel being the type to buckle under pressure?”

At her questioning, Edgar smiled bitterly and shook his head lightly.

Indeed, it was hard to imagine Ariel being that way.

Once, he might have thought it was possible, but following recent events, he had come to painfully realize it.

She wasn’t feeling the burden of being an heir but rather the weight of not meeting her father’s expectations.

Perhaps that pressure carried a stronger binding force than chains forged from the hardest metal.

“Speaking of which, that thing existed. Seeing it once is worth a hundred words. Just a moment please.”

During their conversation, Helene suddenly stood and began rummaging through the desk drawer to her right.

After pulling out a couple of fairly thick books, she finally revealed a few thin notebooks.

Edgar quickly figured out what they were.

“Is that a journal?”

“Yeah. I haven’t shown this to him, but I think I can show this to you now. It’s a journal I’ve kept since I was still a maiden.”

Edgar had an inkling as to why she brought this journal out.

Surely, what was written inside wasn’t merely a record of daily activities.

It likely contained the story of how that rigid man and that pitiful woman came to be connected, the incidents that occurred in between, and perhaps even side stories that Ariel might not know.

Everything might be packed in that notebook.

“Oh, before I open the journal, there’s one thing I want to ask. Is that alright?”

“Yes, please feel free to ask anything.”

With all this being received, what could a question even matter?

As he nonchalantly nodded, Helene’s lips curled slightly upwards.

Finally, he could ask what had been on his mind since he arrived.

“Let me speak honestly; this is merely a story about someone else’s family. You have neither reason nor justification to intervene. So why go this far?”

“……”

“I’m not scolding you. Just curious. Why would you go this far for a friend…?”

Indeed, it was nothing more than mere curiosity.

He wasn’t expecting his actions to have any justifiable reason or grand intentions.

He simply wanted to know how someone could go this far for their daughter.

Helene’s azure eyes bore into him, and time passed for a moment.

Edgar, without a word, tucked the journal under his arm.

It wasn’t a difficult question to answer; it had already been set in stone long ago.

It was simply that he hadn’t had the opportunity to express it or the reason to say it before now.

“What should I say… I just want to see her smile.”

“People can’t always smile, you know.”

“Right. Even I think it’s quite foolish. How could anyone live every day smiling and without worries?”

Edgar wasn’t a foolish man.

He understood that there are unavoidable things in life, and he also knew there would be days when tears fell.

Yet, this felt like simple arrogance.

He knew that sometimes a man must yield, but this was a path he desperately wished to tread.

“And yet, I want her to smile. At the very least, I don’t want to cause her tears. I’ve thought that way for a long time.”

He couldn’t explain it. He didn’t know what this emotion was.

Why he cared so much about a girl not crying.

Still, one thing was certain: this source of emotion, and the absurdity of the world was none of his concern.

A girl who wasn’t honest, always grumbling, sometimes foolish, yet still had a beautiful smile.

He simply wished for her to remain just that.

 

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