LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 1
〈Episode 1〉 Prologue
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Edgar was not originally from this place.
Not just referring to the region, in fact, it meant he wasn’t a resident of this world at all.
It had been nearly 20 years, give or take a little exaggeration, since he’d fallen into this world he once thought was purely fictional.
Since childhood, there had always been someone by his side, sharing joys and sorrows.
“Your Highness, wouldn’t it be wise to take a break?”
That someone had now become the master he served.
She was none other than Ariel Löweheim, the current head of the Löweheim Duchy, who ruled over the vast northern region with an iron grip.
As always, she had her head buried in a pile of documents, unmoving.
“…You’re still the same, Ed. I told you to act casually when no one’s watching.”
“Weren’t you the one who commanded me to maintain proper decorum as your servant, Your Highness?”
“Tch.”
Ariel let out a small groan, irritably brushing aside her jet-black hair that cascaded down to her waist.
Why on earth had she said such nonsense back then? She should have known better, given how well she understood this man’s incorrigible nature after all these years together.
It all boiled down to her big mouth.
It had been about half a year since she established a master-servant relationship with the friend she’d spent so much time with.
After the incident, she jokingly declared.
“I’m your master now, so you’d better act respectfully.”
“It’s hardly fitting for a servant to disregard their master’s orders, don’t you think?”
“Are you the type to take back your words so easily, Your Highness?”
“Ugh, it’s even more annoying because you’re not wrong.”
She was undoubtedly one of the empire’s most powerful figures, counted among the top three, and a steel-blooded empress who ruled the harsh northern tribes with force.
And yet, she repeatedly lost verbal sparring matches to this man she had known for so long.
If anyone else were to witness this scene, they would rub their eyes countless times in disbelief. It was such an utterly surreal sight.
“So, what about the items sent from the capital?”
“They should have finished organizing it by now. Would you like to review it after your meal?”
“No need. Since you handled it, I’m sure it’s done properly.”
She wasn’t the kind of woman to let personal relationships affect her judgment of official matters.
This trust wasn’t due to their personal bond but rather her recognition of Edgar’s abilities and the fact that he had never once disappointed her.
“What should we do with the captured tribesmen?”
“Are they responding to negotiations?”
“Silent as the grave.”
About a week ago, a major operation had been conducted to eliminate the persistent troublemakers in the northern region.
Over a hundred tribesmen were captured during the campaign.
Though negotiations had been proposed with the condition of returning the prisoners, the other side remained tight-lipped and refused to act.
Ariel’s crimson eyes gleamed with a cold light at the report.
They were the thorn in her side that had tormented her beloved north. She had never expected them to willingly come to the negotiation table.
“Kill them all. I’ve been given full authority by the Emperor.”
Even though she spoke of the empire’s sovereign with a dismissive tone, Edgar’s expression remained composed and unshaken.
After all, who wouldn’t talk ill of someone in their absence? And considering her influence, such bold actions were hardly impossible.
“Understood. Shall we display their heads?”
“That’s not a bad idea. If they retaliate, we’ll just crush them again. Set up tall stakes in front of the fortifications and hang them there.”
The sword was already in her hands.
The northern tribes’ invasions were practically an annual event, but the impregnable defensive line stood firm every time.
With the weather growing colder, food shortages would likely force the tribes into action. Hanging the heads was nothing more than a provocation.
Despite the grim conversation, the expressions of the two remained calm.
Ariel, in particular, had already discarded her icy demeanor from moments before. Stretching leisurely, she looked out at the scenery with a relaxed air.
“For dinner, I’d like lamb.”
A casual remark, tossed out as though it were nothing.
Edgar, who had been standing upright, allowed a faint curve to form on his lips. Ariel, however, failed to notice it.
“Riel.”
“…What?”
A deep male voice resonated softly through the office.
Several seconds passed before Ariel realized that voice belonged to Edgar, and her crimson eyes widened in shock.
That name it was her childhood nickname. A name only one man had ever called her after her parents had passed, a name she thought she would never hear again.
Her head snapped up violently. There he was, wearing a composed expression.
When her blood-red eyes sparkled, as if daring him to repeat himself, his lips curled into a smirk.
“Let’s eat. I figured as much, so I prepared lamb.”
He knew her all too well, having spent so many years by her side, he was well aware that she enjoyed lamb when she was feeling down.
Today, anticipating that she’d be worn out from her official duties, he had personally prepared a lamb dish for her.
However, Ariel’s reaction to the news, though partly appreciative, was far from entirely positive.
“You, you always act like this…!”
“Like what?”
Ariel slammed the table hard enough to make it creak, her trembling hand pointing accusingly at him. Edgar, unperturbed, merely shrugged and walked out of the office.
It was proof that even the title of ‘ruler of the North’ held no weight before the childhood friend who had spent most of her life by her side.
Left behind, Ariel lowered her head, suppressing the surge of frustration welling up inside her.
That infuriating man who always managed to rile her up.
He’d better be prepared next time, she’d make sure to humiliate him properly. She’d savor the day by turning his suffering into her amusement.
Even now, the playful exchanges typical of childhood friends persisted, undiminished by the newly established master-servant dynamic.
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