Chapter 112

After breakfast, Rieta dragged Noel to her room.

And she requested the maid to bring a very sweet snack before him.

It was covered in chocolate and syrup, and it was a burdensome confectionery to eat in the morning.

Now Rieta put her hands under her chin and glanced at Noel’s face.

“Why . . . are you looking at me like that?”

Rieta smiled softly.

Of course, it was because she was very curious about when Noel would frown.

But her hopes were shattered.

“Oh, yes. The flowers the Princess gave me were placed in a vase and placed on the desk.”

Noel said that, and even put the terribly sweet cookie into his mouth at once.

Without blinking an eye!!

“. . .!”

Even as Rieta looked at him with astonished eyes, he didn’t mind and swallowed the sweets.

“It is said that putting a little sugar in the vase helps the flowers. Isn’t that amazing? Did you know that?”

Rieta opened her mouth slightly and shook her head gently.

It was because it was more interesting to see Noel’s stomach full of sugar and chocolate than sugar in the vase.

She thought that there was no reason to do so today, if it was said that he endured it because of the Princess yesterday!

“What else are you going to do? How about chess?”

She did not respond to his invitation for a while.

But she soon nodded her head and was brought chess pieces.

Chess was the best match to bring out Noel’s true nature.

Noel and Rieta always had a close battle because their skills were equal.

Noel, who hated to lose, tends to put on a very weak expression whenever Rieta knocks his pieces down.

He sometimes stomped his feet and did not hesitate to show that he wanted to overturn the chessboard right away.

So, in awakening Noel’s nature, there’s nothing better than stimulating a fight.

A satisfied smile appeared on her lips.

“Uhh . . .”

. . . She would have done that.

Today, Rieta didn’t seem to be playing well.

Thanks to it, instead of provoking Noel’s victorious spirit, she simply handed over a victory.

After she lost three times in a row, Rieta unwittingly stomped her feet, making it look like she wanted to flip the chessboard.

So, as time passed, Rieta was defeated for the fourth time as well.

“. . .”

“Well, it would be better to assume that there was no match today.”

Moreover, far from awakening Noel’s nature, she bought his sympathy.

“It’s probably something else. It seemed like you couldn’t focus on the game with me.”

“. . .”

“It was fun though. Let’s do it again next time. Please focus on me then.”

He stood up from his seat, sliding the chess piece into Rieta’s palm.

Now he seemed to be going to practice the piano.

Although he politely greeted her, saying that he would leave, Rietta only looked down at the black king on her hand.

Impossible, why on earth . . . ?

* * *

A few minutes later, the piano was heard from the living room of the mansion.

When the Duke or Darrel played the piano, a beautiful sound flowed, but when Noel or Rieta played it, it was different.

It used to sound like a duck after pressing it slowly, one note at a time.

Rieta carefully opened the door to the living room when Noel was concentrating on his practice for a while

Looking through the crack in the door, Noel was chasing notes with great difficulty, with his neck stretched long and his back slightly bent.

As if he was quite concentrating, Rieta went into the room, but he didn’t notice at all.

The out-of-beat performance continued, and Rieta cautiously approached behind him.

So as not to be noticed.

Finally, Rietta arrived right behind Noel.

His hand, which was still unaware, was busily wandering in the direction on the keyboard.

It was a clumsy performance, but it felt quite enthusiastic.

To the extent that she felt a bit sorry for interrupting this time.

Come to think of it, Noel . . .

He was always cool with his words, though he was a show off.

At the end of the day, he was just trying to be someone worthy of the Duchy.

He was really diligent.

Rieta struggled to shake off the strange feeling.

Because it didn’t matter now.

She couldn’t let Noel keep pretending to be a fake gentleman.

I’m sorry, Noel.

Rieta apologized in her heart and held her hands slightly forward.

It’s okay to be mad at me.

No, I want you to be angry.

Jump up and down! Like you usually do!

And after exchanging hateful words with each other, she wants them to look at each other and laugh as if they never did.

As always.

She hoped they’ll think together about what to do next.

Rieta’s trembling fingers reached near Noel’s face’s both sides.

Perhaps he felt a presence, and the performance stopped for a moment.

No!

Rieta reached out her hand quickly, and she covered Noel’s eyes tightly.

Thump, thump.

She was so nervous about this that her heart raced.

She could feel Noel’s eyes twitch in her palm.

She felt the tickling sensation and wanted to let go, but she held tight.

To be honest, it was a really bad joke to interrupt someone who practiced the piano so hard.