CH 147

Noel, who was still thinking about it, somewhat felt like an idiot.

A little while ago, he was crying over his father and brother leaving the mansion.

And he was relieved that there is a way to save the estate now?

“. . . Somehow, I feel like an idiot.”

“Why? You look like a great Lord who cares about the Duchy.”

“Still, what I don’t like is that I don’t like it.”

He raised his head from where it was resting on Rieta’s shoulder and sighed deeply.

“Oh.”

“Noel . . . You don’t want the Duke and Darrel to leave, do you?”

“Yes. No. By the way, neither can you.”

At his stubborn words, Rieta muttered a little, “No wonder someone is obsessive.”

“It’s terrifying if they’re not in front of me. I worry about them.”

“Yes, that’s right. They said they would stay there for ten days.”

“What if something happens during that long period of time and they can’t return home for more than ten days?!”

“You would be more concerned.”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

Noel responded excitedly, but in the end, he slumped back on the sofa.

“But I don’t want to leave the Duchy estate alone anyway . . . They say I can’t follow them. Ugh.”

“Then what will you do?”

“There is no way . . .”

Rieta gently brushed Noel’s droopy dark hair.

“Because I have no choice but to accept it.”

Soon, it became quiet again.

And little by little, Noel’s breathing began to get wet.

Even after crying like that, it looked as though there were still some tears left.

What to do . . .

Rieta looked around his room.

It was always neatly organized, but today it was a bit cluttered.

The cause was easy to find.

A blanket placed by the window.

It seems that various objects were put in and pulled out repeatedly as soon as they were caught.

Rietta remembered the words Noel had written down a while ago.

‘Bye. I’m going.’

He was really thinking of leaving the house.

Sometimes, Noel had an extreme side.

He had thrown Rieta’s puzzle out the window before.

This time, he seemed to have thought of going out the window on his own.

“Noel.”

Rieta turned around again and sat down.

“. . . Why.”

Noel still had his head bowed deeply.

“Would you like to go outside together?”

Noel raised his head to the question in a light voice.

“What?!”

Then Rita pointed her finger out the window.

“Let’s go outside. Us.”

“Now?”

“If it’s not now, you can’t sneak out.”

“Princess, are you crazy?! You know what kind of place it is outside and you’re just going to leave?!”

“But I promised to make Noel happy. We have no choice but to go together.”

In response to the brazen reply, Noel glanced at Rieta slightly.

“Hey, are you saying that on purpose, knowing that if you say that, I will object to you leaving?”

“I’m serious.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Who doesn’t know that you’re saying that because you want to hold on to me?”

As Noel said that, the corners of his mouth were strangely raised.

Even though there were still tears in his eyes.

“Do you like it when I hold on to you?”

“What, what’s there to like? It just seems like you’re hoping for that and saying that . . .”

“Then I will hold on to you.”

Rieta grabbed Noel’s arm tightly.

“You can’t leave, Noel.”

Rieta thought he might throw off her arm in disgust.

Usually Noel’s reactions were always so mean.

But Noel was surprisingly quiet and stood still, looking down at the arms that she had grabbed.

“Let’s stay here.”

“. . .”

“Alright?”

“. . .”

“Until the Duke and Darrel return, I will stay with you.”

Having said that, Noel pouted his lips.

“Waiting is . . . Nothing.”

He had been doing that for years.

“I . . .”

Noel rested his forehead on Rieta’s shoulder.

“I’m so scared, maybe this time . . .”

He was afraid he would never see each other again.

He was afraid that he would experience the same breakup.

Noel couldn’t even speak those words.

If he were to speak them, would they become true in the future?

“Noel.”

When she called out his name in a low voice, she heard a whimper and weeping again.

“ . . . Noel.”

Rieta gently placed her arms around the boy’s head, leaning him against her.

What to do.

In return for the Duke’s favor, she had agreed to make this little boy happy.

The problem was that the female lead needed to change little by little in the future, but he had already occupied the space in her own heart.

And events that had long since occurred could not be helped.

Sorry.

Rieta apologized in her heart, and gently stroked his hair with her fingertips.

There was nothing Rieta could do other than this.

Noel leaned on Rieta and cried for longer and longer.

Until it became time for cool breezes to blow.

* * *